Soccer 2014 - 2015

60m and Van Gal is saying he's going to play as a CM, I just don't get it. But hey it's a big name signing!

Do you have anything to back that up? I'd say no as even a cursory glance at RM's lineups in which he played last year showed 2 other CM's always sitting deeper than him.

4-0 loss to MK Dons, I'm sure there will be plenty of excuses but dear god.....

CL Final - Di Maria had Khedira/Modric behind
CL Semi Home - Had Alonso/Modric behind, Isco next to
CL Semi Away - Had Alonso/Modric behind
vs. Barca Home - Had Alonso/Modric behind

So again he played almost consistently as a #10 in any game that meant anything. If you go Herrera/DiMaria with Mata in the hole then RvP/Rooney, who the fuck is going to win the ball or tackle?

I think a lot of it has to do with the British press and their need to generate sales and website clicks. 2 games of the season has been played, nobody knows anything yet aside from a general idea of who's good and who's not. Chelsea playing Burnley, fucking Burnely!, in the first game and the Brit commentator was saying we may be looking at the new champions. Its the first fucking game for christs sake! After every week something that we didn't think before is now sound and things we thought we knew is now completely different. Southampton was fine after the Anfield game, now a bore draw and they could be in trouble. 'Arry may be fired if he doesn't stop the rot, Fat Sam is now fine with that amazing offensive performance, it goes on and on.

I think it's worse for individual players as well in that an initial first impression, whether good or bad, will then stick for years regardless of how good or shitty they really are. Wilshire had an amazing performance against Barcelona 3 years ago, yet he's still talked about as a potential England star when he's been shit for years now. For LFC, Johnson was a very offensive full back until about 2 years ago when he finally just lost his legs and now looks shit almost every game but he's an England international so he must be good. Sakho looked ungainly his first game vs. Fulhum and even now it's said he looks bad when his passing was amazing all year and he had very little fault for almost any goal LFC gave up. You could go on and on with the likes of Oscar or Mata or whoever. Too much is made of how a player initially looks in a new club, system, country before they're ever given time to figure it out or to see if the initial high is really the level a player can be consistently but the Brits just fucking lap it up like no tomorrow.

For ManU in particular, I've already gone on record that I think they've gone about their business completely wrong in the players they are targeting and the prices they cost. Maybe I'll be wrong but if I'm not then there isn't any coach in the world that is going to change anything. Fergie is gone, he's never coming back and ManU will never be what they were when he was the coach. They will challenge for the title at some point I would guess, eventually enough money will be spent I would assume but until then every overpriced signing will be hailed as the final piece to the jigsaw and now ManU will march to victory. It's not that simple, it's never been for any team whether it be Barca, Bayern, Madrid or any of the English teams in history. Even PSG now with the complete advantages of a non-competitive league and almost unlimited cash end up barely winning the title each year and being easily knocked out of the CL. What if Di Maria starts sulking as he realizes the shit he's in? What if Rooney finds another old Grandma with a stash of pies?

Anyway, I'm looking forward to what LFC has become and will become as the players grow and the team settles. It's a nice feeling

Maul_sl said:

Transfer spending in the last 5 years. #MUFC
Manchester United - ?320m
Liverpool - ?435m
Chelsea - ?534m
Manchester City - ?704m

This is why the squad is so poor, chronic underinvestment for a long period of time, masked by Fergies force of will. But Brando, to say its going to come crashing down within a year, considering we have almost double the income of the nearest premiership club, is not a reality. It can't be compared to Liverpool 20+ years ago because the situations are totally different, if need be United could spend hundreds of millions more and still be well within financial regulations. If they do this or not is yet to be seen, but I have faith in LVG whereas I never had any in Moyes. At least LVG stands up and takes blame and says we are shit, Moyes never did and was extremely weak in interviews.

How much has Liverpool won for the amount invested in the last 5 years btw?

Click to expand...

Lets look at what the Glazers had to disclose on for investors on the Addidas deal:

However, United have also disclosed to potential investors in the new share prospectus that failure to play in the Champions League for two or more consecutive seasons will see the annual Adidas payments drop from that second year - the 2017/18 season - by 30 per cent, from ?75m pounds to ?52.5m. Conversely, the fee could rise by up to ?4m each year if United win the Premier League, Champions League or FA Cup.

Are you going to then assume that no other sponsorship deal has similar clauses? So yeah, it is a reality in that your wage bill is skyrocketing as that's the only way you can get players right now and if you stay mediocre your income is going to go down.

I also love how you can keep throwing numbers out when you're about to break the single season transfer record, you're making the petrodollars that ManC initially spent seem reasonable and it still took them 4-5 years to win anything.

As far as LFC, 5 years ago we were almost in administration. So I'm comfortable with where we are and where we are going regardless of you trying to cry that MUFC are potters...

Well they don't even have midfielders either so yeah, with the money spent they're going to have almost no choice but to play with 5-6 pure attackers and hope they can outscore everybody as they aren't going to stop anybody. Burnley is probably licking their chops for this weekend.

Where's the celebration Springbok? Gutted out a tough 1-0 even though I think they got away with 2 penalties in the first half and Debuchy should have gotten a straight red for his shoulder into the guys face.

This Bucharest v Ludogrets penalty kick was amazing, GK got sent off so an outfield player had to be in goal for the penalties and he saved 2 for the win. Hilarious:

COSMIN MOTI, FIELD PLAYER AS GOALIE WHO WON A SHOOTOUT/GOD