The Ongoing Serie A, La Liga, All English Football, Champions League Thread - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Part 55

[B]

Hard to argue City weren't deserving, those opening 20 minutes or so were very hard to watch after that worldie of a goal after 13 seconds from Gundogan hit the team mentally & could well have been at least 1 more goal down.

Fortunate to be back into it after the handball, which is just ridiculous after you see what happened to Roma in the Europa League final then seeing brushing contact being given today when full on contact wasn't given the other night. It's so simple to solve this whole handball crap, if it touches your hand, regardless of the circumstances, it's a foul. Forget this open to interpretation 'unnatural position' nonsense, touches anywhere from your fingertip to your elbow, it's just a foul.

None the less we were back in it & all in all, we played alright I thought. Bit of a back & forward even after Gundogan's second which again was another great goal even if he didn't strike it the cleanest. It wasn't a demolition job which I feared going in & we actually gave a good account of ourselves, just maybe lacking that quality perhaps moreso off the bench than anything as we ended up bringing on Weghorst, McTominay & an 18 year old.

The better team won though on the day & throughout the season obviously, it's a shame we couldn't pick up another trophy for what has otherwise been a productive & positive season under EtH. Depending on this takeover & what sort of backing he gets over the summer in the market, if any, we could make a big stride this summer if the correct players are brought in & sold.

 

[Iceman]

Hard to argue City weren't deserving, those opening 20 minutes or so were very hard to watch after that worldie of a goal after 13 seconds from Gundogan hit the team mentally & could well have been at least 1 more goal down.

Fortunate to be back into it after the handball, which is just ridiculous after you see what happened to Roma in the Europa League final then seeing brushing contact being given today when full on contact wasn't given the other night. It's so simple to solve this whole handball crap, if it touches your hand, regardless of the circumstances, it's a foul. Forget this open to interpretation 'unnatural position' nonsense, touches anywhere from your fingertip to your elbow, it's just a foul.

None the less we were back in it & all in all, we played alright I thought. Bit of a back & forward even after Gundogan's second which again was another great goal even if he didn't strike it the cleanest. It wasn't a demolition job which I feared going in & we actually gave a good account of ourselves, just maybe lacking that quality perhaps moreso off the bench than anything as we ended up bringing on Weghorst, McTominay & an 18 year old.

The better team won though on the day & throughout the season obviously, it's a shame we couldn't pick up another trophy for what has otherwise been a productive & positive season under EtH. Depending on this takeover & what sort of backing he gets over the summer in the market, if any, we could make a big stride this summer if the correct players are brought in & sold.

I was worried after that first goal that it might turn into a thrashing with Utd forced to come forward.

The current handball rules and interpretations and decisions are the worst they’ve ever been. The commentator did say that he’d heard that change might be on the way to bring it back to a more common sense option.

Yeah, it wasn’t a shameful defeat. ETH Utd a year or 2 from now would be a different proposition too, he’s made a lot of difference in a year.

 

[Zantera]

I read that we had a higher xG than City yesterday though and I'm not that surprised. Yes they had a lot of the ball but did not really threaten us that much and I think statistically we actually did a lot better against City than Bayern or Real Madrid did. In the end it doesn't matter when Gundogan scores two volleys though, he came in clutch for them. Like we've discussed before, you can have a great game and keep 3-4 of City's best players away but they have a 5th or 6th player who steps up. Did not see much quality from Haaland, KDB or Grealish for example, yet City has Gundogan stepping up and they have players like Foden and Alvarez on the bench.

Whether it was because we did well defensively or City were off the mark is up for debate I suppose, but City barely had anything outside of their goals. I can't say I was sitting in front of the TV sweating nervously thinking "Oh it's gonna be another goal soon".

 

[Hunter Rider]

I also can’t see how Mount can be a priority. Kane though I think is always going to be expensive being England’s leading man and also not young anymore. Can’t compare the value to Haaland, but he’s also one of the most consistent PL strikers long term and managing to do it from within a Spurs team. I think he’d be getting a bunch of goals at Utd from early on and would improve you a lot at least for a couple of years before we see how much he gets affected by ageing.

