Liverpool Discussion posts 2

21 Feb 2026 19:24:08
What are peoples thoughts on this Prestianni racism row, shocked that he is getting even 1% of support online and in certain media.

His new defence is he wasn't using racist language he only used homophobic derogatory words, the mind baffles that this still occurs in 2026! What is fans opinion, do we think that racist or other criminal offences which occur within the stadium by players should be referred to police for prosecution?

21 Feb 2026 19:41:42
These are top level professionals and should act accordingly. The fact that he is trying to justify a homophobic slur to clear himself of a racist one is, to be quite honest, disgusting. They should just play the damn game and try to set a good example to young people watching. I can't see it happening, but the only way to prove these things conclusively is to mic up the players, or for them all to grow up a bit and remember they aren't in the playground.

It wouldn't be tolerated in any other field of work, and shouldn't be here. If a person can't behave for 90 minutes once or twice a week, they shouldn't be on the pitch. Regarding fans, most clubs have policies in place for dealing with idiots.

21 Feb 2026 20:28:21
I think all the pundits were too quick to condemn him for 'allegedly' using racist remarks without knowing what was really said. I have seen Micah Richards, Kompany, etc. all slating him without knowing what really went on; they were saying he wouldn't react like that for nothing.

If he said it, then ban him, but until we know, don't condemn anybody. Is it guilty until proven innocent nowadays?

21 Feb 2026 20:46:05
You'd have to be a special kind of dumb to think he's innocent. You don't cover your mouth just to tell someone to "F*** off". Vini had a clear, physical reaction to something he said; it wasn't an afterthought. I've no doubt Petrianni was calling him homosexual slurs, right up until the point he started using racial slurs. What he said can't be proven by any hard evidence; all we have is witness statements.

Nothing new will come to light. Madrid players will back Vini, and likewise Befica will back their man. But defending him because he intentionally covered his mouth is beyond moronic. You don't go down the shops with a bally and a shotgun to get the morning paper.

21 Feb 2026 20:59:07
I do agree, Strom, there was definitely a pile-on from the media almost instantly, that he was guilty of racism just purely based on an allegation, which is dangerous. However, it doesn't look good for the player, who has now apparently tried to deflect away from racist comments by saying it was only homophobic.

If true, I think 10-game bans are simply not enough. Tonali got a 10-month ban for betting on games in Italy and another 2-month ban for betting on his own team.Winning a game, which is surely a lesser offence.

21 Feb 2026 21:43:16
Like I said yesterday, it's one word vs another. And these other players who heard what he said in a stadium of 70 odd thousand people have some hearing. He probably did say it, but if you go down the road of just assuming it in professional football, you're going to have a lot of accusations.

21 Feb 2026 22:14:47
True, Dow-ney. He covered his mouth, so he could have said anything, but lots of players cover their mouths from the cameras. If found guilty, then a long ban should happen, but a lot have just jumped on the bandwagon. Chewy, you are just assuming he said a racist remark because Vini Jr said it.

You believe everything you hear; that's a special kind of dumb. How many false allegations have we heard throughout the years? Remember Jussie Smollett, who said he was jumped by a gang of racist white men, all lies. Not saying Vini is lying, because I don't know; I wasn't there and didn't hear it. Nor were you.

21 Feb 2026 22:46:31
Players cover their mouths after the game as 'super sleuths' try to lip read, which can be misinterpreted. However, during a game, there is no reason to cover your mouth unless you have something to hide.

The problem is, it's impossible to prove. If they think there is a problem, the only real resolution moving forward is miccing the players, so it can be checked in such scenarios.

22 Feb 2026 00:33:06
It's now being pretty widely reported that the player himself, in his statement made to UEFA, admitted to homophobic comments. Clearly, we have no definitive way of knowing if he is telling the truth, or would just rather be perceived as a homophobe rather than a racist, but either way he should now be facing a lengthy ban.

