‘We should have pulled the Big Sam ripcord’: Premier League fans assess the season so far | Premier League

Arsenal

Story so far It would be pretty churlish to be anything other than super-chuffed, with those displays over Bayern Munich and our neighbours among the highlights. But, as we know, there are no prizes for being top at Christmas. Our success so far has largely been due to our defensive resilience; it’s the most talented squad we’ve had in many a moon but we’ve only shone going forward in fits and spurts. Find that spark on a consistent basis and we really will be firing.

Happy with the manager? It’s no mean feat to maintain a contented squad with so many straining at the leash for game time. Supposedly it’s easy when you are winning, but you only have to see the turmoil elsewhere to appreciate Arteta’s efforts.

We will finish … Surely we’ve seen the back of our depressing sojourn as the bridesmaid? It’s time to be the bride. First.

What we need in January … Fresh legs never go amiss, but of more significance is the return from injury of Gabriel and Havertz. There will be plenty of interest in Bournemouth’s Semenyo, and Bayern’s Lennart Karl looks an exciting prospect, but frankly I’m more concerned with making the most of the players we already have. And with finding the formula that might unlock Gyökeres’s scoring potential.

Funniest moment of 2025 … The glorious chutzpah of teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly mimicking Haaland’s lotus goal celebration while we thrashed Manchester City 5-1 in February. That and the sight of Spurs players outnumbering their remaining fans at the Clock End while we serenaded them with the Eberechi Eze “crying at the Lane” song after his derby hat-trick.

Aston Villa

Story so far To be clear in third after a false start, winning every week with a lengthening montage of worldies, is about as joyful as it gets. Rogers is a treat to watch: his goals are so pure that not even VAR can get in the way. It would, however, be wrong to suggest that it’s been anything but a team effort. From No 23 to No 11 they’ve all had moments to savour and our bench is as strong as it’s been for years. There’s a great “in it together” vibe: we’ve trailed in, and then won, almost every away game of late. “Bouncing Back” is truly the stuff of heroes.

Happy with the manager? Just a bit! Unai always thanks the fans for their support which is nice, but more important is the footballing progress we’ve made, both collectively and man for man. He has somehow created a settled first team and competition for places at the same time. The coat-throwing goal celebration needs work but who cares, he’s proof that great management can trump almost anything.

We will finish … It would be very Brummie to assume it’ll all fall apart – and it might. But if the spine stays fit then we can definitely come fifth and have a long run in the Europa League. Either way I’m hoping to switch Thursdays for Wednesdays next year.

What we need in January … The great franchises always replace their superstars before they’ve left so a few “What have we bought him for?” signings would be fine. Harvey Elliott is, according to my daughter, a charming autograph signer, but nowadays that’s not enough on its own so assuming he goes back to Liverpool, if we can find a Rashford equivalent, then we can really dream.

Funniest moment of 2025 … My watch didn’t just give a “loud environment warning” when Buendía scored against Arsenal, it auto-booked a visit to the ear clinic. To top that moment off with the footage of the floor-pounding Gunners was sweet: hilarious payback for all the nonsense they give Martínez.

Bournemouth

Story so far We started outstandingly well, terrifying Liverpool in a narrow opening game defeat and then going unbeaten in the league until November. But defeats at Man City, Villa and Sunderland and then at home to Everton – and painfully dropping points against West Ham, United away and Burnley – put a completely different complexion on it. And we start 2026 on the back of a 4-1 defeat at Brentford, via the worst first-half performance of the season. We’re in a spiral, with key players either injured or showing little consistency. Can we have the Kluivert, Evanilson and Christie from last season back, please? The newly assembled back four is also under pressure and needs to reach the levels of the first 10 weeks again. When Semenyo plays well so do we – he can be a force, capable of world-class goals (Liverpool, Fulham, Leeds, United), but also invisible at times (Villa away). His seemingly inevitable departure in the January window will be a blow.

Happy with the manager? Iraola remains a courageous genius, superb at in-game management – see Fulham at home where his bold tactical choices changed a game we were losing into a 3-1 win. Just sign the contract extension. Please.

We will finish … 15th. But we need a big transfer window.

What we need in January … Central defensive reinforcements, a keeper to put pressure on Petrovic, midfield creativity – Harvey Elliott, who hasn’t featured much for Villa, could be an asset. And where’s the Semenyo replacement going to come from? We’re feeling fragile and depleted.

