Football (Soccer)

[BlackFox]

Kevin De Bruyne: Man City midfielder to miss up to four months and could require hamstring surgery
Wonder how much impact this could have on the title race.

Certainly not a player you would want to lose for that time but the rest of them are good enough to keep them well in every competition until he returns fresh and raring to go in the new year.

Still its a minor problem for them, of course they might go and sign Paqueta tomorrow and that will soften the blow even more.

 

[BlackFox]

https://www.skysports.com/ipad/liveArticle/12476234?postid=6292449#liveblog-body
Chelsea activate Olise release clause

How much are Chelsea spending! It was over £800m in just over a year after the Caicedo deal and it looks like they still have an eye on Lavia and £35m more here if it goes through.

Are they just signing every midfielder going and hoping one or two come good?? Mental spending especially as they probably need a striker more so now.

 

[BlackFox]

Referee, VAR taken off Prem duty after Onana penalty error

While they're on a roll, take the referee/VAR from the Chelsea/Liverpool game off duty as well for not giving a penalty for handball.

When you have access to every angle of an incident, with the ability to slow down & speed up play, there's no excuse for getting as many decisions wrong as they currently are. They need to mic up the referee & VAR referee so the viewers can actually hear what their reasoning & logic is behind each decision.

The decisions do typically balance themselves out over a season, but it shouldn't be happening so much.

IF they carry on like this there will be no referees left to use after about week 4.

 

[B]

What a dick, Maguire's move to West Ham is officially off according to reputable outlets. It says there hasn't even been any communication between Moyes & Maguire so it begs the question was there even a bid accepted? As you'd expect that once there was the first thing that a buying manager would do is pick up the phone & have a conversation. It also seems that United themselves were hesitant on letting him leave as they don't have a replacement that is currently lined up & ready to come in. They should at least send him out on loan because barring suspension to Martinez or injury to Varane, Lindelof is/should be the primary deputy.

This is the worst news we've had so far this summer window.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

I do not like Harry Maguire.

 

[Iceman]

What a dick, Maguire's move to West Ham is officially off according to reputable outlets. It says there hasn't even been any communication between Moyes & Maguire so it begs the question was there even a bid accepted? As you'd expect that once there was the first thing that a buying manager would do is pick up the phone & have a conversation. It also seems that United themselves were hesitant on letting him leave as they don't have a replacement that is currently lined up & ready to come in. They should at least send him out on loan because barring suspension to Martinez or injury to Varane, Lindelof is/should be the primary deputy.

This is the worst news we've had so far this summer window.

I thought he was asking for a payoff of the
rest of his Utd contract which would make the deal pointless. Just got too greedy. It would surely be better for him on the football front to go to a West Ham level club and play regularly. I think only losing his international spot would get him to think twice.

 

[Iceman]

Are they just signing every midfielder going and hoping one or two come good?? Mental spending especially as they probably need a striker more so now.

I just saw they signed Lavia now too. Must be over £900m now then. Absolutely crazy.


Chelsea 2-0 Liverpool! Blues agree £58m deal to sign Romeo Lavia from Southampton as Reds miss out on another transfer target | Goal.com Nigeria

 

[Iceman]

Certainly not a player you would want to lose for that time but the rest of them are good enough to keep them well in every competition until he returns fresh and raring to go in the new year.

Still its a minor problem for them, of course they might go and sign Paqueta tomorrow and that will soften the blow even more.

I forgot about their Paqueta interest. They will probably have more interest now they know KDB will be out for that long.

 

[Breogan]

Ok if we are including Soccer

While celebrating his arrival in US, and scoring for Miami
Messi so far has done celebrations for his kids with:

Thor's hammer return

Black Panther - Wakanda forever...

And Spider-Man ...

What Avenger will he do in tonights game vs Philly Union ?

 

[Iceman]

Ok if we are including Soccer

While celebrating his arrival in US, and scoring for Miami
Messi so far has done celebrations for his kids with:

Thor's hammer return

Black Panther - Wakanda forever...

And Spider-Man ...

What Avenger will he do in tonights game vs Philly Union ?

Haha, pretty cool. Looks like Messi is having fun.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

I thought he was asking for a payoff of the
rest of his Utd contract which would make the deal pointless. Just got too greedy. It would surely be better for him on the football front to go to a West Ham level club and play regularly. I think only losing his international spot would get him to think twice.

That's because he knows he sucks now.

 

[Zantera]

Manchester United told senior staff that Mason Greenwood will return

I'll be honest, if this comes to fruition I don't think I can support the team anymore in good conscience. Absolutely shocking

 

[DarthSkywalker]

 

[B]

Manchester United told senior staff that Mason Greenwood will return

I'll be honest, if this comes to fruition I don't think I can support the team anymore in good conscience. Absolutely shocking

Club Statement on Mason Greenwood

Following the dropping of all charges against Mason Greenwood in February 2023, Manchester United has conducted a thorough investigation into the allegations made against him.

