hucks

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I genuinely cannot believe how badly these multi million pound businesses are run. Barcelona, Man U, Juve, Spurs. Is it because the fall in revenues from not winning anything is small compared to the (rent seeking tbh) gains through tv deals and sponsorships?
Surely there’s an incentive to get the tv money and the trophies tho? Why just settle for this level of mismanagement if you’re, say, The Glazers?
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
I bet both Sancho and Ronaldo are regretting moving there now.
With Ronaldo it's funny, there are all these opinion pieces appearing about how he is United's problem. Seems kinda harsh in that he went there fairly cheap, is training like a model professional and has scored loads of goals - and as far as I know he's kept his head down in that he hasn't done interviews moaning about the set-up or gone on twitter and called Pogba a cunt.

But that doesn't mean those pieces are totally wrong. The argument is, I suppose, that he is simply too big, like a black hole that distorts space around it, just by being there he's caused a strategic re-think... the idea being that United had a good plan of gradual improvement with Sancho as the next piece but Ronaldo's very presence destroyed that whole thing.

Sancho I guess is - if you accept this narrative - the other side of this story. Bought as the centrepiece of the new United and envisaged as being a major part of this strategy as it unfolded over the next few years but cast aside as the strategy was abandoned in favour of "give the ball to big Ron and we'll win everything until he retires - and after that, well we'll cross that bridge when we come to it". At the same time (possibly as a result of this) he had a dip in form so he's not even being used in a supporting role.

The next question would be whether OGS was behind the new strategy or the old one. If the new one was imposed on him from above then his sacking suddenly looks a bit unfair in some ways, though he clearly wasn't the person to make it work.
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
Man Utd v Villareal...

"Michael Carrick couldn’t really be expected to completely transform the team within a couple of days, which is just as well because from the looks of things he hasn’t."

And yet, they've just scored... that man again.
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
Two nil in the end and Utd are at least into the next round. I'm not sure that they will win the thing though... but I am pleased that DVB started and Sancho got the winner.
To me it seems a real shame - a waste even - to pursue and buy players such as those and not even give them a run in the team unless there is a very good reason. Obviously OGS didn't fancy Van der Beek at all... I wonder what that was. Whatever I'm glad to see em playing and scoring.

Now let's hope Benfica turn over Barca again.
 

jenks

thread death
Sancho in particular- they spent a load of money on him then fuck him around because Ronaldo. It’s not like the way City slowly introduced Foden into the big time, reducing expectation until he was ready. Pep knows how to handle young talent - including taking Grealish down a peg or two when needed. Poor VdBeek must wonder quite who he’s upset and how. Especially when he sees the shit that gets into the side ahead of him.
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
Sancho in particular- they spent a load of money on him then fuck him around because Ronaldo. It’s not like the way City slowly introduced Foden into the big time, reducing expectation until he was ready. Pep knows how to handle young talent - including taking Grealish down a peg or two when needed. Poor VdBeek must wonder quite who he’s upset and how. Especially when he sees the shit that gets into the side ahead of him.
It's hard to see it any other way isn't it? They pursued Sancho for a year, presumably as part of a team building plan, they break the bank to finally get him... but Ron becomes available so they scrap the entire strategy and bench the ne 90 million man. What? Really?
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
Meanwhile... Benfica had a corner which Barca didn't really defend, guy came in with a flying header and shoulda scored but Ter Stegen made a great save... bet he's pissed off though cos they didn't defend the resulting corner either and from that Benfica did score.
But then that was disallowed, fuck knows why
 
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IdleRich

IdleRich
How about this goal then? I would personally miuch prefer to see goals like this in the "goal of the season" type round-ups rather than long shots and volleys and so on. I have nothing against those but those just require one moment of good technique, of course with talented players there will be spectacular looking volleys scored simply by the number of times people try them over the course of a season. But a goal like this requires so much more than one instant of nailing it.



edit - I think you can see it at normal speed if you look for the highlights of the game on youtube, but I can't find it singled out except speeded up.
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
What other great passing goals are there? I remember one from Tottenham in Europe about twenty years ago but can't remember who it was against. More recently this springs to mind.

 

luka

Well-known member
working on the assumption that you can put the name of any club plus 'tika taka goal' into google and find something
 

jenks

thread death
What other great passing goals are there? I remember one from Tottenham in Europe about twenty years ago but can't remember who it was against. More recently this springs to mind.

as a friend pointed out - they had only been trying to score that goal for three seasons, eventually they would.
 
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