The Premier League 2025/26

[The Lone Gunman]

In his latest blog piece, Paul (aka TOBW) has described this season’s Premier League as “one of the least impressive campaigns of the last of the last thirty-odd years [that] got the title winner it deserves.”

Paul has spent many years on here moaning about the Premier League in one way or another, but his attitude to this season’s competition has surprised me, especially as he’s somebody who is strongly opposed to the alleged monopoly the so-called Big Six clubs have in the top flight.

This season has seen one of those major clubs become champions for the first time in 22 years. As I’ve said in another thread, the football Arsenal have played hasn’t been the most attractive by any means, but I believe it’s healthy to have a new name on the trophy after a run of eight years in which the winners were either Manchester City (x 6) or Liverpool (x 2). Unlike the other biggest European leagues, the title race went down to the last-but-one game of the campaign, so it certainly wasn’t the non-event that some recent EPL seasons have been.

For me, the best thing about the 2025/26 Premier League campaign is that two of the sides who were promoted from the Championship last season have not only survived but have done so by a wide margin. I believe that’s a good thing for both divisions, and it should give Championship clubs like ours some encouragement going forward.

A number of the small to medium-sized clubs we’ve rubbed shoulders with in the recent past are now established in the top flight, which surely has to provide further encouragement for Championship clubs, and some of them have been playing excellent football. Bournemouth, Brentford and Brighton have all been great to watch at times, while Fulham and Crystal Palace have also had their moments.

At the bottom of the table, one really big London club is going to get relegated, which again, in my opinion at least, is good news for both the Premier League and the Championship.

So, in summary, the Premier League has new champions; two of the promoted sides have survived; a number of small to medium-sized clubs have thrived; and one of the London giants is going to get relegated to the Championship. Not to mention the fact that the Premier League is represented in all three of the European finals.

If that’s regarded as a poor season by Premier League standards, I’m not sure what a good one would look like.

[Feedback]

Re: The Premier League 2025/26

In his latest blog piece, Paul (aka TOBW) has described this season’s Premier League as “one of the least impressive campaigns of the last of the last thirty-odd years [that] got the title winner it deserves.”

Paul has spent many years on here moaning about the Premier League in one way or another, but his attitude to this season’s competition has surprised me, especially as he’s somebody who is strongly opposed to the alleged monopoly the so-called Big Six clubs have in the top flight.

This season has seen one of those major clubs become champions for the first time in 22 years. As I’ve said in another thread, the football Arsenal have played hasn’t been the most attractive by any means, but I believe it’s healthy to have a new name on the trophy after a run of eight years in which the winners were either Manchester City (x 6) or Liverpool (x 2). Unlike the other biggest European leagues, the title race went down to the last-but-one game of the campaign, so it certainly wasn’t the non-event that some recent EPL seasons have been.

For me, the best thing about the 2025/26 Premier League campaign is that two of the sides who were promoted from the Championship last season have not only survived but have done so by a wide margin. I believe that’s a good thing for both divisions, and it should give Championship clubs like ours some encouragement going forward.

A number of the small to medium-sized clubs we’ve rubbed shoulders with in the recent past are now established in the top flight, which surely has to provide further encouragement for Championship clubs, and some of them have been playing excellent football. Bournemouth, Brentford and Brighton have all been great to watch at times, while Fulham and Crystal Palace have also had their moments.

At the bottom of the table, one really big London club is going to get relegated, which again, in my opinion at least, is good news for both the Premier League and the Championship.

So, in summary, the Premier League has new champions; two of the promoted sides have survived; a number of small to medium-sized clubs have thrived; and one of the London giants is going to get relegated to the Championship. Not to mention the fact that the Premier League is represented in all three of the European finals.

If that’s regarded as a poor season by Premier League standards, I’m not sure what a good one would look like.

baby steps please....lets get established in the championship first...

[Trigger]

Re: The Premier League 2025/26

baby steps please....lets get established in the championship first...

We were at that level or above for two decades prior to the season just gone.

I understand where you're coming from but how long are we supposed to try to establish ourselves for?

[Feedback]

Re: The Premier League 2025/26

We were at that level or above for two decades prior to the season just gone.

I understand where you're coming from but how long are we supposed to try to establish ourselves for?

A couple of good seasons challenging for the playoffs, allowing us to build a stronger squad overall...plus I'm happier in the championship than the premier league.

[The Lone Gunman]

Re: The Premier League 2025/26

We were at that level or above for two decades prior to the season just gone.

I understand where you're coming from but how long are we supposed to try to establish ourselves for?

It's amazing to think that Hull City avoided relegation on goal difference in 2024/25 when we finished bottom. We were just five points behind them. If it goes ahead, they'll be in the play-off final on Saturday.

We do need to get ourselves established in the Championship again, but the point I was making about this season's Premier League was a more general one. Clubs like Bournemouth, Brentford, Brighton and Fulham have gone up, stayed up and become established. Sunderland and Leeds have gone up last season and stayed up with something to spare this season. The Premier League is clearly not the closed shop some would have you believe it is.

[Wales-Bales]

Re: The Premier League 2025/26

For me, the best thing about the 2025/26 Premier League campaign is that two of the sides who were promoted from the Championship last season have not only survived but have done so by a wide margin. I believe that’s a good thing for both divisions, and it should give Championship clubs like ours some encouragement going forward.

