Premier League 22/23 Thread

[edd_jedi]

Apparently Poch is leaving PSG, will be interesting to see where he ends up

 

[weasel]

I suspect he'll wait for a decent job to come up. Spurs when Conte leaves, or one of the big name European clubs when they sack their manager.

 

[edd_jedi]

Conte's not messing about, Bissouma signed apparently. And Kompany is the new Burnley manager, who just guided the biggest Belgian side to third!

 

[lejackal]

Hey, you missed our stellar 3 million winger from Brazil. Who realistically is probably already worth more than Pepe

 

[weasel]

Conte's not messing about, Bissouma signed apparently. And Kompany is the new Burnley manager, who just guided the biggest Belgian side to third!

Bissouma is a great player, talk of 25m for him. That's a bargain if true. Assuming of course his sexual assault charge blows over. Otherwise Spurs have been had.

Spurs signing decent players, City and Pool spending big money on strikers and Utd......ehhh.....
If I was a Utd fan (eugh) I'd be a tad pissed off that the world and his dog know what the club needs and yet **** all seems to have been done AGAIN. I know Ten Haag isn't long in the job but it's not like he will have struggled to spot Utd need a DCM, two in fact, someone of the quality of ohhh I dunno Bissouma! Instead they flirt with Frankie De Jong, who is a decent player but ehhh not what they need, and he will probably end up staying at Barca or Utd will bend over and pay 100m Euro up front and have no budget left for anyone else. I'm a fully paid up ABU but even I get bored laughing at how badly run Utd are these days.

 

[theforceuk]

Like I said before nothing will change before the Glaziers sell and that's pretty much never going to happen. 5 players have left, Pogba, Mata, Cavarni, Matic and Lingard. I think I'm correct in saying that's about £50 million in wages a year. The club are saying that the squad was bloated last season. I'm taking that as Henderson and perhaps one more will go then we will sign a midfielder, a centre back and hopefully a left footed winger. No where near enough, the glaziers should be throwing the kitchen sink at this transfer window.

Interesting this DCM debate as the club clearly needs one, or has done. Ten Hag doesn't really play with one holding midfielder, he plays with a midfield 2. I'm betting he will buy a De Jong or Neves and play them next to Fred or McTomany. That's fine if you have two centre backs that aren't scared of pace and are comfortable holding the half way line. Some fans saying we're signing at least 5 players I can't see it. De Jong could end up at City as Barca want Bernardo Silva. Who knows! One things for sure, Liverpool, Spurs, Chelsea, City, Newcastle and Villa are all having a better window than Utd so Ten Hag needs to be Harry Potter in disguise to get this group of overpaid, over entitled players any where near the top 4 next season. And if you need any more proof what a bunch of complete c###s these players are have a look at how Ralph is doing in his new job at Austria. Ok it's international football, a lot slower than the PL, but come on the way he has them pressing and the retention of possession shows me how the Utd payers refused to follow his instructions and through yet another manager under the bus. I'm not saying Ralph was the long term man for the job, but he's a decent coach with a wealth of footballing knowledge that has been wasted.

 

[edd_jedi]

Yep I don't understand why we never see players being sacked, why do the managers always take the hit when it's often not their fault.

 

[edd_jedi]

So who's looking forward to the World Cup

 

[Cazza]

England were truly terrible tonight.

 

[theforceuk]

Southgate finally being found out for the one dimensional coach he is and should be no where near a group of players like the England squad. I think there is only one more set of games between now and the World Cup? I may be wrong, but to give these set of players a fighting chance Southgate should be replaced.

 

[lejackal]

I didn't watch it, I rarely watch England (been the same for a while) but **** me how does that group of players perform as they have recently. Honestly **** pointless friendlies and **** the nations league. Probably Southgate as well.
after such a long season off the back of the last 2 years is there a worse idea than the nations league? I'd like to care about the result but I just can't, the whole thing's bollocks

 

[edd_jedi]

I think regular football is important if a national team are ever going to be any good, but the fact is no decent manager these days would take a national job. Would Southgate be considered for a PL job? Probably not, so that's the problem, a group of elite players being 'managed' by a League One/Championship level manager.