Even if I could find a reason for Mount positionally there are better players than him, especially at the fee being touted. That's my take on Kane too, it feels a very short term signing and it's all outlay as there's no sell-on potential, but if we are bringing Hojlund in as well then I could see tye logic as we'd be getting a proven world class #9 and his replacement who can develop as his understudy as well as being cover/rotation in the role.

 

[B]

I was worried after that first goal that it might turn into a thrashing with Utd forced to come forward.

The current handball rules and interpretations and decisions are the worst they’ve ever been. The commentator did say that he’d heard that change might be on the way to bring it back to a more common sense option.

Yeah, it wasn’t a shameful defeat. ETH Utd a year or 2 from now would be a different proposition too, he’s made a lot of difference in a year.

Me too, they came forward in waves for those opening 20 minutes & the team looked demoralised. But after we got a few touches of the ball & were able to settle ourselves we did start to manage to get the ball up the pitch with some confidence will resulted in the, albeit fortunate IMO, penalty.

The problem with common sense is it's not so common anymore these days. Honestly I'd just make it any contact at all, regardless of how minimal, is just a foul. It will be harsh, like it was yesterday for Grealish, but personally I'd rather it was harsh, than to have a non-decision like the Europa League Final in which there was clear contact & the ball was being fired into a dangerous area at speed. Anything could have happened had it not struck him.

Not at all, was a relatively competitive game, I think the biggest strength City have is aside from the strength of their starting 11, they just have too much depth for any team to really cope with them at the minute. I don't think we'll be able to do enough in the summer/next season to overtake them, but maybe we can at least close the distance a little.

 

[Iceman]

Me too, they came forward in waves for those opening 20 minutes & the team looked demoralised. But after we got a few touches of the ball & were able to settle ourselves we did start to manage to get the ball up the pitch with some confidence will resulted in the, albeit fortunate IMO, penalty.

The problem with common sense is it's not so common anymore these days. Honestly I'd just make it any contact at all, regardless of how minimal, is just a foul. It will be harsh, like it was yesterday for Grealish, but personally I'd rather it was harsh, than to have a non-decision like the Europa League Final in which there was clear contact & the ball was being fired into a dangerous area at speed. Anything could have happened had it not struck him.

Not at all, was a relatively competitive game, I think the biggest strength City have is aside from the strength of their starting 11, they just have too much depth for any team to really cope with them at the minute. I don't think we'll be able to do enough in the summer/next season to overtake them, but maybe we can at least close the distance a little.

Yeah, overall not a bad day for Utd despite losing the final. Could easily have been much worse and there are signs of promise when you can partially mix it with City in a game they are definitely up for.

I could back that as even when not intentional you could be unfairly disadvantaging the other team by getting in the way of what they intended to do. For what the commentator said it sounded like he meant a return to the old style of judging handball before the recent rule changes but I can’t even remember who said it so we’ll have to see.

Yeah, teams might be able to beat City but they will have the best squad next year regardless of who wins what (and it will still probably be them winning a bunch of trophies).

 

[Iceman]

Man United fan arrested for wearing a shirt to mock the Hillsborough disaster | All Football

What a POS. Long jail term and ban from all football and big fine for starters should be the order of the day.

 

[B]

Man United fan arrested for wearing a shirt to mock the Hillsborough disaster | All Football

What a POS. Long jail term and ban from all football and big fine for starters should be the order of the day.

Wow.. what a scumbag.

This is a tricky one to explain to your employer as to why you were arrested, why you're such a piece of **** & why they shouldn't sack you.

 

[Hunter Rider]

I wonder how long their dominance will last. Real look to be making huge signings this summer.

Trying to get some control in midfield and giving nothing away could be the way to frustrate City - in a standard game of football they'll score eventually. 0-0 at 70 mins and then you have a chance and it's worth taking a gamble.

Could be great for Brighton fans as there can be some very big names of European football in the Europa in any given season. I hope they enjoy it while they can, as even though they are good enough to be there, it won't be easy to sufficiently expand their squad with equally talented players this summer, especially on contracts that would be expensive if they fail to qualify the year after. Chelsea and Spurs won't have Europe to worry about so it could be tough to finish above them again while also performing in Europe. A big new challenge for them.

Yeah, keeping top 4 will be harder if Liverpool are back next season, although I'm still trying to get confirmed if it will be top 5 next season for CL or if it's the season after.

