December football: bald men hold sway

Let's maintain some fucking discipline around here.

A great start to his Leicester reign for Ruud Nistelrooy of Hesselink, but Julen Lopetegui looks to be heading for a statement released through the LMA. Who will West Ham get in? Does it matter? Should the London Stadium be demolished and replaced by affordable housing?

As the month begins, Liverpool FC look set to continue steamrollering all comers, while it's been a good month for Chelsea, signs of recovery at Man U, but an ongoing mega-tank at Man Blue. Will Guardiola make it to the Feast of Stephen? Will Everton get sucked back into the relegation zone, or will all our dreams be crushed again? In the world of refereeing, it's been a disappointing month for David Coote, but can he bounce back in time for the festive fixtures?

Further afield, European leagues will all go on winter breaks because they are a bunch of pathetic continentals with no bottle.

This month's trivia teaser: if Luke Littler ate Luke Shaw, would either of their sporting performances be affected in any way? Answers next month.

Fullkrug ended up at the Shambles, how has that happened lol.

West 'am are such a curious club. Seem to have ideas way beyond their station. In my lifetime at least I've seen them do the grand sum of fuck all for almost all of it. They got very close to a something once, but a Gerrard right foot put a stop to that.

Sat comfortably in mid-table for a while in the early 2010's. Started to wobble a little under Bilic and Moyesy came in to steady the ship. Then a man with a much fancier name became available so out with Moyes and in with him, only to realise that Moyes was better. He wins them their only achievement in my lifetime and they're still desperate to sack him and eventually a man with a much fancier name becomes available and we're back where we were before.

They seem to think they should be far above 9th, despite the teams above them and below them being about right in the final table. Maybe an argument for Brighton being better.

Mitsubishi Cup starts this month, which is the ASEAN national tournament, formerly Tiger Cup, Suzuki Cup, AFF Cup.

It used to be THE tournament for southeast Asia nations, but now it's just a bit crap. Thailand have picked a slightly second team, Vietnam are just shit now and the mighty Indonesia are focused on actual World Cup Qualifying so haven't called up their 20 recently naturalised players.

Cambodia have decided to go all Qatar and have given 6 players a dodgy Cambodian passport, so we'll see Hikaru Mizuno, Takaki Ose, Yudai Ogawa, Nick Taylor, Mohammed Faeez Khan, Abdel Kader Coulibaly and Andres Nieto lining up alongside Soeuy Visal et al.

Closer to home, Vietnam not wanting to miss out on the dodgy foreigners quota have thrown a passport at Rafaelson Bezerra Fernandes, now known as Nguyễn Xuân Son, who has spent 4 years in the country and will make his debut in the opening game against Laos.

The only English league based player is Marselino Ferdinan of Oxford and Indonesia.

My prediction, which is an absolute guess as all the teams are shite right now:
Semis
Thailand v Myanmar
Malaysia v Indonesia
Final
Thailand v Indonesia

Surely they can't go back to Moyes again if it goes tits up? Have some conviction and stick with the preferred way of playing.

United v Arsenal and then City away this month plus an away game at Spurs in the league cup and starting next month with Liverpool and Arsenal again. Tough fixtures for sexy Reuben.

Great news, the Club World Cup seedings are out. Get your wallcharts out.

https://www.insideworldfootball.com/...t-07.42.58.png

Genuinely excited by tonight. Not expecting a win, just want us to be competitive. Can't remember the last time I didn't dread a game against one of the big 6. Probably Spring 2023.

Supberd OP.

Ian in the mud, RIP etc.

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it's been a disappointing month for David Coote

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:D

That mook Rashford it definitely doing us in tonight. Shame.

And you won't even get to see these rainbow jackets that seem to be the centre of attention.

Surely by outing the lad in the media, you've done the exact thing they didn't want in the first place?

So, if Guehi's essentially allowed his religious messaging, entirely contrary to the apparent rules, where else can we go with this? Jesus was a Jew? Can we go back to the simmering foundations of the post-merger board and get a lol Jesus armband? Free Palestine?

Wonder if a white Christian would have been spared.

Another of the 'we play like shit here recently' games tonight. Hopefully no stupid VVD red card this time.

A front 4 of Madueke, Palmer, Nkunku and Felix may be the laziest front line you’ll ever see. Baldy has no respect for Southampton.

I see Eddie howe was being rather canny in his pre-match comments about Isak.

Hopefully this Jorgensen move is a proper one rather than just a midweek shuffle, though I doubt it.

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Originally Posted by Davgooner

That mook Rashford it definitely doing us in tonight. Shame.

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Doesn't look like he's starting.

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

Hopefully this Jorgensen move is a proper one rather than just a midweek shuffle, though I doubt it.

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Definitely rotation as Sanchez had his best game for the club on Sunday. The guy is clearly talented but has that retard gene that comes out far too often to be considered a #1

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Amad and Zirkzee on the bench...

Prioritising winnable games.

Both Southampton and Chelsea ridiculously open. Could be 5/6 goals in this game easily

Southampton are all over Chelsea. Ridiculous line up from baldy

Never mind, Southampton are there to hand them a goal :lol:

They think they're 2010 Barcelona.

3rd choice journeyman playing out like prime Valdes

The second Chelsea goal just makes me angry. This sort of guff is not professional sport. Put the laptops away.

Isak :drool:

What a hit.

Newcastle doing quite well so far. They seem to be man marking across the midfield but sitting off the CBs. Very similar to what Notts Forest did. Gravenberch especially is not being allowed a second on the ball.

As I say this Isak smashes one into the top corner.

3 goals, bar and post hit and a few decent chances missed. Southampton are amazing

Southampton player doing a Romero but getting sent off for pulling Cucurella’s hair at a corner :lol:

Nowhere near as bad though

Is hair pulling actually a red card offence? Surprised some forward thinker hasn't gone full reverse-Passarella and mandated all players to have stupid hair if it is.

I know it's offside but Onana, awful.

Liverpool are miles off it.

That's the obligatory bad half out of the way, now for the good half . . .

Awful Liverpool first half. Lucky to only be 1-0 down. From here I'd happily take a draw and get out of there.

Quansah at RB has not worked at all. I suspect Trent will appear before long. I thought we had possessioned out of the tough patch of the game, like we've done a lot lately, but Isak just too good on that strike. Really hope to see at least 1 change at the break.

Solid start from Man Dark Blue.

I don't mean this as a criticism, but Hojlund runs about the pitch with the look of a person with a turd turtling out of their arse.

Will Baaland ever score again.

Madueke :lol:

Gordon scoring against Liverpool is great.

We've not been smacked in the mouth like this yet. Get the changes on and see what we've got.

No idea how Chelsea have only scored 3 goals. Madueke should have had 4 alone

Not watching it, but Craig Dawson must either want Gary O'Neil sacked or Christmas off.

Give him what he wants.

Forgot how stressful following a good team is!

Pay him. Pay him. Pay him. Pay him. Pay him. Pay him. Pay him. Pay him. Pay him.

I fucking hate Liverpool :moop:

Kelleher :lol:

Love it!

:harold:

If we'd won 15-1 tonight it wouldn't have flattered us. Russell Martin should not be working in football.

Salah will probably still score again and win it

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

If we'd won 15-1 tonight it wouldn't have flattered us. Russell Martin should not be working in football.

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Winning away games in December. It’s been a while

Arsenal should be banned from corners.

Ref has absolutely screwed Newcastle.

Excellent game that. First one I think we have missed Alisson over Queefy.

What game that was between Liverpool v Newcastle. Although, Quansah and Gomez are a scarier duo than Fred and Rose West.

Thankfully that’s the Kelleher myth put to bed.

I see Kylolian is at it again.

Slot seems very good at getting things right during half times. Sign of either a great coach or a great motivator. For him I suspect the former.

I don't expect we see the Quansah at RB experiment at Goodison.

Corner FC. You have to respect it

Posh Stoke

The fact they’ve got a 6ft2 DM taking them as well is hilarious

Paella Pulis must be studied.

Why not just stand every defender on the line as if it were an indirect free-kick?

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Originally Posted by Lewis

Why not just stand every defender on the line as if it were an indirect free-kick?

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They just push the defenders out of the way, but for some reason everyone's decided it's not a foul.

It’s mad that something that has an average conversion rate of like 1 in 50 has people terrified.

My overall takeaway is that United fans should be very happy. Players were clearly set-up in a system the players understood, were able to force an outball, that worked to nullify the opposition. They just couldn't create anything after that. Set-up from that base and they'll be good going forward.

I’ve just seen the video of the referee blowing when Newcastle were on the counter. Blows on 95.12 with the ball at the half way line after someone scored in the 90th min. What a bam

Chelsea with the most xG on record for an away team since they started tracking it.

Amorim looks fed up already.

Salah looks amazing. it’s so hard to know where you get stuck with a Viduka/Aubameyang situation or it’s worth it.

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Originally Posted by Gray Fox

Chelsea with the most xG on record for an away team since they started tracking it.

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Genuine missed opportunity for an enormous total. Can't emphasise this enough. If everything had gone right we could have had perhaps as many as eighteen goals. Double figures should have been easy. The 5-1 is like 1-0. It's not due to us being good either. It's that Southampton are insultingly bad. Their manager might as well have been mooning at the family section.

When we played Southampton we won 3-1 andI couldn’t believe the result. That’s a genuinely abysmal team and I don’t even think it’s the players. The coaching sets them up to fail.

Watching the highlights from last night... infuriating to see van Dijk and Gomez strolling around like Franco Baresi but playing like Titus fucking Bramble. They both need a good fucking rollocking.

Love that kind of analysis. Has Virgil Van Dijk sprinted more than 3 times a season in his entire Liverpool career?

Why did Jorgensen play?

Because Sanchez is a bomb scare?

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Originally Posted by Baz

Why did Jorgensen play?

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Baldy is anti Pochettino and loves making changes for midweek games. Sanchez will be back in for Spurs sadly

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Originally Posted by phonics

It’s mad that something that has an average conversion rate of like 1 in 50 has people terrified.

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29 set piece goals in 52 games.

No wonder you keep going through a sticky patch every season. Far too reliant on set pieces to open the game up

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Originally Posted by phonics

My overall takeaway is that United fans should be very happy. Players were clearly set-up in a system the players understood, were able to force an outball, that worked to nullify the opposition. They just couldn't create anything after that. Set-up from that base and they'll be good going forward.

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I think this is fair. Another night we might sneak one through the De Ligt header but generally we had a shape and the players looked like they had an idea. We're actually missing a good forward and I don't think Hojlund, Zirkzee, or Rashford are the answer. It's going to take a bit of time but I think we can have a good second half of the season if the players have the shape and commitment of yesterday. Early days but it's encouraging.

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Originally Posted by randomlegend

They just push the defenders out of the way, but for some reason everyone's decided it's not a foul.

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Fucking man to man marking is the answer. Zonal marking is fine for a conventional corner kick but when you have 6/7 players beyond the back post who then rush the 6 yard box your best players are going to get blocked from hearing the ball. It really isn’t that hard but football has become so data driven in that zonal marking makes corners harder to score from no one has cottoned on that Arsenal have basically broke it as a way to defend them.

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Originally Posted by phonics

Love that kind of analysis. Has Virgil Van Dijk sprinted more than 3 times a season in his entire Liverpool career?

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No, but he usually doesn't play like Titus Bramble. That was the kinda important part of the "analysis".

Titus was fine when Johnny Woodgate was there to scare him into the right positions.

Verbruggen.

:face:

Can't believe Bulham and Shiteon is a top 6 battle.

Corners are completely fucked. Diop has literally pushed Dunk out of the line of heading that as he is going for it.

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

I'd rather that than the majority of fanbases who seem to want their manager out pretty much constantly.

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Fear not, they're now fully on board booing the team and calling for Ange's head.

Dont worry, PGMOL will be banning corner carnage soon. Two years ago they banned leaving your technical area because Arteta did it, this season they banned winding up the keeper because Ben White did it, screening corner runs will be illegal next season I guarantee it.

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Originally Posted by Lofty

Dont worry, PGMOL will be banning corner carnage soon. Two years ago they banned leaving your technical area because Arteta did it, this season they banned winding up the keeper because Ben White did it, screening corner runs will be illegal next season I guarantee it.

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Arsenal fans �� Liverpool fans at being victims

I doubt they will, but what sort of radical solutions could we have? No attackers in the 6 yard box when the corner is taken? There's such a massive risk/reward divergence between attackers and defenders in terms of being on the edge of the rules [ie risk to attacker is much lower as a penalty is a much higher sanction than a defensive freekick] that it feels it would be a very difficult thing to actually effectively and fairly police. At best there will be a few exemplary decisions taken, probably unfairly, before things just revert back to wherever they were. Teams just need to evolve their defensive strategies.

I reckon you'll see teams start overcompensating soon. They'll openly block, pull and haul down the Arsenal players to see if the ref has the bottle to give a penalty for it.

Porto got round it by all falling over like those goats you see on videos and the ref immediately blowing.

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Originally Posted by Lofty

Porto got round it by all falling over like those goats you see on videos and the ref immediately blowing.

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This is the way obviously. But then the referees will have two sets of cheats to sort out instead of just the one, so let's see who blinks first.

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Originally Posted by Lofty

Dont worry, PGMOL will be banning corner carnage soon. Two years ago they banned leaving your technical area because Arteta did it, this season they banned winding up the keeper because Ben White did it, screening corner runs will be illegal next season I guarantee it.

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It's not "screening", Hojlund got two hands fully in the back to shove him out the way for Arsenal's first goal the other night.

Arsenal were better and deserved to win but it was a blatant foul.

Just stick 2 or 3 folk on the halfway line and clear the box for your keeper

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Madueke best start getting his bags packed. :drool:

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Originally Posted by randomlegend

It's not "screening", Hojlund got two hands fully in the back to shove him out the way for Arsenal's first goal the other night.

