The Football Thread.

menamestom

On Ronaldo, there was at some stage an argument that his lack of tracking back would stop United being so dynamic.  The team finished 2nd last season above Liverpool, only 12 points off the pace (I say 'only' relative to this season).  Cavani was playing well and Greenwood was emerging as a force.  Rashford was going to push on.  Ronaldo wasn't really a Solskjær signing.  We needed a centre half and a CDM.  We got the centre half but no CDM and a winger we didn't really need.  Personally I think Ronaldo and Sancho were board signings to sell shirts and not really what the manager wanted.

BUT it's Ronaldo, when doesn't he perform on the pitch? And what manager wouldn't want him?

He may have upset the balance of the team but then:-

Greenwood ended his career 
Rashford didn't push on, he literally has forgot where the goal is.
Cavani is permanently injured and got a massive hump that United signed Ronaldo
Lingard is desperate to leave and should have been let go in Jan (when we could have signed a CDM)
Martial was loaned out
Sancho has taken time to bed in and adapt to the PL

So, perhaps he could have upset the balance of the team, in a parallel universe where none of the above happened but, because of a complete implosion at the club, he has stood out as literally the only player good enough to drag the team beyond potentially the lower half of the league.

I'm taking this season as ground zero.  New exciting manager coming in, new scouting team being appointed. New CEO. Lots of players leaving due to being at the end of their careers or wanting a change.  It's an opportunity to start building properly.  I just hope we don't go chasing marquee signings, over priced British players to win the ego bidding war.  We need to buy smart at the right price.  Hungry players that are perhaps on the up.   We won't attract the worlds best now, being a shambles not in the CL, but we can attract players from around the world that want to put it on the line for the club and build a team.  There is no 'team' at the moment.  Just a collection of overpaid players relying on a 37 year old striker and goalkeeper to stop things getting any worse.

guitars4you

An interesting stat I picked up on SKY MNF about 10 days ago - The hope was that Ronaldo and Bruno would somehow create magic between them  - At that point in time Bruno assists for Ronaldo was 3 - Ronaldo assists for Bruno was 0

Another stat, this time Messi v Ronaldo - Messi goals scored 775 v 814 Ronaldo so not much in that - Messi assists 333 v 231 Ronaldo - What this stat doesn't show is how many potential assists either player created, but the chance was not converted 

Maybe easy to say Ronaldo is in it for himself - But equally that isn't fair - As an overview I think Man U had 3 big ego's to manage this year, with Pogba, Bruno and Ronaldo and this is not good for the team - I think Bruno needs to get back to the Bruno who first arrived at Man U and forget this perpetual dissent, moaning and himself picking up to many yellow cards - Maybe it is led by frustration - But Man U need the earlier Bruno 

No argument that Ronaldo is a superstar - The question is more about should Man U have signed him and if they did, then should the whole team and playing style have been created around him - Hence he does not need to press etc etc - In some ways you can ask the same questions about Lukaku - I think the stats show that his aggregate transfer fee is higher than any other player - He is only 28 but looking at the number of clubs he has played at, you'd have thought he was older - Why so many clubs - yes he can score - But is it the person that is the problem, or teams buy him and expect him to play in their set-up, that doesn't suit him, as against buying him as the central feature and build the team around him accordingly - I think before anyone else spends 70/80/90 million on him they need to look at that 

As an overview on the PL - It has been a footballing pleasure to watch MCFC and LFC - They are sublime - Maybe Barcelona at their peak 5/10 years ago could match them - But the PL needs Man U, CFC plus Spurs and Arsenal to offer a more serious challenge - Maybe it won't stop a 2 horse race for now, but it might stop those 2 clubs winning/taking the top 2 spots by over 20 points each year - I think the point for now is not can Man U, CFC, Spurs or Arsenal raise their game to acquire 90 + points in a season to win as I don't believe they can - But to take more points from MCFC and LFC and drag them down into the 80's and that way turn the title into a closer run thing for 3-5 teams 

guitars4you

Didn't see that coming defeat from the jaws of victory - I bet LFC would prefer to play RM as well - Great tie as well over the 2 legs

Before kick off tonight, I bet if you asked MCFC fans to pick the one you can win and you can only select one, the CL or PL, I bet they'd choose the CL- Conversely ask LFC fans the same question then I'm sure they'd say PL, as they want to win it with fans present 

Some good games to look fwd to 

Placidcasual79

Madrid are having the post Ronaldo bounce that United will experience when he goes (I am totally ignoring Juve lol)

bertie

hard luck City,  but at least for us neutrals it makes it easier who to support in the final

Vamos Real

axisus

Gotta feel for Man City in the CL semi. It looked done and dusted but they let Real mug them. Pep just can't get his team across the line. A great way to win but a horrible way to lose.


Now the final is a disaster! Real already have 13 European cup wins, Liverpool 6 and also going for the quadruple. It's a bloody nightmare! My only hope is that it goes to penalties, no-one misses for about 40 so they call the whole thing off.

CloudNine

axisus said:

Now the final is a disaster! Real already have 13 European cup wins, Liverpool 6 and also going for the quadruple. It's a bloody nightmare! My only hope is that it goes to penalties, no-one misses for about 40 so they call the whole thing off.

A proper European Cup Final, with bonafide footballing royalty you mean.