Funniest moment of 2025 … Seeing the ref give Evanilson a yellow in our home match against Man United when we were 2-1 up, only for a group of blokes 100 miles away watching a TV to overrule him and decide it’s a red, which led to us conceding late. Then, a few days later, a group of blokes 100 miles away watched the TV again only to decide its actually not a red. Classic VAR.

Brentford

Story so far After what can only be described as a brutal start – losing Thomas Frank, a raft of key backroom staff, two strikers with 40 goals between them, our captain and a keeper – sitting 12th on Christmas Day and top ten for New Year is remarkable. This is our best mid-season record since coming into the Premier League with the highest number of points (26) and wins (eight), eclipsing the period under Frank who had the likes of Mbeumo, Toney and Wissa firing on all cylinders. Igor Thiago being the second top striker behind Haaland is bonkers, and fan favourite Michael Kayode continues to star with his unorthodox runs out of defence, his defensive prowess and long throws.

Happy with the manager? Yes, he has definitely exceeded expectations. Some of the matches have been functional rather than expressive or dynamic and he has taken a bit of grief from those who feel he is too risk-averse, but he is learning on the job with diminished resources, and showing we can turn it on at times. In some of our wins, the football has been sensational.

We will finish … I predicted 14th before the start, and I’m sticking with it.

What we need in January … We never replaced Wissa’s 19 goals after he slithered off to Newcastle on the final day of the window, leaving money in the bank but a clear gap on the pitch. If Thiago is injured, there are few alternative options. The frustration among supporters is that there are several highly rated midfielders and attacking young players coming through who many hope can fill the creative void, yet for various reasons they have been afforded limited game time. With no clear sense of which, if any, will make the breakthrough, it’s difficult to predict where Brentford will look to strengthen. That being said, it’s hard to see us making signings in January. We usually only move in this window if we’re chasing to hit the next level or an unexpected gem becomes available, as was the case with Kayode and Schade. This season increasingly feels like a long, nine-month pre-season – preparation for a big push next season.

Funniest moment of 2025 … Donald Trump going full John Terry on the podium during Chelsea’s trophy lift at the Club World Cup was just ridiculous. I’m actually disappointed he didn’t go Full-Kit Willy Wonka.

Brighton

Story so far When we’re good, we’re very, very good, but when we’re bad we’re awful. The league is so close that consistency is everything – but we’re horribly inconsistent. The first half of the miserable 0-0 draw with Sunderland showed how diabolical we can be and while we couldn’t beat Wolves, we did beat Chelsea and Newcastle. Despite that it’s hard not to be optimistic: our young players are still in development and we’re not far off being a top team. Bart Verbruggen is finally showing his quality – he even saved a penalty – and has kept us in some difficult games. Lewis Dunk has passed 500 games for us, and Brajan Gruda and Maxim De Cuyper continue to impress. But it’s so sad to see the continued decline of Carlos Baleba.

Happy with the manager? Yes. Not everyone is convinced by Fabian Hürzeler but he has the players on side, is driven and is always looking for ways to achieve success. He said he’d learned a lot after spending time with the England rugby team during the international break.

We will finish … Sixth.

What we need in January … We’re being linked with Ghanaian midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi to replace Baleba (who, ridiculously, still wants to join Man United) and with Stefanos Tzimas out for the season after rupturing his ACL we could do with another striker, unless Evan Ferguson is recalled from loan at Roma.

Funniest moment of 2025 … The wearebrighton. com obsession with what Hürzeler wears in the dugout is a magnificent analysis of every outfit, result and performance.

Burnley

Story so far It’s hard to be pleased with the league position but we’ve not been battered in games. The second half against Newcastle with 10 men at the start of December was a very good performance and we could/should have snatched a draw at the end. The biggest surprise so far has been seeing Mike Trésor back in a Burnley shirt in a league game. We need more of that. Overall, we’ve got the players to survive this relegation fight, but we just need Scott Parker to deploy them more effectively. I’m not sure he quite knows the best starting XI.

