Financial Fair Play is, as we have all known for ages, a complete nonsense.

I have just read that Barcelona’s recently released annual report shows debts of £1.1 billion. Quite stunning really.

We've been ok against Man U recently. 5 games unbeaten in the league. I would agree that I always feel nervous against Man U mainly because it often feels like we get hard done by against Man U - and they haven't had a penalty for a while.

The biggest concern I have if the few knocks we have. Tierney, Partey, Smith-Rowe, Aubameyang all doubts for one reason or another.
Cédric has given us confidence he can stand in for Tierney, Pépé did a good job on the left in lace of Aubameyang and Martinelli could play there. Can Ødegaard come straight in if Smith-Rowe isn't fit? Partey would be the biggest miss because we have no one near his quality.

The good news is in the game at Old Trafford whatever Arteta did was spot on because we smothered them, dominated midfield and subsequently the game and didn't give Man U a sniff on the counter attack - their main weapon.

https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/crystal ... verein/873
Crystal Palace have 19 players out of contract this summer - and Roy Hodgson.

and we thought our contract management was bad. I can't see many in there who would move to a bigger club but Tyrick Mitchell, English left back, 21 years old could be a useful free transfer for a bigger team who might need a back up left back.......

That one seems like such a no-brainer. Apart from being young, proven in the PL and English, he's actually pretty good. Worst case scenario is he doesn't have what it takes and we sell him for 15-20m.

The one I never really understood was how Glasgow Rangers went almost a decade without paying any tax. If it was a small business it’s owners would have been pinned to the wall about something like that.

The working man the lifeblood of our country is held to a higher level of accountability. Our society is truly corrupt.

Still struggling to work out what’s going to happen here with our Benfica tie. It seems illogical for one leg to be at a neutral ground and one not, especially since there would still be travel between the two countries.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/news/ar ... d=msedgntp

Once again, the Man Utd game becomes massive for both clubs. This game is a pretty good barometer of where we are. If we lose to City or LFC at home it wouldn't be a shock. Both are more than capable of beating any of the other 18 sides away. Man utd has been a mixed bag.

Any of the 3 possible results have a fairly decent chance of happening. Both clubs will be up for it.

So. You’re saying that we could win or draw or lose then?

The practice of rounding Biden's tally down -- to any number less than Trump's --should also be frowned upon.

That part is clear and indisputable.

I'm less sure that he's right about the game being "a pretty good barometer" of where we are. Generally a good barometer (in the metaphorical sense) is something that is relatively stable, so one can measure other things against it. As he acknowledges, United don't qualify. They are a "mixed bag". They are about as good a 'barometer' of other clubs as an elastic band would be a suitable substance from which to fashion a tape measure. If we catch them on a good day (or when one or more of Pogba, Fernandes, Cavani, etc, produces some moments of magic) and they get the breaks, they could beat us and it would not be a good indicator of where we are.

Someone should also point out to him that Liverpool's halo has slipped a bit. Liverpool failing to win has lost its shock value.

lol...

I actually spit up a drink laughing....but as games go, we'd expect to lose at home to City or LFC, a win would be a shock. We'd expect to win at home to relegation zone clubs. Another result for either the top of the table or bottom of the table would be a surprise, but with Man Utd, any of the possible results...on the day in our both our present forms, its a tough call.

Test message ...

Perhaps the game will be postponed?

And then there is the referee factor too

The referee for Saturday's United game is Michael Oliver. Some may know this already, though.

My first real look at Moller. Big lad. Will be interesting to see how he turns out.

Exactly, and when you have a very good £25m left back and a right back who seems like he can cover as well you don't want to be blowing any budget you do have on a back up left back.

Save any money we do have for a pair of central midfielders.

One of the better refs in the league, I'm not uncomfortable with him reffing. Unlike refs like Moss, Mason, Atkinson and Dean

For me, Michael Oliver is the best referee currently in the Premier League.

MOTD showed that Sian Massey, or Sian Massey-Ellis as she is now, made an error yesterday. That’s a rarity in itself.

Surprised Oliver was chosen for the United match actually. Agree that he's usually less biased than other refs mentioned. Siam Massey does quite well on decisions majority of the time.

Cracking game at Shite Hart Lane. Kane off injured - nothing trivial hopefully.

Salah 3-1

Or maybe not.....bugger

Now that is 3-1.

Jose goes all out defence with a back 5 and Hojberg basically forming a back 6, plays 3 up and Ndombele getting over run in midfield, 6-1-3 formation. Stifles the game, late late goal in the first half and a Lane injury. He changed to a back 4 and they immediately crumble.