I have to be honest, I'm a cynic and think he'd rather be thought a homophobe than face his teammates and backlash. Not a fan of Vini, but I don't see that reaction happening unless it was racially motivated. I guess we will never have definitive proof, considering his mouth was covered.

22 Feb 2026 08:03:49
Mbappe's on-field reaction suggests he heard exactly what was said. That isn't the reaction of someone making it up.

22 Feb 2026 09:53:32
UEFA have a disciplinary panel let them deal with the vini jnr nasty remark case and we worry about our club and where we are going.
I don't believe that name calling will ever change in south American countries it is part of their DNA. YNWA

22 Feb 2026 11:22:39
Remember, there's 3 sides to a story: his, hers and the truth.

22 Feb 2026 11:08:39
Wow. Earnest, a teammate sticking up for a teammate, that's it, he's guilty, get him to the gallows

23 Feb 2026 17:52:33
I'm waiting patiently for UEFA to ban all players/matchday officials from covering their mouths when speaking to each other, lol.

21 Feb 2026 19:09:32
I'm sure someone mentioned him before but the more I see of Summerville for West Ham the better he looks. I'm sure plenty will be looking at him if they go down although I think they have enough in the squad to stay up.

{Ed025's Note - thats called MOTD fever Ernie, he has been awful all season mate except for the past few games imo..

21 Feb 2026 19:55:59
Maybe so ed, or maybe he's getting better? West Ham as a whole have been awful until recently.

{Ed025's Note - they have Ernie and he is still pretty young, he has skill but is very inconsistent for me mate and he was the same at Leeds..

22 Feb 2026 08:06:43
Agreed, he would be wasted in the Championship, that's for sure.

22 Feb 2026 10:40:58
Anybody would be better than Gakpo, so why not?

20 Feb 2026 07:46:08
Ed025, I was on the Arsenal page n saw your reply about Saka, saying he's the main threat n teams know this, double up on him etc and the team is lacking confidence, Well You could have been describing Salah n our team to a tee, yet Salah numbers/ stats are way better than Saka's even this year when he hasn't been as good.

It amazing how one is excused yet the other one is more or less being called out for being rubbish, ( not just by you BTW)

{Ed025's Note - the thing is Strom is that Mo,s celing is a lot higher due to what he has done in the past mate, teams dont need to double up on Mo now because frankly he is not the threat he once was..sad but true..

20 Feb 2026 09:37:58
But they still do Ed25.

{Ed025's Note - i dont know why these days SG, bar for his last half a game cameo against Brighton i would think Mr Bean could do a job on him mate.. :)

20 Feb 2026 09:40:19
I think they still double up on him, esp when he is further forward. We changed the system, so he is a bit isolated now. He is hitting a little bit of form, so I can see him doubling Saka's output.

Not bad for someone whose threat has supposedly diminished, but I don't quite get the praise Saka gets n other wingers, to be fair. They'd love to be able to do what Mo does. That's my opinion anyway.

20 Feb 2026 16:37:26
Saka is a decent player, but there is an awful lot of hype around a player who has not really set the world alight. His highest league goal tally was three seasons ago (16). This season and last, his goals and assists are bang average for a team like Arsenal, and probably a big reason why Arsenal have not won the title.

English hype at its best; if Saka were Dutch, he would not be earning half what he does now and would get the same attention as Mbeumo or Semenyo.

22 Feb 2026 08:23:48
Mo's getting older; you can see he's lost a yard of pace, which he's trying to adapt to. He'll figure it out sooner or later, but I hope it's sooner, as we could do with a bit more from him.

23 Feb 2026 18:02:11
I read a post on one of the other pages saying Salah needs to receive a different type of ball, and one of the Ed's disagreed, saying he was spent. I personally tend to agree with the post. When you lose that yard of pace, the last thing you need is a ball to feet with a defender touching tight and your back to goal.

Get someone to thread balls through on the inside that he can run on to, and he will be reborn.

24 Feb 2026 08:23:45
When people say opposition double up on Mo, I see the exact same thing on the other side of the pitch. It's a cm, typically helping on the inside, like every good cm should do.

