Hopefully PSG winning CL will start a more exciting era of football and the regress of jdp strict positional football.

For years this has been the trend and if you don't do this many will think you are playing dinosaur football but I really can't stand player stick in their position, no support run, no dribbling, attack only when your "rest defense" is set. It is maybe effective but it is so boring.

This is not cb passing with each other that many here complain about. When your opp sit in low block, you have to move the defense around to create passing angle.

This is more about the freedom of movement and dribbling allowed within the team. Of course the more running and more dribbling you allow the more you put your team in less structured situation and you probably will concede more but I rather watch chaosball than a perfect positional football.

Edited June 1, 20251 yr by Bob stark

13 hours ago, Valerie said:

What's Thiago Silva saying on Twitter?

I think a lot of us are downplaying the talent of our young players. I know they can be frustrating but they have talent.

Let’s say PSG and Chelsea swap coaches next season, do you for one minute think PSG young players would look anywhere near as good as they do now under Maresca?

Fans would be saying the same thing about PSG players that they maybe not good enough because Maresca is a sh*te manager with his stupid ideological Pep lite football.

Luis Enrique would transform these young players into world beaters.

We simply have an outdated manager with outdated ideas.

19 minutes ago, El regreso said:

I think a lot of us are downplaying the talent of our young players. I know they can be frustrating but they have talent.

Let’s say PSG and Chelsea swap coaches next season, do you for one minute think PSG young players would look anywhere near as good as they do now under Maresca?

Fans would be saying the same thing about PSG players that they maybe not good enough because Maresca is a sh*te manager with his stupid ideological Pep lite football.

Luis Enrique would transform these young players into world beaters.

We simply have an outdated manager with outdated ideas.

There were genuine reports that Enrique didn’t rate any of our wingers and wanted a squad revamp when we were linked with him in 2023, and it was a big reason the SDs didn’t bring him in.

Maresca isn’t anywhere near Enrique in experience, but the notion our wingers are the same level as Campos’ scouted wingers isn’t true.

We’d play faster football but it would only go so far with how poor our wingers are in taking players on.

53 minutes ago, El regreso said:

I think a lot of us are downplaying the talent of our young players. I know they can be frustrating but they have talent.

🤣🤣🤣 Our best winger is Madueke and just last season, Madueke was barely a Chelsea level player

Edited June 1, 20251 yr by Bob stark

2 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

There were genuine reports that Enrique didn’t rate any of our wingers and wanted a squad revamp when we were linked with him in 2023, and it was a big reason the SDs didn’t bring him in.

Yeah, I read similar. Apparently Enrique delivered an impressive presentation with detailed PowerPoints but wanted this squad revamp so the SD’s took the easiest path.

10 hours ago, Sunspear_88 said:

Why are we trying to compare ourselves to PSG? They are far more ahead in their development, have more experience than we do, and more quality in various positions. Our players don't have the experience playing that level yet. Even PSG's younger players have experience of playing in the CL. This PSG team made the semi-finals of the CL last season. Also, Dembele, Hakimi, Marquinos, Ruiz, Kvaratskhelia, Donnarumma all have experience of winning trophies at the highest level. We need to close the gap on Liverpool, rather than focusing on a team like PSG. Even Liverpool showed they weren't on PSG's level, yet they won our league.

Because PSG are just the tip of the iceberg we'll be facing next season (and the ones following) in CL/CWC and we must strive to reach the best of the best to even keep up with those sides or else there's no point at all and we'll be happy just to compete. I have no problem with getting there and ultimately failing to win, but I'll be pissed as hell if our board/Maresca comes with the lame excuse of "we can't win because sides are far more ahead in their development" as they always will be at that point.

Like you said, the England champions weren't a match for them, so we try to close the gap on Liverpool and what happens when we face sides likes PSG/Barcelona or a probably improved Real Madrid? That is without taking into account the 3 sides that were above us this season + Newcastle, who are pretty much on par with us atm. Should we be aiming to be more like Pool/City/Arsenal who also didn't get much chance against PSG?

