Leif

Who in the world would think - "AWH YEAH!!! I'm gonna choose United over Chelsea/City because they have Moyes at the helm!!! " ? Manchester United have just lost a huge X factor when it comes to signing players. Even if the biggest die-hard Chelsea supporter or Liverpool supporter was approached by either CFC or LFC AND MUFC, almost every time the idea of working under Ferguson would simply be too hard to pass up. He is now history. Watch United take the AC Milan route.

I'm a pessimistic & non-logical Chelsea fan. Mourinho to United and Steve Kean to us!!

Why?

Kinda sickening seeing Chelsea supporters to pessimistic thinking Mourinho will join United in all honesty. Do you really think the United board are there thinking - "Hmm... who should we bring in to replace our greatest ever manager? Ah! The guy who just crumbled in Madrid (the only team we can be compared to), lost the dressing room and has turned the majority of fans against him! Yes! Perfect! Solution!" ??? Do you really think that after carving out his own footsteps (Mourinho), he'd want to join a club where he'd then be following someone elses? (SaF). I don't.

Rejoice the fact that our opponents just got weaker. Even if Jose joined them they'd be weaker IMO. No disrespect to Mourinho, but his current mindset would fuck United's strict, disciplined look at everything. Rio, Scholes, Giggs etc. would probably have ruffled feathers too.

I actually didn't have a big problem with him like so many seem to have I thought it was cute watching old Red Nose get wound up so easily and enjoying his chewing gum!!! That said, I've always wanted to see United without him. No doubt they'll still be incredibly strong - but just not as strong.. which is great for us. I can't see Mourinho joining them. Although later on I'll think the opposite. Then the opposite again.

Purely from a fashion point of view, I believe Puma is looked down on in the UK now for being 'out of fashion', so ha and ha to Arsenal.. as usual

Apparently Puyol will join AC Milan at the end of the season...

So. Potential knock-on affects if we lose this (and fail to get top 4). No CL revenue next season. No Mourinho (well, even less chance anyway). Less chance of attracting top players. Tottenham keep Bale. They strengthen during the Summer and it becomes even harder the following season for Champions League football. New players such as Hazard and Oscar may question whether they made the right move or not. The "We're not becoming Liverpool ffs!" sentence loses it's validity as this is similar to how they fell, regardless how rich our owner may be. Thus begins a potential crumble. If we win tomorrow (and obtain top 4 while Tottenham fail to get it). CL revenue on top of the cash we already have. A higher chance of Mou coming back. The usual "Pick who we want and then sign them" policy (within reason anyway). Tottenham sell Bale (hasn't AVB conceded they'll let him go if they have no CL footie next season?) Other stars such as Dembele or Sandro could be sold, weakening an already questionable midfield. With irreplaceable Bale gone, getting top 4 the following season again looks much easier. We get to rub it in Spurs fan's faces that we've made them miss out on the CL yet again I've just made myself even more anxious for this game

Not gonna sleep tonight. You know sometimes when you're just genuinely excited for something so much that if you shut your eyes you can see flickers of light, you feel restless, you keep tossing and turning etc? That's all I'll end up like in bed tonight. It's pointless to me. I just need to find something decent to entertain me. Wish it was an early kick-off ffs.

I wish this thread was more active. Domestically isn't this the biggest game we've had in the Roman era?

I keep reading about the club refusing to pay Mourinho's buy-out clause hence why it's stalled or some shit. If true, It (close your ears) fucking infuriates me how we can pay disgusting amounts of money on wages and transfer fees for useless players like Marin (£7m), Benayoun (£5.5m) and so on yet not cough up what, £15m for Jose? That's only £3m more than we paid for fucking Raul Meireles. "Don't slate the board, they signed Hazard, Mata and co.!" Who the fuck didn't know about them before we signed them!? I despise our board. I despise whoever advises Roman. I despise the FSW. Just a few years ago I despised nothing about this club.

The board are going to fuck up. Roman is going to fuck up. They're not going to bring him back are they?

Golazo

The Etihad is like a library today.

Amazing so far.

