Football (Soccer)

[B]

That's a reason why I love the FA Cup. 1 game, do or die, roll up your sleeves & fight.

What a great game overall & advert for the FA Cup. We started so brightly & for about the first 40 minutes we played well, should have scored at least 1 more goal ourselves, then Liverpool who had been steadily growing in the game, got a goal back.. then immediately we reverted to form & conceded again a few minutes later. It had another battering written all over it at that point as we looked like we'd folded mentally, half-time probably saved us at that point.

Second half, dreadful from United for about 40 minutes, so passive & easy to play against, Liverpool should have killed the game off & like the first half but with the roles reversed, United grew gradually got a goal against the run of play & had Liverpool on the ropes for the final few minutes, full-time probably saving Liverpool.

Extra-Time was then a lot more evenly matched, very end to end mostly resulting in 3 goals, absolutely fantastic game from both teams. Bit like a boxing match were after a back & forth both of them meet in the middle & stand their ground going blow for blow.

 

[Iceman]

Cup draw: Coventry vs Utd and City vs Chelsea

 

[BlackFox]

Cup draw: Coventry vs Utd and City vs Chelsea

No easy ties but I will take that. Feels like a repeat of last season could be on the cards but we shall see, After this round its very hard to call. A small chance of silverware is still there though, in what has been a dire season otherwise, at least we have one highlight this season to look back on with fondness. Wasnt a classic performance but a classic cup tie for sure. Liverpool will be kicking themselves they didnt finish us off second half when they were in control for such a long period.

 

[Hunter Rider]

What a cup tie, we played arguably our best football of the season in the first half and then it all fell to bits in the last 5 minutes. Second half we looked shot, you wouldn't think we were 2-1 down with the lack of tempo we were playing with, but Liverpool undercooked things and you could see Klopp getting irritated that they hadn't gotten a 3rd, then out of nowhere Antony pulls a Keyser Soze and shocks the Liverpool defenders by proving he actually does have a functioning right foot! When Rashford missed that chance with the last kick of regular time after an excellent 1st touch, I thought our chance had gone.

I thought we had the better of extra time despite having Bruno at CB and Antony at LB, but when the scouse Paul brother scored their 3rd and recreated the famous scene from the Notebook with Klopp I thought it was over, seriously the love-in for Klopp since he announced he's leaving has been nauseating and they spent so long holding on the slow motion replay of him and Elliot hugging that I was expecting Celine Dion's Titanic song to start playing. We kept going though and Amad started to affect the game with winning possession, he won the ball that led to McTominay's awkward assist for Rashford and then he won the 2nd ball that set him and Garnacho off for the counter and a winner that will become an FA Cup classic moment!

Great win but we can't overlook the continuous issues though, McTominay got a goal and assist today but his technical limitations as a CM are glaring, as is how poor he is positionally on the defensive side of the ball, and Bruno stays being chaotic, Mainoo is the only composure we have in the midfield and that must be built around in the summer. On the plus side the aforementioned Mainoo and Garnacho were tremendous today, as was Dalot who has actually had a very good individual season overall. Garnacho never stops running, he's a threat off both wings, his decision making and creativity is improving and that lung busting run after 2 hours of play to assist the winner exemplified his contribution.

 

[B]

What a cup tie, we played arguably our best football of the season in the first half and then it all fell to bits in the last 5 minutes. Second half we looked shot, you wouldn't think we were 2-1 down with the lack of tempo we were playing with, but Liverpool undercooked things and you could see Klopp getting irritated that they hadn't gotten a 3rd, then out of nowhere Antony pulls a Keyser Soze and shocks the Liverpool defenders by proving he actually does have a functioning right foot! When Rashford missed that chance with the last kick of regular time after an excellent 1st touch, I thought our chance had gone.

I thought we had the better of extra time despite having Bruno at CB and Antony at LB, but when the scousd Paul brother scored their 3rd and recreated the famous scene from the Notebook with Klopp I thought it was over, seriously the love-in for Klopp since he announced he's leaving has been nauseating and they spent so long holding on the slow motion replay of him and Elliot hugging that I was expecting Celine Dion's Titanic song to start playing. We kept going though and Amad started to affect the game with winning possession, he won the ball that led to McTominay's awkward assist for Rashford and then he won the 2nd ball that set him and Garnacho off for the counter and a winner that will become an FA Cup classic moment!

