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Football Thread |OT12| Kicked the Ballboy Like Stan Hit Ulrika

V

Vivalaraza

Member
Clegg said:
That makes a bit more sense.

Would have been before the IPO and our new sponsorship deals were in place. Looks like we might have a bit more money now.
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I'd guess we have as much to spend this summer as we have the last two years, £30m~£40m.

We've already signed Zaha so that's £10m/£15m down already.
 
F

feel

Member
Sviatoslav said:
Well at least Hulk hasn't fully adapted yet(so he has an excuse) and there's hope for him here still, but Bruno.....he's just bad. Dominant in the air but slow as molasses and has Arsenal-like defensive lapses every game. He'll be gone in the summer, we just bought a replacement, Luis Neto from Siena. You know anything about him, he's Portuguese...?
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No clue of who he is, sorry.
 
C

Clegg

Member
Vivalaraza said:
I'd guess we have as much to spend this summer as we have the last two years, £30m~£40m.

We've already signed Zaha so that's £10m/£15m down already.
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I think we had more than £40m to spend last summer though.

And I still think we'll sell Nani this summer so Zaha's transfer fee will be covered by that.
 
V

Vivalaraza

Member
LabouredSubterfuge said:
Even with all the commercial deals and the increased TV revenue?
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I'm sceptical with the Glazers. I think they will look at it and think £40m is a lot of money, revenue might be up £100m this year but £40m, max £50m is enough - go and do what you want with it.

I'm just guessing though, if you believe some people we were going to sign RVP, Lucas AND Kagawa which would have been a massive spend.

Either way I think that's enough money as it is. A couple of players will be leaving in the summer, Nani for sure, so we should bring in £15mish. Assuming that offsets Zaha it still leaves enough to buy a CM and CB.
 
M

Meier

Member
TheFeedingHand said:
so City fans, do you think Balotelli would still be around if City were still in the CL?
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Probably but it's impossible to say. I think this had as much to do with his having a daughter back in Italy and fulfilling a boyhood dream as anything. Mancini probably finally decided his head would just never be in the right place and pulled the trigger.

We will lose Aguero in time for the same reason.
 
T

TheFeedingHand

Member
Meier said:
Probably but it's impossible to say. I think this had as much to do with his having a daughter back in Italy and fulfilling a boyhood dream as anything. Mancini probably finally decided his head would just never be in the right place and pulled the trigger.

We will lose Aguero in time for the same reason.
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We'll have Cavani by then, so it'll be ok.
 
LabouredSubterfuge

LabouredSubterfuge

Member
Vivalaraza said:
I'm sceptical with the Glazers. I think they will look at it and think £40m is a lot of money, revenue might be up £100m this year but £40m, max £50m is enough - go and do what you want with it.

I'm just guessing though, if you believe some people we were going to sign RVP, Lucas AND Kagawa which would have been a massive spend.

Either way I think that's enough money as it is. A couple of players will be leaving in the summer, Nani for sure, so we should bring in £15mish. Assuming that offsets Zaha it still leaves enough to buy a CM and CB.
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Not put my mind to who will leave yet. Nani seems a strong candidate even though I don't want him to go. Scholes will retire. I think all of our defence will stay (possible changes at GK) so I'm not at all interested in us signing another CB right now. We need a strong contender at LB and at least one CM. If Nani leaves we need another winger on top of Zaha because 3 isn't enough imo.
 
S

Sviatoslav

Member
Letters said:
No clue of who he is, sorry.
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Well with Pepe injured, Neto and ol' Bruno are likely to be the starting CB pair in Portugal's upcoming friendly against Ecuador so you might see him them. Neto was leading Serie A in interceptions so hopefully that's a sign that he reads the game well.
 
M

Messi

Member
pulga said:
images


and Iniesta. Iniesta is ace.
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Pique picking up the lighter had me shaking my head and then when Puyol grabbed it and threw it away and told him to cop the fuck on I laughed my ass off. Puyol is a boss.
 
V

Vivalaraza

Member
LabouredSubterfuge said:
Not put my mind to who will leave yet. Nani seems a strong candidate even though I don't want him to go. Scholes will retire. I think all of our defence will stay (possible changes at GK) so I'm not at all interested in us signing another CB right now. We need a strong contender at LB and at least one CM. If Nani leaves we need another winger on top of Zaha because 3 isn't enough imo.
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Nani is done. We aren't even negotiating a new contract with him anymore. Don't see it changing now.

I would also like another winger but in squad terms we have enough cover there, relative to other weaknesses I also think Kagawa playing from the left is something we will see more and more of. I know alot of people aren't happy with it but tbh from what I've seen I think there's quite a bit of potential in that.

