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As I've been saying for well over a year, Man United are so much better without Ronaldo. Getting him out the team and dressing room was so needed.

Never should have resigned him despite what the nostalgia romance merchants say.

Potential three way title race now.

I actually think despite his amazing numbers, City were better without Haaland - they've become a bit predictable, just like Man United were with Ronaldo.

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Wrong - United are better without Harry Maguire. Up front doesn't matter - Martial was useless again up front today - walking around, and we are still struggling for goals, missing chances and link-up play isn't great. Keeping clean sheets has been our saving grace this season. 

Casemiro + the back four and GK have given us a solid foundation. 

I told everyone in the summer Maguire would be replaced - the most obvious huge weakness in our team. 

Now EtH goes and signs striker who people will perceive makes us worse - but we'll be better.  

Haaland is the only reason City are 2nd - and they are probably still favourites to win the league. Same as United last season - other players who aren't performing need to step up - Grealish, Mahrez, Silva etc. To me, they look far better with Haaland over Raheem Sterling. Haaland (like Kane) is technically brilliant on the ball) City have lost nothing playing him. 

 

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1 hour ago, Roux said:

the more they spend the shitter they get too.

Crazy to say - but we're not even halfway through the season yet.

Yeah but they seem to be targeting all the top young talent and giving them long contracts. They need midfielders. 
 

The piss boiling this morning is lovely to see. We truly are back. Ten Hag you wonderful bastard. 
 

Palace away be tough midweek. Do we rest players @Roux or just go for it and rest players for the cup games coming up? I’d play same team and go for it. 

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19 minutes ago, Scott. said:

Yeah but they seem to be targeting all the top young talent and giving them long contracts. They need midfielders. 
 

The piss boiling this morning is lovely to see. We truly are back. Ten Hag you wonderful bastard. 
 

Palace away be tough midweek. Do we rest players @Roux or just go for it and rest players for the cup games coming up? I’d play same team and go for it. 

No idea how they are all going to fit in - current squad must feel threatened too. Potter will be gone soon i think. 

Got to go for it mate or yesterdays result means nothing. Replace Martial with Weghorst and lets get him firing, send crosses to him all day. Rest a few for the cup games.  

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On 1/14/2023 at 7:53 PM, Roux said:

Wrong - United are better without Harry Maguire. Up front doesn't matter - Martial was useless again up front today - walking around, and we are still struggling for goals, missing chances and link-up play isn't great. Keeping clean sheets has been our saving grace this season. 

Casemiro + the back four and GK have given us a solid foundation. 

I told everyone in the summer Maguire would be replaced - the most obvious huge weakness in our team. 

Now EtH goes and signs striker who people will perceive makes us worse - but we'll be better.  

Haaland is the only reason City are 2nd - and they are probably still favourites to win the league. Same as United last season - other players who aren't performing need to step up - Grealish, Mahrez, Silva etc. To me, they look far better with Haaland over Raheem Sterling. Haaland (like Kane) is technically brilliant on the ball) City have lost nothing playing him. 

 

Correct, you are better without Maguire in the team - that is definitely a factor, sometimes a player needs to move on - it's got to toxic with him, as it did with Ronaldo. Casemiro has also made you more solid too, no arguments there either...Ronaldo leaving is another reason for this upturn in form though, it's undeniable. 

17 goals in 7 games, so call it 2.5 goals a game AND missing chances, I'd say that's a pretty nice position to be in. Players just seem to be playing with a new found freedom, young and quick attacking frontline that can play all across the front three positions. You're a lot less predictable than when Ronaldo was in the side, I can't see how anyone can argue with that. 

I think Weghorst is a shrewd signing, don't think he will make you worse - think he is a traditional number 9 who has immense pressing stats, clearly why ETH wants him - another reason why Ronaldo would never work in an ETH team. 