Great win but we can't overlook the continuous issues though, McTominay got a goal and assist today but his technical limitations as a CM are glaring, as is how poor he is positionally on the defensive side of the ball, and Bruno stays being chaotic, Mainoo is the only composure we have in the midfield and that must be built around in the summer. On the plus side the aforementioned Mainoo and Garnacho were tremendous today, as was Dalot who has actually had a very good individual season overall. Garnacho never stops running, he's a threat off both wings, his decision making and creativity is improving and that lung busting run after 2 hours of play to assist the winner exemplified his contribution.

I'll give EtH credit, he's got some balls for sending them back out in ET in whatever Frankenstein formation/personnel he tried. It's not something you could ever start a game with, but it literally was an all in type moment & the sort of attitude that often benefitted SAF so many times late on in games.

With how many goals & assists McTominay has racked up this season, I'm hoping we can perhaps lull West Ham into coming back in for him & giving us £50m for him.

Dalot impressed me lately & today, as actually did AWB at LB, opening 40 or so minutes he was causing problems going forward because Salah wasn't following him & in severely limited Salah's impact. Not a bad performance against one of the PL's best after being injured for a few months & only returning to training I believe a few days ago. Mainoo was fantastic, was disappointed to see him go off actually, his mesmerising run should have been rewarded with an assist but not for McTominay's poor effort straight at the keeper from a few yards away.

Fernandes also should get his flowers today, unreal workrate today both on & off the ball, defensively & offensively. It looked like he put in an insane shift, I'd love to know what his distance covered was in comparison to everyone else on the pitch.

Was delighted for Amad also, he's had a rough season with injuries & getting time on the pitch, was lively when he came on & got his reward with the winner. The second yellow further highlights how dumb that rule is about taking your shirt off being an auto yellow card, ruining what should have been a great moment for the lad at full time, instead having to enjoy it on his own in the changing rooms. Hopefully he gets more minutes & starts as a reward for a solid appearance & goal.

 

[Iceman]

Looks like points deductions are going to play a significant part in the relegation battle this season.

Nottingham Forest drop into Premier League relegation zone after four-point deduction for PSR breach

Nottingham Forest docked four points for breaching Premier League financial rules; Forest drop to 18th in the top flight - one point behind 17th-placed Luton; Forest have seven days to appeal but Sky Sports News understands club are consulting with lawyers over whether to do so

www.skysports.com

 

[B]

Looks like points deductions are going to play a significant part in the relegation battle this season.

Nottingham Forest drop into Premier League relegation zone after four-point deduction for PSR breach

Nottingham Forest docked four points for breaching Premier League financial rules; Forest drop to 18th in the top flight - one point behind 17th-placed Luton; Forest have seven days to appeal but Sky Sports News understands club are consulting with lawyers over whether to do so

www.skysports.com

Everton's breach was £19m, initially hit with a 10 point deduction, later reduced to 6 on appeal.

Nottingham Forest's was £34.5m, hit with a 4 point deduction.

So Forest breach was almost double of Everton's, yet Everton got hit initially with 2.5x the punishment. It also says in the article Nottingham Forest disputed the level of the breach, which isn't full cooperation as far as I'm concerned.

If this is the bar that has been set, now twice, if any resistance to potential violations immediately makes the punishment harsher, Manchester City have fought, clawed, cried & screamed the entire way for all of their FFP charges from the PL & UEFA. It is a very real possibility they could be relegated if they're found guilty of failing to cooperate & wrong doing as their charges span over 10 years, not just 1 or 2 like Everton/Forest.

 

[henzINNIT]

I can't see Man City facing any consequences, let alone anything serious. Maybe if they don't win the league this year, they'll have points deducted from this season. I'd bet on some total cop out.

Harrowing sights yesterday for a Liverpool fan. If you told me the entire squad were hung-over I'd believe you. Credit to Man U as well though. Fought til the end and earned it.

 

[Iceman]

Everton's breach was £19m, initially hit with a 10 point deduction, later reduced to 6 on appeal.

