The Football News Thread 2025/26

[Kenny]

'Ave it

https://twitter.com/x/status/2027805538646372848

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Get up you girl

 

[lemonjelly]

“For me the main topic is to make a clear rule how much time you can waste for a corner, for a throw-in, for a free-kick because I think no-one recognises it, but when Arsenal has a corner and they are leading, sometimes they spend over one minute just to take a corner."

Well said Mr Hurzeler!

 

[Lupo]

EFL clubs have voted in favour of expanding the play offs down to 8th place

 

[jd1981]

FFS the phrase “if it isn’t broken don’t fix it” comes to mind.
I assume it’ll follow the conference style of 1 off matches?
To sum up Norwich in 17th are just 6 points from 8th and would still have shooters chance. Someone will shithouse their way into the PL and proceed to ass kicked weekly the following season.
Having the 6th place given a chance at the PL is pushing things.

 

[Tony Towner]

EFL clubs have voted in favour of expanding the play offs down to 8th place

Gives Edwards at least another month next season if it starts badly

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

And this kicks in for next season? FFS

With the "daylight" offside being trialed and also VAR for corners and goal kicks coming in next season, the game is becoming unrecognisable from what it was 10 years ago, let alone 30!

 

[leedswolf]

Stan used to be Optus I think, often a good option for watching PL games on a stick (or so I'm told)

Optus was acquired by Nine Entertainment (owners of Stan) and the remaining streaming rights assigned to Stan Sport, when Optus ceased operations last August.

 

[Del Woppio]

With the "daylight" offside being trialed

There's been nowhere near enough talk about this imo, it's going to be an enormously impactful change

 

[Mel Evo]

FFS the phrase “if it isn’t broken don’t fix it” comes to mind.
I assume it’ll follow the conference style of 1 off matches?
To sum up Norwich in 17th are just 6 points from 8th and would still have shooters chance. Someone will shithouse their way into the PL and proceed to ass kicked weekly the following season.
Having the 6th place given a chance at the PL is pushing things.

I agree with all of this. Also an observation that any neutral reader might be amused at our objection being it could result in a shit team getting thumped every week!

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

There's been nowhere near enough talk about this imo, it's going to be an enormously impactful change

Absolutely huge, the biggest change in football since the back pass law, if not bigger.

Just look at these examples, and they're not even that extreme.

 

[jd1981]

Promotion is for being elite that season not being alright then shithousing 3 matches.
As said I’d be happy with it staying the same or it being cut to 3 teams with 4th and 5th playing off to see who plays 3rd place in the final.

 

[White Wolf]

Absolute load of shite. At least National League only has two spots so you can make the argument for it. But with  three? 8th place has no right to be anywhere near. Strikes me as very Americanised, watering down the league system towards more playoffs. Wouldn't be shocked if there is a relegation playoff incoming shortly after.

 

[PuntsWolf]

There's been nowhere near enough talk about this imo, it's going to be an enormously impactful change

I’ve been moaning about the stupidity of it since it was first suggested. The fact it’s actually been given any credence is crazy. Made even worse the fact it was a person who moaned about others not playing the beautiful game, played as a defender, but now wants to effectively force everyone to defend really deep.

What happens on set pieces now? Free kicks from the half way line with everybody in the 6 yard box?

 

[PuntsWolf]

Promotion is for being elite that season not being alright then shithousing 3 matches.
As said I’d be happy with it staying the same or it being cut to 3 teams with 4th and 5th playing off to see who plays 3rd place in the final.

Imagine finishing 3rd but then getting a stupid/dodgy sending off in the first minute, 46 game season wasted for one moment

 

[jlo]

There's been nowhere near enough talk about this imo, it's going to be an enormously impactful change

That's why it's a trial. It's not coming here yet. I don't like it however, but neither do I think the current system is great. Just seen the two decisions from the Chelsea v Villa game - madness that the Villa goal was offside if you step back and don't rely upon the lines.

I'm in favour of VAR, but wouldn't be adverse to stopping it for a year and working out a better way of implementing it. I think refs get an very hard time for human errors (easy to think from your sofa something is obvious) but they need VAR to be more effectively deployed in the way it assists them.

 

[Tony Towner]

That's why it's a trial. It's not coming here yet. I don't like it however, but neither do I think the current system is great. Just seen the two decisions from the Chelsea v Villa game - madness that the Villa goal was offside if you step back and don't rely upon the lines.

I'm in favour of VAR, but wouldn't be adverse to stopping it for a year and working out a better way of implementing it. I think refs get an very hard time for human errors (easy to think from your sofa something is obvious) but they need VAR to be more effectively deployed in the way it assists them.

It's getting trialled in Canada. It'll be seen for the joke it is and binned imo

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

It's getting trialled in Canada. It'll be seen for the joke it is and binned imo

Hope so, but I wouldn't be so sure, Infantino is positive about it, and obviously Wenger has a lot of influence, the fact their even entertaining it is a worry, let alone trialing it.

Not sure if accurate but I've just read Canada doesn't have VAR.

So that will be interesting, purely down to the linesmen.

 

[Tony Towner]

That's why it's a trial. It's not coming here yet. I don't like it however, but neither do I think the current system is great. Just seen the two decisions from the Chelsea v Villa game - madness that the Villa goal was offside if you step back and don't rely upon the lines.

I'm in favour of VAR, but wouldn't be adverse to stopping it for a year and working out a better way of implementing it. I think refs get an very hard time for human errors (easy to think from your sofa something is obvious) but they need VAR to be more effectively deployed in the way it assists them.

Plus everything with VAR will always be better when... The latest was semi automated offsides which haven't improved much if anything. When never comes.

 

[jlo]

One idea would be trial VAR offside without lines. If you can't tell it's on or off, then clearly it's too marginal to care.