The Footie Thread

[Neilds]

Whilst i accept that Man Utd may have a long injury list, at least they have enough squad players to fill the gaps. A lot of the matches that Rotherham Utd have played this year have been with an incomplete bench because of lack of availability through injury. And some of the players are 1st year professionals who would only come on in extreme circumstances but at least are getting some 1st team exposure.
Also, Man Utd can attract players in the transfer window, with money or on loan - the Millers have only paid for 1 player in 2 seasons in the Championship, and who would want to come to a team that is bottom of the division and hasn't won away for over a year. Sorry if I don't have any sympathy

 

[Swango1980]

Whilst i accept that Man Utd may have a long injury list, at least they have enough squad players to fill the gaps. A lot of the matches that Rotherham Utd have played this year have been with an incomplete bench because of lack of availability through injury. And some of the players are 1st year professionals who would only come on in extreme circumstances but at least are getting some 1st team exposure.
Also, Man Utd can attract players in the transfer window, with money or on loan - the Millers have only paid for 1 player in 2 seasons in the Championship, and who would want to come to a team that is bottom of the division and hasn't won away for over a year. Sorry if I don't have any sympathy

But it's all relative. Yes, they do have players to fill the gaps. Which is why they are sitting 7th in Premier League and not 24th in Championship.

The problem at Utd is that people expect them to be competing at the top of the Premier League. Which is completely unrealistic. With no injuries, the jury would be out if the players were good enough for that. And with so many players missing throughout season, you can pretty much forget about it. The players that come in would be good enough do much much better than Rotherham, but nowhere near good enough to compete with the top PL clubs

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Whilst i accept that Man Utd may have a long injury list, at least they have enough squad players to fill the gaps. A lot of the matches that Rotherham Utd have played this year have been with an incomplete bench because of lack of availability through injury. And some of the players are 1st year professionals who would only come on in extreme circumstances but at least are getting some 1st team exposure.
Also, Man Utd can attract players in the transfer window, with money or on loan - the Millers have only paid for 1 player in 2 seasons in the Championship, and who would want to come to a team that is bottom of the division and hasn't won away for over a year. Sorry if I don't have any sympathy

A lot of the top teams have had injury issues - we have been missing multiple players over the season and have had to put kids into the team , it happens and the manager gets paid the big bucks to manage that team. Man Utd have also spent a lot of money to fill out that squad and have also created their own issues with players like Sancho

But even if they were all still fully fit there isn’t many in that squad that other top teams would be looking to grab - can’t think of any that would get into either of City or Liverpools first team and also Arsenal

 

[Bdill93]

A lot of the top teams have had injury issues - we have been missing multiple players over the season and have had to put kids into the team , it happens and the manager gets paid the big bucks to manage that team. Man Utd have also spent a lot of money to fill out that squad and have also created their own issues with players like Sancho

But even if they were all still fully fit there isn’t many in that squad that other top teams would be looking to grab - can’t think of any that would get into either of City or Liverpools first team and also Arsenal

But they will all earn the same or more than players from City, Arsenal and Liverpool!!

United overpay mediocrity more than most.

 

[Orikoru]

Martial has been unavailable for at least a couple of weeks, as he has been for a lot of the season, so hardly fit!

I had a count two or three weeks ago and there were at least ten players who I would expect to feature on matchday who were unavailable, mainly through injury.

I’m not suggesting other teams haven’t had issues, but we’ve barely been able to populate the bench for weeks. And that’s on top of a significantly weakened starting line up.

But I’m certainly not naive enough to think the problems don’t run far deeper at United than the injury list, and I am tiring of hearing Ten Hag trot that out as an excuse every week.

Martial is crap though. It's not the same as being without Son and Maddison is it! It's great to see Van de Ven and Bentancur back for us though, so we're in a slightly better position than we were. A point at OT is never going to be a bad result.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

But they will all earn the same or more than players from City, Arsenal and Liverpool!!

United overpay mediocrity more than most.

