Live Match Discussion 2025/26

[Alan]

It's not though is it. You're talking about mathematical certainty.

It's well within the realms of mathematical possibility for Chelsea to win the league, especially if they win tomorrow, but they are 750/1 with the bookies for a reason and all their fans knew they weren't lifting the title months ago.

I don't know what you're trying to convince me of. For as bad as we've been for the entire season, yeah, I was a bit surprised (rationally or otherwise) that there's still a path out of the bottom 3 at all. Just hadn't thought about it much because we've been otherwise clearly fucked for ages.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

You were astounded, not a bit surprised

No-one gets relegated this early unless they get docked a lot of points, like Sheff Wed a division lower. Doesn't happen.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Meanwhile I think Albion are done.

Sheff Utd (A)
Southampton (H)
Hull (H)
Bristol City (A)
Wrexham (H)
Blackburn (A)
Millwall (H)
Preston (A)
Watford (H)
Ipswich (H)
Sheff Wed (A)

Cannot see them winning more than two of those.

 

[Alan]

Yes, I do know how it works. And yet, it feels like we have been relegated already. None of us have really given the alternative any thought since before Christmas, feels like.

Astounded, surprised, w/e. Just stick in astounded again; I'd use it again. It doesn't feel like we have the statistical chance that we still do, however tiny.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Stay classy, Leeds fans

 

[Tony Towner]

As I watch Leeds hurl in a long throw, Villa even had Cash doing it last night, he was worse than Mosquera. It's bizarre.

 

[Alan]

As I watch Leeds hurl in a long throw, Villa even had Cash doing it last night, he was worse than Mosquera. It's bizarre.

Are “long throws” tracked by stats? Also curious why it’s so widespread lately.

Or, feels so widespread

 

[AndyWolves]

It's the current meta

 

[Tony Towner]

Should've voted against VAR then

They didn't

 

[Alan]

It's the current meta

No doubt. Wonder if its efficacy is worth it.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Are “long throws” tracked by stats? Also curious why it’s so widespread lately.

Or, feels so widespread

Because managers are stupid and just blindly copy trends.

You get teams trying to play out from the back with clogger centre halves and club footed goalkeepers totally ill-equipped for it, or managers saying "hey, three at the back, all the cool kids are doing that, I will" without ever considering how the system actually works.

Managers are almost exclusively former professional footballers, there isn't a weight of intellect there a lot of the time.

Think about how many times a Wolves manager has done something that all of us, the laymen, committed laymen but laymen all the same, can see is obviously not going to work before a ball has been kicked.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Because managers are stupid and just blindly copy trends.

You get teams trying to play out from the back with clogger centre halves and club footed goalkeepers totally ill-equipped for it, or managers saying "hey, three at the back, all the cool kids are doing that, I will" without ever considering how the system actually works.

Managers are almost exclusively former professional footballers, there isn't a weight of intellect there a lot of the time.

Think about how many times a Wolves manager has done something that all of us, the laymen, committed laymen but laymen all the same, can see is obviously not going to work before a ball has been kicked.

Nuno getting Rui to just pump it to Dendoncker or Doherty was far more effective/statistically advantageous than us trying to get Rui to become Pirlo, whilst many other managers (as low down as the conference on shit heap pitches) were trying to play it out from the back.

Speaking of that, us trying to do it last night was frustrating, but then again pumping it to AA would have been shit too.

 

[Tony Towner]

Disallowed for handball after a 4 minute VAR check, finishes 4-3 to Brentford

Over 6. It's a plague on the game. Forget about Burnley, forget about Ashley Barnes. You've scored a last minute equaliser, you've gone mental and then they spend 6 minutes guessing whether it should be allowed. It's abomination, not what anybody wanted when it was introduced and rips the heart out of the game and is anti football.

 

[PuntsWolf]

City are completely parking the bus against Leeds. How far have they fallen!

Not sure how they’re still in the title race

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I can't have Arteta winning the league so it has to be City.

I know it's only cherrypicking (no pun intend) the best player off someone down the league, but Semenyo has been a brilliant signing. So much output already.

We paid more than double for Guedes what Bournemouth did for Semenyo in the same season.

 

[Alan]

If only his name was Antoine Gomes, we’d be midtable.

 

[Sniffer]

Leeds really went at City and i think that they stood up to the test very well. Arsenal at our place the other week couldn’t cope with one shite ball into the box under no pressure.

 

[jd1981]

City are completely parking the bus against Leeds. How far have they fallen!

Not sure how they’re still in the title race

Because Arsenal just do the same, Villa aren’t as good as they think they’re and Liverpool results are matching their performance.
The league isn’t that great.

 

[jd1981]

Meanwhile I think Albion are done.

Sheff Utd (A)
Southampton (H)
Hull (H)
Bristol City (A)
Wrexham (H)
Blackburn (A)
Millwall (H)
Preston (A)
Watford (H)
Ipswich (H)
Sheff Wed (A)

Cannot see them winning more than two of those.

Just a case of what Leicester can do, Oxford have clawed their way back too. Albion probably needed 4 points from Charlton and Oxford and got 1.
No BCD drama and build up would be a big help to us next season.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Because Arsenal just do the same, Villa aren’t as good as they think they’re and Liverpool results are matching their performance.
The league isn’t that great.

But equally you don't want 2/3/4 juggernauts at the top who authentically are world class (or close) in every position and so they'll basically swat away anyone else and the league gets decided on the games between each other, or a very rare, random slip up elsewhere. The top six all being flawed in different ways is good for the league.

You're right in that the champions (whoever they are) won't go down in the annals of history, City have had multiple better teams than this and Arsenal will be the worst champions (on an aesthetic level) that I'll ever have seen in nearly 40 years.