OneMoSalah

I don’t think we will but as you’ve said never say never. Although its more likely to be unlikely. Even at 33 and however old Cristiano is both are considerably better than the next batch of players who are closest to them right now. If the Brazilian Ronaldo didnt have injuries he’d be right up there for me as well but he did and while he achieved a lot he like Ronaldinho (bit harsh on him as he was unbelievable for like 3 or 4 seasons), underachieved in a lot of ways for what youd expect players with their natural talent should of gone on and done. Messi contributed 31 Goals and 24 assists in all competitions. In the league he was involved with 25 goals and 21 assists. Barcelona scored 86 goals in La Liga. Messi was involved in more than 50% of them. Suarez had only 16 goals in La Liga and 8 assists. Theres only one guy who carried Barcelona this year and his name is Leo Messi. Out of interest who is better than Messi right now? Mbappe? Neymar? Lewandowski? Hazard? Cristiano? Messi and Cristiano still much better than most of them, comfortably. Lewandowski is oustanding and should be in amongst them two for his last 2 seasons IMO also. Again though there are these shitter teams so to speak, they arent any worse than the relegation fodder in the PL in fact I bet some of them teams that went down this season were twice the teams Bournemouth, Watford and Norwich are for instance. Or be better than Fulham 2 seasons ago who spent 150m or Villa this season who spent 100+ m. And lastly, cmon.... really, where do I start? Laporte is currently strolling the PL for City. Played for Athletic Bilbao. Former fans favourite Juan Mata (?) and David Silva both who came to the PL from Valencia, would say they found it relatively easy. Santi Cazorla came to Arsenal from Malaga and had a good spell in the PL. Ander Herrera again, solid player... did well for United, came from Athletic Bilbao. Zabaleta joined Man City from Espanyol years ago and became one of the top RBs for many seasons. Xavi Alonso??? Played for Sociedad prior to Liverpool. If I could be arsed to look deeper and find more players I would but I am sure you get the point. Be some glaring misses probably.

I know but imagine, going from Willian to Messi as our number 10. The whole we dont need him or he wouldnt Improve team x y or z talk is ludicrous.

Greatest player to have ever played but you don‘t want him because he runs counter the project we are building? To a lesser extent I am guessing Thiago Silva also runs counter to it because hes like 35 also? If so okay I see but even then I dont see the logic. If Messi isnt what we need at the moment we might as well say to Roman release everybody and sell up the club. Because we arent going to get anybody we need then if the greatest player of all time isnt what we need in one way or another.

We had someone like him years ago. Called Michael Emenalo. Wasn’t precisely the same role but it wasnt hugely different to that of a director of football. Marina has done very well in terms of closing deals in recruitment and sales. The players getting selected isn't down to her. Or the players being sold. She just gets whatever the manager/coach wants for them done. I would hold back on the huge huge appreciations for everyone though because we seen this sort of thread blow up before for the board in January when we sold De Bruyne and Mata then signed Salah and Matic, then it blew up again the following summer we got Costa, Luis, Cesc etc and sold David Luiz. Then we just decided to cheap out the next year and it basically went from “great job to get the finger out you useless cunts”. I know player scouting isn't Marina’s department but she does has a role of involvement with the transfers, negotiating on prices or wages so these can be held against her as well as praising her for other deals. As I keep saying football fans are fickle so next summer I wouldnt be surprised if its back to bashing her from half the people on here praising her at present. Its an endless cycle in football.

