Lets Talk Football

See bit in bold. You'd already answered it.

I'll reiterate that I also said

BIB

By all means disagree, be outraged for being challenged or see that you made a mistake and concede that point, but don't give me the 'I can't believe you'd suggest such a thing' protestation after you'd literally suggested such a thing.

I'm sure Liverpool fans will disagree but I think you're mad to turn down £150 million for Salah. That's crazy money for a player for whom this is probably his last top season. Unless the thinking is, "let's see where we are in January and if we're fighting for the title and Champions League, and if we look off the pace we'll sell him then probably for about the same amount" then I just don't see it. Even if it's a kind of pride thing of 'we don't sell our best players' you've got the replacements already there so you can just spin it as it was a great offer and it's time for these players to make the step up. Salah's been a great servant and thank you.'

City's purchase of Nunes seems a little expensive, but I guess that's just the market now for a backup midfielder. Everyone's been circling him for years so be interesting to see what happens now someone's bought the trigger on it and if anyone's gonna make it work it's Pep.

I think there'll be more than a few City fans unhappy at the sale of Palmer, especially to Chelsea, as well as a lot of mixed feelings if he does well there. I am interested to see if he can make it iand hold down a place in the team though, as quite a few City fans were thinking this season will be his breakthrough season.

Does anyone know why you need didn't go for Cucurella? And we've brought in Reguilon? I can't say a massive fan of either, but at least Cucurella has form from his Brighton days, when he really did look quality on occasion. I don't think I've ever seen Reguilon have anything better than a decent game. But maybe that's the point, as we only really need him for six to eight weeks (with luck) why pay, what I'm sure is a lot more money every week, for Cucurella to sit on the bench for the rest of the season?

If Altay Bayindir becomes anything like the play he does on FM 22 I'll be more than happy as this will be a steal. I guess is that the real world will be a little different.

Amrabat I'm not sure about. I hear he's great, I saw how good he was in the World Cup, but I heard almost nothing about him before and very little since which does make me wonder if he's one of these 'World Cup buys' where you buy a guy who had two or three weeks of his career on the big stage and that's the last time you see it. We need someone there though who can do that job, so at least he will be there for that,I'm sure.

The Jonny Evans deals a bit weird too, just in that it feels a little bit like the Paul Scholes returning deal, although unlike that deal I don't think he'll be the best player in his position still even at that age and, Pauls case, months after retirement. I do think he'll be good around the place and, I'm assuming, ETN. still thinks he can do a job in an emergency.

Lastly, what's happening Forest? It's 9:00 p.m. now when they're still making deals, having already brought three or four in today, I think? It could be more, I've lost count. I'm interested in seeing Callum Hudson-Odoi settle in, as Bayern offered £40 million for him a couple of years back and were knocked back by Chelsea and now he's gone to Forest for under five. He's always looked to really erratic to me, but then I guess you would when you don't really get a run in the team.

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5-time MoFo Award winner.

“Challenged”, “made a mistake”, “concede”, “protestation”.

I think you’re getting yourself in a tizzy because I disagree with you about a one-time kiss.

I’ll give you the last word since I don’t have the time to hit this back & forth.

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I’m here only on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays. That’s why I’m here now.

Regarding Salah, we will still make loads even if we sell him in the next summer transfer season. For the Saudis he is not just a player but a symbol of Arab pride, which won't lessen next June.


I also think Salah is like Cristiano in the sense that he cares about personal records, trophies & a legacy. He is still in top shape, & with our side should get 20 odd goals again. So there's a reluctance on his part to leave, when there are still prestigious trophies on offer.


I personally feel he will deliver till his mid 30s, & maybe then decline. Not that I want him till his 35, but he will most probably take stock of the situation in the next summer. What might also change his stance is how this new team is shaping up, & the early signs are promising. Especially how quickly the new midfield has gelled. We still have Bajcetic, Thiago & Gravenberch to come in.


If the team sustains the good start, then we do have a realistic chance of trophies. That might convince him to stay for a longer time, but there is also FSG who might give him a nudge if an obscene offer comes in next summer.


As for Nunes. We heavily scouted him & were interested in him. He showed good in flashes in an average Wolves side. He will most probably come good at City.


United do look a mess with the off field issues. Sancho & Antony could go really wrong.


I thought they were unlucky against Arsenal. Not the offside decision or any other call - which were correct - but overall there wasn't much to choose between them & Gunners. I like the look of their new striker.


It's the off the field issues you have to worry about. Similar to Spain FA who have made right mess. The coach is gone now, but the head should have gone a week ago.


On a side note, horrendous interview by Henderson. Should have just been honest about the move being about money & kept quiet. But he just couldn't.

I largely agree with everything you said regarding Salah, including that there's a Muslim angle to buying him. There are rumours if a £200m January bid which, if true, I'd guess means that you'll get at least what you turned down this summer next summer.

As for Nunes, everybody's scouted him and watched him for years. I'll just be interested to see if he can be the player so many have thought he could be for so long and I find it interesting that it's City who have pulled the trigger, as I have supposed they're the ones who can afford it to go wrong the most, both on and off the field.


