Posted May 19, 2018 Just now, Fierce_LiNk said: There are very few saints in football. Not saying there are. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 19, 2018 There are very few saints in football. Yeah there are, they came 17th. 1 1 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 19, 2018 Great result for us today to end a tumultuous season on something of a high. I hope we don’t take too long deciding Conte’s future, both for us as a club and for him as an individual. If he’s going to stay, though, he needs the backing to take us back to where we belong in the Champions League; our squad size wasn’t the only issue this season, but it sure was a big one. As for talk about what’s different about José at United when compared with his most successful stints - which I’d argue were his stints at Porto, Chelsea, and Inter - is that he’s not an underdog. Nobody expected Porto to win the Champions League; he helped us to our first league title in 50 years in his first season at Chelsea; and that Inter side, though extremely talented, hadn’t been anywhere near the top of Europe in the years prior, and yet he helped them to the treble. These teams were also filled with leaders, and I don’t think that United really has any leaders in their team sheet, let alone in their starting XI. His time at United is reminding me a lot of his time with Madrid: it’s about taking an obscenely wealthy club - who are by no definition underdogs - back to the top of Europe after a long spell of inconsistency and complacency at the highest level. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 19, 2018 Conte is far too defensive... when you’re the more defensive team against a Mourinho team, it’s too much! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 21, 2018 Seems like Unai Emery is about to be announced as the next Arsenal manager. I think it's a pretty safe bet by the Arsenal board, he doesn't come with the weight of expectations that someone like a Guardiola would have but has done well at the clubs he's managed so should provide a solid base to build the club from. I think Arteta would probably be their preferred choice to lead the club in the long term but his lack of experience would mean he'd need time to bed in and I think Arsenal fans would prefer to have a couple of seasons of success after the poor showing of the last couple of seasons. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 22, 2018 21 hours ago, killthenet said: Seems like Unai Emery is about to be announced as the next Arsenal manager. I think it's a pretty safe bet by the Arsenal board, he doesn't come with the weight of expectations that someone like a Guardiola would have but has done well at the clubs he's managed so should provide a solid base to build the club from. I think Arteta would probably be their preferred choice to lead the club in the long term but his lack of experience would mean he'd need time to bed in and I think Arsenal fans would prefer to have a couple of seasons of success after the poor showing of the last couple of seasons. 3 FA Cups in 5 years is a poor showing I’m excited for Emery’s success! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 23, 2018 Gotta say, i'm not impressed with Kane being appointed captain of the England squad. Should have been Henderson. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 23, 2018 (edited) 57 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said: Gotta say, i'm not impressed with Kane being appointed captain of the England squad. Should have been Henderson. But Kane will score all your goals even if he doesn't touch the ball. Perfect fit for a captain Edited May 23, 2018 by drahkon 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 23, 2018 I've still seen no evidence that Henderson is a good captain for Liverpool, don't see why he should get it for England. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 23, 2018 3 minutes ago, Happenstance said: I've still seen no evidence that Henderson is a good captain for Liverpool, don't see why he should get it for England. Why should Kane? Ive never been a fan of strikers being a captain. Midfielders are perfect, especially defensive ones, as they have their eyes on all areas of the pitch. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 23, 2018 1 minute ago, Hero-of-Time said: Why should Kane? Ive never been a fan of strikers being a captain. Midfielders are perfect, especially defensive ones, as they have their eyes on all areas of the pitch. Oh I'm not saying Kane should either, I have just never liked Henderson as a captain. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 23, 2018 3 minutes ago, Happenstance said: Oh I'm not saying Kane should either, I have just never liked Henderson as a captain. Ah. I find Kane to be too much of a selfish player, which is not what I want to see in an England captain. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 23, 2018 I don’t think there’s a player who’d start for England that would make a good captain at all. Not of them are up to it. I can see why he’s gone Kane, but I’d have given it Henderson because of his longer time serving as a club captain and him being a midfielder - a more suitable position for a captain than a forward - but I’d only just have given it him over Kane. Kane is by far and away our best player though so I understand why it’s been given to him, in hope that he plays well and leads by example as opposed to organising/relaying tactics on the fly etc. