October football: The Sack Race

[randomlegend]

Isn't it fairly well established that the Saudis have zero intention of throwing silly money around at Newcastle? Something like £100m over three years is the sort of amount they are planning to invest in transfers is what I've read.

[Lewis]

What have they bought it for then?

[Waffdon]

Unplayable at Euro 2008.

Made Rangers fans slightly angry too :cool:

[Offshore Toon]

Isn't it fairly well established that the Saudis have zero intention of throwing silly money around at Newcastle? Something like £100m over three years is the sort of amount they are planning to invest in transfers is what I've read.
We'll see what happens, but I imagine they'll make the most of our FFP being in a great position. Their PR is as you'd expect so they may have leaked the £100m over x years figure to the press in an attempt to avoid getting ripped off. It won't work, but it's worth trying.

Aside from a few signings to steady the boat, I'd like to see them work on the academy and training ground asap as they're in dire need of improvement.

[randomlegend]

What have they bought it for then?

"Sportwashing".

[Lewis]

That only works if they're successful and the journalists have to start putting their free tickets and interview access above 'concerns'. That means throwing silly money around. They won't have bought it as a serious financial investment to be sensibly managed.

[Offshore Toon]

#BruceIn

[randomlegend]

Do they have to be successful? I would have thought they'll get as much - if not more - good press from running the club sustainably with moderate investment.

I can see plenty of articles being written about how Newcastle are being run so well and how surprising it is if they went the sensible and sustainable route.

[randomlegend]

"How Newcastle are a well run club and why this isn't what we expected" etc.

If they wanted to throw lol money about then they'd have presumably just bought United.

[Lewis]

Mike Ashley ran it sustainably.

[Manc]

What is lol money in this day and age?

[randomlegend]

Mike Ashley ran it sustainably.

"with moderate investment".

[Lewis]

"How Newcastle are a well run club and why this isn't what we expected" etc.

If they wanted to throw lol money about then they'd have presumably just bought United.

As with City, part of the kudos comes from establishing a shit club as a force to be reckoned with and bently investing in the area etc. What could they realistically do for United that anybody merely less shit than the Glazers couldn't?

[Shindig]

One thing we have over City is a fanbase that actually fills a ground. Maybe Saudia start taking flights from Newcastle. Although Emirates might have something to say about that.

[randomlegend]

If the Saudi's bought United, sorted out the stadium and had us winning stuff again (which would probably just be a case of not taking a load of money out of the club, given the gargantuan revenues) then they'd get plenty of good PR. Probably more than at any other club, to be honest.

[niko_cee]

Not really much good news story comes out of making [Manchester] United a footballing force [again], and they'd probably just end up getting relentless shit off the entitled fanbase to make it worse.

Really hope Bruce can survive long enough to make some signings and see if he can actually do something. Local lad and all, it's a good story, even if you all hate him.

[Offshore Toon]

I hope people are watching and taking note of how awful we've been defensively.

[Kikó]

Not really much good news story comes out of making [Manchester] United a footballing force [again], and they'd probably just end up getting relentless shit off the entitled fanbase to make it worse.

Really hope Bruce can survive long enough to make some signings and see if he can actually do something. Local lad and all, it's a good story, even if you all hate him.

Who are the entitled fan base you're referring to? And is that different to say, Liverpool's?

[Offshore Toon]

Not sure what's going on here. Somebody needed urgent medical care in the crowd and the game has been suspended.

Fair play to Reguilon and Dier for acting so quickly.

[Kikó]

Bruce has already been killed by the Saudis apparently.

[niko_cee]

Who are the entitled fan base you're referring to? And is that different to say, Liverpool's?

Probably not.

A fanbase that expects success. It is borne out of having been successful in the past and thus mitigates against the saviour narrative that any money bags buyer might want to cultivate. Taking over Man Red and taking them from 4th to the top isn't the same as doing it with the black and white United varietal.

[Offshore Toon]

Thank god we've got a CPR expert in David Ginola to talk us through the action.

[Shindig]

I hope people are watching and taking note of how awful we've been defensively.

Yeah, we do tend to collapse. That can't all be down to coaching but I feel Rafa had those guys organised better. Granted, they're a lot older now. This feels like Bruce's last game.

[Lewis]

1449791293777907713

:lol:

Everyone around them looks awkward as well.

[Lofty]

There was always going to be one :D

[Boydy]

1449798212689203207

[Don]

Pickford is so tragic :D If Ramsdale doesn't take his spot England are facked.

Spurs could go somewhere if they build around their Pogba regen now :drool:

[Shindig]

I just marvel at the idea of a man in the back of the ambulance asking for the game to be put on the radio.

"Aye, mate. No bother ... "


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AE33fbM6fqQ

[Offshore Toon]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/58945541

This interview is tragic. From the fan shouting "GET OUT OF OUR CLUB" mid-interview to Bruce saying it was "too easy" for Tottenham and that "we've had that problem for a while."

