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Dodgy Dave
Can we all now put an end to the “best in the world” caption when referring to De Gea now. He is no longer even the best keeper in the PL.
I’m eagerly awaiting the Anfield match between LFC and United now because for the first time in donkey years, Liverpool are going to have the better goalkeeper. United have won this match in previous years purely due to their goalkeeper so now the tables have turned. St Dave has begun to make blunders and he won’t save them this time around. Alisson will win us the match this time.
Dominic, LFC ( for the record, Oblak is by far the best GK in the world)
Clattered by Clarets
So, I loved watching Burnley massively overachieve last season and do like Sean Dyche, as well as their hard Brexit approach to stockpiling good English goalkeepers.
Having said that, the comments made by Sean Dyche after the Liverpool match last night are rather disgusting, (I get people saying football’s not hard enough anymore, but a line’s got to be drawn somewhere) his joy at seeing his team go out there, flying into tackles for no reason, and ultimately getting beat 3-1. His anger at Klopp at the end end is rather unjustified (I agree that Klopp gets a bit animated with the 4th official) as all he’s trying to do is see some protection of his players from the ref who just let Burnley slide into rash tackles all night long. This is even worse now seeing Gomez (one of our standout performers all season, who is shining at CB, the position I’ve been saying he should play the last year) is out for up to 6 weeks, this is a major blow, as I really struggle seeing how we’re going to get through our busiest period of the season without our first choice centre back pairing.
So, despite my love for hard Brexit football, there’s gotta be a line drawn somewhere over just unnecessary, rash tackles as seen all game long.
SM (LFC, sorry for the rant, just needed to vent)
…I’m really not sure why Sean Dyche was kicking off on Klopp at the final whistle the other night. It should of been the other way round. I’m sure a few people had no time for Klopps comments after the game regarding Burnley’s tackling in the match but in hindsight I believe he was totally justified and spoke sense in the matter. He had spoke to the referees assistant about the excess force in the tackling prior to the Joe Gomez tackle which now sees him ruled for 6 weeks with a leg fracture.
He’s right in saying the era of those tackles is over. Top flight football has moved on and if you want agricultural football then the Premier League isn’t for you. Burnley’s approach maybe be more appropriate next season when hopefully they’re back in the Championship.
Lenny LFC.
…Sean Dyche said this of Ben Mee’s challenge on Joe Gomez last night:
“I think Ben Mee’s was a fantastic tackle, and I think Gomez realised that. That was the messages we got after. We send him our best if there is any injury but it’s not from a bad tackle. Of course football managers can question whatever they want but I don’t think they can reinvent the rules.”
Is a tackle that results in a player being injured for 6 weeks a “great tackle”? Is it “reinvent[ing] the rules” to take that very clear caveat about “endangering an opponent” – whether or not the ball is won – seriously?
In any case, I don’t blame Dyche. It’s not for him to go around telling his team to ease off, nor to quash the image of Turf Moor as a venue visiting players can expect to stagger and limp away from.
It is, however, as Klopp pointed out, the referee’s duty to realize that abiding a reckless-but-clean tackle now (however entertaining) means suffering a reckless-and-dangerous tackle later. It’s not all about punishing infractions – the ref has to set the tone of the game.
Errol Thomas, LFC
Heartbreak hotel
How has Jose Mourinho’s choice to live at a certain hotel in Salford Quays played out in his management at Man Utd? Has this more than anything else shaped his thinking? I’ve never stayed there so just speculating. But what does living out of a suitcase do for your day to day demeanour?
You are the customer and the customer is always right. You are surrounded by people whose job it is to attend to all your needs with a smile. ‘Certainly Sir’. Your human contact is servile and at times obsequious. Nothing is reciprocal. No human effort required. You just know that people do stuff for you because they are paid to. Not because they like you.
If this is how it is in your domestic life how do you adjust to your day job? In no way will Jose have to get the best out of the hotel staff. They just do what they do. If they don’t it’s not his problem it’s the hotel management (Ed Woodward). Bored of the a la carte menu just order in exotic food (exotic transfers). A problem with his pillow fluffing just ring reception. Failing that go on Tripadviser (leak to Duncan Castles).
If Paul Pogba’s haircuts attract so much critical enquiry why not Mourinho’s living out of a suitcase?
Maybe he is a lonely and weary middle-aged salesman stuck in a purgutorial hotel?
David LFC
The end is nigh
I’ve seen a couple of people recently predicting the date when Jose will be sacked, most people seem to agree that will not happen until top 4 and therefore CL qualification is no longer mathematically possible. One thing some people seem to forget is that with United progressing from the group stage the point in which qualification is no longer possible may be after top 4 is nop longer attainable, because while they have the (very slim) chance of winning the thing he won’t be shown the door.
Therefore my predicted date of Mourinho being sacked is the 3rd of March, the day after the round of 16 second leg. If the club have any brains they will get a director of football in (not heard much on that front recently) and start planning on who to bring in to succeed the sulky one, but we all know they won’t
Chris (MUFC)
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Jose’s trying to get fired
As a United fan I’ve spent much of the last year flip-flopping between giving the manager time to succeed, and hoping that the board fire him.
I’m a Brit working overseas in a sector in which success or failure is based on financial performance (sales). We bring expats into the country on working visas and hope they are going to succeed based on their experience in this sector at home. To try and make sure people stay in the job, we tie them to a bizarre contractual obligation: quit in your first 12 months and you are liable to repay your relocation costs. Get fired for non-performance and we waive that liability. I’m currently working with a colleague who is a non-performer and is basically trying to get fired so they can find another job and not have to pay back thousands in relocation costs.
This got me thinking about Mourinho….
I read elsewhere on this site the other day that big Ed has probably got José tied down to a clause that means he doesn’t get paid out (or maybe gets significantly less) when it’s mathematically impossible for us to qualify for the Champions League. The parallels with my company’s stupid contractual clauses are obvious: Jose is a non-performer but can’t quit because he’ll lose the payout that he gets if United fire him. But if he misses out on fourth spot then they fire him with either no payout or one that’s significantly less. What kind of person acts like he does… castigating players, saying stupid things in press conferences, making sweeping changes to the team, dropping players for no reason..?
Answer: someone who is trying to get fired ASAP to secure his millions. Meanwhile we’re stuck with him until we don’t qualify for Champs League. Bloody stupid Ed.
Apathetic Anon (somewhere). MUFC
…Rami, London, suggests that Man Utd should sack Mourinho based on the result against Fulham. Bollocks to that. He’s been a complete failure, he’s spent millions and all we have to show for it are runners’ up trophies, hundreds of millions in transfer fees and the mangled bodies of half the squad thrown under the bus – but of course it’s Pogba who is the virus.
My one question to anyone who disagrees – who has Mourinho made better at Man Utd? Answers on the back of a stamp please.
Daniel (mic drop) Cambridge
It worked for Kane
It’s strange that the Premier League very quickly confirmed that Lacazette’s goal last night would be registered as a Rojo own goal. Especially when there are plenty of slow-mo videos showing that Lacazette clearly got the last touch off his shin. Perhaps Alex should just swear on someone’s life that he got the last touch, that seems to have worked before….
Rich