This has drawn on extensive evidence and context not in the public domain, and we have heard from numerous people with direct involvement or knowledge of the case.

Throughout this process, the welfare and perspective of the alleged victim has been central to the club’s inquiries, and we respect her right to lifelong anonymity.

We also have responsibilities to Mason as an employee, as a young person who has been with the club since the age of seven, and as a new father with a partner.

The fact-finding phase of our investigation is now complete, and we are in the final stages of making a decision on Mason’s future.

Contrary to media speculation, that decision has not yet been made and is currently the subject of intensive internal deliberation. Responsibility ultimately rests with the Chief Executive Officer.

Once made, the decision will be communicated and explained to the club’s internal and external stakeholders.

This has been a difficult case for everyone associated with Manchester United, and we understand the strong opinions it has provoked based on the partial evidence in the public domain. We ask for patience as we work through the final stages of this carefully considered process.

Basically if you want the cliff notes, it says any stories regarding the club having made a decision at this point is pure bull****.

I still don't think he'll ever play for us again, however if the club does bring him back, I would be lying if I said I'd stop supporting my club that I've supported since as far back as I can remember over this 1 little turd.

From the club's perspective, legally he's not been found guilty of anything even though the audio (and images, but mostly the audio) that made it to public domain would suggest he is guilty. I'd imagine they're scrambling to search for any loophole possible that says he broke his contract my bringing the club into disrepute so they can release him without paying the full sum he'd be owed, which is likely £10m+.

The club knows this, bringing him back will damage the reputation of the club which in turn will likely hurt pockets & the Glazers only care about cashflow. I'd be surprised if they wanted him to return, however the Glazers might take a more lenient eye to this sort of thing as I'm pretty sure they've drafted/signed/kept a dozen NFL players on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster that have had domestic abuse, assault & other sorts of allegations/convictions on their records.

Basically, releasing him would be best for all parties IMO.

 

[Iceman]

Manchester United told senior staff that Mason Greenwood will return

I'll be honest, if this comes to fruition I don't think I can support the team anymore in good conscience. Absolutely shocking

I wouldn’t be surprised if a fair amount of Utd fans felt the same way. That audio was just too much, no explaining that away.

 

[Iceman]

City are losing to Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup.

 

[Iceman]

City are level but Sevilla have have had about 4 great chances since.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Club Statement on Mason Greenwood


Basically if you want the cliff notes, it says any stories regarding the club having made a decision at this point is pure bull****.

I still don't think he'll ever play for us again, however if the club does bring him back, I would be lying if I said I'd stop supporting my club that I've supported since as far back as I can remember over this 1 little turd.

From the club's perspective, legally he's not been found guilty of anything even though the audio (and images, but mostly the audio) that made it to public domain would suggest he is guilty. I'd imagine they're scrambling to search for any loophole possible that says he broke his contract my bringing the club into disrepute so they can release him without paying the full sum he'd be owed, which is likely £10m+.

The club knows this, bringing him back will damage the reputation of the club which in turn will likely hurt pockets & the Glazers only care about cashflow. I'd be surprised if they wanted him to return, however the Glazers might take a more lenient eye to this sort of thing as I'm pretty sure they've drafted/signed/kept a dozen NFL players on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster that have had domestic abuse, assault & other sorts of allegations/convictions on their records.

Basically, releasing him would be best for all parties IMO.

The Athletic doesn't lie. They have a great track record. If he doesn't come back, it's do to the current backlash.

Also your line about the NFL is ridiculous considering the amount of offenders in the PL, which has a far smaller worker base then the NFL.

 

[Iceman]

City won on penalties but not all that convincing. How do Sevilla always seem to play so well against PL sides in Europe?

 

[Hunter Rider]

What a dick, Maguire's move to West Ham is officially off according to reputable outlets. It says there hasn't even been any communication between Moyes & Maguire so it begs the question was there even a bid accepted? As you'd expect that once there was the first thing that a buying manager would do is pick up the phone & have a conversation. It also seems that United themselves were hesitant on letting him leave as they don't have a replacement that is currently lined up & ready to come in. They should at least send him out on loan because barring suspension to Martinez or injury to Varane, Lindelof is/should be the primary deputy.

This is the worst news we've had so far this summer window.

Things are looking bleak mate, Maguire is a giant turd with zero ambition or character, he's willing to be 5th choice CB to collect the bag. The fact him and McTominay will be here another season shows we really aren't getting anywhere, both are mediocre and even if they barely play it's the space they take up and the fact we need the money to buy other players.

I will say though that if we fail to get top 4 it's on Ten Hag, his insistence on Mount instead of a proper midfielder has ****ed the balance of the team and left us scraping the barrel for Amrabat, who make no mistake is a decent player but below the level required to be challengers, City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle have all signed superior midfielders this summer.