Arsenal were better and deserved to win but it was a blatant foul.

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I believe that is called being a weak soft shite, or at least it is when Arsenal concede them.

Everton vs Liverpool called off.

Fucking storm. I love the derby as well.

It's robbed us of a wind-assisted own goal from a goal kick.

City :lol: Walker is done.

Why is Ederson on the bench? Another tiff with a star player?

Southampton are beyond a joke.

Antonio's been in a car crash and West Ham are sending thoughts and prayers. :|

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He's fucked.

That looks like someone who was flooring it on a country lane.

You're not coming out of that too well.

Jesus, the driver's side is obliterated. Hard to see how he even survived that to be airlifted to hospital.

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Originally Posted by Shindig

That looks like someone who was flooring it on a country lane.

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Cheers Geoff

He’s in a stable condition so either that wasn’t the car or he’s a machine

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Stupid early goal given away is whatever, but in general we look so much better.

Onana is decent

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Originally Posted by randomlegend

Stupid early goal given away is whatever, but in general we look so much better.

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:harold:

Results are going to be sketchy because some of the squad is absolute wank, but he's right.

Whether this is the start of the journey back to the promised land is harder to say. I'm not sure a process/system man is what you need for that.

Ten Haag would have beat Ipswich and won this game.

Probably will now, fuck sake

They are playing against a top 4 contender after all.

Scamorim.

28% possession, 3 shots on target.

Robbing from the rich again, I guess.

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Originally Posted by Waffdon

Ten Haag would have beat Ipswich and won this game.

Probably will now, fuck sake

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Maybe, but the performances were diabolical and it was going absolutely nowhere.

We gave away three ridiculous goals but played better than we did in probably any game under Ten Hag. The results will come.

Blind faith for six months before the full 180.

We’ve seen this one before.

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Originally Posted by Gray Fox

All set up nicely for Ru Benamorim to come in and impart HIS VISION and immediately bring on a losing streak.

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Hmmm.

#GetRuudIn

I always find it interesting that managers do well with similar sized clubs but when they step up to clubs with higher expectation levels, it doesn't work.

Nuno Espirito Santo did so well at Wolves and now doing the same at Forest. Couldn't do much at Spurs but then again, who does?

Roy Hodgson did well at Fulham but couldn't do it at Liverpool.

Graham Potter at Brighton and couldn't do it at Chelsea.

Sam Allardyce at Bolton then flopped at Newcastle.

Moyes at Everton and Wet Sham, then Man United.

Stick to what you're good at. Creating an us against the world mentality as underdogs.

I think managing top, top, top players is quite different to managing merely good ones. The egos on these people, especially nowadays, is such that for Mbappe or Bellingham they genuinely think they are bigger than the team, which isn't necessarily the case for Chris Wood.

Ancelotti is the grand master of that kind of management. Mourinho is terrible at it which is partly why the elite game has rather left him behind.

Bye bye football admin.
https://x.com/lauriewhitwell/status/1865682760477892715

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The new Ratcliffe-led hierarchy, overseen by Sir Dave Brailsford, had placed Ashworth in overall charge of football performance, recruitment and operations, with Jason Wilcox, also a new arrival, reporting to him as technical director.

Ashworth himself reported into Berrada, who arrived in the summer from rivals Manchester City.

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Jumpers for goalposts, marvellous.

:D

What?

Not that he hasn't always seemed an absolute chancer, but that's mad if true.

6 months chasing him, 5 months for him to leave.

Stunning.

Bizarre.

Edit: apparently he's thrown his toys out the pram because of Berrada over-ruling him on decisions, including him wanting Southgate after Ten Hag. If that's true then fucking hell.

Some going from the new regime to out shitshow Woowar & Co, but the Sirs have managed it.

Remember when it was all the Glazers fault? Simpler times.

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Originally Posted by randomlegend

Bizarre.

Edit: apparently he's thrown his toys out the pram because of Berrada over-ruling him on decisions, including him wanting Southgate after Ten Hag. If that's true then fucking hell.

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Sad as it is that that appointment wasn't made, what is the point of whatever his job was if he isn't making decisions like who the manager is? Isn't having Berrada pick the manager just having Woodward making all the calls again? Or does sitting in Pep's wake for however many years make Omar a proper football man?

It's been a good week. Look forward to the 5 year new deals for Shaw and Rashford.

With an option for a 6th. Always remember the optional extra year.

In other good news sounds like Mo is going to be getting his dough.

I feel like his is/was most obvious to get done first. It goes very much against the grain of what FSG want, but it's good that exceptions can be made for special players. I suspect Van Dijk will be posting a new contract picture in front of a christmas tree before new year.

Trent however will point to whatever figure Salah just got and tell them he wants that or more, or he's off to best mate Jude.

Things have been going far too good results wise for Chelsea recently. Spurs always roll over for them and they’re also in a bit of a mess right now. Something bad must be brewing, hopefully it’s being saved for Everton in a couple weeks and Spurs get twatted.

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Originally Posted by AJ23

I always find it interesting that managers do well with similar sized clubs but when they step up to clubs with higher expectation levels, it doesn't work.

Nuno Espirito Santo did so well at Wolves and now doing the same at Forest. Couldn't do much at Spurs but then again, who does?

Roy Hodgson did well at Fulham but couldn't do it at Liverpool.

Graham Potter at Brighton and couldn't do it at Chelsea.

Sam Allardyce at Bolton then flopped at Newcastle.

Moyes at Everton and Wet Sham, then Man United.

Stick to what you're good at. Creating an us against the world mentality as underdogs.

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How would you know if you don't take a shot at a bigger club though? It's not unreasonable to have that ambition until you've seen you can't cut it.

Whats the good streaming sites these days? I've been having a nightmare with the old regulars for the 3:00 kick offs.

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Originally Posted by phonics

Whats the good streaming sites these days? I've been having a nightmare with the old regulars for the 3:00 kick offs.

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Originally Posted by Sir Andy Mahowry

soccer-100.com

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(Never tried it myself cos IPTV)

Streameast.app

I'm not sure you should be allowed to take throw-ins with those Adidas gloves... Surely they add more grip? Is that allowed?

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Originally Posted by randomlegend

Bizarre.

Edit: apparently he's thrown his toys out the pram because of Berrada over-ruling him on decisions, including him wanting Southgate after Ten Hag. If that's true then fucking hell.

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If that’s true then good riddance. Fucking Southgate :nono:

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Originally Posted by Danny

If that’s true then good riddance. Fucking Southgate :nono:

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Indeed. Build Berrada a statue.

Ashworth probably knew that Southgate would be far more successful in this kind of vipers' nest dressing room, but that kind of appointment doesn't justify the many big upstairs paycheques nor does it pacify the legions of customers/fans eager for their fourth straight flavour of the month disaster, so it was never going to happen.

Partey at right back has never and will never work.

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

Ashworth probably knew that Southgate would be far more successful in this kind of vipers' nest dressing room, but that kind of appointment doesn't justify the many big upstairs paycheques nor does it pacify the legions of customers/fans eager for their fourth straight flavour of the month disaster, so it was never going to happen.

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Southgate is a shit manager and would have been catastrophic.

He brought football home ffs.

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Originally Posted by randomlegend

Southgate is a shit manager and would have been catastrophic.

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If he was called Ruben Amorim and had got Portugal into the same euro finals/semis playing the same football as Southgate has with England, you would all be gagging for him in the way you're gagging for the real Ruben Amorim who has taken Varzim to the cleaners and how. It's quite simply that familiar names and domestic appointments are deeply unfashionable.

Oh look, here they go again.

I know they got a goal from it but Havertz is utterly dog shit

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

If he was called Ruben Amorim and had got Portugal into the same euro finals/semis playing the same football as Southgate has with England, you would all be gagging for him in the way you're gagging for the real Ruben Amorim who has taken Varzim to the cleaners and how. It's quite simply that familiar names and domestic appointments are deeply unfashionable.

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Load of bollocks, as always. Your "you just wont a fashnuble forrin" is the more clichéd schtick at this point than actually just wanting the fashionable foreign manager would be.

Amorim is a popular choice because his teams have played good football, he's turned around clubs who were in the doldrums and he seems quite likeable.

Southgate is unpopular because he had a stacked England squad playing terrible football and underachieving whilst doing so.

Nobody would have any issue with an English manager who was actually good.

That Spurs team looks near enough full strength. Injury crisis I hear.

How is Saliba not offside for that goal?

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Originally Posted by Waffdon

That Spurs team looks near enough full strength. Injury crisis I hear.

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The keeper and the racist. I’m stumped thinking of anyone else…

They were without both centre backs until today (maybe the last game).

But either way, the issue isn't so much injuries as a complete lack of depth. Beyond the starting 11 they have an absolute load of shite to choose from.

Paella Pulis once more in the mud when he doesnt get all the set piece goals.

Chelsea go 11 clear of spurs and Newcastle with a win. Would basically wrap up CL football by Christmas

Terrific start. Two spurs chances (and goal) from defenders having a howler. Now the game sets up perfectly for spurs

The majority of the Chelsea team have a retard gene and it seems they’re all using it today. Two goals conceded from slipping ffs

Lmao

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Originally Posted by Waffdon

Chelsea go 11 clear of spurs and Newcastle with a win. Would basically wrap up CL football by Christmas

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:harold:

Cucurella, Cinderella.

Drury at his finest.

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Originally Posted by Baz

:harold:

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Was always happening - things been going far too well the last month. Palmer Achilles injury inbound

I don't think you can say Southgate underachieved with England. You need a bit of luck to win trophies at an international level.

Tottenham are just unexplainable as a team.

This is always the best fixture of the year. Mental start to a game

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Originally Posted by Manc

I don't think you can say Southgate underachieved with England. You need a bit of luck to win trophies at an international level.

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He got a bit of luck, absolute shit loads of it.

Good stuff this. Not a cool head in sight.

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Originally Posted by Ben

Good stuff this. Not a cool head in sight.

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Definitely has a touch of Copa Libertadores about it.

Chelsea probably win this if he brings on a right sided centre half and right back at half time (assuming they don’t throw any other goals in before then)

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Originally Posted by Waffdon

Chelsea probably win this if he brings on a right sided centre half and right back at half time (assuming they don’t throw any other goals in before then)

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Yeah I’m thinking Chelsea score 2 or 3 more comfortably. But the keeper and back line are a total bomb scare so fuck knows.

Carragher is such an irritating cunt.

This has Chelsea scoring a late winner and giving it to the crowd vibes.

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Originally Posted by Gray Fox

This has Chelsea scoring a late winner and giving it to the crowd vibes.

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Jackson. :drool:

This game is goofy. No way Spurs are making it out of here without conceding a few more.

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Originally Posted by Ben

Jackson. :drool:

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Would be special but he is completely off it. His positioning has been poor all game, could have tapped a couple in this half alone

Chelsea should be a couple up already. This is mental. Nailed on for Son to counter and make it 3-1.

Fucking Werner :face:

What an idiot. Rare that a pen is so blatant that the conceding player just puts their head in their hands rather than symbolically protesting to the ref.

Why does it take 3 hours for a penalty to be taken these days?

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Originally Posted by Waffdon

Would be special but he is completely off it. His positioning has been poor all game, could have tapped a couple in this half alone

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To be fair so could Palmer.

Badiashile has given the ball away a ridiculous amount of times

If that went in would it have counted?

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

Why does it take 3 hours for a penalty to be taken these days?

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Players need time to decide the order of their celebrations.

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Originally Posted by Waffdon

If that went in would it have counted?

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I think yes, which makes it a lot funnier that Son completely bottled the finish.

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Originally Posted by Waffdon

Badiashile has given the ball away a ridiculous amount of times

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So fucking bad

Palmer is Zola. What a footballer. Peerless.

Enzo Fernandez left his wife and kids and has turned into a machine

Maybe not so late winner.

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

Palmer is Zola. What a footballer. Peerless.

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Yeah. Feels like a very rare player these days.

Enzo must have one of the most slappable faces in the league. I think he's passed Foden, neck and neck with Bernardo Silva.

Ange should just walk away from this lot. Cursed club.

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Originally Posted by Waffdon

Enzo Fernandez left his wife and kids and has turned into a machine

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I headed over to his Wikipedia article to read up on this but got more enthralled by the fact he’s racked up 21 points on his driving licence in just a year, 12 of which were due to offences in Swansea. What the fuck is he doing there? :D

Two nil and you fucked it up . . .

:drool:

Vultures will be circling Ange towers before too long if things keep on like this.

Romance of the game, mate. Kids in parks, mate.

Oh my days he’s so good

Fucking hell. Absolute filth. That's what you get for the paper throwing. :harold:

Kicking myself for not having a bet on this outcome. It was coming a mile off even at 2-1.

Still can’t believe Man City let this lad leave. They should have changed everything to accommodate him.

Is the little horse now a stalking horse then?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ben

Kicking myself for not having a bet on this outcome. It was coming a mile off even at 2-1.

Still can’t believe Man City let this lad leave. They should have changed everything to accommodate him.

---

The WWE analogy of this is he got himself over without permission from the egomaniac boss. Can't be having that.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by niko_cee

Is the little horse now a stalking horse then?

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No, it's just a series of happy happenings, this one the happiest yet. No way we're a better team than Arsenal, for example.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

No, it's just a series of happy happenings, this one the happiest yet. No way we're a better team than Arsenal, for example.

---

You're better than them and not only that, much more fun to watch on a weekly basis. And led by an albino Caribbean Zola.

Yeah, Chelsea have the goals, and madcap excitement of early Klopp Liverpool. They just need to find their Alisson/Van Dijk combo to sort things going backwards. They could even, feasibly, buy/acquire Alisson and Van Dijk.

