https://boards.footymad.net/ General football news, rumours and gossip. Keep it friendly! en Sun, 17 May 2026 20:17:13 GMT vBulletin 60 https://boards.footymad.net/images/misc/rss.png https://boards.footymad.net/ https://boards.footymad.net/showthread.php?t=38390176&goto=newpost Sun, 17 May 2026 19:40:09 GMT * Former Liverpool and Madrid midfielder starts on 1 July * Alonso feels ?immense pride to be manager of great club? Chelsea have confirmed the appointment of Xabi Alonso as their new manager. The Spaniard has signed a four-year deal and will start work in pre season. He becomes the sixth permanent manager of the BlueCo era. The former Real Madrid head coach will take charge of the Blues from 1 July in what is his first managerial role in the Premier League. Callum McFarlane has been in interim charge since the sacking of Liam Rosenior last month and was on the touchline for Chelsea?s FA Cup final loss (https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/16/manchester-city-win-fa-cup-final-as-semenyo-magic-sinks-chelsea) to Manchester City on Saturday. Continue reading... (https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/17/xabi-alonso-confirmed-as-chelsea-manager-on-four-year-contract) More... (https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/17/xabi-alonso-confirmed-as-chelsea-manager-on-four-year-contract)

• Former Liverpool and Madrid midfielder starts on 1 July
  
• Alonso feels ?immense pride to be manager of great club?

Chelsea have confirmed the appointment of Xabi Alonso as their new manager. The Spaniard has signed a four-year deal and will start work in pre season. He becomes the sixth permanent manager of the BlueCo era.
The former Real Madrid head coach will take charge of the Blues from 1 July in what is his first managerial role in the Premier League. Callum McFarlane has been in interim charge since the sacking of Liam Rosenior last month and was on the touchline for Chelsea?s FA Cup final loss to Manchester City on Saturday.
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More... ]]> Football News Footymad https://boards.footymad.net/showthread.php?t=38390176 https://boards.footymad.net/showthread.php?t=38390177&goto=newpost Sun, 17 May 2026 19:40:09 GMT Sardar Azmoun, who has scored 57 goals in 91 games for the Middle East state, has been left out of the squad after an Instagram post showing him meeting the ruler of Dubai More... (https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/iranian-harry-kane-axed-world-37168290) Sardar Azmoun, who has scored 57 goals in 91 games for the Middle East state, has been left out of the squad after an Instagram post showing him meeting the ruler of Dubai

More... ]]> Football News Footymad https://boards.footymad.net/showthread.php?t=38390177 https://boards.footymad.net/showthread.php?t=38390175&goto=newpost Sun, 17 May 2026 19:40:09 GMT As the campaign draws to a close, we looked at what each of the teams did best this season in the English top-flight ?What enriches you is the game, not the result. The result is a piece of data,? the Spanish football coach Juanma Lillo once said. ?The birthrate goes up. Is that enriching? No. But the process that led to that? Now that?s enriching.? Let that serve as the thinking behind the first annual Football Style Awards, a celebration of process over results. These awards are not about who won, though they are about pieces of data. A club data scientist friend and I have spent the last year building a new football app called futi (https://futi.live/) that measures not just who?s good but what they?re good at, based on detailed phase of play data (https://futiapp.substack.com/p/introducing-phases-of-play) and models that measure how teams and players play. Continue reading... (https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/17/man-citys-dribbles-to-wolves-counterpress-each-premier-league-teams-strongest-trait-this-season) More... (https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/17/man-citys-dribbles-to-wolves-counterpress-each-premier-league-teams-strongest-trait-this-season) As the campaign draws to a close, we looked at what each of the teams did best this season in the English top-flight
?What enriches you is the game, not the result. The result is a piece of data,? the Spanish football coach Juanma Lillo once said. ?The birthrate goes up. Is that enriching? No. But the process that led to that? Now that?s enriching.?
Let that serve as the thinking behind the first annual Football Style Awards, a celebration of process over results. These awards are not about who won, though they are about pieces of data. A club data scientist friend and I have spent the last year building a new football app called futi that measures not just who?s good but what they?re good at, based on detailed phase of play data and models that measure how teams and players play.
Continue reading...

More... ]]> Football News Footymad https://boards.footymad.net/showthread.php?t=38390175 https://boards.footymad.net/showthread.php?t=38390171&goto=newpost Sun, 17 May 2026 19:00:04 GMT It was a decision that threatens to keep Nuno Esp?rito Santo awake for many nights to come. Why, oh why, West Ham?s manager will doubtless wonder, did he opt to start with a back three on Tyneside? Continue reading... (https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/17/newcastle-west-ham-premier-league-match-report) More... (https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/17/newcastle-west-ham-premier-league-match-report) It was a decision that threatens to keep Nuno Esp?rito Santo awake for many nights to come.
Why, oh why, West Ham?s manager will doubtless wonder, did he opt to start with a back three on Tyneside?
Continue reading...

More... ]]> Football News Footymad https://boards.footymad.net/showthread.php?t=38390171 https://boards.footymad.net/showthread.php?t=38390172&goto=newpost Sun, 17 May 2026 19:00:04 GMT Image: https://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/67/590x/2206556_1.jpg (https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/2206556/west-ham-brink-relegation-tottenham-premier-league) The Hammers are staring down the barrel of a Championship return. More... (https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/2206556/west-ham-brink-relegation-tottenham-premier-league)

The Hammers are staring down the barrel of a Championship return.

More... ]]> Football News Footymad https://boards.footymad.net/showthread.php?t=38390172 https://boards.footymad.net/showthread.php?t=38390173&goto=newpost Sun, 17 May 2026 19:00:04 GMT

Celtic's celebrations were marred by chaotic scenes at Parkhead as fans invaded the pitch.

