despite them being way off since Sir Alex Baconface left a decade ago, this could be the first time that they dont qualify for CL in 2 consecutive seasons which shows current drop off is much larger than the previous regimes under Mourinho, Ole at the wheel, Ten Hag etc.
still they have an outsider chance if they win the EL as that comes with a CL place, but very unlikely given their home losses in the league vs way worse clubs than some of more decent clubs left in CL. Bilbao, Lazio, Tottenham, Frankfurt surely wont lie down to them if they meet.
Chances are if they get Sociedad in last 16 of EL those Spanish ones can imo send them out of competition already. Even Galatasaray would give them a fair fight.
another bonus in them not being in CL twice in a row is that some of their sponsors might have reductions built into their contracts. which is only fair if you sign up to sponsor a regular CL team and that teams manages to becomes a regular non-CL team...
even Chelsea couldnt find a shirt sponsor deal I think it has lot to do with not being in CL neither in 23-24, 24-25. for them its crucial to do it this season and get back into CL imo. can see them firing Maresca if he only comes in 6th haha.
Ruben Interim at the moment is doing since he took over 14 points of 39 points. to be fair its not much worse than our recent run, but we have our own troubles but he was brought in to improve on Ten Hag and actually Tenn Hag had a tiny bit better points average even this season.
Interim is doing 14 points in 13 PL games. and thats heavily helped by Nunes gifting them the derby. evenwhen they hosted the absolute shit Southampton they were losing until 84th minute or something...
and even last week beating Fulham it took a fucking lucky deflected goal that fell into the net from that stupid Martinez shot such an unlikely winner also late in the game. so even the 14 points Amorim did was full of lucky situations kind of. should have been even less imo.
I cant see them winning their next two PL games either, Spurs away, Everton away. Postecoglou and Moyes will not want to lose to these. Moyes will enjoy putting the boot into them haha.
chances are Interims first 15 league games they will do something like 14-15 points.
having said that thats a serious underperformance from the manager as while their squad has big issues no way it should only do 1 point per game on average. there are lot lesser squads on much better average.
thats 38 points over a full season basically.just above relegation zone level of trajectory. in some rare years it would be even relegation worthy albeit recent years 38 points was mostly enough.
Interim is lucky now basically that Ten Hag and Horseface interim did a tiny bit better than him in first third of the season and thats gives them enough extra points to be bit safer above Everton, Wolves and the promoted clubs etc.