I agree with you about us against Arsenal. Until that last 15-20 minutes it was two, not particularly well playing teams, not playing particularly well. I agreed with all the decisions, except the Hojlund penalty which I thought, even on replay, still look like a penalty (but not to the point where I feel we were robbed)

Sancho and Anthony's problems, whilst obviously personal, are symptomatic of the whole problem at United which is the owners and it's management. Fergie got rid of Pogba, in part, because of his agent and his attitude. Other extremely talented players didn't have the right character for United and weren't bought for that reason. I don't know about Anthony, but Sancho probably wouldn't have been bought by Fergie unless he'd seen real change behind the scenes from the kid who left City.

I'm very much one for the saying The fish rots from the head down, and that's what's been happening at United ever since they bought it. While you had Ferguson and Gill in place they were able to protect United because they were like gatekeepers. They'd been there for a very long time, they trusted each other, and knew how to do their respective jobs properly (even with the Glazers above them making huge cutbacks behind the scenes which meant they couldn't do their jobs in the way that they had before the Glazers took over and siphoning off money) but once they both left in the same summer the club has not only been a ship without a rudder, but one without a Captain and a ship's wheel. There's no overarching plan at United, at least not one that anyone can see. Fletcher and Murtough are now technical director and director of football but neither of them have experience in either of those roles, they're just in house United employees trying to do the best they can and learning on the job.

ETH seems to be trying to implement his type of football this season, as he tried to last season but had to abandon it after the first two games when it became obvious they just couldn't do it, but he still doesn't have a team of players who can play as he wants them to. And, until he has at least six or seven of those players who can do what he wants them to do at the level he wants them to do it, will continue to struggle for form and performances because now he's started for real I can't see him turning back.

Also last weekend continue to see the good form of key members of the "Players HK would like to see at United" with JWP, Madison, Michail Antonio and Fornals all continuing their good start to their season.

I wasn't going to address this again whether you answered or not, but seeing how you answered I will, one last time.

Firstly I'm not in a "tizzy", secondly sexual assault.

I am enjoying United's troubles, but you gotta feel bad for Ten Hag. Almost 150+ million worth of wide players unavailable for off the field issues & he has also injuries to deal with.
Kane will be licking his fingers in anticipation.



I watched Newcastle's game against Milan. They were very fortunate to get that point.

More than that when you include Greenwood. It's an absolute mess isn't it? 4-3 last night and that's the most flattering score line we've had all season, because even the most myopic United fan would have struggled to argue that if we'd been beaten 6-0 or 6-1 it wouldn't have been deserved.

We appear to be the lethal combination of the United of a couple of seasons ago (where the moment we concede the goal all the heads drop and none of the players believe that the same movie won't play out again in front of them) and last season's Liverpool (where a non-existent midfield left an unprotected defense which was constantly chopping and changing, without its best defender, and conceding goals for fun.) United and Chelsea in a relegation battle? I'm joking, but it doesn't feel as funny as it usually would.

And then just for fun, Onana throws one in de Gea style and derailed what, until then, was a fairly competent performance against a Bayern side who aren't firing yet and look a lot like the side which last year almost lost the league (but didn't of course because they're Bayern and Dortmund aare Dortmund). I thought he did well to come out and take it on himself and admit that his mistake is what derailed the team, but that the team is derailed by a goal is a really bad sign.

I guess what we'll find out now, is whether ETH does what he did last season when he saw that he didn't have to players to play the football he wanted (i.e made us defensively solid and hit on the break) or continues to try and train and coach what he wants them to do in a race against time to get back the players he's lost and hope that he can put his first team out and that they will turn things around before people start calling for his head. Normally I would say that he definitely has this season, at least, because of what he did last year and the amount of injuries and off field problems that he already has had this year. But when you're run as badly as United are, I can't really be sure of that.

Hell, yes, I am gonna watch this. Hoping Victoria doesn’t insert herself too much as her husband is the star of this 4-part series.

Halfway through & enjoying this. Fisher Stevens (American) seemed an odd choice of director to me & at first I didn’t care for his little interjections. Then I realized he played the very funny character of Hugo in Succession so I like him better now.

I had no idea that Bobby Charlton is still alive. Born in 1937. Wowser.

Yes, there'll be a real day of mourning when he passes. Especially at United.

Heck, yes.

Loved the mini-series.

Looked up why he has never received a knighthood. Seems there were some past questions about taxes & finances, but all cleared up now. Is it very cynical of me to wonder if that was why he queued so many hours to see QEII lying in state?

If there’s one person who would love & cherish a knighthood it would be David.

Not at all, it's what most of us did.

Sorry to hear that.

I meant most of us thought that's why he did it, @Stirchley

I know. I understood what you were saying.

The day which comes for us all one day, came for Sir Bobby Charlton yesterday.

R.I.P. to a true legend. We miss you already Bobby.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/62989801

Wowser, didn’t I just mention him. A fine sportsman & a gentleman. R.I.P. 🙏✝️

A legend & good person.
RIP.