Football 2023/24

[charlierc]

2 hours ago, thetime said:

Yep totally biased. 😉

Willing to admit there's a little of that. I mean, the fact our supposed strongest 11 needs penalties to beat a Blackburn side who'd been in dreadful form in the Championship hints we need all the help we can get.

... I say that, Blackburn were pretty good.

[thetime]

A few potentially tasty ties in that draw. 

[Neil]

5 hours ago, thetime said:

A few potentially tasty ties in that draw. 

will be interesting to see if Klopp can get another Utd manager sacked before Klopp leaves. 😛 

[The Nal]

What a waste of a career

Paul Pogba: Juventus midfielder banned for four years for doping

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/68436828

 

Edited February 29, 2024 by The Nal

[balti-pie]

Such a strange career. Ridiculously talented and able to absolutely smash through any midfield at the top of his form, but with the free transfers, the colossal transfer fees and the bing bonging between Man Utd and Juventus - its all just so weird. I wish he'd done something else, moved to another country, played for some different clubs, instead of hovering between those two. 

[Neil]

pogba banned for performance enhancing drugs, not an offence he was committing when at Utd.

[charlierc]

23 hours ago, thetime said:

A few potentially tasty ties in that draw. 

I'd have been more enthusiastic as a Mag if we didn't have Man City away, especially as KdB and Haaland seem to be making up for lost time.

[charlierc]

5 hours ago, The Nal said:

What a waste of a career

Paul Pogba: Juventus midfielder banned for four years for doping

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/68436828

 

It feels like if this appeal fails, that's his career done.

[Neil]

2 hours ago, charlierc said:

It feels like if this appeal fails, that's his career done.

His career looked done before he left man utd.

[Neil]

Man utd don't develop highly rated players 

Pogba was a flop and martial hasn't hit the heights of some of the hype when he was signed.

[thetime]

18 hours ago, Neil said:

Man utd don't develop highly rated players 

Pogba was a flop and martial hasn't hit the heights of some of the hype when he was signed.

Majority of these players don't have the character to play for united. 

[Neil]

Just now, thetime said:

Majority of these players don't have the character to play for united. 

Lacking a bit of arrogance you say?

[thetime]

1 hour ago, Neil said:

Lacking a bit of arrogance you say?

You need to be of a certain character to succeed at utd, bit like Liverpool. 

It was one of fergies attributes, getting the right players in. No way he would of signed the likes of martial, pogba and sancho. 

[Neil]

38 minutes ago, thetime said:

You need to be of a certain character to succeed at utd, bit like Liverpool. 

It was one of fergies attributes, getting the right players in. No way he would of signed the likes of martial, pogba and sancho. 

Weren't they his signings?

[charlierc]

1 hour ago, thetime said:

You need to be of a certain character to succeed at utd, bit like Liverpool. 

It was one of fergies attributes, getting the right players in. No way he would of signed the likes of martial, pogba and sancho. 

Didn't Fergie let Pogba go because he wasn't a fan of them?

Pogba certainly chose poorly imo. Being a regular in a Juventus team that won 4 Serie A titles in a row and arguably being the star man for the French team that won the World Cup in Russia six years ago hints that somewhere in there was a talented footballer, but he just seemed never seemed to deal well with the expectation of being a superstar in red.

[charlierc]

On 3/1/2024 at 3:58 PM, Neil said:

Lacking a bit of arrogance you say?

Judging by how the second half of the Manchester Derby went, I'm not sure how much arrogance MUFC have exactly at present, or at least if they have it, it's not enough there. Much as I'm aware looking at their teamsheet that having no fit left-back isn't exactly helpful, or indeed the continued absence of Hojlund just when he'd managed to nail the art of scoring a lot, which any team would miss.

Least Rashford scored a proper thunderbastard. Even if his evening peaked there.

[thetime]

2 hours ago, charlierc said:

Judging by how the second half of the Manchester Derby went, I'm not sure how much arrogance MUFC have exactly at present, or at least if they have it, it's not enough there. Much as I'm aware looking at their teamsheet that having no fit left-back isn't exactly helpful, or indeed the continued absence of Hojlund just when he'd managed to nail the art of scoring a lot, which any team would miss.

Least Rashford scored a proper thunderbastard. Even if his evening peaked there.

Embarrassing performance. 

Ten hag tactics are so basic.

Edited March 3, 2024 by thetime

[charlierc]

18 hours ago, thetime said:

Embarrassing performance. 

Ten hag tactics are so basic.

It's slightly surreal to see him go from trying to be the heir to Ajax's Total Football to doing an Allardyce or Pulis style approach ngl.

[Neil]

villa look like they're in financial sh*t

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68476722

[DareToDibble]

Have to say this is one of the best title run ins I can remember for years. I still fully expect City to win it and their next 2 league games will go a long way to telling us if that will happen or not. 

I'm pretty sure City will win every game after Liverpool and Arsenal, just a question of what happens in those 2 games.

What I found interesting is how similar all 3 teams remaining fixtures are on paper.

All 3 have 4 games left against the top 6. City and Liverpool have 5 against 7-14th and 2 against the bottom 6, Arsenal with 6 against 7-14th and 3 against the bottom 6. Really could go either way.

Edited March 5, 2024 by DareToDibble

[kaosmark2]

8 minutes ago, DareToDibble said:

All 3 have 4 games left against the top 6. City and Liverpool have 5 against 7-14th and 2 against the bottom 6, Arsenal with 6 against 7-14th and 3 against the bottom 6. Really could go either way.

I'm generally a believer in the idea that mid-table teams tend to be a bit flat in the final 3-4 games of the season, with fairly little to play for and players having very little wish to risk injury, particularly if there's a tournament that summer. If City don't fall far behind in the next 2 games I don't really see them dropping points again.

That fixture run for Spurs as well.... City, Arsenal, Liverpool straight on the bounce. They can have a big impact there.

[Neil]

from the fixtures i fancy arsenal the most.

next is Liverpool - cos the story of Klopp leaving with an armful of cups is too good to pass up.

[DareToDibble]

If we aren't going to win it I'd like it to be Arsenal, it would be good for the league. City are unreal but it's always good to see someone win it who hasn't done so in years (apart from United of course 🙂 )

[Neil]

Of arsenal win it'll be some turn around looked down and out after wenger.

[charlierc]

16 hours ago, Neil said:

villa look like they're in financial sh*t

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68476722

Villa themselves seem to think they're within PSR limits because of the various exemptions included in that, but that they might be tight for next season.

Tbf, this doesn't help with my opinion that PSR/FFP limits should be increased as its clear a limit set in 2015 isn't gonna be enough anymore.