Village Idiot

Well, only one of my teams surrendered a lead in laughable fashion this week.

My phone won't stop buzzing with goal notifications and it's always NUFC instead of Barça. Dammit. (well, Messi scored a pen at least).

Yeah, no way the game can be played. There's a big demo planned that day and there's no doubt the radicals will try to shut down the game. Now it looks like it will just be moved to a midweek in December.

We are so bad right now. There's players to make a great team in there though, besides having to depend on Messi or Suárez just having magic moments. We just need a manager that makes players do things that have sense.

He was also potentially eligible for Portugal, apparently. But Fati has lived in Spain since age 6, so it's not as egregious as somebody like Ibaka (who only spent 2 years in Spain). It's just hilarious how the whole thing has been fast-tracked after a couple great performances.

At the request of the Spanish FA, the Spanish cabinet (yes, the cabinet) has given Ansu Fati Spanish citizenship. He'd have qualified in a few months, but god, sometimes we're really shameless when giving out citizenships to promising foreign-born athletes They want him to play in the U17 World Cup that starts later this year.

Fati

Oh, the Fabrice Pancake goal. He looked like a walking log most of the season and then he had a hot run with that goal. That C'ship season was weirdly fun. Lots of mediocre yet likeable players looking like Pelé down there. Favorite moment was probably Lovekrands scoring against West Brom in the wake of I think was his father's death? Or some other personal problem. He then was class the rest of the season.

Done. Marcelino sacked, Celades appointed as new Valencia manager. Wonder which team will snatch him up, he's one of the best Spanish managers right now, and he's only been held back by the fact that he always, always, ends up antagonizing people after 1-2 seasons at the clubs he's been.

I used to work for the company that markets the rights. They mostly care about Asia/ME as the growth markets, hence why I guess they are signing terrible deals if it opens them other markets.

Reports mounting that Marcelino is about to get sacked by Valencia. Abysmal decision, he's got them twice in a row in the CL and gave them their first trophy in ages. He has antagonized ownership regarding transfer policy this preseason.

For now the Neymar transfer is stalled since all the makeweight players we tried to include (Rakitic, Bodipo, Dembelé) have refused to go to PSG.

Italian football is starting to look strong again, and not just Juve. Good news.

Devastating. Losing a loved one when she's barely starting to live... I'm happy to see that the FA and the media successfully managed to keep the lid on what was going on so Lucho could spend time with her daughter unmolested. I'm actually surprised it didn't leak.

We got Inter! My Milanese uncle is a huge Inter fan, need to plan to watch the game together either here or in Milan.

Beats me. I know he still has a lot of friends inside the dressing room (not just Messi). We have elections at the end of the season, and it's not unusual for boards to go all in to secure trophies. The current board is rather impopular and I can only see a CL win giving them a chance to win another term. Neymar-Suárez-Messi gave us our last CL trophy, so I guess they think it can work twice.

Having watched Griezmann, C Perez and Fati all play very well at the weekend - I don't understand the need for Neymar - unless its Messi who wants him Yeah, we don't need another forward. Rather we give the playing time to Dembelé, of which I really have doubts about, but his potential is undeniable. Fati looked really promising, too. The only thing I'd sign is a Rakitic replacement, since his legs are starting to go. His mix of talent/workrate has been key these years.

PSG have turned down our last offer for Neymar (which was rumored to be €130m + Rakitic + Dembelé on loan, other sources said we offered €170m in installments). That would be good news, but that probably just means we'll go back and throw in more money/players.

Showdown talks in Paris between us and PSG for Neymar

The transfer ban depleted a lot of the youth squads (which had become very reliant on signing foreign talent which was now deemed illegal). Then there was a reform of the academy 4 years ago which was very ambitious - implementing a lot of data driven coaching and development tracking -, but it is having a lot of teething problems. Now they have just made another reorg and I wouldn't be surprised if they walk back some of the changes.

Coutinho loan to Bayern completed. We'll get €9m as loan fee and they get a €120m buyout - which they won't use so whatever. Man, we suck so much at this transfer business. We're the New York Knicks of football.

Burned out as not being able to play with the kind of mental intensity he did in his previous years, always being plugged in the game. Even if his athleticism is still mostly there (he's just 30), his mind isn't.

Joselu fits Garitano's battleplan like a glove (a cheap glove bought at a Chinese outlet, which is the kind of gloves Alavés can afford), I wouldn't be surprised if he scores 7-9 this season. It really depends on whether he can hold that starting spot in front of Lucas Pérez.

Sánchez workrate was immense though. In his peak years he was always popping up everywhere in the attack, backtracking, etc... I can see him not being able to carry that kind of effort into his late 20s. I also get the feeling he burned out mentally.

Coutinho loaned to Bayern. Another one to add to our list of busted big transfers. This makes all but certain that we won't sign Neymar, fwiw.