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Out of the darkness...
 

Out of the darkness and into soccerball season 2021/22

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It's obvious watching Liverpool that they are at the culmination of a project. A solid plan that Klopp had from the start to build a team to play in a definate fashion and style. Season after season he's looked at the weakness (and I'm using that word relatively, believe me) and strengthened there. Always building.

The recruitment has been bang on, consistently. Van Dijk and Alisson seemed like the last pieces slotting into place to sort the flakey defence out. If you look at the last purchases, Jota and Diaz have been brilliant, as they fit straight in to 'the system', and look like absolute bargains compared to the half-arsed dross we've spent big on. 80 million for Harry Maguire FFS!


 
Posted : 20/04/2022 11:08 am
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The clubs are run totally differently. Phil Jones gets a new contract and Pogba gets offered one! Mo Salah might be off as Liverpool refuse to pay stupid money and risk disunity. No player bigger than the club.

Anyway, we have this chat every 3 weeks. I’d like to say it’s getting dull but after sitting through 20 years of United domination it’s really not 😀


 
Posted : 20/04/2022 11:31 am
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@dander - I view this thread as a form of therapy. Like howling into the void 😂

I had my scouse mate, Rob, round to watch the match last night and he has gone from mockery to something resembling sympathy, which is even worse.

He quickly returned to mockery though with the phrase "you can **** right off anyway, because I had to put up with this shit from youz lot for 30 years!"

Fair enough, really.

Its nice to see that the message got through to Ronnies family. Like I said... a real touch of class, that!

https://twitter.com/Icon_31/status/1516716810917543937?s=20&t=WNUL6VOM7kI2hqjgubXXCA


 
Posted : 20/04/2022 11:57 am
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Yep, that was class. Hopefully it may prompt an end to the awful Hillsborough and Munich chants sung by a moronic few.


 
Posted : 20/04/2022 2:10 pm
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Maybe we’re not giving Liverpool and especially Klopp enough credit though. Who’d have lived with them last night? Not many. What a difference having a fully fit squad makes compared to last season.

I agree but thought Man U were pretty lazy. They didn't press and lost their shape when they were attacked. Looking at the team, there is no shortage of talent so there's no real excuse for being turned over so easily.


 
Posted : 20/04/2022 3:34 pm
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They didn’t press and lost their shape when they were attacked.

They never press. They sit back and watch/let people play. Nothing highlighted it more than that kid Hannibal Mejbri coming on for the last ten minutes and standing out as the first United player who'd actually put any challenges in. Some pretty fiesty ones too. Gary Neville (only half joking) said his ten minute cameo was United's man of the Match performance. I'd certainly rather see him in the starting line-up then any of the other wage-stealing dossers who totally failed to turn up at Anfield last night

As for shape? If you could suss out, from looking at the position the United players took on the pitch, what formation it was they were actually meant to be playing, then you were doing better than me. They certainly didn't seem to have a clue where it was they were supposed to be at any given time, let alone where their team-mates were


 
Posted : 20/04/2022 3:42 pm
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Anyway... I look forward to watching Arsenal totally fail to capitalise on the present situation tonight, as seems to be now traditional in this seasons non-race to finish fourth


 
Posted : 20/04/2022 3:44 pm
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dunno chelsea have been far from stellar @ the bridge


 
Posted : 20/04/2022 3:45 pm
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I'm more interested in the Everton match tonight (as a nervous Leeds fan).


 
Posted : 20/04/2022 3:49 pm
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I'll be delighted if Man U and Arsenal continue their current scintilating form. Not that I think that West Ham are likely to finish in the top 6 with the continuously depleted squad they have.


 
Posted : 20/04/2022 5:59 pm
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It is a weird old league again, Man City and Liverpool have had a real 3 or 4 season battle, and the rest are just struggling to catch up. It sounds weird as ManU were second last year and Liverpool were miles off, but that really was an anomaly.

I think souness summed it up with the choose 11 players from both teams and it would be Liverpool, but I think for the first time a pundit is right in saying that, man for man Liverpool had 11 better players, both on form and on paper!


 
Posted : 20/04/2022 6:12 pm
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Theres no way any United player would make it into the starting line up of the Liverpool or City squads.

Not a chance!

On present form, most would struggle to get a start at Stoke


 
Posted : 20/04/2022 6:16 pm
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To be fair Arsenal always remind me of the same, they look mid table with their players, then you see the transfer fees they were bought for.

It’ll be an interesting summer, whoever gets 4th will spend big, ManU have to spend big, but they do have some diamonds in the rough I think, varane, de gea, sancho, Ronaldo, Fernandes, etc, they need a spark though


 
Posted : 20/04/2022 6:42 pm
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Looks like Haaland is on his way to Citeh in the summer too. Given that they’re where they are without a real striker, that’s a pretty scary prospect.

It’s going to be interesting to see who they get in to replace walking yellow card, Fernandinho


 
Posted : 20/04/2022 6:50 pm
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There's not even many United players who could make the Liverpool or City bench, De Gea, Fernandes and Ronaldo maybe

Haaland is a great player but I'm not convinced he'll suit the City style of play. There's a reason Pep rarely plays a striker and I don't think it's just because they barely have one.


 
Posted : 20/04/2022 7:04 pm
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Kind of agree dc, Haaland might not be the best fit, but he’ll score goals. I would score goals for City! They do actually miss a lot of chances.


 
Posted : 20/04/2022 7:21 pm
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I would love Harland at city, his link up play is pretty good and he is surprisingly unselfish for a striker with his numbers, so I don't think there would be a problem at all fitting in with Pep's philosophy (he did sign Lewandowsky at Bayern as well). Besides teams need to evolve the opposition work out ways to combat your play if you stay the same.

