LDN Blue

Definitely agree. Wanted us to go for Schneiderlin before United went, but we were too infatuated with Matic-Cesc holding that position. It's surprising then, when Mourinho said he wanted a midfielder, that we didn't go for him. Especially when it was fairly obvious he wanted to move. Wanyama is another good player. Kenyan Power! Haha. I do see Arsenal making a move for him in Jan, especially after he bossed their MF today.

Hahaha, all jokes aside.. He did what he usually does and it was ideal he did it without any careless mistakes. Whether Mikel should actually be here or not is another issue, but it was pleasant to see other fans giving him his props

Come on, are you really going to get hung up on Bertrand-Luis over all things? If I had the time and patience, I'd go through the match day threads were Luis did play and show you how he didn't put in such world class performances as you think. Also are we choosing to forget that Mourinho actually did mention the fact that Shaw was too expensive in the first place. But of course choose then to forget one Baba Rahman who is young and did play towards the end of Mou's tenure. Anyway, I do think we're gonna agree to disagree here. Hindsight is wonderful and we can always get hung up on the what ifs I guess, they won't go away until we're successful again. So until then, feel free to vent

It's honestly like people think he came to burn the Bridge down. He tried and he failed. It's already been noted himself and the club parted amicably, so I don't know why fans still hold hostile feelings towards him lol .

I think this hypothesis is rather unfair. I think he believed, and wanted to prove, that he can be a long-term manager with a fluid style of football. He certainly said all the right things and for the first half of the season did well to implement them. RLC got some game time even. The problem was that loss to Tottenham, really shook Mourinho up and after that it was always back to the style he's known and trusted so well. Much like in 2010, when Carlo won the double, the title win did well to mask already established problems. The wave that followed continued to cloud problems in personnel and it wasn't found out until it was too late. By then José was always in a losing battle. He couldn't even begin to think about the youth, when his established stars were giving him such a headache. Look I've said before, it's easy in hindsight to talk about KdB, Mata, Luis, etc. But at the time it was working for Mourinho, he talked about this team being good enough to last 10 years (as he said when Lampard left). Mourinho gambled and it didn't work, I have no doubt he did want to leave a long-term legacy here. He just doesn't know how to do it and perhaps he may never learn.

I guess, but I mean when you're owned by a billionaire you do have the safety of not necessarily needing Europe's money. Yeah, winning the EL does now get you into the CL, but there's no reason we can't do that by the conventional way of getting 4th. I still think it's an overplayed state of mind to think you can't attract big names if you spend one season out of it. It's more true if you can't get back in. But United spent a season out and are back in. Albeit they've got their own problems now, but whether they dump Van Gaal now or in a few weeks, they'll still end up in the top 4. For all the EL is in terms of a European competition, the TV payouts are piss poor anyway. Long travels accompanied with a Football Association that doesn't seem to be willing to help with that simply means added fatigue. You just have to look at the stats of when teams enter the EL in correlation with their decline in the league table.

:lol: I forgot about that guy!

Here's the thing guys, Do we even want Europa? Lets rewind a little bit to when United crashed out the CL last time and ended up crashing out of the Europa too. They put all their concentration on the league and finishing back in the top 4 that they did so with relative ease. Liverpool, in their title chasing year with Suarez, were knocked out the Europa League pretty early. Had it not been for us, ironically, they probably would have gone on to win the title that year. So as bad as it sounds, if we don't finish top 4, I'd rather we finished 9th (just to be safe, because these days even 8th somehow gets you into the EL )

Uhh.. You say that, but actually our squad now looks better than the 08/09 one lol. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the players he had then were a lot older and most people were saying they were too old. The team this time actually is filled, or supposed to be, with a lot more attacking channels. The only thing you can say this team is lacking are the leaders of yesteryear lmao. This squad should be able to compete the highest level.

Lmao, you're clearly not a motorsports guy, huh? - It's an analogy to different types of vehicle tyres.