19 Feb 2026 14:43:35
What do you think of Bodo's manager Kjetil Knutsen? Getting a Bodo side in off season to beat prime form Manchester City, Inter Milan is no small feat.

20 Feb 2026 11:45:52
Don't know much about him, tbh, HP - no doubt good to get results as you said though!

19 Feb 2026 21:07:59
Just watched Forest win 0-3 away to a Turkish side they looked very good to be honest just hope they have run themselves into the ground for when they play us.

19 Feb 2026 21:42:35
New manager bounce and poor opp.

19 Feb 2026 20:15:59
I don't care how controversial this is and i'm sure there will be people who give it the old "freedom of speech " BS but if a player covers their mouth to racially insult another player then it should be a straight red card and if found guilty of racsim a season long ban. I don't mean when two players are talking in general and they both cover their mouths as happens alot, I mean if something upsetting is said and the other player complains.

You can clearly tell when something vile is said due to reaction. So yes it will be easy to determine when players are covering their mouths and just talking as opposed to someone being a vile biggot. You want to be a racist POS do it elsewhere. There's no place for it in 2026.

{Ed025's Note - i dont think its controversial at all KK you are dead right for me mate, i even hate the hands in front of the mouth lark when they speak to other players..its disingenuous for me if you have got something to say just say it instead of this cloak and dagger crap, mind you the rats will probably employ a ventriloquist coach to hide their shame i suppose..

19 Feb 2026 21:20:25
How do you prove it though? It'd be one's word against another. Anyone thinking footballers wouldn't be so vile as to falsely accuse someone only has to look at the way they carry on with head injuries to gain advantage. It only happened last night.

{Ed025's Note - thats the problem FM..

19 Feb 2026 21:43:25
Vile if true, but how can it be proved?

{Ed078's Note - that's where others in the vicinity come into it, from either team. I once heard a teammate call an opposition player the N word. I backed up the oppositions player's claims. I was clearly not welcome in the changing room for a few weeks, but I stand by what I did. This was the 90s, so hopefully things have changed, but the recent rise of certain politicians and groups around the world have got me doubting that.

19 Feb 2026 21:55:29
Agreed. There needs to be much stricter penalties in place. Any sniff of racism from players or fans should see all fans completely banned for 5 games, and I mean all fans. You can be sure as s***, things would rapidly change. A 10-game ban for repeat offences. That goes for throwing crap on the pitch too.

Instant 3-game ban for all fans for that nonsense. Empty stadiums and a hit to the club's ticket revenue will rapidly turn things around. You can't police the entire community, but if you make the penalties severe enough, the community will police itself.

19 Feb 2026 23:41:04
That's exactly right, Florian. The problem I have with the Vini Jr accusation is just how dishonest he is as a player in general. He's always diving, always claiming for things he shouldn't be, and always claiming he's being wronged in some way. In short, he's a cheat. He was also claiming he was being victimised for getting a yellow card for his celebration just before the alleged incident and was wound up asking 'why, why, why?'. I really wouldn't put it past him to falsely accuse someone of racism because he knows the s*** storm it will create around him.

That being said, the fact that the guy covered his mouth with his shirt does throw doubt as to his motives for doing that. If you're not saying something you know can get you in trouble, then why cover your mouth? I certainly don't think we can jump to any conclusions, though, because I wouldn't trust Vini Jr as far as I could throw him.

{Ed078's Note - and Mbappe who backed him up instantly?

20 Feb 2026 09:40:12
I agree fully, FM & Varry.

20 Feb 2026 11:05:37
Hang on a second, diving is one thing, lying about being racially abused is another, and frankly, a ridiculous accusation to make considering what we witnessesd. We're talking about a player who's been subject to numerous incidents of racial abuse, we're also talking about a region of the world that has a longstanding history of racism both in and out of football, and the accused being of a nationality that's far from innocent of the controversies surrounding racial prejudice. As much as I despise the play acting, I have absolutely no doubt that he has been racially abused throughout his career, not only that, but I'm certain he's been racially abused far more than people know.

