robsblubot

Disagree. For me it was team problem, rather than a player problem. The team is still too spaced out and that can and will be exploited by the opposition. You could see that clearly in the second half: Caicedo and Enzo were outnumbered often as there was always a 3rd open man to receive a pass. You simply cannot defend in that situation as the game "piggy in the middle" proves. It's easy to point fingers to individuals as many did not have outstanding games, which is also an indication it was a teamwork issue. Many of us warned that a start from scratch would have a cost no matter the players. The good teams who have been playing together for years are flying high, which is not really surprising.

Agree about Duran, but "People on here" is a lot of people with different takes. Assume you are referring to VO fans. eh just saw the reply above.

Yeah. It’s a loan with obligation to buy depending on triggers, right? (Sancho) as one who was never impressed by him, hope he improves and becomes a good player under Maresca. Chilwell is apparently on over 200k weekly wages… no wonder it’s hard to get rid of. Apparently loan to turkey and we will need to chip in for a while.

Not very different from the ongoing deal with Gabriel Mec from Gremio. He has a hard time playing against U20 as a 16yo.

Totally unfair that haaland gets to play against schoolchildren… well that’s what he made whu defense looks like today. incidentally the tall whu cb? Had a free shot from inside the box to tie the game and he applied a ridiculous weak finish wide.

I know right after winning all this silverware I feel like taking a shower and never criticize the board again. 😅 It’s way too early… Funny is that the same folks who told us over and over that everything was perfect last season are now acting as if they’ve been right all along. That roster of last season was one of the worst I’ve seen at this club: just not enough quality up front which is entirely changed now.

I disagree. It's far more likely it's the club's decision and Maresca has their full backing on this. Sterling has already played, and well, in a very similar positional system at city. He'd be one of the few players who'd get what the manager asks right away. IMO the club sees what we see: the player is no longer putting a shift in and he's on high wages. Every employee is a yes-man, esp managers with a very thin resume like Maresca.

Think players can still be sold during a transfer ban; the ban is simply a ban on registering new players. So, technically you can still buy players, just can't field them... should not affect the business of buying every youngster on the planet.

yeah not enough time. I'm sure some will be going by jan esp the ones not included in the PL squad registration (25).

"the world needs more football!" said no one ever. 😃

Nah sorry, I wrote this before, but this is a fast rolling thread. I meant that Sterling's dedication to football isn't the same and that makes him short of the elite footballer he once (IMO) was. Still, he may get enough motivation to given them a few good performances, which would still help them. @Pizyand I were agreeing that Martinelli is very inconsistent. Yeah Newcastle is bizarre with such a mundane squad for a nouveau riche.

hmm reckon Ugarte will improve united.

I think the player who'd be a big upgrade over Martinelli is long gone, but he might improve them just enough. I'm honestly very surprised by the lack of movement by Newcastle. I think they need another 3 attacking players to even start thinking competing at the top.

Hey watch it there--he's still our player. 😅

Apparently right after Strasbourg heads took one look at the picture above. 😅

Like @Pizy wrote above, because Martinelli is extremely inconsistent; so, they may get a full season-long winger between the two of them. I have my doubts whether Sterling works hard enough for that type of system, but that's me. My theory is that he's given up on the "elite" part of being a footballer.

Sure, but @whats happening point alluded to an inability to attract players given the wage structure. The wage structure seems to fit aspiring players, but not established elite footballers. You can say Brighton has a good track record of signing the players they want, but that only makes them less competitive against others who can sign better players. City has a very different approach here: they sign the best player for their system and offer high wages for these specific players. I remain cautiously optimistic for this season; it's still a much improved squad with much better options in most positions. Our bench last season was a fucking joke to be honest here. Though his point remains valid: it's been a while since we last signed a top player, and their track record around that seems poor. Perhaps that led to a lack of conviction on that type of signing... hard to say.

Has it though? what's the measure? Silverware? Top4 qualification? I heard the same about last season's squad, and yet the same owners have been pretty much changing everything once again. So, which one is it? Was last season the right approach or this is?

While I agree with you that if the club has conviction about a top player, they should offer wages compatible with his ambition, or we just accept we are no longer an elite club. However, I see the first part as almost completely separated from the top player talk. You have to do both. Yes, the potential signing feels overdone by the new owners, and it seems to be already backfiring a bit with Washington and others.

Sure, his signing may turn out great in the future. Suppose the question isn't why some young fans here would be excited about Guiu, but really why an elite Premiere League club would think he'd be able to deliver adequate performances at this level. Of course, the last bit is just a feeling given his involvement so far, and the lack of loan talk.

Think it's still early on Mount, but it is looking that way; looks like another James/Kante with hammy issues, which will take a toll. I'd feel more conformable with your statement if Lavia played football tho. Kai and Palmer don't play in the same position. Kai is a second FW or Striker, never a mid (much less a winger) as he is not mobile enough for that. I like Jackson and I like Kai, even though they are completely different players in terms of characteristics. They'd complement each other very well too given that Kai is much stronger in the air and in tight contested spaces, while Jackson can dribble and beat players with pace. Some of our swaps aren't really "net positives" at least just not yet; folks have personal preferences about a player vs another, but it's all about competitive advantage as in actually beating the other teams and acquiring silverware. We often focus too much on individual performances in a team sport.

Initially read this as "Emerson son of Salah" 😅

Agreed, which will also change things for our attacking players. Counter attacks will become harder to come by as we go.

So basically United is the new Saudis? 😅

It’s definitely a worry and not even mentioning injuries. Those can be very physical matches and not enough rest between them.