Personally I would love to only have to turn up to work once every 2 years

 

[weasel]

England have got two sets of lucky draws in the last two competitions and walked two groups, which they should as no. 1 seeds. That's it. You're squad is ok, no more. The issue is there are very few "good" international teams now. Club football is so cosmopolitan that it's rare that a country has a dozen too quality players. England certainly don't. The recent results have been 'in the post' for years, but the Nations League is just a glorified friendly competition and **** all to worry about.

You'll walk your WC group, you are seeded you'd have to go some NOT to, then it's a lottery on who you get, how they/you play and if you get the luck of the draw. Given you avoid another group winner you should make the last 8 (assuming that's the second knock out round) and that's a good enough result. Anything beyond that is a bonus

What better manager can you get at this stage? There are no decent ones about and very few who you would even consider who are available.

 

[lejackal]

England have got two sets of lucky draws in the last two competitions and walked two groups, which they should as no. 1 seeds. That's it. You're squad is ok, no more. The issue is there are very few "good" international teams now. Club football is so cosmopolitan that it's rare that a country has a dozen too quality players. England certainly don't. The recent results have been 'in the post' for years, but the Nations League is just a glorified friendly competition and **** all to worry about.

You'll walk your WC group, you are seeded you'd have to go some NOT to, then it's a lottery on who you get, how they/you play and if you get the luck of the draw. Given you avoid another group winner you should make the last 8 (assuming that's the second knock out round) and that's a good enough result. Anything beyond that is a bonus

What better manager can you get at this stage? There are no decent ones about and very few who you would even consider who are available.

Poch is available

 

[theforceuk]

Graham Potter, I'd take Shawn Dyce over Southgate. Southgate is an English OGS. Basically any current PL or Championship manager is better than Southgate. I can't describe on here how bad he is. Regardless of how good or bad you think the squad is, Southgate is playing the same style of football he was as Middlesbrough coach 15 years ago, appalling. Oh and Zidane is available until after the World Cup when he's taking the France job.

 

[weasel]

I don't disagree on Southgate's 1990's tactics. But he must think 3 at the back suits what he has to pick from. Not sure England have 2 quality CB's. Stones and…..
Fat Maguire is a walking liability. Walker is a RB and a makeshift right sided CB. The rest are unproven or like Joe Gomes, not currently getting picked.

I can see the argument for Stones and 1 lesser CB beside him as the formation is more attacking/modern. I guess Southgate is just a safety first manager.


As for Poch etc. Int management is a back water not sure anyone is going to go from PL management to England, bar an older manager. Zidane definitely wouldn't want England if he is taking up France soon.

Fat Sam or Uncle woy it is

 

[edd_jedi]

If only United had waited a few more weeks, Rooney is available!

 

[theforceuk]

Don't agree with England not having good enough centre backs to only be able to play with 3 centre backs, especially against most international teams. In any case Southgate plays with a back 6.

See the Glaziers took another £11 million in dividends today, last January they refused Ralph a £6 million player. Complete and utter rats that run Man Utd.

 

[lejackal]

Don't get me wrong they are full on leeches but it's not like youve not spent money

 

[theforceuk]

Don't get me wrong they are full on leeches but it's not like youve not spent money

May as well have thrown that money on a bonfire. That actually adds to my point, if they hadn't spent money and we had a billion £ sat in the bank we would be in a better position. The glaziers hide behind how much money they have spent, but it's been spent horribly, because they employ bankers to run a football club. I said bankers not ******s. Imagine competent owners over the last 17 years with an extra £1 billion to spend on players instead of pocketing £1 billion in dividends. Infuriating as a life long Man Utd fan.

 

[weasel]

Even as a Pool fan I do hate what the Glaziers do. They are leeches, plain and simple. But fair play to them, buying a club using NONE of your own money and paying yourself £50m a year in "consultancy fees" while making no effort to pay off the debt is a bloody superb deal…..for them! It couldn't be worse for Utd. Bought using borrowed money, secured on their assets, using your own money/income to pay the owners and the interest while having less to invest in the squad and stadium. Not sure where the plus is for Utd, it just seems like a series of negatives.

