The 2025/26 Relegation Battle Thread

[MikeH72]

Relegation candidates for me
Leeds
Sunderland
Burnley joined by
Wolves
Brentford
Bournemouth.

Appreciate that Brentford and Bournemouth will surprise most. Not convinced at all by Andrews as manager plus lost their best player.
As for Bournemouth their defence has been ripped apart

People tip Brentford and Bournemouth for relegation every summer and they’re never anywhere near it. I think fans are still struggling to adjust to modern football and the fact that selling your better players doesn’t always result in an immediate downward spiral anymore.

 

[Frenk]

Window runs to September 1st mate

Yep definitely better stock up in extra sheets

 

[Lanolin]

Relegation candidates for me
Leeds
Sunderland
Burnley joined by
Wolves
Brentford
Bournemouth.

Appreciate that Brentford and Bournemouth will surprise most. Not convinced at all by Andrews as manager plus lost their best player.
As for Bournemouth their defence has been ripped apart

Don't think Brentford would be that surprising, they're on most people's lists I think after the way the summer has gone. I think Bournemouth will be alright, Truffert should be a good replacement for Kerkez, and Senesi and Zabarnyi are good centre halves even if they don't bring anyone else in. That being said, anyone outside the top 6 or 7 can easily get sucked into a relegation scrap if they have a bad start/pick up injuries etc.

 

[Blast_of_Cannock]

So who's the team we should be bricking it about this season? Ipswich last year, Luton the year before. I need to know when I should start staining my kegs after they win a game.

 

[Nymzee]

So who's the team we should be bricking it about this season? Ipswich last year, Luton the year before. I need to know when I should start staining my kegs after they win a game.

Sunderland have already had the “look at all their signings” bat signal on here

 

[catcherintherye]

Don't think Brentford would be that surprising, they're on most people's lists I think after the way the summer has gone. I think Bournemouth will be alright, Truffert should be a good replacement for Kerkez, and Senesi and Zabarnyi are good centre halves even if they don't bring anyone else in. That being said, anyone outside the top 6 or 7 can easily get sucked into a relegation scrap if they have a bad start/pick up injuries etc.

I think Zabarni might be going to Spurs.

If he's does I worry about them a bit mate. That's 3 of their first choice back 4.

It's kind of fascinating, them and Brentford (and Brighton) seem to be able to buck the ttend of selling your best players but improving. It will be interesting to see if they can keep doing it.

 

[BainesontoastNEW]

Nunez scored an 8 minute hat-trick in a pre-season friendly yesterday. Even the RS I know aren't getting carried away.

This thread because of pre-season results is asinine and it goes someway in highlighting our inferiority complex as a fanbase

 

[Davideeyore]

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.

The answer was, we didn't have a manager who believed.

Even the club seemed to put out from very early on, all that mattered was staying up and getting to the new stadium in the Premier league.

Utter bar stewards

 

[knowing your history]

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

Defensively after the first 4-5 games things settled down defensively so while it was poor under Dyche it was still some decent draws with poor defeats to likes of Southampton and Bournemouth which was ultimately his undoing.

I think though even at his worst he could still grab draws against Arsenal, Man. City and Chelsea that really relegated teams aren't capable of so that at least kept things at largely a point a game and then Moyes came in and comfortably exceeded that.

I think the only worry is long term injury to someone like Pickford which Dyche didn't have to deal with. Or Branthwaite being out for longer than last season which in the end was only about two months as then Keane will have to play more. Tarks I think will struggle a bit without a proper pre season aswell so that is a concern and all the more reason to sign proven quality in final third if possible.

 

[knowing your history]

People tip Brentford and Bournemouth for relegation every summer and they’re never anywhere near it. I think fans are still struggling to adjust to modern football and the fact that selling your better players doesn’t always result in an immediate downward spiral anymore.

Bournemouth will be fine. All their attackers are staying bar perhaps Kluivert moving last minute. Surprised Semenyo has been overlooked, would love someone like him for counter attacks.

They'll win enough games 3-2 against other bottom half teams and Zabrayni is still there aswell.

Brentford have a lot to do though. All of Frank, Mbeumo, Norgaard and possibly Wissa leaving in one window is a huge test for their formula and think they'll come unstuck with a poor start.

 

[chicoazul]

As it stands we’d very likely be in a relegation battle next season with this squad.

 

[Gwladys St. Glory]

As it stands we’d very likely be in a relegation battle next season with this squad.

I've been in the trenches for the last 3 decades, bring it Mr. Haig.

 

[Fonzy]

I think Zabarni might be going to Spurs.

If he's does I worry about them a bit mate. That's 3 of their first choice back 4.

It's kind of fascinating, them and Brentford (and Brighton) seem to be able to buck the ttend of selling your best players but improving. It will be interesting to see if they can keep doing it.

But brighton for all their praise they finish between 8-12 most seasons

Way press laud them you’d think they came top of league every year

 

[Hellerad]

As it stands we’d very likely be in a relegation battle next season with this squad.

As it stands we’d be very likely to forfeit 4-5 for not having 11 healthy players

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

As it stands we’d very likely be in a relegation battle next season with this squad.

This is definetly true but we have barely started signing and we have a better core than the promoted teams, wolves Brentford for sure. This is the first year in a while that I think we will be confortably mid table. I would like to aim a bit higher than this but at a minimum we will be there