The facts are this, Prestianni aggressively approached Vini covered his mouth multiple times with both his hand and his shirt to say something abusive. He very clearly addressed Vini directly, numerous times, with his mouth intentionally covered, so we know he wasn't saying something as simple as "F off". At first, Vini takes little notice of Petrianni, doing his best to ignore him, but there is a very clear moment where Petrianni says something that visibly upsets Vini, as he immediately and physically reacts to the taunt. It was blatantly obvious to see. Anybody with a set of eyes can tell that Petrianni had said something intentionally derogatory. You can lie with your mouth but not with your body language, not in the heat of a moment like that.

In the very same game, Otamendi and Vini are clearly trash-talking each other, taunting, both of them laugh it off. Vini might be a handbag when it comes to diving, but that's not unique to him, that's the way the game is now, unfortunately. The players are literally told to do it by their coaches, it can't be a measure by which you judge someone in an incident as serious as this.

I think it's absolutely disgusting that anybody even suggests that Vini is making false accusations, especially considering the circumstances. If you are, you need to go back and watch the incident in its entirety, from multiple angles.

20 Feb 2026 12:12:36
Your opinion of Vini J as a player: you can dislike him, call him a d*** head, the play acting, showboating, whatever you can hate it, but when you go over the line of abusing someone because of their skin colour, you are just wrong.

The biggest issue I have is Jose, Benfica, Clattenberg's response: like this is Vini's fault. Grow up. Plus, you do not cover your mouth and hide what you're trying to say if it's something as simple as calling him a horse face or whatever.

20 Feb 2026 14:47:06
Let me tell you, I have had a lot worse shouted at me, and you know what I did? I just laughed at them. They are the losers, not me. As my mother told me many years ago, if someone calls you bad names, it is either because they are jealous of you, scared of you, or just plain stupid. YNWA.

20 Feb 2026 14:48:31
There is a very easy solution for this. All of the players nowadays wear little button tracker devices in their vests, which are what Opta and the likes use to create heat maps, track high-intensity sprints, track distance covered, etc. Simply build a mic into this tracker with a small storage capacity that can record what is said by every player, and then, if an incident like this occurs and there is an accusation of discrimination (racism, xenophobia, homophobia, Islamophobia, etc), the audio can be reviewed and used as evidence to not only ban the perpetrator accordingly, but also turn them over to the judicial system to be punished for what is a literal crime and goes beyond just a short-term ban from sport.

19 Feb 2026 13:15:27
For me in the summer we need to lose the following -

Gakpo
Endo
Kostas
Ramsey
Bradley (injuries)
Salah


Get some good players in to compete on 4 fronts (hopefully)

Kayode
Bastoni
Wharton
Stones (depending on wage and fitness)
Olise.

19 Feb 2026 15:02:35
So get rid of Bradley (injuries) and replace with Stones, who has a worse injury record. Epic fail.

19 Feb 2026 15:35:14
Who's going to buy Bradley when he's not due back till 2027? And, I'd be getting rid of Chiesa before Salah or Gakpo. Agree on Endo, Kostas and Ramsey though.

19 Feb 2026 15:56:23
Haha, Stones. ?? Good one, mate, lol. Agreed, Fm.

19 Feb 2026 16:55:34
As in John Stones? Are you f****** kidding?

19 Feb 2026 19:20:03
Who even are ya? Get rid of Bradley? In that case, get rid of Isak too.

19 Feb 2026 21:20:33
Wow, gents, chill. Opinions are allowed. I can see the logic in Stones on a free, given he can play both cb and cdm. Injuries would be a problem. Bradley is unfortunately not going to make it; he can't be relied on to stay fit. Stop being so dang uptight, like a schoolyard here sometimes.