Jose was riding the crest of a wave but his management style and the way spurs were playing were never sustainable. If Kane is out for any period of time and results go pear shaped expect Jose to start flinging mud wherever he can. If Kane is out he’ll start to have to answer some tougher questions on Bale, paying half of his £650k a week wages and not good enough to start a game, it’s been a disaster of a transfer. Supporters have not focussed on style because they were getting results - but results based on having Kane and Son score 50% of chances they get - soon enough those spurs fans will get fed up and then Jose starts burning down his own house usually blaming lack of signings, poor quality players etc and before you know it he’s gone.

If they do win the League Cup final (I so hope City beat them), I think the Tottenham fans may give Mourinho some breathing space. They’re not used to winning trophies, and if he gives them one that’ll count for something.

Jose was trying to nick a goal on the counter or end up nil nil. Liverpool had to win the game. He knew that. Tottenham aren't set up for Jose's style. Also, if they lose Kane and Son that's it.

Great negotiating lads

https://www.marca.com/en/football/premi ... b459e.html

Bit bananas that he’s earning more here than he would have at Real, but if he plays as well as he has at his best for the time he’s here it should be worth it right?

I doubt very much that he will to be honest, and not because he’s not any good, just that as a January transfer who hasn’t played much this year, and who’s last 90 minutes was june 2020, the odds are stacked against him adapting to a new league and overcoming his injuries and lack of fitness in time to make any sort of meaningful impact before he’s back in Madrid. The more I think about it I’m not getting too excited about this one.

Dean is the worst for us

And in comes Wenger .... that would be hilarious. Speaking of which, has Wenger ever complimented Saka?

We are now only 3 points from Spurs, albeit with a game more. What a change from just a month or so back. May this relative trajectory of both clubs continue.

Man Utd's Lingard used to grate me the wrong way. I just found him annoying personally for whatever reason, but he is a good player. West Ham has gotten a fine player. I hadn't realized he was 28, he seemed much younger.
I wouldn't object to having him with us instead of Willian frankly.

Have I understood this situation correctly:
We won't play Balogun because he won't sign a contract. The reason he won't sign a contract is because Arteta has not played him. The argument goes that if we play him we could be just preparing him for another club. His costs are already paid for as he is on our books and is actually a home grown player. All this despite playing Eddie and others who have not cut the mustard. Balogun has been denied similar opportunities.

But we get a loan of a young player who has not been deemed good enough at a very ordinary Real Madrid. But we pay them a fee for the loan and then pay him a very large wage despite the fact all we are doing is preparing him for another club. Hold on wasn't that the problem with Balogun. He is not a home grown player, we have no option, they will ask a large fee if he succeeds and wants to move here full time and money is tight at the club. Plus he has hardly played for months.

Congratulations - great way of going forward as a club. Last question does he earn more than S-R, Saka or Martinelli?

I'm nervous about this game. Even when we were at our best I was worried about Man Utd.
We were at our best spring 2004 and Man utd were sputtering and we lost to them in the FA Cup. Yes, there was a fixture congestion where we played Chelsea twice, Man utd and Liverpool all in a little over a week's time but still it hurts.

I want to repay that 8 goal thrashing we have one day.

Perhaps. However, I do think the gamble is worth it. The alternative to rolling the dice on players like this is simply perpetually never getting quality players in the positions you need.

I would say you have understood the situation in the most negative way imaginable, as usual.

It might just be that Arteta doesn't thinkg Balogun is quite ready, and part of playing him would be to develop him - no point in doing that if they think he's likely to leave. And it might just be that he's trying to strengthen a side severly lacking in creativity by adding one of the most highly rated creative talents in football, and the only way we could get it one is to loan him in now and try to make the deal permanent in the summer.

I’m with you here on not understanding the Balogun / Nketiah situation. Every time that Nketiah appears I find myself wishing that it was Balogun.

Agree with that, and I think too much of the analysis of the signing is black and white where he's either a huge success and we try to sign him or he fails to make any sort of impact and goes back to Madrid in the summer. To me, a more likely scenario is that he doesn't revolutionize the way we play, but show enough flashes of talent to make signing him permanently an option to ponder in the summer.

It's clearly not meant as just a loan with no view to sign him permanently. If we only wanted someone to come in and help us for four months, they probably wouldn't pick a 22-year old who has never played in the league before. And like you say, I think it's a gamble worth taking, especially considering that there is very little risk involved for us.

Bit of talk this morning about AMN going on loan for 6 months. I'd probably rather see Nelson and Willock go on loan first because AMN can cover lots of positions in a crisis and I think he should be further up the pecking order than 3rd choice RB, 4th choice LB and 6th choice CM.

West Brom are keen and David Ornstein says a club in the top 4 want him on loan. I assume he was talking about the top 4 before last nights results and therefore meant West Ham as it would be strange for City, Man U, Leicester or Liverpool wanting him on loan and be even stranger if we considered giving him to them.

I'm not convinced West Brom would be the best loan for him, they look awful. I'd rather he went on loan to someone like Wolves who were interested in the summer. I think AMN will be sold this summer to fund other purchases