We're definitely fun but we're so bad at the back, that will catch up with us over the course of the season. Thinking top four is very much on now though.

They always find a way to win here. :drool:

2026/27 treble winners :drool:

Yeah on that point they gave up 3/4 good chances at the end there to throw that one away.

And yeah, three point lane delivers again.

'Massive football result' says Merse. Love it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

And yeah, three point lane delivers again.

'Massive football result' says Merse. Love it.

---

Arsenal fans in the last few years realising he’s a massive Chelsea fan is always fun on Twitter

Brentford, Everton, Fulham, Ipswich, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Wolves the games until end of January. Proper bottle job if Chelsea are more than 7 points behind Liverpool by then tbh. No issues with fixture pile ups either.

Ashworth's out. :D I'm sure that was all worth the time and money spent on that appointment.

In hindsight Da Nashworth getting the Gary Neville seal of approval should have been a massive red flag flying high.

Dan Ashworth was one of the most important figures in recent-ish West Brom history - during the 5 years he was sporting/technical director, we signed the likes of Jonas Olsson (£1m), Graham Dorrans (£300k), Youssouf Mulumbu (£200k), Peter Odemwingie (£3m), Craig Dawson (£300k), Claudio Yacob (fuck all) and Ben Foster (£5m). There was some shite too, but it was an incredible hit rate, especially as most of the failures were like fifty grand from some Portuguese 2nd division side and similar.

@AJ23 was pondering why successful managers at mediocre clubs can't #stepup, and I often find it pretty confusing. I have no fucking clue what Ashworth has really done since September 2012, but based on his track record for us, I'd say that it's a lot less confusing to work out why he couldn't replicate it at a massive club, lol. Soft skills be damned, there's fuck all that you'd learn from bolstering your promotion push by getting Billy Jones on a free from League One Preston that could be applicable to whatever the fuck Man Red are trying to do.

It could well be that he is a fraud chancer and was FOUND OUT by the magnificent all-knowing rest of the 'football structure', but then the question is why INEOS spent a year dragging themselves over hot coals to get him.

I can't see it happening but if Arsenal want to actually win anything they need to bin off Jesus ASAP and use the resulting wage savings to bring in a proper number 9.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

It could well be that he is a fraud chancer and was FOUND OUT by the magnificent all-knowing rest of the 'football structure', but then the question is why INEOS spent a year dragging themselves over hot coals to get him.

---

It could just be they had different ideas and it didn't work out. It happens that executives/senior employees leave companies when they realize they aren't a great fit.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lofty

I can't see it happening but if Arsenal want to actually win anything they need to bin off Jesus ASAP and use the resulting wage savings to bring in a proper number 9.

---

Jesus is such an odd one. He seemed absolutely deadly in his early days, now he's largely useless. Maybe his career path is what it would have been for someone like Romario in the modern running age.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kikó

It could just be they had different ideas and it didn't work out. It happens that executives/senior employees leave companies when they realize they aren't a great fit.

---

Yeah the more that comes out the more this sounds very unexciting. Just didn't gel with the rest of the setup.

I'd welcome him back, to be honest. I don't know how far his influence reached but we made the Champions League. Admittedly, we could spend then.

Kota Takai. Remember the name.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by niko_cee

Jesus is such an odd one. He seemed absolutely deadly in his early days, now he's largely useless. Maybe his career path is what it would have been for someone like Romario in the modern running age.

---

Basically his knee imploded at the last world cup and he's not been right since.

David Coote has been sacked.

Jesus couldn't score in a brothel right now. He looks like Ade Akinbiyi's long lost brother.

If Arsenal signed Isak, I think that would be the final piece of the jigsaw for them.

With Arsenal, as they are still trophyless since lockdownball. They now have an issue in the summer about players wanting to leave. If they are still trophyless at the end

Big pressure on O'Neil. He could be gone before the week is done.

As a Middlesbrough, I'm not a fan of O'Neil personally (he downed tools here as a player then threw everyone else under the bus) but he's really matured as a manager and he can only play the card he's been dealt. In the last two years Wolves have brought in upwards of £300m in player sales, bought Cunha for £44m plus a few stragglers, then where is the rest?

Hard to compete when this is the strategy.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AJ23

If Arsenal signed Isak, I think that would be the final piece of the jigsaw for them.

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Only when he's fit.

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:lol:

Beautiful

With Arsenal I don't think it's plug in a top striker and it makes the difference. Aside from corners they don't really create chances. That's not saying that scoring from corners isn't a legitimate way of scoring goals it's that aside from that they don't really create much and that is an issue which isn't going to be fixed by just bunging a decent striker in the team.

Slot going full strength seems utterly bizarre. Top 8 is basically confirmed as it is

Although he says otherwise I think the team might have been a bit different had they not had their game called off at the weekend. Might as well try to keep the ball rolling as it is, no need to throw in any half baked defeats. Win this and they can also completely sack off the remaining Champions League games, hopefully to fuck over some of the lower down big boys.

On the flip side, sounds like maresca is finally giving Chelsea academy players a chance in Europe. It’s currently -17 in Astana so I’m sure they’ll appreciate the run out

I think it’s also an issue of options. 6/7 out of this game and most of them are the rotation options. Chiesa, Jota, Bradley, Tsimikas and Konate all being missing means much less choice for the rotations.

This Girona team is like a decent Premier League team five years ago.

Plus win this one and you can pretty much completely sack off the two games in January and still finish top not just in the top 8.

It doesn’t matter where you finish in the top 8 does it? You’re seeded regardless I thought

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Waffdon

It doesn’t matter where you finish in the top 8 does it? You’re seeded regardless I thought

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It does 1st plays 16th, then the winner of 8th versus 9th and all the way through.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Luke Emia

It does 1st plays 16th, then the winner of 8th versus 9th and all the way through.

---

No, top 8 get a bye to the round of 16 and are all seeded and play the winners of the knockout round. 9th - 16th are seeded against 17th - 24th in the knockout round.

That’s not a penalty.

VAR working its wonders again.

It's what we all wanted.

Someone shoot the VAR CEO.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football...s/cm2edy8kxpno

For the love of God, please let's not go through all this again.

I'm not against holding it in Saudi Arabia. It's a country with what will by then be 40 years of World Cup history and several memorable moments (for good and ill), a large country with many host cities.

Holding it Qatar was pathetic geopoliticking by Platini and the French (Sarkozy) government of the day because they wanted a weapons deal or an airbase or something.

Yes but what about the trans youth.

Quite. I'm all for the arguments about where it should be held in regards to footballing heritage or otherwise, I just cannot take another two years in the run up to it (10 if that article being posted now is anything to go by) of absolute melts virtue signalling all over the shop only to complete fold when the tournament actually gets here. I'm looking at you Gary "I've always said" Neville and whatever bullshit Team England will try (but not actually try) to do.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Luke Emia

With Arsenal I don't think it's plug in a top striker and it makes the difference. Aside from corners they don't really create chances. That's not saying that scoring from corners isn't a legitimate way of scoring goals it's that aside from that they don't really create much and that is an issue which isn't going to be fixed by just bunging a decent striker in the team.

---

Arsenal have scored 13 goals in the last 4 games and 5 of those were from corners.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lofty

Arsenal have scored 13 goals in the last 4 games and 5 of those were from corners.

---

Yep, and in their last two games they have scored three goals all from corners. I didn’t watch all of the United game but from everything I’ve seen they didn’t make many chances outside of the corners and they didn’t make many chances in the Fulham game that I remember either.

The Red Bull formula being absolutely tragic in this current format is a welcome bonus.

Both basically goners already.

Brest are ace.

Brest are proper legends. Them having 13 points and Leipzig zero is mental.

They do look like a handful

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Luke Emia

Yep, and in their last two games they have scored three goals all from corners. I didn’t watch all of the United game but from everything I’ve seen they didn’t make many chances outside of the corners and they didn’t make many chances in the Fulham game that I remember either.

---

There was that goal against Fulham that was ruled out by VAR for Martinelli being a midge's dick offside, that was open play. I can't find the table but prior to Chelsea battering Spurs it was said the open play goals table for the calendar year had Arsenal 2nd behind City. The last 2 games haven't been ideal and it will likely keep trending that way because despite buying a million attacking fullbacks they are all dead, Arsenal's system depends on fullbacks rampaging up the wing to support the wingers. When that isn't happening it is probably more favourable to win corners.

I looked at the stats after reading that post and Arsenal are an odd case. Their overall stats like xG etc look fine, but it does feel like they have the tendency to really run up the score at times [like that run earlier in the year when they won 4 or 5 games by an aggregate score of like 25-0 or something] and then, at other times, really struggle to create anything, so whilst the stats even out, the points don't always follow. One thing that I would say about them is that they have previously been excellent front runners, but at the same time seem quite dependent on getting the first goal, if that makes sense. I do think there is a case that in old school proper football man received wisdom terms they "don't have enough goals in the team".

And to be fair, the rapist also missed a header from a corner, from inside the 6 yard box. Probably scores that 8/9 times out of 10. Arsenal will probably be miffed because other than Fulhams goal, I don't think they had more than 1 real shot as they were being penned back.

I think what I'm trying to say is that if you look at understat, so far this season Liverpool have had an xG of 2 or more in all bar 3 games, and in those 3 games they still had more than their opponent in xG terms.

Arsenal, on the other hand, have been under 2 xG in 9 of their games, and under 1 in 2, but they had an xG of 6.05 against Leicester and 4 against West Ham which leaves them just over 0.5xG behind Liverpool over the season.

It's obviously a crude methodology, but suggests they are susceptible to, if not the low block of days gone by, then something similar.

They're susceptible to the fact that they're a bunch of chuggers designed to starve out the opposition first and foremost. It's like Pepball without any of the poncing around.

Very succinctly put.

Both Arsenal and City are suffering from having squads on the smaller side.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by niko_cee

I think what I'm trying to say is that if you look at understat, so far this season Liverpool have had an xG of 2 or more in all bar 3 games, and in those 3 games they still had more than their opponent in xG terms.

Arsenal, on the other hand, have been under 2 xG in 9 of their games, and under 1 in 2, but they had an xG of 6.05 against Leicester and 4 against West Ham which leaves them just over 0.5xG behind Liverpool over the season.

It's obviously a crude methodology, but suggests they are susceptible to, if not the low block of days gone by, then something similar.

---

The real damming statistic is Arsenal’s XG creation in open play is 13th best in the league. They heavily rely on set pieces to open up games. It’s never going to win you league titles, even if you go through periods of blitzing teams with your set pieces like they did the past two weeks. They’ve slowly got worse the past 3 seasons.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Waffdon

The real damming statistic is Arsenal’s XG creation in open play is 13th best in the league. They heavily rely on set pieces to open up games. It’s never going to win you league titles, even if you go through periods of blitzing teams with your set pieces like they did the past two weeks. They’ve slowly got worse the past 3 seasons.

---

Which was the point I was making. Just parachuting Isak into the team isn't going to suddenly make them a much better team, because they aren't creating chances for their forwards from open play. It's not like they've got a spastic like Nunez or Nicolas Jackson from the early part of last season missing chance after chance from open play.

You can't just mention Nunez as a comparison to Jackson like that. Waff is going to implode.

I know who I'd rather have and its not even close.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gray Fox

You can't just mention Nunez as a comparison to Jackson like that. Waff is going to implode.

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My man.

Could do with an alternative option up front though other than putting Nkunku up there on his own out of position. Duran would have been perfect. Another W from that Chelsea scouting team

To be fair I did say the start of last season. He’s still very raw but he has improved massively since Chelsea first signed him.

Quote:

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Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s radical cost-cutting at Manchester United has included the staff’s £100 Christmas bonus being replaced by a £40 voucher for Marks & Spencer.

While the Glazer family were running the club, staff received their £100 bonus each year before Christmas but this time around they are receiving a £40 voucher instead. The Christmas party has also been cancelled for this year, given the job-losses at the club.

---

:D

Probably all made up but lol nonetheless. I guess someone has to cough up for all the severance payments.

It genuinely astounds me that staff in an industry worth that much money are paid so little.

Most staff are casual (minimum wage) and even the more senior roles are maxing out at about 60k.

For the first time in about 4 years we decided not to boot it out of bounds to the corner flag, we lose the ball off the first pass and they counter attack. won’t be seeing that again.

Darren Fletcher is truly fucking abysmal and should be sacked.

He's the only commentator other than Matterface who is not just annoying (a matter of taste, ultimately) but technically bad at his job, an ineffectual communicator. How those two have the gigs they have is baffling.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

It genuinely astounds me that staff in an industry worth that much money are paid so little.

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It’s not worth that much in the grand scheme of things.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

He's the only commentator other than Matterface who is not just annoying (a matter of taste, ultimately) but technically bad at his job, an ineffectual communicator. How those two have the gigs they have is baffling.

---

Every week I am forced to listen to the definition of 'ignorant twat at the pub sitting at the other table' and he commentates in exactly the same style. It's not play by play.

Also the Monaco manager looks exactly like French Graeme Souness.

City making a good fist of being shit but there's so much dross down there that I doubt any half decent teams are going to end up failing to make it into the next round. Top 8 could be vaguely interesting.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Luke Emia

It does 1st plays 16th, then the winner of 8th versus 9th and all the way through.

---

Yeah, I hadn't realised this. Dunno if it qualifies as a MacIntyre system, but it seems finishing 1 or 2 is actually quite a good idea as it gets you a theoretically much easier last 16 tie - notwithstanding PSG and City being dangerous floaters down there.

The way they've done it does seem a bit odd though.

Just seen that Southampton are playing Spurs on Sunday night at 7pm. What? Why?

Chelsea are also playing then?

:cab:

Is it not something to do with they guarantee you won't play an away game within a certain number of hours of your European game or something similar.