Nottingham Forest's was £34.5m, hit with a 4 point deduction.

So Forest breach was almost double of Everton's, yet Everton got hit initially with 2.5x the punishment. It also says in the article Nottingham Forest disputed the level of the breach, which isn't full cooperation as far as I'm concerned.

If this is the bar that has been set, now twice, if any resistance to potential violations immediately makes the punishment harsher, Manchester City have fought, clawed, cried & screamed the entire way for all of their FFP charges from the PL & UEFA. It is a very real possibility they could be relegated if they're found guilty of failing to cooperate & wrong doing as their charges span over 10 years, not just 1 or 2 like Everton/Forest.

Obviously super-harsh punishment is warranted compared to these in-comparison minor offenders, but it doesn’t feel like it’s coming. If it’s going to be points deductions it should be points deductions over each of the next 5 or so seasons so that winning the title becomes pretty much impossible for many years. I think they could bounce straight back from a relegation and then dominate again otherwise. Juve started dominating despite their relegation.

 

[BlackFox]

This is starting to turn into a bit of a farce at this point, points being deducted then added back on appeal, Luton might think they are safe one minute and then on appeal they aren't again suddenly. Perhaps they should just tell us the league positions and not bother playing the games.

this close to the end of the season the points really should be deducted at a start of new season not half way through one being played out, makes the competition become a bit silly.

 

[Iceman]

This is starting to turn into a bit of a farce at this point, points being deducted then added back on appeal, Luton might think they are safe one minute and then on appeal they aren't again suddenly. Perhaps they should just tell us the league positions and not bother playing the games.

this close to the end of the season the points really should be deducted at a start of new season not half way through one being played out, makes the competition become a bit silly.

Yep, otherwise I don’t see the point of having a title presentation early for eg just because the gap becomes mathematically impossible to close. The winning team could still be theoretically deducted points, As you say, all points deductions should take effect for a subsequent season so that the current standings always have meaning.

 

[B]

I can't see Man City facing any consequences, let alone anything serious. Maybe if they don't win the league this year, they'll have points deducted from this season. I'd bet on some total cop out.

The longer this goes on the less & less likely it seems that they'll be punished as severely as 10+ years of cooking their books should be.

You can now add Everton & Nottingham Forest Football Club's & their supporters, to the growing list of individuals & organisations that will be asking, if we got this, how come they got that?

Obviously super-harsh punishment is warranted compared to these in-comparison minor offenders, but it doesn’t feel like it’s coming. If it’s going to be points deductions it should be points deductions over each of the next 5 or so seasons so that winning the title becomes pretty much impossible for many years. I think they could bounce straight back from a relegation and then dominate again otherwise. Juve started dominating despite their relegation.

Everton reportedly had 2 charges, Forest reportedly only 1. Manchester City have 115. I mean even if they get away with 3/4 of them, they'll still have 35+ charges, hypothetically lets say each charge is the equivalent to 4 points, that's 140 points, then because they've been totally uncooperative & the fact it's went on for so long there could well be an additional points penalty, heck even if it's only 1 more per charge (which seems the case based on the fact Everton got 10 for 2 charges & reportedly not being fully cooperative), that would be 175 points!

It's absolutely mind boggling. Being relegated to the Championship would & should be considered lenient, you could be talking League 2, maybe even the National League. Again, that's only if they are found guilty of only 1/4 of their charges & 4/5 points per charge is the norm.

Hard to say what sort of long term impact a relegation would have on them & it would depend just how far they're relegated. Either way I'd anticipate a massive fire sale of the majority of their star players, without cooking the books again, there's no way they could hold onto all those players on such wages with Championship (or lower) level income.

 

[Iceman]

Kobbie Mainoo: Man Utd midfielder handed first England call-up after being drafted in from Under-21s

Manchester United midfielder had been part of the England Under-21s group but has been drafted into Gareth Southgates squad for games against Brazil and Belgium; Mainoos late addition follows an impressive performance in epic FA Cup quarter-final win over Liverpool

www.skysports.com

Big prospect for the future and can replace Henderson/Phillips for World Cup 2026 with the new manager. We’ll have a lot of players close to their peak then.