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 23, 2018 (edited) Emery is a great catch for Arsenal, making good use of his relatively small budget whilst at Sevilla to lead them to success. It’ll definitely be interesting to see how he approaches restructuring and rebuilding this Arsenal team (especially that defence) going into next season. Apparently we’re going after Sarri if Conte leaves, which I’m all for. His Napoli side have probably been playing the second most attractive football in Europe for a couple of seasons now (behind City in the season just gone), and he’s often compared to Guardiola (understandable, given that they’re the only managers who put an emphasis on the art of the sport in their tactics and decision making, as well as a focus on possession and verticality). I just hope that we get him in before the World Cup starts if he really is switching to Stamford Bridge next season. Edited May 23, 2018 by Julius Caesar Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 23, 2018 Excellent (but pretty quiet?) interview with Salah and Lampard. It’s rough that he never got the chance to shine at Stamford Bridge as he is now at Anfield, but I’m glad to see how much he’s developed over the last few years across Europe. Klopp was a perfect match for him as a manager, so as much as I rue him being successful elsewhere in England, I’m just glad that he’s performing at his very best. As a neutral, I can’t wait for the final on Saturday it’s been an excellent year for English football! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 23, 2018 Ancelotti has become Napoli’s next manager, with Sarri having officially departed the club now. It’s only a matter of time... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 26, 2018 No word of a lie, I had a dream last night that we got beat 3-2, with Real scoring in the last minute. If that happens them feel free to blame me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 26, 2018 I'll be rooting for Liverpool tonight. Come on, lads. DO IT. 4 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said: No word of a lie, I had a dream last night that we got beat 3-2, with Real scoring in the last minute. If that happens them feel free to blame me. If Real wins I will blame your odour. Nivea...pff. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 26, 2018 38 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said: No word of a lie, I had a dream last night that we got beat 3-2, with Real scoring in the last minute. If that happens them feel free to blame me. Unfortunately, Real were beating us in my nightmare last night too Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 26, 2018 I personally think it will be a high scoring, entertaining game of football. It'll go all the way and I've predicted Real Madrid to win 4-3 after Extra time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 26, 2018 God, it's going to be unbearable if Liverpool win. I think it'll be settled in normal time and can see Real Madrid putting in a professional performance to win the game 2-0. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 26, 2018 4 minutes ago, Fierce_LiNk said: God, it's going to be unbearable if Liverpool win. I think it'll be settled in normal time and can see Real Madrid putting in a professional performance to win the game 2-0. Would you rather a non-English team win? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 26, 2018 1 minute ago, Hero-of-Time said: Would you rather a non-English team win? I've heard that argument so many times over the last few weeks and I don't really understand it. A better question would be, "do you want to see a rival club win the most prestigious European competition?" and the answer for that would be...no, not really. It's not a country vs. country competition, it's club vs. club. Liverpool are representing the club and area of their city; they are not representing the country as that's not the way the competition works. Would any sane United fan want to see City win the Champions League as they're an English club, or vice versa? You will struggle very hard to find them. Liverpool fans already use the "we won it 5 times" line to gloat over the rival fans, so why would the rivals want to hear any more of that? In the World Cup, if a Liverpool player scores the goal which brings the cup back to England, then I will cheer for them as they're wearing an England shirt and are representing England. Therein lies the difference. This is a club competition, not a country competition. It would be good for the city of Liverpool if they do win the competition, as the football that they have played this season has been first class, even if they have been extraordinarily lucky with the decisions that have gone their way in Europe. But, I think Real Madrid will use their knowledge and experience of playing in recent finals to get through. They'll find a way to nullify the Salah threat and I think they'll go about the game in a professional way to win. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted May 26, 2018 24 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said: Would you rather a non-English team win? As a neutral going into tonight’s game, I’ll be happy for either team to win; first and foremost, I want a good game of football. That being said, personally, as a neutral, but as someone who has a lot of passion for the sport and it’s history, I think it would be amazing for Real to win it again tonight. The last time a team won the competition - in any format - three times in a row was Bayern back in the early 70s. Though this Madrid team has been fairly inconsistent domestically over the last few years, at least when compared to other great UCL/European Cup-winning teams which won the premiere European competition consecutively, this is a team almost designed to perform solely in this competition. Real’s recent experience of winning the competition, coupled with their - and more specifically, Ronaldo’s - insatiable appetite to perform on Europe’s biggest stage, leads me to believe that they’ll win tonight. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
