Football 2024-25. Pep’s last season?

I actually think the new format world club cup could be good, IMO it is better than the existing pathetic tournament.

It is just too much, with the world cup, the euros and the champions league all also expanded it is just far far too much. Every year now when the new season starts I always feel it is too soon, since the covid disturbed season, it just feels like the football is relentless and constant, the sheer volume of matches and competitions is reducing my interest.

I stopped my subscription for the champions league this year and I barely watch any matches that city aren’t involved in any more because I just don’t have that much time to dedicate to watching football. They are killing the golden goose.

Yea its overkill. But i just pick and choose or have it on in the background and do other stuff.

I listen more on Radio 5 than I watch – then maybe watch the highlights on youtube.

There is too much – like the F1 season & like the MCU – people get oversaturated with it all.

Anything happen in the football today?

The two teams in the late kick off confirmed why they presently sit where they respectively do in the table.

Binners missus has won her bet again 🙂

Forest making up for their mid-week blip.

Thought United looked ok, you can at least see Amorim’s preferred style and they were decent enough going forward. Obviously a major work in progress!

Very much so. Alan Shearer actually summed things up pretty well on MOTD  tonight…. the new manager walks into that dressing room and asks “you’ve spent 600 million quid and THIS is what I’ve got to work with?”

Very much so. Alan Shearer actually summed things up pretty well on MOTD tonight…. the new manager walks into that dressing room and asks “you’ve spent 600 million quid and THIS is what I’ve got to work with?”

Other experts and pundits are saying the same thing. Heard a good comment that it will take a few transfer windows to get in the new players he wants and ship out the players he doesn’t want.

I’m going to miss Lineker roasting Alan Shearer on MOTD. “I’m joined by a Newcastle legend who knows what it’s like to win the FA Cup…..and Alan Shearer” was brilliant!

That was very amusing!

It looks like they’re doubling down on the comedic incompetence at Old Trafford. Anyone who thought having ‘Sir’ Jim buy-in might improve matters has had that false hope dashed pretty quickly. The soap opera continues.

They’ve just sacked Dan Ashworth after 5 months as Sporting Director with no explanation given, having pursued him for ages and paid millions in compensation to get him in from Newcastle. Another embarrassing shambles.

And that during the same week they raise ticket prices to £66 a pop, with no concessions any more. So if I wanted to take my daughter to the footy as we did a lot when she was younger (last season was the first that we no longer bothered), you’re looking at £132 for the two of you, before you’ve even paid for an overpriced pie. For the privilege of watching the present dross on the pitch? Absolutely ridiculous!

The club really is just a total basket case. Amorim must already must be wondering what the hell he’s taken on. Still… I’m sure he’ll get his big pay off when they sack him in 12 months

Ashworth is a funny one.

He built his reputation at Brighton and when he moved to Newcastle it was seen to be a positive thing. It was part of getting rid of the Ashley rubbish.

During his time, there was little negative stuff about him but then it became apparent the Howe and him didn’t get along.

Then when Man Utd came for him, paid millions in compensation and then sack him a few months later for his poor performance.

I wonder what the truth is behind the whole farcical situation?

Wow, that’s a bit of a bombshell, even by United’s recent standards. Who makes that decision then, Berrarda? Assume that Ashworth has a different vision to Amorim and they’re going all in with the manager?

Who knows what on earths gone on? Farcical is indeed the word. What we do know is that he oversaw the spending of £200 million on Manuel Ugarte, Leny Yoro, Noussair Mazraoui, Mattijs de Ligt and Joshua Zirkzee. Its fair to say that none of them have exactly set the world alight. Some of them have barely played and United are presently (deservedly) 13th in the table.

Its going to be interesting to see what happens in January. No doubt another couple of hundred million spaffed on yet more overpriced mediocrity. Who’s going to be deciding on transfer targets then? Dave Brailsford?

I’m guessing Amorin knew what he was heading into but did he really know and understand what he was taking on?

I’m assuming he did, and got enough assurance about time, backing and support to make it worth taking the poisoned chalice now rather in a couple of years.

If not, does he walk away now, declaring the whole thing an impossible shit show before he gets tarnished with the same brush as Ten Haag?

Just listening to the Five Live pundits – ahead of what should be a decent afternoons footy – and the words ‘fall guy’ are being used quite a lot regarding Dan Ashworth.

I’m sure Amorim must know by now who the next one will be and he’s only been here a couple of weeks. 

And that during the same week they raise ticket prices to £66 a pop, with no concessions any more.

Someones got to foot the bill for the ongoing terrible management decisions.

Glad to see the top management are sticking to there anti European principles.

After the bull in a china shop entry to the league, bringing in the head scout from Benfica and Nuno, plus Edu getting started soon, things are settling down in a good way. I bloody love Nuno.

I bloody love Nuno.

I can understand why. Playing great football and consistently winning.

I’d love to hear the opinions on Nuno now from fans of that other basket case club, Spurs, now that Ange-ball has lost its lustre and he’ll no doubt soon be going the same way as Nuno and Conte before him

Anyway, yet again Ipswich have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

Brighton just did the same, didn’t they?

