Rival watch

Looking forward to seeing him alongside Alli and Kane

 

For England, yes.
Might have a half decent team if these players can hit it off together

 

United draw Celta Vigo in The EL S/F. It looks like the away leg first, so that should keep them busy before our league game. Hopefully, a Lyon V United final?

 

I don't mind the idea of united in the CL at all. We can't compete with them in the market irrespective of their status in Europe, and they will always have that aura to attract top players even without CL football. I'm more concerned about teams like Arsenal and Liverpool missing out. Those are the sides we have the clout to (almost) go toe to toe with in the market, and them missing out on CL footy could well prove decisive in a player choosing us over them.

 

The Mail have a story today relating to Pep's concern regarding the atmosphere at The Etihad or lack of it. Coming on the back of Citeh returning over 2,000 tickets for the FAC S/F this points at a problem. You can spend what you like on Superstar managers and players but buying real fans is a lot more difficult.

Chelsea have benefited from being in London and £2bn of Russian money has brought in the tourists. Also, South London clubs' poor performances over the years has meant that they've cleaned up in the traditional areas of clubs like Palace. Manchester already has a plastic fan's dream club and despite the spending of an obscene amount of cash and the bowing and scraping of the press, Citeh remain a faceless, souless entity.

For all of the fact that Chelsea's face is Terry, Diego Costaa and Fabregas and we'd all love to smack it one, it is an identity.

 

Not necessarily, as mercenaries gotta mercenary - as evidenced by some of the ludicrous wage inflation going on at Anfield.

 

Well Citeh have the only fans who need to travel a long way. All the other three clubs' fans come from London.

But seriously folks, the semi-finals shouldn't really be at Wembley at all. It's only the FA trying to recoup money on the ludicrous cost of the thing; and
Although it's fairly convenient for us, the national stadium shouldn't really be in Wembley - it's not that accessible is it - it should be in the area of the Birmingham NEC or somewhere like that.

 

Indeed.
It also kills the magic of the FA Cup if any round other than the final is played there
(I appreciate that SFs between top flight London teams may be the exception -
as in 1991 etc) .

In fact, even now I would take a NLD FA Cup SF at the Library providing the ticket
allocation for supporters was equitable.

 

As long as it isn't at the HRMC white elephant stadium I wouldn't mind where we played a semi-final. The Santiago Bernabéu would be reasonably close for me

 

I remember back in 2000-1 the time The FA decided the best venue for a North London FA Cup semi was...Old Trafford.

I find it hard to believe that not one person at The FA suggested that maybe, just maybe, that was the sort of fixture where the match should be played a little closer to London.

 

It's being reported that Zlatatan's injury is a double cruciate ligament tear. That's 9 months to a year to recover from. As soon as I saw it I was reminded of John Salako's injury when he was playing for Palace. I think his was longer to recover from and he was never the same thereafter.

That's a shame for them. I guess they'll just have to do with Rashford, Martial, Rooney or whoever? I hope they're not relying on Pogba!

It's a shame for the Big Man and United shirt sales but they've got plenty of money. I doubt United will want to pay him and Rooney about £15m each to watch from the stands. So, it's probably goodbye and thank you. He had a hell of a season,though. When he could still run he must have been one hell of a player.

 

There was a rumour the other day that he was going to sign for a new MLS franchise and return to Europe on loan.
Los Angeles FC won't start playing competitively until next March, so they might still sign him up and he should be back for that.
Bit more risky now, but it might just mean a lower wage offer.

 

I wish him no ill. United may be better off without him. Last night did make me question Rashford. His finishing was terrible. The commentator and Owen Hargreaves fawned over his goal but to my eye he mishit it onto his standing foot which caused it to spin out of the keeper's reach. Not "deadly assassin', more flukey bastard.

He may well be the real deal but last night he was thrashing and slashing at chances so as to make Pogba look clinical. Martial has been 'Mourinhoed' and Rooney should be sent back to Everton as club mascot. I sense a really huge bid for Lukaku coming up as part of Shrek going back to the Swamp.

 

Lukaku and Ozil. Rooney will leave and Mourinho will shift Mata on, again.
Wouldn't surprise me if Martial got moved on, too. He's not doing the business and he's not the finished article.
Not sure how many changes they can make in one window without ruining the squad, though.

 

That was the 'Zlatan Dilemma' for me. Bring in an ageing player for a couple of seasons.......To let younger talents play out of position or rot on the bench. If there's been more rotation I would have understood it. Mourinho was never going to play a youngster with a superstar available.

If they buy another big money forward, it just delays Rashford's progress or destroys him like Martial. Mourinho won't care and United can afford it to happen as long as nobody else gets him. If I was him, I'd be very wary of committing to United's whilst Mourinho is there.

 

I've said it before (many times) - Utd need to play with pace and energy, especially at home.
Martial, Rashford and Lingard are all raw, but they have pace. The former two frighten defenders when they run at them. If Rashford plays as centre forward with the other two as inside forwards, we need a top class no.10 who can pick them out with the right pass.
Herrera and a more destructive, defence-minded Pogba can play in front of the back four.
With the right tactics and some faith in the players, rather than fear of failure ,it could look good (potentially).

 

. Alex Pritchard.

 

Mauricio Pochettino would go for that. I don't think that Mourinho will. You'll spend big on a forward. Maybe a 10 as well. Martial is done at United to my mind. Shame, he had something before leaving France.

 

Do it again then...... Okay. You did it again.

 

I wanted him to come to Spurs so that he could take some of the load off
Kane and also bring the pedigree/experience needed for a CL campaign.
Never were going to match his wage demands (especially with him obviously
in full 'pension mode' ) .