Premier League 22/23 Thread

[lejackal]

I think these owners have proven we can't sell anyone, I reckon Maquire is worth £25 million max and then he wouldn't agree to go because his salary is so high. I don't have a problem with DDG, I can see the argument for replacing him. But goalkeepers seem to find the Man Utd shirt hard to fill. He makes mistakes but all goalkeepers do. I can see Ten Hag selling him in a couple years but he's about to sign a new contract.

I would have taken top 4 and the league cup at the beginning of January.

You'll go for Raya from Brentford

 

[theforceuk]

He's not bad ain't he? Not really watched Brentford this season.

 

[edd_jedi]

It's funny that a decade after his career peaked, Willian has ended up once again being a first team player for the best team in West London. It would be amazing if Chelsea finished the season below Fulham and Brentford, I can't think of a much bigger fall from grace, except maybe Leicester getting relegated which seems quite likely at the moment

 

[weasel]

They won today, it's gonna be very close at the bottom of the league. I could see GD deciding it.


As for DDG, I can see why ppl get on his back. He is pish with the ball at his feet and if ETH wants to play out from the back that isn't really his game. So, from that point of view Utd may need a new keeper. But it's not a pressing need. They need a striker and prob a RB more.
In his defence DDG is a great shot stopper. So it just depends how ETH wants to play and if the weakness with the ball at his feet is offset by his shot stopping. It'll also depend on budget and availability of a suitable replacement.

Agreed on Fat Maguire, you'll do well to get 15-20m for him and I would be surprised if you didn't end up paying half of his wages at his new club.


Good to see Wembley sold out for the FAC semi final. Looks great on TV when the place is half empty and two or three sections of the top tiers are totally empty.
Still, it means the FA gets more money and the big wigs don't have to leave london and head out into the country where they risk encountering the great unwashed public.

 

[theforceuk]

We need a midfielder above a RB I would argue we even need 2 midfielders and 2 strikers above a RB. I would argue we're as strong as Arsenal in the RB position. Football is won and lost in the midfield. We have a midfield 3 as good as any, but no back up. Fred, Mc Tominay and Sabitza are bang average. I notice Gary Neville saying DDG needs to be sold, funny how he backed OGS until the last day and wanted Poch instead of Ten Hag. He's a Man Utd great but as a pundit he talks a lot of crap. He also backed Harry Kane when he wanted to leave Spurs saying he deserves to win things and a year later criticised Ronaldo for wanting to leave Man Utd because they didn't get UCL football.

I see Chelsea are looking at Poch, that Todd Bohly taking over Chelsea is a bit like Elon Musk taking over NASA.

 

[weasel]

I'd take Arsenal's RB's over AWB or Dalot any day. The latter is ok, a perfectly acceptable back up. AWB is a great defensive player, but once he gets over the half way line is less use than a nun in a porno.
The way the modern game has gone full backs are expected to create, AWB is probably the worst FB in the league for creative output.

I agree, your midfield could do with strengthening, the depth rather than the quality. But I still think you could get away with rotating in one of McFred against the PL's lesser lights. I haven't seen enough/any of Sabitzer to be able to comment on his worth.
I would be buying a new RB before a CM, but again it will all come down to budget (partly affected by who you shift and what you get for them) and who is available.

GNev is a decent pundit, one of very few who are worth even half listening to, but he does have his agendas. OGS was/is his mate. As was Ronaldo (until he snubbed him). He was probably encouraging Kane to leave in the hope Utd could sign him.

 

[edd_jedi]

Well I was going to watch the football this afternoon, but at 4-0 down after 19 minutes I think I'll go and do some gardening instead I mean, how is that even possible?!

 

[lejackal]

Well I was going to watch the football this afternoon, but at 4-0 down after 19 minutes I think I'll go and do some gardening instead I mean, how is that even possible?!

Arsenal: this is a bit spursy

Spurs: hold my beer

 

[edd_jedi]

6-1 I thought the 5-1 loss we had there a few seasons ago would never be beaten! Shocking.

 

[lejackal]

How Brighton haven't won this is beyond me

 

[weasel]

I saw something on the BBCSport app that Spurs were only the 10th side in PL to be 3 down inside ten minutes. The last was Burnley against City 10-12yrs ago. So to be 5-0 down in 20 minutes must literally be one of, if not THE, worst performance in PL history.


Rumour has it Lloris had a bust up with the Caretaker Manager at HT and refused to come out for the second half. I'll resist the obvious comment about "shoulda shown that fight on the pitch" etc. but, if that is true, it just rounds off an utterly woeful day for Spurs. Short of Harry Kane snapping his leg in half I don't know how it could have gone any worse.

Still, Anfield this Sunday, cue Liverpool's defence out doing Spurs efforts today and that diving little toe rag Kane getting a soft penalty. I would say "and getting away with 3 GBH tackles" but it's Harry Kane, that's just a normal Saturday for the England Captain.

 

[theforceuk]

Obviously watched it, Brighton a very good team didn't really think they deserved to win it any more than Man Utd. They're a brilliant attacking team with a front 4 at times that pressed the hell out of Utd. DDG made some good saves, certainly not a weakness today. With the players we had available I thought Ten Hag got his tactics bang on. Pretty impossible to pass your way out of that press. Thought the make shift back 4 did really well, we just had no bench to change the game. I mean Fred and Van Veg Hoof are hardly game changers. I'm pretty much resigned to the fact that City will smash us in the final.