If you don't like it, thank Klopp. Loads of clubs were unhappy that the FA didn't seem to support their progression in Europe. Klopp was the most vocal about it, so they eventually came to this compromise.

Seems logical really, in an era where everyone is obsessed with the league coefficient.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by niko_cee

Just seen that Southampton are playing Spurs on Sunday night at 7pm. What? Why?

Chelsea are also playing then?

:cab:

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Chelsea’s game got moved after the draw came out as they won’t arrive back into London after playing in Kazakhstan until tomorrow at some point. Not that it really matters as no outfield players who’ve travelled will even play on Sunday. Definitely benefits Chelsea though as they are so much better at Stamford Bridge in night games (probably because the crowd have had a bevy)

Now that there's a performance incentive (5th CL place) in the coefficient thing, it makes total sense. Arguably, Chelsea's opponents should simply fall on their swords and give them the 3 points in the national interest.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by -james-

No, top 8 get a bye to the round of 16 and are all seeded and play the winners of the knockout round. 9th - 16th are seeded against 17th - 24th in the knockout round.

---

I am obliged to report that this is misinformation.

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

So there is in theory an advantage in coming nearer the top of the standings because you avoid the teams that came 9th/10th, but it currently looks like there could be a Liverpool - Real/City/PSG tie if the latter get their acts together.

It's confusing as fuck and we're better off not trying to understand it.

Having said that, despite being a staunch critic of the new format before it began, it's been far more entertaining than anything we've had in at least 10 years.

I think we've been lucky with a relatively interesting set of teams.

There's just no competition for Chelsea at all. The third tournament really exposes the hoards of shite around the continent.

Maybe Fiorentina, who have been on fire in Serie A lately, but they got humbled by the giants APOEL Nicosia last time out.

The only other notable name is Betis and they've been downright embarrassing so far.

Shamrock being unbeaten says it all.

Dewsbury-Hall still somehow this worst player on the pitch again :D

Waff, the father in law has got me tickets for the United-Aberdeen and Dundee derby games 😍

We actually spent hundreds of millions on a team this bad.

£40m for Rashford if anyone fancies.

Bids not expected.

Bring ruud back.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kikó

Waff, the father in law has got me tickets for the United-Aberdeen and Dundee derby games 😍

---

He must fucking hate you.

I love it TBH. The SPL sponsored by Sarclays is decent entertainment.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kikó

We actually spent hundreds of millions on a team this bad.

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Could be a new Paco Rabanne advert.

It costs a billion to look this bad.

We're BACK CUNTS

World Cup draw is on atm

How Sweden, Wales and Norway are all in pot 2 ahead of Scotland is baffling to me

It's not complicated - https://inside.fifa.com/en/fifa-world-ranking/men

It shows how bobbins the rankings are though. Scotland were at the last knockout competition. None of them teams were. Norway got battered by Scotland in the group in fact. Scotland finishing 3rd in the League A nations league group and thus not being relegated has actually done them more harm than good

Yeah, it's pretty well established that the rankings are a pile of shit. Hence why Belgium were number 1 for about 4 years despite doing fuck all when it matters.

Serbia, Albania, Latvia & Andorra. Christ.

Serbia - Albania :kebab:

I thought that was one of the ones they didn't let happen.

Our soccer media seem to be awfully pleased with our draw considering I wouldn't back us to beat any of them home or away.

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Surely this is a surprise to nobody.

Wasn't it supposed to be racist to suggest this sort of thing happens? :flirt:

Joseph Minala will never be beaten.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

Now that there's a performance incentive (5th CL place) in the coefficient thing, it makes total sense. Arguably, Chelsea's opponents should simply fall on their swords and give them the 3 points in the national interest.

---

This in the league or the conference?

I assume what's happened here is that BT want to show whichever game it is [presumably Chelsea?] but were lolled out of existence at the thought of it being in their usual Saturday lunchtime slot, so it has had to migrate away from any potential conflict with sky owned tv time. And then whichever of Spurs and Chelsea aren't due to be on have shat the bed at the other team getting more time off so they've just caved and put them on at the same time. Fair old slog to get back from Glasgow, after all.

TAA way too lazy then, far too easy for Fulham to get the cross in.

I swear Fulham always score first in this game.

Lucky to still have 11v11 here mind you.

Well, that's a red. And there's no offside, let's get on with it. This ref looks a little out of his depth.

Would be tremendous if Fulham hold on but once Liverpool get their today dodgy goal they’ll get another 2 mins later and that’ll be that

Big test of character this. We look cooked.

Trent with the ball is so good, Trent without the ball must have the lowest football IQ in the prem.

Issa Diop has the look of a man who is constantly bemused.

Who is the co-commentator in the Liverpool - Fulham game? It's a Scouser whose voice I recognise.... Warnock?

Stephen Warnock it is.

Good recovery there, but I sense Fulham have this in hand. I will guess we get a late send on of Jota and Chiesa only to see the 2nd goal go in the other end. Any points a joy from here.

If you score you will win. We see it all the time at Anfield.

There you go

That’s some lump on Tete’s knee

This game has got some very unexpected needle to it. Love to see it. Not the wisest for Fulham though surely?

The quicker TAA fucks off to Madrid, the better.

Get Traore on so he can have his 1 good game a year. Alexander Arnold has been hilarious defensively

Fulham have played really well after conceding to be fair to them. Took the sting right out the game and have got in behind Alexander Arnold at will

I take it back. They’ve well and truly shit themselves since taking the lead, letting Liverpool come back into the game when they were comfortable

Nine minutes :D

Antonee Robinson is absolutely class. Improves most teams in the league

Gravenberch has been superb today. His ability to turn out of trouble is so good.

This feels like the 3rd or 4th week in a row where results have went Chelsea’s way. Be it Arsenal and Liverpool dropping points or all the teams fighting for top 5 dropping points every other game.

They’ll have to do something they’ve never done tomorrow and beat Brentford in the league at home. Lost all 3 times they’ve face Brentford since they came up

Very impressed by Slot staying cool under pressure there. Had Trent not been a bomb scare Fulham would have had very little despite the 10 men.

Robinson vital to the point in the late stages. It might be time for that difficult decision in the summer in regards Robertson.

Jota a massive difference maker late on. Just improves the front line so much.

I’ve clocked Jota. He is insane at FIFA (pro level good) and he genuinely plays football like he’s playing FIFA. He must have done 3 or 4 fake shots in that game alone and nobody expects it

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Waffdon

Antonee Robinson is absolutely class. Improves most teams in the league

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https://media1.tenor.com/m/5RcYHqY9s...hael-scott.gif

Ultimately a great result, just wish we had a little bit more composure to see it out after retaking the lead. But we played today with our 3rd and 4th choice CBs and overall, that's a good unbeaten run of 6 points from 4 games (Spurs (A), Brighton (H), Arsenal (H), Liverpool (A)).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Waffdon

Antonee Robinson is absolutely class. Improves most teams in the league

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No player has played Saka as well as he did in a year. The only player that didn’t need a double team.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Waffdon

I’ve clocked Jota. He is insane at FIFA (pro level good) and he genuinely plays football like he’s playing FIFA. He must have done 3 or 4 fake shots in that game alone and nobody expects it

---

Just wait until he starts trying to kick off glitch.

Leicester were absolutely nowhere today. At least we're coming into the Quarter Final with ... some form.

Some save from Martinez.

John McGinn seems to get the benefit in every refereeing decision. Even when he committed murder a few weeks back the red card decision went to VAR, the on field ref wasn't interested. I think refs find his aggressive persona intimidating.

Forest have suddenly turned into Villa from last season. Good to see classic provincial clubs doing well again.

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:D

Wolves have sacked O'Neil.

It was expected given the mess they are in. No idea who would want to the job to replace him

Ole at the wheel.

Looks like we're getting Kelly Cates, Gabby Logan and "Chappers" sharing the MOTD job. I'm sure Joey Barton is thrilled.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gray Fox

Looks like we're getting Kelly Cates, Gabby Logan and "Chappers" sharing the MOTD job. I'm sure Joey Barton is thrilled.

---

I think all three of the are good presenters to be honest with you. I like Cates when she hosts on SKY so will be a shame that she’s not on there anymore.

They’ve probably realised if they gave it to Alex Scott then Farage and The Express would have gone into meltdown over being too ‘woke’.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by John Arne

Mitsubishi Cup starts this month, which is the ASEAN national tournament, formerly Tiger Cup, Suzuki Cup, AFF Cup.

Closer to home, Vietnam not wanting to miss out on the dodgy foreigners quota have thrown a passport at Rafaelson Bezerra Fernandes, now known as Nguyễn Xuân Son, who has spent 4 years in the country and will make his debut in the opening game against Laos.

---

Interesting caveat to the Vietnam selection of the Brazilian striker... although cleared by FIFA and the AFF, he doesn't actually become eligible until the final group game (after 20th Dec - 5yrs after having arrived) - so he'll become eligible to play halfway through the tournament :D

Vietnam playing Indonesia now for those without nothing to do right now.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgSMm-abAi8

That's an outrageously lucky goal. Controls it off the point of his shoulder whilst looking the other way, and then absolutely shanks the cross, which somehow loops perfectly onto the attacker.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SincereTheRebel

No idea who would want to the job to replace him

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https://www.ft.com/__origami/service...idth=700&dpr=1

Genuinely never wanted both teams to lose as much as in this manchststdaabeh. Maybe the France-Argentina final ran it close.

Brighton have obviously been walking under ladders of something to have had both Alex Iwobi and Ismaila Sarr turn up against them in little over a week.

That City line-up looks properly mental.

Amorim casually rocking Paul Smith.

That German keeper that got a lighter thrown at home properly milked it. Barely touched him yet he couldn't get back on the field after a 20 minute stoppage.

Mason Mount :D

Still arguably the best piece of business to sell him for £50+ million with less than 12 months on his contract you’ll see

Rube might actually get the size of the problem, if he's going to punt Trashy and Highlights to the reserves.

City are abysmal.

Properly grim stuff. Man Utd playing ridiculously slow as well which is not helping

This is dreadful all around.

BAN corners.

Book Walker for that.

Walker needs a red.

I’m looking forward to more meltdowns from Walker on social media this week after that

Walker should get the marching orders for that. Properly embarrassing.

The whole game is shite mind. Belongs in League One.

Good grief this is shit, just error after error on both sides.

STONEWALL penalty.

Lenny Yoro looking a sixth former.

Nunes :D

Can’t tell which mistake was worse

:drool:

:lol:

Amazing

Amad :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool:

He's been brilliant since Anorim came in.

Genuinely he should be in contention for the sack now.

Majestic.

Not been this moist in years

Aston Villa away next week to stick the nail in the coffin

Pep's got to be on the verge of Dave Cameroning it and walking away from this mess.

That Chelsea loss to Man City on the opening day might cost them the title. :henn0rz:

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:lol:

Even Southampton can beat this team, Surely? Honking line up.

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Have you seen Southampton this season? Wouldn’t even get out the Championship, nevermind survive the Premier League.

Southampton v Spurs seems like a massive just the way we play mate derby.

Amad is fucking glorious. Never would have thought it but here we are. Some very good performances today.

City looked terrified of even United having the ball. No idea what to do.

I see the Saints fans have finally turned on the manager too. No way back now surely.

I’ve seen enough already. Brentford win this game 0-2.

What Russell Martin does at work would be the equivalent of me going in tomorrow and trying for an asphyxi-wank in the CEO's office.

Yeah, ok, Southampton are really quite shit. :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

What Russell Martin does at work would be the equivalent of me going in tomorrow and trying for an asphyxi-wank in the CEO's office.

---

I can't believe we lost to them in the final.

Can they just wait until after the cup game to sack him?

Chelsea doing that thing where they go 1-0 up whilst dominating but then miss a few easy chances and let the team back into it. Baldy could do with making a sub

In Jackson you trust.

He’s been utterly pathetic but that’ll do nicely :cool:

Played great last season until the finishing side. Seems to have become the opposite this year (although he did miss an open goal 15 mins ago)

Chelsea have been beyond dreadful this half. Throwing bodies forward at 2-0 and now Brentford right back into. Youthfulness at its best

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Waffdon

I’ve seen enough already. Brentford win this game 0-2.

---

This aged well.

Worst performance of the season arguably, certainly the second half anyway. Title winning result though :cool:

Russell Martin is so stubborn and arrogant to not change his principles when it's clearly going to send Southampton down.

As long as Martin goes home happy with his team's possession stats, that's all that matters. Their fans must be livid.

They mentioned on commentary that he's being asked to do this by the owners. Might explain why he hasn't been sacked yet if it's true.

Fans chanting they want the manager out at a home game, 15 minutes in, probably does see him gone though. It just benefits nobody him staying.

Why do the owners want him to do it? Are they morons?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AJ23

Russell Martin is so stubborn and arrogant to not change his principles when it's clearly going to send Southampton down.

As long as Martin goes home happy with his team's possession stats, that's all that matters. Their fans must be livid.

---

I would be absolutely fine with this if they were good at doing it and getting caught. The problem is they're fucking awful at it and achieve nothing. I watch a team that passes out from the back 9.5/10 times. They're so comitted to this idea that they've spent 35 million quid on a keeper, given that keeper a 5 year contract renewal and then spent another 40 million quid on someone else because he's marginally better at it.

You watch the teams that know what they're doing, the whole point is to have 3 options at all times from GK and 4 for the defender. If the kick goes left he can go up the wing, into the middle left, across to someone on the edge of the box or back to the keeper. Same for the right. The middle is only used to encourage a press so that you can go right/left and have an easy pass to right/left middle. Meanwhile Martin seems to encourage a system where you pass to the middle, force that guy to receive the ball facing his goal and hope he can pull off a wonderpass to right/left middle under pressure or pass to right/left if he's not sure. It's introducing a svere amount of risk to get about 10 yards outside of your own penalty box. It makes no sense.

