You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
I reckon you Man U fans will look back and wonder what could have been with Pogba, Martial and Lingard if they had a few more brain cells between them. From the outside at least, it seems they were a negative influence on each other. What wasted talent.
Maureen referred to Pogba as 'a virus' in the dressing room. I believe Fergie had a similar opinion.
I used to watch him play for France and get infuriated at seeing him play with such quality, none of which translated to his club form, where most of the time he looked like he just couldn't be arsed.
Tony Marshall had such promise when he arrived and then seemed to slip into exactly the same mindset. He's been stealing a living (on £250,000 a week) for years now
The end of a thoroughly underwhelming career. He was brilliant when he could be arsed, which unfortunately was very rarely. At least someone like Gazza never lived up to his promise because he was out getting leathered and having a right old laugh. Pogba just spent his time posting selfies of his latest outfit/jewellery/haircut on Instagram
Lest we forget this is a man who won four Serie A titles in a row with Juventus and two Coppa Italias (I think) as well as Europa League with Utd and a few runners up medals too, including Euro champs with France. And of course a World Cup with France into the bargain. A sterling career by pretty much anyone’s standards.
That said I totally get where you’re coming from. Most of the above was early in his career and the player who could, maybe, have been an all time great, just seemed to go off the boil. Getting dropped into the minefield that was (still is??) Old Trafford at that time didn’t help, nor did injuries, but yes he did seem to lose what little motivation he had some time ago!
More pertinently, how in earth do you measure if Pogba's not playing?
I used to watch him play for France and get infuriated at seeing him play with such quality, none of which translated to his club form, where most of the time he looked like he just couldn’t be arsed.
I always thought he was the same for France, a moments player who just walked around the midfield doing sweet fa most of the time, the difference was the French team had far more legs elsewhere to compensate.
Even at Juve, before his return to united, he was getting rave reviews but in the couple of games they had against PL opposition he really didn't live up to the billing.
And that's a juiced performance, how would be be naturally!
Gonna question your maths Binners. £350m? I think it’s closer to £180m - £89m fee, 6 years of £15m wage and then, to rub it in, apparently a £4m bonus, for honouring his contract 😀. Compared to Antony, a bit of a bargain!
As an Ipswich fan that's a decent set of results in the Championship today. Top 4 looking pretty tight with form chopping and changing every few weeks
As an Ipswich fan that’s a decent set of results in the Championship today. Top 4 looking pretty tight with form chopping and changing every few weeks
3 points behind Leicester now! HowTF did that happen?
My Leeds was at Huddersfield today - apparently they were robbed by a crooked referee. Again.
A few of my mates travelled from Reading to Carlisle today. 6 hours. They're hoping to get back for last orders, to celebrate the the win.
Canny away that. Although the journey home is always much more enjoyable when you've won!
Edit: this was to Caher, in case it doesn't show
City to win by 3 with Rashford continuing to model his game on Pogba.
City 4-1. United to take the lead and make em angry.
binners – What’s your prediction for the Derby ??
We’re going to get an absolute shoeing! I won’t be watching it (mercifully) as I’m just going to see Johnathan Pie at the Lowry instead.
If it’s less than 5 I’ll be amazed, with Robocop back firing again. I fear it could be an absolute humiliation like Liverpool last season, given our tendency for second half collapses
We’ll probably score first, before capitulating, just to make it worse
It’s the hope that kills you
Enjoy Mr Pie !
Johnathan Pie
Now I'm jealous.
City by at least 5 today
United to take the lead and make em angry.
I suppose the Hags days are numbered now.
I guess you could ask it of any Unites player, but what is the point of Amrabat?
Funny old game, City not firing for most of it, then canter at the end, sums up how they win the league over and over again, they have a bit of fragility at the back due to how they play, but just score more than the opposition almost all the time.
Rashford hits a worldie, but everything else he did showed how far he's fallen.
It did show the gap ManU have to fill to get back to challenging, they do have injuries though, but it'll be interesting to see what they do for their new structure for the team in the summer.
Nice of Everton to get the shot gun out and take aim at both their own feet for us
Oh... and watching Johnathon Pie last Sunday afternoon was considerably more enjoyable than watching the Derby. If you can get to see him on this tour, the live show is bloody brilliant and possibly the sweariest thing you'll ever witness
The Championship is getting very, very tasty with a crazy early result today at the Cardiff v Inspich game – Ipswich scored 10 minutes from the end and looked like they were going to win it, then Cardiff bagged two goals - 5 and 10 minutes into time added on!
Conceivably any two from Leicester, Ipswich, Leeds and Southhampton could all get a points total that would ordinarily guarantee promotion but then end up being dumped out in the Play-offs which would be cruel.
The Championship is getting very, very tasty with a crazy early result today at the Cardiff v Inspich game – Ipswich scored 10 minutes from the end and looked like they were going to win it, then Cardiff bagged two goals – 5 and 10 minutes into time added on!
Too soon!
It's crazy - last weekend all the results went in Ipswich's favour, this week all for Leeds.