There is nobody better than Messi still and there never will be. He again has dragged Barcelona through another shit season where basically he has had to be the only guy who steps up to the plate, again. Like he has done many times since Luis Enrique left and even before then his individual genius in the greatest club team in perhaps football history or the last 25 years is probably more than enough to cement his position as the greatest player ever and if Ronaldo didnt exist, it would be undeniable. People will talk about La Liga and their teams or whatever not being that good but Seville just won the Europa League beating United on the way, Atletico schooled Liverpool in knockout football in the CL, Real were beaten fair and square by City but would beat every other PL team with significant ease bar City and Liverpool. Even then all these outside top 4 clubs in the PL have triple or quadruple the budgets of these outside top 4 or 5 Spanish teams and are probably worse. The Villa’s, Norwich’s, Bournemouth’s, Fulham’s, Everton’s, Cardiff’s, West Ham’s, Newcastle’s etc have all spent fuck tonnes in the last however many years and would probably finish in the same shit positions. Or worse. It is definitely harder to play in Spain than what people think - ironically, its still mainly PL fans who turn their nose up at the standards of the other teams outside Barcelona, Real, Atletico, Sevilla and Valencia as if ours are really any better? - even more so when you look at all the top players who play very well in Spain and then come over here and don’t necessarily struggle or need too long to make a transition. If the Spanish league was too easy to play in do you think the PL would have brought over so many players from there in the last 10 years? Not a chance. Wouldnt improve City? he would improve them significantly. Hes a very consistent goalscorer, assist maker, wins more fouls, creates more chances, makes more key passes, completes more dribbles than most players in Europe. Hes 33 now, okay he maybe isnt the way he was 7,8,9 years ago but he is still significantly better than most players in Europe. Him and Ronaldo would improve all teams in Europe. Even at their ages. Theyre still better than Neymar, Mbappe etc.

‘Alex from Glasto’ so I am guessing he is now lined up to be another one of these fake wanna be celebrities like the blokes and lassies on instagram who think their models/fashion line designers or the love island contestants that plague every newspaper now a days with needless stories like ‘Person X and person Ys from love islands, dog dies after 5 days’ or whatever.... Had a quick scan through it and had a wee chuckle at this 🤣 Things have blown up for you since then, you’ve made your own song etc, what is next for Alex Mann? “I’m not sure at the moment. I took a big break from everything after it blew up just to focus on myself instead of all the media attention.” ‘all the media attention’ get over yourself. You were on bbc iplayer for like 3 days mate and nobody’s heard of you since. See you next Tuesday.

Yes but I think your missing the point. Improvement in the organisation and defending as a whole has to be our number 1 priority next season as it was a huge reason as to why our season had that slump midway through and uncertainty towards the end (along with chance conversion - when the Havertz deal happens then I think its fair to say that issue has been almost resolved or so you would think looking at us on paper). Even with Havertz, Ziyech, Pulisic, Werner if we don’t improve the structure and organisation as a whole unit, teams will continue to create plenty of chances be it from corners, FKs, open play whatever against us. Its not necessarily just personnel that needs to change as we’ve mentioned so many times this last season its more than just one or two players, it comes from the way we try to play and the naiveness of a young manager who is trying to make his mark at times (mistakes will be made we cannot say that isnt going to happen but it has to be reflected on and changed in the longrun and set plays/fks/transitions were a huge issue last season). I think thats got to be more a realistic priority as a collective with the signing of a LB and maybe another a CB first and foremost than trying to offload a 71m GK 2 years into a 7 year contract in the middle of a financially crippling global pandemic, dont you? I think Kepa will get replaced but its not going to be as easy as okay Ajax heres 35m for your GK now we have to try offload a high earner with 5 years left on his deal who cost 71m 2 years ago who will undoubtedly not want to sit on the bench. If we are to replace Kepa I think a club has to make a move first to come and get him, theres plenty of talk the club still have faith in him and expect him to turn it around and pay back the investment. Whether you believe that or not I dont know if Frank or the club will think at this moment replacing a GK is top of the list. If we get this triple deal yes then absolutely but we still need to wait and see. I do expect him to be replaced but I dont think its our number 1 concern right now.

I said isnt our biggest problem. Not that he isnt a problem. He is a problem but hes further down the list for me. If we dont improve without the ball defensively or at set plays (maybe he is a reason as I said) or convert more chances into more goals it wont matter if we have Kepa or Oblak in goal. Sure Oblak would save more but a team conceding too many chances is never good. Even if the GK can bail them out. You dont want your GK to have to make a lot of saves.

