Sibierski

Probably can’t be underestimated how just falling to like 3rd or 4th behind Man City / Liverpool / Arsenal would hurt Ratcliffe. They’ve likely been brought with future target of being number 1 leading club, not 3rd or 4th.

But the football landscape is miles apart to the 80s, where domestic attendances were one of the primary driving factors and exposure to other clubs. Just so different now, with many competing clubs and other destination venues / things to do. They won’t ever fall away to levels of being relegated, unless TV deal blew up where every club would be fucked, but falling to like 6th largest is feasible because of how football is now days. One thing that’s helped Man Utd, because of their current wealthy over others, they’ve been able to consistently qualify for Europe, spend beyond levels they should be, and keep picking up odd trophy. Means the sponsors etc still happy to be associated for big value as they’re regularly in the main comps and ‘successful’.

Think we could spend big, if it’s on a player or two we accept could be off the following summer or one after if they do well, and we’d be happy to sell for a profit. We now reaching the stage because of the limited youth players/kids, the signings we make have to be with a view that they could be off in 12/24 months.

Wilson stays, we must be signing a young(ish) 2nd choice striker so they have some experience to work with on training ground.

Don’t think anyone knows what the future financial landscape can end up as trends change. But say Man Utd don’t challenge Premier League in next 10 years, their finances may stay high, but everyone else will close in and overtake and theirs could be like 6th highest in Prem. Only way they mess up financially and do harm long term, is they have more seasons of wrong investment than have to take on a sizeable chunk of stadium debt. Ratcliffe won’t be there long term, and football clubs to be bought for say £3bn are not logical investments because of how much they cost to run to be competitive. So it’s then all the debt repayments needed to various people which if there’s an average billionaire in charge, would find very challenging.

Consistently stays like that for a bit, every chance the 18 Prem league may get voted through (with two down), because more sides will fancy their chances of never going down due to gulf in finances, and 18 sides means more wealth for them as there’s 2 less sides to give money too.

We sign him for £60m, they sign Longstaff from us for £30m.

Irony if Villa have to sell and it’s Chelsea making the move. Chelsea are a stain on football. Think Villa would want Watkins out instead of Rogers, but if there’s no takers then their hand may be forced elsewhere.

Trafford would also be approaching his 5th season of Pro football, he’s done his studying at this point. He’s been exposed to more football at this point than Ederson / Allison was when they made their big moves.

Gomes is great, but to succeed he’d have to join probably Arsenal or Man City, where the sides are so drilled at ball retention he’s weaknesses are covered and his strengths of ball progression are shown. For sides like us that require a combination of cover and physicality a bit more, he’d be exposed more.

Leicester were best positioned for me to stay up. Experienced squad, competent manager if unspectacular. But they got itchy early, panicked and went with Rudd because he did well against them. When you look at Cooper results, Man Utd game was only bad defeat, rest turned out against top half sides, whilst they picked points up against sides that have turned out to be bottom half. As the season went on, they would’ve kept chugging along. It’s mad how RVN has picked up points in just 2 of the last 18 league games and he’s still in charge

Gordon dives all the time and we love him, so I’m sure fans won’t give a shit if Delap is going down and winning free kicks.

He can’t expect a move to a European club and demand to start every game. Literally no club can offer that.

If we’re leaking to contacts a load of CB names, one must be in process of being lined up that’s none of those mentioned.

Asensio and Rashford had a short term boost, but it’s going to end up not being worth the money wasted in the end.

They are really underwhelming / poor appointments if sacking Farke for not being good enough in Prem previously.

Guehi got like a 100 page thread on his own This is small talk in comparison.

I see them still being proper on it up to end of Arsenal game. The trophy presentation will be the start of the big piss up and Brighton / Palace games high scoring. Salah will also be wanting to finish on as many goals as possible and beating his previous high of 32 in Prem.

Shame, because the club are probably relying on him being an adequate option for LB next season and pushing off needing to spend at full back till 2026. Otherwise the club may have to make a RB or LB a required signing they can trust, because Trips / Tino / Hall you can't go with just them. Rule Targett out (and probably should Lascelles really) it's 7 (when we get a new RCB) for 4 positions. Going back to thin territory for a season of Europe / Domestic Cups / Pushing on in league.

We're overdue correcting of our form against these because Brighton are the type of side I'd expect our style to get wins more often than not. 2-1. Proper grind win.

In games like yesterday where we have loads of the ball. Don't really need that extra CM, then you can have Delap occupying CBs/runs, with Isak playing off him in more space / finding the ball, with us knowing there's still an option in the box. Going to find more games as we move forward where we are giving more of the ball, so there's going to be many times we need to change approach. What let us down it felt last season being rigid to the 4-3-3, than when we tried something in a 4-2-3-1 with Gordon it didn't work. Having a fast CB who can sweep up counters is essential part of this too. Wilson / Isak worked well as an option previously, not had that possibility all season due to Wilson falling off a cliff edge.

Lavia moved for more than clause (and they ended up spending money on chasing players of no better quality), and Delap will be same. Even before both, Porro and Luiz both had clauses which they turned down. What level do they expect the players to reach when they’re moving them onto lesser clubs, do well and then move on again, if they’re repeatedly not activating the clauses they put in.

They had option to do that with Lavia and didn’t, so doubt they do it here. Strange club, especially when you put those clauses in and not use them.

They’ve been helped by Inter faulting, but it more shows how Conte can get his ideas and style across quickly, and it’s very effective in league football. Drop off always large, and probably why he’s linked with a move away already Bit of a weird manager, where his CV looks great (and is) for leagues. But I don’t rate him and wouldn’t want him ever here

Love how McTominay is doing in Napoli. Like it when a player leaves the shit show of Man Utd and thrives elsewhere