⚽ Football (Soccer)

[BlackFox]

Dire final, dire performance, dire result. Not much more you can say than that. Spurs wont care much given the time since the last trophy and what it means moving forward for them but I doubt they will bring themselves to watch that game again too often. Two terrible sides to be honest.

Part of me is glad we didnt make it, this lot wouldnt make it out the group stage of the CL, so much dead weight in the side, if Bruno has a bad game we dont have much else.

Whole thing needs ripping up and starting again but we've said that so many times now and it wont happen anyway. Owners clueless in how to turn this around. So glad this season is over.

 

[B]

With no European football money, lower prize money from the PL because of our low finish, we'll be severely restricted in what we can do in the transfer market within the FFP/PSR regulations.

I would imagine there will be very few players in that squad that wouldn't be available if another club came calling.

Not to mention we're at a stage were we need a few players that are plug in & play, ready immediately, not ready in 2 or 3 years which usually doesn't come cheap. This is by far our most important summer post-SAF, if we get this wrong this summer, we will be well & truly in a relegation battle next season.

 

[BlackFox]

Napoli win Serie A, McTominay and Lukaku the hero's as they held off Inters challenge.

 

[Zantera]

Even before the final I thought Spurs would win it, just one of those 'stars aligning' seasons. Newcastle beating Liverpool to the Carabao Cup, Crystal Palace beating City to the FA Cup. If Spurs were ever going to break their long title draught, the Europa League final this year was it. Especially with how bad we've been.

This puts us in a bad place financially but from a football perspective I think going into next season with the addition of CL football would just be a recipe for disaster and not having a european competition to distract us will probably be better for our season. With that said it also probably means we're saying goodbye to at least 1 big profile player, like Bruno, Mainoo or Garnacho.

 

[BlackFox]

Sunderland beat Sheff Utd 2-1 in the play-off final to make it back to the Prem.

Should be fun to have another big derby game a couple of times next season.

 

[blueharvest]

 

[chamber-music]

Arsenal women's team beat Barcelona 1-0 to win the Women's Champions League. Barcelona was looking for a Champions league 3 peat having won it the last two seasons back to back. Arsenal are the only English women's team to win the Champions league.

 

[B]

Wish we'd played that well in the Europa League Final..

Even at 11v11 we looked in control & had 2 or 3 good chances that we really should have taken, then after the red card which was one of the dumbest red cards I've ever seen a goalkeeper get, it was 1 way traffic.. with exception to Rodgers goal in which Bayinder was spared.

Mercifully though, the season is over, disaster season all round. Hopefully we can reshuffle the squad get a couple of players in to give us some juice for next season.

 

[blueharvest]

 

[BlackFox]

I just cant get excited about transfers any more with United, I am too weak and jaded.

 

[blueharvest]

 

[BlackFox]

Champions League final tonght, Inter v PSG, could be good.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Losing the EL final came as no surprise, it was a terrible game between two rubbish sides that fittingly ended with a crappy goal. This United squad is full to the brim with lazy, fragile bums, and completely lacking in technical quality, athleticism and football IQ.

It's going to take a mind blowing summer transfer window to give any hope to fans for next season, morale is rock bottom. We have pretty much signed Cunha, who I think is a decent buy, but the striker market is tough, I'm concerned about who we can actually get. I'm also not totally sold on Mbeumo, he's a good player but very similar to Cunha, a front 3 of those 2 and a striker seems too one dimensional to me, all hammer, no scalpel.

As for Bruno, what worries me is Amorim wants to keep him despite the fact he has no natural role in his system. He's a #10 in the mold of Griezman, who works best with a strong midfield double pivot behind him and wingers either side, he isn't a good dribbler or strong enough against the press to be an inside forward, and he hasn't got the physicality or consistency in his passing to play as an actual midfielder. Try to get at least £100M out of the Saudis and buy 2 proper midfielders.

 

[BlackFox]

PSG take an early lead in the CL final 1-0 in 11 minutes. Hakimi

 

[BlackFox]

2-0 PSG - deflected shot from Doue. French side walking this one at the moment Inter not turned up so far.

 

[Zantera]

5-0 pretty crazy!

 

[B]

That was as poor a final as the EL one. Not because of lack of quality but instead because PSG ripped Inter to shreds, but because it was so one sided & over so quickly as I don't think Inter ever really looked threatening going forward. Losing 5-0 in a final is crazy.

PSG deserved winners all in all, they looked a class or two above everyone they've faced in the knockout phase. They play so quickly & press so well they're an extremely difficult team to play against when they get going.

It's ironic that once they flushed all the superstars out of their squad is the time they've looked the best.

 

[BlackFox]

Well PSG got that monkey off their back, look much more like a team these nowadays now they got rid of the deadweight like Naymar, Messi and Mbappe who never really cared for the project it seems to reach the highest level.

