English Football Discussion (EPL, EFL & Cups)

[HaroldBishop]

Luton vs Bournemouth was abandoned today after Luton captain Tom Lockyer went into cardiac arrest on the field. Luton has confirmed that he was responsive by the time he was taken off the field, he’s currently stable and under going further tests at hospital.

Wow, I just assumed it was bad weather. Hope he's ok.

 

[HaroldBishop]

They could have just done nothing then!

Although doing well to look like surviving... wonder how those City and Chelsea deductions are coming along

Won 5 of their last 6, man that 10 points hurts.

 

[CrazyMatt]

Nottingham Forest have sacked manager Steve Cooper. Former Spurs manager Nuno Espirito Santo is the very likely replacement.

 

[Flanno]

Nottingham Forest have sacked manager Steve Cooper. Former Spurs manager Nuno Espirito Santo is the very likely replacement.

Hasn’t gone down well with the Forest fans who loved him. It does seem pretty harsh, he achieved many great things there against all odds and they are clear from relegation currently.

 

[HaroldBishop]

@CrazyMatt , how did your mob concede that second goal? Terrible defending by those two.

 

[CrazyMatt]

@CrazyMatt , how did your mob concede that second goal? Terrible defending by those two.

Cause we’re ****.

First goal? **** knows, Onana probably should of done better with it. Second goal? Mainoo loses possession in midfield and United can’t scramble quick enough and its a good finish.

I’m not going to jump on Mainoo’s back because he’s still a teenager playing a key role in midfield and is constantly overrun because Ten Hag insists on playing two CAMs leaving Mainoo has the lone CDM and its costing us big time.
I’m not going to jump on Kambwala’s back because he’s a teenager on debut before he’s ready, the injury crisis forced Ten Hag’s hand there.
I’m not going to jump on Ganarcho’s back even though he missed two sitters as he’s a teenager still learning his craft and other teams are starting to form gameplans against him.
I’m not going to jump on Rasmus’s back because he’s getting ZERO service.

The rest of them can jump off a long pier because its clear theres a few of them in there have quit on the manager and are trying to get him sacked, who to be fair, isnt helping himself with some of the lineups he’s doing.

 

[deep blue jaws]

Cause we’re ****.

First goal? **** knows, Onana probably should of done better with it. Second goal? Mainoo loses possession in midfield and United can’t scramble quick enough and its a good finish.

I’m not going to jump on Mainoo’s back because he’s still a teenager playing a key role in midfield and is constantly overrun because Ten Hag insists on playing two CAMs leaving Mainoo has the lone CDM and its costing us big time.
I’m not going to jump on Kambwala’s back because he’s a teenager on debut before he’s ready, the injury crisis forced Ten Hag’s hand there.
I’m not going to jump on Ganarcho’s back even though he missed two sitters as he’s a teenager still learning his craft and other teams are starting to form gameplans against him.
I’m not going to jump on Rasmus’s back because he’s getting ZERO service.

The rest of them can jump off a long pier because its clear theres a few of them in there have quit on the manager and are trying to get him sacked, who to be fair, isnt helping himself with some of the lineups he’s doing.

i think you have to start asking questions of Rasmus mate , i know he was a relative punt in terms of strikers available but the fact he STILL hasn't grabbed a single goal in the prem at a club like United for me personally rings alarm bells .
Im not joking mate thats simply unacceptable for what you paid and is required as a top 6 club or even one of the big 4
Just my 2 cents but i was super pissed at Richarlison contribution last season considering what we paid and him having prem experience
Maybe its just a bedding in for Rasmus but still for United i'd think way more is expected even if the service isn't great

 

[CrazyMatt]

i think you have to start asking questions of Rasmus mate , i know he was a relative punt in terms of strikers available but the fact he STILL hasn't grabbed a single goal in the prem at a club like United for me personally rings alarm bells .
Im not joking mate thats simply unacceptable for what you paid and is required as a top 6 club or even one of the big 4
Just my 2 cents but i was super pissed at Richarlison contribution last season considering what we paid and him having prem experience
Maybe its just a bedding in for Rasmus but still for United i'd think way more is expected even if the service isn't great

Nah he gets basically zero opportunities a game. The wingers he plays with (Ganarcho, Antony and Rashford) are selfish minded players who dont play Rasmus in, quite the opposite really, Rasmus has been the one playing the pass. Its the same for any striker that plays for United, they’re usually playing off scraps. The only winger that seems interested in creating opportunities for his 9 is Pellistri and he hardly plays, and when he does, Rasmus has usually been subbed off.

This is the reason I was hoping Mount would be turned into a playmaking right winger by the way, he’d at least try to give Rasmus some service, but that looks like it isnt on the cards.

Yes Rasmus needs help by the way of a more experienced striker to take some of the load off, but if people are pointing the finger at him they need to wake up to themselves.

