GWT: Premier League Round 2

[N o o d l e s]

Also, dare I say it, but this habit of Pep teams to rack up these massive wins vs bad opposition is one of the reasons I don't really respect the man. It's like one of those *****ebaggy college football coaches who just have to get that score to make it 70-3 against some overmatched minnow.

No.

After I watched the Prem come down to goal difference vs. United, I won’t care if City outscore oponents by 20 goals.

 

[Jussi]

United in a nutshell:

Woodward is a great guy to bring in revenue. He shouldn't be the director of football. That's madness.

Mourinho is a terrible fit for United and has fans, his players, pundits all tired of his act. He's not the right manager for this club - and he never was. He will drag them down to hell if United don't get rid of him. There's leaks coming from the club saying Mourinho was pissed that United is looking for a DS. That's a bad sign.

The Glazers have been sucking the club dry, but United makes so much money they should still be able to compete. Their yearly revenue is a disgusting amount compared to the club I support and FFP will never be an issue.

When a club is run badly off the field , it will always show on the field. Liverpool, Spurs and City take a dump on United's football operations. Chelsea somehow thrives in dysfunction , but have an elite manager and really good talent. The only reason Manchester United is ahead of Arsenal is because they have more money. If they spent the same amount as Arsenal , they would be just as bad. They are both poorly run clubs from a footballing perspective. Arsenal has made changes to be a more modern club, United has yet to follow.

Don't be surprised if United misses top 4. I had Chelsea taking their place in my predictions.

The end.

MEN article I linked didn't hint on anything like that.

Said papers take after Sunday's match: Manchester United shows Mourinho was right and Ed Woodward was wrong

While I agree that bringing in more older players is not a good long term strategy but if they could help the younger players already on the team to to get better and build their confidence up then the rewards may show up later (as it did with the class of 92). Alderweireld and Perisic/Willian for a couple of seasons, then target younger ones in future transfer windows? Who knows how it would have worked out...

 

[Il Mediano]

MEN article I linked didn't hint on anything like that.

You don't recall Mourinho's "head coach" comment? (https://www.firstpost.com/sports/pr...ter-uniteds-transfer-frustration-4944251.html)

Woodward has been rumoured to be vetoing Mourinho's targets for like a year now. You didn't find the timing for the announcement of their DS search a tad bit peculiar? It was almost directly after Mourinho's snide remark.

A couple days later: Man United's sporting director search will be a turning point

C'mon man. That's PR 101 by Woodward.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

If Arsenal want, we can cut them a deal. They obviously have too many strikers and we ripped them off in regards to selling them Sokratis for 20M. We'll take Aubameyang back for 20M.

That way, both sides can come out of the transactions even. Seems a fair deal for all.

 

[bluesfan94]

Because, just like Arsenal getting enough chances to beat Chelsea , supporters create excuses when they lose, or don't want to accept the reality of the situation.

Just the way she goes.

I mean, in terms of expected goals, judging from here, it's not that unreasonable for an Arsenal fan to say they should have won.

 

[Evilo]

I’m not saying he’s not great. I just have some questions until he puts in more than a few matches against mediocre defending, while also having to defend himself

But as I said, he did it in his Monaco year. Again elite teams. Heck, he tore City in the CL.

 

[Evilo]

I'm not sure exactly who you're referring to with some of this, but a few things:

1. You should actually link the discussion you're referring to.
2. If I recall correctly, Mendy had slipped a mind or two because he'd been out injured.
3. I don't see anything wrong with the names you said were mentioned. Robertson is somewhat unproven, but apart from that it's not a bad list at all.
4. I don't know why you keep referring to everyone as "experts". I don't see anyone referring to themselves as experts and I've said again this as I have in the past that none of my draft teams were perfect, but for me the vast majority were top sides in their respective drafts and have also stood the test of time. Anyway, with all due respect, and I respect your take on most things we discuss around here, no one else tends to post on this forum as though they're an "expert" more than you. And it's not as if you've ever blown everyone else away in a draft, so I'm not sure why you're calling us all "experts" just because we didn't draft Mendy ahead of every other LB.