Starts vs. Man City.

Very glad Sandro is out (I had no idea). He's very tenacious and would have caused a lot of problems. Here's hoping Dembele doesn't play either.

He's Scottish. We rarely have Scottish players. I like Scottish players. Scottish players are good. Scottish players tackle very hard. Scottish players rarely possess the technique this guy has. I just read he plays for the ROI. Scotland needs a Scottish player like him. Sign him up immediately.

I certainly hope he takes Rui Faria with him wherever he goes.

Mourinho on Pepe's criticism: "His problem is simple - he has been replaced by a 19-year old (Varane)." Mourinho on Casillas: "As long as I'm Real Madrid manager, Diego Lopez will always be first & Casillas second. Simple." Mourinho on his future: "After the elimination to Dortmund I have not decided to resign. I have planned to continue." Mourinho on Iniesta saying Casillas should be first choice etc: "Iniesta can have his opinion on Casillas, but he really ought to worry about his own team and what happens when Messi isn't there." Mourinho on López: "I prefer a keeper who is good with his feet and dominates in the air. Likewise, Casillas can say he prefers Del Bosque." Mourinho to press: "I am the boss not you and my job is to decide who plays, that's what I'm hired for." Mourinho on whether he would get a big pay-off if he is sacked: "I will take my wage until my last day in the job. I don't want a euro more."

Apparently Lopez, Essien & Modric are the only Madrid players currently firmly onside with Mourinho.

If we win this game we'll make more money than any other English team made from Europe this season including the Champions League 1: Chelsea - €40.9M 2. M.United - €39.3m 3. Arsenal - €34.5M 4. M.City- €32.4m.Last season we got €59.9m for winning the Champions League, which really, isn't all that much more I believe to a club like us. Good for us

If anyone else but Jose returns (or Hiddink... I guess I'd accept him) I'll sever my balls off and post them to wherever Roman may be. The idea of Jose returning has me more excited than when we signed Torres (which looking back on makes me cringe).

I think because there's always been that inkling Barcelona could buy him back from us a lot of members and fans in general have made Romeu a bit of an afterthought with the assumption he'll just be gone someday so there's no real point in warming to him and making him a permanent fixture in our side. That's my impression anyway. I have to add; I do not buy this 'he's an immobile player' comment at all which I see more often these days. I feel AVB specifically restricted how much he moved when he was here. We played a 4-3-3 which means the defensive midfielder really isn't allowed to roam all that much and thus can't display much mobility. In our current 4-2-3-1 however, I feel like he'd be like a horny dog chasing the ball for every second of the game when it's called for. The enthusiasm of Ramires with the calm-headedness of Mikel (displayed best vs. Man City last season & also Newcastle United during one of their best ever seasons). Oh, and the best understanding of the game tactically that I've seen from a player his age since the likes of... well, no one comes to mind aside from Busquets actually. I don't compare the 2 because of their Barcelona roots - I compare them only because I feel they're so similar - but it's also no coincidence that they share so many traits. He has the Golden Age of Barcelona embedded in his DNA. He's not and wasn't part of the Golden Age starting 11, but he's very much come from the Golden Age of Barcelona's teaching through La Masia and so-on in my opinion. Iniesta, Xavi, Messi, Pique and so on didn't have this same understanding of the game at this young age from what I gather; only the talent. All this talk of buying a new defensive midfielder like Capoue etc. goes on but I really think it's not needed. We have one of the best (potentially) young midfielders in recent memory already at the club in Oriol. Skip to around 0:40 in this video. This is exactly what so many of us want to see from our defensive midfielder - slide tackles. Perfect slide tackles, at that. Just seconds later into the video you'd be mistaken for thinking it's David Luiz with a shaved head! He drops into the centre (almost) of defence when needed (something else our current options do not do enough) and then brings the ball out from the back with possession in mind. Now simply for viewing pleasure. He was around 20 years old in these videos here. Please, find me a single 20 year old on the continent who plays this position as well as he demonstrates below. Constantly getting the ball forward, winning the ball back, and feeling happy to receive the ball.