:D :D :D

https://i.ibb.co/WvfDZF8/IMG-3577.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

Why do the owners want him to do it? Are they morons?

---

Considering the owner is currently under investigation for money laundering I'm not sure the books can afford a sudden multi million pound hit.

Martin sacked. Been a day for it, it seems.

Not sure what I think about a seven o'clock Sunday kick-off. What did ten Hag have against Amad the bald freak?

As for West London Blue, another splendid result that we wouldn't have got last season in the days before the bald Leicester manager. If you'd told me in August we'd be 6 points ahead of Nottingham Forest I'd have bitten your hand off.

:D

I see it's about to be Sir Gareth.

United gonna be extra gutted they didn't listen to Ashworth now. They could have got themselves a round table and everything.

I appreciate that City are in crisis at the moment, but that's the first time in about 5 years we've played a top 2/3 team and looked like we intend to actually try to play against them. We deserved to win and it was a good performance.

Rub Enamorim fucking off Rashford and Garnacho was great too.

Amad is quality.

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This is why people hate refs. Completely incapable of coming on and just admitting his mate was wrong. Has to present the united front in the face of all logic and reason. It's pathetic.

Mike Dean said something to the effect of, "It isn't enough for a game of this magnitude." Irrelevant, pal. It's either a foul or it isn't.

I didn’t think this season could be going any better but apparently Mudryk has tested positive for a banned substance. More potential game time for Tyrique George :drool:

I mean, technically Litvinenko 'tested positive for a banned substance'.

Are they trying the old Mutu trick to get their money back off him?

Jota might be injured again. Might be worth seeing if there is any value in the market in January before we inevitably try to get rid of Nunez and everyone jacks their prices up because they know we are desperate for a striker.

Gyokeres would be nice?

I see Troy Deeney's been calling him rubbish too, so all the more reason to sign the blank cheque.

I do think the tide has turned on Nunez support from the fan base now. Also doesn't help that Jota looked infinitely better in his cameo, and scored as many goals in that 10 minutes as Nunez did the entire time Jota has been out.

Playing Diaz through the middle over him a sign that Slot has maybe seen enough too. Hes stated that there will be heavy rotation and academy players in for the cup game so if Nunez trots out there too you have confirmation.

I would like to see us break the trend of not doing January signings though. We're in a two horse race for the league and have got January off in Europe. All while not really having a centre forward.

If Liverpool are looking for a centre forward I'd be much happier if they went for someone like Joao Pedro [albeit then having to pay the enormous Brighton tax] than some Portuguese league likely flat track bully. Been down that route already. Still like Nunez but he hasn't done himself many favours in the Slot era.

Nkunku would be incredible in that Liverpool side

Doesn't strike me as a particularly hard worker [not seen a lot though] so I'm not sure, I think that's the main thing required. Pure finishers not wanted.

Yeah that’s the downside. In saying that, you have 3 runners in midfield most games so I’m sure they could carry Nkunku and Salah’s workrate

Quote:

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Originally Posted by niko_cee

If Liverpool are looking for a centre forward I'd be much happier if they went for someone like Joao Pedro [albeit then having to pay the enormous Brighton tax] than some Portuguese league likely flat track bully. Been down that route already. Still like Nunez but he hasn't done himself many favours in the Slot era.

---

Nunez had one good scoring season in Portugal where he overperformed his xG by an absolutely laughable amount (and even just by the eye test loads of his goals were either ridiculous screamers or truly terrible goalkeeping). Gyokeres is a very different prospect IMO.

Of those linked, Kudus makes the most sense.

Mohammed 'less than 50 career goals at 24' Kudus?

Yeah, no thanks.

Double no thanks for the £80m or whatever it is West Ham think he's worth.

My 'eye test' for Nunez was watching him against Liverpool in the Champions League and he was ridiculous. Reckon he's still got it in him to do that elsewhere at a step down in level, and he would probably have carried on on the same trajectory in Portugal despite reddit's views, but when you move to a club where expectations are at the toppermost top level, and you don't immediately succeed then things can get difficult. I think he has also been extremely unlucky at Liverpool, whether it's with hitting the post and bar and insane amount of times, or only finding his composure when he's fractionally offside, can't think of many that have bounced in off his arse or fallen to him on a plate.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by niko_cee

Mohammed 'less than 50 career goals at 24' Kudus?

Yeah, no thanks.

Double no thanks for the £80m or whatever it is West Ham think he's worth.

---

Yeah that's him, please take him.

We will knock off £20m if you give us Nunez in return. :beer:

Does anybody want a 'lightly injured' Callum Wilson?

Or 'feeding kids' Marcus?

Marcus Rashford had a day off today so he returned to his old primary school, Button Lane, south Manchester, and handed out 420 Christmas presents to all the pupils. It was a long-planned event, eliciting delight from the children. One boy scarcely more than four years old, had a special message for the Manchester United striker. “Thank you for the food as well, Marcus.”

Rashford will leave United one day, possibly in the January window given the mood music inside Carrington, but his influence will remain with many children across the country following his ongoing work tackling child food poverty. “It was emotional to hear that, 100%,” Rashford told me of the four-year-old’s words of thanks. “I don’t like to see kids go through what I went through growing up so as many kids as I can help I will. That's why the programme needs to go on for as long as possible and it needs to keep improving.”

Wherever you stand on the Rashford debate, and he certainly generates headlines, he has been a force for good in so many children’s lives. One of the Button Lane teachers said that Rashford’s present will be the only one some of the 420 kids receive this Christmas. Another pointed through the window to the 3G five-a-side Rashford funded.

Some balance is required in the current Rashford debate. I was shown some of the DMs he receives on a regular basis and they are utterly despicable. There are rumours of a lack of professionalism. “I do feel misunderstood but I’m fine with it. I’m a very simple person. I love football. That’s been my life from the beginning.”

At 27, and having scored 138 goals in 426 appearances for United (and 17 in 60 for England), Rashford remains a huge talent, and will be in demand, possibly from Spain, when he leaves United. Yes, he could do more on the field, certainly out of possession. Yes, he was dropped from Sunday’s match-day squad against Manchester City by Ruben Amorim, who questioned his application in training. “It’s disheartening to be left out of a Derby,” Rashford replied, “but it’s happened, we won the game so let's move on. It’s disappointing but I’m also someone as I’ve got older I can deal with setbacks. What am I going to do about it? Sit there and cry about it. Or do my best the next time I’m available.”

He awoke this morning to headlines detailing United’s desire to sell him. I ask Rashford if he’s staying or going? “For me, personally, I think I'm ready for a new challenge and the next steps.” All of his words were prefaced with respect for the club which has been his home for almost 20 years. “When I leave it's going to be ‘no hard feelings’. You’re not going to have any negative comments from me about Manchester United. That’s me as a person.

"If I know that a situation is already bad I'm not going to make it worse. I've seen how other players have left in the past and I don't want to be that person. When I leave I'll make a statement and it will be from me.” From the heart as he’ll always be a Red? “Yes! 100%. 100%.”

He’s 27, peak time for a player, combining experience and athleticism, and he should be embedded in a team, creating an even bigger legacy. “I’m halfway through my career,” Rashford replies. “I don’t expect my peak to be now. I've had nine years so far in the Premier League and that’s taught me a lot, that’s helped me grow as a player and as a person. So I don't have any regrets from the last nine years. I won’t have any regrets going forward because I take things day by day and sometimes bad things happen, sometimes good things happen. I just try and keep a fine balance.” The best is yet to come? “100%. That's my mentality.”

He craves an England return and chance of making the 2026 World Cup. “That still excites me. It's playing for your country in the biggest competition in the world. I've had the chance to do it before (Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022) and it's an unbelievable experience. If I got the opportunity again, I'll try and grab it with both hands.”

Even though he has scored three times for Amorim, the new head coach’s 3-4-2-1 system does not appear to suit Rashford. The player himself makes a point about his adaptability, whether left wing, No 9 or No 10. “I have traits to play in all three positions. Some positions are more natural to me, some positions I have to train more and do a bit more tactical (work). The left side suits me the best.” But Amorim doesn’t play 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1. He plays with two 10s. “The left 10 still suits me but you have to adapt your game. The biggest skill-set is adaptability. People might not see it but eventually they'll see I’ve played in plenty of different positions under all the managers.”

If his days under Amorim look numbered, Rashford will pursue his dreams elsewhere. The last time Rashford returned to Button Lane, he was asked by a young girl “what’s your biggest achievement?” He replied, “I haven't achieved it yet.”

That attitude echoes his love of “Relentless”, the book by the American mindset guru Tim Grover. Rashford’s not fallen out of love with football, he’s still aspiring to achieve things in the sport that’s his world. “Definitely, regardless of what gets said about me I have my own dreams. I’ve achieved parts of it. But I’m not at where I want to be. But the problem is when you get there, you create another thing. It’s a cycle that never stops. There’s not really an end point.”

Just the pursuit of excellence. Rashford needs to intensify that pursuit. He has the talent. And it looks like that talent will move away from #MUFC. He will still return to Button Lane. Marcus Rashford won’t forget where he came from. Nor will he forget United.

Nunez would look brilliant at someone like West Ham. I actually can forgive his finishing it’s not like Firminio was prolific, it’s more the problem that his general play is not at the required level and he literally kills attacks dead at times with poor touches, passes and always being offside. That’s the eye test problem.

That’s a proper puff piece on Rashford, who’s written that for him Sir Henry?

Almost sounds like there's already a transfer lined up.

Where would he go? He's one of those awkward players who wouldn't really improve a top, top team, but also would demand a huge salary.

Paris.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

Where would he go? He's one of those awkward players who wouldn't really improve a top, top team, but also would demand a huge salary.

---

I mean he's clearly accepted he's leaving so presumably he's also accepted he'll have to take a pay cut.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

Where would he go? He's one of those awkward players who wouldn't really improve a top, top team, but also would demand a huge salary.

---

Saudi?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Luke Emia

That’s a proper puff piece on Rashford, who’s written that for him Sir Henry?

---

Who else?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kikó

If his days under Amorim look numbered, Rashford will pursue his dreams elsewhere. The last time Rashford returned to Button Lane, he was asked by a young girl “what’s your biggest achievement?” He replied, “I haven't achieved it yet.”

---

'There goes Marcus Rashford. I must remember to thank him.'

Arsenal should sign Sir Marcus.

Is this all window dressing for the fact that they are selling him because he's PURE PROFIT in FFP terms and they need to balance the books?

One of my few dad friends is an Arsenal fan and he's desperate for them to sign Rashford. He thinks he's exactly what they need.

Chelsea probably after him now Mudryk's spot in the squad has opened up.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by randomlegend

I mean he's clearly accepted he's leaving so presumably he's also accepted he'll have to take a pay cut.

---

I'd forgotten he was on mental wages.

This brought a little cheer on a gloomy December morning:

Quote:

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Aside from Casemiro, Rashford is United's highest earner

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:happycry:

I suspect Rashford has a trumped up opinion of his value and who is going to be interested in him. At what he earns he really needs to be putting up Salah, Haaland or Kane type numbers in terms of goals and or assists. He just doesn't and never really has aside from a three month window in the 22/23 season. Maybe he and United will get lucky and PSG will take a punt on him and pay him what he earns at the minute but I can't see it, could be very hard to shift for any decent amount of money on United's behalf or they could end up supplementing his wages. You only have to look at how hard they have found it to shift someone like Maguire to see that a lot of these players don't want to earn less.

Also anyone seen this video of Arteta in a press conference where he got asked about them falling away a bit this year and him only winning one trophy and he corrected the interviewer by saying no 'we've won three because we won the Charity Shield twice.' the fact he called it the Charity Shield when it hasn't been called that in over 20 years is probably the best bit.

We didn't struggle to shift Maguire, he wanted to stay and fight for his place, which he did successfully despite being initially binned off. In terms of Rashford, I think we'd be happy with a fee around the Sancho level (£25m) which should provide some leeway on wages.

Looks a pretty experimental side for Liverpool. Getting pretty thin at the back.

Quansah
Gomez
Norton
Trent

:happycry:

It's apparently extremely wet on the south coast too. Slot ball may struggle.

Good to see VVD and Salah get a complete rest. There's a lot of just the way we play mate ahead this week.

Hopefully whoever Simon Rusk is still wants them to play like they’re purposely losing games.

To say this game is lacking in quality so far would be an understatement.

Might bung the Arsenal game on to watch some long ball throw back to 90’s Wimbledon.

Fuck me the shit cunt has just scored a one on one. Never thought I’d see the day.

Out of character for him to take a touch there instead of smashing first-time it into the keeper's face at 90mph.

That was offside. But not in a way that should be cared about imo.

Btw not sure it needed mentioning but people who put Foden and Saka in the same bracket are fucking idiots.

This game is a perfect demonstration of our problems. We haven’t scored early and now we pick them off at will.

I’ll shut the fuck up for 10 minutes.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by phonics

Btw not sure it needed mentioning but people who put Foden and Saka in the same bracket are fucking idiots.

---

Aye just look at their achievements. An FA Cup and two Charity Shields, as well as two runners up medals in the league.

What’s Foden done?

Not sure why Elliot gets booked there.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Luke Emia

Aye just look at their achievements. An FA Cup and two Charity Shields, as well as two runners up medals in the league.

What’s Foden done?

---

David May won more than Steve Gerrard. I can’t think of a team less able to use the ‘what did he win though’ than Liverpool.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by phonics

David May won more than Steve Gerrard.

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He did, I’m not even Foden’s biggest fan but he’s been a big part of them winning the last 4 league titles and a quadruple in that time. You don’t play for a team as good as City for the past 6/7 years without being a very good player. He’s been terrible since the summer but let’s not rewrite history here.

