Well this is interesting (and more than a little unexpected. Leicester have apparently submitted a bid for Gabagool:

 

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/aug/10/leicester-bid-gabriel-gabigol-barbosa-brazil-santos

 

Apparently this is a Sunderland kit. 

 

I take back all the bad things I said about our boring white kit for this season. 

^^ Well, it's..... visible.

Looks like a packet of Parma violets

Tough competition for that Norwich kit.

 

Apparently this is a Sunderland kit. 

 

I take back all the bad things I said about our boring white kit for this season.

No wonder you often see fans from the North East with no shirts on, you an just imagine their mums saying ' you'll wear this or nowt at all'

on pogba;

 

amazing signing, he'll be great for them eventually, but it is amazing that £100m buys you a player who for now isn't one of the top three midfield players in the world and in john stones' case £50m has bought a player who is still almost entirely potential.

 

I think in the long term both pogba and stones will be successes, but I do think that if this is the market we now live with more than ever we should be thankful for our amazing youth system and it really is time we start seeing some real integration.  a new player every season or so. that was the club's target, so this year hopefully aina (and loftus cheek or chalobah), next season surely christensen.

 

I don't think we can compete with those sort of fees and I don't want us to take a retrograde step of leaning on abramovich to make these types of moves either. if we think about the long term of the club- and I mean in the next three decades- what we need to do is remain self sufficient rather than dependent because it guarantees that we will continue to exist. 

 

for me our ability to compete at the top will be dependent (amongst other things) on keeping the edge in youth development. I've read posts bemoaning us not going for these guys and saying we should sign bertrand for £30m rather than rely on the likes of aina. I think it is crucial we do the opposite.

 

Completely agree with your assessment. It’s a funny old game - Manchester United unashamedly record-break an already exorbitant transfer fee in order to bring someone in who had previously been through their own youth training scheme, yet for some inexplicable reason executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, probably an assortment of Glazers [if they surface] and none other than Jose ‘the team and not the individual’ Mourinho himself will seek to skew this scenario into ‘good business’ being done. Meanwhile mere mortal, non-Mancunian clubs and their spokesmen, such as the deep-pocketed Arsene Wenger, bemoan the situation and describe it as crazy, only to be put in their place by those pragmatists who are quick to point out, with a resigned shrug of the shoulders, that it’s the price you have to pay these days if you want to cling desperately to a [rapidly fading] belief that your club are still box office.

 

And sadly this jaundiced view is not only the pragmatist‘s, but also that of Martin Samuel of the Daily Mail, if his online article today is anything to go by. By common consent acknowledged as the biggest of journalist fish currently swimming around in one of the smallest of DM talent pools, he has taken a totally different stance to my own, the guts of which I give below:-

 

“They were discussing the sports news on Olympic Breakfast, all cheer, bronze and optimism. Vanquished rugby players were unlucky, not outclassed, and we gazed with pride at a medal table that showed Great Britain closing fast on Thailand. With the mention of football, however, the mood changed. Now cynicism ruled. It was asked: how was Paul Pogba worth £89million? No case came for the defence. Nobody countered that with Premier League revenue measured in billions, fees and wages were relative. Nobody cited examples from the entertainment industry, film star salaries or the contracts given to valued television personalities. It was just left there, this mystery, this waste. ‘A different world,’ a presenter concluded, sagely. And, indeed, it is because this summer Manchester United changed it.

 

…this summer, Ed Woodward has delivered on his intention to return Manchester United to Europe’s super elite. In doing so, he has dragged the rest of the Premier League along for the ride. It does not matter for now whether Pogba is worthy of his fee. He was not expected to be here. United have got English football back in the game. Where Pogba leads, others may follow…a combination of ambition, ego, unfinished business, financial incentive, Jose Mourinho and the promise that this Manchester United team would be constructed around his presence, convinced Pogba to return to Old Trafford.

 

…by getting Pogba, Manchester United have boosted the status of the Premier League. United, as the biggest club, are the standard bearers for the Premier League and if they are to remain competitive - and the competition is to stay marketable abroad - Woodward believes stellar signings are every bit as important as winning titles. The fans love the emergence of young players like Marcus Rashford, but also wish to see the greats of the game wearing red. So, it is easy to be cynical, to view the Premier League as a money monster, and the recruitment of Pogba as its worst excess. But it isn’t; in its own way, the signing alone is success. Costly, but it’s their money. And, by the way, Olympic medals hardly come cheap.”

