He looks like a rabbit in the headlights
He'll never forget that debut.
For a period I thought he was going to get hooked. He's actually made a couple of decent interventions since then. Poor kid's only 20, same age as my daughter - I can't imagine what it would be like to watch her have a mare in front of 50,000 people and a massive TV audience.
If he wasn't booked you'd have to keep him on for the second half.
After watching that, I understand why Howe takes a while for blooding new signings, particularly such young ones.
It was a risky thing to do, although the other lad had a good game.
Yep, and it's not just the game time. He joined them midweek I think; Man City had a CL game so won't have been in training proper with the squad since he was there. He made an error stepping back for an onside but more than that, his team mates don't know whether he's any good on the basis of how he does in the 5-a-sides, and rondos, and defence v attack exercises and then after a dodgy first 5 mins were conspicuously avoiding giving him the ball for the next 30.
Pep did well after by not hooking him which would have then left a festering confidence issue for the next week, and then taking him off after the second half had started, giving the crowd a chance to respond to him (take note fans from the other half of the city) but shouldn't honestly have been in that situation.
Yep, and it’s not just the game time. He joined them midweek I think; Man City had a CL game so won’t have been in training proper with the squad since he was there.
It's a sign of how poorly-equipped with fit defenders we are right now. A single goal conceded against Chelsea is probably our best defensive performance in the past couple of months.
Spursy.
Was that Big Ange’s last game then? Being a Spurs fan appears to be the only thing worse than being a United fan at the moment.
I’ve had one of the worst weeks of my life this week and I doubt my mood is going to be greatly enhanced by watching Fulham tonk us 3 nil. I don’t think I’ll bother.
I think Levy will stick with him for at least the League Cup.
If they can get some players back then they will easily finish top half.
Still going OK in Europe as well.
I think Antiques Roadshow is more exciting than this.
Was that Big Ange’s last game then? Being a Spurs fan appears to be the only thing worse than being a United fan at the moment.
Hold my beer!
Sign of a good side, winning ugly, so they say.
Yep, and it’s not just the game time. He joined them midweek I think; Man City had a CL game so won’t have been in training proper with the squad since he was there. He made an error stepping back for an onside but more than that, his team mates don’t know whether he’s any good on the basis of how he does in the 5-a-sides, and rondos, and defence v attack exercises and then after a dodgy first 5 mins were conspicuously avoiding giving him the ball for the next 30.
Just to add to that - apparently he doesn't yet speak English either - I know footballers live a privileged life, but I can't imagine how hard it must be to work at such a high level in a foreign country with people you don't know with a language barrier too.
Spursy.
Was that Big Ange’s last game then? Being a Spurs fan appears to be the only thing worse than being a United fan at the moment.
I’ve had one of the worst weeks of my life this week and I doubt my mood is going to be greatly enhanced by watching Fulham tonk us 3 nil. I don’t think I’ll bother.
Sorry to hear that mate.
I imagine Levy will keep Ange in just long enough for the transfer window to be closed by the time the new bloke turns up. They've got plenty of players on the way back but it's not like they're world beaters so could defo be upgraded.
As they said on Football Weekly, when Arsenal needed new players they bought from Manchester City, when Spurs needed new players they bought from The Championship!
Khusanov might have had a wobbly debut but it was not as bad as those of Evra and Vidic for United which were also at the Etihad stadium. Wonder what happened to them?
I see Neymar has gone back to Santos - considering he's the world's most expensive footballer I never really rated him.
Khusanov might have had a wobbly debut but it was not as bad as those of Evra and Vidic for United which were also at the Etihad stadium. Wonder what happened to them?
MOTD2 had a little montage of disastrous debuts at the end. It may have just been an excuse to have a go at Chris Sutton though.
Jonathan Woodgate sets a high bar for disastrous debuts! Injured for ages following his transfer to Real Madrid then an own goal and red card on debut.
Apparently when Newcastle signed Owen from Madrid, part of what they paid was an unofficial compensation for the Woodgate deal.