 

[Hunter Rider]

I'll give EtH credit, he's got some balls for sending them back out in ET in whatever Frankenstein formation/personnel he tried. It's not something you could ever start a game with, but it literally was an all in type moment & the sort of attitude that often benefitted SAF so many times late on in games.

I actually lost track of who we had on at one point and then realised Bruno was at CB and Antony at LB it was certainly bold and shows he's at least got the character to go out swinging rather than with a whimper.

With how many goals & assists McTominay has racked up this season, I'm hoping we can perhaps lull West Ham into coming back in for him & giving us £50m for him.

Agreed, if we get a versatile attacker in who can play Striker then there's no need to keep McTominay, he's done well this season from a goal scoring perspective but he's a midfielder who is not very good at playing in midfield. If we can get anywhere between £35-40M for him I'd be happy as it's pure profit.

Dalot impressed me lately & today, as actually did AWB at LB, opening 40 or so minutes he was causing problems going forward because Salah wasn't following him & in severely limited Salah's impact. Not a bad performance against one of the PL's best after being injured for a few months & only returning to training I believe a few days ago. Mainoo was fantastic, was disappointed to see him go off actually, his mesmerising run should have been rewarded with an assist but not for McTominay's poor effort straight at the keeper from a few yards away.

Dalot has really cemented himself as a top RB this season, his defensive game has vastly improved all round and his ability to drift into midfield with ease is a big attribute in the modern game. I agree AWB did really well, especially playing as LB, I think he's improved over the last year but will probably go in the summer. Mainoo is a special talent mate, I think he only ended up coming off as he tired due to how positionally poor Bruno and McTominay are, leaving him trying to plug midfield holes on his own. We need to get Joao Neves this summer to set our midfield up for the next decade.

Fernandes also should get his flowers today, unreal workrate today both on & off the ball, defensively & offensively. It looked like he put in an insane shift, I'd love to know what his distance covered was in comparison to everyone else on the pitch.

He certainly puts total effort in, he just admitted in an interview he hasn't played well this season, you know my view on him, but at the very least he needs to start being rotated properly next season, he's played a ludicrous amount of minutes this season.

Was delighted for Amad also, he's had a rough season with injuries & getting time on the pitch, was lively when he came on & got his reward with the winner. The second yellow further highlights how dumb that rule is about taking your shirt off being an auto yellow card, ruining what should have been a great moment for the lad at full time, instead having to enjoy it on his own in the changing rooms. Hopefully he gets more minutes & starts as a reward for a solid appearance & goal.

I've been saying for ages that the rule is silly, one of several. I'm with you on wanting Amad to get a proper chance, it's a shame he's suspended for the Brentford game. We are heavily linked with Olise and he's a good talent but I want to see Amad get some full games like Garnacho has had, so we can get a real chance to see how good he can be, before spunking £50M for another wide player.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Kobbie Mainoo: Man Utd midfielder handed first England call-up after being drafted in from Under-21s

Manchester United midfielder had been part of the England Under-21s group but has been drafted into Gareth Southgates squad for games against Brazil and Belgium; Mainoos late addition follows an impressive performance in epic FA Cup quarter-final win over Liverpool

www.skysports.com

Big prospect for the future and can replace Henderson/Phillips for World Cup 2026 with the new manager. We’ll have a lot of players close to their peak then.

Hopefully he gets a chance to play against Brazil along with Palmer, these are only friendlies so it's not like all the main starters need to play.

 

[B]

I actually lost track of who we had on at one point and then realised Bruno was at CB and Antony at LB it was certainly bold and shows he's at least got the character to go out swinging rather than with a whimper.

It was a bold decision when the game was still in the balance, which is why I can appreciate it more. It's easier to throw on several attacking players when you're behind & really do need to go for it, but when things are balanced, you've just watched your side be dominated for the majority of the second half, but end the last 5 minutes or so superbly, so to change things & go for a bold formation with things teetering.. well it takes cojones.

Agreed, if we get a versatile attacker in who can play Striker then there's no need to keep McTominay, he's done well this season from a goal scoring perspective but he's a midfielder who is not very good at playing in midfield. If we can get anywhere between £35-40M for him I'd be happy as it's pure profit.

