Football 2022/23

[charlierc]

2 minutes ago, thetime said:

Apart from FA Cups and European trophies.

I can see your point, but they were hardly Man City or Newcastle. They had success in the seasons before Roman Abramovic, which in a way made it easier them to get success.

I'd say Roman's arrival at Chelsea was a horizon expander, turning a club that usually got top 6 finishes and had won FA Cup trophies in 1996 and 2000 and turning them into the challenger of Man U and Arsenal's dominance at that point. Or as it turned out, an Arsenal replacer given they had a lull thanks to the financial burden of the Emirates in its first few years.

[thetime]

6 minutes ago, charlierc said:

I'd say Roman's arrival at Chelsea was a horizon expander, turning a club that usually got top 6 finishes and had won FA Cup trophies in 1996 and 2000 and turning them into the challenger of Man U and Arsenal's dominance at that point. Or as it turned out, an Arsenal replacer given they had a lull thanks to the financial burden of the Emirates in its first few years.

It actually gave us a few more years of united success IMO, gave fergie a new challenge and perhaps united's best team in the premier league era. 4 titles in 5 seasons(6 in 7 if citys's get overturned). Add that 3 finals in the champions league in 4 seasons.

I doubt that would of happened without the chelsea new model.

[pink_triangle]

As a fan I am not sure taking away titles is the biggest hit. It won’t take the memories or joy of winning the titles away. The players will keep their medals and their reputations. It only really benefits clubs like Liverpool and Man Utd who are counting titles. Once the moment has gone, it’s gone in my view.

[thetime]

6 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

As a fan I am not sure taking away titles is the biggest hit. It won’t take the memories or joy of winning the titles away. The players will keep their medals and their reputations. It only really benefits clubs like Liverpool and Man Utd who are counting titles. Once the moment has gone, it’s gone in my view.

To be honest I think rival fans would prefer relegation, than taking the titles away. 

Although it would mean the 'aguero' moment being erased. 😉

[pink_triangle]

Just now, thetime said:

To be honest I think rival fans would prefer relegation, than taking the titles away. 

Although it would mean the 'aguero' moment being erased. 😉

The Aguero moment wouldn’t be erased from the memories and that matters to a fan far more than what a Wikipedia page says.

[thetime]

14 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

The Aguero moment wouldn’t be erased from the memories and that matters to a fan far more than what a Wikipedia page says.

Oh yes city fans can enjoy the non title winning goal, playing in league 2.

 

[Neil]

2 hours ago, charlierc said:

a horizon expander

from no hopers into hopers.

[pink_triangle]

1 hour ago, thetime said:

Oh yes city fans can enjoy the non title winning goal, playing in league 2.

 

Don’t forget those teams who want to be in league 2 next seasons, we don’t want City joining the party!

[thetime]

12 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

Don’t forget those teams who want to be in league 2 next seasons, we don’t want City joining the party!

I suppose English teams think that about the Welsh. 🤣

[charlierc]

Hmmmm... 5 draws in 6 and a couple of injuries from a stuttering one at Bournemouth. I mean, it's still been a good season so far but it's yet to really catch fire in 2023 save for the ol' Carabao Cup Final run.

Missed opportunity as well imo given Spurs crashed at the King Power Stadium.

[charlierc]

9 hours ago, thetime said:

It actually gave us a few more years of united success IMO, gave fergie a new challenge and perhaps united's best team in the premier league era. 4 titles in 5 seasons(6 in 7 if citys's get overturned). Add that 3 finals in the champions league in 4 seasons.

I doubt that would of happened without the chelsea new model.

Can see that argument too tbf. It's difficult to speculate on how it would've played out had Roman not brought Chelsea (or indeed not brough another club, given he was also linked with Arsenal and Spurs), but as it is, Manchester United did see that and go "challenge accepted".

[thetime]

1 hour ago, charlierc said:

Hmmmm... 5 draws in 6 and a couple of injuries from a stuttering one at Bournemouth. I mean, it's still been a good season so far but it's yet to really catch fire in 2023 save for the ol' Carabao Cup Final run.

Missed opportunity as well imo given Spurs crashed at the King Power Stadium.

Lack of goals seems to be catching  up with you. Saying that a europa league place and losing finalists in the carabao is good progress for you. 

