Football 2024/25

[charlierc]

Just now, FeverDream said:

Yeah on hindsight I was a little reactive and we still have a decent run of fixtures compared to teams around us. Believing we can get anything from them is another matter though, haha. 
 

I’d like see Tonali back in the 6 position to allow Bruno to push further up. Genuinely baffled he was benched after the Liverpool game. Must have been fatigued (as with Gordon) given he did put a shift in but god was it frustrating not having them start.

 

I am starting to worry about our transfer strategy in going for players like Bruno, Gordon, Isak and Tonali, and I’m not surprised Mitchell said as much when he came in. They’re all in their prime and will want consistent European football and if we don’t deliver that for a second year running then I think we will say end up saying goodbye to 2 or 3 of them.

I think there's going to need to be work in January. FFP/PSR is still being talked of as a pain in the arse and in a sell-to-buy position, but the mismanagement of the summer window is biting us on the arse and is going to require amendment. Really I think we need a CB, CDM and RW as potential priority positions. Shame a PL-worthy one in each of those positions is now about £30-40m and will want substantial wages, but resting on the laurels isn't an option anymore.

 

I do ponder if we got things wrong with our investments in 2023, although equally, we could at least say we were hit by injuries and weren't a million miles away from the top 4 again. To be worse this season with no European football is going to have to be questioned.

[charlierc]

How are we still above Man United ffs

[thetime]

51 minutes ago, charlierc said:

How are we still above Man United ffs

 

I don't think we are in the days, if you finish above utd you win the league. 

[charlierc]

12 hours ago, thetime said:

 

I don't think we are in the days, if you finish above utd you win the league. 

Well no - not since 2013, which is an increasingly long period of time ago.

 

Even then, having noted some positive qualities in Amorim's first games in charge, I was expecting a home win against Forest yesterday and I see that in practice that turned out to be wide of the mark. The defending on the second and third Forest goals was particularly bad.

[pink_triangle]

Added Burton on to my list of stadiums yesterday. Horrific conditions for watching football , although the wind did help with one of my favourite goals, the one directly from the corner!

[thetime]

5 hours ago, charlierc said:

Well no - not since 2013, which is an increasingly long period of time ago.

 

Even then, having noted some positive qualities in Amorim's first games in charge, I was expecting a home win against Forest yesterday and I see that in practice that turned out to be wide of the mark. The defending on the second and third Forest goals was particularly bad.

 

With Dean Ashworth leaving utd, it's all as shambolic as ever. 

[charlierc]

13 minutes ago, thetime said:

 

With Dean Ashworth leaving utd, it's all as shambolic as ever. 

Yeah. All the arguments between Man U and Newcastle for months over what compensation Newcastle were owed for him to spend a lot of money in one window and a resignation because he didn't gel with the new boss Amorim. So not worth it.

[thetime]

7 minutes ago, charlierc said:

Yeah. All the arguments between Man U and Newcastle for months over what compensation Newcastle were owed for him to spend a lot of money in one window and a resignation because he didn't gel with the new boss Amorim. So not worth it.

 

Rumours was he was pushing for Southgate. 

[thetime]

Even a good weekend for the scousers when they have there feet up. 🤪

[Skip997]

1 hour ago, thetime said:

Even a good weekend for the scousers when they have there feet up. 🤪

Maybe 

 

Looks like Chelsea might win 

[kaosmark2]

Oh Spurs never change

[charlierc]

So that's Spurs, Newcastle and Man United in a row in the bottom half of the Premier League table right now. As you do.

[charlierc]

On 12/8/2024 at 3:04 PM, thetime said:

Rumours was he was pushing for Southgate. 

Either him or Graham Potter according to one article I read. So with Southgate saying he's planning a year off and might not return to coaching at all, that presumably would've made Potter his Plan A.

 

We can assume if he'd got his way that he'd have to take the flak given Potter's reputation as a failure with big budgets after what happened at Chelsea.

[pink_triangle]

3 hours ago, charlierc said:

Either him or Graham Potter according to one article I read. So with Southgate saying he's planning a year off and might not return to coaching at all, that presumably would've made Potter his Plan A.

 

We can assume if he'd got his way that he'd have to take the flak given Potter's reputation as a failure with big budgets after what happened at Chelsea.

If his only idea were Southgate and Potter it’s probably a lucky escape by Man Utd. The biggest mistake was appointing him in the first place. I get the impression Ashworth is a bit overhyped.

[charlierc]

17 hours ago, pink_triangle said:

If his only idea were Southgate and Potter it’s probably a lucky escape by Man Utd. The biggest mistake was appointing him in the first place. I get the impression Ashworth is a bit overhyped.

I'm not sure what to make of his time with Newcastle. It's difficult to know who it was in 2022 he was involved in but the rumour is he pushed hard for Sandro Tonali, which I'm not sure has worked for us just yet - not just because of the gambling ban, which was unfortunate, but because I think we were looking for more of a CDM and instead just signed someone that does the same things as Bruno Guimaraes. Though consensus is a lot of his signings ended up in the youth team.

 

Naturally we're not going to sympathetic given the cloud of stink he kicked up to get out of Newcastle. Which is why I doubt a rumour of Man United trying to replace him with our new Director of Football Paul Mitchell.

 

Southgate could be a hangover given his big start was in the FA's ecosystem, though like I said, he wants a break after leaving the England job and is considering not returning to frontline coaching at all.

Edited yesterday at 03:26 PM by charlierc

[charlierc]

I'm still bemused by the 2030 World Cup and how exactly a format of Spain, Portugal and Morocco co-hosting with Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay getting one game each is going to be anything other than a total mess.

 

I'm aware this was part of the gymnastics to give Gianni Infantino's buddies in Saudi Arabia a World Cup - likely a January WC in 2034 - but the one beforehand just sounds insane and unworkable.