Pretty confident we will sign a CB this summer. Think it's Zaha + CB + CM. Nothing more unless we sell somebody we don't expect to/somebody becomes available and Fergie wants him bad.

Also Fabio comes back for cover at LB.
 
LabouredSubterfuge

LabouredSubterfuge

Member
Vivalaraza said:
Nani is done. We aren't even negotiating a new contract with him anymore. Don't see it changing now.

I would also like another winger but in squad terms we have enough cover there, relative to other weaknesses I also think Kagawa playing from the left is something we will see more and more of. I know alot of people aren't happy with it but tbh from what I've seen I think there's quite a bit of potential in that.

Pretty confident we will sign a CB this summer. Think it's Zaha + CB + CM. Nothing more unless we sell somebody we don't expect to/somebody becomes available and Fergie wants him bad.

Also Fabio comes back for cover at LB.
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I'm not seeing another CB unless there's a departure happening or Vidic is perma crocked. We have 5 potential first team CBs at the moment.
 
FootballFan

FootballFan

Member
Messi said:
Pique picking up the lighter had me shaking my head and then when Puyol grabbed it and threw it away and told him to cop the fuck on I laughed my ass off. Puyol is a boss.
Click to expand...

Puyol is a boss indeed.

He always puts Pique in his place, which is good. :lol
 
K

K1LLER7

Member
Don't think we'll sign another defender. Defence is covered and Rio looks set to carry on next year.

Think we'll sign 2 CM's. With Scholes retiring, we'll most likely go for a midfielder who'll sit and spread the play similar to carrick and one who will pick up the ball and carry it forward. Rumours that United would be in for Modric in the summer.
 
V

Vivalaraza

Member
LabouredSubterfuge said:
I'm not seeing another CB unless there's a departure happening or Vidic is perma crocked. We have 5 potential first team CBs at the moment.
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True but looking at the defensive unit on the whole, one of Smalling/Jones is Rafael cover. That takes you to 4 CBs, two of whom are Rio and Vidic. Alot may depend on how Vidic does from now until the end of the season.

Can't really think of a CB I want that we can get though. Sure there is somebody out there.

I really want us to just sign both Stroot and Wanyama. Sorts the midfield out for good.
 
LabouredSubterfuge

LabouredSubterfuge

Member
Vivalaraza said:
True but looking at the defensive unit on the whole, one of Smalling/Jones is Rafael cover. That takes you to 4 CBs, two of whom are Rio and Vidic. Alot may depend on how Vidic does from now until the end of the season.

Can't really think of a CB I want that we can get though. Sure there is somebody out there.

I really want us to just sign both Stroot and Wanyama. Sorts the midfield out for good.
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I want both Stroots and Wanyama too, but I wonder where that leaves us in terms of a visionary passer, once Scholes has left. Seems like it would just be Carrick left as our distributor.
 
F

Freewheelin'

Member
I have Gary Neville as my assistant manager in FM

loooool

Wonder if I can have Keane, Butt, Scholes, Giggs, Beckham and Ole as my coaches..:p dat dream team
 
S

Sviatoslav

Member
K1LLER7 said:
You'll get this

Nani_nutmeg_fulham.gif


But then a terrible cross/pass :(
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Honestly I doubt we'd be interested anymore. In the summer it was basically Hulk or Nani and Witsel or Moutinho. Don't think we'll be spending big again for the near future, it nearly destroyed the team, lol. Unless it's like Nani + 20 million for Hulk
 
V

Vivalaraza

Member
LabouredSubterfuge said:
I want both Stroots and Wanyama too, but I wonder where that leaves us in terms of a visionary passer, once Scholes has left. Seems like it would just be Carrick left as our distributor.
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Yeah but I'm not sure if the role that Scholes played for us over the years is as important in football these days. Very few players have that range of passing, both long and short nowadays.
 
F

feel

Member
Messi said:
Pique picking up the lighter had me shaking my head and then when Puyol grabbed it and threw it away and told him to cop the fuck on I laughed my ass off. Puyol is a boss.
Click to expand...
Loved that time he got angry at Daniel Alves (and some other cunt) for celebrating with a dance a goal in an away game near the end of a match where Barca were already winning by a lot of goals, he just ran up to then and told them to cut the crap. Legend.
 
C

Clegg

Member
LabouredSubterfuge said:
I want both Stroots and Wanyama too, but I wonder where that leaves us in terms of a visionary passer, once Scholes has left. Seems like it would just be Carrick left as our distributor.
Click to expand...

Very few players have the vision and technique of Scholes. But if we can put together a midfield of technically competent, hard working players we could really push for future honours. It worked pretty well for Chelsea.