Happy with the manager? Happy that I don’t think there’s anyone else who would do a better job. Frustrated that he’s a bit too pragmatic at times. We lack a bit of urgency and seem to want to try to stay in games for as long as possible without proactively looking to win them. It’s OK doing that but we had a run of seven defeats in seven before the draw at Bournemouth, so it’s not working. He’s clearly still scarred by his last time in the Premier League but at some point he’s going to have to take some risks because we’ll quickly run out of games.

We will finish … 17th (yes, really!).

What we need in January … We desperately need a striker who actually scores goals. I would love to see Jamie Vardy leading the line – I’d definitely have gone for him in the summer before he went to Italy. Other than that, another centre-back because we’re not far off being short in that area.

Funniest moment of 2025 … Watching the Liverpool implosion this season has been great. The press officer’s live reaction in the background of the shot as Mo Salah threw a grenade under the club in that mixed-zone presser was absolutely priceless. Who’d be a press officer eh?

Chelsea

Story so far Disappointing. The highs of beating Liverpool and Barcelona and not rolling over to Arsenal have been countered by the lows of shocking performances against Manchester United and Leeds and a poor showing in Europe. Reece James, however, has been superb, Caicedo gets better and better, and credit to Sánchez stepping up – a major improvement. On the negative side, Tosin isn’t good enough and Delap and João Pedro have struggled at times.

Happy with the manager? The Maresca confidence meter continues to rise and fall and cause a lot of division within our support. It’s hard to complain when you are fourth and in a cup semi, but the gap to the title-chasers is hefty. The relentless tinkering is extremely frustrating, but as we’ve seen recently there appears to be some conflict among the management hierarchy and this may well be behind some of the strange decisions. Maresca needs to step up now and push us on or he could be having a very uncomfortable chat at the end of the season.

We will finish … I can see Arsenal and City pulling further away, leaving third and fourth up for grabs. All of the teams in the mix are capable of dropping unexpected points – it’s one of those seasons – but I think we’ll hang on to fourth.

What we need in January … I’d be looking to Palace to resolve our ongoing issues with the fitness of Lavia and Fofana. Marc Guéhi and Adam Wharton would step straight in. We’re also still lacking an experienced No 9.

Funniest moment of 2025 … Cole Palmer’s face when Donald Trump gatecrashed the Club World Cup trophy lift.

Crystal Palace

Story so far Up to mid-December it was looking like a dream season. Winning the Community Shield, qualifying for the next phase of European competition, reaching the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, and consistently occupying a Champions League place in the league – what was there to complain about? It just feels like the wheels have fallen off slightly with some recent heavy defeats amid a lack of ability to rotate the squad and injuries to key players. But Tyrick Mitchell, Daniel Muñoz, Adam Wharton and Daichi Kamada have dazzled, and the recent introduction of 16-year-old Joél Drakes-Thomas to the first-team squad has been well received.

Happy with the manager? Glasner demands the best, and has continued to deliver. Strong doubts over his willingness to sign a new contract in the summer linger, and his lack of use of substitutes and reluctance to give younger players a chance has come back to bite us recently, though you could equally argue he thinks, rightly, that the squad players he has are not yet ready or good enough to play significant minutes.

We will finish … Eighth.

What we need in January … The attacking positions need bolstering. Brennan Johnson has been heavily linked, while Conor Gallagher and Chelsea’s Tyrique George have also been mentioned. A quality right-wingback is essential too: Muñoz’s knee injury has cost us badly.

Funniest moment of 2025 … Pep Guardiola screaming at Dean Henderson after the final whistle at the FA Cup final about time-wasting just added to the tears of joy shed by all Palace fans.

Everton

Story so far Our first top-half-at-Christmas position since the Ancelotti days shows the progress made under Moyes. Yet, it could have, should have, been even better. It’s our first season in our brand new sparkling stadium, so let’s go with a property-related theme for the rest of this … Dewsbury-Hall has been so good that, despite not featuring on England’s radar (yet), the National Trust will almost certainly offer him an end-of-contract deal. Ndiaye has been excellent and Grealish has won hearts and minds. Sadly, and with no malice, McNeil has (property reference) redefined “vacant possession”. The new owners’ lack of communication feels a little absent landlord-like, though. In a true sign of the new times at Everton, the Friedkins’ representatives have arrived at the Hill Dickinson by helicopter, while Moshiri, the former owner, had to make do with the Avanti out of London Euston.