I love Isak. Effective player but also very entertaining with his skills, while being chilled out and likeable. If he can avoid injury I think he'll build on his successful first season and push to the next level.

That Leicester team had a lot of talented players for a relegated team and I can see a whole bunch leaving. I wouldn't be surprised if we went back in for Maddison.

I need that to be the big trophy going forward for teams looking to complete the Quintuple, Hunter's Pukka Pies Cup! The winner not only has to win the final, but down a blended chicken & mushroom, steak & kidney and beef & onion pie mix, topped off to the brim with steaming hot gravy.

After all this talk I’m really craving a pukka pie or 2 myself lol.

Who are Real Madrid signing? I know they've become front runners for Bellingham. I think if we get it right in the summer United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle can start to push them next season.

There definitely could be some big European glamour games next season for Brighton, especially if they get through the group as in the next phase there's always a couple of big teams drop into the Europa League. Chelsea will be back in the mix next season I agree, so for Brighton it's a huge summer transfer window and season for them if they are to sustain as a European club.

Isak is so skillful on the ball, that goal he made that was in goal of the season contention was world class dribbling, he just needs to add more goals next season to progress.

I could definitely see Howe going for Maddison and I could see a few clubs in for Ineacho as he finished the season strongly.

I like it, now theres a trophy with rules that will entertain the fans with it's rules instead of frustrating them, and provide a competition to surpass the CL! We may need to keep Maguire for the final portion of winning that cup.

Lol grab them and some chips mate!

Couldn't agree more, the max I'd pay for Kane would be £70m, if they want more than that, it would have to be based on goals, individual/team success & I'd lower the guaranteed money. Martial for me is unquestionably someone who we should be shopping, struggled with injuries last season & even when he is fit he can't be relied upon to score. Not to mention is he really ten Hag's sort of forward given his low defensive/out of possession workrate..? He's basically Ronaldo, just not as prolific a goalscorer in that respect.

Perhaps, I'd try to basically give him away none the less or make him a part of any deal we might be involved in.

After the nonsense with de Jong last summer I'd try to move on, it seems like he's got no interest or his interest is directly tied to Champions League football alone.. so does that mean if we fail to qualify next year he'll be crying for the exit? At this point I'd honestly take a couple of signings to over a singular big deal. They seem to rarely work out or live up to the pricetag for us anyway.

£60m is way to much for Mount, I was thinking more like under £20m. However I bet ten Hag could unearth someone from Holland of similar calibre for under £20m that would probably fit his system better. But I think we have reasonable cover that can fill in for a run of games, maybe not weeks/months to the same level but good enough for minor injury/suspension or rotation so it's not a massive priority for me.

The sooner they're gone the better, maybe the next owners will actually put the people in place to help the manager as opposed to hinder him. Have to wait & see, I've no clue what will happen or when, wouldn't shock me to see it drag on until September.

The current story is that Ten Hag wants Kane and Hojulnd, I could definitely see the planning there, but it's the price for Kane as you say, that will be the issue and dealing with Levy is always difficult. If we can't get Kane I'm not sure who ETH will opt for as his senior striker signing. I think Martial has elements to his game that suits how Ten Hag wants to play but his injury record is beyond a joke, he needs sold with Maguire and McTominay.

There's been talk of a Maguire/Mount swap.

De Jong is exactly what we need in terms of skill set but I agree that it's a waste of time, just like we can't beat Real Madrid to Bellingham. We need two midfielders regardless Imo, that ball carrying top class #8 is crucial and we need cover for Casemiro, i honestly think Alvarez from Ajax would be a smart bit of business and he'd surely want to play for Ten Hag again.

That's my take on Mount as well, there are plenty of cheaper options who can do what he does, but in truth we don't need him as like you say we have options, get a top #8 in and Eriksen can cover/rotate with Bruno in that role, just like we don't need anymore wide players as we've got Rashford, Garnacho, Antony, Sancho and Amad to come back.

I loathe the Glazers, they are poison in human form and two of them are like turds clinging to the bowl no matter how hard you flush.

 

[Iceman]

Who are Real Madrid signing? I know they've become front runners for Bellingham. I think if we get it right in the summer United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle can start to push them next season.