If he is the biggest issue you haven’t been watching close enough all season if I am honest -chance conversion (more clinical we could probably have finished second based on how the season played out and not dropped points against stupid teams), -defending at set plays (it’s worse than its even been IMO since Villas-Boas was in charge), -not getting caught/so exposed on the transition (again this season almost a Villas-Boas-esque commitment to trying to play 2 defenders v 3 or 4 attackers at the back more or less everytime we lose the ball in the oppositions half at times) ...all much bigger issues than Kepa IMO. For all the bad games he had (10 or 11 I would say in the course of a season) those 3 things were more reoccurring and more of an issue than the GK and making saves or not making saves or coming for corners or not coming from corners. Okay set plays he maybe comes into it but dont tell me the set play set ups this season have filled anybody with confidence? Things like Ngolo Kante marking Virgil van Dijk (or was that last season cannot remember?), Jorginho defending the front post, zonal every fucking match giving any team with decent sizes players a head start. Was it 13 or 14 goals from set plays we conceded? More than the mistakes Kepa made all season? Also what did you base this off of? He was pretty good and pretty consistent last season, I really dont see how you could argue with that. Saying the defensive structure bailed him out is just incredibly lazy (our defensive record and structure was better than this seasons yes but still pretty fucking awful so its not even a viable argument in my eyes), would be like saying Oblak is only world class because Atletico defend so well and have proper defensive structure. Or Courtois was only world class at Atletico for the same reason... Just doesn’t do them justice or Kepa’s performances last season any justice. Yes he wasnt world class last season and yes has his flaws but the fickleness in peoples view of him as a footballer is clear to see. Okay we know he has been under performing this season, Stevie Wonder could see that but to say he was doing that last season is just bizarre beyond belief. I suppose its just to be expected though. But again as I mentioned, more worried about the shape without the ball, defending set plays and conversion rate right now. Werner and Ziyech offer more in to the last one but still plenty to do and not all of it can be sorted by recruitment either.

Kind of totally forgot the windows still open so have tunes out a bit. Not been much interesting happening anyway by many other clubs.

Few rumours we are in advanced talks with Thiago Silva. Interesting.

What? Player like Havertz as in an already very good player, potential one in a generational attacking player who can play in 4 or 5 positions: LW, RW, CAM, CM and CF, who had scored 18 goals last season and 20 the one before in a high standard league all at the age 21? What team doesnt need a player like that? I mean is United's attack really that good that Havertz wouldn’t play? Even if it wasn't a necessity to not have any interest or think he would be a great signing, even for United, would be a huge mistake. They wanted Sancho so I dont see why they wouldn’t want Havertz or have an interest either. Similarly both are attacking players, with good goal and assist returns, different playing styles but again don’t get what you mean they ‘don’t’ need a player like him. Regardless of if they wanted him or not, the longer we fuck about for this fee, the more likely another team, be it a PSG or a City or a Juventus or a Barcelona or somebody, has to swoop in. Just give then 75-85m and get it done. Simple as that.

Tbf he had more goals and assists involvements than any other of our attacking midfield/wide players in the league last season. He wasnt a massive player for us on that front every season but if he replicates that or betters it for Arsenal, he will be a reasonable signing for them. I know the 3 year deal is a bit long but I can see why he feels a bit hard done by perhaps. Lampard will also be annoyed that somebody he was desperate to keep has left to a rival, similarly to Conte when the club sold Matic. Obviously expect Ziyech to hit the ground running but still think letting one of your most productive players go to a rival who will be competing with you isnt the best idea.

Why are we fucking around? I know he wants to come here but it just takes a club to offer 10-15M more than us to steal him basically by sounds of it because Leverkusen want a deal done. Get the finger out. Fuck sakes. Id be royally fucked off if United come in and drop the money they apparently bid for Sancho on him and get him.