Happy with the manager? Moyes (version II) has shown he’s developed as a manager. He has made good use of scarce resources and, with the return of the classic Moyes away win, has stabilised us. So can he now progress us to European football? The standout result so far has to be the first victory at Old Trafford since 2013 (when oddly Moyes was United’s manager).

We will finish … Moyes’s record is one of strong finishes, so I expect progress to continue. I forecast eighth at the start of the season; I’ll stick to that.

What we need in January … A goalscorer (please!) and some solutions for both full-back positions.

Funniest moment of 2025 … Gueye’s red for slapping his teammate. Bizarre.

Fulham

Story so far Given last season’s benchmark – comfortably securing our top-flight safety by early spring with a series of confident, cohesive performances – this campaign has been so disjointed. VAR howlers, injuries to key players, disruptive enforced changes and Afcon departures have all contributed, as has the self-inflicted stuff. There’s been plenty of sparkle too, not least the re-emergence of Harry Wilson, the reinvigorated Ryan Sessegnon, the relentless rise of Josh King and the remarkable dancing feet of loanee Samuel Chukwueze. And, wonder of wonders, we even won at Burnley in the exercise book derby (“fine margins”) and flew out of the traps to win at Spurs. On the downside, below-par showings, collapses and some bemusing subs have highlighted the lack of depth. Thank heavens for those three points against Forest – oh-so-tedious, yet oh-so-welcome. And it was ditto at West Ham, nicking three more drab points in the closing minutes.

Happy with the manager? Very much so, as long as he’s still fully focused. It seems the signing of contracts isn’t something to be rushed here, unless it’s a minute or so before the transfer deadline. From the outside looking in, it’s odd that Marco Silva hasn’t put pen to paper regarding his contract extension unless he’s still seeking reassurances, maybe about signing appropriate players at the appropriate time? Of course, this may all simply be an internal game of brinkmanship. We can only pass comment on what we see on the pitch.

We will finish … 14th. Higher if it clicks again in the new year. Let’s not consider the lower option.

What we need in January … There’s much debate about needing a new striker, especially with Rodrigo Muniz injured, Raúl Jiménez running on empty and young Jonah Kusi-Asare deemed not quite ready. Maybe so, but the key point is that whoever plays needs service. Chukwueze’s brilliant pass to set up Raúl’s late winner against Sunderland was a rare delight. Having a reasonably settled side in the new year would make a massive difference.

Funniest moment of 2025 … Bruno Fernandes sending his spot-kick into orbit was a hoot, and Leeds netting a spectacular match-deciding 94th-minute own goal was a comedic masterpiece.

Leeds

Story so far For a while Leeds were drifting towards the worst outcome, going back down without a whimper. Well, who’s whimpering now! It’s still not Leeds, but in a good way. Operation Big Lads has clicked and the Premier League can’t cope with Joe Rodon, Anton Stach or Jaka Bijol beneath Ethan Ampadu’s big throws. Star of them all is Dominic Calvert-Lewin. In true Yorkshire fashion, whatever people said he was, that’s what he’s not. He’s fit and in form and we’re in love.

Happy with the manager? Until half-time at Manchester City a lot of people weren’t happy with Daniel Farke, for going with the same plans that sent Norwich down twice. Now, he has either discovered surprising flexibility or unveiled his meticulous planning all along, depending how far you believe in him, and, while no two games since have looked alike, none of them have looked like losses.

We will finish … 16th. There is still an inevitable slog ahead. But the other significant story of recent weeks is the exuberant commitment of all the players, looking determined to stay up.

What we need in January … A lot is depending on Calvert-Lewin as a target and Jayden Bogle and Gabriel Gudmundsson as pitch-length wingbacks. More cover would be reassuring.

Funniest moment of 2025 … May’s bus parade through the city centre unleashed all the pent-up ferality from 2020’s lockdown celebrations in one orgiastic afternoon. And that was just the team. Malibu-fuelled Ampadu stole the show with a traffic cone on his head, and the last words heard on the three-hour livestream were the players, pleading: “Can we go round again?”

Liverpool

Story so far It’s been a tricky time for us the past couple of months. Off to a great start and top of the table, then a couple of defeats that put us on tilt followed by a pretty bleak stretch. It never felt a full-on crisis and we look to be in the midst of a revival with 14 points from the last 18. It’s been surprising and certainly unexpected, but there have also been some great moments. Hugo Ekitiké has got off to a flying start, Florian Wirtz is a joy to watch and Curtis Jones looks to have stepped up to another level.

