2024/25 Premier League & General Football Thread

[Liquid]

 

[Liquid]

The bad news for Manchester United fans just keeps coming; they've got a game every week until May.

 

[Famine]

Our 3-2 drubbing of league leaders West Brom (of course we were 2-0 up and pegged back to 2-2, why wouldn't we be), with a couple of really extremely filthy passes for our second and third, was lightly marred by the death of a fan in a medical emergency in the away end.

There's been a lot of accusations-without-evidence of the stewards and paramedics not acting quickly (and claims that Barry Bannan saw what was going on and tried to get the ref to do something, also unevidenced as yet), so there's going to be some fallout.

And one dick Tweeted something about that being 98 now and has been banned for life and arrested.

Sheffield Wednesday: Man held after online comments about West Brom fan death

West Brom supporter Mark Townsend died during Saturday's match against Sheffield Wednesday.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Famine]

So, 2.5 years ago I wrote:

So far you've had a new manager who'll come in and stop the rot every 2.5 years, and a billion pounds (a literally billion actual pounds) spent in nine summers (just summers) on an average of four new players at a time. What you have to show for it is a Community Shield, an FA Cup, and a Europa League, and crushing embarrassment.

And you're doing the exact same thing again this summer - and you think this will work this time?

Let's see how it's going:

Summer 2022: Antony (€95m), Casemiro (€70), Tyrell Malacia (€15m), Lisandro Martinez (€57m) - plus Dubravka on loan and Eriksen on a free.
Summer 2023: Altay Bayindir (€5), Rasmus Hojlund (€74m), Mason Mount (€64m), Andre Onana (€50m) - plus Jonny Evans on a free
Summer 2024: Matthijs De Ligt (€45m), Sekou Kone (€1m), Noussair Mazraoui (€15m), Manuel Ugarte (€50m), Leny Yoro (€62m), Joshua Zirkzee (€42m)

I make that one new manager who came in to stop the rot 2.5 years ago, spent another €600m on an average of four players each summer (and just the summers) and has a League Cup, an FA Cup, and a 3rd and an 8th to show for it. Currently 13th and the rumours swirl about replacing Ten Hag.

Again, five trophies in 12 years and regularly ending 2nd-7th is a pretty nice place to be for most other clubs, so the fact that there's panic at Old Trafford (and €1.5bn spent to get it) about it is still very amusing to me.

 

[Liquid]

Welcome to the 99%.

 

[Alfred1]

I didn't expect Liverpool to have such a great start of the season after Klopp but Liverpool is doing great under Arne Slot, especially their defence which has looked really solid so far this season.

 

[Tired Tyres]

There's watching paint dry and there's watching Man Utd. I'm not sure which is the best time to spend.

 

[Liquid]

There's watching paint dry and there's watching Man Utd. I'm not sure which is the best time to spend.

There wasn't a single good cross or corner in that match. It was absolute dross from both sides.

 

[Liquid]

Terrible news that former Milton Keynes and Sheffield United player George Baldock drowned yesterday aged just 31. He had just moved to Panathinaikos and played for Greece internationally and, as coincidence would have it, Greece played England tonight and won. The Greek FA asked about postponing the game due to one of their players dying but were told that there was no other date to rearrange the fixture.

A particularly emotional win for Greece.

 

[AEKara38]

For George and all of Greece

Well done for a match well won!

I bought the 12* Metaxa for the Euro final but tonight I had a good reason to enjoy some!

 

[MagpieRacer]

Thomas Tuchel agrees to become next England manager. Formal announcement expected this week.

Thomas Tuchel agrees to become next England manager

Former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel agrees to become the next England manager.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Omnis]

How on earth does this man keep getting jobs?

 

[MUSC4EVER]

So England are going all out to win that major tournament then, they got the best available manager and he isn't English, but I don't think the latter is a massive problem to be honest.

 

[MagpieRacer]

How on earth does this man keep getting jobs?

Because he's a very good manager? If the Chelsea board had any ball knowledge then he'd still be there.