{Ed025's Note - say that again SSH and i will get my big brother to whack you dead hard..and hes the cock of the school.. :)

19 Feb 2026 22:08:02
Stones?! As in John Stones? The 31-year-old, unbelievably injury-prone CB who has played for our biggest competitor for the last 10 years and is likely on £250k a year?! Absolutely, sign him up!

19 Feb 2026 21:46:32
Haha ed exactly madness on here some times let a person have a voice without shooting down constantly it seems the go to response for many users. Makes them look very immature.

Allow people a voice your own opinions are not automatically better than another persons.

Hope you are well 25 pal.

{Ed025's Note - im good thanks SSH and hope you are too mate..

20 Feb 2026 11:47:00
Some lovely replies - thanks, all.

20 Feb 2026 14:50:48
BeKind, I appreciate your suggestion on players out and players in, but I think you may need to have a rethink on your selections, mate.But a good try, mate. YNWA.

19 Feb 2026 09:05:14
Terence Miles and John Davidson have both been called up to train with the first team ahead of the Forest game. Miles (21) is a Welsh u21 Centre Back / Right Back. Davidson (20) is a former England u18 Right Back.

Both have been with the academy since around 6 or 7 years old. Calvin Ramsay was also called up to train with the first team as well. Seems like Slot does not rate him though and wants to let other academy options audition for his place on the bench.

19 Feb 2026 11:19:12
Two names from the 1940s.

19 Feb 2026 11:26:25
Would've thought Ramsey would be with the 1st team every day.

19 Feb 2026 12:02:15
It's actually Josh Davidson, by the way. I've no idea where John came from! Terence definitely still sounds very 40's though!

19 Feb 2026 19:09:57
It's Clarence Josh Davidson. He smokes Woodbines and races pigeons! He calls Glenn Miller a real toe tapper. News.

18 Feb 2026 19:04:58
Lot of debate regarding the Prem era best defender

1 J Terry
2 vvd
3 Rio
4 carvalho
5 Gabrielle.

18 Feb 2026 19:14:09
Tony Adams takes 3rd spot for me.

18 Feb 2026 19:22:09
This got me thinking. Not saying he's top five, but remember Des Walker? What a centre half he was. Loved him at Forest.

18 Feb 2026 19:24:10
Think we need to look at this by the time Virg is stopped playing. In the right setup the guy could easily play in the Premier League till he's 40.

18 Feb 2026 19:24:46
Carvalho better than Thiago Silva?

18 Feb 2026 19:29:03
1 VVD 2 J. Stam 3 Terry 4 Rio 5 Sol VVD and Stam never played alongside players as good as Terry and Rio did. Without injuries, L. King would have been right up there too, same as Woodgate; he would have been very good without all his injuries.

18 Feb 2026 19:41:17
Acered - Best defender or best CH. Vidic Adams Stam All better than Carvalho & Gabrielle imo if you're going on CHs.

18 Feb 2026 20:23:42
Titus Bramble.

18 Feb 2026 20:38:20
Carvalho was better than Thiago Silva in the Premier League. Silva was washed up when he joined.

18 Feb 2026 21:33:55
Vidic.

18 Feb 2026 22:04:31
And nobody ever mentions Paul McGrath.

18 Feb 2026 22:22:56
Brutus Trample took some beating hsf. I'll raise u Claude "Calamity" Davis.

18 Feb 2026 22:23:01
No Carra. ?

19 Feb 2026 00:15:17
I'm biased, but prime VVD is by far the best CB the Premier League has ever seen. John Terry was what Carra was for us. Not the best player, but great for Chelsea. Not in Virgil's league though. Rio was a good player, but more of a ball player and not the best defender.

Vidic? No, just no. Kompany comes closest to Virgil, but Virgil, in his prime, was quicker, stronger, better in the air, and a better passer. Both are great leaders of a back line though.

