Premier League 22/23 Thread

[Cazza]

The boy is absolute mustard. If comparing with Son, you could say 'Son has barely made any tackles or interceptions, compared to Rice, so what does he bring?' Rice is a CDM, they are utterly different players. Comparing him to Dier is laughable. Rice is a far, far better player all round.

His reading of the game is superb, timing of tackles and interceptions, passing accuracy, transition (he can travel!), attitude, never gets injured. If he's freed up more, he can score goals. Sometimes, when you watch a game, he can go under the radar, doing all the tidying up etc, however, if you focus on him, you see the whole game. He's a superstar. He's also only 24, one of England's top players, with 2 years left on his contract. Kane is 30 with 1 year left?

 

[edd_jedi]

Yes fair point, that's just my ignorance from not watching him closely, I didn't even realise he was a defensive midfielder (because nobody behind the half way line ever seems to cost over 50m!) and yes good point re: his age. @lejackal would you be happy picking him up for 92m as reported? Still seems like a hell of a lot of money (although 80m Maguire puts it into perspective!)

 

[weasel]

As someone who spent 20yrs playing DCM, albeit in a different sport, I do notice a good and bad DCM when I watch football and Rice is definitely in the former category.

I didn't think he was THAT good until I saw him when Pool played WH, he really impressed me. As @Cazza says he does the tidying and intercepting, the kinda stuff that can go unnoticed but that is utterly crucial to a team. And he does it bloody well.

Is he worth the rumoured 100m ish….hhmmm. Putting aside the fact that no one is and football is crazy, he is young, english (I did laugh at all the ROI fans moaning when he switched allegiances, funny they don't like it when someone does it to them but when they do it to half the players eligible to play for NI it's fine ) has two years left on his contract, WH don't need to sell and it is a big club coming in for him. Each one of those probably adds 10m to his price.

 

[lejackal]

Sadly I think 80-100 is the new 50-80. Players aren't really worth 50, never mind 80-100. I think to try and buy top English PL proven talent the price is the price.
I'm surprised Liverpool got Mac Alister out of Brighten for such a (relatively) low fee - we seem to get rinsed on every deal with them

 

[edd_jedi]

Yeah that's kind of what I mean - 100m should be prime Messi, Ronaldo, Haaland, or 2019 Kane money. Spending that much on every Brighton defender seems a bit extreme!

 

[Cazza]

Yeah, Mac Alister seems like a relatively good deal, in the current climate. Quite a few add-ons though, I think.

 

[weasel]

McAllister looks like a bargain. No guarantees he will be any good, but the price is great for Pool.
35m up front (that may be paid in instalments i dont know) and 20m in add ons. I have no idea what the add ons are or how realistic they are, but that's still very good value in football terms.

Now watch him snap a cruciate in pre season.

 

[weasel]

Sadly I think 80-100 is the new 50-80. Players aren't really worth 50, never mind 80-100. I think to try and buy top English PL proven talent the price is the price.
I'm surprised Liverpool got Mac Alister out of Brighten for such a (relatively) low fee - we seem to get rinsed on every deal with them

All joking aside, Utd's transfer record since Fergy left is ******* woeful. How many of their signings can actually be said to be good value? Fernandes, ehhh……Shaw? What did you pay for Shaw?

I'm reserving judgement on players who have only been there for a year or less, tho Varane, Casemiro and Martinez all look solid enough, but they came with huge price tags.

If we look at players who were pish value, Pogba, Maguire, AWB, Di Maria, Sanchez, did Ronaldo justify his wages/fee?

Every club has poor signings, hello Andy Carroll and bye bye Naby Keita/Ox, but Utd seem to specialise in getting their pants pulled down. Maybe Edd Woodward was just **** at transfers.

 

[lejackal]

All joking aside, Utd's transfer record since Fergy left is ******* woeful. How many of their signings can actually be said to be good value? Fernandes, ehhh……Shaw? What did you pay for Shaw?

I'm reserving judgement on players who have only been there for a year or less, tho Varane, Casemiro and Martinez all look solid enough, but they came with huge price tags.

If we look at players who were pish value, Pogba, Maguire, AWB, Di Maria, Sanchez, did Ronaldo justify his wages/fee?

Every club has poor signings, hello Andy Carroll and bye bye Naby Keita/Ox, but Utd seem to specialise in getting their pants pulled down. Maybe Edd Woodward was just **** at transfers.

Long may Utd buying dross continue, sadly I think ETH will have more of a say and steer them in the right direction

 

[theforceuk]

@weasel I agree on City tomorrow night, I love the spectacle of the Champions League final but it will be a hard watch knowing that City have literally cheated and bought their way to a treble.