TeleMaster

What a game that was. 

Now, I'm desperate for West Ham to win tonight. I've got an ear infection. I'm tired, but I'm going to the pub. We better bloody win! 

axisus

CloudNine said:

axisus said:

Now the final is a disaster! Real already have 13 European cup wins, Liverpool 6 and also going for the quadruple. It's a bloody nightmare! My only hope is that it goes to penalties, no-one misses for about 40 so they call the whole thing off.

A proper European Cup Final, with bonafide footballing royalty you mean.

You are not wrong ...

menamestom

CloudNine said:

axisus said:

Now the final is a disaster! Real already have 13 European cup wins, Liverpool 6 and also going for the quadruple. It's a bloody nightmare! My only hope is that it goes to penalties, no-one misses for about 40 so they call the whole thing off.

A proper European Cup Final, with bonafide footballing royalty you mean.

Got to say, even as a Man United fan, it's incredible that Liverpool have tuned things round so well in 6 or 7 years to be probably the best in Europe over the last few years.

In the same time United have gone to also rans, or not even in the competition.  Scary that by the time United are even back in it Liverpool could be on 8.  That's football I suppose, we've had more than our fair share of glory so can't complain!

Obviously I'll be hoping Madrid win, but from a footballing perspective Liverpool deserve to win.

guitars4you

menamestom said:

CloudNine said:

axisus said:

Now the final is a disaster! Real already have 13 European cup wins, Liverpool 6 and also going for the quadruple. It's a bloody nightmare! My only hope is that it goes to penalties, no-one misses for about 40 so they call the whole thing off.

A proper European Cup Final, with bonafide footballing royalty you mean.

Got to say, even as a Man United fan, it's incredible that Liverpool have tuned things round so well in 6 or 7 years to be probably the best in Europe over the last few years.

In the same time United have gone to also rans, or not even in the competition.  Scary that by the time United are even back in it Liverpool could be on 8.  That's football I suppose, we've had more than our fair share of glory so can't complain!

Obviously I'll be hoping Madrid win, but from a footballing perspective Liverpool deserve to win.

3rd time these two have met in the final - 1 all so far including an LFC win in Paris just over 40 years ago 

Springywheel

menamestom said:

CloudNine said:

axisus said:

Now the final is a disaster! Real already have 13 European cup wins, Liverpool 6 and also going for the quadruple. It's a bloody nightmare! My only hope is that it goes to penalties, no-one misses for about 40 so they call the whole thing off.

A proper European Cup Final, with bonafide footballing royalty you mean.

Got to say, even as a Man United fan, it's incredible that Liverpool have tuned things round so well in 6 or 7 years to be probably the best in Europe over the last few years.

In the same time United have gone to also rans, or not even in the competition.  Scary that by the time United are even back in it Liverpool could be on 8.  That's football I suppose, we've had more than our fair share of glory so can't complain!

Obviously I'll be hoping Madrid win, but from a footballing perspective Liverpool deserve to win.

Everything in football goes round in cycles ... I can only hope as a pool fan that by the time United's time comes round again it'll be you lot doing the catching up in terms of PL titles. Without City we'd probably be level at least, with a more sustained period of dominance. 

Nitefly

It was all my fault!

Watched it in the pub last night with my mate (a rabid City fan and former season-ticket holder) - at 89 minutes I said "Looks like an all-Brit final then"...

And then... 

TeleMaster

Life is just one big continual disappointment, isn't it. 

TTony

TeleMaster said:

Life is just one big continual disappointment, isn't it. 

Welcome to my footballing world.

My highlight was reaching the CL final a few seasons back (and knocking MCFC out en route).  Didn’t expect to win it.



And I’m still not entirely sure I didn’t dream it all.

TeleMaster

TTony said:

TeleMaster said:

Life is just one big continual disappointment, isn't it. 

Welcome to my footballing world.

My highlight was reaching the CL final a few seasons back (and knocking MCFC out en route).  Didn’t expect to win it.



And I’m still not entirely sure I didn’t dream it all.

I think we share the same world. Mine might be worse considering the relegations. 

menamestom

menamestom said:

I'm taking this season as ground zero. 

Okay, i’m taking this as ground zero.

Although I might change that a few times yet!

scrumhalf

I'm worn out after watching that. Some heroic performances and, let's be honest, a big dollop of luck for Liverpool.

Typical Spurs, we beat Man City twice, draw with Liverpol twice and arse it up against Brighton and Brentford.

DrCornelius

scrumhalf said:

I'm worn out after watching that. Some heroic performances and, let's be honest, a big dollop of luck for Liverpool.

Typical Spurs, we beat Man City twice, draw with Liverpol twice and arse it up against Brighton and Brentford.

watching that tonight must have been positive though, you only seem a couple of players away from being in the mix for next season

Philly_Q

scrumhalf said:

I'm worn out after watching that. Some heroic performances and, let's be honest, a big dollop of luck for Liverpool.

Typical Spurs, we beat Man City twice, draw with Liverpol twice and arse it up against Brighton and Brentford.

On the other hand, as Brighton have shown today, they are a very good team.  If they'd been able to score a few more goals and turn just a couple of draws into wins, they'd be pushing for the European places now

There really is strength in depth in the Premier League, with a couple of exceptions.