I now predict Leicester and Leeds to up automatically, Norwich to beat Ipswich in the play off final. And if you'd offered me that in September, I'd have bitten your hand off!.
How many chances can Diaz miss??! 😳
That was an absolutely bonkers match! A great result for Arsenal.
Game on for the title race, which looks like it’s going to go down to the wire. Can’t see any of the three of them dropping many points
End of the month arsenal are at city, that’ll be a big one, Haaland can’t be on the downturn much longer.
An outstanding match - thought Liverpool deserved to win it with the chances they had, but so good to watch!
Haaland can’t be on the downturn much longer.
I know - he's only scored something like 7 goals in his last 5.
Endo and MacAllister were class. Not often you see City lose control like that. City Arsenal next week! Liverpool still have Villa, United and Everton away, City still favourites for me.
I don’t think I’ve seen this City squad that rattled. If Diaz had put his shooting boots on it could have been very different.
The expectation on City though is an absolute gift to Arsenal, who are just quietly wracking up a pretty massive goal difference as well as bagging all the points
As a neutral that Liverpool - City match was on a knife edge the whole game.
More of that please 😀
We (Arsenal) need to go to City, Man U and Spurs; if we end up on top I'll be amazed (and delighted)
You might face angry City next week 🫣
Last minute penalty and straight red for Doku in my opinion but I suppose when you're hiding behind hundreds of FFP violations things like that at tiny misdemeanours...
I didn’t think it was obvious to be honest. Could have gone either way.
It was never a penalty and its a bit bloody rich for Klopp to be whining about last minute refereeing decisions given the 99th minute 'get out of jail free' card that Liverpool were handed last weekend, coutresy of one of the bizarrest refereeing decisions I've ever seen
And if cards were being handed out, then maybe Salah deserved a couple for his Tom Daley-esque display when he came on?
That refereeing decision against Forest was a funny one.
It should of been given to them to restart.
However, they were quite happy to let Liverpool have it, no one protested at the time and they all went back to their own half.
@binners, i'd probably keep quiet about diving this week after Garnacho was felled about 5 times by the Old Trafford sniper, was he trying to buy the penalties or auditioning for Platoon 2 🤣
The Doku chalenge could easily have been a penalty, but it wasn't as clear cut as the Liverpool fans try and make out. I wonder if the play acting and exageration of any slight contact from Liverpool the whole game went against them in that decision, they cried wolf too many times.
It would be interesting to see the whole conversations between the ref and var the whole game and at half time, if they let him know when he has been had with a dives and play acting.
You certainly see them given, it again goes back to the inconsistencies in refereeing. And there's no point moaning about diving as they all do it, until the refs start punishing it either at the time or retrospectively then nothing will change.
Said it at the time - if refs handed out yellows for what they deem to be a dive followed by a theatrical pleading for a pen, it should be a yellow. It'll stop it overnight.
About the Doku challenge, looks like a foul to me...
Having just watched the highlights, not a pen for me - Doku has eyes on the ball & the player comes in from outside of his field of vision & has jumped & turned out of the challenge.
That still photo doesn't tell the entire story.
Anywhere else on the pitch that's a free-kick and a yellow card, there's inconsistency with penalties this year, you see some like this given, others not, it really needs some clearing up once and for all, we now have VAR, the ref could have been sent to the monitor to check, but we seem to be getting games reffed in two places at once, with the ref thinking 'if VAR aren't asking me to look i must be right', would be interesting to read the VAR discussion on it for clarification.
Personally i'd love penalties to be rethought completely, hate seeing them given for stuff like when the forward deliberately gets contact with the opposition, Kane is good at that, or when they've overrun the ball and fall into the defender, a penalty should be given to penalise the loss of a goal scoring opportunity, or stopping what could potentially turn into it, if the ball is flying out of play, or 10 foot above their heads when they fall over in the box, is it really an appropriate punishment?
Good game for spurs, they look to be finding some form again based on yesterday.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, we will finish way off Citeh and Liverpool and much closer to Spurs and Villa. We have a very tough run in and I just don't think we have the heads to do it. I think I might be the only Arsenal fan to think that, if this mornings phone in on TalkSport is anything to go by.
I think I might be the only Arsenal fan to think that
As a nominal Arsenal supporter, we'll find a really Spursy way to throw it away, we always have to one up them, in everything.
I won't mind too much if we go out to Porto tomorrow (but the inevitable theatrics will rile) as it will give us a chance to focus on the one that matters.
Newcastle struggling to even make a European spot was surely not in the Saudi sports washing script? Jose in soon?! 😀
They were poor tonight but still scored two crackers. I think, and want, Eddie will be given a summer window to build further. Stories that FFP rules may be relaxed, and also that some of the signings so far were more Ashworth than Howe, but if he does get that backing then expectations will rise.
I think they'll improve to maybe 7 or 8th but time is running out. Perversely being so good and so far ahead of expectations last year makes this year a disappointment no denying. If they'd finished mid table last year this level probably wouldn't be an issue and still seen as WIP
Howe's head on the block. Literally...