Important 3 games coming up for you guys.

Liverpool 

Utd 

City

Edited February 11, 2023 by thetime

[charlierc]

12 hours ago, thetime said:

Lack of goals seems to be catching  up with you. Saying that a europa league place and losing finalists in the carabao is good progress for you. 

Important 3 games coming up for you guys.

Liverpool 

Utd 

City

There's a danger of letting great become the enemy of good I guess. Ofc a top 5 finish and making the Carabao Cup Final is a good season, but it might not feel like that if the twin carrots of a Champions League place and winning the damn thing aren't fulfilled.

I'll worry more about the final and whether or not we win (which, please for the love of God!) after Liverpool next week.

[charlierc]

There's another time tbf where I think such a gamble might well have worked as they did have some OK moments, even accounting for the dissonance that is Jones having had two great spells at Luton either side of a dreadful one at Stoke. But I guess a grim record of only beating Frank Lampard in a Premier League game and digging a hole with increasingly erratic comments didn't help.

[pink_triangle]

2 hours ago, charlierc said:

There's another time tbf where I think such a gamble might well have worked as they did have some OK moments, even accounting for the dissonance that is Jones having had two great spells at Luton either side of a dreadful one at Stoke. But I guess a grim record of only beating Frank Lampard in a Premier League game and digging a hole with increasingly erratic comments didn't help.

You can maybe get away with the strange comments if you have a track record that backs them up. He seemingly couldn’t adapt and that is one reason he came short.

[charlierc]

VAR having to admit they made mistakes for both a Brighton goal disallowed at Crystal Palace (offside lines drawn on the wrong player) and Brentford goal allowed at Arsenal (lines not drawn at all) feels like another week for them and their increasingly erratic decision making.

[charlierc]

5 hours ago, pink_triangle said:

You can maybe get away with the strange comments if you have a track record that backs them up. He seemingly couldn’t adapt and that is one reason he came short.

Pretty much, yes.

It's still quite bizarre to think Jones' only game against Guardiola was one he actually won when they came face-to-face in the Carabao Cup. Though given it got us that instead of Man City in our CC semis, and we duly won both legs, not gonna look a gift horse in the mouth.

[thetime]

United fans(leeds and manchester) 😞

[The Nal]

15 hours ago, thetime said:

United fans(leeds and manchester) 😞

The least shocking news of the weekend

[pink_triangle]

So Southampton are going for Marsch now, don’t understand the strategy at that club, they may as well have stuck with Ralph.

[charlierc]

12 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

So Southampton are going for Marsch now, don’t understand the strategy at that club, they may as well have stuck with Ralph.

Be something if Jesse Marsch gets a new club before Leeds hire his replacement, and indeed, a club that is still yet to face Leeds at St Mary's.

But yes, Southampton's strategy is making little sense. It kinda goes back to them getting their transfer policy wrong in the summer and seemingly primarily signing Man City's youth prospects.

[charlierc]

It's genuinely quite something to me that for all the money PSG have to play with, one of their starting players in a Champions League knockout tie is 16.

They seem in an odd place atm, mind, given they're out of the French Cup, now in danger of a second consecutive Champions League last 16 exit, have been out of form in Ligue 1 as well, and there's talk of various star players wanting out in the summer. Not to mention talk those behind the Qatar cash at PSG are interested in acquiring Manchester United, which would be a bit of a distraction.

[lost]

I was reading an article that said the whole reason they are now looking at Man Utd is because they are giving up on the PSG project. Prem money makes a project like that more sustainable.

It would be a dream for Man Utd fans if it resulted in "engineered" moves for players like Mbappe.

Edited February 15, 2023 by lost

[Skip997]

8 minutes ago, lost said:

I was reading an article that said the whole reason they are now looking at Man Utd is because they are giving up on the PSG project. Prem money makes a project like that more sustainable.

It would be a dream for Man Utd fans if it resulted in "engineered" moves for players like Mbappe.

And another nail in the coffin of football.

[lost]

3 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

And another nail in the coffin of football.

I think its already happened though, I can't remember if it was Upamecano or Szoboszlai but I believe there was a better offer on the table for Redbull Salzburg than Redbull Leipzig ended up paying.