There definitely could be some big European glamour games next season for Brighton, especially if they get through the group as in the next phase there's always a couple of big teams drop into the Europa League. Chelsea will be back in the mix next season I agree, so for Brighton it's a huge summer transfer window and season for them if they are to sustain as a European club.

Isak is so skillful on the ball, that goal he made that was in goal of the season contention was world class dribbling, he just needs to add more goals next season to progress.

I could definitely see Howe going for Maddison and I could see a few clubs in for Ineacho as he finished the season strongly.

I like it, now theres a trophy with rules that will entertain the fans with it's rules instead of frustrating them, and provide a competition to surpass the CL! We may need to keep Maguire for the final portion of winning that cup.

Lol grab them and some chips mate!

I saw a whole bunch of rumours/reports a while back and it’s not surprising with the CL obsession and then seeing themselves get smashed 4-0 by City when it could have been much more if not for the superhuman Courtois. Without big moves City could start an era of domination given a bunch of Real’s best players are past their peaks and may start receding at some point. But Mbappe and Alphonso Davies as well as Bellingham for eg. Also just heard today that Benzema is leaving so I can see them putting a huge effort into the striker department.

Chelsea will be better but I’m not expecting it to be easy for them and they could have a tough start still with so many players yet to settle in. But they should still be able to be a threat to Brighton by pushing for being one of the top 7. Spurs have a big job to do too to avert a crisis.

Isak is the kind of player I love to watch. When he adds regular goals and stays injury-free he could be one of the top strikers here. Always love a player who can beat others when dribbling, another reason I want to see ASM find his best form again. Isak has all the potential, and seems like a lovely lad with no ego like Ronaldo.

I’m totally fine with Maddison and my preference is that we go in and get that done right at the start of the window so we have more time to focus on any trickier targets. I’m really happy with the club though and can get behind these players with Howe even if we sign no one and just keep giving our best every week and especially in the home games. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.

Glad you approve, and yes haha, Maguire would finally have a use.

I wasn’t even joking mate. I grabbed a pukka pie last night mate after being inspired by your post (along with fish and chips and a kebab ).

 

[Iceman]

Wow.. what a scumbag.

This is a tricky one to explain to your employer as to why you were arrested, why you're such a piece of **** & why they shouldn't sack you.

I’d be surprised if someone of that nature could be capable of building the personal relationships required to maintain a job. He’s put a target on his back and I won’t cry any tears if it turns out badly for him.

 

[Iceman]

I read that we had a higher xG than City yesterday though and I'm not that surprised. Yes they had a lot of the ball but did not really threaten us that much and I think statistically we actually did a lot better against City than Bayern or Real Madrid did. In the end it doesn't matter when Gundogan scores two volleys though, he came in clutch for them. Like we've discussed before, you can have a great game and keep 3-4 of City's best players away but they have a 5th or 6th player who steps up. Did not see much quality from Haaland, KDB or Grealish for example, yet City has Gundogan stepping up and they have players like Foden and Alvarez on the bench.

Whether it was because we did well defensively or City were off the mark is up for debate I suppose, but City barely had anything outside of their goals. I can't say I was sitting in front of the TV sweating nervously thinking "Oh it's gonna be another goal soon".

Yeah, that’s the thing with City. The KDB-Haaland connection can rip any team to shreds when it’s firing. And when it’s not, Gundogan or Silva will do something. And when they don’t even Rodri or Grealish might step up. And if not them then Foden or Alvarez from the bench. They have too many potential match-winners and they can all play for the team and contribute even when their attacking game doesn’t come off.

Yeah, you did the best out of those teams and it should be seen as encouraging. One more situational event late on could have swung it for you. Add another summer of ETH and the new players bedding in, and some good recruitment, and you can close the gap further - the season after that Utd will be in a very different place.

 

[Zantera]

Lots of talk now from several sources that Spurs will go for Ange Postecoglou as their new manager. As a non-Spurs fan I actually think this would be both interesting and exciting. He just won the treble with Celtic and has done a fantastic job over there, also has experience from other leagues that might not necessarily carry a lot of weight over here in Europe, but a job well done either way. Also seems like a sympathetic character and nice bloke TM from interviews.