I'm all for trusting the process and having our "youngsters" improve, but the rest of the clubs won't stay put waiting for that and will add quality to their sides, just like Liverpool are doing adding Frimpong (24) and Wirtz (22), City with Reijnders (26) etc. To me that means we simultaneously have to close the gap and THEN go even further. This past season PSG added João Neves (19), Pacho (22), Kvara (23) and Doue (19) to their squad, all players who most likely walk into our squad easily. Next transfer window they'll probably keep everyone worthy of that treble side and add some more talented players. If like you said we're behind in quality and experience, then by all means go ahead and at least try to sign quality and experience, not Deivid Washington, KDH and bloody Kellyman. We can't simply fold our arms satisfied and keep hoping our players suddenly get better as they age, we need to add/replace quality around them as well in all areas of the field: GK, CB, CM, LW, ST = key reinforcements.

12 hours ago, Sunspear_88 said:

Why are we trying to compare ourselves to PSG? They are far more ahead in their development, have more experience than we do, and more quality in various positions. Our players don't have the experience playing that level yet. Even PSG's younger players have experience of playing in the CL. This PSG team made the semi-finals of the CL last season. Also, Dembele, Hakimi, Marquinos, Ruiz, Kvaratskhelia, Donnarumma all have experience of winning trophies at the highest level. We need to close the gap on Liverpool, rather than focusing on a team like PSG. Even Liverpool showed they weren't on PSG's level, yet they won our league.

Because our model gets directly compared to PSG's. Building a young team with an average age of around 24 years old, yet they are well ahead of us in terms of development and the gap keeps widening. The majority of the kids we bought are mid table level at best, the ones PSG bought are the best of their generation.

21 hours ago, Scott Harris said:

I do with a decent amount of them. Some are really good, a lot of them aren't.

Exactly what I mean though, it's not because they are young, it's because some are a bit sh*t

14 minutes ago, Scott Harris said:

The majority of the kids we bought are mid table level at best, the ones PSG bought are the best of their generation.

The real issue is that PSG's squad is a laundry-list of players we passed on

12 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Maresca isn’t anywhere near Enrique in experience, but the notion our wingers are the same level as Campos’ scouted wingers isn’t true.

We’d play faster football but it would only go so far with how poor our wingers are in taking players on.

Yeah, we 'scouted' them too.

• Dembele was a target, most obviously under Tuchel but under Pochettino too.

• We scouted Doue when he was still at Rennes

• We could have signed Barcola when he was at Lyon

As for take-ons, you're getting too hung up on a statistic without context. Our wingers are required to beat players from a standing start more often than not, and I'd wager more than any other side in top-flight football. It is a much harder task than being asked to take on players in transition, like we see with PSG.

The scouts aren't our problem. We'd be utterly f**ked without Joe Shields' team and influence. It's the decision-makers - Tweedledee Winstanley, Tweedledum Stewart and Maresca - that are responsible for almost everything that goes wrong after that point.

14 hours ago, Brigadeiro Mk II said:

Because PSG are just the tip of the iceberg we'll be facing next season (and the ones following) in CL/CWC and we must strive to reach the best of the best to even keep up with those sides or else there's no point at all and we'll be happy just to compete. I have no problem with getting there and ultimately failing to win, but I'll be pissed as hell if our board/Maresca comes with the lame excuse of "we can't win because sides are far more ahead in their development" as they always will be at that point.

Like you said, the England champions weren't a match for them, so we try to close the gap on Liverpool and what happens when we face sides likes PSG/Barcelona or a probably improved Real Madrid? That is without taking into account the 3 sides that were above us this season + Newcastle, who are pretty much on par with us atm. Should we be aiming to be more like Pool/City/Arsenal who also didn't get much chance against PSG?