[Manc]

Chop him up.

[Don]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/58938975

They love it, the fucking charlatans.

[Shindig]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/58945541

This interview is tragic. From the fan shouting "GET OUT OF OUR CLUB" mid-interview to Bruce saying it was "too easy" for Tottenham and that "we've had that problem for a while."

Aye, he doesn't sound like he knows the answer. When you're struggling for ideas, you have to walk. He's not going to hang in until January.

[phonics]

When you’re owed 7 million quid and your boss is a bone saw. You don’t have to walk.

[Waffdon]

Man Utd lost a few games? Must call for another fan protest this weekend.

[Lewis]

1450172241237446657

Top four and an FA Cup. Get lost Gary.

[Lofty]

Lovely goal at the Emirates.

[Manc]

Man Utd lost a few games? Must call for another fan protest this weekend.

Salah has them shook.

[phonics]

Palace are constantly doing long balls at our 6 ft 2 right back. Such an odd choice.

[Giggles]

Fuck LiveScore turning into some gambling cesspit.

[phonics]

Are Arsenal even more boring than I thought or is it just my disinterest in football increasing.

[Lofty]

How is that not a red?

[Waffdon]

Why did Gabriel just let him go onto his right foot so easily lol

[Giggles]

:face:

1450187948360675333

[Shindig]

So that's Richie Towell?

[Waffdon]

Edouard :drool:

[Giggles]

So that's Richie Towell?

Back from a very mediocre stint across your way.

[Lofty]

Arteta making drawing at home to Palace feel like a win :cool:

[phonics]

That was the first one where I’ve thought the manager did a really poor job.

His continued problem with Martinelli makes absolutely no sense and choosing to go with two central midfielders was so passive.

It meant we had to go through the centre and everything becomes sideways.

Also speaking of passive, the players did nothing to lift a dead crowd. Not to sound like Roy Keane, but if you can’t play through them. Smash somebody in the “50/50” you’re inevitably losing and get some momentum.

[Kikó]

Man Utd lost a few games? Must call for another fan protest this weekend.

Yeah we only protest because we lost a few games. Carry on like this and I'll fuck you up at the Motherwell game

[Don]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/oct/18/premier-league-clubs-vote-to-block-newcastle-sponsorship-deals-at-emergency-meeting

City :D

[Lewis]

That is some seriously pathetic shit.

[Waffdon]

Yeah we only protest because we lost a few games. Carry on like this and I'll fuck you up at the Motherwell game

Them pesky owners. Just the 1 billion spent in the last 7 years

[Yevrah]

That is some seriously pathetic shit.

Indeed. It's the sort of tragic crap that will make me want to support the limb removing outfit.

[Offshore Toon]

It doesn't seem like the best idea to annoy the megarich consortium whose current plans are to only moderately invest.

[niko_cee]

It's obviously petty, but it is probably something that should have been done years ago if FFP had any merit or meaning [unsure on either].

Horse has clearly bolted now though, with City and PSG and all their lol 'arms length' commercial deals with companies they also happen to own.

At least we can all look forward to the first 'cut up in the morning // you're getting cut up in the morning' chant the next time they're getting smashed.

[Ian]

"Hacked in the morning", surely?

Though that might suggest they're merely going to post something embarrassing on his social media, if he has any.

[niko_cee]

:D

Nice. Somebody get on some Palace forums to start sowing the seeds of that for next week.

[Ian]

Carlton Palmer's Grantham Town beat FC United yesterday. :drool:

[Kikó]

He also played didn't he? He's about 55. FC have been struggling for goals by all accounts, not having a good season.

[Manc]

Do BT offer day passes ala Sky?

[Giggles]

Do BT offer day passes ala Sky?

You can get a Sports Extra pass on Now I think.

[Yevrah]

Sheriff tonight. Am looking forward to it.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That's a class strike from Keita.

[Smjffy]

He's been decent so far this season. He's got the quality, if he remained injury free then he'd be one of the first names on the team sheet every week.

We're bloody good tbh.

[Boydy]

Nice one, Smiffy. :moop:

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

:harold:

[Boydy]

God, I hate Simeone.

[CJay]

That second is criminal defending. Nobody doing their job.

Hate the sight of Simeone fist-pumping in his black get up.

[CJay]

Henderson needs to knock a few heads together here. We’re sleepwalking.

[Smjffy]

He's been shit so far this season. He's got zero quality, if he remained injury free then he'd be one of the first names on the team sheet every week so Klopp out.

We're bloody shit tbh.

[Boydy]

Every stream I try keeps going down ffs.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Sheriff :cool:

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Small pockets is getting sacked.

[Shindig]

Sounds like small pockets needs a big wallet ....