Happy with the manager? Yes. It’s been a tough second season for him too, with so many angles to factor in on and off the pitch. He never shied away from having to answer the same old hackneyed questions, never lost his temper and was a picture of calm during some stormy moments. I suppose it’s the way now, but for there to be even a whisper that he should go after a relatively short bad run is absurd. He is in only his second year at Anfield and is the current title-winning manager.

We will finish … First. Got to dream big.

What we need in January … Not sure if the Marc Guéhi saga is back on or back off right now, but he’d be a great addition. We are an injury away from having just one fit centre-back. Talking of injuries, a right-back would help and, again, Palace have just the man, Daniel Muñoz. More options in defensive midfield would be a bonus and it’d be tempting to test Real Madrid’s resolve with a bid for Camavinga or Tchouaméni.

Funniest moment of 2025 … Away to Newcastle at the start of the season and their players were trying to shove Ekitiké (who’d scored) off the pitch and he just rolled with the pushes taking the mick. Lots to smile about throughout this year.

Manchester City

Story so far Quietly, I’m pretty pleased … particularly given how we started the season, with two defeats in our first three games. We’re currently well positioned across all four competitions. The biggest surprise? Potentially how little we’ve missed Rodri (relatively, of course). That’s how good Nico González has been.

Happy with the manager? He’s had a few howlers (such as the team selection at Villa Park and rotating 10 players against Leverkusen) but his tactical evolution season-on-season is ridiculously impressive. And he’s undoubtedly building yet another City team. The big guns have started firing (Haaland, Foden, Dias), but new key players have also begun to emerge (Cherki, Nico G, Doku and O’Reilly).

We will finish … I think we’ll sneak first. So much depends on injuries, individual form, luck and so on, but we’re closer to Arsenal than I expected after the first month. A new “best XI” is starting to emerge. And while it’s fair to say it probably wouldn’t rival many of our recent vintage sides, the consistency in selection has started to reap benefits.

What we need in January … When the summer window closed every City fan would’ve told you right-back is the glaring area of weakness in the squad. It probably still is, but Nunes has done well enough for us to park that signing until the summer. The focus needs to be on a scoring winger, hence the serious interest in Bournemouth’s Semenyo.

Funniest moment of 2025 … Liverpool transforming into City 2024-25 has been pretty funny. And satisfying. Especially given the £446m outlay in the summer.

Manchester United

Story so far Liverpool was the standout performance, Everton the shocker – arguably worse than the Grimsby result back in August. Senne Lammens has been unfazed and looks assured in goal, bringing a calmness to the defence, but we are still shipping goals. De Ligt has been missed. On the plus side Cunha and Mbeumo are a huge upgrade on last season, bringing real quality.

Happy with the manager? His voice has started to grate; he keeps telling us we are not good enough and it’s going to take time, but he has to take responsibility for our more inept performances: this is now his team and it still lacks a backbone. His in-game changes are predictable: we could be chasing a game or putting a game to bed but come the 70-75th minute he will make his defensive changes. He really needs to adopt a system that suits his players, rather than his ego.

We will finish … Eighth.

What we need in January … I’d love Anderson from Forest as he is shaping up to becoming a complete midfielder. Rúben Neves has been linked, too. I’m not sure we’ll sign anyone, though. But what would be criminal next month is if we lose Mainoo – I’d rather lose the manager than Kobbie.

Funniest moment of 2025 … When Villa turned up at our place on the last day of the season needing a draw for Champions League football, they were all in their fancy dress like they were going to the darts. Then the worst United team in living history beat them 2-0. The club missed a trick and should have played the Hamlet cigar ad music over the Tannoy.

Newcastle

Story so far Intensity used to be our identity. Now it’s inconsistency. We’ve shown sparks of prime Howe-era Newcastle (Man City and Chelsea at home, for example) and made great progress in the Champions League and Carabao Cup, but our away form is appalling, as is our habit of shipping late goals. The non-performance against Sunderland was utterly shameful – the lowest point of the post-Ashley era. Anthony Elanga has been the worst of our new signings, making little impact, but Malick Thiaw has been imperious at centre-back and Big Nick Woltemade is a new cult hero, helping us to forget about you-know-who … Nineteen-year-old Lewis Miley also deserves a special mention: scores in the Champions League, heads us into a cup semi-final, then excels – out of position – at right-back against Chelsea. What a talent.

