Football 2024/25

[kaosmark2]

17 hours ago, charlierc said:

Whether the Swedes do the same with Isak in the internationals at the end of the month, who knows. Least they've got an excellent other striker option in Gyokeres.

 

It's kinda batshit how there's only a handful of top class strikers in the world and 3 of them are Scandanavian.

[kaosmark2]

@charlierc Botman really does seem to keep having injury issues doesn't he? Absolute class when fit but I'm starting to wonder how often that'll be. Hopefully this is actually it for a while but it's hard to feel confident.

[charlierc]

5 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

@charlierc Botman really does seem to keep having injury issues doesn't he? Absolute class when fit but I'm starting to wonder how often that'll be. Hopefully this is actually it for a while but it's hard to feel confident.

I feel like the mismanagement of his ACL last season is going to be looked back on as a pretty significant error. Making him play 2 games on an ACL injury and then thinking it didn't need surgery when it did only for him to succumb again less than 3 months later was just an all-round failure.

[kaosmark2]

1 hour ago, charlierc said:

I feel like the mismanagement of his ACL last season is going to be looked back on as a pretty significant error. Making him play 2 games on an ACL injury and then thinking it didn't need surgery when it did only for him to succumb again less than 3 months later was just an all-round failure.

Yeah. Given we didn't get anything directly out of last season (in terms of European places) it'll suck if we're just a few points of the CL places and lose a cup again with his injuries costing in those.

[thetime]

Leagues a bit mad, 5 points between 4th-10th. Champions league well and truly up for grabs.

 

[kaosmark2]

1 minute ago, thetime said:

Leagues a bit mad, 5 points between 4th-10th. Champions league well and truly up for grabs.

 

I think goal difference and squad depth is going to tell now. Unfortunately.

[charlierc]

14 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

I think goal difference and squad depth is going to tell now. Unfortunately.

I guess we'll get a first indication of how we're going to cope on Monday. Not least what the plan is for a new-look left hand side with Hall and Gordon absent.

[Skip997]

Not very often I want Man Utd to win 

[thetime]

Forest have an unbelievable chance of champions league football. 

 

10 games left, only 2 teams they play are in the top 10 (Chelsea and Villa). 

 

Would be great to see. 

 

I thought Palace might make a late surge, as they are the leagues form side. They have 8 of the top 10 play. There good form was probably more down to a friendly fixture list. 

Edited March 9, 2025 by thetime

[thetime]

4 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

Not very often I want Man Utd to win 

 

I wouldn't put your house on it. 

[charlierc]

26 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

Not very often I want Man Utd to win 

I don't think Arsenal are that big a threat given their lack of strikers and double digit points deficit.

22 minutes ago, thetime said:

I wouldn't put your house on it. 

Tbf they did demonstrate they can get under Arsenal's skin and cause them bother in that FA Cup meeting in January.

[Crazyfool01]

30 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

Not very often I want Man Utd to win 

lets not go that far ... a draw will be fine for me 

[thetime]

5 minutes ago, charlierc said:

I don't think Arsenal are that big a threat given their lack of strikers and double digit points deficit.

Tbf they did demonstrate they can get under Arsenal's skin and cause them bother in that FA Cup meeting in January.

 

Could be a big damp squib to be honest, hopefully utd rest a few for Thursday. 

 

[charlierc]

6 hours ago, Crazyfool01 said:

lets not go that far ... a draw will be fine for me 

And it looks like that's what you got.

[pink_triangle]

I know we should respect all opinions, but the BBC chairman view that match of the day needs more analysis and less football is completely wrong!

[Skip997]

5 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

I know we should respect all opinions, but the BBC chairman view that match of the day needs more analysis and less football is completely wrong!

Yeah it’s complete nonsense. It’s far easier to argue the opposite. Match of the Day highlights are far too short already 

[Neil]

stating the obvious

 

'Some Man Utd players not good enough & overpaid'

[Ryan1984]

6 hours ago, Neil said:

stating the obvious

 

'Some Man Utd players not good enough & overpaid'

Was surprised to see him name some names that are still there and playing regularly. Guess they’ll be getting a new keeper in the summer!

[charlierc]

Well, bit of an ugly win for the Toon at West Ham last night, but in this multi-team European places fight, take what I can get. No injuries or suspensions either ahead of the cup final on Sunday is also a bonus.

[charlierc]

1 hour ago, Ryan1984 said:

Was surprised to see him name some names that are still there and playing regularly. Guess they’ll be getting a new keeper in the summer!

It's probably not going to help with whatever harmony they have at Old Trafford to be so critical.

 

Equally, they're already probably underestimating how hard it'll be to shift all these players on. Even subsidised loans like the ones for Antony and Sancho are probably costing a f**k-ton in wages.

[Skip997]

2 hours ago, Ryan1984 said:

Was surprised to see him name some names that are still there and playing regularly. Guess they’ll be getting a new keeper in the summer!

It’s the most sensible thing I’ve heard anyone linked to Man Utd say for a long time. Squad is full of dross 

[kaosmark2]

11 hours ago, Neil said:

stating the obvious

 

'Some Man Utd players not good enough & overpaid'

I think the stuff about the cuts to staff is batshit though:

"Where do you want to spend the money? Do you want to spend it on operating the club, or do you want to spend it on the squad? Because if you spend it on the squad you get better results"

 

They pay Antony while he's on loan as much as they pay 200 staff all together. That's not improving results.

[kaosmark2]

3 hours ago, charlierc said:

Well, bit of an ugly win for the Toon at West Ham last night, but in this multi-team European places fight, take what I can get. No injuries or suspensions either ahead of the cup final on Sunday is also a bonus.

Given everyone from 3rd-9th is fighting for (probably) 3 spots every result matters.

 

I've got basically no hope for the cup final though. The way Gordon combines with Isak really punishes attacking right-backs like TAA and I don't think Barnes carries the same threat or fitness. Add in that we're gonna have someone out of position at left-back trying to deal with Salah and I think we're going to struggle to exploit the few weaknesses in their team, and our biggest current vulnerability will be easy for them to target.

[Neil]

Man utd have announced a new stadium without any way to fund it. I'm just waiting for Britain's richest tax avoider and biggest redundancy  boss asking the government to pay. Pictures of the new stadium looks like a circus big top, perfect for clowns. I see Norwich is popular again with utd fans.

[Neil]

Utd are now nearly as Scummy as Chelsea, with the same number of no trophies.