Have to agree completely. He has such confidence in his own ability as well which helps but his commitment to learning a new position which much like Alexander-Arnold at Liverpool, was the only place he was realistically only ever gonna get a proper chance to come into their team, has been incredible. Much people talk about him offensively but his defensive play and the recoveries he's made this season have been incredible too in regards to the distances he’s got back from higher up and also his timing. Tbf Davies came into the Bayern team when they were really struggling with Kovac due to injuries and performed really well. Hasnt looked back and has got better and better since. Reece has got potential undoubtedly but if he perhaps had the same enthusiasm or drive that it would seem Davies has, he would be a better player. In my eyes as well, Davies has undoubtedly transformed that Bayern team as he adds a huge dimension both offensively and defensively, it also allows Alaba to play at CB and they can play a much higher line. Obviously Bayern and Liverpool with TAA are in better nick than us right now but again Trent started playing in a Liverpool side that still had huge flaws until they sorted those at CB and GK and as I said with Bayern, Davies started making an impression with Kovac (although Kovac did drop him to the reserves at one point).

PL proven is a ridiculous thing to say. All of the current top top players in their positions in the PL 90% came from other leagues and were already at good levels so its hardly as if buying from abroad is necessarily a bad thing. For the price and potential Regulion has to get him for 25-35m euros he would be worth it if he kept improving the way he did this season. People will say he only plays for Sevilla or he didnt play that good v United etc but hes just been voted La Liga LB of the season which when you consider the likes of Marcelo, Alba, Mendy etc play in Spain, all who would probably walk into most PL top teams, that is a mean feat. Even if some maybe had off seasons or whatever, Farlan Mendy had a very good season for Real so for him to have gotten in ahead of him shows he is a good player. Also when was the last time we signed a good English player from another PL team? Barkley? Nope. Drinkwater? Nope. Chilwell is a good player but look at the English price addition, Harry Maguire just left Leciester for 80m the previous season. Thats the benchmark for Leicester. I dont think Chilwell really had an oustanding season either to warrant that cash, neither had Maguire when United got him, although BC did play well at times but the difference if there is one between him and Regulion (again from what Ive seen in La Liga and Europa games, Id argue the Spaniard is slightly better) would be very marginal. If at all. But he's English so he will be the preferred choice I would think because we seem to have a hard on for English players at present hence the links with Sancho (warranted bar huge price probably unattainable this summer for us), Chilwell (if he was 30-40m I would say yes go for it if he is number 1 choice), Ben White (no PL experience for over 40m?), Lewis Dunk (please god no), Nick Pope (think hes had a good year but screams Begovic 2.0 so unless hes a number 2... not so sure). Plus people want Kai Havertz right? Weve already spent closer to 100mn on Werner and Ziyech, do they think we are gonna spend 65+ M on a LB, buy Havertz for 80-90m and then buy another top CB and a new GK as well? We should of signed Kieran Tierney before Arsenal. 100% better than both. 25m was a steal. Yet someone would say he played in SPL I suppose but where do they think we got Billy Gilmour from or where Southampton got Wanyama, van Dijk etc? Or where Hull got Andy Robertson who could have played higher than a relegated team if I am completely honest. Buying from within the PL isnt always necessarily going to assure anything and I am still surprised people have that mentality when you look at how Torres, Barkley and Drinkwater turned out. Fair does Kante and Cahill are opposition to that argument but what top team has signed someone from another PL club where theyve gone on and done very well in the last 10 years? Sadio Mane and van Dijk obvious ones with Liverpool. Kante to us under Conte. Cahill to us with AVB. City with Sterling. Lukaku to Everton then United. Van Persie to United. Top clubs are buying from foreign leagues for a reason: much much better value for money. also if your spending 65m + on a fullback and only expecting 4 or 5 good seasons, buy someone else. The club will be expecting Chilwell if he does come here to give 7, 8 or 9 seasons at a high level. Or at least I would be. 65m is a lot to invest in a defender.