 

[Flanno]

He has scored quite a few in Europe don’t forget. Rasmus is just getting no service, I have watched a few Utd games and it’s clear that he has some talent.

I actually feel a bit for him, because strikers feed off confidence and the way Utd are playing is doing him no favours. Each game the frustration and doubt would just be piling on for him. Once he gets off the mark in the league I’m sure the goals will start flowing more but not consistently until Utd sort out their other issues, which are much bigger than Holjund as CM rightly pointed out.

@CrazyMatt there are a lot of issues in the Utd squad. If you could have a clean slate, how many would you realistically keep?

I could only think of Martinez, Garnacho, Mainoo, Bruno (though I think he’s a bit overrated, Shaw (maybe?), Holjund.

Squad is crap

 

[CrazyMatt]

He has scored quite a few in Europe don’t forget. Rasmus is just getting no service, I have watched a few Utd games and it’s clear that he has some talent.

I actually feel a bit for him, because strikers feed off confidence and the way Utd are playing is doing him no favours. Each game the frustration and doubt would just be piling on for him. Once he gets off the mark in the league I’m sure the goals will start flowing more but not consistently until Utd sort out their other issues, which are much bigger than Holjund as CM rightly pointed out.

@CrazyMatt there are a lot of issues in the Utd squad. If you could have a clean slate, how many would you realistically keep?

I could only think of Martinez, Garnacho, Mainoo, Bruno (though I think he’s a bit overrated, Shaw (maybe?), Holjund.

Squad is crap

Its a hard question to answer because its going to be next to impossible to sell the players I’d want too because of the ridiculous wages they’re on. In fantasy land though where thats not a problem i’d sell:

• Maguire (I know he’s had a resurgence but he doesn’t suit the football I’d want United to play)
• Lindelof (Been here too long and just not good enough, constantly gets bullied by physical strikers)
• McTominay (baffles me why ETH picks him every week, apart from an odd goal he offers NOTHING from midfield)
• Martial (LOL)
• Van De Beek (already gone, I was very excited when we bought him but Ole never gave him a chance which shattered his confidence and he’s never recovered)
• Eriksen (Has done well with us, but his legs are gone and we need more mobility in the midfield)
• Antony (Has slightly improved in recent games, but it just hasn’t worked)
• Evans (ETH wanted Kim Min Jae, the deal was a tap in, fee was reasonable and the player was keen, the club completely bottled the deal and got a 35 year old Johnny Evans instead, sums it up nicely for me)
• Wan-Bissaka (See Maguire)
• Sancho (You cannot undermine the manager like he did and expect to stay, that just shouldn’t happen)
• Williams (Simply not good enough and reportedly has a bad attitude)
• Greenwood (Obvious reasons)

On thin ice:
• Rashford
• Malacia
• Dalot
• Onana (verrrrry thin ice)
• Amrabat
• Mount (**** knows why we bought him, I thought he’d end up being a playmaking winger interchanging with Bruno as the 10, but ETH seems set on playing with two 10’s which is likely going to be his downfall, if he can’t be converted into a winger then I’d just sell him and hand the keys to the RW to Pellistri and Diallo and give them a chance to grow into the role)

I’d bring in:
• A right sided CB to compete and eventually take over from Varane (top choices: Todibo, Tomori)
• A left sided CB to compete with Martinez (top choice: Inacio)
• A new striker to alternate with Rasmus. (top choices: (Vlahovic, Osihmen, Guirassy)
• One or two young CDM/B2B midfielders to compete with and eventually take over from Casemiro and play alongside Mainoo long term in a pivot behind Bruno. (Top choices: Andre, Onana, Joao Neves)
• A RB who contributes better to the attack. (Top choice: Frimpong)

GKs: Onana, Bayindir
RBs: Frimpong, Dalot
LBs: Shaw, Malacia, Fernandez
RCBs: Varane, Todibo/Tomori, Kambwala
LCBs: Martinez, Inacio, Bennett
CDM/CMs: Casemiro, Mainoo, Amrabat, Andre, Onana/Neves, Gore, Hansen-Aaroen
CAMs: Fernandes, Meijbri, Forsen
RWs: Mount (also plays 10), Pellistri, Diallo (can also play 10 and LW), Shoretire (Can also play LW)
LWs: Ganarcho, Rashford, Lacey
STs: Vlahovic/Guirassy, Hojlund, Hugill, McNeil

Did me best mate, but its all pure fantasy.

 

[sharkafar]

Pretty fair summary CM although I'd get Rashford and Dalot off the ice and bin them both. I'd keep AWB as well just as a back up. Otherwise agree with all of it.

