Dan

You're suffering from similar issues to me - I just cannot crack the goalkeeping on this and have genuinely no idea what to even look for at this point when trying to buy one. It's the one position I'm sort of happy if I get a 6.8 average rating in because I seem to be prone to goalkeepers completely sabotaging my season. This isn't a new thing either. It's been the case since about FM22. It's just so hard to know who can be relied on and I'm thinking it must be tactical.

Sounds silly to say in our current plight but money. We could probably x5 what he's on at Lincoln. I mean we probably can't, but we probably would I hope it doesn't happen. I don't think a single party would win from it.

I've played on quite a bit but I'll drip feed it because. I had pretty high hopes for 2027/28 because of how well we finished the second year - after a tactic switch we really blew away most of the competition in the post split, but I did have a bit of a fear about the season on the opening day when we stole a draw at IMT despite being rank second best throughout. I needn't have worried though as this, a 2-1 loss at Zvezda and a 1-1 draw with Napredak were our only dropped points in the first ten games. Even Macva Sabac couldn't stop us like they usually did, courtesy of a late winner after absolutely hammering them and missing a penalty. We did lose 1-0 at Partizan which was disappointing, but then won the following three inlcuding a cup game before taking on Zvezda at home in a surprise 2nd v 1st encounter. The biggest reality check of the lot as after a decent first half, we somehow collapsed in the second and lost it 0-5. The response was impressive though with another two wins, then two draws, then another three wins, before losing at home to Cukaricki who had been pretty poor for the most part truth be told. There was no real story or narrative to the season beyond it being a very impressive overperformance. Zvezda won the league pretty comfortably, but we finished 3rd in the table behind Vojvodina and ahead of Partizan, meaning we had secured Conference League football. We also made the cup final but, surprise surprise, lost to Zvezda. It was an absolutely brilliant season though. 18 clean sheets from our 33 games and the best defence in the division. Odds are totally stacked against us for Europe which is a shame as the money from that would completely change the game. We will get some money for being in the play-offs, but the odds of us winning three rounds of qualifying are really quite low despite everything. We won't be spending any money of interest until we do make it to a league phase, but making it that one time will change everything.

As ever, depends if we get lucky with the manager. But I doubt it. Skubala by the way I think would fail big time if he came here. Was listening to the NTT20 pod about Lincoln's promotion and they as a club couldn't be more different to us. The only commonality with Leicester next season and Lincoln this is the league. It would be a completely different situation to anything he has faced. As somebody with a bit of a vested interest in his career due to the Lutterworth link I actually hope for his own sake he steers the **** clear of this.

I don't think the EFL like us, and why would they, but I actually think they will be hoping LCFC do survive this season because of what is likely to follow if we are relegated. The level this could actually get to did partly happen because of the rules that were in place. This is in absolutely no way a defence of LCFC by the way. The people at the club deserve far worse than what they've had.

Three clubs having points deductions would be an absolute humiliation for the EFL. It's the sort of shit you'd expect if you went down a rabbit hole and ended up on the Bulgarian 2nd division table.

Went to a stag do in Salzburg over the weekend and ended up going to, grabs shield, RB Salzburg's game. There were 16 of us and it would've been good to do Austria Salzburg, but their ground holds about 1,500 and they comfortably sell it out so it just a bit of a non starter unfortunately. Now I'm not ignorant to the formation of RB Salzburg and I obviously oppose it, but even despite this, I expected a bit more than what there actually was. I did think as a club who had recently won 10 straight league titles that they might have picked up some support but they just haven't really at all. The crowd was under 9,000 and I'd say there were easily over 1,500 away fans from Linz as well (who were very good throughout). They really are just an Austrian MK Dons in every sense. A small organised group behind the goal, but nothing substantial. They've really fallen off on the pitch as well. Linz won what turned into a pretty mad game in the end 2-3 despite throwing it away in injury time themselves. I didn't go with high expectation and it somehow fell short. Really tinpot and soulless club.

Enjoy your captain for next season. Should get the Ayew treatment. As should plenty of others.

Should be a minimum of 20 gone, like 2023, like 2025. There won't be. Enjoy the Choudhury and Thomas captaincy split for whoever Wayne Rooney decides it'll be that week.

You would have to be pretty stupid to support King Power in 2026 so yes, they will do exactly this.

Perfect - another excuse for our board and the apologists to shift the blame from themselves.

It's done. Finished.

It's definitely what they'll do. Go all out for a draw and lose 2-0 to two fairly late goals.

Their consistency in getting it wrong and seemingly downgrading every time they change manager, or sign / sell a player is barely believable. It really is a once in a generation level of incompetence.

Van Nistelrooy's record was so abject that you just can't really build any case for him. But the bar is so low that I do get it. He's the one manager since Maresca that hasn't tried to placate these players. That obviously did backfire on him, but the more time passes the more I think he could point to being dealt a terrible hand more than being totally useless. And lets be fair - as crap as he was, he was steady if unspectacular at PSV, so not a complete joke figure of a manager.

This really is on pahahaha My god I hope it happens. I thought Pep had peaked, and I still sort of believe this to be true, but I like him substantially more than I do Arteta.

Don't forget the Vertu trophy.

Not giving a crap but I don't think that's a good side either. I think our 2022/23 squad was better than this.

Tottenham really do look doomed. They couldn't remind me of LCFC any more.

Anybody even remotely sentient would've ruled this out after May 2023 where him and Whelan were the ones 'reviewing' what went wrong.

I think it really is one of the most astonishing things you'll ever see in football. The most egregious example of sportswashing you'll probably ever see.

Really hope it's 6 again. Give them one final humiliation. Brentford v Fulham the PL half 12 so can imagine a few will tune in for this as well.

Can't judge him until he's at a professional football club. Man City will likely sack whoever made the decision to essentially enforce a 4 month injury on him.

Time to bring back the songs. You know which.

Yeah true. You do get some babies on here sometimes though.