I'm all for trusting the process and having our "youngsters" improve, but the rest of the clubs won't stay put waiting for that and will add quality to their sides, just like Liverpool are doing adding Frimpong (24) and Wirtz (22), City with Reijnders (26) etc. To me that means we simultaneously have to close the gap and THEN go even further. This past season PSG added João Neves (19), Pacho (22), Kvara (23) and Doue (19) to their squad, all players who most likely walk into our squad easily. Next transfer window they'll probably keep everyone worthy of that treble side and add some more talented players. If like you said we're behind in quality and experience, then by all means go ahead and at least try to sign quality and experience, not Deivid Washington, KDH and bloody Kellyman. We can't simply fold our arms satisfied and keep hoping our players suddenly get better as they age, we need to add/replace quality around them as well in all areas of the field: GK, CB, CM, LW, ST = key reinforcements.

We are way off competing for Champions League. We need to focus on winning the league, then we'll know we can compete. First we need to get wins against the likes of Arsenal, Newcastle (away) and City to prove we can truly compete toe to toe with the elite teams. I still think we are at least 2 years away from competing for a CL, if not more. We should be focusing on closing that gap with Liverpool and challenging. At the end of the day, if we don't get wins against the likes of City and Arsenal (who we have struggled to get positive results against in a recent times) in the league, then what chance is there against the big boys of Europe? Liverpool can attract better players because they've been challengers, and now winners, for two seasons now. Next year they go into the season as favourites for the league. We have not proven we can compete for the title yet, so until we even do that then we shouldn't be making comparisons with PSG.

14 hours ago, Sconnie Blue said:

Given their financial mess, quite how they can afford to buy him on top of £62m for Cunha is another matter.

EDIT. Especially now Bruno has turned down the oil money.

Edited June 3, 20251 yr by dermott

This made me chuckle

https://www.facebook.com/paddypower/videos/577166488339157/?rdid=AZS090UkE9VleMMT

Utd are finished.

Antony returning from loan on £200,000 a week, Sancho returning from loan on £300,000 a week & Bruno Fernandes now staying on £250,000 a week.

Would love to see their accountant come Tax Returns time

37 minutes ago, The Boehly Babes said:

Utd are finished.

Antony returning from loan on £200,000 a week, Sancho returning from loan on £300,000 a week & Bruno Fernandes now staying on £250,000 a week.

Would love to see their accountant come Tax Returns time

Add Rashford to that or is some club taking a punt and going to sign the moody f***er?!

.

23 minutes ago, Nibs said:

Add Rashford to that or is some club taking a punt and going to sign the moody f***er?!

.

Good Lord even if forgotten about him. That’s another £300,000 a week. A million in wages just there, No Champions League revenue, a dilapidated stadium, a manager so obviously out of his depth. Crikey.

5 hours ago, The Boehly Babes said:

Good Lord even if forgotten about him. That’s another £300,000 a week. A million in wages just there, No Champions League revenue, a dilapidated stadium, a manager so obviously out of his depth. Crikey.

Don't they own a hotel or something? Maybe sell it to themselves . ?😂😂😂

I'm delighted, especially with the billionaire Tax Exile tearing his hair out !

Zubamendi getting cold feet again

As much as I detest Ratcliffe, I think people are making way too much of United's financial situation. Just remember they are the world's third highest-grossing club despite being an absolute shambles.

Compare this to Spurs who have absolutely optimised everything but will barely move the needle on revenue. They have as much debt as 2022 Barcelona except with no assets and just over 3/4 the revenue.

Win one trophy and Man United's revenue will sky-rocket. Spurs would have to win the Champions League or the PL to even enter that stratosphere.

Ange sacked.

“Season 3 is always better than season 2.”

Not if they cancel the show big man.

it's what we've always known, winning trophies and managing Spurs are mutually exclusive positions.

Sad, was genuinely hoping he'd get them relegated next season 🙁