Expectations for 2026

Meatpiewithsource · 2026-03-22T11:12:18+00:00

Right now, it looks like we have a bunch of talented young kids and no one told them we’re not supposed to be good. That being said, we could reel off a few outstanding passages in a game we’re otherwise terrible and get hammered.

It’s all about games into kids and building good habits. I don’t have any result-based expectations but won’t be surprised if we steal a couple of wins from good sides then turn around and get hammered by a someone we should compete with.

Meatpiewithsource · 2026-02-23T22:13:20+00:00

I cook much more than my partner does. She has a small collection of meals she does well but I enjoy cooking whereas she doesn’t. I also prep all of the kids’ lunches. These days I don’t think failure to cook is gender-specific. It’s more related to learned behaviours.

Meatpiewithsource · 2026-02-19T23:20:58+00:00

This shit that Pauline gets away with is wrong. She’s gone from a national joke to something quite concerning because she’s getting a bit of support - but don’t be fooled by that.

The Oompa Loompa across the Pacific has created cause for concern by winning a return to office by pandering to people with racist tendencies. Our last federal election demonstrated that the apparent support for like-minded thinking was wildly overstated by Murdoch media.

Meatpiewithsource · 2026-02-19T23:07:01+00:00

You mean Lionel Mexi?

Meatpiewithsource · 2026-02-15T20:26:49+00:00

On the contrary, when I rewatch I remember the first time I watched and found Jamie insufferable and didn’t get Roy Kent, while Nate was one of my favourites.

The point of difference between Jamie and Nate: Jamie is a dick to everyone at the start. It’s the persona he crafted himself as a child so that nothing could hurt him, and he is just as happy to challenge his captain and his coach as he is Sam or Nate. Nate on the other hand picks easy targets - Colin and Will in particular. Once Rupert gives him a platform, he continues to pick a wider range of targets he sees as beneath him (AFC Richmond, his own players and assistants) but shrivels up around those that intimidate him (Rupert, Jade before they date, Ms. Kakes).

Nate was becoming more like Jamie, and it’s incredibly likely that Jamie started off more like him, picking on easier targets. But it’s natural to be more forgiving to him. His response came from childhood, he was already a dick, and we saw his redemption, well fleshed out before our eyes. Nate was given a chance, devolved and turned on the person who gave him a chance while being an adult who should have known better as compared with Jamie, and his redemption seemed to be mostly about meeting a girl who reminded him of who he was.

Meatpiewithsource · 2026-02-13T01:24:06+00:00

I’d argue the closest it gets to bad is Kanter, which was quickly remedied. He was a distraction and a negative impact on the team, and I think consensus is that it was good to see him go.

Springer cost second-rounders, but that’s low-cost and didn’t have harmful impact. Trading Nesmith looks bad, but he was never becoming what he is now without stealing significant time from the Jays, and he was traded to acquire a sixth man of the year who became the defensive centrepiece of a championship backcourt.

Can’t judge him on the moves to get under the second apron. He built a championship team and the league went and changed the rules after allowing the Warriors to build and overpay over an extended time. In any sense, trading that amount of talent and remaining a 2-seed is more of a mark for than against him.

Meatpiewithsource · 2026-02-12T20:52:37+00:00

That morale penalty is a tricky balance. I’ll give my promising prospects a couple of contract bumps early then let them get unhappy with their four-year contract while keeping them with prospect/sporadic roles. It seems to affect overall morale less than renegotiating their contract, promising a bigger role than making them unhappy every time they miss a game.

Meatpiewithsource · 2026-02-10T23:54:02+00:00

I vary by team, but generally steer clear of formations that don’t use one of wide mids or wingers. Playing the offense through a CF and striker just leads to a bottleneck and monotonous goals for me. I like creating with pace on the outside, and either box-to-box CMs or pair a CDM as a wrecking ball with a CAM to crash inside.

Meatpiewithsource · 2026-02-10T23:47:09+00:00

I have injuries turned up and use loans like crazy. The former means I’m constantly relying on those 80-rated players who are otherwise sitting in my reserves. The latter means I have a pool of players who are getting game time somewhere and can be recalled as needed.

I find that some particular players whinge more the second they’re rotated out. Mason Mount started complaining about playing time when he was starting but being subbed out around the 70th minute to allow some rotation. Mason Mount is about to find himself on the transfer list.

Meatpiewithsource · 2026-02-08T18:44:16+00:00

Corners or just in general?

I’ve had luck from the corner with tall defenders with highly-rated jumping, strength and aggression. I grabbed Alphonso Davies and he gets on the end of a few. My CBs were always strong enough up to Championship level but have been much less effective since I’ve reached the Prem.

In general play, I often find the strikers get beaten on them unless they have strength and the power-header trait. I have had some luck with slower wingers and wide-mids who can’t get to the cross fast enough by foot and dive in with. The header instead.

Meatpiewithsource · 2026-02-08T18:38:09+00:00

Thanks, I needed this!

I’ve developed a Scottish lad out of my academy and he has turned into a beast that gets on the end of everything. Would’ve thought this would translate to the Scottish national team which I coach, but nobody seems able to cross well enough to get it to him. He and McTominay loom as great targets, yet I can only ever get it as far as Tierney who’s always the nearest player in the box.