19 Feb 2026 08:55:21
Always worth pointing this out, in my opinion: the main thing Virgil has to contend with is that he's never had a world class partner. Rio and Vidic, Terry and Carvalho, etc. Virgil and who? Gomez? Konate? Matip? Lovren? The thing for me that Virgil has over most of the others who are put in this debate is that he managed to muscle his way into this debate without ever having a consistent and/or world class partner. Kompany and Stam both did something similar. For that reason alone, I'd pick them as my top 3 individual CBs. My top 3 Premier League individual CBs would be: 1. Stam 2. Virgil 3. Kompany If, however, I was picking a Prem XI to play a one-off game, I'd pick Terry and Carvalho because they were just ridiculous as a pairing.

They were possibly the closest to Maldini and Baresi that the Premier League has seen. Fifteen goals conceded in one 38-game season will never be repeated or beaten, in my opinion. It's the single most impressive thing I think the Prem has seen. You're more likely to see another Invincibles or even another Leicester City story than you are to see fewer than 15 goals conceded in a whole season. My top 3 Premier League CB pairings would be: 1. Terry and Carvalho 2. Vidic and Ferdinand 3. Keown and Adams.

19 Feb 2026 09:22:23
I can't believe that nobody has gone for Nat Phillips or Rhys Williams.

{Ed025's Note - yeah SK...what are Accrington and Barrow actually doing when looking for players mate?.. :)

19 Feb 2026 13:41:15
The peak of VVD is surely unrivalled. Also, in the past 15 years, he and Kompany are the only guys you would even consider in the debate, while the 2000s had a lot more of these guys. It simply indicates that the game became more attacking in the 2010s and 2020s, until this shambolic set piece obsession brought about by Arsenal.

For this alone, I would put VVD top. Kompany was good, but he was not VVD level. I have stated this countless times before, but I will say this again: 2018 pre-Covid VVD is by far the best defensive player I have ever seen.

19 Feb 2026 18:31:50
Never understood the clamour around Rio, to be honest. Yeah, he won a lot, but if you're talking pure ability over longevity or medals, then for me. 1. VVD 2. Kompany 3. Stam 4. Adams 5. Vidic.

19 Feb 2026 19:44:15
1. VVD (head and shoulders the best CB I've seen, regardless of who he plays for). 2. Kompany. 3. Terry. 4. Adams. 5. McGrath.

{Ed025's Note - did you ever see Alan Hansen or Brian Labone Digger?..

20 Feb 2026 07:35:17
Hansen was just coming to the end of his career as I was getting into football, can't remember him at his peak. No never seen labone play ed25. I take it he v good?

{Ed025's Note - two great centre halves Digger, different types of player though because Hansen was a proper footballer mate who was very Beckenbauer like and Labone was more a rock who the side was built around, you missed out if you never seen much of these guys..

20 Feb 2026 11:49:08
For me - VVD Terry Stam Campbell King If it wasn't for injuries, King would have been higher.

18 Feb 2026 12:31:24
I was watching the Macclesfield v Brentford game the other day and the commentator Darren Fletcher was saying that the authorities had to get a hold on the grabbing, blocking and holding in the box at set pieces. I couldn't agree more.

Arsenal have created this new version of the game where you are allowed to crowd the 6 yard box, intentionally block the keeper, grab and hold defenders. It's impossible to defend against and there are so many fouls that the refs just seem to let it all go.

Other teams have seen this and are doing the same. They are like American Football plays where everyone has a starting position and the blocks, grabs and holds are choreographed to get a player free to attack the ball. It's ruining the game.

It used to be the case that if the goalkeeper was impeded just slightly by an opponent it was a free kick. I want to go back to that to discourage this melee we have at the moment which gives a huge advantage to the attacking side. If they get pulled up for a foul it's just a free kick but if the defenders do the same it's a penalty. It's just impossible to defend.

Thoughts?

18 Feb 2026 13:06:11
I agree, Varry. Pure fouling the goalkeeper for me.

18 Feb 2026 13:26:51
Take your point. But most of the pushing and holding is from the goalkeepers and defenders. Do you want a limit on how many players can be in the penalty area for corners? Surely, the answer is for referees, VAR, and assistant refs to punish any fouls.