Strootman would be the model player we should be looking to sign.
 
K

K1LLER7

Member
Clegg said:
Very few players have the vision and technique of Scholes. But if we can put together a midfield of technically competent, hard working players we could really push for future honours. It worked pretty well for Chelsea.

Strootman would be the model player we should be looking to sign.
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Khedira and Alonso work well together. Would be brilliant if we could get 2 similar players. Carrick will definitely start in midfield, but would be great if we had another midfielder who can tackle and pass. Then again, Cleverly has improved on his tackling recently.
 
K

kingellesar

Member
Bit disappointed we never went for Kovacic.

Coral sent me an email saying i had cash in my account and i havent used it for ages ....£2 >_> stuck in on their weekend 5/2 special, arse, everton and united.
 
FootballFan

FootballFan

Member
Letters said:
Loved that time he got angry at Daniel Alves (and some other cunt) for celebrating with a dance a goal in an away game near the end of a match where Barca were already winning by a lot of goals, he just ran up to then and told them to cut the crap. Legend.
Click to expand...

Lol you are talking about this.

Thiago had just scored the 5th goal against Rayo.

Speaking of Puyol, I hate how this video has 7+ million views of Neymar "humiliating" Puyol.

Lol quite a lot of dislikes, most likely because Puyol actually does well, doesn't get humiliated lol.
 
K

K1LLER7

Member
There has been a reoccurring theme in Manchester United’s performances in the last few weeks. As opposed to the start of the season United have been starting games well, gone ahead, failed to kill the game off and then been subject to late pressure from the opposition.

It happened on Wednesday night against Southampton, last weekend against Spurs, and then the weekend before that against Liverpool at Old Trafford. The explanation for this late pressure is relatively straight-forward – United simply haven’t been retaining possession well enough in the closing stages of performances lately.

In every single one of these performances Shinji Kagawa has been substituted off and to me this is no coincidence. He was taken off at the 77th minute against Liverpool, the 62nd against Spurs and then last night at the 73rd minute, and if you think back to each of those results these time periods are around the same time that United started having their backs against the walls.

Many would argue that the Japanese midfielder hasn’t set the world alight so far, and they would be right – he hasn’t. What he is providing the Manchester club with right now is composure. His ball retention is magnificent under pressure, and so far in his 11 Premier League appearances he has achieved an impressive 90.5 pass success ratio.

Particularly alongside Tom Cleverley and Michael Carrick he appears comfortable and his link up play is improving with every performance. After coming back from an injury picked up against Braga he is gradually coming into the first team bringing a different dimension to United’s play.

Shinji is a footballer very different to anyone United have had at the club before in the sense that he doesn’t have a defining role in United’s traditionally favoured 4-4-2 formation. Many have been left to question where the Japanese International will fit in at United, but it seems that his arrival has marked the beginning of a new approach; an alternative style of play.

His favoured position and the one that he filled during his successful time at Borussia Dortmund was behind the central striker in the 4-2-3-1 formation and it’s one that United are becoming more and more familiar with, with Kagawa, Welbeck, Young or Rooney operating in the 3 behind Van Persie.

This new dimension brings United not only a greater fluidity in attack; but also a greater resilience at the back. In recent times the most cynical of critics have argued that Manchester United’s central midfield has been suspect to being overrun – particularly against European opposition who play with more players in the middle such as Barcelona and even Athletico Bilbao to an extent.

The colossal clash against Real Madrid in the Champions League is approaching quickly and it would be unsurprising to see United adopt this 4-2-3-1 formation with Kagawa being pivotal in his central-attacking midfield role.

Further incentive to adopt this style of play can be found in the performances of United’s wingers of late. Nani still remains inconsistent and mistrusted by Sir Alex and Antonia Valencia is suffering a worrying dip in form and seems reluctant to take a man on since he has inherited the number 7 shirt. Only Ashley Young appears to be showing consistency and his recent injury means that he will most likely miss out on the first leg trip to the Santiago Bernabéu. A midfield of Alonso, Khedira and Ozil could be matched by the trio of Carrick, Cleverley and Kagawa – United certainly wouldn’t struggle with retaining possession.

Shinji Kagawa appears to be fitting with the mentality at Manchester United with the high standards which he is hoping to achieve as he has openly spoken out about his desire to improve his game and up his level at the club.

‘I’m really feeling that I need to perform better,’ Kagawa has recently reported. ‘I’m not satisfied with what I have done here at all.’ Wednesday’s performance may have satisfied him however, particularly his wonderfully timed assist for Rooney’s first. It’s exciting to see how the 23 year old will develop in the second half of the season; whether the ‘luxury’ player can kick on to establish himself as a necessity for Manchester United.
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