On the flip side, Chelsea starting to offer glimpses of what a £1bn squad should be capable of but weirdly its their "cheaper" players who are starting to impress - Palmer and Gusto look decent.
Howe’s head on the block. Literally…
Don't be daft. The only people calling for that are the fringe lunatics on twitter on who seems to think the toon are AC Milan. The toon this season have been f***** by injuries to critical players (Joelinton currently) and the ridiculous FFP rules that prevent them from recruiting replacements. Yes Howe has made mistakes, his continued loyalty towards Longstaff and Burn being two of them (although Burn is no worse than he was last season), but he hasn't had many other options. He'll still be here next season, but will only have til xmas to prove this season is only a temporary blip.
I'd still stear clear of any invites for a meeting at the embassy if I were him though 😉
Micheal Edwards heading back to FSG/Liverpool with Richard Hughes expected to be sporting director, Eddie Howe’s mate from Bournemouth days, makes you think 🤔
PrinceJohn
Having just watched the highlights, not a pen for me – Doku has eyes on the ball & the player comes in from outside of his field of vision & has jumped & turned out of the challenge.
That still photo doesn’t tell the entire story.
"Eyes on the ball" is irrelevant, as is "outside his field of vision". Not sure how a referee could judge what a play can or cant see. Doku doesn't play the ball, his foot is high, it's dangerous play and a foul.
Thats some comeback!
Didn't they almost do that against Liverpool years ago? 3 down at half time and got a draw
I remember us being 3 down at half time against Spurs at their gaff and after a Fergie hairdryer at half time, absolutely battering them 5-3. It was when Hoddle was manager and as the final whistle went, the camera panned to a close up on his face wearing a look that said "what the actual **** just happened?!". Throwing away a 3 goal lead to lose by 2? Peak Spursy! 😀
Spurs also did that against City in the cup - 3 - 0 up at half time.
At White Hart Lane & Joey Barton got sent off at half time for mouthing off to the ref.
10 man city came back & won 4-3 & did it in normal time. Spurs - they do offer value for money.
I've said before but 3-0 isn't all it's cracked up to be. Certainly not at half time; I'd take 3-0 in time added on obviously.
At 1-0 you're definitely still in a game
At 2-0, you're only a goal away from 2-1 and then you're definitely still in a game.
At 3-0 you should be home and hosed. But so much is psychological, that to concede early on (that's the key, make it a 2 goal game quickly) not only are you a goal away from 3-2 and definitely in a game, that knowledge is seasoned with a pinch of 'we surely aren't going to let a 3 goal lead slip are we?'
And once THAT thought gets in your mind, you start to panic and do basic things wrong. All of a sudden the same team that couldn't lose has all the defensive stability of a baby giraffe ice skating. It's inevitable then, you may as well concede the game to avoid having to live through it, and bear the scars for weeks to come.
Poor lad on here who supports Reading. Looks like the owners are flogging the training ground and Wycombe Wanderers are there to pick over the corpse. Hard to see how it can be sold as a going concern, the way it's going.
That's Caher and me.
I don't know if we can make the season end at this rate; £1M short of paying the bills in March will mean another points deduction; players I think will be free to leave because of breach of contract / free agency, supposedly entertaining talks for a buyer but who'd buy a club with no facilities.
Just dreadful. All at the hands, lest we forget, of an owner that the EFL approved as a fit and proper person. Yes, the same EFL that keeps fining and removing points from us.
Micheal Edwards heading back to FSG/Liverpool with Richard Hughes expected to be sporting director, Eddie Howe’s mate from Bournemouth days, makes you think 🤔
Great interview with Micheal Edwards on the TalkSport YouTube channel. He's got quite an interesting back story having got an offer to coach football in America from his PE teaching role in Llangollen. He then moved into the corporate sector and held senior roles at Reebok, SEGA and EA Sports before coming back for his first stint at Liverpool.
Man city get Madrid, and the gooners get Bayern in the CL quarter finals.
On the one hand it is a bit of a shame that the final will probably be a lesser event than these quarter and subsequent semi finals, on the other hand IMO it would be good to end seeding and totally randomise the draws from start to finish to make it all a bit more unpredictable.
Spurs are taking an absolute pasting off Fulham here.
Though unfortunately I think we might well be on the receiving end of one tomorrow too
My prediction is 5-2 Liverpool
Both teams gone with strong line ups.
What an OG by Disasi by the way - showing Sterling and Jackson how to finish.
Oh dear. All that good work undone in five minutes.
We do it every time. Take an early lead then collapse. As soon as the United goal went in I predicted we’d lose 4-1
You're still in it, 2-1, just need to get going, and stop Bruno moaning.
Banjo, horse's arse, Rashford.
United were great for the first and last ten minutes!
This game is nuts! 😳
Wow!
And a second yellow! Does he now miss the next game (semi?)
Well it was a 7 goal thriller so I was half right 🙃