Really feels refreshing if he's their guy because Spurs are coming off a dozen of uninspired boring picks in a row now. Conte and Mourinho with their anti-football of 9 men behind the ball and hoofing it (both also feeling a bit past it) and Nuno who wasn't even an exciting choice when he got the job. Ange seems like the sort of manager who gets his teams playing exciting football which has been severely missing for Spurs since the Poch days.

There's still time for Spurs to muck this up or plot twists to happen but if they get him I actually think it's a pretty inspired choice. It might still not pan out ofc, the Spurs curse (no pun intended) seems hard to break for anyone. But still, getting an interesting choice from the outside seems like a step in the right direction instead of going for Potter or Rodgers or someone who just got fired because 'they got PL experience'.

 

[Iceman]

 

[Breogan]

Anyone watch WC U-20
scroll down for quarter final bracket
https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/tournaments/mens/u20worldcup/argentina-2023

No interest LOL!

Oh well, Semi-Finals up (scroll down)
https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/tournaments/mens/u20worldcup

 

[B]

The current story is that Ten Hag wants Kane and Hojulnd, I could definitely see the planning there, but it's the price for Kane as you say, that will be the issue and dealing with Levy is always difficult. If we can't get Kane I'm not sure who ETH will opt for as his senior striker signing. I think Martial has elements to his game that suits how Ten Hag wants to play but his injury record is beyond a joke, he needs sold with Maguire and McTominay.

There's been talk of a Maguire/Mount swap.

De Jong is exactly what we need in terms of skill set but I agree that it's a waste of time, just like we can't beat Real Madrid to Bellingham. We need two midfielders regardless Imo, that ball carrying top class #8 is crucial and we need cover for Casemiro, i honestly think Alvarez from Ajax would be a smart bit of business and he'd surely want to play for Ten Hag again.

That's my take on Mount as well, there are plenty of cheaper options who can do what he does, but in truth we don't need him as like you say we have options, get a top #8 in and Eriksen can cover/rotate with Bruno in that role, just like we don't need anymore wide players as we've got Rashford, Garnacho, Antony, Sancho and Amad to come back.

I loathe the Glazers, they are poison in human form and two of them are like turds clinging to the bowl no matter how hard you flush.

That would be ideal, I'm not too familiar with Hojulnd's game other than what I've read, but I'd be happy if we got Kane to be the main man for as many years as he can give us with a younger alternative brought in to give him a rest & hopefully develop. For me, I'd have moved on from Martial when Mourinho wanted to do it, but of course Joel Glazer or whichever one it was that overruled him knows better & he's Manchester United's Pele apparently..

If Chelsea would actually take some sort of swap deal with very little, by today's standard, money actually being involved, then I'd take that, I'd be amazed if they would however. Mount would at least be harmless depth with potential to be more, whereas Maguire I don't think will ever win back his position at Manchester United.

Exactly, there's countless number of midfielders that would improve our depth and obviously be an improvement over McTominay. Alvarez would, in theory, be available for a reasonable fee by today's standard's, I'm sure he could even play alongside Casemiro which would give us the sort of backbone we've not had in a United side in years. Tielemans might not be a bad shout either, he's also free & he's far better than McTominay that's for sure. But honestly, I could rattle off maybe 10 names that range from free to probably under £50m.. now individually they might not have the ability of de Jong or Bellingham, but I think they'd improve us immediately & potentially even further the longer EtH has them.

For me I really want more of a deep lying playmaker, I don't particularly care about speed, height, physicality, tackling ability.. anything like that. I mean it would be nice if they had it all but the main sort of attributes I'd be looking for is passing ability, composure, awareness, positioning, attributes more focused on helping us play out from the back or retain possession & move us up the pitch when we're struggling.

There are very few people that have a positive opinion of the Glazers other than perhaps ex-Liverpool players & fans of rival clubs. To have allowed other clubs to catch us up & overtake us in the last 20 years, moreso off the pitch, speaks volumes to how poorly they've run the club. SAF retiring was always going to be a massive blow on the pitch, but they should have been silently prepping for it so it wasn't just the sledgehammer to the crotch we got, however you get the impression that we've mostly been operating off the cuff these last 10 years.

 

[B]

No interest LOL!