[Lewis]

Ajax noncing Dortmund up. Their manager always crops up in United talk, so Barcelona will do the deal in February whilst United are waiting for sixth to be confirmed.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Mbappe with a huge dive that the ref has been conned into giving.

[Shindig]

Ajax noncing Dortmund up. Their manager always crops up in United talk, so Barcelona will do the deal in February whilst United are waiting for sixth to be confirmed.

Maybe that's been your problem with Dutch players. You need a team of them rather than a Daley van der Blind on their own.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

https://streamwo.com/5vhtnK7

He's already falling down before the defender touches him.

[Shindig]

Aye but the defender's got his arm across him. :D Making it real, real easy for the ref.

[Spoonsky]

Jota's got away with one there. Weird how almost identical fouls happen five minutes apart. The Atletico one in particular was bafflingly stupid.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Another bullshit penalty to PSG.

[niko_cee]

The seethe coming off Simeone. :drool:

He'll do well to remain within this reality.

[Don]

:drool:

[CJay]

One of Jimmy’s rules of refereeing should be that if Atletico appeal for a penalty when behind / down to 10 men that it’s almost guaranteed to be someone trying to cheat a penalty. Or get someone sent off.

That felt good. :drool:

[Spoonsky]

I could watch Hermoso's foul over and over again.

[Boydy]

1450573022356705284

:D

Class.

[Spikey M]

:D it's like they're playing the game on a pitch of custard.

[phonics]

Bruce is gone.

[Baz]

At least they let him have his 1000th game

[niko_cee]

Didn't even get to sing the song once.

:(

[Don]

Real shame to not see his disgusting face in top-flight management ever again. Thoughts and prayers with his disgusting family. One of the game's good guys. Disgusting cunt.

[Yevrah]

He really is a dreadful manager who's trousered millions over those 1,000 games.

[Offshore Toon]

Anyone who stuck up for Bruce or couldn't see he was total shit is genuinely retarded.

[Lofty]

Newcastle now in the precarious position of needing to appoint someone who is a good manager but can potentially hack it in the Championship if shit goes sideways.

[Ian]

Big Sam it is.

[Offshore Toon]

The quality is there and that's how we've always found a way to survive. If we can bring somebody in that can organise a defence and we add a few improvements come January then I reckon we could finish top half.

[niko_cee]

They'll just chuck a ton of money at it in January which should be enough to scrape 17th.

Bruce may be a rubbish manager, but he did about as well as you'd expect (probably better) given circumstances during his tenure.

I sort of want Newcastle to do well out of this, but their fans don't half make it difficult.

[Manc]

Paulo Fonseca is now odds on.

[niko_cee]

It'll be Gattuso by the end of the week then.

Would Antonio Conte be interested?

[Offshore Toon]

I wouldn't be interested if I was Conte.

What's the verdict on Fonseca and Favre? Seems like they'd be great at a glance, but I really have no idea.

[niko_cee]

Favre was flavour of the month during his Nice/Dortmund transition so the fact that he's been out of work for over a year seems a bit, well, worrying.

I was slightly surprised to see Henk Ten Cate wasting his life in the Middle East, then I realised he wasn't Erik ten Hag, who I was confusing him with.

[Kikó]

Bruce is clearly not a dreadful manager. You can't manage 1000 games at the top of the game without being decent at what you do. A slightly better Neil Warnock.

[Spikey M]

He's also only ever managed absolute dross.

They should run a season where Allardyce, Bruce Et Al have the top clubs and Pep and Co have to try to get a tune out of Newcastle and Norwich.

[Offshore Toon]

Bruce is currently a dreadful manager and he's only ever managed dross because he could never improve the dross.

[John Arne]

The quality is there and that's how we've always found a way to survive. If we can bring somebody in that can organise a defence and we add a few improvements come January then I reckon we could finish top half.

£20 to charity that you finish bottom half?

[Yevrah]

Bruce is clearly not a dreadful manager. You can't manage 1000 games at the top of the game without being decent at what you do.

Of course you can if people employ you.

[Offshore Toon]

£20 to charity that you finish bottom half?
The 8/1 on Bet365 is a bit more appealing.

Not that I'm going to bet on it, but I do think with a good manager coming in those would be good odds.

[Kikó]

Because he was a good manager. He's not the best manager but he's clearly capable enough to get teams promoted and remain in the premier League.

[phonics]

He finished 12th and 13th for this team that ‘top managers don’t want because they might get relegated’. He can’t be that bad.

[SincereTheRebel]

Steve Bruce to Man Utd.

[SvN]

Because he was a good manager. He's not the best manager but he's clearly capable enough to get teams promoted and remain in the premier League.

Unless you're Pep, Klopp or Tuchel you're an absolutely dogshit manager that's stealing a living.

[Yevrah]

Hardly.

What you have to ask yourself is, would you want Steve Bruce managing your club? If you're a Man Utd fan and the answer's no that's fair enough, but how far down the table and leagues would you have to go before the answer is yes?

