sockeye

First of all the 17 clubs stay in the league and reap the broadcast money, plus even more as the second and third installments of parachute payments just get divided amongst them. To fix the problem, I would start with that little caveat. It's a difficult predicament. Of course it looks bad to us. But I would argue the PL probably doesn't care that much right now. International viewers are where the money comes from and most are fans of Sky Six clubs. In that regard, they live in their own world. They aren't going to care that Southampton, Burnley or Leeds can't make a dent in the Premier League, or that new blood isn't flowing in. The health of the football pyramid isn't of interest to them as much as bantering Man United or Chelsea on Twitter for losing to the minnows that week. The poor look up to the rich, but the rich would rather ignore the existence of the poor...

Every club's a stepping stone. Football is fleeting. Just enjoy the present.

6-0 on aggregate. Blimey. Although it would be nice to see Coventry and Sunderland get up to the PL, the less sides with parachute payments in the Championship the better.

Great goals and good to be through

If he leaves us in a better place than he came to us it's good enough for me. With the Leipzig and Wolfsburg jobs up for grabs in Germany, I do think there is a reasonable possibility he's headed back there this summer. Whatever happens, we need to see a show of intent by SR and not muck around with negotiations. Cooper, Rohl, Still, all are acceptable to me. Just get the appointment done and crack on with player trading.

The split payment changes are unreasonable.

Hopefully next season will be the last with an ugly betting sponsor on the front of the shirt https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65260002

It's not enough to help them win every trophy there is to win, you have to get them a £100 million selling fee too. Entitled and despicable fanbase, hope they get left in the dirt next year.

Rattling the chosen ones of the Sky Six will never not feel good

Next up we spoil the Goodison leaving party

The great escape starts now!

YESSSSSSS!

Like constipation in football form. It has to come eventually, but you're forced to sit and wait.

Pep: I will learn from Simon Rusk he then started the remaining 2 games with no striker and a back 5 resulting in City dropping out of the top 5

No strikers. Surely it’s match fixing at this point.

No, and it never will be. I very much like the unique shape of the emblem and how well it represents the city proper. To have it swallowed by the ultra-minimalism of the 21st century and replaced with a red circle would be a loss

Wonder if the nods will clap his goals like last time

I’d expect Spors to have a bit more imagination than Danny Ings. He is done. Not only will he be demanding ridiculous wages, but he has registered 4 league goals in the last 3 years. Even if he were to do well in the Championship, he would be as effective as a lead balloon were we to bounce back up next season. He would not even be in the conversation had he not played for us previously.

Looking back over the season and this line-up makes me want to cry. Somewhat incredible that even the standouts of this season Fernandes and Ramsdale were end-of-window signings and this is what we started off with. Need to look nothing like this in August.

One of these things is not like the others...

Finished on 89 points. Snap him up Saints.

But can he reverse a binary tree?

Ballard has had a rough time of it. In 2023-24 he went to Reading and had a decent start before getting a season-ending injury. He then went to Blackpool at the start of this season and injured his shoulder, eventually being recalled and sent to Cambridge in January. It may be true that he’s unable to make the step up to senior football for us, but send him out on loan to League One again in 2025-26 for a full season and we’ll have a much clearer picture as long as no more injuries occur.

Hull look set to do the same with Selles

Agreed. Especially for those that have been here over a longer period, they will have suffered multiple record defeats, multiple relegations, and spent years with a club ambition of merely wanting to exist in the PL. Unfortunately for some players this will be the best gig they will ever get. It will be very difficult to shift them. I almost don’t want us to go up next season to give us a longer period of bleeding away contracts and reshaping the team.