Alexis Sanchez

[Danamy]

Didnt pep say in an interview the other day that we have 2 great number 9's in aguero and jesus

With neither of them wearing it, we still have the 9 & 11 shirts vacant ;-)

 

[blueparrot]

Exactly right. It doesn't matter a toss that they don't knock the ball around like Holland circa 74, just that they have an effective game plan to defeat what's in front of them......which the early indications are that they do

They do, but one thing mourinho doesn't like is changing personnel and systems, Defensively they have a deep squad but what they don't have are like replacements for Lukaku and Pogba, they will be played 'til they drop and when they are injured suspended who do they have to come in for them.

 

[BringBackSwales]

With neither of them wearing it, we still have the 9 & 11 shirts vacant ;-)

I am not itk but I have it on good authority that the 9 shirt is being kept for jonny evans, don't shoot the messenger

 

[Danamy]

I am not itk but I have it on good authority that the 9 shirt is being kept for jonny evans, don't shoot the messenger

You've gone and done it now haven't you, everyone's going to be rushing out buying it with it selling out tomorrow night

 

[BringBackSwales]

You've gone and done it now haven't you, everyone's going to be rushing out buying it with it selling out tomorrow night

9 is the appropriate number, it is how many we expect to sell

 

[Exeter Blue I am here]

The pressure will obviously be kranked up on this now. I think if we were 'open' to selling him then £70M could easily be a tipping point.

As for the Wengers talk about selling players, it's not as much to raise transfer funds like others have said, it's to get rid of 'deadwood' to try and free up room in the squad. We have 31 senior players, so we need to get rid of the likes of Debuchy, Chambers, Gibbs, Lucas etc who won't contribute anything this season.

As for yesterday, didn't watch the game as I was travelling to Krakow, but the main frustration from me, which stems from last week, and all other recent season openings, is that we are under prepared & never settled in defence for the first few weeks of the season. We look poor without Koscielny, and are playing people out of position. That early ground we lose each year can make a big difference.

You should have won yesterday. Dominated the game, had loads of chances, but fell foul of a gigantic parked bus. To make it worse you had a clear penalty turned down in the 1st half and a perfectly good goal chalked off for offside in the 2nd. Remind me of us!

 

[blueparrot]

You should have won yesterday. Dominated the game, had loads of chances, but fell foul of a gigantic parked bus. To make it worse you had a clear penalty turned down in the 1st half and a perfectly good goal chalked off for offside in the 2nd. Remind me of us!

It was offside, though so close the linesman must have guessed and got lucky, it was just about an inch of his heel.

 

[squirtyflower]

It was offside, though so close the linesman must have guessed and got lucky, it was just about an inch of his heel.

Wasn't it the same linesman who screwed us over with Spurs several times and did the line for 6 of their last seven games last season?

 

[wagonman]

What has any of this got to do with Sanchez?

Sort yourselves out...

JJ

 

[OB1]

I hope you're right. I've got my Blue panicky tshirt on, and I see them as contenders - I always expect them to do well. All those GPC years are still lurking behind my every thought where these lot are concerned. They're all giddy in work right now.....

They aren't going to concede many goals under Mourinho and that alone will give them a chance because I think they will improve on last year's goal scoring record; although I hope their free scoring opening to the season is a blip.

 

[OB1]

Are they, or are you assessing united against a set of idealised footballing attributes that are perhaps of lesser importance than the way the strengths they do have sit against the ability of the other teams in the Premier League to cope with them? I would argue that it doesn't matter that they don't have much of a build up plan and that they aren't the quickest to resume defensive shape. They're a gigantic physical team with blistering pace in the final third, and attacking players who thrive running against isolated defenders, and those are precisely the strengths they utilise. If they face a parked bus, they rain whipped crosses in to an assortment of giants until something breaks for them by accident or design, and then they rape you on the counterattack thereafter. When they face decent opposition capable of outplaying them - limited pretty much to City and Spurs - they park a massive bus of their own.
There's no great finesse to it, but it's hugely effective and they have a squad full of expensive players ideally suited to that MO.
As we saw last season, it's rare that they lose anyway, but I think the draws that blighted them against the lesser lights will not be an issue this time around. They may not be a great side in the traditional sense, but they will be hugely effective

That seems like a fair assessment.

I've watched them less than ever in recent times but did see the latter 30 mins of their first game and wasn't impressed but they went and got late goals without breaking sweat. WHU did look like rather pitiful opposition by that point so it was hard to judge much. They do have a squad in every way and a manager who plays the percentages well and knows how to win things; he also has a great record in his second season at clubs so I see them as real contenders for now.

 

[OB1]

Exactly right. It doesn't matter a toss that they don't knock the ball around like Holland circa 74, just that they have an effective game plan to defeat what's in front of them......which the early indications are that they do

And against teams that are in contention, Mou will take a draw.

Pep will try to go for the throat and does want to play like '74 Holland /Ajax. I was in thrall to Cryuff those guys at the time and that's one very big reason why I so want(ed) Pep at City but it is a much riskier route. We have to score many more goals this season than last and defend more effectively from the front; Sanchez would hopefully help us do that if we could get him. We really need that extra top class option upfront.

 

[kaz7]

Sanchez anyone?

 

[Gingers Dad]

Agreed on all counts.



In part. But you guys must know out of all teams how hard it is to sell players you want rid of when they are on good money. You still have the likes of Mangala, Nasri & Bony in your squad.

All the players that City want rid of were bought under different managers. My point is that Wenger has been at Arsenal for so long that he should have nobody in his first team squad that are regarded as deadwood. Irrelevant of paying for the stadium Arsenal have been a poorly run club for years. Certainly over the last 5 years when they have been relatively debt free with a huge income. Can't believe they have signed players like Elnenny, Mustafi, Gabriel and Xhaka and many more.

 

[richards30]

Any chance this gets done next week?

 

[J_MCFC21]

 

[The slaughtered lamb]

Can see it being done at £50-£55m, maybe £60m but no chance at £70m. Interesting comment about the Chile match getting in the way of a last minute deal, looks like it has to be next week. Probably start firming up our interest after the Everton game.

Where's the loud mouth tarquin gone?

 

[Robbiegunn]

Where's the loud mouth tarquin gone?

You rang?

 

[The slaughtered lamb]

You rang?

You know who you are. Surprised you wasn't in for a bit of banter after yesterday's game, I know you like a laugh.

 

[Robbiegunn]

You know who you are. Surprised you wasn't in for a bit of banter after yesterday's game, I know you like a laugh.

I didn't get back from Stoke till half eleven, knackered and throughly pissed off. Weren't in the mood for a laugh, just scoffed down a large doner and fucked off to bed to watch MOTD, only to be further wound up by realising we were denied a blatant pen.