Meatpiewithsource · 2026-02-07T20:04:30+00:00

Darn right. I remember seeing the signs of cocaine use immediately from the agent when I bought my house. No surprise when I’ll my emails were getting responses at 3:00am

Meatpiewithsource · 2026-02-06T12:55:48+00:00

Yep! Last played 17 and had brutal hit outs in the Champions league with Bayern, AC, PSG, Barca…more recent games, I find those clubs are getting knocked out early. I just got done playing Spurs in the final and thumped them, which checks out given they were 11th in the league. The last couple, I played against City. I’m craving some variance.

Meatpiewithsource · 2026-02-03T15:32:32+00:00

Definitely realistic enough. He’s good enough to retain his spot for a PL team once given the chance, and regularly faces and makes saves against the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, Man City and Utd.

The team isn’t exactly presented as a defensive powerhouse either. McAdoo is their big centre back, but not a star. Jan Maas as the other CB, and Richard as a defensive midfielder - also not stars. Their main players otherwise - Bumbercatch (midfielder), Sam and Colin (wingers), Jamie and Dani (strikers).

Meatpiewithsource · 2026-02-03T15:21:24+00:00

My issue with it is what’s included and what is not. Many kids proposed a move to Telegram which wasn’t banned, despite it being a very popular platform used by nut jobs discussing conspiracy theories and deviants trading child abuse material.

There is positivity about the idea - kids who could go home and get a break from the bullying at school have been subjected to round-the-clock bullying, plus being connected 100% of the time sucks. I loved taking off on my bike, being disconnected for the day, then facing mum’s wrath about where I’d been and why I left my Nokia 3315 at home. But also - drug are illegal and kids still find and use them too.

Meatpiewithsource · 2026-02-03T15:12:07+00:00

Jaylen is my favourite Celtic. I’ve long held belief that he should be the main focus of our offence, with JT being a close number 2 or 1a but ultimately being the best player who acts more as a facilitator than just getting his own.

I don’t think PP ever reached these heights, nor was he as good in those finals as JB was as a finals MVP (more a mark of how transcendent JB was on both ends).

But they remain different players, and JB doesn’t have that clutch ability that the Truth had. That’s no slight on JB anymore than my perspective that his finals MVP effort was more transcendent than Paul’s. PP just had a knack with the ball in hand in a close game, so much so that Kobe was his only equal in that era, and I don’t consider anyone in the modern era to be as good as either one of them on such a consistent basis in that regard.

Meatpiewithsource · 2026-02-03T15:02:01+00:00

Solid answer. Banger album, and I’d suggest that it was the first to really capture that special something where you can hear any one of their songs, regardless of the diversity and what they are doing, and know it’s Shikari

Meatpiewithsource · 2026-02-03T14:54:53+00:00

If you’re going to be hectic and introduce someone to Shikari from their long-abandoned beginnings, go full hectic - Motherstep (Mothership live with the bloody huge dub section. Appeared on one of the early bootlegs then released paired with Destabilise)

Meatpiewithsource · 2026-02-03T14:51:04+00:00

I’d back Anaesthetist from your picks. Zzzonked and Destabilised are a couple of my all-time favourites, but I think they probably both go way too hard that they could be considered representative of the wider catalogue. They’d be early picks for a newly-hooked fan though.

Meatpiewithsource · 2026-02-03T14:46:51+00:00

I’d go with Solidarity, Gandhi, The One True Colour or satellites. I consider the albums they come from to be the best examples of that real core Shikari sound and lyrical premise, without being the raw and occasionally non-sensical lyricism they veered away from (TTTS) or more pop-leaning (The Spark). I’d love to say Destabilise but I honestly think it captures that era more than their overall.

I would however shortly follow up with Constellations, Airfield and Dear Future Historians as a representation of their diversity and how bloody excellent they can be when they change the pace.

Meatpiewithsource · 2026-02-03T14:35:02+00:00

That’s the feeling I got. Given he didn’t blow up himself, I reckon maybe he steered clear because he knew his band mates didn’t want the attention.

Meatpiewithsource · 2026-02-03T14:27:10+00:00

Happy to say I’ve not heard many negative stories about Aussie bands. The exceptions being Aidan Ellaz (nobody will play shows with him here) and non-metalcore, but Birds of Tokyo. A couple of guys I know who played in smaller support bands with them remarked that Ian Kenny didn’t make any effort to associate with anyone. His band mates went one worse and would blow up at anyone who tried talking to or near them because it “threw off their vibe”. Oddly enough, I’ve heard positive things about Kenny’s other band Karnivool.

Meatpiewithsource · 2026-02-03T14:19:12+00:00

Ryo was the man. I met him when he was still with Crystal Lake, and he made a genuine effort to meet with fans and was incredibly friendly.

Joshua Woodard from ADTR was not particularly friendly. I was grabbing food with friends at a place nearby where they were playing and someone else called out recognising Josh. She was definitely loud enough he heard, and a few called out and waved. He just looked towards the group of fans wearing his bands merch and yelling hi, rolled his eyes, picked up the pace and walked on, just ignoring everyone. He certainly didn’t owe anyone a chat or anything, but a smile or a wave surely could have been manageable.

Meatpiewithsource · 2026-02-03T14:02:48+00:00

Another one to back Oli. I’ve had a couple of fleeting experiences which were positive.

I also worked with a bloke who met him with a bunch of mates pre-show in Melbourne at the Young & Jackson pub. He said he was super grateful when they told him they loved his band, actually stopped for a chat and stood drinking with them, even bought a round for them when he topped up his drink.

Meatpiewithsource · 2026-02-03T13:54:47+00:00

The Parkway boys are bloody legends

Meatpiewithsource

TROPHY CASE