 

So, there you have it - apparently we cynics must all give thanks to Ed and his benevolent pals at Old Trafford for getting English football back in the game - one in which we were supposedly out of before well nigh £100m was spent on the prodigal Paul. Time to rejoice, then, what with the status of the Premier League being boosted by Man-Unificence in the process and the club’s thirst for an immediate return to Europe’s super elite satiated by a single draft of Pogback real(no deal) ale. Personally, I hadn’t realised it was that easy - no matches played, no top four position secured, no season started, just lob out a hundred mill and Bob’s your uncle, back to where you belong as the standard bearer for the Premier League. Just in the nick of time too, keeping as it does our competition marketable abroad instead of having it under crash and burn threat pre-Pogba-buyback

 

Manchester United have indeed bestrode this ‘different world’ like the mighty colossus Martin believes the club to be, but surely that doesn’t justify obscene financial excess and most certainly shouldn’t be regarded as ‘success’ in its own right, excused away because it’s their money and they can afford to be grossly extravagant  Nor will it be enough to extol the virtue of seeing the great Zlatan wearing red if it means the non-emergence of a bench-warming Marcus Rashford while he swansongs around the park in partnership with Rooney. And, by the way, Olympic medals may not come cheap, but at least they are earned in battle and valued, not grossly overpriced  and pre-hyped out of all proportion. It doesn’t matter for now whether Pogba is worthy of his fee? Yes it does, and if you think otherwise you have about as much sense of proportion as the reckless, feckless powerbrokers at Old Trafford.

.

Good signing for Everton, Ashley Williams is a good defender. He's strong, leader, doing very well defensively. Great replacement for Stones.

leicester interested in paredes and gabigol. leicester showing more ambition in this window than the majority of potential top four teams not named utd or city. 

Good signing for Everton, Ashley Williams is a good defender. He's strong, leader, doing very well defensively. Great replacement for Stones.

 

I'm not so sure to be honest, i think they needed someone a bit younger. Ashley Williams didn't exactly have a great season for Swansea last season, he was caught out a fair bit from what i could see. Everton's defense is getting on a bit now, Baines will be turning 32 in December, Jagielka will be 34 next week, Williams will be 32 in 2 weeks, and Coleman will be 28 in October. So 3 of their back 4 are all reaching their last few years at the top and all 3 of them have been showing their age in the last season too.

Edited August 10, 20169 yr by Scott Harris

I'm not so sure to be honest, i think they needed someone a bit younger. Ashley Williams didn't exactly have a great season for Swansea last season, he was caught out a fair bit from what i could see. Everton's defense is getting on a bit now, Baines will be turning 32 in December, Jagielka will be 34 next week, Williams will be 32 in 2 weeks, and Coleman will be 28 in October. So 3 of their back 4 are all reaching their last few years at the top and all 3 of them have been showing their age in the last season too.

 

Missed the fact that he's 31 years old, it changes my mind a bit.

Jores Okore has just scored a BEAUTIFUL owngoal for Villa

 

https://twitter.com/SkySportsEFL/status/763468916622372865

 

Sorry Robbie. 

I think they forgot to open the turnstiles tonight at Loftus Road

 

 

!

looks like majority of the players decided not to bother too 

ChelseaFansChannel ?@ChelseaFansYT  2m2 minutes ago

Good pal is a #QPR fan, went to Lisbon for his stag a few months back...he took more to Lisbon than they have at home tonight. True story.

 

 

Charlie ?@Conteversial  6m6 minutes ago

Charlie Retweeted ChelseaFansChannel

That means Chelsea had more fans at a training session today than QPR did for an actual match. Laughing stock.