All Ten Hags signings have been good so far, apart from Anthony and that wasn't Ten Hags fault that Man Utd are crap at negotiations and paid £40 million to much for him. This is a bit worrying as he's bound to get some wrong eventually and we really can't afford to.

Martinez for me was signing of the decade for Man Utd, probably the one player that stood out for me above all last season.

McAllister is probably going to be signing off the summer for me. £35 million! Jude Bellingham has gone for £90 I think? Great business from Liverpool, they need numbers as well as quality and will probably get 3 signings for the price of Bellingham.

 

[weasel]

Agreed on ETH Doing well so far. I reserve judgement on Anthony. I always try and give players 18months plus before I judge them, especially those that sign from non PL clubs. So far Anthony has flattered to deceive but he may come good. Ditto Sancho, his apparent mental health problems cut him a little slack, but 2 underwhelming years so far.

Who are we cheering for tonight? Normally I would cheer for the English side, unless it was Utd for obvious reasons. Even Chelsea some times get my support depending on who they are playing and who is managing them etc.

Until the last year or so I would have cheered for City. I don't know many City fans so they dont get a chance to annoy me like the legions of Utd fans do and City as a club always seem decent enough. I do like Pep and his sides play great football. BUT City have cheated they have ****** FFP and are only where they are cos of that and them winning everything is REALLY starting to get boring. I know Utd dominated for periods in the 90's and early 00's and Pool did the same in the 70's and 80's but City's dominance has a more permanent feel to it. Plus the dominate EVERYTHING, at least those great Pool and City sides had the decency not to make every domestic final every year as well as cruising the league. They also didn't dominate european football the way City are threatening to.
I suspect I'll be half heartedly cheering for Inter, if only so I can laugh if City do **** it up. But it'll be hard to listen to if City win it.

I suspect our best hope for someone to stop City's dominance is Pep leaving. Or FA/PL growing a set. Until then, we're stuck with them.

 

[theforceuk]

I've got my Inter shirt on, the closer I get to tonight the more confident I'm becoming of Inter, City will probably blow them away for 90 minutes. . They have to have a bad 20 minutes at some point!

 

[weasel]

Don't wright off Inter Milan that much @weasel, they will put up more of a fight than Man Utd did. I obviously still have City as big favourites, but Inter are no mugs. Well organised and always have a clear game plan that hasn't failed them yet this season.

So far you're spot on.
The question is can they keep it up for 90mins? Serie A isn't famed for it's high intensity/tempo games.

Feel sorry for KDB, 2 CL finals and he's gone off injured in both. He seems like a decent enough bloke too (for a footballer).

 

[theforceuk]

Theirs your answer.

 

[theforceuk]

No joke either when City scored and they showed the guy with a funny hat on celebrating, that's my window cleaner. Unbelievable Jeff!

 

[lejackal]

Feels very much like Inter needed to take at least one of their earlier chances. Never say never but City will likely suck the life out of them or catch them on the counter

 

[lejackal]

**** me that was close

 

[theforceuk]

Congratulations Man City.

 

[lejackal]

**** the commentary team banging on about all the contributors, the owners, past players. They have (allegedly) cheated their way to the top.

 

[theforceuk]

Yeah I don't really listen to that, to be honest though, Arsenal, Man Utd and Liverpool fans don't need to sling **** now, time won't be kind to Man City.

 

[Michael Sith]

Congratulations to City, well done, that's all I have to say

 

[Cazza]

Not the performance I was expecting at all. Inter unlucky in the end.

 

[theforceuk]

I'm not joking about he window cleaner, this guy, he always tells me a really **** joke.

 

[edd_jedi]

Well it was a **** game but personally I think they deserved it, considering City have probably been the best team in the world for the last decade it was ridiculous that they hadn't won it yet (while bloody Chelsea had fluked it too!)

Will be interesting to see what Pep does next, time for a new challenge after winning everything with City? Spurs at Christmas maybe?

Regarding the cheating, yes obviously that's a factor, you can't really compare football teams when the resources available are so wildly different (how are Burnley ever going to compete with City) but saying that there is more to it than money, Pep is clearly an amazing manager and has made hardly any dud signings, which can't be said for many other teams. He's also turned very average players into winners - Ake and Walker for a start!

 

[weasel]

Well it was a **** game but personally I think they deserved it, considering City have probably been the best team in the world for the last decade it was ridiculous that they hadn't won it yet (while bloody Chelsea had fluked it too!)

Summed up well, pretty dreadful game. Not that City will care.

And they prob have been due winning it, worse sides have definitely won it recently.
Lukaku was their best player. He literally turned the game. Inter were comfortable at 0-0 when he came on, 10 minutes later City are one up. Then he blocks a goal bound shot and follows it up with missing a free header from 6 yards out. The guy did more to win it for City than anyone in blue.

I saw someone describe City as "the Lance Armstrong of football" I thought that was very apt.