BUT that is the risk you run when you list on the stock market, and Utd had the advantage of that money for a decade or so before they got taken over.

Also, rumour has Fergy was partly to blame after his stupid legal case against JP McManus, the latter was pissed off and happy to sell his stake in Utd. Had Fergy not tried to sue him over some nonsense the Glazier's may not have been able to take over. Or he may well have sold anyway, who knows.

 

[theforceuk]

Looks like Man Utd have De Jong, fee agreed with Barcelona for £56 million plus possible €20 million add on fee. Pretty good deal I think, seen as Grealish cost City £100 million. Ten Hag wanted him more than any other player, so let's hope he knows what he's doing. For me it's going to take at least 3 transfer windows for Ten Hag to be able to put 11 players out that are his choices, probably 4 or 5 windows the way Man Utd do business.

 

[weasel]

I saw someone compare it to the Maguire deal. If you are going to compare him to Maguire, or Grealish, he's going to look good value cos 1 of them is a retarded donkey and the other City overpaid for by a factor of about three.

It'll be hard to judge him, so far I havent judged Sancho or Varane as both have only had a year. Fabinho looked ropey as hell for his first 4 months at Pool and Robertson couldn't get a game ahead of Moreno, yet both of them turned out well in the end. Lukaku started the season well last year and ehhh…. Neither Sancho or Varane set the world on fire but it does take time to get used to the PL and being at a shambles of a club like Utd probably makes it harder. The same will apply to DJ.

All I would say is it strikes me as a lot of money for someone who wasn't a guaranteed started at a very mediocre Barcelona. That doesn't mean he will be a flop, it just means he has a fair bit to live up to. And he's on 250k+PW

 

[theforceuk]

£250k a week is average wage in that squad, he's on €350k at Barcelona, personal terms haven't been agreed yet, only the fee with Barcelona has.

 

[weasel]

£250k a week is average wage in that squad.

That in and if itself is a massive indictment of Utd's problems.

 

[theforceuk]

Yes I no, I've pointed out on here before that a lot of Man Utd players are on more than Sala. De Jong is looking at £300k a week. Pogba was offered £400k to stay. I no which player I would choose.

 

[lejackal]

And to think we're getting Jesus on circa 190 a week, which is a lot for a 1 in 3 striker but I suspect he'll get closer to 1 in 2 for Arsenal as he'll be the main striker, even if Arteta is building a City-lite

 

[theforceuk]

Yes Jesus is a good bit of work for Arsenal IMO. The stupid wages at Utd is way down in the list of problems for me. But I agree it's ridiculous what we pay.

 

[weasel]

Yes Jesus is a good bit of work for Arsenal IMO.

I dunno. He's always flattered to deceive for me. It strikes me as a lot of money, especially given Arsenal don't have CL footy and spent a lot last summer, for a player who has never really convinced. I suspect he will be a 'binary signing'. This time next year we will either be saying he was great value, or laughing at how daft Arsenal were.

There aren't many strikers sold by top 6 sides to other top 6 sides who go on to do well/better than they did at their previous club. Van Persie being an exception as he was top class and Arsenal were daft. Most are underwhelming. Torres to Chelsea, Lukaku to Utd and Chelsea, Wellbeck to Arsenal, Tevez to City, Adebayor to City etc.

 

[weasel]

Looks like Richarlison to Spurs could be happening. @edd_jedi will be delighted!

Everton over paid when they signed him, I assume they will want to make a profit. Although Levy is legendarily tight so there is some hope that Spurs don't waste too much on him.

Rumours of Spurs wanting Gordon from Everton too. Imagine a front line of Kane, Richarlison and Gordon! The three biggest diving tossers in the PL. Each game would have four hours of stoppage time as the second anyone came within 3 feet of any of them they would be on the ground screaming like a little girl. You just need Ashley Young from Villa (is it Villa he's at?) and you would still be playing your first game of the season in April!