And City top after Arsenal had been there for 200 days

its all hotting up with 4 left to play........
City now on top due to goal diff just.
Top 5 looks its near on done but expect some ladder changes.
Bournemouth Brentford vying well for Eurpoe spots ahead of Chelsea.
Lots to play for those 3/4 spots.

At the bottom its Hammers/Spurs who's gonna take that last relo spot mind you Forest could still end up there possibly depending who can keep winning and not.

I saw bits of the Leeds Bournemouth game as well.
Looked good - Leeds lucky got a OG but them the football breaks.
Bournemouth were gonna take the points but a Longstaff 90+9 goal levelled it.
Happy ending haha

Leeds at 40 points should be enough to stay up. They can now focus on the FA Cup, would love to see them knockout Chelsea.

Arsenal have a history of struggling towards the end of the season.

Pasquali said:

Surely coach is sacked before then

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Great call that!

Football us life said:

Yep. Brighton, Brentford, Bournemouth, even in parts Sunderland and up in Scotland you've now got Hearts within the Tony Bloom Brighton stable of clubs...

They all seem to understand this data driven recruitment, selling players at peak value, next man up philosophy in terms of both players, coaching and management and a particular style of play as a constant.

I mean for small to mid ranking clubs, you're already dead in the Premier League if you're not going to be looking at this modest club way of getting the best out of your resources...

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If memory serves me correct, Sunderland basically binned off their entire starting XI that got them promoted. Ruthless, but you have to be.

There are far more players in the middle of the bell curve these days and far less outlier players, so you can't rely on picking up x-factor players to dig you out of a hole anymore. Even if you have the $$$.

It's why clubs without a clear startegy (such as Spurs) will struggle in the new era of The Prem. They honestly have no clue, apparently looking at Sebastian Kehl as DOF, he was as disaster at Dortmund. Thinking one man can fix a whole-of-club problem is 90's era stuff.

riquelmes_laces said:

If memory serves me correct, Sunderland basically binned off their entire starting XI that got them promoted. Ruthless, but you have to be.

There are far more players in the middle of the bell curve these days and far less outlier players, so you can't rely on picking up x-factor players to dig you out of a hole anymore. Even if you have the $$$.

It's why clubs without a clear startegy (such as Spurs) will struggle in the new era of The Prem. They honestly have no clue, apparently looking at Sebastian Kehl as DOF, he was as disaster at Dortmund. Thinking one man can fix a whole-of-club problem is 90's era stuff.

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Middlesbrough seemed to have now implemented this "Buy-to-Build" model, targeting high-potential talent under 23. Usually by scouting undervalued markets and elite academies, they then look to develop players with an increase in resale value. It's quite a disciplined strategy and this type of trading ensures long-term financial sustainability and PSR compliance while maintaining a reasonably competitive, modern squad of players.

As a fan you want to spend your way to promotions and success but the reality is that the first step in achieving success is sustainability in the, as you say new era of football....

Middlesbrough’s past failures stemmed from high-risk spending on aging players with little resale value. Chasing short-term promotion led to inflated wage bills and heavy reliance on Chairman Steve Gibson’s funding. These "boom-and-bust" cycles nearly breached financial regulations, forcing the current shift toward a disciplined, youth-focused, and self-sustaining recruitment model.

Fans generally support the shift toward sustainability, appreciating the transparency of the Fan Advisory Board and things that explain the business practices to those long suffering fans....

But while new manager Kim Hellberg's "Hell-Ball" provides a bit of excitement, some remain wary of losing star players for profit. Overall, supporters value the club’s long-term security over the reckless spending that previously threatened Boro’s financial future and stability.

LFC said:

I saw bits of the Leeds Bournemouth game as well.
Looked good - Leeds lucky got a OG but them the football breaks.
Bournemouth were gonna take the points but a Longstaff 90+9 goal levelled it.
Happy ending haha

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That one point pretty much guaranteed their survival.

they were almost 3-1 down with a goal disallowed right before they equalized.

Predictions for final relegation spot? I’m saying West Ham.

HonestSpursFan said:

Predictions for final relegation spot? I’m saying West Ham.

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Sorry, friend, I think your team is doomed.

yep +1 spurs, deserve every bit of it.

Never thought I’d see Yanited finish above Liverpool, although I did predict they’d finish top 4.

riquelmes_laces said:

Never thought I’d see Yanited finish above Liverpool, although I did predict they’d finish top 4.

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Back to normal thankfully.

HappyGuus said:

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How did Real Madrid gain so much despite going trophyless (other than trophies that were technically counted for last season)? Just cause they signed Kylian Mbappé? Meanwhile we and PSG became European champions yet lost millions?