My 10 year old son is looking forward to his first FA Cup final that means something to him. I will be preparing him for the worst.

Spurs on Thursday will be interesting, we can pretty much end there top 4 hopes with a win. Not sure it will be straightforward though.

 

[edd_jedi]

I saw something on the BBCSport app that Spurs were only the 10th side in PL to be 3 down inside ten minutes. The last was Burnley against City 10-12yrs ago. So to be 5-0 down in 20 minutes must literally be one of, if not THE, worst performance in PL history.

I don't understand how it's even possible. Being 3-0 down at half time is a collapse. 5-0 down in 20 minutes wouldn't even happen if City were playing a league 2 side in the FA Cup. WTF!?

This could be the worst week for Spurs in living memory, United on Thursday and Liverpool on Sunday. I wouldn't be surprised if we end up in negative goal difference after these three games. Just need to write this season off and start again.

 

[edd_jedi]

Oh and can we alll finally agree that Levy is a complete fool? Firing a top manager before a cup final, and having no clue who to hire after already sacking the manager for a second time in two seasons. This is a football team, the fans don't care about the bank balance, stop focusing on NFL matches and concerts, prioritise the f***king football!

 

[theforceuk]

I wouldn't worry to much about Man Utd smacking Spurs up. Goals are not our specialty.

 

[weasel]

Oh and can we all finally agree that Levy is a complete fool?

I'm not sure that has ever been in doubt!

 

[edd_jedi]

I'm not sure that has ever been in doubt!

I see loads of Spurs fans defending him, yes it is admirable to an extent that Spurs isn't an oil club and has one of the healthiest balance sheets, but what's the point if the football suffers

 

[theforceuk]

I've never understood anyone who thinks it's a good idea for a club to make a profit without being one of the best teams in the country. Like you say @edd_jedi what is the point in having everything Spurs have but no clear plan or leadership with a winning mentality.

 

[edd_jedi]

And now they've sacked Stellini as well, back to Ryan Mason again

 

[weasel]

Ok, now that is 'laughing stock' material.

 

[lejackal]

Don't worry, Levi has spoken to the player committee

like **** would I be taking their advice

 

[theforceuk]

Chelsea still edges 'joke shop' club of the season at the moment for me. Spurs are in the hunt though.

 

[edd_jedi]

Oh God I really hope Poch doesn't go to Chelsea, I guarantee he would win the treble in his first season

 

[theforceuk]

When you say the treble, do you mean 3 games in a row? I see Man Utd have started talking to Spurs about Harry Kane.

 

[weasel]

I saw something about Utd had started to research Kane. I did wonder quite WTF they needed to research. Surely to christ everyone knows all about him!?
But then I remembered, this is Utd….

 

[theforceuk]

Yeah exactly, we're literally the only club that wants him and suits his requirements. He can still break the PL goal scoring record, tick. Not a London rival, tick. Better chance of winning something, tick. Man Utd will bend over and let him shaft us with a 6 year contract worth £350k a week, tick. All this said Man Utd will still end up paying £100 million for a 30 year old with one year left on his contract on September 30th.

 

[weasel]

I was talking to a Utd supporting mate about Harry Kane. Much as I don't like him, he is a great striker and will score you goals. Utd do need a striker, Sir can't do it all by himself. So the logic in that move is fairly clear.
But it all comes down to price. Levy is notorious for being hard to deal with and I really can't see him selling Kane for less than 100m. You might get 75-80m up front/staged payments and another 20-25 in easy add ons (wins 10 more England caps, scores 20 goals etc.) but you are effectively looking at 100m. Which is a lot of money for a 30yr old who has a lot of miles in his legs, he rarely misses games for Spurs or England, and he already has dodgy ankles.

100m will get you a guaranteed 20 odd goals a season, injury permitting, but it will come with very high wages, feck all resale value in 4 years and an ever increasing risk that he goes the way of Rooney and Owen.

I'm not sure I would take the chance, for that amount of money. But who else is there?
Your boy from Napoli, who looked properly good when Pool "played" (ie got hammered by) Napoli. But he has no PL experience. He may be great, he may be ****. He is more of a gamble.

 

[edd_jedi]

It's the same if he stays at Spurs, he's no longer a long term plan, a rebuild is needed including him, not around him

 

[weasel]

True.
Albeit that doesn't leave much of a squad/team to build round. Lloris is going down hill far too fast, your defence is pish, your midfield isn't great and Son has been piss poor this season. I guess he may revert to the form he had in the last 18months, but if he doesn't….

I'm not even gonna mention Richarlison. NO ONE outside of the Spurs Boardroom thought that was a good idea.


Who do you build round? Hoy-berg (spelling) and ehhhh….is Bentancur still there/any good?

 

[edd_jedi]

Yeah I agree, there are about 3 or 4 players I would keep, the rest need to go. Richarlison is another Alli, clearly talented but far too self obsessed to have the mindset for a top player. Son has had one bad season out of five or six so that's not immediate cause for alarm, the question is whether he can play without Kane. The funny and scary thing is that Kane is our best defender, midfielder and attacker!