Part of being a top-class player is putting your medals on the table and he’s got plenty.

As for Gerrard not winning as much as he perhaps should have done part of that is him being ‘Stevie Me’ worked brilliantly in cup finals. Not so much over a league season.

Yeah, not like Foden was Premier League Player of the Season or anything.

He did however seem to break at the last Euros, and has remained broken, so your take is getting more true by the day.

Mamma mia.

To be honest, you could apply that to a few of the City lads. Hell, the genesis of City's wobble can be traced back to the FA Cup final.

Caring about the league cup, bunch of losers

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Luke Emia

He did, I’m not even Foden’s biggest fan but he’s been a big part of them winning the last 4 league titles and a quadruple in that time. You don’t play for a team as good as City for the past 6/7 years without being a very good player. He’s been terrible since the summer but let’s not rewrite history here.

Part of being a top-class player is putting your medals on the table and he’s got plenty.

---

You don't think there's a massive correlation between his teams not playing well and him also not playing well? He is able to perform because they spend their entire time terrified of the rest of the team.

Giving him 4 league titles when he started a grand total of 20 games in 2 of those is kind as well.

If Jesus could use this as a spring board to not be absolutely dogshit for the second half of the season that would be amazing.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by phonics

You don't think there's a massive correlation between his teams not playing well and him also not playing well? He is able to perform because they spend their entire time terrified of the rest of the team.

Giving him 4 league titles when he started a grand total of 20 games in 2 of those is kind as well.

---

Oh right then we may as well forget then that he was undeniably their best player last season and was probably the biggest reason his team won the league?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by phonics

I can’t think of a team less able to use the ‘what did he win though’ than Liverpool.

---

You can't, really?

Not that I disagree about Saka. City should have bought him years ago.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Luke Emia

Oh right then we may as well forget then that he was undeniably their best player last season and was probably the biggest reason his team won the league?

---

My main argument would be that he wasn't and every game where City would have dropped points if it wasn't for a players intervention it was Gvardiol and Rodri scoring the crucial goals and Gundogan the year previous.

He was in a team where they're having to concentrate on preventing multiple players before him and he could therefore be allowed to participate but when the games tough hes anonymous.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by niko_cee

You can't, really?

Not that I disagree about Saka. City should have bought him years ago.

---

I mean in the sense that they've had massively great players where the fact that the team didn't hit an artificial milestone should be the definition of their greatness.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lofty

If Jesus could use this as a spring board to not be absolutely dogshit for the second half of the season that would be amazing.

---

The ulimate irony of Jesus and Zinchenko is that the introduction of them to the team made us so good that teams had to set-up to make them look atrocious.

Jesus must be infuriating to watch. Seems like he can dribble past players at will, but can never seem to find that end product anywhere near consistently.

I see we managed to squeeze a win. Though the only thing I've seen from the game is a late Quansah challenge that would be 100% VAR'd into a red card in the barclays. Nunez may have scored but I'm told he was quite crap otherwise. Good to see Chiesa and Jota get more minutes but it sounded like the former looked like he is only just starting pre season, but was still unlucky not to score.

Good to see Sir Jim identifying the real problem and cutting the stewards £100 bonus.

Time he was murdered really.

Please accept this Ineos handwash hamper as a token of our appreciation.

Looks like a potentially best ever line up for the League Cup semis. North London Derby, Liverpool v Newcastle ideally, otherwise I guess Liverpool v United and Arsenal v Newcastle.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gray Fox

Good to see Sir Jim identifying the real problem and cutting the stewards £100 bonus.

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Serves them right the jobsworth cunts.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gray Fox

Good to see Sir Jim identifying the real problem and cutting the stewards £100 bonus.

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He's making Mike Ashley look like a man with a conscience.

I know Onana's not great but why are United playing another mong in goal here?

Rotation.

Surely the league cup was their best shot at an easy win this season?

Amorim's head in hands stare at the floor act is so uninspiring.

Yes but lads, it's Spurs. They will fuck it up.

I think the most important thing on O'Rims list is a good league finish. A run in the Europa and fa cup are also higher up the priorities than the carabao.

Bit unlucky that but Martinez is just awful.

Wasn't he meant to be good at some point?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gray Fox

Yes but lads, it's Spurs. They will fuck it up.

---

:harold:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by niko_cee

Bit unlucky that but Martinez is just awful.

Wasn't he meant to be good at some point?

---

You mean 'The Butcher'?

There can't have been many more mismatched teams for a competition than Chelsea in the Conference League.

No United fans, I wasn't going down that avenue. Was rather hoping they might wear Spurs out a bit for the weekend, but they're just boosting their confidence the useless fucks.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Magic

:harold:

---

Here it comes.

:yn:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Guybrush

You mean 'The Butcher'?

---

Pat Butcher.

:lol:

Spursy.

If only there was a way they could both lose. :D

Spurs :D

Absolute death throes of just the way we play mate if they lose this.

That save by Forster, lol.

They've got to just keep peppering him with shots.

Take note Arne. Tomorrow's session, shooting from range.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Magic

:harold:

---

:(

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by niko_cee

Absolute death throes of just the way we play mate if they lose this.

---

Hardly Ange's fault with those mistakes by the gk. Well, apart from selecting him to play that is.

lol what the fuck?

I mean he's shit but that's an obvious foul.

:face:

Neville regretting saying the United keeper will be happy he's not looking the biggest loser 5 minutes ago.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Magic

:(

---

:harold:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lewis

I mean he's shit but that's an obvious foul.

---

An obvious foul would be the attacker clattering into him. That's the sort of dicey shit goalkeepers routinely get, but it's hardly an actual foul.

No way is that a foul, he's just shit.

Spurs still trying to fuck it.

Only watched the last 20 minutes but that was like watching two blind cripples trying to have a fight. Funny, but you know you shouldn’t really be enjoying it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by niko_cee

They've got to just keep peppering him with shots.

Take note Arne. Tomorrow's session, shooting from range.

---

Could be a game for Nunez.

United were probably the better side. Unfortunately for them aside from Fernandes, Diallo and Yoro their players are dreadful.

Spurs with the 2nd leg at Anfield is best possible result there I think.

Arsenal over two legs is going to be iffy. Still, if we want to win this thing, we need to break the habit of a lifetime.

After a lot of years of our second keepers being surprisingly good, Bayindir is some comedown. He is absolutely awful.

Tottenham scoring 4 with an xG of less than 1 :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by randomlegend

Tottenham scoring 4 with an xG of less than 1 :D

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Proof that xG is bullshit. I went to bed at 3-0 and Spurs were every value for that. How are two unchallenged goals inside 8 yards not two xG?

Yeah, that's just nonsense. That game was won by the least shit of 2 very shit goalkeepers, but let's not pretend Spurs weren't the better team.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Spikey M

Yeah, that's just nonsense. That game was won by the least shit of 2 very shit goalkeepers, but let's not pretend Spurs weren't the better team.

---

I mean I only watched the highlights but were they really:

https://i.imgur.com/2neYjTS.png

I have only seen the goals and I don't know how the xg model that is being quoted works, but if its goal is to be predictive of future chance generation then it should be obvious why the first one does not score low. It's a potshot that the goalkeeper spills into the path of the centre-forward. Not exactly a repeatable process. There are four defenders and the goalkeeper between Kulusevski and the net for the second, and I don't think the third is a straightforward finish either.

Toggle Spoiler

https://i.imgur.com/YSMCw9p.jpeg

Look at Solanke's PL career shot map (it could be anyone's) from around 16 yards out, green ones are goals. Some of them are headers but doesn't 20-30% look about right?

Scoring four goals in a game is an outlier (like scoring from a corner), and that's why the xg teams record when it happens is generally much lower.

And that's the real quiz.

Scoring directly from a corner is probably negative 100xG. I'm glad the way we play mate has a chance to win a trophy. He should get it done.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Spikey M

Yeah, that's just nonsense. That game was won by the least shit of 2 very shit goalkeepers, but let's not pretend Spurs weren't the better team.

---

Gary Neville's momemtum-o-meter on Sky had it right. United looked better in the first half, but chucked the first one in and then faded a bit towards half time. Then they went to bits. Then Spurs went to bits. Then he went to bits every time Spurs took a short goal kick. It was disarray all round.

Dias is out for 3 to 4 weeks apparently.

City are actually completely fucked.

Been made aware of this which is surely a lovely chance to troll, if you can get something to slip through the undoubtedly lax quality control?

Hit me with your best lol and I’ll see if it’s worth £100 of my money.

I'm sure we were meant to have similar outside of Anfield, but then the constructor went bust and the plans were revised. Unsure if they're in yet/will be at all.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gray Fox

I'm sure we were meant to have similar outside of Anfield, but then the constructor went bust and the plans were revised. Unsure if they're in yet/will be at all.

---

There is isn’t there was outside the main stand on the corner with the Anfield Road? I’m sure there’s bricks in the ground with people’s names on.

There’s the ‘Wall of Champions’ outside the ground/club shop. I only know this because my wife got a picture of myself, Baz and our Dad added.

Toggle Spoiler

https://backend.liverpoolfc.com/site...?itok=3uKWwTyP

1-0 Villa against the Bald Fraud.

Get fucked City.

That was a a great goal.

You can see the issue. They just cannot press with these midfielders. Foden and Grealish can't defend and Haaland just doesnt bother trying. Gundogan and Kovacic don't have the legs to run players down. This was fine when the best player in the world was behind them to mop up, but he's not there now.

Bald fraud confirmed :drool:

Reinstate his binman status.

Big fan of this Rogers lad just running at people with the ball. Too little of it in the modern game.

This second division kit City are wearing is apt.

Villa need to get McGinn replaced with someone who can actually run. He's such a plodder.

I've just seen the kits. We're losing.

Thats appalling from the rapist. Doesn't bother tracking.

Carraghers audible annoyance at Palace fucking up a counter attack :drool:

Interesting one against Wullie’s boys today.

We hadn’t noticed that it had been moved to 12:30 for Sky until about 11:45, so my mate had to get a cab from Chichester, only to discover the driver doesn’t take card & neither of us have any cash or any way to get some.

Managed to get it resolved & arrived just about a minute before kickoff, only for us to concede in the first three minutes & almost go two down because for some reason we were playing the Spurs line with a CB pairing of a 33 year old CM with no legs & our fourth choice CB who we’re trying to loan out in Jan.

Thankfully their keeper had a moment of goalkeeping incompetence similar to the sort you’d see from your mate at the park, diving over a very saveable shot, and that pretty much turned the game, with Cov not really doing much else going forward & us pressing them to death.

Callum Lang obviously MOTM, but Ephraim Mason-Clark looks pretty interesting out on the left for Coventry, like Harry Aikines-Aryeetey with 5 star skills. Cov fans were really good too considering the result, but both sides would probably agree the officials were shocking - the Coventry goal was probably offside & the linesman on that side didn’t seem to have any idea on a few decisions. Felt like the ref was randomly blowing the whistle at times too, particularly in the first half, so hopefully we don’t get Dean Whitestone & crew again for a while.

Not surprised to see Saka finally get what looks to be a pretty bad muscle injury. 250+ games at 23 in England is utterly mental. Arteta should be blamed as well, plays far too often.

You could say the best players want to be playing every week (ie Ronaldo and Messi) but most of them aren’t doing bleep tests down the touch line all game like Arteta has him doing

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dan

Interesting one against Wullie’s boys today.

We hadn’t noticed that it had been moved to 12:30 for Sky until about 11:45, so my mate had to get a cab from Chichester, only to discover the driver doesn’t take card & neither of us have any cash or any way to get some.

Managed to get it resolved & arrived just about a minute before kickoff, only for us to concede in the first three minutes & almost go two down because for some reason we were playing the Spurs line with a CB pairing of a 33 year old CM with no legs & our fourth choice CB who we’re trying to loan out in Jan.

Thankfully their keeper had a moment of goalkeeping incompetence similar to the sort you’d see from your mate at the park, diving over a very saveable shot, and that pretty much turned the game, with Cov not really doing much else going forward & us pressing them to death.

Callum Lang obviously MOTM, but Ephraim Mason-Clark looks pretty interesting out on the left for Coventry, like Harry Aikines-Aryeetey with 5 star skills. Cov fans were really good too considering the result, but both sides would probably agree the officials were shocking - the Coventry goal was probably offside & the linesman on that side didn’t seem to have any idea on a few decisions. Felt like the ref was randomly blowing the whistle at times too, particularly in the first half, so hopefully we don’t get Dean Whitestone & crew again for a while.

---

While I could compile a fairly sizable list of awful goalkeeping performances I've seen, Brad Collins from this game would now be at the top. If he's still starting on Boxing Day ahead of the Swedish international on the bench Lampard's growing bald patch is where all the sense is escaping his body.

A good examination of title credentials today. Chelsea should be top by the time we play. They seem to always win at Goodison and the only thing that may stop them is the weather making football tricky.

Then it's just the way we play mate. We could go 3-0 up or down in this game and I have no idea which. It could also then easily finish 4-3 the other way. You just don't know with Spurs.

The wind is mental at Goodison. Scariest game of the season by far for Chelsea

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gray Fox

A good examination of title credentials today. Chelsea should be top by the time we play. They seem to always win at Goodison and the only thing that may stop them is the weather making football tricky.

Then it's just the way we play mate. We could go 3-0 up or down in this game and I have no idea which. It could also then easily finish 4-3 the other way. You just don't know with Spurs.

---

What? You have literally just made that up. Chelsea never win at Everton - 5 losses, 1 draw and 1 win in the last 7 years. They’ve only scored 2 times as well

Whoops, thought I was looking at the results from a Chelsea perspective and not Everton. Though this is probably the best Chelsea have been in those 7 years.

