...::[The Footy Desk]::... (Part 2)

[Eutyphro]

Seems like Laporte f*cked everything up lol

It's almost as if we are favorites against Tottenham now. An amazing opportunity for us.. If Frenkie de Jong and the rest are fit, then we could even dominate against Spurs in all fairness. Furthermore, no Son and no Kane in the first game.

Edited April 17, 2019 by Eutyphro

[Tchuck]

New record for time to score 5 goals in a match too. Absolutely fantastic! And VAR being properly used, this is how things should be. One of the great matches in the history of the UCL.

 

Will City get their revenge this weekend? Insane to have another match up so soon. 

 

Can seriously see Ajax going to the final now. Spurs will be a very tough opponent, but I can see it happening. I'd love to see a Liverpool vs Ajax final. Two teams with massive history in the UCL and who haven't won it in a long ass time, both playing some good football and leading their leagues... Tasty!

[TheSantader25]

I'm not gonna lie Liverpool are the favorites against us. They have been the better team throughout the season but I think it's always better for us when people don't consider us the favorites as always. It's very similar to 2015 that I thought Bayern were better than us. We should Bury Liverpool at the Camp Nou if we want a chance. Anfield in the second leg isn't a very good situation. Arguably one of the most difficult stadiums to play in. Definitely the hardest English stadium to play in. 

Edited April 18, 2019 by TheSantader25

[Jason]

2 minutes ago, TheSantader25 said:

Definitely the hardest English stadium to play in. 

 

There isn't a great home atmosphere in the PL top 6, don't let the Anfield pre-match singalong fool you.

 

Lower leagues is where it's at in England.

[TheSantader25]

29 minutes ago, Jason said:

 

There isn't a great home atmosphere in the PL top 6, don't let the Anfield pre-match singalong fool you.

 

Lower leagues is where it's at in England.

I was surprised with Old Trafford's atmosphere in the UCL match against us as well. I expected much more. People say Camp Nou is quiet in most games but it's absolutely amazing in big matches. I loved how the fans celebrated the Ajax goal as if it was a Barca goal in the last match. 

[Jason]

OT, like any other top 6 side, can whip up a good atmosphere in Europe but it depends on the match basically. Sometimes the crowd is just up for it, but the team performance matters as well. United fans haven't had much to get excited about at home in Europe this season so it's been pretty dead.

 

The away support is pretty much fantastic across the board in the PL though. Safe standing may or may not improve atmospheres when they inevitably allow that too. But yea, the top 6 in the PL are tourist attractions these days sadly. 

[Guest]

And, with 5 matchdays still to be played, Serie A is officially over! Celebrations of course influenced by the result we achieved last tuesday against Ajax, it seemed like we won a "useless" competition like the National Super Cup. It's very clear how the majority of Juve fans now want Allegri's head, but today he again confirmed that he'll be on the bench the next season. I'm really curious to see what the summer will offer to us, I'm expecting a little revolution... Oh, and thank you Arsenal for Ramsey, in this moment he's the kind of player we're looking for, having him for free is basically a steal!

BTW there's still a bit of competition left in Serie A... 6 teams are battling for a UCL/UEL spot and some of the next fixtures are looking very interesting:
3rd) Inter 61 (vs Juventus and Napoli)

4th) Milan 56 (vs Torino)

5th) Roma 55 (vs Juventus)

6th) Torino 53 (vs Milan, Juventus and Lazio)

7th) Atalanta 53 (they have to play against Napoli on monday) + (vs Lazio and Juventus)

8th) Lazio 52 (vs Atalanta and Torino)

It might sound weird, but of all these teams I hope to see Torino going in the UCL. They'd probably be humiliated in the UCL, but they don't reach the biggest European competition since the '70! Plus I live not that far away from Turin so I'd like to have both Juve and Torino qualified. My reserve team is Atalanta, but if I have to be honest Inter and Roma/Milan would represent better Italian teams in Europe.

 

Sadly I can't be that happy looking at the Premier League... Wolves bottled again against a mid-low team, Watford won and our UEL chances are going away. We'd have to win at least 3 of the 4 remaining matches, but with Arsenal, Watford and Liverpool on our track I don't see how we can finish 7th. And even if we'll finish in 7th place, we still have to hope in a Man City victory in the FA Cup! I mean, it shouldn't be that difficult for them, but we're depending on someone's result.

