FOOTBALL English Premier League 23/24 Discussion

[Renegade]

I've watched it a few times and I'm not sure how Trent can be considered "lucky".

He was fouled, should never have got a yellow card to begin with.

Klopp said after the game that all the officials admitted to the first yellow being the wrong decision.

I think the referee realized the second one was definitely a yellow. He tried to overcorrect the mistake by giving Van Dijk the red card a few minutes later.

My view is, if you're given a yellow for whatever reason, you smarten the **** up regardless of whether you deserved it or not. To be given a yellow and then do that moments later, you're relying on the good will of a ref not to send you off. So IMO he is lucky the ref bottled it, because they easily could've shown him a second yellow and he would've been off regardless of whether he deserved the first or not.

He's VC now. He needs to learn quickly. It's careless and it's not a good attitude to rub off onto the rest of the squad.

As for Tonali, the EPL is like 10x times faster than the Serie A. He'll take some time to adjust but his quality should eventually shine through.

 

[Super Freak]

 

[Wolfie]

My view is, if you're given a yellow for whatever reason, you smarten the **** up regardless of whether you deserved it or not. To be given a yellow and then do that moments later, you're relying on the good will of a ref not to send you off. So IMO he is lucky the ref bottled it, because they easily could've shown him a second yellow and he would've been off regardless of whether he deserved the first or not.

He's VC now. He needs to learn quickly. It's careless and it's not a good attitude to rub off onto the rest of the squad.

As for Tonali, the EPL is like 10x times faster than the Serie A. He'll take some time to adjust but his quality should eventually shine through.

I must admit, the ref did miss the foul on him for his first yellow, but after he did it was a clear yellow. The one thing i have noticed in every game this year is players kicking or throwing the ball away have all been booked. ABout the only thing refs are consistent on. Totally agree, he's in a leadership role now, he has to be smarter than that.

 

[Wolfie]

He was brilliant at Brighton but just hasnt worked for him at United. Going to be interesting having him and Martinez as the left sided partnership. Martinez 5 ft 9, Cucurella is 5 ft 8. Land of the dwarves.

 

[Brocko]

The left side being so short petrifies me for back post crosses. It's the only thing I haven't liked when we played Malcia. United is also terrible at present for prevention of crosses going in.

Varane is now pretty much confirmed out for 6 weeks too... Great player but he is made of glass these days.

 

[Renegade]

I'd sign cucurella for his magnificent mane alone.

 

[Wolfie]

I meant Chelsea, not United. Cucurella is about the first smart signing United will make this summer.

 

[The True King]

I meant Chelsea, not United. Cucurella is about the first smart signing United will make this summer.

How so?

He's pretty meh. I don't see it being a successful move.

 

[The True King]

My view is, if you're given a yellow for whatever reason, you smarten the **** up regardless of whether you deserved it or not. To be given a yellow and then do that moments later, you're relying on the good will of a ref not to send you off. So IMO he is lucky the ref bottled it, because they easily could've shown him a second yellow and he would've been off regardless of whether he deserved the first or not.

He's VC now. He needs to learn quickly. It's careless and it's not a good attitude to rub off onto the rest of the squad.

As for Tonali, the EPL is like 10x times faster than the Serie A. He'll take some time to adjust but his quality should eventually shine through.

That's true. He put it all in the refs hands with that second atrocious piece of play. I think he was a lucky boy but I also think VVD doesn't get a red if Trent had been sent off.

I think overall the ref was shocking - Newcastle committed something like 14 fouls before he booked one of their players. By that point Liverpool had already conceded a yellow and red.

 

[Wolfie]

How so?

He's pretty meh. I don't see it being a successful move.

Because he was a good player at Brighton, he was a good player in his 2 seasons at Getafe, then he ended up at a shit show of a football club who just signed players for the hell of it without any strategy. A loan at United for a season is smart. He's only 25, there isnt much to lose for United in the scheme of things if it doesnt work.

 

[Fitzy]

Because he was a good player at Brighton, he was a good player in his 2 seasons at Getafe, then he ended up at a shit show of a football club who just signed players for the hell of it without any strategy. A loan at United for a season is smart. He's only 25, there isnt much to lose for United in the scheme of things if it doesnt work.

