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Mak, I also love it that you automatically think my comment was directed at you. It wasn’t.
No Henderson shouldn’t win the Ballon D’or, there isn’t one this year. Thought someone that knows better would of known that.
Mak fotball is all about opinions but you’ve gone off all aggressive again because a few of us disagree. Maybe you should pipe down a little and take a break?
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Agree fully with HH and Pax. I see awards like this or the Ballon as how much influence a player has had with their team having a successful season. Not the most skillful, most assists or goals or whatever, but overall influence in many aspects that HH has already mentioned. Its why I thought VvD should of won the Ballon last year over Messi. With Hendersons drive, leadership, off field actions and overall contribution he deservedly wins the writers POTY.
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Love it that Hendo won 100% deserved. Love it that it winds so many people up too. Not going to get into why I think he deserves it, think Hendo debates have been done to death now.
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But Sean, I had the exact same arguments lasts season and looked what happened… 🙂
I did say if no spending would happen. Everyone needs to play catch up to Liverpool so they need to spend. As always buying players can be a hit or miss, some take time to adjust, some just never live up to the expectations. Some take the league by storm also.
Everything will depend on what signings are made and how they improve their teams. Right now Liverpool are the team with the least pressing concerns over transfers so are my clear favorites on the basis of what that team did this season. City have a few players that are getting on a bit hence I don’t rate their chances that high but that could easily change.
Without wanting to upset the City lads but I’d love a Liverpool vs Utd battle for the league (as long as we win obviously).
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I keep hearing that the gap between City and Liverpool is nowhere as big as suggest but in truth it is, City lost 9(!!) games this season and as we all know the table never lies. That’s a lot of points for City to get back. They have a few aging players, Silva will be off to pastures new, Aguero applying for his free bus pass and Fernandinho’s legs have gone. That’s a large part of their spine now gone or past their best. There’s also a huge question mark over the defence and keeper (great distribution, average saving ability and likes to go for a walk upfield too much for my liking). Liverpool players on the other hand are still either at their peak or approaching it.
If no players are bought then I’d say Liverpool would walk the league again, with maybe Chelsea pushing City hard for runners up given the transfers already confirmed. But as we all know the Sheikh is rather good as conjuring up a few spare billion and getting away with it when needs be so I’d expect a few transfers. Centre back is the obvious one and equally obvious would be Koulibaly, although he is a left sided right footed CB so would need to shift for Laporte. But knowing Pep he might just continue to play Fernandinho there and blow 50m on Tagliafico from Ajax, because you simply cannot have enough 50m+ full backs on the bench.
Cannot see Liverpool adding any first teamers unless someone leaves.
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Ive seen that thousands of people lined the street for Jack Charltons funeral. Whilst this is obviously a sensitive occasion for some that fact does not diminish the fact that those lined up side by side were just as irresponsible as the celebrating Leeds and Liverpool fans of recent weeks.
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Yeah Mak I knew you’d answer how you did but there’s no right or wrong on this just opinions. I really hope Gomez does return to form as I like the guy and there were times when I thought he was turning into one of the very best. But if the rumours are true about a new partner then that could be the end of Gomez at Liverpool.
I’m not one to accept the argument that people get injured or lose form so everyone gets a chance to play. To me players have their playing status and if that’s 2nd choice centre back when you expect to be first choice then there could be problems. You hear about it all the when players don’t get picked when they think they should, especially for big games. This is why I’d be concerned for Joe if we sign a big name CB.
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Ed, let’s hear from the man himself…
“I think Fernandinho can play in 10 different positions, because he has the quality to play wherever. He can play there [defence], he is quick, aggressive, intelligent and strong in the air.
So at the end of the window, we will have to see which players we have. But I think a lot of the midfield players we have here can play at the back, and when that happens the build-up play is much, much better.
I believe when the ball goes from a central defender to a striker, the ball comes back as quickly as it goes, and we have to make it clear that we are building up in our first process, whether that is defenders or midfielders, and that is why we need players of quality, to play in that style, and we have the players to do that. And I think by August 31, we will have the right players to play the way we want.”