Well yes a lot of money has been been given to a lot of players that no other club will offer - take Maguire as an example , City were looking at him but not in a million years would they pay £80mil for him and then give him a huge contract, Antony is another - Ajax must be laughing at the price they got. We were interested in Mount for example but but at £60mil - it’s been going on for years - spending ridiculous amounts on players - it’s hard to think when the last time they got a player at tbe right value

 

[Swango1980]

A lot of the top teams have had injury issues - we have been missing multiple players over the season and have had to put kids into the team , it happens and the manager gets paid the big bucks to manage that team. Man Utd have also spent a lot of money to fill out that squad and have also created their own issues with players like Sancho

But even if they were all still fully fit there isn’t many in that squad that other top teams would be looking to grab - can’t think of any that would get into either of City or Liverpools first team and also Arsenal

And, therin lies the problem. The players are not good enough in the squad. If Ten Hag has been Man Utds chief scout and director of football, along with first team coach, then I will criticise his role in those first 2 positions. But, I'd blame the club more more relying on him so heavily if that was the case. I've no issue that he quite fancied Antony, given he had worked with the player and knew his character. But for anyone to agree to pay £82 million for him his embarassing to the highest degree. At some point, someone should have said "I know you'd like him, but Ajax want too much money mate, so we are not going to put in a bid".

P.S. I also remember when Liverpool were playing poorly, and an excuse I often heard was that it was because Van Dijk was injured (after Pickford took him out). That was just one player missing, but he was a key enough player for that to be a decent enough excuse for many. Not the managers fault.

 

[Hobbit]

Middlesbrough ran out of steam with a month left of last season due to injuries, and only made the play-offs due the number of points accrued before the injuries set in. This season saw a very poor start due to bedding in so many new players - so many top loaners last season going back to their parent clubs. Things turn around and then the current injury crisis hits coupled with AFCON & Asia Cup.

2 weeks ago they had 14 of the first team squad out injured. The bench had 2 decent first teamers, 1 of which was there as part of his reintegration into the team after being out for 3 months - Carrick said he would never have got on. The rest of the bench was kids.

 

[Swango1980]

Well yes a lot of money has been been given to a lot of players that no other club will offer - take Maguire as an example , City were looking at him but not in a million years would they pay £80mil for him and then give him a huge contract, Antony is another - Ajax must be laughing at the price they got. We were interested in Mount for example but but at £60mil - it’s been going on for years - spending ridiculous amounts on players - it’s hard to think when the last time they got a player at tbe right value

Excluding free transfers, possibly Varane at £40 million (28 years old at the time, perhaps injury problems to come were unknown)?

But, given Utd have been so bad since Ferguson left, it is hard to really find any bargain signing, as I can not think of many, if any players, that have performed at a high level in an awful side.

So, perhaps our last really good signings were a 29 yr old Van Persie (£30.7 million) in 2012, 20 yr old De Gea for £25 million in 2011, or in 2005/06 we signed Vidic (£10.5m), Evra (£8m), Park (£7.3m) and van der Sar (£4m)

Given relative tranfer fees at the time as well, perhaps the 2005/06 season was the last season Utd actually got excellent value for money. It's a scary thought, given that was nearly 2 decades ago.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Oh dear. My Mrs caught a few moments of the ManU Spurs game last night on MotD…and her comment…who’s that with the horrid voice doing the commentary…hmmmm. I myself will not comment.

 

[Tashyboy]

Excluding free transfers, possibly Varane at £40 million (28 years old at the time, perhaps injury problems to come were unknown)?

But, given Utd have been so bad since Ferguson left, it is hard to really find any bargain signing, as I can not think of many, if any players, that have performed at a high level in an awful side.

So, perhaps our last really good signings were a 29 yr old Van Persie (£30.7 million) in 2012, 20 yr old De Gea for £25 million in 2011, or in 2005/06 we signed Vidic (£10.5m), Evra (£8m), Park (£7.3m) and van der Sar (£4m)

Given relative tranfer fees at the time as well, perhaps the 2005/06 season was the last season Utd actually got excellent value for money. It's a scary thought, given that was nearly 2 decades ago.

Time will tell that once your Injury free, will the players be good enough to challenge for the Title or top four.If not it could well be a case of still paying top prices for players to come to a club that’s not playing champs league football. One things for certain. The old top four of 15-20 years ago has massively changed and it is getting harder and harder to get into Champs league places.

