Lets Talk Football

Yikes, just as the first half ends FoxSports says we can’t watch any more with them. WTH! Turns out we then had to select our internet carrier & mine is xfinity so back to the match.

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I’m here only on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays. That’s why I’m here now.

Spain deserved to win. It is the best team in Europe.

Major disappointment from England. Ruined my evening.

At least you are not this idiot:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cw0y92zr77do

¡arriba España!

The best team of the tournament won in the end. Sadly most senior England players had an off day.

This Spanish team, though good & full of great potential, is nowhere near their glorious past teams under Del Bosque.
Both Germany & France had their moments against them, & England as well.

Euros was an average tournament. Now we can concentrate on important things, like the silly transfer season.


Yep thats daft, but he is still a smaller idiot than the city fan who tattooed Rooney on his back, when there was a bit of rumour of Rooney leaving United possibly for City.

That was peak football tattoo stupidity.

No one watches England to have fun.

Spain were the most entertaining, they deserved the win, but both Germany and France should've taken the chance to put them out and didn't. I pretty much agree with @WrinkledMind observation with the exception of England who, as usual, had moments because they're a moments team. That's not a bad thing, it's just unpredictable and relies on taking those moments rather than building momentum.

Southgate has done a great job though, he's just the wrong manager for this group of players, but that's not to say someone else will finally take it that step furither.

With the international stuff over (or the bit which tides us over until the proper football starts as I think of it) it's transfers and the build up to an important season for United. Signs so far are good, so long as you're not expecting up to challenge for the title or anything. I'll take 4th and a decent run in Europe right now and be thankful for it.

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5-time MoFo Award winner.

I do. But every time I watch a game England loses. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

That's because you only watch them play good teams. If you want a good chance of watching England win, watch them in qualifying.

Here's to another footie season.


A season of transition for us. I will be happy with a top 4 finish & a good run in any one of the cup competitions.
Not really worried about the lack of signings (LFC is the only club in the league that hasn't anyone), though expect a DM incoming.


City will be city. Arsenal have made their strong defence stronger with the Italian. United have made couple of decent singings. Spurs too.


With Villa in the mix as well, I expect a decent top four battle.

I have no idea how this season's going to turn out for United. De Ligt and Mazraoui are having medicals at United today so, unless something is found (I'm not expecting so but they do both seem to miss quite a lot of the season through injury which does worry me), I'd expect those deals to be done by this evening or tomorrow morning at the latest. There's talk of Evan Ferguson for around £50m, but I think that's largely paper talk. Certainly unless we sell a few others I can't see it being anything but. He's obviously showing a lot of promise, but I think if we're going to spend that money I'd rather see Ivan Toney come in, although not for £50m, as I think that's a little too much and it doesn't appear that there's much of a market for him at the moment. I just feel if we're going to buy a striker, then we need someone you expect to hit the ground running with a proven track record. Ferguson feels a little too much like Hojlund, with Zirkzee already in and with a similar age and experience profile, an older, more experienced striker who will get the goals immediately is the better bet. But Ferguson does feel more like an ineos buy.

But at this moment, I think we're weaker than we were last season (and it feels similar with players already injured), although De Ligt and Mazraoui will go some way to redress that. Obviously I'd take top four right now, but I've said that every season since Ferguson left and we've only managed it about half the time.

A fond farewell to Aaron Wan-Bissaka as well. My kind of defender, but not what ETH wants. I wish him well and I'm sure he'll do well wherever he goes (probably West Ham).

Loved this documentary. Seen it twice. There’s something very likable about Becks.

Always a great feeling to win the fixture. More so to win at Old Trafford.


I thought United started well, but kinda disappeared after the Trent disallowed goal.


Early days & just three games in, but I can see visible changes in the way we are playing. More control. FBs, especially Robbo, not bombing forward. Defensively we are looking less open.


Honestly didn't think Ravenberch would be this good as a DM. He isn't your typical yard dog DM, but more like a less special version of Busquets. Which explains why the club wanted Zubimendi & are keen on selling Endo.
Interesting to see how Gravenberch plays against City or Arsenal, but the lad has been amazing so far.