I'm not doubting Haaland is a great player and do agree some City players aren't in the form they need to be - I just think maybe elite football has moved past the out and out number 9 (Haaland/Ronaldo etc...) - Kane is different, he is involved in so much more of Spurs attacking play than just getting in the box and has a far better and proven range of passing than Haaland (who is still good on the ball, not saying he isn't) - not saying I'm right or anything, just a feeling/theory I have with City. 

I'm just happy we appear to have a three way title race - especially if you can beat Arsenal next weekend. 

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2 hours ago, Low Value Boy said:

Correct, you are better without Maguire in the team - that is definitely a factor, sometimes a player needs to move on - it's got to toxic with him, as it did with Ronaldo. Casemiro has also made you more solid too, no arguments there either...Ronaldo leaving is another reason for this upturn in form though, it's undeniable. 

17 goals in 7 games, so call it 2.5 goals a game AND missing chances, I'd say that's a pretty nice position to be in. Players just seem to be playing with a new found freedom, young and quick attacking frontline that can play all across the front three positions. You're a lot less predictable than when Ronaldo was in the side, I can't see how anyone can argue with that. 

I think Weghorst is a shrewd signing, don't think he will make you worse - think he is a traditional number 9 who has immense pressing stats, clearly why ETH wants him - another reason why Ronaldo would never work in an ETH team. 

I'm not doubting Haaland is a great player and do agree some City players aren't in the form they need to be - I just think maybe elite football has moved past the out and out number 9 (Haaland/Ronaldo etc...) - Kane is different, he is involved in so much more of Spurs attacking play than just getting in the box and has a far better and proven range of passing than Haaland (who is still good on the ball, not saying he isn't) - not saying I'm right or anything, just a feeling/theory I have with City. 

I'm just happy we appear to have a three way title race - especially if you can beat Arsenal next weekend. 

Nearly all of those goals are against teams in the relegation zone or in a lower league. Look at the goals before that, winning by the odd goal - its not good. 

I think it's the single biggest factor. I respect and can see the opinion of Ronaldo being a problem in the team etc - but i just don't see it, it makes headlines and covers up for poor individuals last season. 

Ten Hag himself has been annoyed at the chances missed and the lack of decision making - this was from the first game up until now, with Ronaldo and without Ronaldo. I still don't see a drastic difference - for example, the City game - you could have replaced Martial with Ronaldo and the football would have been the same, Martial was slow, sluggish, walking around the pitch, he played like a 38yo - not for the first time too. 

Almost every player from last season has improved this season - since the Liverpool game, this was when Ronaldo was here, playing or not playing. Fernandes, Rashford, Varane, Dalot, Shaw, Fred, Casemiro have been great all season - not just when Ronaldo left - as if him leaving magically made them all good - they've been great all season, i don't think you can argue that. Sancho's form issues have been worse and Ronaldo is long gone - was nothing to do with him like you kept suggesting. We can attack now without having to protect Maguire, we can build attacks better without him, and we can deal with the opposition better without him - this has been fundamental.

City tend to overplay - with Haaland they can be much more direct. He offers so much more than Sterling and Jesus, but like United with Ronaldo last season - players around him need to perform, Foden has been awful this season, same with Grealish - back four looks suspect too compared to last season. Agree, Kane is better at being involved, but its something he picked up over time - Haaland at 22yo will do the same. 

Still, half the season to go - Arsenal and City still look better than us, our realistic aim is probably 4 - but its nice to be up there for once with a very small chance. We desperately need to score more goals, killing teams off is our problem - which is why Weghorst has come and they'll go for Kane/Osimhen in the summer.