[Foe]

Someone should run an fm experiment where they shove Sean Dyce, Tony pulis, big sam, Steve Bruce, Roy Keane etc on all the top premier league clubs on massive long term contracts and see how it pans out.

[niko_cee]

Well, seeing as Ole ended up as one of the most successful managers of all time on Yev's save I'm going to hazard a guess at 'just fine'.

[niko_cee]

Presumably Daka running riot in Moscow (assisted by Iheanacho) is going down well with the locals.

[Lofty]

Newcastle have urged supporters to stop wearing culturally sensitive attire unless they usually do so :D

[Offshore Toon]

Hardly.

What you have to ask yourself is, would you want Steve Bruce managing your club? If you're a Man Utd fan and the answer's no that's fair enough, but how far down the table and leagues would you have to go before the answer is yes?
You'd think a struggling Championship side would take him, but not a top one.

You have to go back to Bruce's time at Hull (2012/13 & 2013/14 seasons) to see the last time he did well and improved a side. He got them promoted and then kept them in the prem, which is obviously an achievement, but since then he's done nothing. It seems to just be Man Utd fans and people that love an argument defending Bruce.

This is a good article (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-10111913/CRAIG-HOPE-Steve-Bruces-Newcastle-reign-joyless-regression.html) for anybody that cares to gain insight into the situation, but I imagine most will just keep posting the same nonsense.

It really is pointless trying to discuss anything on here sometimes.

[Offshore Toon]

Newcastle have urged supporters to stop wearing culturally sensitive attire unless they usually do so :D
This is quite a fun read. (https://old.reddit.com/r/saudiarabia/comments/qb9k5k/is_this_offensive_what_are_your_thoughts_on/)

[Smjffy]

You'd think a struggling Championship side would take him, but not a top one.

You have to go back to Bruce's time at Hull (2012/13 & 2013/14 seasons) to see the last time he did well and improved a side. He got them promoted and then kept them in the prem, which is obviously an achievement, but since then he's done nothing. It seems to just be Man Utd fans and people that love an argument defending Bruce.

This is a good article (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-10111913/CRAIG-HOPE-Steve-Bruces-Newcastle-reign-joyless-regression.html) for anybody that cares to gain insight into the situation, but I imagine most will just keep posting the same nonsense.

It really is pointless trying to discuss anything on here sometimes.

Steve Bruce, former Sheffield United/Sheffield Wednesday manager. Steve Bruce, former Newcastle/Sunderland manager. Steve Bruce, former Birmingham/Aston Villa manager.

Steve Bruce. He's a shifty one.

[Shindig]

He's also only ever managed absolute dross.

They should run a season where Allardyce, Bruce Et Al have the top clubs and Pep and Co have to try to get a tune out of Newcastle and Norwich.

I'd love that. Namely because you'll get underachieving big clubs (that still manage to achieve something and a midfield/relegation scramble with lots of 'teams that play the right way'. Bruce has a limit and it is your Wigan's, Hull's, Sunderland's and the like. He even fit for where we are as a club under Ashley. He was never going to be liked, though. If it is his last job, it's shit for him to bow out like that but you can't defend the start we've made this year. It's the kind of start that saw McClaren go.

I still have an eye on him for the United job. Just because.

[Waffdon]

I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s 6 or 7 goals in the Man Utd game.

(Apologies for jinxing the 0-0)

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Werner :lol:

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

We're so shit.

[Ian]

This Ronaldo lad might be alright if he could move.

[Shindig]

Bruce in!

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I'd take him.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Whatever ability Harry Maguire had, it's completely gone now.

[Ian]

I wonder if we actually do any training. If we do it's hard to see what the effort is being spent on.

[Lewis]

I'm not watching it but I know exactly what is happening. He will Lose the Dressing Room at this rate (if he hasn't already).

[Ian]

I'm not watching it but I know exactly what is happening.

There's no need to watch United games, the performance is invariably identical it's just sometimes the opposition is shit and we happen to kick it in.

Usually from some individual play.

[Ian]

Sir Daniel really does need that shot clock.

[igor_balis]

Why do they leave really obvious offsides then raise the flag five minutes later, yet still manage to incorrectly flag for marginally onside ones ?

[Ian]

Despite being total turd Atalanta are so open we could have had a few.

[randomlegend]

Ole needs sacking after this game whilst there's still the slimmest possibility of someone being able to turn the season around. Another month and it'll be another year down the drain.

[Waffdon]

Liverpool at the weekend. He’ll get something from that since his job is basically on the line

[Lofty]

Ronaldo player manager.

[Smjffy]

Ole needs sacking after this game whilst there's still the slimmest possibility of someone being able to turn the season around. Another month and it'll be another year down the drain.

The fixtures over the course of that month too are proper tasty. :drool:

Ole's at the wheel.