This 4-2-1-3 in possession is also bringing out the best of Dominic, whon is almost playing like a second striker at times.


Again it's all early days, but I'm all in with Slotball. Dude himself is so laid back in interviews, despite all the constant annoying Klopp comparisons.
Anyways don't want the team to get carried away, & top 4 is still the goal, but good signs to see.

We were starting to slip about that time and the goal was coming but after that it was all one way.


I've only see that game and highlights of your others but it's far more controlled than the 'heavy metal' football of Klopp.

I'd be stunned if you didn't make top 3. For me that's Arsenal, City and yourselves in whichever order it happens. We need top 4 this year but I'll be surprised if we get it. I said last year we'd finish anywhere from 4th-9th with 5th or 6th being most likely and we ended up 8th. I do think, with a properly fit team, we can be 6th or maybe higher if someone else has a underpar season. But I think this season is all about getting behind the scenes correct.

Just a bit about that because there's been all the screams about EtH getting sacked and how long has he got left but I've not heard anyone say what I've been thinking and I think it's fairly obvious. Which either means it is and people are missing it (on purpose in the media?) or it's so wrong that I'm a moron (and I've always said football exists to make me look a fool.) So here goes.

Obviously they were looking to replace EtH. Everyone knows that, including him because they were very open about it. Everyone knows (or should) than the hierarchy and structure at United has been/is a mess and that's a big part of the reason why so much money has been spent/wasted. The whole place has been stripped bare, hollowed out and left to run down almost since the Glazer's took over until Fergie left. Even since, the money has been spent hugely on signings and wages as the Glazers think that as starving the club of money created the problem, flooding the team with signings will solve it. The last 10 years have shown that's not true.

For whatever reason they didn't go with any of the few managers they interviewed/spoke with (my guess is they didn't feel they could work with them or they have someone/a type of manager in mind who wasn't available) and, rather than pay off EtH and his team and install a new manager they weren't sold on (and his team) only to sack them when they fail, because no one can succeed with things the way they are/have been, they decided to extend EtH's contract (which cost no money) because they think that, once the behind the scenes stuff is sorted/a year further along, that United can start to build to a real challenge and that'll mean extra money available next summer. It also means you don't 'burn' through another manager and have another failure when you're trying to be the new broom. If EtH does OK (top 4 or maybe another trophy?) then it could be him. Otherwise it will be someone else. Of course, if it goes stupidly poorly or the OT faithful turn on him, he could get sacked before the end of the season. Should that happen, I'd expect RvN to take over until the end of the season unless the person they want is available and they think they've got the behind the scene stuff sorted.

It's not been a good start for United (obviously) but we have the amount of points I thought we'd have (we could've drawn with Brighton but I thought a loss was the most likely result) and so, while the way we lost at Brighton is a worry, we are where I thought we'd be after 3 games and 3-0 was a better result than I thought we'd get (4-0) and a lot better than it should've been if everyone had scored (6-2).

The injuries are still a problem. We haven't played with a forward yet (Zirkzee isn't really a striker. He calls himself a 9 1/2 I think?) we have no midfield (we only have 5 midfielders and one of those is Mason Mount who's constantly injured) and Ugarte hasn't played yet. I think Rashford's done at United but he plays better with Shaw at LB and that hasn't happened since February. I can only assume that EtH is playing him so that, when he eventually drops him, he can say to him/the press that he's been given chances but not impressed. But as I don't think anyone would even argue, that's probably not the reason he's still playing him? Maybe it's just about taking pressure of the younger players as we also have the amount of points he expected us to have?

Yoro's young and will make mistakes but hopefully his pace and positioning will mean he can step up. I'm still not sold on Martinez (I just can't have a 5'9" CB) but he gives everything for the club and we missed that a lot last season. I'd have been tempted into moving him to an inverted wingback and coming into midfield to tackle and make an extra man, but I think Ugarte will mean that isn't necessary (and Eth Wouldn't have done it anyway) I don't think it was a surpise that we looked at our best with Varane and him as the CB pairinig. I can't even remember if they played together with Shaw at LB? It might've happened a few times? We shouldn't have been that bad last season, but we could be this as others have improved and, if we don't get together as a team, mid table could beckon. High midtable, I'll grant you (8th or 9th) but still nowhere we want to be.