Experts was a joke obviously.
Robertson as a top 5 LB over Mendy is criminal. Alaba can have awful seasons, apparently, he's immune to criticism. Alba himself has a few bad seasons (good to see him back to top form last year). Sandro has nothing on Mendy either. He has the same defensive issues at the very least, and isn't better than Mendy going forward.

 

[YNWA14]

Robertson is better than Mendy.

 

[Havre]

Are we talking football or darts?

Even with that 20% boost we seem to give Liverpool-players on here he really isn't.

Not to say things can't change. Hard to say when Robertson stops progressing.

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

It also bears mentioning that part of why Mendy dropped is that some were (at least, I was, and I'm sure others were) gambling on him continuing to drop and so hoping to snag him as a late steal.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Robertson is better than Mendy.

That's debatable. Robertson is better defensively. But offensively it's pretty clearly Mendy. Marcelo is probably the only full back I'd say is definitively better than Mendy offensively.

 

[YNWA14]

That's debatable. Robertson is better defensively. But offensively it's pretty clearly Mendy. Marcelo is probably the only full back I'd say is definitively better than Mendy offensively.

People overrate flash offensively always. Robertson is extremely effective offensively without being necessarily overly skilled on the ball. Most of his work is done with intelligent movement, work rate and positioning. Not that he doesn't have skill, and Mendy is clearly more skilled and better offensively, but overall I'll take Robertson every day of the week (especially under Klopp) and the gap offensively is not as big as the gap defensively is in the other direction.

Of course Robertson's qualities were obvious to me before he even won the starting spot at Liverpool and I was taking quite a bit of flak for saying how good he could be then so meh. To each their own.

 

[YNWA14]

It also bears mentioning that part of why Mendy dropped is that some were (at least, I was, and I'm sure others were) gambling on him continuing to drop and so hoping to snag him as a late steal.

Yep, I didn't say it in the draft but I had hoped he would keep dropping because he missed so much time and fullbacks are typically low priority.

 

[Evilo]

Robertson is better than Mendy.

There you go...

Love also how you think the gap isn't big offensively (it's IS huge), while it's bigger defensively (Mendy is very good defensively, but has mishaps).

 

[S E P H]

You must be new to United's finances under the Glazers. It's looking more like Pogba was a one time thing.

I think you're new to United's finances, they spent the same and more from some of the previous managers compared to City. The problem is that majority of your managers just plain sucked in which players they targeted.

Fred - 59 million (looks quite awful)
Lukaku - 84.7 million
Matic - 44.7 million
Lindelof - 35 million (not consistent enough)
Pogba - 105 million (looks disinterested)
Mkhitaryan - 42 million (traded for Sanchez)
Bailly - 38 million (not consistent enough)
Martial - 60 million (looks disinterested)
Schneiderlin - 35 million (sold at 22.9 million)
Depay - 34 million (sold at 16 million)
Darmian - 18 million (not consistent enough)
Di Maria - 75 million (sold at 63 million)
Shaw - 37.5 million (injury problems)
Herrera - 36 million
Rojo - 20 million (not consistent enough)
Blind - 17.5 million (sold at 16 million)

I am not a fan of all the players Arsenal have bought lately, but if they had this type of level for spending we would be a title contender.

Robertson is better than Mendy.

Lol, he has the potential to be better, but definitely not currently at any part of the pitch.

 

[Gecklund]

I think you're new to United's finances, they spent the same and more from some of the previous managers compared to City. The problem is that majority of your managers just plain sucked in which players they targeted.