Ampadu played a big part in that, and he was awarded the Leeds Player of the Year & Player's Player of the Year awards last night. Rodon and Darlow also had impressive seasons, which is great for Welsh football. Regarding Sunderland, they went shopping in Africa and they must have had some pretty good scouts.

[Wales-Bales]

Re: The Premier League 2025/26

baby steps please....lets get established in the championship first...

Ipswich!

[the other bob wilson]

Re: The Premier League 2025/26

In his latest blog piece, Paul (aka TOBW) has described this season’s Premier League as “one of the least impressive campaigns of the last of the last thirty-odd years [that] got the title winner it deserves.”

Paul has spent many years on here moaning about the Premier League in one way or another, but his attitude to this season’s competition has surprised me, especially as he’s somebody who is strongly opposed to the alleged monopoly the so-called Big Six clubs have in the top flight.

This season has seen one of those major clubs become champions for the first time in 22 years. As I’ve said in another thread, the football Arsenal have played hasn’t been the most attractive by any means, but I believe it’s healthy to have a new name on the trophy after a run of eight years in which the winners were either Manchester City (x 6) or Liverpool (x 2). Unlike the other biggest European leagues, the title race went down to the last-but-one game of the campaign, so it certainly wasn’t the non-event that some recent EPL seasons have been.

For me, the best thing about the 2025/26 Premier League campaign is that two of the sides who were promoted from the Championship last season have not only survived but have done so by a wide margin. I believe that’s a good thing for both divisions, and it should give Championship clubs like ours some encouragement going forward.

A number of the small to medium-sized clubs we’ve rubbed shoulders with in the recent past are now established in the top flight, which surely has to provide further encouragement for Championship clubs, and some of them have been playing excellent football. Bournemouth, Brentford and Brighton have all been great to watch at times, while Fulham and Crystal Palace have also had their moments.

At the bottom of the table, one really big London club is going to get relegated, which again, in my opinion at least, is good news for both the Premier League and the Championship.

So, in summary, the Premier League has new champions; two of the promoted sides have survived; a number of small to medium-sized clubs have thrived; and one of the London giants is going to get relegated to the Championship. Not to mention the fact that the Premier League is represented in all three of the European finals.

If that’s regarded as a poor season by Premier League standards, I’m not sure what a good one would look like.

I didn’t like the concept of the Premier League from day one and still don’t, but that doesn’t stop me from recognising that various times since 1993: it has genuinely been the best league in the world - at it’s best, it’s a great competition with plenty of attractive football being played.

I don’t think this year has been a vintage one though for the Premier League. The increasing emphasis on physicality and set piece play, along with things like revival of long throw ins reveal a lack tactical innovation and new thinking, which despite Arsenal’s place in the Champions League Final, largely on the back of pragmatic, attritional football, has seen the other English teams in the premier club competition in the world taken apart by Rurope’s best to an extent I’ve struggled to recall since it first became a case of more than one club per country competing.

England’s domination of the lesser tournaments in recent years says that the Premier League is the best in the world in terms of strength in depth (as it should be with all of that money swilling about), but I can’t get too excited about the likes of Brighton, who have gone backwards in terms of watchability in the last two seasons in my opinion and the physical Brentford. As I said, I like Bournemouth and have enjoyed watching Leeds,, but, unlike City at their lower level, the rest tend to merge into a fairly dull mishmash of teams that will say they’re possession based, but their main priority is making sure they always have eleven players behind the ball as soon as possible when they’re out of possession.

[A Quiet Monkfish]

Re: The Premier League 2025/26

I didn’t like the concept of the Premier League from day one and still don’t, but that doesn’t stop me from recognising that various times since 1993: it has genuinely been the best league in the world - at it’s best, it’s a great competition with plenty of attractive football being played.

I don’t think this year has been a vintage one though for the Premier League. The increasing emphasis on physicality and set piece play, along with things like revival of long throw ins reveal a lack tactical innovation and new thinking, which despite Arsenal’s place in the Champions League Final, largely on the back of pragmatic, attritional football, has seen the other English teams in the premier club competition in the world taken apart by Rurope’s best to an extent I’ve struggled to recall since it first became a case of more than one club per country competing.

England’s domination of the lesser tournaments in recent years says that the Premier League is the best in the world in terms of strength in depth (as it should be with all of that money swilling about), but I can’t get too excited about the likes of Brighton, who have gone backwards in terms of watchability in the last two seasons in my opinion and the physical Brentford. As I said, I like Bournemouth and have enjoyed watching Leeds,, but, unlike City at their lower level, the rest tend to merge into a fairly dull mishmash of teams that will say they’re possession based, but their main priority is making sure they always have eleven players behind the ball as soon as possible when they’re out of possession.

Most of the time it's attack v defence, something clubs spend most of their time practicing. The phrases 'midfield battle' and end-to-end' are rarely used in a PL commentary. The football paradox which has been evident for a considerable time is that the best footballers do not necessarily produce the best football.

[the other bob wilson]

Re: The Premier League 2025/26

Most of the time it's attack v defence, something clubs spend most of their time practicing. The phrases 'midfield battle' and end-to-end' are rarely used in a PL commentary. The football paradox which has been evident for a considerable time is that the best footballers do not necessarily produce the best football.

Well put.