Tbf she sanctioned his signing in the first place. She should be sacking whatever scout recommended the club sign him 😂

True but I think he hasnt left Stoke because they wanted 30mn for him off the fact he was in the English WC squad, which is ridiculous because its not as if England had any truly outstanding GKs either so his inclusion as a back up GK is hardly gonna warrant tripling his price. Stocks obviously fallen as Stoke have gone to shit but as a 2nd GK hardly be a bad option but again, maybe better out there. Lewis Dunk though? Fuck me. Is Lampard trying to turn us into Kenny Dalglish’s Liverpool when they signed all the overrated PL players and British guys? Likes of Stewart Downing, Charlie Adam, Andy Carroll, Jordan Henderson (got to the top eventually though). Also that fuck me reaction is without mentioning the fee, £40M+ For somebody who probably isnt even Englands 5th choice CB. Ben Foster okay for a number 2 yes sound go for it, can see why we would consider it. Also Declan Rice and Ben Chilwell have potential but are hugely overpriced and there are better as well as cheaper options out there in both positions too. Dont go undoing the good work already done with Werner, Ziyech and potentially Havertz by signing Lewis Dunk. I get the having HG players but we’ve how many academy boys in the squad already? Tammy, Mason, Billy, Callum, Reece, Fikayo... plus is Lewis Dunk better than what we have? Wouldnt say so. If he was even then hardly a huge improvement on some of them. Wouldnt say he is better than any of our CBs including Fikayo.

Probably but looking for a solid 2nd GK, why not?

Look at Aguero at City. Arguably one of the best strikers in PL history and he is hardly hugely involved in the build up in the same way some CFs are/were. Is it a problem? Not really because he gives you 20 league goals a season. Fair enough his all round game is good and he can do other things but if your good at scoring goals leave the fannying about trying to be a midfielder getting assists, key passes etc to the guys behind you and do the job, do what CFs do, get the ball, give it to your team mates and just be in positions to stick the ball in the back of net regularly. Ok if your not getting the rub of the green, do these things and yes all the top CFs are more than just goal scorers but still, our problem was conversion for a lot of the season, Werners ability to finish is gonna be a huge plus. Thats why he has to play through the middle for me. He has the pace to remain on the shoulder and get in behind teams. He also offers huge counter attack potential too with his pace. The back to goal stuff isn’t always that important for me because other teams have shown you dont always need that to win trophies if the conditions in your team are right and the players fit the style. Plus we have Abraham and Giroud to swap it up, we have the variations.

65m? Not for me. Regulion better player and 30m cheaper. What the fuck. Leicester will probably go and buy him afterwards and he will do what that young Turkish bloke did for them when they used him after selling Maguire. 100%. But if Frank wants him, fair does, good player potential to be a mainstay for 10+ years but never ever gonna be a 65m full back. Only a few who I would say is worth that cash off the top of my head: Hakimi, Mendy (Real Madrid one), Alex Sandro, Robertson, Alexander-Arnold, potentially Renan Lodi but not 100% convinced. Be others too but Chillwell isnt one of them for me, as I said Regulion be a cheaper and better option IMO.

Jack Butland available for 8-10m. 27 years old, homegrown, would be a good back up. Not starting quality likely but for a number 2, 8-10m in this market would be a very shrewd signing.

Just fucking sell him. No more loan to buy shit. They had an option/obligation to buy him last time and didnt bother their arses. Will we ever learn?

On Ben White: Dont think we should go for him. Think hes got good potential but looking very good in the championship is one thing, lets see how he gets on in the PL this season before spunking 40mn on him. A more experienced, top level CB who is in the 24-27 years age bracket would make more sense.

Pirlo is a massive gamble. Massive. Hopefully he does well and if he does fair play but again as previously mentioned, they need a reshuffle in their playing personnel.