Dalot has really cemented himself as a top RB this season, his defensive game has vastly improved all round and his ability to drift into midfield with ease is a big attribute in the modern game. I agree AWB did really well, especially playing as LB, I think he's improved over the last year but will probably go in the summer. Mainoo is a special talent mate, I think he only ended up coming off as he tired due to how positionally poor Bruno and McTominay are, leaving him trying to plug midfield holes on his own. We need to get Joao Neves this summer to set our midfield up for the next decade.

He certainly puts total effort in, he just admitted in an interview he hasn't played well this season, you know my view on him, but at the very least he needs to start being rotated properly next season, he's played a ludicrous amount of minutes this season.

I've been saying for ages that the rule is silly, one of several. I'm with you on wanting Amad to get a proper chance, it's a shame he's suspended for the Brentford game. We are heavily linked with Olise and he's a good talent but I want to see Amad get some full games like Garnacho has had, so we can get a real chance to see how good he can be, before spunking £50M for another wide player.

I'd be delighted with £30m for him given that I don't think he's very good, despite obviously saving us several times with his goals.

I've been most impressed with how much he's improved on the ball, he's played an inverted fullback sort of role at points in games this seasons & he slots a little more central with minimal fuss, takes the ball & has been composed & alert. I'd honestly keep AWB & Dalot to be honest, I think the pair have good competition between one another & both seem competent at playing either side when it calls, so I like it. If we sign a fullback I think it will be a LB & more direct competition with Shaw. Malacia's unavailability through injury all season has probably put him on the chopping block, even moreso considering he was such a low risk transfer.

Mainoo has really impressed me coming in, for someone so young, he's got a lot of composure. Ideally I'd still like 2 midfielders, Joan Neves + Mainoo could potentially be fantastic.

I'm shocked he hasn't been injured more than he has with the amount of games/minutes he plays. It's almost like it's in his contract that if he says he's fit, he has to play.

Yeah it's one of the dumbest rules in the game, I remember reading some silly stat about Salah that he was booked like 10 times one season & 9 of them were for celebrating after he'd scored, which is just crazy. I really like what I've seen of Amad when he has played for us & from what I've seen on loan, he looks quick, agile, composed in possession, dynamic, I've also said I think he can play as a 10 also, biggest concern about him is probably his size, I'm sure he's a strong lad for his size, but he does look quite small. Needs more opportunities though in games that matter & not just in dead time, that goal vs Liverpool will hopefully force ETH to give him more chances these last 10 or so games.

 

[Hunter Rider]

It was a bold decision when the game was still in the balance, which is why I can appreciate it more. It's easier to throw on several attacking players when you're behind & really do need to go for it, but when things are balanced, you've just watched your side be dominated for the majority of the second half, but end the last 5 minutes or so superbly, so to change things & go for a bold formation with things teetering.. well it takes cojones.

It's something that milktoast managers like Southgate and Potter would never do in such a high profile game.

I'd be delighted with £30m for him given that I don't think he's very good, despite obviously saving us several times with his goals.

Given it's pure profit I'd be fine with £30M as well, as he's basically a midtable SS.

I've been most impressed with how much he's improved on the ball, he's played an inverted fullback sort of role at points in games this seasons & he slots a little more central with minimal fuss, takes the ball & has been composed & alert. I'd honestly keep AWB & Dalot to be honest, I think the pair have good competition between one another & both seem competent at playing either side when it calls, so I like it. If we sign a fullback I think it will be a LB & more direct competition with Shaw. Malacia's unavailability through injury all season has probably put him on the chopping block, even moreso considering he was such a low risk transfer.

Fabrizio Romano seems certain we'll sign a LB so I'd say it's a safe bet, I like the look of Miguel Gutiérrez at Girona and Ait-Nouri at Wolves is definitely ready to step up, I also think Jorrel Hato at Ajax is a great option, he's a LB/CB hybrid.

Mainoo has really impressed me coming in, for someone so young, he's got a lot of composure. Ideally I'd still like 2 midfielders, Joan Neves + Mainoo could potentially be fantastic.