 

[Flanno]

Its a hard question to answer because its going to be next to impossible to sell the players I’d want too because of the ridiculous wages they’re on. In fantasy land though where thats not a problem i’d sell:

• Maguire (I know he’s had a resurgence but he doesn’t suit the football I’d want United to play)
• Lindelof (Been here too long and just not good enough, constantly gets bullied by physical strikers)
• McTominay (baffles me why ETH picks him every week, apart from an odd goal he offers NOTHING from midfield)
• Martial (LOL)
• Van De Beek (already gone, I was very excited when we bought him but Ole never gave him a chance which shattered his confidence and he’s never recovered)
• Eriksen (Has done well with us, but his legs are gone and we need more mobility in the midfield)
• Antony (Has slightly improved in recent games, but it just hasn’t worked)
• Evans (ETH wanted Kim Min Jae, the deal was a tap in, fee was reasonable and the player was keen, the club completely bottled the deal and got a 35 year old Johnny Evans instead, sums it up nicely for me)
• Wan-Bissaka (See Maguire)
• Sancho (You cannot undermine the manager like he did and expect to stay, that just shouldn’t happen)
• Williams (Simply not good enough and reportedly has a bad attitude)
• Greenwood (Obvious reasons)

On thin ice:
• Rashford
• Malacia
• Dalot
• Onana (verrrrry thin ice)
• Amrabat
• Mount (**** knows why we bought him, I thought he’d end up being a playmaking winger interchanging with Bruno as the 10, but ETH seems set on playing with two 10’s which is likely going to be his downfall, if he can’t be converted into a winger then I’d just sell him and hand the keys to the RW to Pellistri and Diallo and give them a chance to grow into the role)

I’d bring in:
• A right sided CB to compete and eventually take over from Varane (top choices: Todibo, Tomori)
• A left sided CB to compete with Martinez (top choice: Inacio)
• A new striker to alternate with Rasmus. (top choices: (Vlahovic, Osihmen, Guirassy)
• One or two young CDM/B2B midfielders to compete with and eventually take over from Casemiro and play alongside Mainoo long term in a pivot behind Bruno. (Top choices: Andre, Onana, Joao Neves)
• A RB who contributes better to the attack. (Top choice: Frimpong)

GKs: Onana, Bayindir
RBs: Frimpong, Dalot
LBs: Shaw, Malacia, Fernandez
RCBs: Varane, Todibo/Tomori, Kambwala
LCBs: Martinez, Inacio, Bennett
CDM/CMs: Casemiro, Mainoo, Amrabat, Andre, Onana/Neves, Gore, Hansen-Aaroen
CAMs: Fernandes, Meijbri, Forsen
RWs: Mount (also plays 10), Pellistri, Diallo (can also play 10 and LW), Shoretire (Can also play LW)
LWs: Ganarcho, Rashford, Lacey
STs: Vlahovic/Guirassy, Hojlund, Hugill, McNeil

Did me best mate, but its all pure fantasy.

Hard to argue any of that, agree all of it. It would all be pretty attainable / realistic signings too for a club of Man Utd’s stature but the decision makers at the club have been getting recruitment terribly wrong since SAF retired.

 

[CrazyMatt]

Hard to argue any of that, agree all of it. It would all be pretty attainable / realistic signings too for a club of Man Utd’s stature but the decision makers at the club have been getting recruitment terribly wrong since SAF retired.

Hence why I’ve been telling you lot for what feels like years now they need to go.

 

[CrazyMatt]

So Ratcliffe got his 25% and INEOS will have control of football operations.

BUT CRUCIALLY….

No announcement of a pathway to a full takeover. That was the number one thing people were looking for from this announcement. The ****ing pieces of **** Glazers are going nowhere soon, they ****s have got away with it again.

 

[CrazyMatt]

Pretty fair summary CM although I'd get Rashford and Dalot off the ice and bin them both. I'd keep AWB as well just as a back up. Otherwise agree with all of it.

Look either/or as far as the right backs go. Doesn’t really matter too much which one leaves, one of them has to though. I leant towards Dalot because I feel he offers a bit more in attack and links better with his winger. Antony and Pellistri always seems to play a bit better with Dalot in the team instead of AWB.

But ultimately, whichever one you can get a better fee for balanced with whose departure would help the wage bill more, you sell.

 

[CrazyMatt]

Finally Rasmus, finally. Well in young man.

 

[Flanno]

Finally Rasmus, finally. Well in young man.

What a comeback. From 2 of the lads I said I’d keep from Utd team haha

 

[CrazyMatt]

 

[CrazyMatt]

Here’s a bit of a fun fact:

Raphael Varane and Jonny Evans was the centreback pairing that Sir Alex actually had planned to replace Ferdinand and Vidic, but the club wouldn’t fork out for Varane.

10 years later, he gets his wish.

 

[CrazyMatt]

What a comeback. From 2 of the lads I said I’d keep from Utd team haha

True, but you also said Bruno was overrated and he was one of the most important players on the pitch.