There seem to be an awful lot of last gasp game-changing goals this season and a lot of comebacks from losing positions

The stewards are doing a great job at Spurs, aren’t they?

What is the point of them even being there if all they’re going to do is stand there with their thumbs up their arses watching the Spurs fans chuck stuff at the Chelsea players, taking corners?

Spurs V Chelsea always worth a watch

It’s a blinding game! Spurs being as Spursy as ever

Mind you… Cole Palmer is unplayable when he’s on this kind of form. This Sancho guy looks good too. We could do with signing someone like him.

Yes , but Chelsea are going to have to pay £20 million for him at the end of the season. Ripoff

Cole Palmer…?????

Oh come on, Nuno’s teams do not play great football! His teams are always solid, well organised and hard to break down. Gets you so far until it all gets a bit too stodgy.

I think you’re probably being a bit harsh on him there fella. To be fair to Nuno he’s got Forest to 5th in the table, 2 points behind City in the Champions League spots. As a supporter of the team presently sat in 13th, I’d take that.

He’s also got one of highest scorers in the league up front, who’s name you definitely wouldn’t have expected to see on that particular list. He seems to get the best out of players and they improve under him.

Yep, I probably was. I think he’s very pragmatic, which is obviously working well for Forest. Seems like the gap between the sides in the league has narrowed and it’s making for some good matches.

Rumours that Ashworth went as he wanted Southgate, not Amorim.

Heard a good comment that it will take a few transfer windows to get in the new players he wants and ship out the players he doesn’t want.

I’m pretty sure that same sentence has been said about every Man Utd manager in the last 10 years and yet here we are… a vicious circle of overpriced rubbish and paying silly money for players you’ve previously let go for nothing. Largie Ramazani looking really good for Leeds this season if you want him back for £80m?

Rumours that Ashworth went as he wanted Southgate, not Amorim.

Not according to the Athletic:

Instead, there was a list and those he did propose had a theme: Premier League experience. Suggestions included Eddie Howe, despite the picture not always being rosy at Newcastle United; Marco Silva, the Fulham head coach; and Thomas Frank, the Brentford head coach. Graham Potter was another name mentioned by Ashworth, possibly as an interim until the end of the season.

There seems to be a fashion at the moment for the managers principals to be bigger than the club, maybe a trend started by Kompany?

Martin and Mckenna both seem to be sticking with how they want to play even though they’re losing a lot of games, McKenna will go on to great things no doubt but at least Cooper was pragmatic enough to learn over the first part of the season we had to change dramatically to stay up, that combined with some good loans Felipe and Navas was just enough to get us over the line – McKenna like company will fall upwards, I’m pretty shocked Southampton didn’t get rid of Martin in the Summer as it’s plain to see what’s going to happen playing like that in the Prem with the players they have.

I get that manager’s need to have a set way if playing but blimey, learn quick at least

There are all sorts of rumours flying around, including that it was Dave Brailsford that wielded the axe, which wouldn’t be surprising

What’s very clear and is all that really matters, is that if we were hoping that the new regime would put a stop to the chaos and farce, then that ships already sailed.

I expect we’ll get another scattergun transfer window to further add to the rudderless, incoherent squad at the cost of many hundreds of millions

Out best player this weekend, by miles, was Jaydon Sancho. Trouble is that he delivered that performance for Chelsea. That in itself sums up the utter lunacy of what’s been going on at Old Trafford in recent years

Ashworth’s done alright out of his move to united hasn’t he? 5 months on full pay having a nice holiday, and now probably a meaty payoff to compensate for the rest of his contract. He’ll probably walk straigh into another job too. Nice work if you can get it. Newcastle have done alright out of it too, thanks for the couple of million quid. 🙂

All those managers got promotion playing a certain way in the Championship – so why change for the Premier League?

Surely there’s an argument that with the group of players each of those managers have even Sam ball or Dyche ball wouldn’t keep them up.

What’s very clear and is all that really matters, is that if we were hoping that the new regime would put a stop to the chaos and farce, then that ships already sailed.

I was concerned that with the new shareholders the entertainment was going to stop – fortunately I didn’t need to be.

It’s not a good look parting company with some one you courted so hard

Also according to the report in The Athletic Ashworth was involved in meetings during his gardening leave and Ratclliffe was annoyed that he wasn’t more involved during this period. If that’s not covered by the compensation agreement then the toon’s lawyers might be interested in that.

What is it with super rich people thinking the rules don’t apply to them – oh yeah it’s cos they don’t

It’s not a good look parting company with some one you courted so hard

Much like pursuing a player for years, finally signing them for top dollar then leaving them sat on the bench. Par for the course at United

It’s not a good look parting company with some one you courted so hard

Is that you Louise?

It’s all a far cry from that promo vid released after Amorim’s first training session, with the lads running about a bit more and all having a laugh. A wounded City away next, ooooooft.

I can see why Wolves hate VAR. I thought West Ham were dead lucky with a couple of penalty shots turned down.