Couldn’t agree more only issue is his size alongside Martinez otherwise how can they lose? They need someone to replace Shaw for a little while and they have a pretty good replacement lined up. You aren’t going to line up a cream of the crop left back to replace Shaw for half the season.

Just need to trust in their systems and hope that Chelsea being a fucked club was Cucurellas issue. If they can get some confidence into him and Mount they will become top quality players very quickly again.

 

[The True King]

Because he was a good player at Brighton, he was a good player in his 2 seasons at Getafe, then he ended up at a shit show of a football club who just signed players for the hell of it without any strategy. A loan at United for a season is smart. He's only 25, there isnt much to lose for United in the scheme of things if it doesnt work.

So he's swapped one shit show club that signs players for the hell of it for another club that does the same thing.

Let's not forget this is the same United that signed Malacia last season after an impressive stint in the Eredivisie. They already have seemingly discarded him. I like Cucarella and generally agree there isn't much to lose from United's perspective, I just don't see it being a great move for the player at 25yo.

He's effectively a stop gap (I think they could upgrade Shaw quite easily) that most likely ends up back in La Liga or goes to Saudi next season.

It's a deal that makes sense I suppose, I am just reluctant to think it's a 'smart' signing. People were saying the same thing about Dubravka, Weghorst and Ighalo.

 

[Brocko]

Let's not forget this is the same United that signed Malacia last season after an impressive stint in the Eredivisie.

Well this just simply isn't true. He is out for several months apparently injured. Not sure how that's discarding him.

He would be playing if not injured.

 

[The True King]

Well this just simply isn't true. He is out for several months apparently injured. Not sure how that's discarding him.

He would be playing if not injured.

He wasn't injured to end last season and he wasn't playing either. He is almost certainly 2nd choice behind Shaw when both are fit

The point was they don't have the greatest track record with signings, let alone loan signings.

I'm hesitant to give them any sort of benefit of the doubt and say Cucarella is a 'smart' signing, that is all.

 

[Brocko]

He wasn't injured to end last season and he wasn't playing either. He is almost certainly 2nd choice behind Shaw when both are fit

The point was they don't have the greatest track record with signings, let alone loan signings.

I'm hesitant to give them any sort of benefit of the doubt and say Cucarella is a 'smart' signing, that is all.

Of course he is 2nd choice behind Shaw, that's never even been disputed. He was signed as a backup to Shaw. He played cups and when Shaw was rested or playing CB.

Cucurella is smart in the sense that there is 1 fit LB at the club currently, and it's a youth prospect. Both Shaw and Malacia out several months, Dalot is a RB that can play LB in a pinch at best. So they need to bring in somebody.

To get a LB that's played a fair share of prem for the season on loan for a reasonable fee, there's not much more you could do this late in the window.

 

[The True King]

Of course he is 2nd choice behind Shaw, that's never even been disputed. He was signed as a backup to Shaw. He played cups and when Shaw was rested or playing CB.

Cucurella is smart in the sense that there is 1 fit LB at the club currently, and it's a youth prospect. Both Shaw and Malacia out several months, Dalot is a RB that can play LB in a pinch at best. So they need to bring in somebody.

To get a LB that's played a fair share of prem for the season on loan for a reasonable fee, there's not much more you could do this late in the window.

Good points, he's most certainly a better option than Alonso.

The last 48hrs of this window are going to be crazy, quite a bit happening around the grounds of note:
Fati - Brighton (loan)
Cucurella - United (loan)
Amrabat - United
Johnson - Spurs
Gravenberch - Liverpool
Palmer - Chelsea
Nunes - City
Lenglet - Villa
Lukaku - Roma
Kolo Muani - PSG
Palhinha - Bayern

The most interesting of the lot is Amrabat in my view. United have had a loan bid rejected but the clubs are still in talks, seems United are having some difficulty with FFP and offering any sort of transfer fee this summer. Most likely outcome a loan with obligation to buy.

Makes it even funnier that they rejected a bid for McTominay and that they couldn't ship off Maguire. Those two have hamstrung their business.

 

[Super Freak]

 

[The True King]

Loan with obligation definitely looks likely.

The player is pushing his way out of Fiorentina and United don't have the wiggle room to pay any sort of fee right now.

It's a good signing pending the price, exactly what United need in their midfield. I don't think he's necessarily world class or going to improve them to challenge for the league but he's a very functional player and the exact profile required.