Oh well, Semi-Finals up (scroll down)
https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/tournaments/mens/u20worldcup

Sorry, the only game I've even seen the highlights of was Argentina's defeat to Nigeria.

 

[Iceman]

No interest LOL!

Oh well, Semi-Finals up (scroll down)
https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/tournaments/mens/u20worldcup

Ha, thanks. Who are the favourites to win now?

 

[B]

What a player, after seeing what he offered & gave Manchester United in his at 35 years old, he's a player I now wish we had signed 10 years sooner as he would have been an absolute monster with youth on his side, his mentality & ego.. he could honestly have been the second coming of Cantona for us that's the sort of aura he oozed even in his brief stay. It's a shame his stay was effectively derailed by that bad knee injury he suffered.

 

[Iceman]

What a player, after seeing what he offered & gave Manchester United in his at 35 years old, he's a player I now wish we had signed 10 years sooner as he would have been an absolute monster with youth on his side, his mentality & ego.. he could honestly have been the second coming of Cantona for us that's the sort of aura he oozed even in his brief stay. It's a shame his stay was effectively derailed by that bad knee injury he suffered.

Oh yes, peak Ibrahimovich could have been a very different prospect and ripped the league to pieces. Cantona is a good comparable to the impact I think he could have had and would have got a whole bunch of winning goals in 0-0 games. He's the player who can make the difference in those kinds of games. Was there ever rumours of Utd going for him back then?

 

[Iceman]

Ange Postecoglou: Celtic manager given permission to talk to Tottenham with Brendan Rodgers and Jesse Marsch in frame to replace him

 

[B]

Oh yes, peak Ibrahimovich could have been a very different prospect and ripped the league to pieces. Cantona is a good comparable to the impact I think he could have had and would have got a whole bunch of winning goals in 0-0 games. He's the player who can make the difference in those kinds of games. Was there ever rumours of Utd going for him back then?

Who Ibra? I don't think so, he got injured near the end of his first season missing the EL Final & I don't think he played again until the following January & I think he was restricted to only sub appearances. I think he more or less went to America to regain his fitness before a final hurrah in Italy.

 

[Iceman]

Who Ibra? I don't think so, he got injured near the end of his first season missing the EL Final & I don't think he played again until the following January & I think he was restricted to only sub appearances. I think he more or less went to America to regain his fitness before a final hurrah in Italy.

Yes Ibra, but I meant while he was at his peak.

 

[Iceman]

Lots of talk now from several sources that Spurs will go for Ange Postecoglou as their new manager. As a non-Spurs fan I actually think this would be both interesting and exciting. He just won the treble with Celtic and has done a fantastic job over there, also has experience from other leagues that might not necessarily carry a lot of weight over here in Europe, but a job well done either way. Also seems like a sympathetic character and nice bloke TM from interviews.

Really feels refreshing if he's their guy because Spurs are coming off a dozen of uninspired boring picks in a row now. Conte and Mourinho with their anti-football of 9 men behind the ball and hoofing it (both also feeling a bit past it) and Nuno who wasn't even an exciting choice when he got the job. Ange seems like the sort of manager who gets his teams playing exciting football which has been severely missing for Spurs since the Poch days.

There's still time for Spurs to muck this up or plot twists to happen but if they get him I actually think it's a pretty inspired choice. It might still not pan out ofc, the Spurs curse (no pun intended) seems hard to break for anyone. But still, getting an interesting choice from the outside seems like a step in the right direction instead of going for Potter or Rodgers or someone who just got fired because 'they got PL experience'.

Yeah I posted about him a while back. Spurs have gone for big names who are in some ways bigger than the club and have no hunger. They want the pay and eventual payoff, and if it all turns out well then fine. But at the first sign of difficulty they treat it as not worth their time and effort given they’ve already won a ton of stuff.

 

[Breogan]

Ha, thanks. Who are the favourites to win now?

I think Italy have been playing best (which bodes well for their future WC team who had crashed out of Qatar), and Israel, who delivered a very surprising upset, taking out Brazil, would be my picks.
FIFA+ Israel v Brazil

Though being played in Argentina, Uruguay have a somewhat near home-court advantage, and S.Korea are playing almost as well as their WC counterparts.