18 Feb 2026 13:28:35
Yep, agree Varry, but I'd rather go back a bit farther to the 80s and before, when you could fairly challenge the keeper.

18 Feb 2026 13:51:09
Fully agree. The fact that a foul is given for the likes of Van Dijk's goal against City, where an offside call was made against Robertson under the argument that he was directly affecting the keeper's ability to make a save by simply being in his field of view, is beyond moronic when you've got countless incidents where five or six players are blatantly attempting to obstruct or foul the keeper. I know they're two entirely different scenarios, but my point is that the standards are so far apart it's mind-blowing. In both situations the keeper is being obstructed. In the first, you're simply in his field of view and you'll get called for it 90% of the time.

In the second, you've got five or six players intentionally obstructing and fouling the keeper with no repercussions. It's a joke. Standards have to be set. It's the same with tackling v diving. You put in a decent slide tackle or contest a 50-50 these days and you're putting yourself at risk. If the other fella goes down, you'll get called for a foul and probably a yellow, but at the same time you've got a ridiculous amount of play-acting going on, and even when refs know you're diving they still don't give a yellow?! The standards are all over the place.

18 Feb 2026 14:07:42
Arsenal's set piece logic is that if all 10 outfield players are doing something illegal at the same time, the referee will be discombobulated and will be less likely to make a decision against them.

18 Feb 2026 14:17:09
That's just not true, Gaga. I'll take Arsenal as an example, because they do it most and best. Saliba's one job at most corners is to run from the back post, bump the keeper, then stop him coming off his line. He has no interest in the ball whatsoever. His one job is to impede the keeper's ability to come for the ball. By every definition, that is a foul. You can challenge the keeper for the ball, but to deliberately impede his ability to go for the ball, whilst not going for the ball yourself, is the very definition of a foul.

It's unbelievable that it's been allowed to go on this long without anyone realising. If I'm running through on goal and someone just runs over and stands in front of me, backing into me to stop me getting to the ball, it's a foul. Or, if a goal keeper comes out to clear a through ball and I just block him off, it's a foul. Why is it not the same from set pieces?

{Ed001's Note - it was funny watching them get wound up and complain when Brentford did it to them.}

18 Feb 2026 15:44:14
Oh I know Ed, Raya was having a hissy fit because someone was within 2 yards of him and I'm just thinking, you invented this you can't now moan when teams do it to you.

Is VAR the problem? Do you think in the past if there was bumping of the keeper in particular the ref would just give a free kick even if he couldn't see it properly? Whereas now he thinks I'll let it go and VAR will pick it up if there's a foul then VAR are told not to get involved too much so they just say referees call?

I certainly think that happens with a lot of decisions these days.

{Ed001's Note - it could well be, VAR does seem to have caused a fair few issues. There does seem to be a weakness about refs since it arrived, they do seem to think it will bail them out on difficult decisions, rather than making them themselves.}

18 Feb 2026 18:24:22
I agree with the above comments as regards set pieces. Corners, in particular, are just a mess in the six-yard box, and u only ever seem to get a messy goal out of it. By "messy," I mean it is rarely a good headed goal that is scored; it is a flick, deflection, or own goal.

I'd like to see a rule tried that no player can go into the six-yard box until 1st contact has been made with the ball.

18 Feb 2026 19:59:40
The only solution is a new law: At corners, all players except the keeper have to put their hands in their shorts until the ball bounces. That would be well funny.

18 Feb 2026 21:02:00
Or their hands in each other's shorts, Stoneage. ?

18 Feb 2026 22:02:20
I don't understand why VAR do not disallow goals where there has been obvious foul play. Isn't that their remit? They'll disallow a goal if someone's knee is a fraction offside, but they'll allow half a dozen obvious fouls in the penalty area. VAR needs to be on appeal like almost every other sport.

The manager appeals and has to specify where they believe a foul occurred. That specific issue is checked by VAR. The manager gets one wrong appeal per half and an extra appeal after 80 mins. No appeals in extra time. Otherwise, Ref's decision is final.