I just saw they signed Lavia now too. Must be over £900m now then. Absolutely crazy.


Chelsea 2-0 Liverpool! Blues agree £58m deal to sign Romeo Lavia from Southampton as Reds miss out on another transfer target | Goal.com Nigeria

Chelsea are literally unzipping and pissing all over FFP and basically saying "what you gonna do about it?"

Manchester United told senior staff that Mason Greenwood will return

I'll be honest, if this comes to fruition I don't think I can support the team anymore in good conscience. Absolutely shocking

Probably the one thing we are pretty much on the same page about mate, I'm disgusted that this is even a question at the club, and you know if he wasn't so talented we'd have binned him off already.

I wouldn’t be surprised if a fair amount of Utd fans felt the same way. That audio was just too much, no explaining that away.

I didn't even hear the audio, the transcript was enough for me to feel sick at the sight of him.

 

[Iceman]

Newcastle bidding £35m for Lewis Hall (Chelsea youngster). That would take our spending relatively high in the window without going high profile on anyone. I think most of those will fit Howe’s system easily.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Rumour that United have contacted Bayern for Gravenberch, probably a loan if it happens.

Newcastle bidding £35m for Lewis Hall (Chelsea youngster). That would take our spending relatively high in the window without going high profile on anyone. I think most of those will fit Howe’s system easily.

Not familiar with him, has he played much senior football?

 

[Iceman]

Rumour that United have contacted Bayern for Gravenberch, probably a loan if it happens.




Not familiar with him, has he played much senior football?

No, he’s 18 and looks like he’s only had a handful of appearances. I’ve seen him once and he looked like someone with a lot of potential, plus he’s flexible and can play left back and midfield. Steep price tag for someone that age and with so few appearances but so far the transfer decisions by the new bods at Newcastle have seemed very astute as time goes on, and not always the obvious ones (outside of Trippier, and maybe Barnes).

Looks like they’re building long term (Livramento also seemed expensive) with risks like this when that combined money (£75m) could have been invested on a first team improvement to push harder this season. I’m happy with the overall transfer philosophy here while this Howe project is in progress in any case.

 

[B]

Things are looking bleak mate, Maguire is a giant turd with zero ambition or character, he's willing to be 5th choice CB to collect the bag. The fact him and McTominay will be here another season shows we really aren't getting anywhere, both are mediocre and even if they barely play it's the space they take up and the fact we need the money to buy other players.

I will say though that if we fail to get top 4 it's on Ten Hag, his insistence on Mount instead of a proper midfielder has ****ed the balance of the team and left us scraping the barrel for Amrabat, who make no mistake is a decent player but below the level required to be challengers, City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle have all signed superior midfielders this summer.

From what I've read it doesn't seem clear what has exactly scrapped the deal, but all parties have suffered for whatever reason. Manchester United (Unsurprisingly as we've seen all too often these last 10+ years) don't get shifted of their dead wood, Maguire himself won't get anywhere near enough first team football to justify his selection for England & West Ham will be lacking an experienced CB who probably would have been more help to them than us.

We've seen other clubs typically those that regularly finish in the mid-lower half of the table just pluck decent solid players from abroad for nominal fees that are superior to McTominay, heck West Ham picked up Alvarez for £35m so there's no excuse for a player of his level making 200 appearances for the club. I'll give Mourinho a pass for bringing him into the team, because if I recall we had an injury wave when he was brought in, however for OGS, Rangnick & EtH to keep him around is just crazy to me. I don't even think he's better than van de Beek, I want my midfielders to all be good on the ball & McTominay just isn't strong enough. He doesn't even make up for it by being some sort of ball winning terror, he's alright, he works hard in that respect, but I think he's low-Premier League/Championship level.

I'm honestly like a broken record with him & Maguire.

That could turn into a costly blunder because I don't think that midfield trio will work in anything other than special circumstances, I'd have been fine with Mount if we picked him up for say £30m-£40m & still had some funds left for another promising, proper CM/CDM. But it seems like the much higher fee, plus obviously the higher fee than expected for Hojlund has crippled us.. and the signing of Onana which we obviously needed, but I'd have given De Gea a 1 year deal & went for a goalkeeper next summer personally.

Now Amrabat seems to be even out of reach, possibly even going to Liverpool. I'm not very optimistic about how our season will go if I'm honest.

 

[B]

Newcastle bidding £35m for Lewis Hall (Chelsea youngster). That would take our spending relatively high in the window without going high profile on anyone. I think most of those will fit Howe’s system easily.

There's a Chelsea fan from work that was talking to me about Lewis Hall last season, he wanted him given as much minutes as possible, probably because of how poor a lot of the supposed 'first team' players were last season for Chelsea, but also because he showed promise when he did play.