Two sitters missed from Jackson so far. Hopefully makes up for it like he did last week

Another week of "what the fuck is zirkzee?" Comedy player.

That Southampton kit is an abomination.

Just to be clear, Chelsea have zero title credentials. If Liverpool don't win it from here they should close down or start playing another sport.

So coy.

Neither of the two up there really had any title credentials at the start of the season.

Good to see things going well at Man Red again

If his name wasn’t palmer he’d be off the pitch by now. Tragic performance

I wouldn't be surprised if we finish around 13th/14th which is frankly incredible.

Yeah I think it's nonsense to say they arent in it, nearly halfway through and a late goal here puts them top(points > games in hand). Though I understand it. I struggled through a lot of the Klopp era with the scars of having been nowhere near it. To find yourself back there after so long is strange and you wait for something to go wrong.

2 mins added on sums up this second half. Maresca has had an absolute nightmare

Point up there isn't a bad result.

Man U actually need Moyes now, which is up there with rain on your wedding day, a free ride when you've already paid and frankly a few other things too.

Absolutely rotten club from top to bottom. Genuinely don't even think if we had a prime Ferguson he could fix this.

Hypothetically, let's say a Pulis/Allardyce fella comes in at Man Blue or Man Red. Would the players know what to do with that?

On those balls over the top to Kulusevski, Trent is just letting Son run by him. It's driving me bonkers.

And then he whips that undefendable ball in. Maddening.

Liverpool win today and they’ll win the league by double digits fairly easily. Arsenal without Saka and have a potential rough month coming up fixtures wise

Should be 3 or 4 up already really.

Wits the goalie daeing Tam

Shout out to van Dijk for getting out the way of that shot.

That defending from spurs is absolutely hilarious

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Originally Posted by Waffdon

Wits the goalie daeing Tam

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They all fucking stopped like nah he'll give the free kick if we do. Play to the whistle lads.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Shindig

Hypothetically, let's say a Pulis/Allardyce fella comes in at Man Blue or Man Red. Would the players know what to do with that?

---

Go behind his back and get him fired, like the rest of them presumably.

I’ll never forget the absolute suck fest that Ange received on his arrival.

After the Man City game, Jacob Steinberg took 10 minutes out of his day from celebrating palestinian kids getting bombed to turn up on Second Captains and said with a straight face that Kulusevski was the best player in the league.

Kulusevski would be perfect for arsenal

Agreed, I think he’s a very good functional player. He’s a 8/10 at all parts of the game and can give you that consistently. He’d be perfect the role we have Merino playing in. Saying he’s the best player in the league is madness.

Salah and tap ins. Crazy

This could/should end up 7 or 8.

Seems we've declared at 5.

Kulusevski really is the only one trying for Spurs.

Van Dijk has completely clocked off since our 5th.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football...s/c390p9n18mlo

Big Rubes knows what's up.

Proper hamstring pop for Saka is worrying. His speed comes through powerful running rather than raw pace so I'm hoping it doesn't have long term effects but considering the closest player who's minutes played over the last 5 years is Son who's 9 years older than him is always going to be a worry.

In other news, Ruben Amorim reacting to a 3-0 loss at home to Bournemouth and having to stop mid-sentence because the ceiling of the fucking press room is leaking water... The state of that club.

I would imagine Salah must have matched Saka for minutes over the past however many seasons, although I'm probably missing the point as he's also a fair bit older. If it's any consolation he seems to have come back pretty well from doing his hamstring last season.

The difference between the two is that Salah only really started playing at a high level at about the age Saka is now. He took a more normal career path in that sense.

Saka has been a mainstay in the team and almost never rested, in some 5 years now. I know it's tough to leave a player out who is very good, but sometimes you have to save them from themselves or else they get Rooney'd(did Fabregas fall off a cliff at 30 or so as well?). Always easier said than done when your season isn't quite going to plan though.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by niko_cee

I would imagine Salah must have matched Saka for minutes over the past however many seasons, although I'm probably missing the point as he's also a fair bit older. If it's any consolation he seems to have come back pretty well from doing his hamstring last season.

---

Salah started playing Saka minutes (more infact due to Liverpool being in the CL) at the age Saka is now. Saka has been doing it since he was 18. Saka started 87 Premier League games in a row before turning 21. It's madness that he's lasted this long tbh.

Almost every footballer will break with current schedule, but especially the ones who do hard running all the time like Saka. I'm amazed any full backs and wingers are left standing tbh.

Mason Mount has never recovered.

Conor Gallagher still somehow going strong. Athletic freak

Someone on talkSport called him Ruben Interim and it's one of the best nicknames ever

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gray Fox

The difference between the two is that Salah only really started playing at a high level at about the age Saka is now. He took a more normal career path in that sense.

---

Might as well dig this classic out:

Toggle Spoiler

https://i.imgur.com/knYxakP_d.webp?m...fidelity=grand

:cab:

Salah was 20, Hughes 18.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

Almost every footballer will break with current schedule, but especially the ones who do hard running all the time like Saka. I'm amazed any full backs and wingers are left standing tbh.

---

Think this is Trent’s secret. We all criticize him for not tracking back, but he’s gonna be hitting those worldie crosses deep into his 30s while all the Reece James of the world are in wheelchairs or working on promising careers in punditry.

City’s ground looks half empty. Also what the fuck is that badge on Everton’s shirt?

Sumptuous.

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Originally Posted by Luke Emia

City’s ground looks half empty. Also what the fuck is that badge on Everton’s shirt?

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Give them the benefit of the doubt, festive early kick offs can be a right pest for ST holders, but there are a lot of empty seats and the atmosphere is pretty funereal.

Looked a dive, but he actually slipped and gets a bit of a kicking, so no overturn here.

Haaland :lol:

Is Gvardiol any good as a centre back? Defensively he's appalling at fullback.

Wasn't he the outstanding centre half in Qatar? Another player Pep has ruined.

Pep is a freak. Why does he constantly try to spit little bits of dehydrated white saliva off his tongue. Proper odd man.

Bit easy for Gordon there, Villa probably need to close that down.

Kris Kamara sounding like Rosie Jones is sad times.

How has that not been chalked off for Neto getting elbowed in the face?

Manager refusing to make subs yet again is to blame. Only trusts his starting 11 and a couple of others

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Originally Posted by Waffdon

Manager refusing to make subs yet again is to blame. Only trusts his starting 11 and a couple of others

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It has gone very flat second half. It was the same at Leicester wasn't it? Went to shit in the second half of the season because everyone was knackered.

Oh hello.

Big win please later lads.

Heading to 5th with United and Spurs next. I keep expecting Forest's bubble to burst but they could just be this season's surprise 4th.

How long are Liverpool fans going to keep this charade going? You won the league in October, chaps.

It was the same last weekend and week before against Brentford. He absolutely refuses to use his bench early and even when he does it’s the same players every time. 1 sub this week, 2 subs on 77th min last week and 1 sub against Brentford. Nkunku for Jackson were 3 of them

Fulham were always winning that

I think he needs to be more willing to throw on an extra midfielder for a winger when ahead. Caicedo and Fernandez are having a good season but when they tire the game gets needlessly stretched. There was no need to have Fulham gallivanting on the break in the way they were from 60 minutes on there.

Can't complain in general.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

How has that not been chalked off for Neto getting elbowed in the face?

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

How long are Liverpool fans going to keep this charade going? You won the league in October, chaps.

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Until the actual points gap is in double figures, not just theoretical double figures.

lol at Neto's efforts to get that goal disallowed. Not quite Jorg Albertz tier, but not far off.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

How long are Liverpool fans going to keep this charade going? You won the league in October, chaps.

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They need to pretend they have a challenge in case they bottle another league title

Wouldn’t be too surprised if this is the year Arsenal win it after being written off

I suppose there's no great shame in losing away at Forest but it's been a bad few weeks for just the way we play mate. Be surprised if Ange can weather a bad January.

History shows us you can never celebrate a title win too early. :moop:

A few years ago, Jim would have cried into his leftover paella at the mere thought of Fulham winning at The Bridge. Games gone.

I'll make the wanker sign at them across the fish aisle at Waitrose tomorrow.

Is Ru Binmanorim the first manager who actually has binman in his name?

Mainoo seems to have caught whatever Foden picked up on England duty in the summer.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

How long are Liverpool fans going to keep this charade going? You won the league in October, chaps.

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Because the last 4 of 5 times we've had this kind of feeling at Christmas we've come up short. And the other everyone was stuck indoors.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by niko_cee

Is Ru Binmanorim the first manager who actually has binman in his name?

---

I don't think the board collective IQ will ever recover from that post.

On first viewing that looked like a terrible booking but on the replay hes lucky isnt in a red.

We are lucky there are three teams worse than us because we could go down.

Onana :D

United still well in this, it's been a terrible game.

:harold:

Liverpool and Arsenal should be looking at this Cunha lad. He looks levels above Wolves(sorry Sincere).

Aye, he's quality. Chelsea will probably sign him. Didnt Wolves pay a fortune for him in the first place though, so the fee would be massive.

I thought my streams were broken but it's fucking foggy as fuck in England today?

Gifting the other team a goal has started to creep back in. Even though the deflection didnt help.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by niko_cee

Aye, he's quality. Chelsea will probably sign him. Didnt Wolves pay a fortune for him in the first place though, so the fee would be massive.

---

Nkunku to Barcelona and Cunha to Chelsea. Take it

Robertson fall off is sad to see

This is like watching ice hockey. No idea where the ball is.

I can't see a fucking thing.

Has the orange ball been binned off these days?

Cleared at Stoke now.

If he could hook Jones and Nunez at HT that'd be lovely.

It's back again. :moop:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gray Fox

If he could hook Jones and Nunez at HT that'd be lovely.

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Yeah, bit of a disasterclass from Darwin. Has the feel of one of those days at the moment.

Bit of a reprieve that one being smashed in. Been quite off it so far, outside of Gakpo himself.

2 minutes of injury time a bit of a laugh. They must have taken about two minutes every time the ball went dead before restarting.

Yay, the amount of time wasting was pretty bad. Daka received treatment for 2 minutes by himself.

That’s just not onside is it

What the fuck is VAR even doing looking that far back? Multiple phases of play before the goal, then they go hunting for a handball. :cab:

That genuinely looked like they were trying to find anything to disallow it :D

This is daft in reverse, does it matter if he doesn't touch it?

Absolute bollocks with the lines.

Did the ball not go backwards / wasn't Nunez behind Salah? Genuine question as I didn't see enough replays.

Nah, he was in an offside position, I just didn't think he touched the ball but probably had my brain melted by all the rocking and rolling.

Is David Coote on VAR?

And hopefully that’s the last we see of Darmong in a red shirt. Chris Wood in January please

Or just release him and give his wages to Salah.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Baz

Is David Coote on VAR?

And hopefully that’s the last we see of Darmong in a red shirt. Chris Wood in January please

---

Nunez gets paid 140k a week (pre tax). Fair play to the lad for being that bad and still earning that sum of money.

I think if you release him you have to give his wages to him.

I know it's understandable, but Leicester have been a bit of an embarrassment here. Diving and feigning injury whilst behind is too much

Bit of a random comment, but these days you rarely see a YTS player, who's really special (ala Fowler, Owen, Mcmanaman) come through from the youth team and start playing for the first team whilst still in their teens. I miss that with modern football. Especially when you could then go on champ/FM to take a look at them.

Liverpool have been doing too much wanky Arsenal scheming at setpieces and forgotten that the first thing you need to sort is not putting a terrible ball in every time.

Terrible loss/3-1 win.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Giggles

Terrible loss/3-1 win.

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Option 2.

Lovely old job. Looking at it realistically win the next two and you probably only need to get 40 points from half a season.

Edit that probably only need 37 points from half a season. Would give a lot of room for dropped points especially as I keep getting told we haven’t played anyone decent yet.

I've not really been paying attention so why is Cunha facing a lengthy ban for his actions after the Ipswich game? Is this like when Nunez was going to get banned forever by the South Americans in the summer?

At a guess it'd be like the old referee has missed something thing. They then wait for his report to see nothing there and charge him retrospectively. So he should have seen a red card there and then really. I've only had it described to me by a Wolves fan but it sounds like he threw an arm at someone and then smacked his glasses off his face.

Ange is such a Kevin Keegan-esque manager and he's being shown up like Keegan was at the top level. Only so much you can keep stubbornly going full throttle and 'This is what we do mate' before it comes undone. Especially with injuries to key defenders. To not adapt to that is mental.

Meanwhile, Nuno and Forest adapt to each game accordingly and have 2 key defenders in Milenkovic and Murillo, who both look to be Champions League quality. Milenkovic looks like the second coming of Nemanja Vidic. Murillo cost £15m and Milenkovic cost £12m. Great recruitment. They're both probably worth £50m each or more. Suddenly they're in the Champions League positions.

Crazy season so far.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by niko_cee

I've not really been paying attention so why is Cunha facing a lengthy ban for his actions after the Ipswich game? Is this like when Nunez was going to get banned forever by the South Americans in the summer?

---

He physically assaulted a coach twice.

Could Man Utd actually get relegated?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by phonics

He physically assaulted a coach twice.

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Without Cunha. Wolves are dooomed. 12 match ban incoming.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Yevrah

Could Man Utd actually get relegated?

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I wouldn’t go quite so far as saying I feel sorry for him because I think it’s fucking funny. But, strong arming him into coming part way through the busiest part of the season after letting Ten Hag spunk £200 million in the summer so there’s no money to buy more players in January for him, has to go down as a stunningly bad piece of football club management from old Brexit Jim.

He’s now in a position whereby does he keep playing this 3-4-3 even though he obviously doesn’t have the players for it in the hope that it gives him a head-start next season? Or does he change his system to get some results on the board? Because United should not be 14th in the table.

