Deuce

Aye, it's not as if there's an actual, literal "transfer kitty" that sits in a padlocked safe inside Rafa's office. Money in the club is money in the club. Are you sayin there is no actual warchest? Scrooge McDuck-esque pool of gold doubloons

How hard is to buy a real, professional-grade left back. We've been laboring with someone's try-hard younger brother there for too long.

I honestly do not know what manner of f***ing rubbish you are talking now. The guy has toiled for his cause under a litany of different managers and made 30+ appearances in all but one season (including the previous one). He has never been a bit-part player, and at worst was someone who was used situationally and served his purpose extremely well. Nigerians have some festishistic vision of him being this world beating #10 because of one tournament they watched in 2005, but in reality he is a lumbering giant who has leveraged his physical strength, remarkable composure, and intelligent understanding of the game into a brilliant career at the highest level. In addition to winning everything there is possible to win as a Premiership footballer, he has served his country manfully over the course of twelve years, despite still being in his twenties. When Nigeria has asked him to play #10, he did it. When Naija have asked to sit back he has done this too. When NFF stranded his team in Atlanta, he paid bills and stood up for his teammates. But people are never satisfied. For Mikel the man, I have no problem with this move. He is happy with a full trophy case, a sexually attractive Russian wife, and two young children. As someone that supports Nigerian football, it would be a shame to see our best player, the leader of a young national team (someone that the likes of Iheanacho and Iwobi look up to and admire), and a brilliant ambassador for our football willfully marginalise himself. On that front, I can only hope these are false reports.

y We do have a 'not worthy of a thread' thread FYI.

For such a shit footballer, the merits of Alan Smith get debated a whole hell of a lot.

Big Bollocks Billy has bagged 20 this season for mighty Codicote FC of the Spartan South Midlands League Division One...he can pretty much do as he please.

Yorkie slowly morphing into Ronaldo

Lazaar honestly can't be that much of a liability defensively that Dummett is keeping him out of the XI. Guess it doesn't matter much, we're stuck with Dummett for at least the new few weeks.

Looks like an AIDS-ridden George Harrison.

i hate you all

10.

Give yourself a pat on the back. Not about being right or wrong tho. But the petty little fairies who freak if Rafa gets slight criticism. Best team in the division best manager. No question. Sticking religiously to the same tactics is ludicrous. Surley that is obvious. The same tactic that has us the most wins and league goals in the country?

These are in the bottom 3 though like We're losing on the road. Happens in every league in the world, regardless of the opposition. Yeah, probably just a one off. We're clearly doing something wrong this season, what with being in 2nd n' all.

These are in the bottom 3 though like We're losing on the road. Happens in every league in the world, regardless of the opposition.

It's almost like, Rafa or not, we're not as good as you thought and this division is trickier than you thought it was.

FFS

"B'Burn" ffs

No he's small and Dutch

Third place 1/2 way through and deserving the sack? Fairly certain every manager the owners hired prior to Pep was a stop-gap for Pep. He'll get time there for sure. They've put so much into Pep over the last 2-3 years - he'll be given 3 seasons to get it right. The pressure might come next season if it's the same but even then they would go again the following season. Man City want Pep to be their Cruyff. To fully install this ethos they've been working on all levels in the first team they'd be idiots to sack him now.

I look forward to his big money move to Qatar in 2 years, completing the trifecta.

Joke's on us when Rafa trots out the old Colback-Cleverley central midfield.

Happy New Year y'all

re: Gayle Already has. Twice, in fact.

3 points. Don't care.