 

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@Roux what you think of Jim Radcliffe? I don’t know if it’s him or INEOS making a bid. He owns 2/3rds of INEOS i think. Apparently they haven’t run Nice very well but then there’s a diff between Nice and United a club he supports and grew up around. I’m unsure though. I don’t think he’ll get it anyway. It’ll turn into a bidding war 

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2 hours ago, Scott. said:

@Roux what you think of Jim Radcliffe? I don’t know if it’s him or INEOS making a bid. He owns 2/3rds of INEOS i think. Apparently they haven’t run Nice very well but then there’s a diff between Nice and United a club he supports and grew up around. I’m unsure though. I don’t think he’ll get it anyway. It’ll turn into a bidding war 

Has links to the Saudis - will probably get investment from the Saudis. You need to be more than a fan to run a club this large - the 'fan' thing makes for newspaper headlines and lots of fans will buy into it - but i hope the Glazers sell to the right consortium rather than the highest bidder.  

Everyone stands to make record-breaking money - the Glazers from the sale, 800m to 5bn+ and Radcliffe owning the one of the biggest club in sports entertainment. I back whoever brings fans to the table in a meaningful way, something the Glazers stupidly only started doing in the last 12 months. 

The most important thing is to sell over the next few months to someone who is committed to the long & short term goals -  investment for Ten Hag in the summer, not just in players, but staff. Develop a real connection with the fans and community. Nobody can say (at least for now) Boehly isn't committed and putting his money where his mouth is for Chelsea. 

Unfortunately for Radcliffe, he is a small fish in a big Saudi pond. I'm not sure he has the wealth. I trust nobody when it comes to billionaires. 

We are about to enter an age where if you can't spent £300m+ in one summer, you wont compete. 

I'm not surprised some like the Super League gained traction when the FA, UEFA and FIFA are some of the most corrupt bodies in sports:

https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12789294/john-yems-kick-it-out-chief-executive-says-fa-panels-findings-over-ex-crawley-boss-are-utterly-bizarre 

none of these pricks care about fans, migrants, racism etc

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That game perfectly backs up what I've been trying to say - GK and defence with Casemiro keeping us in the game, while the attackers constantly fuck us over. Antony and Rashford were doing some dumb shit all game, but Bruno Fernandes was shocking - 1-0 up with 30mins to go he decides he's going to try flicks and back heels in the middle of the pitch - his low footballing IQ is astounding sometimes. 

This attack cannot kill teams off - that game should have been 3-0

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Yeah Bruno is a dickhead. He really needs to come off when we’re trying to see out a win, you just can’t trust him to keep hold of the ball. We were asking for that equaliser last night. 
 

Our attack is so bad. We have a GD of +8 which is fucking shocking. We cannot put teams away. We’re really disjointed and now flowing. Antony is an awful player. I don’t even think he’s premier league quality let alone united quality and we paid 90m. Could be the worst transfer in our history and fuck me we’ve had some shockers. Garnarcho is levels above him already and should be starting games and even though Sancho has been poor for us he’s also levels above. Hoping he comes back soon. 

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15 minutes ago, Scott. said:

Yeah Bruno is a dickhead. He really needs to come off when we’re trying to see out a win, you just can’t trust him to keep hold of the ball. We were asking for that equaliser last night. 
 

Our attack is so bad. We have a GD of +8 which is fucking shocking. We cannot put teams away. We’re really disjointed and now flowing. Antony is an awful player. I don’t even think he’s premier league quality let alone united quality and we paid 90m. Could be the worst transfer in our history and fuck me we’ve had some shockers. Garnarcho is levels above him already and should be starting games and even though Sancho has been poor for us he’s also levels above. Hoping he comes back soon. 

His stupidity got Casemiro the yellow too, i couldn't believe what i was watching from him - one of our most experienced players playing like an nervous 18yo making his debut. Ten Hag needs to sort him out, he keeps doing it. Even in the City game he was fucking around at the end. 

I like Antony, he works hard and can create, but he was awful last night. The whole attack needs to work on patterns - its a chaotic mess, no understanding, no chemistry, very little end product. 

+8 GD is shocking. 

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Still got time to prove himself so can't be written off yet but I've not been overly impressed by Antony either, looks like a one trick pony to me - I thought he'd be quicker as well. 90m is a shocking fee for him, especially when you look at what Liverpool paid for a player of similar quality/level from the same league in Gakpo. 

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