Edited August 10, 20169 yr by Beerqueen

I never thought i'd defend United but am i the only one who isn't angry with them for breaking the world transfer fee? Having listened to some of the stuff the ex Liverpool players, Klopp and Wenger have said makes me think, Why do you care? It's their money, If they are spending recklessly they will pay. If my next door neighbor wants to buy Bentley's and wear £2000 Hugo Boss suits, Who am i to tell him it's wrong or immoral? I remember defending Chelsea on this issue in the early Abramovich days and obviously having to listen to it when we started spending. This is one of those issues where football managers and clubs prove how hypocritical they are, So it's not okay to spend £100 million on a world class talent who may win you the treble but it is okay to rake in £250 m and keep that in the clubs pockets whilst making the fans suffer, Makes sense. 

Exactly it, why is gouging the fans while being thrift in investment morally superior than a wealthy owner investing heavily for a top end product to supply their fans with for less £££ at the gate?

One former MUFC player went on about how this transfer shows MUFC has changed how they do things......this is the club that was spending £30million on a CB before Roman had even heard of CFC.

Yea totally agree. I think it's more outrageous spending large amounts on average players than top class ones. That's more shocking.

Had a look at the new Norwich and Sunderland kits.

 

Never thought I'd ever see the day, there would be any rivals for that all brown Coventry City admiral away kit circa 1978/79 !

Yea totally agree. I think it's more outrageous spending large amounts on average players than top class ones. That's more shocking.

 

Not sure if this is a dig at Manu for the Pogba transfer or not...

People who keep going on about the Pogba fee are just bitter and jealous. As a percentage of how much money Man Utd are making, it's not even that crazy. As someone mentioned they had spent 30mill on Rio -- and that was actually a higher price as a proportion of their revenue. Besides, they will recoup a lot of money from the transfer, just because Pogba is pretty marketable and has that star quality about him.

 

I am pretty envious of their position right now to be honest, and would feel very hopeful as a Man Utd supported. And unfortunately feel pretty cynical in regards to Chelsea. Hoping I am totally wrong of course though! 

Not sure if this is a dig at Manu for the Pogba transfer or not...

No I'm being serious. Troy Deeny was valued at £20m. Troy Deeny?! You pay top dollar for world class players but not average players.

on pogba;

 

amazing signing, he'll be great for them eventually, but it is amazing that £100m buys you a player who for now isn't one of the top three midfield players in the world and in john stones' case £50m has bought a player who is still almost entirely potential.

 

I think in the long term both pogba and stones will be successes, but I do think that if this is the market we now live with more than ever we should be thankful for our amazing youth system and it really is time we start seeing some real integration.  a new player every season or so. that was the club's target, so this year hopefully aina (and loftus cheek or chalobah), next season surely christensen.

 

I don't think we can compete with those sort of fees and I don't want us to take a retrograde step of leaning on abramovich to make these types of moves either. if we think about the long term of the club- and I mean in the next three decades- what we need to do is remain self sufficient rather than dependent because it guarantees that we will continue to exist. 

 

for me our ability to compete at the top will be dependent (amongst other things) on keeping the edge in youth development. I've read posts bemoaning us not going for these guys and saying we should sign bertrand for £30m rather than rely on the likes of aina. I think it is crucial we do the opposite.

Interesting points g and I agree with the sentiments and vision you put forward.

Unfortunately, I really don't see any evidence of them being shared by our owner and his hired board executives. Personally I don't believe we are any nearer to seeing a planned integration of any of our youth products into the first team other than the token run-outs against C grade FA Cup opponents or the last few minutes of an EPL game we are either winning 5 - 0 or losing 3 - 0. Much the same as it has been since Roman took charge. Can we bemoan this? You could argue no, after all he has bank-rolled the most successful period of our history.

But, and excuse the pun, the goalposts have moved. Roman's billions are now out trumped by the Arabs, Chinese, Americans gazillions. He, sorry we, cannot compete with them when push comes to shove on monetary terms. This view backs up your point about working towards a more self-sufficient, sustainable future. However, I don't think Roman, or his board, (let's be honest they only do what he tells them), have the balls to take the risk and make that leap. Yep, they pay it lip service, yep, they bring the talented youth over. But insist on a planned integration system? Not a chance.

I really hope this season under Conte's stewardship, that changes. But I don't for a moment think it will.

BBC Sport running a headline:

"Why £89m on Pogba is a bargain"

It's like some kind of a sick joke.

it's Liverpools year !

http://anfieldindex.com/23788/liverpool-dark-horses-title.html