Fred - 59 million (looks quite awful)
Lukaku - 84.7 million
Matic - 44.7 million
Lindelof - 35 million (not consistent enough)
Pogba - 105 million (looks disinterested)
Mkhitaryan - 42 million (traded for Sanchez)
Bailly - 38 million (not consistent enough)
Martial - 60 million (looks disinterested)
Schneiderlin - 35 million (sold at 22.9 million)
Depay - 34 million (sold at 16 million)
Darmian - 18 million (not consistent enough)
Di Maria - 75 million (sold at 63 million)
Shaw - 37.5 million (injury problems)
Herrera - 36 million
Rojo - 20 million (not consistent enough)
Blind - 17.5 million (sold at 16 million)

I am not a fan of all the players Arsenal have bought lately, but if they had this type of level for spending we would be a title contender.


Lol, he has the potential to be better, but definitely not currently at any part of the pitch.

Attacking players on United look bad because Mou attacking system is to go out there and do whatever you want without compromising defensive shape.

 

[S E P H]

Attacking players on United look bad because Mou attacking system is to go out there and do whatever you want without compromising defensive shape.

I don't disagree on that, but who are the attacking players on that list look underwhelmed? Pogba is still beasting it up, but has said some curious things about Mourinho and the squad to the public. Martial was fined like 180K due to his child's birth and was heavily rumoured in leaving United on a loan deal (he's definitely gone next window). Everyone else has either been sold at a loss or is not an attacking option.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

Those transfers if anything show the insane fees that get paid by Premier League teams these days. An average centre back goes for the same price that is typically paid for high impact forwards on the continent.

 

[S E P H]

Those transfers if anything show the insane fees that get paid by Premier League teams these days. An average centre back goes for the same price that is typically paid for high impact forwards on the continent.

Again, not saying you're wrong, but majority of those players could've been signed two to three years prior which probably would've costed at least three times as less than what United paid for. Still and by far the worst thing you can do as an EPL club is buy a player from another club in England. I suggest that a lot of English teams are stupid and buy players at the most ridiculous times, someone like Guendouzi would've probably turned into a 40 million Euro player two years from now if Arsenal wasn't as proactive in getting him.

 

[Live in the Now]

Fabinho not in the squad. He has been injured and sick recently, but I'm bummed. The team is the exact same as last week.

 

[Il Mediano]

I missed Liverpool last week , so I'm pretty curious to see Naby Keita. I'm not a huge follower of the Bundesliga , so I wanna see what the hype's about.

I'm expecting a Kante/Pogba/Gerrard hybrid , nothing too crazy. No pressure.

 

[YNWA14]

A Kante/Silva (David) hybrid more like.

Fabinho not in the squad. He has been injured and sick recently, but I'm bummed. The team is the exact same as last week.

I'm fine with him not playing for a while until he acclimatizes to the team. To be honest he didn't look that great in preseason, and Wijnaldum was fantastic at the 6 in the first game and also at the end of last season, as well as having a great preseason. Roll with the hot hand until needed, and it gives Fab time to work his way into the squad with Henderson available as rotation too.

 

[Chimaera]

Fabinho not in the squad. He has been injured and sick recently, but I'm bummed. The team is the exact same as last week.

I’m fine with it. Took a while to work in Robertson. He’s going to take a while to adapt and I’m fine with it. They have squad depth, so use it.

 

[Chimaera]

Part of the steep cost in those United transfers is that it’s United. Teams use leverage in knowing United will pay whatever. For the first time in a while, they seemed to try and push back against that this window.

You also have to consider that for what they paid, they really didn’t get the amount of world class players they would have expected. A lot of very good players, but beyond Pogba (who they misuse) how many world class players have they bought after SAF left? I would say Sanchez on his day is elite and Lukaku could be, but that’s not enough. They did develop a few talents in house, but their transfer record has been awful. They’re also going to struggle to move some of what they did buy without taking a big loss. Are they even blessed with enough top 10 players at each position to win? Jose usually has much more top end talent. Who from their lineup is one of the 7-10 best at their position? De Gea obviously. Pogba. Maybe Lukaku or Sanchez. But that’s just two.

 

[Halladay]

Going to be a tough match today.