Whatever happens, this will be remembered as a very positive season that, hopefully, will be helpful for the next year. Very few neo-promoted teams can say to have fought for a UEL spot and almost have reached the Cup final! Fosun's project is very ambitious, Idk if the "Top 6" will ever become the "Top 7", but there's still plenty of work to do... But I'm sure we're on the good way. A few years ago I had to search illle... cough cough, I mean very legal streaming services for watching League One/Championship fixtures, on TV here in Italy I was able to see just Liverpool-Wolves and Man City-Wolves (both FA Cup matches). Now I can watch most of the matches without any problem!

One step at a time and I'm sure we'll be in a European competition soon or later. And when it'll happen, I hope to see Wolves facing a north-Italian team so I can go to the stadium 

[Laker23]

^ I hope Ramsey does well for you, he's such a good player but it seems like he's made of glass. Just when it looks like he's going on a run of good form he goes down with an injury. If he can stay fit he'll be a brilliant signing.

 

Wolves seem to really struggle against the bottom of the table clubs, I actually feel more confident they'll get a result when playing the big boys. You guys would comfortably be 7th if you could put those worse clubs away.

 

 

[TheSantader25]

Wow. I didn't think signing a permanent deal with Solskjaer was a good idea until the end of the season. I don't think he is going to be a good choice for long term and United are still going around circles once again. They could fix this by spending big but in the end I don't think they are moving forward. United actually don't even have the redeeming quality of playing decent either. It's the same boring football. 

 

At this rate City have the league in the bag. Unless they somehow bottle it, it's theirs. Damn Liverpool are unlucky af lol. 

Edited April 21, 2019 by TheSantader25

[Jason]

Ole isn't the problem. Moyes, LVG, Mourinho and now Ole. LVG and Mourinho are world class managers. They've all had the exact same problems.

 

It's the players.

 

At least half the squad needs selling. If we can get a good deal for Pogba then sell the f*cker. Rumours of €100m and Varane? I'd snap their hands off. Get players who want to be here, who want to put 100% into every match. New defence needed (other than Shaw), 1-2 midfielders, a striker, a right winger. Get players like Jones, Sanchez, Valencia, Young, Smalling, Bailly, Mata, Rojo, Darmian all out. We're paying the price for being sentimental and recruiting poorly. Just cause some players have been here for years and given us respectable, even good performances in the past doesn't mean they should be here now.

 

On paper I'd take our midfield over Liverpool's any day of the week. Matic, Herrera and Pogba over Hendo, Milner and Gini/Fabinho? On paper I'd take ours every day of the week. Then you watch them play and you realise why we're 6th and why Liverpool are battling for the title, cause their midfield works their socks off every single game and ours doesn't.

 

Sell the f*cking lot.

[Tchuck]

Naw, what United needs is to fire Ole, then appoint Ole as caretaker manager. Have a new honeymoon period. Then reappoint him as proper manager, fire him when things go sour, and reappoint him as caretaker. Rinse and repeat. A permanent honeymoon period. It CANNOT go tits up.

[Crokey]

Wait till Thursday though, don't want them to be to fired up before that.

[Jason]

I think I might speak for every United fan when I say at this point we'd be happy if Ole played the C team with Ashley Young in goal if it means City win the league over Liverpool.

[Tchuck]

City will beat United, Watford, and Brighton. They'll lose to Leicester.

[TheSantader25]

3 hours ago, Jason said:

I think I might speak for every United fan when I say at this point we'd be happy if Ole played the C team with Ashley Young in goal if it means City win the league over Liverpool.

Well you still have a chance for Top 4 though. If United actually want to sign some quality players they have to get to the Champions League. 

[Girish]

9 hours ago, Crokey said:

Wait till Thursday though, don't want them to be to fired up before that.

Utd.'s league record since March - W L W L W L. Be afraid, City, be afraid.

 

Sucks to be a Utd. fan now. A win means handing the title to Liverpool and a loss means an end (almost!) to their 4th place hopes.

[Laker23]

Knowing us we'll probably beat City after getting demolished by Everton.

 

I said a couple of pages ago Pogba won't be here in 2 years time regardless, so sell him while he's still relatively 'hot.' Actually painful he's the only regular starting midfielder we have who can make good forward passes.

 

Still think Liverpool will win the league, whether City f*ck up against us or somebody else.

[Guest]

8 hours ago, Laker23 said:

Still think Liverpool will win the league, whether City f*ck up against us or somebody else.

 

15 hours ago, Girish said:

Sucks to be a Utd. fan now. A win means handing the title to Liverpool and a loss means an end (almost!) to their 4th place hopes.

If we're still in the 7th place run, Liverpool won't have an easy last match. We knocked them out from FA Cup and they hadn't an easy time against us in the PL, I think we have some chances even if we'll play at Anfield.

If I were a United fan right now I wouldn't even care about Liverpool winning the title, the 4th place race is IMO far more important. And hopefully we might give you a little help with Arsenal!