A few years ago but I stand by my comment that Pep likes to convert midfielders to centre backs to improve the play from the back that he favours. As I said, he has done it at Barca and twice at Bayern previously. I never said it was a long term solution, in each case the midfielder is at the end of their career and likely haven’t the legs anymore to compete every week in midfield.
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Going to raise a topic that I know will get a few enthusiastic replies, that is Joe Gomez. I know a lot of you rate him very high, maybe to a level that sounds like he is World Class, but I am starting to doubt him.
A couple of years ago I thought this lad was going to be a star. He seemed to have everything, pace, good positioning, reasonable in the air and could play. He’s has a number of injuries that always seem to reset his progress but earlier this season I thought alongside VvD he was starting to look back to his best. But that’s changed, now he looks hesitant, short of confidence and next to no leadership ability. He seems too passive, letting VvD dictate the defensive part of the team and a number of errors have crept into his game. And it’s not just the few games since restart, before then he looked poor.
He’s 23 now so not a kid anymore. I think he would be behind Matip if Matip wasn’t injured. Centre backs don’t really rotate so if Matip stays fit that would put him as no 3 and basically as cover for all 3 defensive positions. I cannot see him accepting that, he’s a full England international after all.
Matip, as we all know, is made out of glass so Gomez is still going to start a lot of games. But there are strong rumours that Liverpool are after a new first choice CB. I don’t mean K2 as he will be too expensive, but someone like Diego Carlos from Sevilla. We are pretty skint so would need to shift some players first but if we did sign a new CB where does leave Gomez? If Liverpool are genuinely looking to sign a new CB, has Klopp already lost faith in him?
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Fans and pundits cried out for a Kompany replacement, not Pep. I’ve put this on the City page before that I believe Pep’s plan was always going to have Fernandinho at the back. He did it at Barca with Mascherano, and at Munich with both Alonso and Martinez. Maybe he has seen that that doesn’t work so well in the Premier League as even the low level teams will attack more than what he had in the past although he should know that by now.
We will never know what would have happened if Pep got Maguire. I know he said it but how serious were the links? If he really really wanted him I’m sure the Sheik could of found a spare 80m down the back of the sofa for him. So no I do not think City are a low block team, probably as far away from one as their is. I would of thought he saw him as a player that could bring the ball out of defence, like Stones but can actually defend, and that he short-commings (pace, turning ability) would be offset by those around them and the thought that no one dares to attack Pep’s teams (like in Spain and Germany).
Perhaps if Utd get a pacey CB next to him it could become a very good partnership. We have different views on him which is good, would be dull if everyone agreed! I agree with you that he gets signalled out because of his price tag, his nationality and probably the most significant who he plays for, which is all wrong (maybe apart from who he plays for!!).
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Ed, I did make other suggestions. Surely Utd would have the pulling power to attract Inter Milan players? Skiniar is one of the most highly rated CBs in world football. Diego Carlos from Sevilla, Ruben Dias from Benfica or Jonathan Tah from Leverkusen are others that Utd could surely attract.
Maguire is great for a low block team, one where the ball is in front of him most of the time and he can stick his big head on anything crossed in. But maybe Utd want to play as a low block team? Maybe that is the height of their ambition now? To frustrate the top teams an maybe nick a goal yet struggle against the rest?
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For CB Skriniar from Inter might of been a good bet. Very highly rated and still fairly young. I agree with you regarding de Ligt, not as good as his hype suggests. Varane might of been difficult but would he cost more than what Utd paid for Maguire? Would he leave Madrid? Doubtful for a Europa League team (maybe this season?).
RBL have a good couple of players, Upamecano would suit a high line team perfectly. Or Mukiele also from RBL could of covered both CB and RB positions, but maybe talking more about potential rather than ability with these 2.