Stadium repairs will probably wreck his budget anyway.

United should be 14th in the table. They can't score goals.

I have some sympathy with Amorim's comments yesterday, and it does appear to an extent that results have been harsher than performances have deserved, but isn't there a danger in saying I need 2 years and £500m to sort things? Isn't that sort of what the last guy said? Is the premier league really the ideal proving ground for dogma? Fair enough, someone with the body of work of a Guardiola can come in and say trust me, but he's a bit of an outlier. Most other inflexible visionaries have fared poorly.

They really, really should have appointed Southgate. They're not in a position to demand good football or ambition or anything like that. They need to just detoxify the whole thing with a politician-coach. The sort of football played just doesn't matter at all.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

They're not in a position to demand good football or ambition or anything like that.

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This is a big part of the thing that really needs to sink in there. "This is Manchester United Football Club we're talking about here!" has been the go-to, even back to when Ralf was in charge. Rather than acceptance of the position, it's that it must be X thing/persons fault and can be fixed by a simple change. Once the acceptance actually does happen, they can move forwards because they can actually start to deal with it.

You look at the squad and the mismanagement of it is clear to see. Not one of their senior players would make it into any of last seasons top 4. Then add in much improved Chelsea and you aren't getting anyone in there either. You then look at a should-be finish of in the 6th-8th region, but the teams from there to upper mid-table have been much better coached. And so even that becomes a struggle. It's far too early to know if new guy is the answer or not as the manager, but you have to let him build his team. Though you could just as easily see him having to be starting Harry Maguire after being given a new contract at the start of 2026.

Any truth in these comedy rumours that Barca might not be allowed to register Olmo and he may be available for nothing in January? Get on it Arne/Michael/Richard!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by niko_cee

Any truth in these comedy rumours that Barca might not be allowed to register Olmo and he may be available for nothing in January? Get on it Arne/Michael/Richard!

---

I am sure the 36th financial lever will be activated before it reaches that point, but at face value it seems it could happen.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SincereTheRebel

Without Cunha. Wolves are dooomed. 12 match ban incoming.

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Liverpool could do a lot worse than bringing him in.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Baz

Liverpool could do a lot worse than bringing him in.

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Chris Wood?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Luke Emia

Chris Wood?

---

Wood is genuinely preferable, but he’ll probably want a crack at the CL with Forest.

He really Woodn't.

Rickie Lambert 2.0

Ipswich as big as 16/1 tonight and their keeper should really be gangbanged to death by footballs so they'll inevitably win 1-0.

No sign of Ferguson on the bench, injured list, or suspensions. Surely means a loan in Jan :yn:

He is injured apparently. But also suspect he might go out in January.

All three promoted sides heading for the drop for a successive season. Spells trouble for the future of English football.

I'd argue all 3 are struggling due to being tactically stubborn and not adapting though.

I still hold out slim hopes Leicester can string some results together.

Nah I think the new Wolves manager showing some semblance of ability has doomed them all.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lofty

I'd argue all 3 are struggling due to being tactically stubborn and not adapting though.

---

This is modern football. Arsenal have pioneered the thinking, albeit slightly differently. Everything is a set piece or prior construction. There is no room for adaptability or inventiveness. You run here, press there, pass the ball across the backline until one of the opposing drones strays out of its predetermined area of control. Watching Brighton live for the first time in ages yesterday and it is just so frustrating. They have literally no idea how to start the process of doing anything without the goalkeeper standing with his foot on it to draw an attacker in. If the attacker doesn't come he just stands there until he does. It is going beyond The Simpsons parody.

Obviously Brighton are at the extreme end as they are football data given human form.

Analysts in the stands, or probably cloud, frantically trying to crack the code of what play is being set up on opposing set pieces, the information being relayed to the little defensive set piece emissary who emerges into the technical area and seems to do nothing.

The fingerprints of the NFL over everything. All spontaneity will be crushed.

It's really not for me Clive.

In true moneyball style, the concept of adaptability as a coach and player must now be 'undervalued'. It's part of what makes Cole Palmer so effective.

Memphis Depay playing for Corinthians caught me off guard. Fair play to him.

There is some adaptability possible though, Brentford were free wheeling big dick attackers when they came up and adapted to not play with their arse hanging out against bigger boys so they stayed up.

Imagine how happy football directors will be when robo-players are invented. iFullback 2000. Never dribbles unless there is a >92.5% chance of success.

We've just had a 7 (SEVEN) minute VAR check in the ASEAN semi's between Vietnam and Singapore... and I think they still got the wrong decision.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ben

Nah I think the new Wolves manager showing some semblance of ability has doomed them all.

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I'll counter that with Man City possibly taking one of the slots. Assuming that's a punishment the Premier League go with.

This city team with Kovacic and Lewis being very attack minded are just getting torn apart whenever they lose the ball and the other team knows they can overload forward. Leicester have had 2 or 3 four-v-threes already and they’re atrocious.

Pep should really be telling Kovacic your job today is to sit. Win the ball, pass it to KdB. There’s no need for Kovacic to go marauding forward leaving them exposed.

They've been mostly the same on the ball since they lost Rodri, but without it it's as you mention, the midfielders they have do not have the ability to press or get it back effectively. This has lead to them choosing to be very passive off the ball. Even against United they looked terrified every time they brought the ball forwards.

I suspect Leicester might just be bad enough to be the one that finally lets them win one though.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Foe

Pep should really be telling Kovacic your job today is to sit. Win the ball, pass it to KdB.

---

From one bald fraud to another.

Forest second :drool:

Is their a bigger waste of space than Timo Werner?

Mr Nips always seems to have a blinder against Liverpool.

What has happened to Robertson? The fall off this season has been massive.

This is ludicrous.

Salah is the best player in the world at the moment. Unreal.

Perhaps the most dominant first half I've seen from us in years. And that's even with Nipples making 3 good saves.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Baz

Salah is the best player in the world at the moment. Unreal.

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The king of scoring unimportant goals. Kai Havertz close behind

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Waffdon

The king of scoring unimportant goals. Kai Havertz close behind

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Salah?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Waffdon

The king of scoring unimportant goals. Kai Havertz close behind

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That one in Porto was pretty important.

Fucking hell we just scored a Barca-esque goal against Derby there. Bunch of godless cunts.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lofty

That one in Porto was pretty important.

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Thanks for the reminder :drool:

New manager bounce sees wolves with 7 points from three games. I suspect Cunha will face a ban for that Ipswich scuffle and teams may try and sign him in January. I still feel they will struggle. Need big defenders in january. Send us Block head on loan.

Think there's any chance of Strand Larsen getting made permanent? EDIT: Obligation to buy so that's a yes. :D

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Originally Posted by Magic

Fucking hell we just scored a Barca-esque goal against Derby there. Bunch of godless cunts.

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As nice as goal as we've scored in recent memory, that. Lovely stuff.

I hate to sound like a typical, entitled Leeds fan but we really need to just crack on and walk the league from this point. It absolutely won't be that simple because it never is with us. But it really should be.

There’s only yourselves stopping that happening.

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Originally Posted by Alex

As nice as goal as we've scored in recent memory, that. Lovely stuff.

I hate to sound like a typical, entitled Leeds fan but we really need to just crack on and walk the league from this point. It absolutely won't be that simple because it never is with us. But it really should be.

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I loved the stat:

Every team that's led the table at the new year has gone on to be automatically promoted in the last 5 seasons. The last team that wasn't was Leeds. :D

Josh Acheampong wasted his time signing a new contract with this gimp in charge. Managers and their hatred of academy players will never not be odd

That Ipswich penalty is such a joke. VAR being VAR

This isn't going to end well.

Casemiro and Eriksen together is proper lol.

So immobile.

Hope they create something and come back. Don’t need the useless cunts getting trounced tonight ahead of the weekend.

We won’t just play the team in 14th place we never do.

Lisandro Martinez getting bullied again.

Another forward alienated by Ruben Interim. He's going to have none left at this rate.

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Originally Posted by Manc

Another forward alienated by Ruben Interim. He's going to have none left at this rate.

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Zirkzee is a fraud tbf.

Beggars can't be choosers.

Champions. :jayjay:

Can’t be many teams that concede to former players as much as Chelsea.

Also can’t be many managers who repeatedly play players out of position as much as this bald dickhead no matter how many mistakes said players make

To be fair, Chelsea's former player pool is gigantic.

Bruno Guimaraes is some player.

I see he’s now officially Sir Gareth. For services to being a bottling cunt.

I like to compare every sporting knighthood to the fact that Bobby Charlton was sixty-one when he got his. People definitely shouldn't be getting them whilst they are still active.

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Originally Posted by Lewis

I like to compare every sporting knighthood to the fact that Bobby Charlton was sixty-one when he got his. People definitely shouldn't be getting them whilst they are still active.

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They definitely shouldn’t be getting them when they haven’t actually achieved anything either.

Bobby Moore never ever got one.

Bobby Moore died before Bobby Charlton got his, so you have to assume he would have got one, but the football honours list is a bit all over the place. To give Southgate one when you consider who hasn't had one.

Southgate is pure knighthood though. You can forget about comparing him to cockney chappies or north east salt of the earth, it's not the same. Middle class housewives' favourite, M&S endorsement deal. It's just how this country works I'm afraid.

Alastair Cook (pure knighthood) got one aged about 30, it'll take much longer for Joe Root (softly spoken Yorkshireman) to get one, even though he's gone past his records.

I’d skipped the games tonight. After looking at these people as the fucking dark side for decades, the joy that a BBC headline saying ‘Relegation is a possibility’ says Amorim. Fuck me. I almost came.

They've literally made the Ten Hag appointment again and it's glorious.

The fact that he’s going to build a team around 3-5-2 only to be sacked and the next guy in also buy a whole bunch of people. Fucking perfect.

The elite want an image, same as why Tonya Harding was never accepted as a top level ice skater although she was the best in the United States at one stage.

Southgate ticks all the boxes, being a brown nose nodding head Churchill dog.

Brits love a plucky loser. Crucial penalty miss in Euro 96. Middlesbrough managerial record is tragic. Win percentage awful. How do you get the biggest national job based on that? He was blessed with the best generation of England players and still fucked it up.

The 35th lever is on its way!

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Spanish media reports say the club is planning to sell VIP boxes at its Camp Nou stadium which could bring in over 100 million euros, but it will need the approval of La Liga.

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Be so funny if they somehow lose Olmo on a free.

They could loan him to Arsenal on a salary only basis til the summer to help cook the books.

Rooney gone lol.

He really is the worst of the ex top level pros and by some margin.

Must have enough footage for the documentary.

I get the feeling he does it purely to get out the house. Probably because his wife makes him.

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Originally Posted by niko_cee

The 35th lever is on its way!



Be so funny if they somehow lose Olmo on a free.

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It's like watching a gambler keep chasing to win his money back.

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Originally Posted by Yevrah

He really is the worst of the ex top level pros and by some margin.

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That Plymouth squad is a disgrace, he was left out to dry

Respect to Jim for his crusade that Sir Gareth should be the United boss but no thanks. Maybe Chelsea can have him next.

What happened to Trisha last night when he went off was disgusting. He's a young lad trying his best, it's not his fault he's not quite up to it. Hopefully he gets some support as it was brutal.

Two game ban for Cunha for that Ipswich assault. Not too bad considering one of the games is in the cup. He is also injured so its a great outcome.

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Originally Posted by Kikó

Respect to Jim for his crusade that Sir Gareth should be the United boss but no thanks. Maybe Chelsea can have him next.

What happened to Trisha last night when he went off was disgusting. He's a young lad trying his best, it's not his fault he's not quite up to it. Hopefully he gets some support as it was brutal.

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The second paragraph is why you need Southgate. Toxic, toxic, toxic. You need a boss who combs his hair neatly and reduces the anger.

They had Ole Gunnar Binman doing that, and he was a beloved club legend that bought him two years longer than he deserved. You can't out-bullshit crap performances forever, which is why he isn't England manager anymore, and why his approach would rapidly become as AIDS as any other.

Southgate would have been a terrible choice, which is why I was distraught that it didn't happen.

Wasn't Mourinho in there at some point? Should have kept him forever.

2 game ban for Cunha, 1 of them an FA cup game? Disaster averted. Oh, and he's injured? Yep, Nunez type lengthy ban.

He stole a pair of glasses. Woke

Have you heard that Cunha only got two games, one of them in the cup, and he is injured? Good deal.

The January transfer window is going to be a madness. Get a thread going, Floyd.

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Originally Posted by Pepe

Have you heard that Cunha only got two games, one of them in the cup, and he is injured? Good deal.

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No, but I did hear that he has an injury and has a cup game coming up.

Seems to have worked out well.

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Originally Posted by Manc

The January transfer window is going to be a madness. Get a thread going, Floyd.

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I'll start it in January and not a moment sooner.

00:01 tonight.

Apologies for missing Sincere's post in all the united chat.

The Southgate knighthood doesn't bother me as much as Sadiq Khan's.

Anyway, here's a rare Gateshead update. We've settled into 4th in the table but we're two points off top. Playoffs look more likely but I think the stadium shitshow that ruled us out of last year's playoffs has been resolved.

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Originally Posted by niko_cee

The 35th lever is on its way!



Be so funny if they somehow lose Olmo on a free.

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Romano stating that La Liga have rejected their proposal now and he's essentially free as the terms of his contract have been broken.

I suspect some palms will be greased in order to stop it at the last minute, but he's about to have his pick of clubs if not.

Looks like Trent is heading to Madrid. Farewell, we hardly knew ye.

Such a shame, quality player.

It's alright, they've lined up Reece James to replace him.

Should sign Josh Acheampong. He’ll make Livramento and Hall look like average players in comparison

Good idea. Ignore our two lads.