Surprised Inter didnt put up more of a fight and didnt make for a great final but PSG dont care, CL in the bag and they get to join the elite of Europe, it was coming eventually you felt like City a couple years back.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Bruno has just screwed United, now he'll be playing as a midfielder next season even though he can't do it, so ****ing fed up.

That was as poor a final as the EL one. Not because of lack of quality but instead because PSG ripped Inter to shreds, but because it was so one sided & over so quickly as I don't think Inter ever really looked threatening going forward. Losing 5-0 in a final is crazy.

PSG deserved winners all in all, they looked a class or two above everyone they've faced in the knockout phase. They play so quickly & press so well they're an extremely difficult team to play against when they get going.

It's ironic that once they flushed all the superstars out of their squad is the time they've looked the best.

Well PSG got that monkey off their back, look much more like a team these nowadays now they got rid of the deadweight like Naymar, Messi and Mbappe who never really cared for the project it seems to reach the highest level.

Surprised Inter didnt put up more of a fight and didnt make for a great final but PSG dont care, CL in the bag and they get to join the elite of Europe, it was coming eventually you felt like City a couple years back.

The funniest thing is how the pundits and commentators were trying to rewrite the PSG narrative, like they're the little engine that could, it's taken like 5 billion to finally get what they want, and that team that won still cost over £300M.

 

[blueharvest]

 

[B]

Bryan Mbeumo: Man Utd submit opening bid of £55m for Brentford forward

Bryan Mbeumo scored 20 goals in the Premier League last season to help Brentford secure a top-half finish - only three players scored more.

He also notched seven assists but should have registered more, clocking a league-topping 9.26 expected assists during the campaign - primarily from delivering a table-topping 202 crosses.

Additionally, only two players covered more distance or attempted more sprints for the season, making him one of the hardest grafters in the league. He also provides serious pace - clocking the fourth-fastest speed at 36.63 km/h.

Factoring in decisive goals or assists that changed the outcomes of games, his 27 goal contributions earned Brentford 22 points - equating to 40 per cent of the Bees' season tally.

Very impressive across the board statistically, as far as being a game winner only Salah & Isak are finished above him. He's also of similar suit to Cunha in that he's Premier League proven, while that doesn't obviously mean he'll come to us & do the same job, it is less of a risk than blowing the same amount of money on a player coming from Italy, France, Spain, Germany etc who's never played in the league.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Bryan Mbeumo: Man Utd submit opening bid of £55m for Brentford forward

Very impressive across the board statistically, as far as being a game winner only Salah & Isak are finished above him. He's also of similar suit to Cunha in that he's Premier League proven, while that doesn't obviously mean he'll come to us & do the same job, it is less of a risk than blowing the same amount of money on a player coming from Italy, France, Spain, Germany etc who's never played in the league.

It's an interesting move, he's a good player, but I do wonder if him and Cunha is too much hammer and not enough scalpel, especially if Amorim also wants United to make the sales to enable the signing of Gyokeres. My biggest worry is the midfield, yet again!

 

[Hunter Rider]

 

[BlackFox]

Ange Postecoglou: Tottenham boss leaves 16 days after Europa League triumph

 

[B]

It's an interesting move, he's a good player, but I do wonder if him and Cunha is too much hammer and not enough scalpel, especially if Amorim also wants United to make the sales to enable the signing of Gyokeres. My biggest worry is the midfield, yet again!

We've so many deficiencies that have become apparent last season it's hard to pick just one area. Although probably my biggest worry was some of our attacking players inability to find the net when presented with a good chance as there were games we drew/lost last season that we really shouldn't have given some of the chances missed.

We dropped points in 25 games or so give or take, if you can even rectify even just 5 or 6 of those types of games & turn them into wins, well there's 15-18 additional points, we're still not going to be challenging for the title but we'll at least not be an embarrassment languishing just above the relegation zone.

Cunha & Mbeumo given there track record in the league seem to be targeted signings that should help with our lack of goals given they both go through. If I could pick another 2 positions I'd like strengthened, it would be goalkeeper as Onana's blunders have also been something that has cost us several games & I'd try to sign a RB/RWB as I think Dorgu coming in was a breath of fresh air on that left hand side, he did better than I thought he would initially & if we could get someone on the opposing side I think it would help even further. I'd like to avoid Amad playing there as being widely suggested he will even though he has done well when he has played the position, I'd like him further forward competing for one of those advanced roles.

The middle is a worry also, I can't see Casemiro going unless a Saudi or MLS club come in for him, Ugarte I'd be amazed if he was given up on & sold so quickly & Mainoo I hope they don't sell. I'd expect Collyer or Kone to be brought in as depth. We could use another signing in the position but I don't think we'll sign any until we can shift a few players or find ourselves a player available relatively cheaply.. or free.

We'll be overloaded with forward players if Cunha/Mbeumo both arrive so I'd expect a couple of Rashford, Sancho, Antony, Hojlund, Zirkzee or Garnacho to be some of those making way as is widely reported anyway.