[Don]

Man said something has to change and then goes and drops the black (the proper one, not the fucking anglicised softboys) because that's the only big decision he knows fans might be able to stomach. If he was British like Lamps and was riding that white privelege he literally would be the single most hateful charlatan operating in any profession. The accent and mannerisms are horrific tho so he's still probs number 1.

[Lewis]

Ronaldo player manager.

:drool:

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

The pass from Burno was quality.

[Ian]

Ole will decide the comeback is assured now and revert to his usual changes when he should be getting Cavani on while we're creating stuff.

[igor_balis]

United have been very good start of this half but it really reminds me of when England start games full of piss and vinegar before they run out of energy and the other team remembers how to play football.

[Ian]

Fred and Pogba midfield two, eh.

5-1 Atalanta it is.

[igor_balis]

Cavani, Ronaldo, Fernandes, Greenwood, Pogba in the same team is a very me playing CM03/04 approach to team balance. I admire it, in a way.

[Ian]

Ronaldo should have come off but I imagine Ole doesn't get a say. Or is too much if a spineless little gimp to do it.

[igor_balis]

Should have brought Sancho on for Lindelof, pussy.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I guess Maguire still has a touch of talent left.

[igor_balis]

And obviously it's Maguire who scores, hilarious.

[-james-]

Sancho looks a total bum.

[Ian]

Told you all he's great.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Ole keeps his job for a bit longer.

[-james-]

Thought United were pretty good all game tbh. Could've had five or six.

[Waffdon]

OLE IN.

This is best for football. Hopefully he gets a draw at the weekend too

[Lewis]

If Liverpool don't annihilate United they ought to be doing their own sackings.

[Ian]

Thought United were pretty good all game tbh. Could've had five or six.

We could have but more because Atlanta didn't even try to defend. A proper team (or indeed one who'd watched, day, more thahalf an hour of United playing football recently) would have lolled us into submission once they went two up.

[Lewis]

Newcastle have urged supporters to stop wearing culturally sensitive attire unless they usually do so :D

https://i.imgur.com/aj3Dlg3.png

Checkmate, mate.

[randomlegend]

#Olein

[Lewis]

Ole In-the Bin, man.

[Yevrah]

They won’t. Football doesn’t work that way.

[Don]

Atalanta and that severely depleted backline were a disgrace and they still scraped it. All set-up for him to keep things as is for the weekend :drool:

[Yevrah]

Which should mean you win 4-0, but you won't, as (as I say) that's not the way football works.

[Don]

We'll smash them on xG, that's a given and from thereon in it's simply a question of will they fluke a miracle and anything out the game or will we deservedly run riot. Above evens, don't sleep on it kids.

[Yevrah]

Reading this article https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58851494, this is the sort of stuff that keeps the PFM English manager in work, even for 1,000 games.


Frank Lampard
Another high-profile name, who didn't do his managerial reputation any harm during 18 months in charge at Chelsea.

I mean, really?

[Gray Fox]

Does he get a Champions League winners medal as he took charge of the group games?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Lampard was perfectly fine. He's no worse than, say, Roberto Martinez.

[Shindig]

Lampard doesn't look out of place on that list. Honestly, the only one that excites me is Zidane and that's only for the opportunity to spot him in town.

[Andy]

Reading this article https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58851494, this is the sort of stuff that keeps the PFM English manager in work, even for 1,000 games.



I mean, really?

I thought he did OK considering the transfer ban. A lot of good things with the kids coming through and a few good signings when he was allowed. Some of his man management/use of players was strange with Alonso, Kante and Rudiger.

Chelsea was obviously a step too far and he got it based in reputation to guide them through the transfer ban but I'd be happy with him at Southampton if Hassenhuttl gets sacked when we next lose 9-0.

[Andy]

Lampard doesn't look out of place on that list. Honestly, the only one that excites me is Zidane and that's only for the opportunity to spot him in town.

If its a huge budget like the press are reporting Conte would be the best of that lot, he seems to have a huge draw with getting players and gets results quickly.

I don't think there's any change of Newcastle getting relegated either, even with Bruce in charge they finish safe. Wilson and Saint-Maximin get enough goals to win the required matches.

[Lofty]

Supposedly they are only spending £50m in January? Miguel Delaney and Rory Smith on Second Captains making some good points and parallels between this and the City takeover in terms of transfer strategy. Newcastle are starting from a lower base with a worse squad. Assuming they will struggle to attract top players in the immediate future, and some of the teams pillaged by City back then now have billionaire owners who won't sell as easily as before, who will they sign?

Given the sob stories from the continent about money it could be the mother of all FM saves, hoovering up talent from all the non CL teams around europe :drool:

I was also thinking, as Elano was mentioned - since the government apparently did some dodgy dealings to approve this ownership what are the odds of Newcastle getting some suspect foriegn visas approved that might not have been otherwise?

