Infinitely Content

Had a quick browse, closed tab once I read 'Pardew is better than Benitez' & 'Benitez has spent loads and all he's done is avoid relegation, any manager could do that'. Curious chaps, over there.

Aye. Real Madrid are in a bad spell much like like Man Utd, however the same concern doesn’t really surround Madrid as the infrastructure they have in place, and that they will always attract better players than Man Utd means it’s only a matter of time before they’re challenging for the top honours again. Man Utd however, it’s hard to currently see the way out for them, they’ve a disjointed squad with no real direction, a severely unproven and hugely questionable manager, and no real infrastructure to oversee an upturn in fortunes. I mean, the talk of Rio Ferdinand being director of football... Jesus. As it stands, City, Liverpool & Spurs are a better proposition for a player, and that’s just in England. Man Utd would be lucky to make the top 10 list of clubs players would want to play for next season. They’re failing to close the gap on Barca & Madrid, and the gap is being closed on them by the likes of Juve, City & Liverpool.

I reckon he will Can understand why a large portion of our support are preparing themselves for the worst though.

Read same reports, fucking hope it's true. Where are they putting it in next ? It'll be a team closer to winning the Champions League who with investment could manage it in the near future. Roma for instance.

Sure

I feel because of the greatness of Barcelona sides gone-by, this current side is considered only through a comparative lens and is therefore undersold quite a bit. Once again all the talk is about the excellent English side who played so well, yet they couldn’t register a goal and conceded 3 against this supposedly sub-par, Messi & 10 others side. I think firstly, just because it’s not a side in the mirror image of it’s predecessors, it doesn’t mean it has to be considered poor, I’ve heard many of the football media outright say that the Liverpool team is better. This is utter nonsense, it’s too lazy to just go Messi is unreal and he carries the rest. What about the excellent Ter Stegen? The brilliance of Jordi Alba last night? All the talk is about Robertson. Alba was excellent. Rakitic & Pique also outstanding. Sure Messi makes the difference in big matches like this, but to write the rest of the team off, and nonchalantly state that the Liverpool team is better is nonsense. Barcelona, the so-called diminished Barcelona have swept aside England’s dominant force who probably played at the peak of their abilities.

Messi

Took me a while to really appreciate the old Barca - Iniesta, Xavi, Messi, Neymar, but I don't like this new one. Hope Liverpool smash 'em. Sick of La Liga winning everything. Find Spanish football really boring. Passing for no reason. Much prefer the direct Premier League style. Get the ball, where's the striker? Give it to him. Score. Although I don't agree, I kind of take your point to a degree, but it's not passing for no reason. It's passing to create space, pull players out of position, create overloads, and then, when the ball is delivered to the forward players, the chances of scoring are much higher. The Premier League is currently being won, dominated even for a second year running by a manager who does exactly that.

Think Liverpool with lead early tonight through Mane, Barcelona will gradually gain control of the match and win it 2-1. Just about back Barca to get through over the two legs, not by much though.

Brighton were god awful in the first half against us because they employed the wrong tactics against us; we hate being pressed quickly and they gave the likes of Shelvey and Schar time and space on the ball to pick out the passes they wanted to, they treat us like we were a top six side. I don't think it was a case of all of their outfielders just didn't get out of the ball because they chose not to. What Souness is saying is just really shortsighted imo, you make a good point about engaging with the second balls which is something our centre halves and Rondon do particularly well, but he was essentially saying 'close the ball down, want it more than the other team and you're on the front foot'. I'm fairly sure Rafa didn't tell our lads to 'get out to the ball first' when we beat Manchester City, he would've went with tactics first. Like most managers would do, particularly foreign managers where focus is on tactical setups and reading what the opposition can do rather than the 'get stuck in' culture in this country that still resonates with many for some reason. At Arsenal it wasn't a case of us engaging with the ball when out of possession or on the second balls, we were just utterly rancid on the ball when we won it back. Can't argue with much of that tbf

He does have a point imo, obviously it's a pretty simplistic take - but whatever tactic you're employing, it's never good enough to stand off and not engage with the ball/pick up second balls (just look at Brighton in the first half against us). Even with our defensive system, when successful it's because we have players like Schar stepping out to be first to loose balls near our area, and then we play. Hayden mopping up anything through the centre, then working it out wide or dropping it back into to Schar to build. You look back to the Arsenal game recently, where we just didn't engage with the ball anywhere near enough and whatever the game plan was went out of the window.

Urgh. English fans are too often an absolute embarrassment in Europe like. Edit: TBF, a quick look on the related threads and Liverpool fans/accounts are calling him out to be identified by the club and punished.

Montpellier 3-2 PSG tonight. Lovely stuff. Kimpembe scored yet another own goal too having put one in his own net against Rennes.

"ips bitch" Class.

Back in the Europa League for Rennes next season after that win. Excellent stuff.

PSG change kit is nice, although at first with the gold badge and no Fly Emirates, it's barely recognisable as PSG. Great goal by Alves.

Belter by Alves.

Can see it being similar to when Man City beat us 0-2 up here in our 5th season. We’ll play well but just be outclassed. Yaya Toure was sublime that day.

straight swap for hayden if he has to leave maybe, something like that...i've liked March since seeing him in the champo, be a massive upgrade on kennedy why the fuck hughton isn't starting him i've no idea Exactly, the fact he doesn't start for Brighton surely means we would be an attractive option for him. Still only 24.

Solly March, whether they stay up or not, we should be able to tempt him to come play for a better team.

Aye, with those players on the field, I reckon we go in at least 2-0 up there and probably no way back into the game for them. Never mind though, pretty comfortable point away from home.

Solly March on. Really like him as a player, somebody I'd love for us to sign. Was on trial here when he was younger iirc.

Only issue I can see for us in view of Brighton's heavy-eyed performance is that we become complacent with the time & space being afforded to us. I don't think Rafa will allow that, mind. Easiest half of the season, brilliant goal by Ayo. Nice to see Shelvey in the middle, and Schar doing Schar things.