Anyone see the England games? Thoughts? Early and against poor opposition but I thought it was quite encouraging. Far too early to make any decisions, but he's got 4 (?) more games against 'lesser' opposition so he doesn't really have the chance to show it can be better. All he can do is win them and in a way which shows progression/a style the fans like.

If I had to make a decision now, I'd go with him if only because who else is out there that you'd get? He knows the players, he's been in the England set up for years, the FA will obviously be happy with him and it does feel like a step forward from Southgate (who I've never been a big fan of so will admit bias there) especially as he's 'been in the machine' longer than Southgate was and, therefore, play football more like the FA want it to be.

Yeah I did. England did look much more progressive. If he plays Trent & Rico/Hall as FBs, your side instantly becomes much more balanced.


The Trent in midfield stupidity needs to be quashed. He can come in at times, but he shouldn't be starting as a midfielder.


If you have a decent RCB & DM who don't mind covering the space on right, then Trent is a far better option than Walker.


Also, with the national teams it's better to promote someone from within than bring in a foreign coach, who might take years to just adapt.

Happy with the appointment, @honeykid?

I get most of you probably don't care or are not interested, but there is a real story developing in Scottish Football. Celtic are being Celtic as expected, R****** are 9 points off the pace and have problems out the wazoo again, but it is Aberdeen that are getting the headlines and deservedly.

They are going toe to toe with Celtic so far this season, with just goal difference seperating them. The Dons have not lost a game since mid-March, and under their new manager Jimmy Thelin this season, they are P16 W15 D1, with the 1 draw being when they fought back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 v Celtic at Celtic Park, a couple of weeks ago.

Tomorrow they go head to head once again in League Cup Semi-Final, just a few days after they beat R******, 2-1, but it could've and probably should've been more like 4-1, so dominant they were. Bookies keep underestimating them, and yet they keep finding a way to win. Considering the relative resources, it's pretty incredible really.

Still early doors, anfd obviously a long, long way to go in the season, but just a whiff of 2015/16 Leicester in the EPL... Not to mention it's great for the Scottish game, to have a real contender from outside of Glasgow at the top of the table for the first time since the early 90's, and potentially the first time a team from outside of Glasgow could be champions since 1984/85, when a certain Alex Ferguson was still the Dons manager.

Erm, it's tough to be completely happy considering everything since the end of last season. I mean, if they asked and he just wouldn't come before now, then there's probably nothing they could've done about that and so it's OK.

But nothing else makes sense. If he wasn't interviewed back then (which I don't think he was) then why is he right now? If he was and wasn't right, the same question. We all knew they were looking to replace EtH at some point this season (probably before Christmas) unless it all clicked, so why spend so heavily in the summer on players? As I understand it, De Ligt just isn't going to work out in a 3 and it's the one thing that Amorim won't shift from. So if Anorim was being thought of and EtH's future not long, why spend that money on a player your 'new' manager won't want? Unless he sells in January, I can't see there being any/much money to spend so he'll have to use this squad until the summer.

There's other stuff but, am I happy with Amorim as manager? Yes. Will he be the answer? The answer is United being right behind the scenes and, with the exception of his appointment, I've still not seen much evidence of that. We've had 3 elite managers since Fergie left (Mou, EtH, LvG) and they've all won cups, but only Mou finished 2nd and that was a very distant 2nd. Until the club works properly and improves throughout (scouting/training/medical/recruitment, etc) he'll 'fail' just like the rest of them.

What I like most about him is that he won a two horse league with a different horse. That always catches my eye. Sadly, he'll probably be compared to Fergie because of it, but the fact remains that it's very encouraging.

Hopefully this board will recognise where United actually are now and, to an extent (because it's almost impossible with a club as big as United) limit expectations to what can currently be achieved and not what used to be achieved, because United aren't there anymore and weren't there even before Fergie left, no matter what the table said back then or current ex-United pundits say.

My local team (NY Red Bulls) made it to the MLS Cup final (shockingly, as it’s the first time we’ve made the final since 2008 and we were 7th seed) so I’m going to the match on Saturday. We are heavy underdogs but who knows?