The 2025/26 Relegation Battle Thread

[knowing your history]

As it stands we're bang in trouble. There aren't three teams worse than our first choice 11.

There certainly are with just defensive units. Branthwaite and Pickford shortly committing to new long term deals is very good news. Hopefully new RB will be signed soon and J O'B can possibly start the season at CB which I want to see.

Individual members of the defence routinely get hammered on here but if they are all out there AND 100% fit (rather than playing through knocks as Tarks and Myko seemed to be for half of last season) they are not easy to be scored against home or increasingly away.

That isn't going to change under Moyes and would be amazed if any of Leeds, Burnley or Sunderland have better defensive stats this season.

 

[catcherintherye]

As it stands we're bang in trouble. There aren't three teams worse than our first choice 11.

There are multiple mate. We are fine.

 

[Timbucktoo]

There certainly are with just defensive units. Branthwaite and Pickford shortly committing to new long term deals is very good news. Hopefully new RB will be signed soon and J O'B can possibly start the season at CB which I want to see.

Individual members of the defence routinely get hammered on here but if they are all out there AND 100% fit (rather than playing through knocks as Tarks and Myko seemed to be for half of last season) they are not easy to be scored against home or increasingly away.

That isn't going to change under Moyes and would be amazed if any of Leeds, Burnley or Sunderland have better defensive stats this season.

I think Sunderland will do well not to follow the way of the teams that went down last season, Leeds think that they are better than they are, but Burnley had a serious tight defense last season. It will be interesting to see if they can continue with such a strong defense in the PL but I think they`re not so good at finding a goal which could be their downfall. And there`s always Spurs, United and West `Am to fight it out for the drop too.

 

[BainesontoastNEW]

Defensively, we should be better than several, unless there is a catastrophic decline *gulps*

I do have concerns over our creativity at the moment. Signings should change that, though. I'm confident in the process as I understand the market and how transfers truly materialise. The modern concept of instant gratification - because of the Internet imo - clouds mindsets into thinking deals are done almost overnight. It doesn't help when the RS are first out of the blocks, so to speak, but they have the pull factors to influence the market that we unfortunately lack at present. That's just honesty.

 

[Fonzy]

Villa lost to Walsall yesterday too. Wonder if their fans are drinking bleach?!

Newcastle 4-0 defeat as well

 

[Tigger]

Brentford, Burnley, Bournemouth

Bold

 

[MACCA75]

You would hope Brentford, Wolves and Fulham would have a drop off next season.

 

[Marius57]

Remember when people were saying there weren’t 3 worse teams than our squad last year.

And the year before.

I sometimes wonder whether some posters on here actually watch football.

 

[Roachey11]

Wolves, Fulham, Brentford, Burnley, Forest, Sunderland, Leeds, Bournemouth, West Ham, maybe even united again - all got potential to have poor seasons

 

[Marius57]

Wolves, Fulham, Brentford, Burnley, Forest, Sunderland, Leeds, Bournemouth, West Ham, maybe even united again - all got potential to have poor seasons

And palace.

Basically, over half the league

 

[MACCA75]

Remember when people were saying there weren’t 3 worse teams than our squad last year.

And the year before.

I sometimes wonder whether some posters on here actually watch football.

Tbf we spent the first half of last season looking like relegation fodder. We looked like an absolute abomination of a team under Dyche.

 

[Lanolin]

Tbf we spent the first half of last season looking like relegation fodder. We looked like an absolute abomination of a team under Dyche.

Yep, suggesting being concerned about relegation last season was weird is some next level gaslighting, especially from posters who were absolutely adamant we really were going down when dyche was here.

 

[bluestevon]

Burnley - good defence but no goals in that side. If they lose Trafford that's gonna hurt them badly too.

Leeds - awful manager and they'll try to play like they did in the championship and will get mullered badly, recruitment isn't that good so far and a team full of players who can look good the level below but who will struggle badly.

Brentford - set piece coach as answer - teams been plundered with losing all the managerial and cos hing side

Wolves - terrible besides one purple patch and have lost their two best players by a mile.

Think Sunderland will survive, recruitment has been good and got some good young players, but they badly need to bring in a couple of good centre backs or they'll struggle badly at the back.

 

[SJB]

And palace.

Basically, over half the league

Let it go lad, it's turned into an obsession.

 

[Marius57]

Yep, suggesting being concerned about relegation last season was weird is some next level gaslighting, especially from posters who were absolutely adamant we really were going down when dyche was here.

I maintained the whole time that our squad was better than he had us. I was saying we should have been targeting mid table from the start of the season.

But kept being told we didn’t have the squad. Think you have the wrong poster.