I'd like 2 midfielders as well but I'm not sure how far the budget will stretch, maybe a free signing like Rabiot or Guido Rodriguez, on a 2 year contract to tide us over.

I'm shocked he hasn't been injured more than he has with the amount of games/minutes he plays. It's almost like it's in his contract that if he says he's fit, he has to play.

It's crazy, I also think if he had to actually compete for his spot it would sharpen his performance.

Yeah it's one of the dumbest rules in the game, I remember reading some silly stat about Salah that he was booked like 10 times one season & 9 of them were for celebrating after he'd scored, which is just crazy. I really like what I've seen of Amad when he has played for us & from what I've seen on loan, he looks quick, agile, composed in possession, dynamic, I've also said I think he can play as a 10 also, biggest concern about him is probably his size, I'm sure he's a strong lad for his size, but he does look quite small. Needs more opportunities though in games that matter & not just in dead time, that goal vs Liverpool will hopefully force ETH to give him more chances these last 10 or so games.

Ratcliffe has been talking about sensible signings and approach to building the squad, it would be negligent to spend £50M on yet another wide player without giving Amad a proper chance, and like you I can see him as a #10 as well, he's actually strong in physical duels as he showed in the Championship and against Liverpool the other day.


Bit of good news mate.

 

[Iceman]

Gareth Southgate favourite to be next Man Utd manager after Ratcliffe decision

The England boss is reportedly in the running to be the next Man Utd boss with Erik ten Hag's future in doubt.

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk

 

[Hunter Rider]

Gareth Southgate favourite to be next Man Utd manager after Ratcliffe decision

The England boss is reportedly in the running to be the next Man Utd boss with Erik ten Hag's future in doubt.

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk

If this happens Ineos have **** the bed before they even really get started, I'd just give up as Southgate sucks, he's a boring, personality free, risk adverse dorkchop.

 

[BlackFox]

Gareth Southgate favourite to be next Man Utd manager after Ratcliffe decision

The England boss is reportedly in the running to be the next Man Utd boss with Erik ten Hag's future in doubt.

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk

I dont see it happening and if it did would be another Moyes situation, finding himself out of his depth pretty quickly.

ETH has been more hit and miss than I would have thought but I would rather stick with him than go for a Southgate who would be a big step backwards in my opnion.

 

[B]

Gareth Southgate favourite to be next Man Utd manager after Ratcliffe decision

The England boss is reportedly in the running to be the next Man Utd boss with Erik ten Hag's future in doubt.

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk

To say I'd be disappointed if the club parted ways with EtH at the end of the season & hired Southgate would be putting it politely. I'd probably set a personal record for swearing in a post, as well as truly test the leniency on the occasional swears we enjoy in this thread from @Hunter Rider & @Iceman if I really expressed my disappointment.

Contrary to what seems like, at least to media/pundits not sure about supporters, I don't think anything Southgate has done at international level has been impressive, at all.

He manages England & plays against the likes of Macedonia, San Marino, Andorra more often than he does actually good footballing nations that have a more equal talent pool to select from, having a 65%+ win ratio should be the absolute minimum expectation when you're playing against nations that realistically have little chance of ever competing not only because they've a smaller talent pool, but in some cases most of that talent pool aren't even full-time players, they have real jobs in the real world.

If he'd actually won the World Cup or the Euros, I'd maybe vaguely entertain the possibility that some people might want him, but even then I'd still be against it. I'm not saying he wouldn't deserve a chance at club level after he leaves, but he just strikes me as a bad fit for Manchester United.

 

[Iceman]

If Southgate wants a club job he should be getting the likes of Sheff Utd IMO, not a club in the top half. International football management is very different.

 

[BlackFox]

If Southgate wants a club job he should be getting the likes of Sheff Utd IMO, not a club in the top half. International football management is very different.

Southgates record with England has also been helped somewhat by some nice draws in competitions and England having a much better squad than a lot of the usual top international sides. Teams like Germany, Brazil, Spain, Italy, Holland are all in a bit of lul at the moment in terms of their international sides. Its not like Southgate has outfoxed any great opponents and usually end up losing when it matters the most anyway.

 

[blueharvest]

 

[blueharvest]