But I will believe it when the deal is done and signed, at the moment it is just Raiola playing everyone off against each other, and the bloodsucker will gets a massive pay-out, so there would be silver linings if the deal never materialised and the agent fees cap came in first.


 
Posted : 20/04/2022 7:24 pm
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Yeah, will be interesting to see haaland fit in, will city change to suit him, or the other way about, it’ll be interesting to see who leaves though, I think Sterling on his game is great, so if they lose him it’ll mean haaland has to do some work to keep city going ahead. Will also be interesting to see how he fares with injuries, at 21 he’s missed a few games so far with niggly injuries.

As for replacing Fernandinho, they’ll probably sign Rice just to wind ManU up more 😂


 
Posted : 20/04/2022 7:40 pm
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Arsenal actually winning the hard game after losing the last few, this chase for fourth is mental this year!

That Saka penalty was clever as well, he was holding Azpilicueta's hand to make it look like he was being wrestled to the ground, VAR didn't care for some reason.


 
Posted : 20/04/2022 10:40 pm
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Potentially massive point for Everton!


 
Posted : 20/04/2022 11:01 pm
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^nah!


 
Posted : 20/04/2022 11:59 pm
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Gawd, can’t they just wind them up?


 
Posted : 21/04/2022 12:24 pm
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And lo, the new saviour did arrive...

To have his reputation shredded and be sacked in 18 months time with us about to finish 7th again

https://twitter.com/ManUtd/status/1517083257539637248?s=20&t=wShi5xeWRnkbn6wVeHu5Bw


 
Posted : 21/04/2022 12:24 pm
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He looks a bit like Pep so he must be good!


 
Posted : 21/04/2022 3:02 pm
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Will be interesting to see what he does and who he brings in, reality is there is no right or wrong in picking him, of course there are a few concerns for ManU fans, with his lack of experience at the top, or managing superstars, but maybe he can just throw a little caution to the wind and try to build an actual team, i've said it before, but ManU do have 6 or 7 quality players, remember Liverpool before Klopp, he inherited Gomez, Matip, TAA, Henderson, Milner, etc and made some of those into better fitting team players, so i don't really get the whole 'it's top to bottom' rebuild, you just have to get the confidence players some confidence, the out of position players into a position and so on.


 
Posted : 21/04/2022 3:22 pm
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He’s starting from a much better position than Klopp did in terms of the squad. Will the players buy into his methods as they clearly did at Liverpool is the biggie.


 
Posted : 21/04/2022 4:44 pm
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Anyone know much about the bum scare that Harry Maguire has had to endure?


 
Posted : 21/04/2022 4:55 pm
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Will the players buy into his methods

And this is the problem with United's little band of 'superstars'. If the prima donnas won't lower themselves to try a different approach and decide to strop about it, then they should be sold immediately or farmed out on loan to Chester City.

I'd imagine ten Hag already knows where the axe needs to fall, and is looking for the younger talent which has potential and the willingness to work their arses off for the team to fill any gaps.


 
Posted : 21/04/2022 5:08 pm
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Erik ten Hag is an anagram of eat gherkin and I fear that Man U will remain a club in a pickle.


 
Posted : 21/04/2022 7:12 pm
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Anyone know much about the bum scare that Harry Maguire has had to endure?

Do you mean he's suddenly realised he can't find his arse with both hands?


 
Posted : 21/04/2022 7:37 pm
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Rumours are that he’s off back to Leicester with us taking an enormous hit to get shut of him, cementing his status as the most disastrous transfer in Premier league history. Actually… our transfer policy, post-Fergie, would probably fill the top five or ten worst ever buys

Anyway… let’s see which Arsenal turn up today. The one who beat Cheslski, or the other one? I wonder if there’s any way we could both conspire to lose?


 
Posted : 23/04/2022 10:24 am
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Well done Ronaldo on getting his 100th PL goal, ManU put up a fight, but the heads went after that third arsenal goal, Fernandes was your captain today, and he was ineffective and petulant by the sounds of it, that kind of says what a big problem at ManU is, when Maguire isn't on the pitch, you have a flair player who has no confidence as your captain, is there a curse around players who sign big contracts in the EPL!


 
Posted : 23/04/2022 5:56 pm
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That was actually a pretty good match. The score line was probably about right given that Bruno was a very lucky boy to stay on the pitch and he missed a penalty. Ronnie should have taken that.

Now to watch Spurs lose to Brentford. I’ve transferred Kane on to my FF side. The kiss of death for any player! 😃


 
Posted : 23/04/2022 6:22 pm
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Yea, thought so too. The redemption of Xhaka is not something I've seen too often in football.


 
Posted : 23/04/2022 11:29 pm
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City should be 4 or 5 up! Brilliant, and as profligate, as ever.


 
Posted : 26/04/2022 9:31 pm
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Game on!


 
Posted : 26/04/2022 9:34 pm
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City really missing Kyle Walker.


 
Posted : 26/04/2022 10:25 pm
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I think they need Des Walker to cope with Vinicius


 
Posted : 26/04/2022 10:32 pm
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What a game! 4-2 now!


 
Posted : 26/04/2022 10:33 pm
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Technically that was a ThunderBastard of a goal


 
Posted : 26/04/2022 10:35 pm
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Football... bloody hell! 😳


 
Posted : 26/04/2022 10:54 pm
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@binners - how are you able to recognise proper football after watching that crap over at OT?

😜


 
Posted : 26/04/2022 11:41 pm
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It’s quite a contrast right enough. Binners will be getting primed for another of those special European nights at Anfield.


 
Posted : 27/04/2022 12:06 am
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how are you able to recognise proper football after watching that crap over at OT?

I’ve got a long memory

Even the dreaded Thursday nights in Kazakstan are looking beyond us at the moment


 
Posted : 27/04/2022 12:11 am
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