Happy with the manager? It’s been a tough season for Howe and there are murmurs of discontent over tactics and substitutions. Improvement is needed, but his detractors have short memories. We trust him to pull us through.

We will finish … A hectic fixture list has taken its toll and it looks like we’ll only qualify for the Champions League by winning it. Sixth might be achievable, if Wissa and Nick stay fit.

What we need in January … Given our seemingly endless injury crisis in defence, cover at the back is a must. Matt Targett, on loan and doing well at Boro, couldn’t get a game for us last season (having two England full-backs ahead of him) but could be recalled. More guile in midfield wouldn’t go amiss either. Rúben Neves would be a real hit …

Funniest moment of 2025 … Mikel Arteta blaming the Puma ball after Arsenal lost the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final to us in January. Cue some epic chants, and some fine trolling from NUFC’s social media department.

Nottingham Forest

Story so far We’re Forest, we don’t do normal. From the Gibbs-White transfer saga (with the owner declaring: “At the end of the day, we always win”), through the departure of Nuno and appointing Calamity Ange, then finally going back to basics with the spit-and-sawdust trio of Dyche, Stone and Woan; let’s just say that it has been eventful. Thankfully we still have some great players, with Anderson outstanding, Williams achieving a high level of consistency, and our lovely Murillo [dreamy expression]. The worst moment was Reds fans singing: “You’re getting sacked in the morning,” to our own manager in the Europa League; the best was Sangaré’s outstanding strike against Spurs.

Happy with the manager? Yes: I always rated Dyche as someone who can do a job with the resources available. The fact that he and his coaching team have Forest links helps. Also: my brother and I are pretty certain that a teenage Dyche used to go out with our babysitter when we were little – you’ll never sing that.

We will finish … Take out the Arrogant One’s disastrous 39 days, and we would be challenging for Europe. Let’s say eighth.

What we need in January … We have a decent-sized squad, but with noticeable weaknesses. Cuiabano will finally join his erstwhile Botafogo teammates, but it remains to be seen whether he can adapt to Dycheball as a left-back – Zinchenko certainly hasn’t. So more strength at full-back and also up front, where Wood is struggling and Awoniyi is made of biscuits.

Funniest moment of 2025 … The song for Slot to the tune of the Cranberries’ Zombie: “We’re in your head, in your head, Arne, Arne, Arne, -ne -ne …”

Sunderland

Story so far I’m enjoying every minute. There’s a confidence about this side that we have not seen for a long time. Noah Sadiki and Nordi Mukiele have been absolutely vital to that and Xhaka has brought exactly what we needed in the middle. Whenever we are faced with a setback or a tricky spell we just seem to find a way through. There’s a real belief running through the squad and it feels like we are constantly improving. We’re not just here to make up the numbers.

Happy with the manager? A huge part of that confidence comes down to Le Bris. He has arrived in the Premier League with a calm authority and a fresh approach. The players clearly trust him and buy into what he is doing and that relationship shows every time we play. He feels like the right man at the right time and the progress we have made so far reflects that.

We will finish … 12th. Afcon brings its challenges but the summer recruitment has left us in a stronger position to cope. If we are still sitting comfortably by February there’s every reason to feel optimistic about how the season will finish.

What we need in January … A bit more depth in midfield would be ideal, especially given the number of cards we have already picked up. I’d also love to see a right-winger come in to give us more strength out wide. In terms of names it is hard to say because the recruitment team keep pulling out players most of us have never heard of. At this point I trust them completely.

Funniest moment of 2025 … Frankie Francis’s commentary for Dan Ballard’s winner in the playoff semi-final. He completely lost his head and it made the moment even better. That said, Woltemade’s own goal probably tops it. A finish that clean and well-placed into the wrong net was genuinely astonishing.

Tottenham

Story so far Eleven league games lost at home in the calendar year of 2025; a club record. Everything is inherently broken: the board, players and the fatigued fanbase. Ange Postecoglou’s legacy should be the Europa League but instead it’s the acceptance everyone surrendered to; going to home games knowing we would lose, on the pitch and in the stands. We’re caught in the infinite loop of appointing a manager to inherit a messy squad and then failing to back him with conviction to make that squad his own. The Spurs identity crisis persists.