18 Feb 2026 22:15:21
The problem with that, though, Ron, is the narrative that Neville et al push. The keeper needs to be stronger. He's allowed to hold his space, he doesn't have to move out of the way, etc. But, the fact is, if the keeper is trying to jump and he has a player planted, backing into him, it's impossible for him to be stronger. If a player bumps into him as the ball is kicked, he's off balance and can't be stronger.

They are fouls. They are intentionally impeding the keeper's ability to go for the ball. Likewise, if you push a ball past a defender and he 'holds his ground' and blocks you getting to the ball, it's a foul, so you are actually not allowed to hold your ground if it impedes an opponent. The whole thing is baffling to me. Why are more people not calling this out?

20 Feb 2026 11:51:30
It's nearly impossible for keepers these days, with Arsenal being the new Stoke and employing cheating tactics on set plays. No doubt there will come a time when only keepers can be in the 6 yard box.

20 Feb 2026 15:03:14
We do not need to go back to the 80s/90s. Just tell all referees to give penalties when holding/blocking the keeper and players. Also, this pushing players in the back, pushing them over, is another joke. Arsenal have changed the game as we knew it, and the only people who can change it are the FA and referees. YNWA.

18 Feb 2026 09:07:04
Daniel Svensson, 6ft can play left back, left midfield, left wing back.
Is known as a Machine, Duracell bunny, High energy, pressing monster, good defensive reading of the game and likes a tackle.
Sounds exactly like what we need and would fit perfectly into the system used by Alonso at Leverkusen.

18 Feb 2026 09:32:28
Maybe City will come in for him so.

18 Feb 2026 10:14:12
Can't say I've ever watched him play from memory. Concerning numbers, though, for a LM in a 3-4-3 (effectively a Left Wing Back). His primary role should be providing service from out wide, surely? So 1 assist in 33 games (all comps) this season seems very poor as a return. Kerkez has been playing LB in a flat back 4, and even he has 2 assists from his 33 games in all competitions.

Maybe someone who's actually seen Svensson play can offer more insight as to why his creative numbers are so low. Poor finishing perhaps? Or maybe he's being asked to underlap or tuck into midfield, etc.

18 Feb 2026 12:12:28
If young Chambers can see out the rest of the season in the Championship injury-free, he'd surely be looked at by the management in pre-season. He has been held back by injuries, but a very good little player.

18 Feb 2026 12:19:22
Our squad is desperately needing pace, energy and physicality. This boy brings all of the above and can play in numerous positions.

18 Feb 2026 20:40:46
Overseas squad filler makes no sense. He doesn't start at left back, and isn't a starter in midfield. Waste of a non-homegrown space.

{Ed025's Note - can i ask you a serious question VV?, is their any player (except the ones who play for Liverpool) who you do rate or even just like?, every player that gets mentioned is either crap, overpriced, overrated or injury prone mate?..

19 Feb 2026 06:28:20
Tbf, I agree with Vik too, Ed025. We have Beck and/or Chambers, who I think can do a job as a backup LB without taking up our non-HG quota. Not to mention Tsimikas, who is coming back in the summer too.

Getting in a new, unproven LB to serve as backup is a waste of our resources, imo, when it could be channeled to other areas that are more pressing.

18 Feb 2026 22:55:41
Ed025, if the player isn't a starter then there's no point signing him if he's an overseas player. Non home grown places are very limited so no point wasting it on bench fodder.

{Ed025's Note - its not Svensson i was talking about VV, it was every player in general mate..

18 Feb 2026 08:28:24
Prestianni looks a good player have we scouted him at all? Like what I see could be a Salah replacement.

18 Feb 2026 08:56:32
Do you like what you see, or like what you hear? Reckon it might be the latter, from your other posts.

18 Feb 2026 09:19:33
You cannot be serious with that comment, Lucas. That has to be bait, surely.

18 Feb 2026 09:33:13
You little divil, you Lucas.

18 Feb 2026 11:27:59
Another troll