So yeah, go full international crazyness and bring in loads of south american wonderkids and established european players to level up to the next tier of signings seems the best idea. Of course as an Arsenal fan if Newcastle would be kind enough to get relegated this season and give us some breathing space that would be great.

[Baz]

I’ve got a lot of time for the “we’ve got the ball” / “we’ve lost the ball” song (https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/qcl5to/portsmouth_fans_chant_vs_ipswich_town/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf).

[Ian]

Just followed a link to this via the Guardian sport's Youtube round up thing.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DNN_-DoRsQ

:drool:

Not seen that one before.

[Kikó]

First time back at Old Trafford for about two years last night and the atmosphere is weird. Maybe I've just got old but the buzz of the Champions League didn't seem to inspire people (it's probably because I'm old). It was definitely starting to turn near half time with the low level grumbles, I'm not sure it'll remain civil if they keep churning out performances like that first 45.

What a fucking game though, loads of chances, late comeback. Brilliant. Stick your xG up your arses.

[-james-]

First time back at Old Trafford for about two years last night and the atmosphere is weird. Maybe I've just got old but the buzz of the Champions League didn't seem to inspire people (it's probably because I'm old). It was definitely starting to turn near half time with the low level grumbles, I'm not sure it'll remain civil if they keep churning out performances like that first 45.

What a fucking game though, loads of chances, late comeback. Brilliant. Stick your xG up your arses.

#somehowaboutxg

[niko_cee]

Presumably Rashford's xG alone was higher than Atalanta's.

[Waffdon]

Mourinho currently 6-1 down to FK Bodø/Gli. Never even heard of them

[Kikó]

Guessing that must be largely a second team but even still, awful result.

[Waffdon]

Was 2-1 when he brought on first teamers

[Shindig]

He must really want the toon job.

[Ian]

First time back at Old Trafford for about two years last night and the atmosphere is weird. Maybe I've just got old but the buzz of the Champions League didn't seem to inspire people (it's probably because I'm old). It was definitely starting to turn near half time with the low level grumbles, I'm not sure it'll remain civil if they keep churning out performances like that first 45.

What a fucking game though, loads of chances, late comeback. Brilliant. Stick your xG up your arses.

The atmosphere sounded mega at the start. Were BT mucking about with the balance?


Mourinho currently 6-1 down to FK Bodø/Gli. Never even heard of them

I know them from CM, dunno that I've ever actually heard anything about them in real life.

[Kikó]

The atmosphere sounded mega at the start. Were BT mucking about with the balance?


It could just be the way the sound carries at OT but most of the people around us didn't really make a peep. The Stretford end were great though.

[Shindig]

The Roma - Glimt highlights make for great viewing. Didn't look a bad side on paper but they played a high line and all of the back four looked shit scared. :D

[Ian]

https://www.sportbible.com/football/the-icardi-wanda-nara-and-maxi-lopez-love-triangle-belongs-in-a-movie-20211019

This whole thing had passed me by.


the Argentine striker then went on to marry her, appoint her as his agent and also got the names of López's three kids tattooed on his arm.

Fucking hell. :D

[Manc]

Sunday looks a phenomenal day of football.

Nice v Lyon 12:00
Brentford v Leicester 14:00
Barca v Real Madrid 15:15
United v Liverpool 16:30
Roma v Napoli 17:00
Inter v Juve 19:45
Marseille v PSG 19:45
Sociedad v Atleti 20:00

Presuming the game at OT is called off it should be a clear run.

[Lofty]

Can never tell if Tavares is good or just confident.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Sunday looks a phenomenal day of football.

Nice v Lyon 12:00
Brentford v Leicester 14:00
Barca v Real Madrid 15:15
United v Liverpool 16:30
Roma v Napoli 17:00
Inter v Juve 19:45
Marseille v PSG 19:45
Sociedad v Atleti 20:00

Presuming the game at OT is called off it should be a clear run.

Are these all on legit channels in blighty? Where is la Liga nowadays?

[Don]

Why's this cunt persisting with this dogshit 5 at the back? Haul Tuanzebe off for a midfielder, did the FA online learning not have that module?

[Lofty]

Never a penalty.

[phonics]

Does everyone commit foul throws and I just don’t watch the matches? Because I’ve seen Arsenal commit about 15 months in 2 years.

[Davgooner]

Does everyone commit foul throws and I just don’t watch the matches? Because I’ve seen Arsenal commit about 15 months in 2 years.

Are you high mate.

[Mellberg]

Have only just found out we were playing. Can feel myself switching off. Midtable Prem life is not a good life. Zero jeopardy. Give me playoff finals any day of the week :drool:

Alright Dave.

[Lofty]

:D

Foul throws are pretty rife in the game but repeat offenders like Bellerin used to get pulled for it.

