Are they trying the old Mutu trick to get their money back off him?
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'm a twit
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
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.Originally Posted by niko_cee
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.
Yeah that's him, please take him.
We will knock off £20m if you give us Nunez in return.
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.
I mean he's clearly accepted he's leaving so presumably he's also accepted he'll have to take a pay cut.
Saudi?
Who else?
'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.
I'd forgotten he was on mental wages.
This brought a little cheer on a gloomy December morning:
Aside from Casemiro, Rashford is United's highest earner
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
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.
I'm a twit
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.
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.
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.
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
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