The run up for Man Utd's penalty was one of the most pansy, sissy PKs I've ever seen .

So we play City in the community shield in august

I don't know why but I want City to win the treble. I won't mind at all if it all gets taken away if they are found to have broken the rules.

Inter isn't a bad side, finished 2nd in Serie A. I'm curious to see how well they prepare for City.

Ugarte close to signing for Chelsea for £55m. Central midfielder who had a great game v us in Europa for sporting.
Chelsea already have Nkunku signed for next year for £60m

So if Rice doesn’t go to us where would he likely go.

Bayern seems interested but he doesn’t want to move abroad

Chelsea have enzo + are supposed to be signing Ugarte and aren’t in the champions league like he wants,

United are signing mount plus have Fernandes and Casemiro and Fred already and they badly need a striker and new keeper and that won’t be cheap.

City have Rodri, Phillips and are signing Kovacic (mark my words thats a shrewd signing)

I suppose you could see a huge money club like city signing him to spite us and maybe selling Phillips or something but you have to say we must have a good chance and the transfer business being mooted by other clubs in the media seem to suggest their priorities lie elsewhere

Kroenke's NFL team The LA Rams won the Super Bowl in 2022. His Denver Nuggets are up 1-0 games in a best of 7. They're the favorites. Kroenke's on a roll. Hoping things work in 3s and we are champions next season.

My one big buy I want is Rice. I don't see him personally wanting to go anywhere but to us. He's pretty much a 'local' kid (Greater London). His family can come see him play, he'll get CL football. Don't see much else in it unless West Ham play games with the price.

Since we are in the Charity Shield, I'd like to see us make a better account of ourselves this time around. It will be nice for the lads to lift something.

We’ve won the last 4 we’ve been in , 2014,2015, 2017 and 2020 so I don’t know what sort of “better account” you’re expecting ?

Oh I guess you mean City

I don't know how we'll do it but if we get both Rice (my top choice for a buy in the summer) and Caecido, I have to think we'll challenge again.

My guess is Liverpool will be back to winning ways. Depending on who they buy (and sell) Poch will need a season or two to get Chelsea to challenging top 4 at least. Newcastle will only get stronger and stronger. So far in the league 'sugar daddies' who have a win at any price mindset have always won the title roughly half a dozen years give or take after buying (Chelsea, City). I won't include Leicester City in '16 but some might.

Newcastle will win the title eventually. And like Chelsea and City will likely be in the CL final in a decade or so. PSG was the same. If Man Utd gets middle east owners its game over. Back to them winning the title every 2 or 3 years even with mega money elsewhere. They will pull the best of the best because of their pedigree.

So City will likely join the very best of the best who have won the treble. A few teams doing it more than once.

https://www.goal.com/en-ae/news/which-f ... d5za94o5sq

Saw this going round on twitter for fans to name these for their team.

Player of the Season:
Young Player of the Season:
Most Improved Player of the Season:
Signing of the Season:
Surprise of the Season:
Game of the Season:
MVP:

Player of the Season: Gabriel not that Gabriel. No not that one either. Big Gabby. Rock.
Young Player of the Season: Saka
Most Improved Player of the Season: Xhaka
Signing of the Season: Saliba (not signed this season but never played so ‘LANS’ and utterly transformative.
Surprise of the Season: That we nearly *%^@*** won it?? Or what a bad fit Vieira looks after a £30M gamble on him.
Game of the Season: Newcastle away. *%^@ them *%^@.
MVP:Saka

If by some miracle we sign both Rice and Caecido and keep Partey what's our best midfield?

Good news!! I've managed to get in the queue.

Not so good news - I'm number 47.

Edit:

Sod it. Given up.

Hi AG,

I see Caicedo going to Chelsea and Rice to whoever is prepared to pay stupid money and that won't be us.

Just when you thought the money in football couldn't get any more obscene the Saudis are getting serious.

400m euros to Benzema for 2 seasons. No wonder he couldn't turn it down and opted to leave Madrid.

Just a matter of time before players in their prime start getting these kinds of offers to which they can't say no. Why would Saka, for example, stay in the PL on £10m a year if he was offered £200m a year in Saudi? He'd be a billionaire in 5 years.

People say well what about his international ambitions, well I'm sorry but when somebody offers you £200m a year your international ambitions go out of the window.

Caicedo has agreed terms with us and we are by all accounts in pole position. Rice likewise is coming according to every media outlet. I know we've heard that before but fingers crossed.

Moving there won’t be for everyone trust me regardless of how much money is on offer. Really it’s going to be reserved for people of a certain mentality at the end of their careers.

The only reason why ronaldo went there was because it was the only place he could get his daft wages.

Most - if not all - players' contracts expire on 30th June. No idea why but plenty of time left for us to nause it all up. I think I'll hide behind the sofa.

There's many a slip 'twixt cup and lip!

A big thing that has changed this window for us is obviously we’re in the champions league but also that we and Arteta have shown an ability to challenge at the top and a record of improving players in a clearly defined attacking style of play where every player knows their job. We’re as attractive as we’ve been for a long long time.
Chelsea don’t have CL, Liverpool don’t have CL but do have Klopp.