[Mellberg]

Dean Smith 12/1 :sherlock:

[Jimmy Floyd]

For what, next James Bond?

[Mellberg]

To play a formation which suits the personnel bestowed upon him.

[igor_balis]

:D

Foul throws are pretty rife in the game but repeat offenders like Bellerin used to get pulled for it.

Me and my mate drunkenly vandalized some random ex-pro's Wikipedia and added a fairly sizeable section saying he'd started a campaign to "throw out foul throws", think it was James Beattie. Was there for ages as well. What a pair of losers.

[Manc]

Are these all on legit channels in blighty? Where is la Liga nowadays?

A mix of BT and Sky. I think you can catch La Liga on Premier Sports. Will you still be in Espana come Sunday?

[mo]

10 years today!

1451805592725635077

[Don]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/oct/22/mohamed-salah-keen-to-stay-but-says-liverpool-future-is-not-in-my-hands

Unless this is a 'it's in Allah's hands' type quote taken out of context...lol. Shut the fuck up you don and sign.

[Reg]

Are these all on legit channels in blighty? Where is la Liga nowadays?
All on Premier Player / La Liga TV. Gary Lineker is doing some of the presenting this season. (I've not seen any of this year's yet, anyone know how it's been? The commentary was a bit iffy previous seasons.)

Lineker just did an interview with Sid Lowe. https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/oct/23/gary-lineker-diego-maradona-mixed-up-mess-lovely-guy

[Waffdon]

Norwich haven’t won in 19 PL games. They should be banned from promotion

[randomlegend]

The way Norwich are run is the way clubs who don't have a mega wealthy owner should be run. They spend within their means rather than gambling on staying up and then ending up in administration.

If that sees them being permanently good enough for promotion but not good enough to stay up, then so be it.

[Foe]

Aren’t they just the new West Brom? West Brom did it for about a decade didn’t they?

[Yevrah]

The way Norwich are run is the way clubs who don't have a mega wealthy owner should be run. They spend within their means rather than gambling on staying up and then ending up in administration.

If that sees them being permanently good enough for promotion but not good enough to stay up, then so be it.

On the one hand I applaud the financial prudence, but on the other it shines a lantern on how 'fair competitive play' died long before the Super League homed into view. That people not only still believe it exists, but we have something to protect, is a con trick the devil would be proud of.

[phonics]

There have quite literally always been teams that go up and down. It’s kind of how sport works. You’re better than most but not quite as good as the best.

[-james-]

There have quite literally always been teams that go up and down. It’s kind of how sport works. You’re better than most but not quite as good as the best.

This is quite an extreme form of it though. They know Farke will get them back up again and potentially even keep them there eventually. That's not the same model as the sack your man every 6 months and hope something sticks.

[igor_balis]

Aren’t they just the new West Brom? West Brom did it for about a decade didn’t they?

off the top of my head:

6th in championship
2nd in championship
20th in prem
2nd in championship
17th in prem (great escape, were bottom at xmas)
18th (?) in prem (we were relegated anyway)
4th (?) in champ (lost to THAT awful derby side in playoff final)
1st in champ
20th in prem
2nd in championship
i THINK we then had an unbroken run of about 7 years in the prem after that

as Mellberg alluded to, it's absolutely no coincidence that I barely remember ANYTHING in the latter run of mid-table mediocrity except for the odd game here and there (and the pretty great steve clarke mulumbu/yacob double pivot 12/13 season where we beat a load of proper sides).

so, to answer your question, yes, we did. and it was glorious, and it was absolutely the right way to run the club as randomlegend put it. i actually found it a lot more depressing when we got to the point of feeling like we had to throw £60k/week at an ancient gareth barry etc as part of the desperate rush to 40 points, than when we were signing people like robert koren for £500,000 from dinamo goattherdez and paying him twenty grand a week and just crossing our fingers we didn't get battered every week.

[igor_balis]

mounts missing this

[John Arne]

Fair play to Chelsea, 7 English players on the pitch to end this game.

[Lewis]

Win the Championship and you get a free season without relegation to establish yourself. Runner-up just gets the normal. Play-off winner has to meet a series of criteria - stadium, finances, subjective definition of 'Bigness' - before promotion is confirmed, and if they fail it nobody else comes up and the runner-up also gets a season free from relegation. If at any point the league should dip below eighteen teams, Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Wednesday get promoted and given three years to establish themselves.

[John Arne]

Looks like my prediction of Leeds being trash was just a year too early. Awful today.

[Lewis]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59024191

Wahey. Fill your sandals.

[Yevrah]

Jesus, they'll be letting Women think next.

[Shindig]

Born to point. We're going to be well adrift by January.

[Gray Fox]

Great effort from Everton today. 2-1 up at home to Watford in the 77th minute. Ended up losing 2-5.

[Waffdon]

Joint top. :drool:

[Kikó]

Levitt is a little xavi.