For RB if Utd still have the pulling power they once did then Kimmich would be my suggestion. Excellent footballer as demonstrated when he often plays in midfield also. Top RBs seem thin on the ground these days so can’t really think of any others! Maybe the ex-Madrid lad who was at BvB and now moved to Inter, Hakimi. Very attack minded and lightening quick with 9 goals and 10 assists for BvB last season.
I have no idea if any of these would be obtainable, and as mentioned before I have no idea what style Ole is trying to implement. Maguire I think is just wrong for Utd, van Bissaka I can see that if he improves the attacking part of his game he would be a very good player. So perhaps I am being a little unkind to him.
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Ed, according to the official Premier League website for stats, he has one assist and 2 chances created. One through ball. Vvd has 3 assists, 13 big chances and 11 through balls. I suggest “Statman Dave” needs to do a little more research!
https://www.premierleague.com/players/9566/Harry-Maguire/stats?co=1&se=274
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My argument against both the Maguire and Van Bissaka signings were they are not suited to a top team who you would expect to play an attacking high line. Maguire has the acceleration and turning circle of the QE2 but is good at attacking the ball when it is in front of him. Van Bissaka very rarely get beaten but offers next to nothing going forward. If someone argues against this I can show you the stats for the season where he lags so far behind top full backs when it comes to chance creation or successful crosses. In fact he lags behind Max Arrons, a youngster playing for a relegated team. A team like Utd shouldn’t be happy with defenders that can just defend, the game has progressed from that and top teams expect more.
This is why I am confused as to what Ole is doing at Utd. They buy Fernandes who has been a big hit and is suited to fluid attacking play. But before that they buy the aforementioned duo who were probably at their level and suitable style at their previous clubs and Dan James who would probably suit a counter attacking relegation fodder team.
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Ed starting to see ads in the middle of posts on the desktop.
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Ndombele’s value may of declined but he is still highly rated. Heard the Barca are interested in him and even klopp has admired him in the past. There were rumours of a loan deal to LFC and whilst I cannot see Spurs sanctioning loaning a high value asset to a Premier League rival I could see him going on loan to a top level European team. A loan would be especially good for teams struggling due to the pandemic and might increase his value for when Spurs can sell him.
Ali was once regarded as one of the country’s top young talents and I was gutted we missed him to Spurs. He was a boyhood LFC fan I think and even Gerrard mentioned the club should of gone for him as his replacement but they baulked at the reported 5m (!!) initial fee. He just hasn’t pushed on enough from his early days, maybe a case of believing your own hype that you’ve made instead of striving to get even better?
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Nil, we have next to no money for 2 or 3 quality signings. HH is right, expect minimal transfer activity this transfer window. Jones will be Lallana’s replacement.
We also have a non home grown quota issue, think we are at a max. So until we get rid of the likes of Grujic, Origi, Lovren etc we won’t buy anyone anyway.
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Odd game last night. I thought Arsenal were probably the worst Arsenal team I have seen yet somehow we lost. That should of been an easy win and until the drinks break it looked it. Mistakes happen but to have two in one game is pretty rare. I’m glad it wasn’t other members of the team that made or they would be lynched (online metaphorically speaking kinda way)!
I am starting to get concerned about some of our players. Ox in particular, he never gets a good run of games but I just think his quality is not good enough. Would certainly put Keita above him in the attacking midfielder slot. Origi we all know about and probably agree he isn’t good enough (although I cannot see a replacement this year), but Minimino is a strange one to call. Looks like he is being primed for the Firmino role and he is very busy but still looks like he cannot stand up to the physical side of the English game.
As for records there’s only one I count, the trophies record. We still lag behind Utd regarding the league and that should be the only record we set ourselves for. City can keep whatever records they want, to me there’s an * next to them anyway!
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Nil you could have Franco Baresi in his prime alongside VvD and it would of made no difference to the horrendous mistake he made. Shaq has played 4 games or so this season and will be sold, Lallana is also leasing and Matip is out for the season.
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