This needs to be the summer where we get a big first choice target over the line

Rumoured Arsenal target Ivan Fresneda’s team we’re relegated meaning he now has a release clause of €20m

Hey Soc,

I keep reading 'done deal' but I think we are similar in that until Arsenal.com announces it and see either holding up our shirt, its still speculation.

I have to think Rice is the more certain of the two but we've all seen 'certain' deals get derailed.

First I'm hearing of him. Going to have to see his skills video on Youtube and probably have to do it with the sound off because of how awful the music to these things can be.

If you're getting your information from Facebook, before you get excited, check the article date, lots of old posts are put up over and over every time they are liked presumably.

Taken from Twitter:

"Spurs sign Ange Postecoglou as manager.

For those asking WHO??

Spurs are officially known as Tottenham Hotspur, and are the 3rd biggest club in London (4th if you include Manchester City)"

I've not seen him other than a few highlights - but supposedly one of those who can play the in fashion inverted full back role

Hmm

I hadn't realized that West Ham have European football. It's the lowest rung, the Conference league where you spend half the time playing some Slovakian or Austrian side but its Europe nonetheless. I'm thinking of Rice. CL is a much bigger draw and I would think he wants to be able to visit Milan, Paris or Amsterdam instead of Bratislava but one never knows.

Amazing to see how much deadwood Man U have in their bloated squad. Players like Maguire, McTominey, Martial have at least been in and around the squad but there are players I’d forgotten about completely like Telles, Henderson, Van der Beek, Bailly. Given the wages all of those players are on it will be interesting to see how much they can generate in sales. We had to pay off players on high wages to get rid of them.

Even players who start most weeks most would say are not producing or not at the standard Man U need, De Gea, Fred, Sancho.
I find it amazing that they got 74 points last year, I felt they were incredibly lucky to pick up points in a lot of games, their goal difference shows the proof of this. They squeezed through a lot of tight games but rarely dominated games.

Martial is a player I thought that had the potential for greatness. Mourinho killed that in my humble opinion. I'd have offered Man Utd's a kings ransom when 7 years ago for him, but at 27, its a bit too late.

Mourinho has a knack for getting a players hidden greatness or killing it like he did Pogba. Not that Pogba didn't make it easy for him.

Mac Allister is ready to sign for Liverpool for £35m! I'm surprised they got such a free run at him for that fee. They did similar with Gakpo when everyone thought the fee would be much higher than it was. I think he'll do well for them.

Brighton fans won't be happy selling for that fee, there was a complicated release clause by all accounts, but it may make them harder to deal with for Caicedo.

On Caicedo, he signed a new deal in January. I think it is clear the new deal was signed with the 'promise' that he can be sold this summer. Since very publicaly stating he wanted to leave brighton in January he's been the model professional for them since so I wonder if part of that gentlemen's agreement is that he can have a bigger say in where he goes as long as a certain level of fee is bought in. ie: If he really wants us and we bid £75m but Chelsea bid £85m then he'd be allowed to join us. Speculative positivity of course

My renewal notices weren't showing any credits for the matches I sold via the Ticket Exchange so I have been trying to speak with a human for some days now. The shortest queue had me at #45 so I gave up.

I came to the conclusion it was easier to renew at the prices quoted and take it up with the Club some time in the future. However, when I got to 'the basket' page, the Ticket Exchange funds were automatically credited. There were also credits for 3 unused Cup matches - there were no FA Cup games last year. Why couldn't all that have been made clear in the emails? The whole web-based renewal process is clunky and far from intuitive.

TG - I think you're correct. Entry to the ground next year will be by the digital pass on your phone.

What could possibly go wrong?

See the Bellingham deal is as good as done, gives an indication of what Rice should be available for, 4 years younger than Rice and potential to be the best on the planet in his position. £100m including add one tops for Rice.

See Mr Kane in no rush to leave as he enjoys a sunny day on the links.

Bellingham to Real Madrid 103m euros - (£88m) - but up to 30% more in bonuses

Messi is joining Inter Miami

Kante is going to Saudi Arabia along with Benzema

Strange times in football

Yep I was pretty sure. Isn’t helpful if like me you often forget to charge your mobile

I’m fully expecting there to be a problem. For some reason my Digital pass moved itself to “expired” so I moved it back after following the instructions on our website but it feels weird. I think I’ll get to the first game earlier than usual and maybe miss that 3rd pint in the coronet next time before kick off.

Will this apply to away fans too. Imagine the fun the scousers will have with this when they are in town

Far from it.

Pelé played in the US at a similar age to messi. So did George best. Even Freddie did it.

Don Revie managed in the UAE

The Saudi thing is new but it was only a matter of time until somebody took their crazy money and ronaldo triggered it really.

If like soc suggested players in their prime start moving to these places that would be a shock but I can’t see millionaire football kids in their 20s wanting to move to Saudi in their prime.

Have to say 88m quid for Bellingham seems a relative bargain for Madrid if Rice will cost 100m and grealish costs 100 too*


*in the utterly ludicrous financial world of football

Haaland moved to City last year for 60m euros - about £50m. I thought at the time that was way too cheap for the most exciting attacking talent in a generation. Anyone else think that whole deal was a bit whiffy? For context, Kai Havertz cost £71m the year before.

Given City's propensity for shady deals, there's a strong suspicion they owned Haaland from the start and that he was just 'parked' at Borussia Dortmund for a year. At £50m you'd expect a bidding war but there was nothing.