[Eutyphro]

I think Wolves will have far more chance against Arsenal than Liverpool. Liverpool is one of the best teams in Europe along with City and Barca. The fact that you can beat their second team in the FA cup, with Origi, Sturridge, and an 18 year old starting, doesn't say much about your chances in a league match I think. Wolves is a good team though, definitely.

Edited April 22, 2019 by Eutyphro

[Jason]

Leeds have bottled it, for f*ck sake. Really want them to get promoted but it looks like they'll have to do it through the play-offs now. 

[Tchuck]

Bring Viduka out of retirement. It's the only way.

[Laker23]

17 hours ago, Wolver_321 said:

If I were a United fan right now I wouldn't even care about Liverpool winning the title, the 4th place race is IMO far more important. And hopefully we might give you a little help with Arsenal!

I'd much rather us thump City (I can dream) and Pool mess up elsewhere, but I just can't see it. Pool winning the title is the stuff of nightmares.

 

I hope you guys still have 7th to play for on the last day, because I don't trust a Rafa Benitez side to get a result against them, and the less said about Huddersfield the better.

[Guest]

16 minutes ago, Laker23 said:

I'd much rather us thump City (I can dream) and Pool mess up elsewhere, but I just can't see it. Pool winning the title is the stuff of nightmares.

 

I hope you guys still have 7th to play for on the last day, because I don't trust a Rafa Benitez side to get a result against them, and the less said about Huddersfield the better.

Ahahah, Huddersfield won just 3 times this year, 2 of them were against us! Those 2 losses sum up our season: lots of points thrown away with small clubs but very solid performance against top-tier teams. I mean, with those 6 points alone we would be at 54 and the 7th place would have been already secured.

Perfect scenario: Liverpool are winning the title, 1-0 the score, we need at least a draw for keeping 7th place; injury time, Wolves are assalting Liverpool's area, messy situation at just 3 meters from Alisson, 1-1, Wolves finish 7th and Man City win due to goal difference.

 

Plot twist: Watford win the FA Cup and then our 7th place means nothing 

[Eutyphro]

So with no Son, so Ali in attack, no Winks, no Sissoko, Moussa Dembele in China, no Lamela, how will the Tottham midfield look against Ajax? Dier, Wanyama, Eriksen? Dier is probably gonna be terrible to be honest. No game rythm. And they have no decent substitutes for midfield in this scenario.

Edited April 23, 2019 by Eutyphro

[TheSantader25]

Not much left until the end of the season. 

 

I wish Dortmund win the Bundesliga. 

I wish Liverpool win the PL. 

I wish for a Barca - Ajax Final

I wish for a Barca Treble. 

 

Let's see how many of these come true. 

Edited April 23, 2019 by TheSantader25

[Guest]

47 minutes ago, TheSantader25 said:

Not much left until the end of the season. 

 

I wish Dortmund win the Bundesliga. 

I wish Liverpool win the PL. 

I wish for a Barca - Ajax Final

I wish for a Barca Treble. 

 

Let's see how many of these come true. 

Mh, end of the season wishes? I like it:

 

I wish Dortmund win the Bundesliga

I wish Schalke 04 don't get relegated to 2.Bundesliga

I wish Ajax win the UCL

I wish Atalanta win Coppa Italia

I wish Torino or Atalanta finish 4th in Serie A

I wish Wolves finish 7th in Premier League (come on Southampton, keep that 0-1!)

I wish Man City win the FA Cup

or

I wish Watford win the FA Cup if we don't finish 7th in PL

 

Regarding the Premier League, I don't care that much about who wins between Man City or Liverpool but, seeing your "hate" for Liverpool and having some Man City fans here, I hope for you all that Citizens bring the trophy to Etihad.

[Jason]

Liverpool winning the league would be the football equivalent of a natural disaster for the country.

 

It just can't happen.

[Eutyphro]

It would actually be good for the league. It is bad for the degree of competition that such a big club hasn't won the league for so long.

[TheSantader25]

Lol it's insane how much Liverpool are hated in England. Liverpool have to win it. They've been really unlucky over the years not to and I pity them. They deserve it. It would also be nice to count how many drunk scousers you're gonna find the day they do. 

 

3 points left until the first trophy for us. Unless Atleti lose to Valencia and we're done. Alena is a good talent. I'm glad he is getting some playing time. 

Edited April 23, 2019 by TheSantader25

[Jason]

2 hours ago, Eutyphro said:

It is bad for the degree of competition that such a big club hasn't won the league for so long.

I don't agree with that all, club size / history has nothing to do with it, as long as competition for the title exists and it's not the same club winning every year.