More... ]]> Football News Footymad https://boards.footymad.net/showthread.php?t=38390173 https://boards.footymad.net/showthread.php?t=38390174&goto=newpost Sun, 17 May 2026 19:00:04 GMT *Newcastle 3-1 West Ham: *A strange selection and individual errors left Tottenham needing only a point to send West Ham down More... (https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/newcastle-west-ham-result-score-premier-league-relegation-b2978269.html) Newcastle 3-1 West Ham: A strange selection and individual errors left Tottenham needing only a point to send West Ham down


More... ]]> Football News Footymad https://boards.footymad.net/showthread.php?t=38390174 https://boards.footymad.net/showthread.php?t=38390169&goto=newpost Sun, 17 May 2026 18:20:24 GMT Dominic Calvert-Lewin?s stoppage-time winner against Brighton extended their unbeaten league run to eight matches and lifted them up to 13th. More... (https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/daniel-farke-dominic-calvertlewin-premier-league-leeds-fabian-hurzeler-b2978251.html) Dominic Calvert-Lewin?s stoppage-time winner against Brighton extended their unbeaten league run to eight matches and lifted them up to 13th.

More... ]]> Football News Footymad https://boards.footymad.net/showthread.php?t=38390169 https://boards.footymad.net/showthread.php?t=38390166&goto=newpost Sun, 17 May 2026 17:50:00 GMT Antonee Robinson?s penalty earned a point for the Cottagers at Molineux after Mateus Mane?s opener. More... (https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/marco-silva-fulham-timothy-castagne-liverpool-premier-league-b2978244.html) Antonee Robinson?s penalty earned a point for the Cottagers at Molineux after Mateus Mane?s opener.

More... ]]> Football News Footymad https://boards.footymad.net/showthread.php?t=38390166 https://boards.footymad.net/showthread.php?t=38390167&goto=newpost Sun, 17 May 2026 17:50:00 GMT The Bees will travel to Liverpool on the final day knowing a win should be enough to secure a place in Europe for the first time in their history. More... (https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/adam-wharton-brentford-liverpool-ismaila-sarr-dean-henderson-b2978245.html) The Bees will travel to Liverpool on the final day knowing a win should be enough to secure a place in Europe for the first time in their history.

More... ]]> Football News Footymad https://boards.footymad.net/showthread.php?t=38390167 https://boards.footymad.net/showthread.php?t=38390164&goto=newpost Sun, 17 May 2026 17:50:00 GMT Image: https://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/67/590x/2206551_1.jpg (https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/2206551/Rasmus-Hojlund-Napoli-Transfer-Man-Utd) Rasmus Hojlund has confirmed his ?38m move from Manchester United to Napoli, with the Denmark international penning an emotional message More... (https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/2206551/Rasmus-Hojlund-Napoli-Transfer-Man-Utd)

Rasmus Hojlund has confirmed his ?38m move from Manchester United to Napoli, with the Denmark international penning an emotional message

More... ]]> Football News Footymad https://boards.footymad.net/showthread.php?t=38390164 https://boards.footymad.net/showthread.php?t=38390165&goto=newpost Sun, 17 May 2026 17:50:00 GMT The Black Cats beat Everton and will go into the final day two points behind seventh-placed Brighton. More... (https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/everton-sunderland-brighton-david-moyes-press-association-b2978248.html) The Black Cats beat Everton and will go into the final day two points behind seventh-placed Brighton.

More... ]]> Football News Footymad https://boards.footymad.net/showthread.php?t=38390165 https://boards.footymad.net/showthread.php?t=38390163&goto=newpost Sun, 17 May 2026 17:10:04 GMT Image: https://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/67/590x/2206547_1.jpg (https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/2206547/man-utd-tyrell-malacia-leaving) The farewells are continuing at Old Trafford. More... (https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/2206547/man-utd-tyrell-malacia-leaving)

The farewells are continuing at Old Trafford.

More... ]]> Football News Footymad https://boards.footymad.net/showthread.php?t=38390163 https://boards.footymad.net/showthread.php?t=38390150&goto=newpost Sun, 17 May 2026 16:40:01 GMT Brighton?s hopes of a return to European football next season took a potentially significant turn for the worse after Dominic Calvert-Lewin?s late goal ensured another home victory for a Leeds team that continues to thrive in the latter stages of the campaign. Fabian H?rzeler?s side have been magnificent again this season and, going into the final weekend, their destiny is still in their own hands in terms of securing a second appearance in European competition. However, Brighton may look back on this afternoon in West Yorkshire as one that could prove to be a missed opportunity. Continue reading... (https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/17/leeds-brighton-premier-league-match-report) More... (https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/17/leeds-brighton-premier-league-match-report) Brighton?s hopes of a return to European football next season took a potentially significant turn for the worse after Dominic Calvert-Lewin?s late goal ensured another home victory for a Leeds team that continues to thrive in the latter stages of the campaign.
Fabian H?rzeler?s side have been magnificent again this season and, going into the final weekend, their destiny is still in their own hands in terms of securing a second appearance in European competition. However, Brighton may look back on this afternoon in West Yorkshire as one that could prove to be a missed opportunity.
Continue reading...

More... ]]> Football News Footymad https://boards.footymad.net/showthread.php?t=38390150 https://boards.footymad.net/showthread.php?t=38390158&goto=newpost Sun, 17 May 2026 16:40:01 GMT The 23-year-old striker?s loan move from Manchester United became permanent after Napoli?s Champions League qualification was secured. More... (https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/rasmus-hojlund-champions-league-napoli-manchester-united-atalanta-b2978233.html) The 23-year-old striker?s loan move from Manchester United became permanent after Napoli?s Champions League qualification was secured.

More... ]]> Football News Footymad https://boards.footymad.net/showthread.php?t=38390158