 

[Orikoru]

Time will tell that once your Injury free, will the players be good enough to challenge for the Title or top four.If not it could well be a case of still paying top prices for players to come to a club that’s not playing champs league football. One things for certain. The old top four of 15-20 years ago has massively changed and it is getting harder and harder to get into Champs league places.

Well, maybe not since I think it's going to 5 places now rather than 4?

 

[Tashyboy]

Well, maybe not since I think it's going to 5 places now rather than 4?

Be interesting to see who the top Five are this season, Chelsea slowly putting a run together.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

And, therin lies the problem. The players are not good enough in the squad. If Ten Hag has been Man Utds chief scout and director of football, along with first team coach, then I will criticise his role in those first 2 positions. But, I'd blame the club more more relying on him so heavily if that was the case. I've no issue that he quite fancied Antony, given he had worked with the player and knew his character. But for anyone to agree to pay £82 million for him his embarassing to the highest degree. At some point, someone should have said "I know you'd like him, but Ajax want too much money mate, so we are not going to put in a bid".

P.S. I also remember when Liverpool were playing poorly, and an excuse I often heard was that it was because Van Dijk was injured (after Pickford took him out). That was just one player missing, but he was a key enough player for that to be a decent enough excuse for many. Not the managers fault.

The season we lost VVD for the season we also lost all 4 CB options for the season so it’s going to have an affect when the club is left with using academy players in two key roles - but they still recovered to reach top 4

But Ten Hag has caused his own issues - look at the way he dealt with Maguire and Sancho , the team he has on paper is better than most of the teams they have lost too

ETH got a lot of credit for last season and getting back into Top 4 - it’s got to work both ways and he must shoulder some of the blame for the poor performances this season

 

[Orikoru]

Be interesting to see who the top Five are this season, Chelsea slowly putting a run together.

Are they?? You mean apart from losing to Everton and Wolves?

There's currently a six point gap between 5th and 6th, albeit West Ham do have a game in hand - but I can't see them finishing in the top 5 anyway. Man Utd may go on a run for it but they're 8 behind Spurs now. Essentially I think one of the top 5 will need to have an absolute mare in the second half of the season in order for the top 5 to not be exactly the same five clubs as it is now. Chelsea are well off it, best case for them is 6th surely.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Well, maybe not since I think it's going to 5 places now rather than 4?

Depends on how City and Arsenal do as the countries co efficient took a blow with both Newcastle and United going out of the comp at the league stage

Liverpool and Spurs getting back in would boost it back up

 

[Pin-seeker]

A lot of the top teams have had injury issues - we have been missing multiple players over the season and have had to put kids into the team , it happens and the manager gets paid the big bucks to manage that team. Man Utd have also spent a lot of money to fill out that squad and have also created their own issues with players like Sancho

But even if they were all still fully fit there isn’t many in that squad that other top teams would be looking to grab - can’t think of any that would get into either of City or Liverpools first team and also Arsenal

I don’t remember you saying this the season that Liverpool were the first team to ever have any injuries

 

[Deleted member 15344]

FFP

Ok I’m a touch confused with the Everton issue

Now their FFP issues it seems stem from the build of their new stadium

A few things that puzzle me - I thought that any infrastructure builds etc didn’t get included in any FFP calculations and it was only transfers and wages etc

Spurs as an example are £1bn in debt because of their new stadium build but it’s not included in FFP

So why is Everton’s money that’s been spent on their new stadium included

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Be interesting to see who the top Five are this season, Chelsea slowly putting a run together.

Surely they would need a striker to do that. Maybe they will blow another £70m in the current transfer window. We can let them have DCL, 'Mr Boehly, Mr Boehly.......'

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Surely they would need a striker to do that. Maybe they will blow another £70m in the current transfer window. We can let them have DCL, 'Mr Boehly, Mr Boehly.......'

They will look at Brighton first - prob spend £100mil on Ferguson


The top 5 imo are sorted not

Liverpool
City
Arsenal
Villa
Spurs

West Ham as 6 behind with a game in hand then Utd , Brighton and Chelsea further back

Those 4 will prob fight for the Europa Lge and Conf spots