Tiresias

Don't, because I have seen F1 attacked for racing in those countries all the time. When they raced in saudi arabia a lot of the drivers were vocally unhappy to the point that it was mooted they would boycott. That is classic case of 'i haven't paid attention to something and therefore i believe it hasnt happened'.

Yeah wtf you posh wankers

How is this different from when we were all outraged at Ashley regime banning reporters who criticized him? No-one then was sympathetic to Ashley's side. It is a reporters job to ask why someone has decided to take money from someone, if they were comfortable taking the money they should be comfortable explaining themselves. It's not like everyone doesn't know why. These people have PR guys, someone easily could have given them a decent line of defense such as, 'I am excited at the opportunity, Saudi Arabla is not the same as Aparteid and while I do not endorse everything the Saudi state does I do not feel I am doing that by taking part in this golf tournament. I hope with more scruitny comes more openness and some of the issues can be improved. I think this could be a great tour for the audience and am excited at the opportunity.' or some bullshit like that. It will blow over. Of course journalists could be more critical of other clubs/institutions/tours etc but noone should be shocked to be asked about money from Saudi Arabia, it's going to happen, it is the journalists job to ask. And if we don't have journalists asking difficult questions things like that massive sexual abuse scandal at football clubs that came out a few years ago would never have happened.

100% we desperately need better passers in the middle and he's played under guadiola so assume would be good. Doubt we will match wages yet though.

Back line needs improving, was ok at southgates first world cup when we went to defending deep and countering, we were rebuilding and was a readjustment process to admit we weren't able to dominate games. I will defend southgate to a point, I think staying loyal to players who have kept together and done well was good, but feel after the euros there needed to be a bit of clear eyed ruthlessness. Tomori surely should be being considered ahead of the likes of Connor Coady. Maguire as much as he has been unfairly vilified in some (bomb threats ffs) probably ought to be under threat. The midfield doesnt look too shaby but Henderson probably deserves more of a look in as much as i hate to admit it. We struggle to create goals at the moment, Harry Kane is dropping too deep too much and I remain unconvinced with Mount. This does not feel like a team building to peak at the world cup, it feels a bit more like a decent one in a bit of decline.

I mean it might be true, he also might have been asked and said he had absolutely no interest in dealing with transfer while at the u21s tourney and there is the quote they now use, just don't trust anything. I remember hearing someone suggest that all transfers should be kept secret and then just before season starts the squads could be unveiled all at once. Impossible of course but would be well fun, who will be playing for us this year, then they jump out of dry ice or something all at once

I remember when Bruce tried to spin that all the players hated playing under Rafa and there he basically intimates that once rafa gone there was no hope in the dressing room, shocking that

Digne's good mind, they're recruiting well, competition is good, makes league good, makes people want to watch it. Not scared that we don't have the resources to compete either and if we can't there are no excuses. Need to readjust looking at villa spending and thinking, there's another team not going ot be competing with us to go down which we would all have been last season

flukey there kane ought to be booked for diving

Howe is also on holiday and while he clearly is doing some stuff like speaking to Ashworth that will likely slow things down a bit

Well harsh on a manager who got us to within a few pens of a major international trophy I'm not his biggest fan tactically either but he's no fucking brucie

Fact of the matter is the only people with an incentive to get this done quickly is us, we could say accept now or it's gone, but what good is that if he says fine, i'll wait? He as a promising young player will have plenty of offers. He has no need to hurry, it's not a summer with a world cup where everyone wants to get business done quick before that gets in way or anything.

Yes perfectly possible he's said that is fine can we haggle out details later sort of thing and told agent to stop looking at other offers

Best of luck to him, he is too good for the championship imo so will be a real asset for them.

Anything can happen before pen hits paper, and nothing will happen till after the tourney. I get it being reported as a done deal so people are confident but am amazed by the confidence of some that it has already definitely happened. We've all been here on transfers, the player may change mind, get better offer and even if verbally he has signed he isn't legally bound till pen is on paper. I am not bothered, we will find someone else, and it does look like this is happening, but don't understand quotes like above saying it's a certainty.

Worrying

Still so sad. What a player he was.

at this point choudhury really ought to file a restraining order

Randomly saw he does a podcast with michail antonio listened to latest one, nothing on there of particular interest and if honest none of them particularly insightful on anything (just a bit of a 'bantz' pod by sounds of it, but was nice how he insisted on his votes for end of season awards to bruno, big joe and eddie howe despite being ribbed for only nominating from his own team

Well i mean we should and will be pursuing a few at a time so keep offer on table in case milan fall through and keep chasing up alternates

Nothing wrong with him choosing us, but anyone think it strange if he prefered Milan is weird. They are historic, current champions with champions league football on offer. Any player should be excited to be linked to that. If a player doesn't want to join us, or at least prefers elsewhere we need to move on to next target. Absolutely try and tempt him with better wages or whatever within reason but ultimately want players excited to join and we can't win them all

Worrying.

I dunno think in a rubbish norwich side probably wrong environment for him harsh to write him off

Not surprised, and for all blaming man u, i was reading how Ralf relied upon his mate at lockamotiv moscow giving him video analysis as a favour (not paid) and ignoring the existing staff at Man U, whom I am sure weren't as good but do have the advantage of being there and being able to devote a lot of time to it. He only belatedly realied Mike Phelan was ok and started taking advice from him later. It seems he tried for first few matches to implement his gegenpressing then realised there wasn't enough time and the players werent going to do it and instead changed plan to play whatever it was they were supposed to be playing, but if you're not getting your team to play your style of football you are known for, is the alternative style ever going to be good? It is a clownshow, and a manager who hadn't directly managed a team for ages who doesn't even enjoy it very much was never a good fit and was a weird call. Absolutely get him in as a director of football or even just to manage your academy, but manager was bad, and of course basically new manager coming in will not be impressed by the guy beforehand who failed and probably won't want his opinion added.