@dander - I remember watching that match and wondering if there was any way a debut could possibly have gone any worse. IIRC the own goal and sending off happened in the space of about 5 minutes
Khusanov's yellow at the weekend was an amber, they didn't show it clearly again live so I couldn't see if it was a decent goal scoring opportunity but my first reaction watching live it was, I don't think an appeal would have been successful if it had been red.
I bit conflicted about the Arsenal red card as well, I think it should be a red, the problem is they never seem to be given in that position, IMO the governing bodies should say that will now be a red in future. Similar one a couple of years ago when Tripier took out KDB, ref gave a red but it was overturned by var.
I thought that was correctly called on field as a red; not for the cynical nature of the challenge but if you look at the challenge itself he got studs on the achilles which would be
when a player exceeds the necessary use of force and/or ENDANGERS THE SAFETY OF AN OPPONENT
However, later analysis suggests he didn't directly stud him, rather got the foot which then sort of deflected it up and made it look worse, but that's high level analysis and I can sympathise with both Ref and VAR on this point. Noting VAR aren't there for 'balance of likelihood after days of review', it's to address 'clear and obvious'
Arsenal apparently have made a £60m offer for Ollie Watkins.
£60m?!! Cheeky b****
Interesting if true, given age, and Duran probably being available at a similar price. I guess Watkins is pretty proven at premier league level, does seem to miss a few simple chances so he’d fit in well. Pace would give Arsenal a lift for sure.
Now story of Duran to Saudi for €77m. At age 21.
I mean, that's just greed isn't it? Surely as a 21 yo you want to stay in a top European league and try and win stuff rather than go straight to your pension plan. Not exactly as he'd be low earning in the PL?
Needed 10 TV's tonight. Ended up watching the city game as that had the most jeopardy.
Maybe at 21 Duran could fill his boots then rejoin a decent European side when he’s still 24/25. If anyone wants him by then - playing in Saudi surely will see you fall behind your peers.
Why would a 21 year old want to leave Villa, who are absolutely flying in the Champions League at the moment, to go and play in the retirement home league? other than the crazy money, obviously.
I bet they’ve not got any massive Ozzy banners in Riyadh? 😀
Re: Champs League play-offs
Citeh vs Real Madrid - it's almost fate
Sellic vs Bayern will be interesting but I expect Bayern to batter them
Real will be wondering which version of City will turn up for that one.
I see Duran is Colombian and there certainly was a time when some footballers from South America were effectively “owned” by third parties; maybe the move wouldn’t necessarily be his career choice but simply the short term money maximising choice of his paymasters.
that's a depressing thought.
I see Duran is Colombian and there certainly was a time when some footballers from South America were effectively “owned” by third parties
Didn’t they make the whole third party ownership thing illegal after all the shenanigans with Carlos Tevez?
Hence me putting it in the past tense. But quite how you police the player-agent relationship from some of these jurisdictions I’m not sure. Certainly seems too young for a bona fide retirement move.
Why Duran, why?
Brighton had 62% possession! Forest are ruthlessly efficient - scored 7 of their 9 shots on target.
Forest remind me of the Leicester title team - pretty simple football, bags of energy and very good at creating goals out of nowhere.
Leicester had some proper talent in that team Mahrez, Kante and Vardy at his peak were more than a handful for anyone. I am not sure forest have anyone that a champions league team would snap up like those three, which makes their achievement equally as remarkable (if they can make it too the end). Even when Brighton got European football there were "big" teams sniffing around their star talent.
What a season Chris Wood is having! Forests conversion rate is insane
Elanga is another one of those players who have thrived after leaving Old Trafford (for next to nothing). He's absolute quality and I was always baffled as to why we let him go, yet kept far worse players.
Looks like Rashford is off to Villa on loan, to replace Duran. I bet he gets there and bangs them in for fun for the rest of the season, while we watch Højlund and Zirkzee fluff what few chances they ever get. Højlunds first touch is apalling, which is something of a handicap when you're an old fashioned target man, with nothing else in your locker
Just got home from an away day at the City Ground.
I’ve had better days, though I did get to see 7 goals and had a nice walk along the river back to the car.
I bet you have. Not even Mrs Binners could have predicted that scoreline
The three promoted sides in the bottom three - where they’ll probably remain.