Happy with the manager? Is Frank overwhelmed? My gut wants to reclaim some of that rare “patience with context” and back him but the evidence is damning so far. With key players Maddison, Kulu and Solanke out, the reliance on youngsters and Frank’s overly defensive mindset, I’m apathetic once more.

We will finish … I’m going for 17th again so anything better will feel like an improvement on last season. I don’t quite have “SERIOUS RELEGATION FEARS” just yet. We need to find a spark in N17 soon.

What we need in January … Regardless of whether we stick or twist with Frank, signing top-drawer finished-article players is essential. But it’s rare to get these in January. Positions? All of them. Keeper, full-back, someone to play on the opposite wing to Kudus and up front too. Those three aforementioned injured players haunt us. We need to be galvanised. This football club has to prove it wants to break the loop.

Funniest moment of 2025 … Ange for proclaiming “season three is always better than season two” and stating that “main characters often get killed off”, while knowing as early as the start of 2025 that he was likely to be sacked in the summer. THFC, the most dramatic of football clubs, always delivers the satirical self-deprecating comedy that pretty much defines us. Up the Spurs.

West Ham

Story so far We’re in big trouble, even if Nuno has stabilised things slightly. Graham Potter’s side imploded, conceding endless goals from corners. Bizarrely he tried to replace Areola in goal, who has had a fine season since being restored. Potter’s sacking was sadly inevitable. We still have a chance of staying up while we have Jarrod Bowen, but he needs much more support. Since Nuno came in Fernandes and Magassa are starting to look like good young signings, and, free of FA charges, Paquetá has had some decent games, though no marks for his stupid sending-off against Liverpool for channelling Harry Enfield’s Kevin. Freddie Potts is one of our own and the find of the season, while Callum Wilson has been better than the doubters thought. Pantomime villains are the board, guilty of years of poor strategy and botched appointments, plus Niclas Füllkrug’s agent, who seems to blame West Ham for his client’s injury woes.

Happy with the manager? Nuno has improved the defence and ended the corner malaise. The spirit is much better and Todibo is starting to look like a decent defender now he’s been switched to the left. Nuno comes across as a nice guy but has a quiet gravitas that Potter lacked. He had a brainstorm against Brentford and Leeds, inverting his full-backs and playing Irving and Soucek in midfield, but has settled on a more sensible side. Nice to have a gaffer who is into riding horses, though he needs to rein in his safety-first mentality to avoid the four horsemen of the apocalypse arriving in Stratford.

We will finish … To be super‑optimistic, 17th.

What we need in January … A young mobile striker to take the pressure of Wilson. Brentford managed to get Thiago while we’ve wasted fortunes on Haller, Scamacca and Füllkrug. Promise David would be worth it just for the headline potential. A big bruising centre-back would also be useful and Charlie Cresswell of Toulouse has been mentioned.

Funniest moment of 2025 … Scottish commentators Alasdair Lamont and Michael Stewart completely losing it when Scotland beat Denmark 4-2.

Wolves

Story so far I’m pleased it’s nearly halfway done. It’s been a Hall of Fame season of failure with far too many individual and collective gaffes to single any one thing out for special attention.

Happy with the manager? Wolves as a club are a total shambles right now, so I have sympathy for Rob Edwards, but I also don’t think he’s the right man to organise this disparate group of players into something resembling a Premier League team. I understand why he wanted the job given his affinity with the club, but he really should have stayed at Middlesbrough. We should have pulled the Big Sam ripcord.

We will finish … 20th and with the record for fewest points in Premier League history.

What we need in January … Who can we possibly attract? Maybe some of those mercenaries who have been frozen out of their current clubs, but are they really motivated to succeed? The club should probably be thinking more about what the squad needs to look like in the Championship next season. Maybe we can offload some so-called stars for bigger money in January and replace them with a few that will help us hit the ground running for an immediate return? But that probably requires the kind of forward thinking we haven’t seen for a good while in these parts.

Funniest moment of 2025 … I can’t remember what laughing feels like other than the deranged guffaw of a man driven to madness by his team’s total incompetence, so you’ll forgive me if I pass on this one.