Morning TG

No - my STs in the wallet don't show as 'expired'. They just say 1 Aug 2023. One point - looks like we can now enter via any turnstile.

I still don't believe they can make entry into the stadium conditional upon owning a smart phone. Plenty of people just don't have access to that technology. I need to speak to a human about my renewals so I'll ask - haven't managed to get in the queue yet.

So that Celtic manager has all the hallmarks of a Nuno type sacking after the first run of bad form next season followed by Levy changing strategy and appointing a “name” on a huge contract they will pay off at a later date

ITS GOING TO BE GREAT

So I hear fat Sam is out at Leeds. Good riddance.

Link to Xavi Simons today, he's at PSV having left from PSG through lack of opportunities. H's an attacking mid mainly from the left but has also played centrally and from the right. 19 goals and 9 assists in the dutch league this season, only 20 years old.

Interestingly his agent is Darren Dein

Would be a turn up. 21.4m is a decent fee for xhaka


https://www.sportbible.com/football/ars ... 7-20230602

£500k for 4 games - not a bad few weeks work

Its the never ending cycle of spurs. It used to go foreign manager then salt of the earth english manager - repeat. Now as you say it is the manager who isn't a name who needs time, get impatient, hire a star manager proven winner - he pi$$ed everyone off, or gets pi$$ed off and repeat

Nelson looks set to sign a contract extension. Arsenal pushed hard to keep him, £60k a week until 2027

Likelihood of City winning the treble?

Likely ______

50/50_______

Unlikely_____

I think its pretty much done. The FA Cup final will show a lot of passion by Man Utd, they will put in their best performance I think because of the circumstances and occasion, cup final, derby and a chance to stop them from equaling their treble.

Inter will be a tough game as well because of these Italian sides play cup finals cagey, overly defensive. My guess is they will go for a draw and try and win it on penalties if they can't nick a goal and hold on for dear life.

Lots of outlets saying we’ve made a £17.2m bid for Sacha Boey the right back from Galatasary. If true it looks like the plan is to move White back to CB. Maybe we see Tomiyasu more at left-back next season as well

Being that the Boey bid of £14.7M was rejected by Galatasaray, which was posted earlier here, it will be interesting if this new higher bid gets accepted. Reports are Galatasaray want closer to £21M or £25M.

White is a far better CB than Holding and a great 3rd CB if either starter is out as well as giving us time for Kiwior to develop and he looks very promising. Much better than I anticipated.

They should consider Lampard

I like this. He has a very strong potential. Arteta just needs to trust him more and start him in more games.

Not sure. Might have been best to let him go. He blows so hot and cold. Sometimes he will have a great cameo like againest forest and follow up with a bad game in the next that has you shaking your head.

Until he is a bit gutsier in certain areas I can’t really see him starting many games. If the club have decided to offer him a 4 year deal at 60-80k a week then wow that’s major money for a player like him when you have wilf zaha available on a free and a host of wingers available. It might be a indicator that our transfer priorities lie in other positions

We're pretty much the only club (possibly, haven't gone through his record) Emery hasn't achieved any success.

I wonder if its just wasn't a fit or we didn't give him enough time?

This is a bit silly. A few not our starting players. Newcastle vs Arsenal combined XI. Ramsdale not in it is a crime.

https://youtube.com/shorts/1dn5DFTL4XE?feature=share

Blimey one nil City. I'd barely got into my armchair.

Linc/ Brom
If it stands are we in Charity Shield ?

Good question. I'm not sure but I have a feeling the cup runners up take on the champions if someone wins the double.

Harsh Utd haven’t had a kick and are now level

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!