So England are going all out to win that major tournament then, they got the best available manager and he isn't English, but I don't think the latter is a massive problem to be honest.

The latter absolutely isn't a problem at all for me. He's a brilliant coach, I like his style, I like him as a person and he's phenomenal at knockout football.

It's sad to see so many England fans criticising the appointment because he's not English, like English managers have had any more success than foreign ones. They want to see England win things but would rather see Lee Carsley or Eddie Howe in charge than a foreign manager with proven winning record. It's baffling, especially when those same people were criticising Southgate.

For once, the FA have gone and got the best available manager and for that I am delighted.

 

[Liquid]

Because he's a very good manager?

He's a very good tactician, I don't know about manager - he falls out with players and dressing rooms rather easily but maybe the infrequency of international management squad camps compared to daily club training will help him... ...or the players will dread seeing this tyrant every six weeks.

Smart move though. Wonder if he has the minerals to play the best team rather than eleven names.

 

[Famine]

They just... don't learn.

 

[Jimlaad43]

Aww but I was looking forward to a Manchester United relegation battle.

Being a Liverpool fan aside, it's clearly the right decision. Man U are a shadow of their former selves and a proper joke team nowadays. The squad is unmotivated and a horrorshow to watch.

It'll be interesting to see who they get in to replace him and what kind of turnaround they can get from the squad.

 

[OooAhh Cantona]

They just... don't learn.

More insight, please. Is it your opinion that they should have stuck with Ten Hag?

 

[Liquid]

More insight, please. Is it your opinion that they should have stuck with Ten Hag?

No, it's the same pattern:

Manager hired, gets a good first 10 games, spunks a load of money then the players down tools.

 

[Famine]

More insight, please. Is it your opinion that they should have stuck with Ten Hag?

No, it's the same pattern:

Manager hired, gets a good first 10 games, spunks a load of money then the players down tools.

That.

Just a few posts up, from the beginning of October and still on this page, you'll see I re-quoted a post I made in April 2022 that said this:

So far you've had a new manager who'll come in and stop the rot every 2.5 years, and a billion pounds (a literally billion actual pounds) spent in nine summers (just summers) on an average of four new players at a time. What you have to show for it is a Community Shield, an FA Cup, and a Europa League, and crushing embarrassment.

And you're doing the exact same thing again this summer - and you think this will work this time?

Then I quoted his £600m over three summers for ~4 senior squad players each time and commented about the rumours swirling over his departure.

Looks like it's now at the GO TO 10 stage again, only the spending has gone up by quite a lot.

But again, a few trophies and regular European football over the past decade is still a nice problem to have compared to most other clubs.

 

[OooAhh Cantona]

From a macro level, I can understand the perspective that the cycle continues to repeat itself. However there is new ownership and leadership in charge. If the Glazers and Arnold were still making football decisions, then I would be first to post "they just don't learn." As a fan, I can only trust INEOS to get it right.

When Sir Alex and David Gill left their roles, the Glazers had to make football decisions (including appointing Woodward and Arnold). Since then, Man Utd are no longer the best team in England, no longer have the best stadium in England, and no longer have the best training facility. INEOS have invested in the training facility and started planning for upgraded, or new, stadium. Let's see what INEOS do with the manager appointment.

In the end, the responsibility falls at the feet of the manager. Player performance/behavior is because the manager coaches it or allows it.

 

[TheCracker]

In the end, the responsibility falls at the feet of the manager. Player performance/behavior is because the manager coaches it or allows it.

As long as the owners/the board aren't interfering too much in what the manager is attempting to achieve. Pushing for short-term gains when what is required is a longer term goal. Like any business, any performance problems rest on those the highest up the chain of command.

 

[OooAhh Cantona]

Like any business, any performance problems rest on those the highest up the chain of command.

I agree, and many pundits and fans shared the same opinion that Man United didn't have the correct football leadership structure. I'm looking forward to seeing what Berrada, Ashford, Wilcox and company do.