Times like this I wish Kojo & Justin were still around!

YES! You guys are embracing Mikel finally and not in a sarcastic way, I've been waiting for this day for a long time

Tbh I'm still not sold on Coquelin either. Maybe it's because Arsenal fans are doing my head in overrating him as per usual - Even Wenger said he's worth £40m not too long ago smh. On Matic though, incredible how he's become so inconsistent. When first re-signed, it was called a stroke of genius by Mou. Maybe if the 2014 Matic was eligible in Europe, we could've won the CL that year - What's clear is he needs us to sign someone to give him the proverbial kick up the backside. Because right now he's far too comfortable and assured of his place

Stop it

But you know, we're the fools for making Emenalo jokes

Loool Hiddink said he wants an ENGLISH striker? What absolute nonsense :lol: - Like Hiddink gives 2 shits about the nationality of a player, I'm sure he wants ANY goal scoring striker lmao. But then again, it's The Sun, you'd be a fool to believe anything they say. I'm curious to see why Jordan Rhodes is yet to be snapped up by an PL club. Maybe it's because what Blackburn pay him has put any potential suitors off, but his stats speak for themselves. Hudderfield Town: 148 (87) Blackburn Rovers: 155 (82) In fact his entire career, he boasts an incredible record of: 337 appearances, 181 goals.

Lol what's the point of selling Eden to get Griezman? Yeah, the French kid is doing well at the moment and its no surprising that he's getting all kinds of plaudits. But football, more interestingly, the memory of an average football fan is hilarious. Are we so easy to forget the phenomenal form of Hazard last season? Are suddenly going to dismiss that based on one poor season, where everyone is doing just as bad? Man no wonder we don't have our cake and eat it too - Hazard >>>> Griezman when both on form, so I don't understand why people want the latter. Because I know what'll happen when/if Griezman doesn't do well every game over 5 seasons. "We should sell him and buy [insert Atletico's next flavour of the season]'

What the heck is Girl Scout Cookies? We just get basics here. Ammo & haze, occasionally getting some purp.. My guy got me some jean guy canadian shit the other week, dopee

Oh my god Kieran, what skunk you smoking rn?

Incredible this really. How a single person can have this much influence on the dressing room is incredible. Even before he was rumoured to come, there were reports his team-bonding attitude was severely lacking and them wasn't as united as they were when he was here. Some call that player-power, I call that simple leadership. Terry couldn't lead on his own, especially when his own position was under scrutiny for most the season. Drogba knew he wasn't #1 on the team sheet and that didn't bother him. His role went beyond that.

At least Mourinho openly said he would go to another English club, he was honest and open about his intentions - For that he's not Judas, he's a man of his word. Lampard did the polar opposite, told the world how he couldn't play for another PL club when at Chelsea. Then his very next move was Manchester.

Yeah course. Like again going back to my op, we'll have Baba, Aké (if he is called back) and Azpilicueta as our LBs. Cesar does count as both to be fair, and if Aina comes through then we'll have 3 RBs too. Let's see what subsequent managers think, because if it's working in training and they see him there in the future then Mou will deserve a good amount of credit for that.

I should've added 'no offence' to that post. I'm actually supporting Hungary in that group, I work with so many Hungarians and I also fell in love with Budapest this summer that I'm sold! Gera to win the golden boot

Lmao I understand I really do hope though Hiddink sets up in such a way that we can utilise Fabregas. I don't think he's done yet, iirc he's put in worldies for Spain in the last round of international fixtures. If we can get that Cesc then we've got those killer final passes back.

Fair enough, I guess that does make sense. I just thought that transition from winger to defence would have happened at academy level as opposed to professional. I mean you follow my reasoning? If they're not trusted defensively young then I would've thought they would lack the discipline to carry it out. That's my worry with Kenedy suggestion. He's so used to being in the attacking third of the pitch that defensive duties might be abandoned by force of habit.