[Don]

Don't paint Norwich's persistent failures as some unavoidable limitation of their stature. Their disgraceful recruitment is the issue, you don't do shit trying to play expansive football with a squad of 25 gammons in the prem.

[Gray Fox]

He's right. This is their 2nd go at it in 3 years and this looks like being even worse than last time.

They'd lost before they even kicked off today. There didn't seem to be any plan other than shoving an extra defender in. Their squad looks very poor too. Aarons and Cantwell will likely move on to better things by the end of the season, but the rest of it is grim.

[Giggles]

They should just go with the youngsters to give them experience for next year in the championship :drool:

[igor_balis]

Scholes :uhoh:

[Luke Emia]

That Everton result is fantastic. I’d imagine the seethe in the last ten minutes today was glorious.

[Spikey M]

1451949388855664646?t=qqUBqt78UYHLIHa7Kj7czA&s=19

[Lewis]

1451842048735293444

Some of you give that bloke your money.

[Pepe]

:lol:

[Yevrah]

That has to be a joke, surely?

[Kikó]

Is the Miles Jacobson thing worse than Scholars? Really hard to tell.

[Lofty]

1451842048735293444

Some of you give that bloke your money.

If it wasn't for that bloke none of us would be here.

[Reg]

“I… am your father.”

We were good in the second half today. Drew 1-1.

Lamptey being back is genuinely exciting. Both him and Cucurella on the pitch promises good things.

[Shindig]

Also, Vieira's got some good out of Palace. Benteke's firing and we really should've lost that.

[Giggles]

“I… am your father.”

We were good in the second half today. Drew 1-1.

Lamptey being back is genuinely exciting. Both him and Cucurella on the pitch promises good things.

Why was Duffy dropped today? I was under the impression he’d been going fairly well since his return.

[Reg]

I guessed because City press high and he’s not the best (although not bad) playing out from the back / under pressure with the ball. Commentators reckoned it was because he’d have to defend Grealish and co. and lacks agility etc. But yeah he’s been good.

[niko_cee]

My Brighton insider tells me they've been faffing around at the back less this season, perhaps due to Duffy's involvement, which, if true, should probably see him picked most weeks.

[Giggles]

I’ve actually been surprised how much his comfort on the ball and passing has grown in his time with us since Kenny took over, he had looked dire in the first game and is way further on now. But yeah, he probably wouldn’t be the best type defender for what City are bringing.

[Lofty]

https://i.ibb.co/tp6vHGq/2437.jpg

:D

[Shindig]

I was looking to see just how much state money goes into City.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/dec/01/manchester-city-265m-deal-chinese-investment-group


A 13.79% stake purchase of the club's parent company, City Football Group (CFG), by the CITIC Group for £265 million valued it at $3 billion

CITIC is a state-owned Chinese investment fund.

It's not the majority stake PIF have on us but I suspect that's the kind of shit that ties the Premier League's hands. Or maybe the cunts just love money.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Someone's getting murdered tomorrow.

[Shindig]

Probably best not announce that to the whole board, Mahow.

[Luke Emia]

https://i.ibb.co/tp6vHGq/2437.jpg

:D

Supposedly a complaint has been made to the police about that being racist.

[-james-]

Duffy is a weird one. Ask any Celtic fan and they'll tell you his stint up here last season was one of the worst in memory, but he has looked pretty competent for Brighton recently.

[Giggles]

From what a lot of people have reported here a lot of last season was down to his father dying. Not sure if he’s spoken about it himself though.

[Waffdon]

Livramento is so good. I really hope his mother does sway him to play for Scotland.

[Dquincy]

Probably best not announce that to the whole board, Mahow.
:D

And re the Miles facemask, everyone knows IT people are a bit odd.

[Don]

Potter can get a tune out of any old shite. Elite coach.

[Lewis]

Supposedly a complaint has been made to the police about that being racist.

The nose on the Jew he's executing is a bit over the top.

[Waffdon]

I just clocked that video of Paul Scholes is of his daughter. Some proper weird replies to her photos from him too. What a weird bloke.

[Lewis]

His punditry suggests he's some sort of low-level mong.

[SincereTheRebel]

The Leeds goalkeeper looks about 8 years old. Im surprised an old man like Bielsa can balance on his knees for so long.

[Andy]

He is ridiculously good, I couldn't believe it when Walker-Petera was dropped for the first game of the season but it was the correct decision. He's comfortably our best player.

Just need to hope Reece James keeps cracking on so we hopefully get a couple of seasons out of him.

He has a 30 million buy back clause, he's probably already worth double that.

We just need to find a way to keep Walker-Peters happy as the last thing we want if both of them leaving and being short in a key position

[niko_cee]

£60m? He looks decent, but come on.

[niko_cee]

Although, I suppose, Wan-Bissaka went for £55m, so who knows.