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[QUOTE=JackDaw;5205769]A lot depends on what you value the most. Of course, itÂ’s hard (impossibe, really) to disagree with you that skills displayed would go up.
But it would..I think..complete the process of severing the link between local communities and the teams...the dinosaur idea that fans of my generation adhere to..that you support your local team however crap they happen to be.
Incidentally I think a European super league would be incredibly hard to bring about IF relegation and promotion was included. The 4 strongest leagues are the Spanish, the German, the Italian, and the English. Imagine you created the 20 team super league by taking the 3 top teams from each of those, and added 8 others from the remaining European leagues...
The problems would start immediately. First the German League would fight tooth and nail to retain their three top teams, as would the other countries leagues.
Second imagine League was formed in 2025, and in proceeding season Man City, Everton, and Leicester had finished 1, 2, 3...how do you think Man U, Liverpool, and Arsenal would react to being excluded?
Then at end of season how do you decide which would replace the relegated teams? You can’t say “top team in next league down”...because each European country would still have its own separate national league.
There would be a plethora of practical problems. And thereÂ’s no overwhelming reason to tackle those...well because a ton of money is being generated now.
I agree with you about Leicester.[/QUOTE]
I hear you, I didn't grow up in the UK but I have friends and relatives there, and per example, I remember the days when winning the FA cup was still a big deal, but now it's starting to be seen as a tin pot trophy. I've seen fans of big clubs get angry at managers for putting their best 11 on the field for the FA cup game, because all that matters now is the race for the top 4.
Unfortunately evolution is a cold hard beast and it doesn't care about your childhood attachments to culture, or mine for that matter. I wish it did, but your right, TV rights rule the roost, alongside merchandise sales and escalating ticket prices, and eventually I think the evolution of the sport will steamroll its way to a European super league, relegation or not.
Ironically the Premier League came about around the time globalization was getting its wings, and a near thirty years later it's dominated with foreign players from all over the globe. I know this has become a thorn in the side of many fans (In no way am I am implying you feel this way) but ultimately I think it's made the league much better.
Right now we have a fantastic South Korean as the leagues best goal scorer. (My excuse to post another highlight video :) ) but seriously Son and Kane are on fire!
[video=youtube;GtZdXUnYZMs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtZdXUnYZMs[/video]
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[video=youtube;jaHNx7p0MLc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaHNx7p0MLc[/video]
Rashford the magnificent! Magnificent on the pitch, & even more magnificent off the pitch.
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[video=youtube;lh6GsHpBxTI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lh6GsHpBxTI[/video]
Well that was predictable, after watching last week's snooze fest against Chelsea I knew Aubameyang was going to put United to the sword.
5 points for the United comic fan in cyberspace:
1) If your going to play a diamond than you better have a pure number 9 on the field like Vardy, so get Cavani out there fast, because Rashford is a winger, Greenwood is too young, and Martial doesn't have it.
2) If your going to play a diamond than you better have better players than Fred and McTominay running your midfield pitch. (Mctominay in particular should be a bench player)
3) If your going to play a diamond without wingers than you should have offensive minded left and right backs...United do not have that with Wan Bissaka & Shaw
4) Put Tuanzebe on the field and you can probably go back to playing 4-3-3
5) Sell Pogba, although he is immensly talented, he is a defensive liability, he belongs on a super team with lots of money like Manchester City, not United.
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[video=youtube;DeiictGeluA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeiictGeluA[/video]
The Welshman is back! Gareth Bale seals the deal with a header.
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Bale looking good but Kane is on a new level!
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[QUOTE=DebkoX;5220753]Bale looking good but Kane is on a new level![/QUOTE]
He is, a number 9 whose leading in assists at the moment. I'll be sure to watch the upcoming game.
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[video=youtube;ZkhMiLInAn0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkhMiLInAn0[/video]
A Manchester United victory that was concerning in that the win seemed to be the result of the magnificence of two players, Bruno Fernandez and Fred, you take them off the pitch and it is a different game.
I paid attention this time so lets rate the players, (Superb, Great, Good, Average, Fair, Poor)
GK - De Gea (Average)
CB - Lindelof (Average) Poor at the beginning better as the game went on
CB - Maguire (Fair) Pretty much shielded by Fred
RB - Wan- Bissaka (Average/Fair) up and down
LB - Luke Shaw (Good/Great) - He went off with another injury again. If he wasn't injury prone United wouldn't have needed another left back, he does the job just fine.
MF - McTominay (Fair/Average) - Wasn't bad, he just doesn't offer anything creative with his forward passes
MF - Fred (Great) - He's so tenacious kept the ball motoring up and down the pitch, pretty sure he assisted on one of the first two goals
MF - Fernandez (Superb!) He is really the only reason they won, and the only reason Ole has a job right now. If United waited to get someone like Maddison, Ole would be gone by now.
LW -Rashford (Good/average)
RW - Mata (Fair) - didn't really do much, I think he's getting too long in the tooth
CF- Martial (Fair/poor) - You have to do more than run the defense down or wait for the number 10 pass, he's not a natural number 9, time to put Cavani in.
Overall it was a two man win. I kind of like Ole winning without Cavani, Van De Beek or even Pogba, because it's almost like he's giving the subliminal finger to Ed Woodward and the board
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[QUOTE=The no face guy;5222808]He is, a number 9 whose leading in assists at the moment. I'll be sure to watch the upcoming game.[/QUOTE]
I worry his loyalty to us will cost him silverware.
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[QUOTE=DebkoX;5223325]I worry his loyalty to us will cost him silverware.[/QUOTE]
Spurs are "my Premier League team"...the team I always like to win against other teams in that league. (The team I most support fell out of main national leagues years ago, after decades of yo -yoing between National Leagues 1 and 2.)
Harry is a fantastic player, its not just his skill level its all the hard graft he puts in practically every time he plays. I actually wouldn't mind him getting a move to one of the top teams (I think Bayern Munich would be a wonderful fit), but I guess more whole hearted Spurs fans feel otherwise!
As I plodded round usual local walk today, I was thinking English football is lucky to have a crop of young players right now that appear to be level headed, bright, and want to give something back to society. That can't be easy when you get so much money at such a young age.
Apart from Harry...who leads from the front and actually keeps a fairly low profile away from the pitch...we've got players like Jordan Henderson, Marcus Rashford, and Raheem Sterling who all seem intensely interested in using their position to help people.
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[video=youtube;5lgnXZoygLg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lgnXZoygLg[/video]
[QUOTE=DebkoX;5223325]I worry his loyalty to us will cost him silverware.[/QUOTE]
I do to, he is most likely to stay if Spurs land in the top four this year, but I'd like him to move to a bigger team to, only for his career sake.
I think JD might be onto something with Bayern Munich as Lewandowski is starting to get long in the tooth, but it's possible he could go to a Premier League club to, I doubt Liverpool would be able to afford the asking price, but Man City might need a striker soon to replace Aguero (I hope he doesn't go there)
I was going to post highlights from battle of the titans, (which was not so epic) so here's the Spurs highlights instead.
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[QUOTE=JackDaw;5223367]Spurs are "my Premier League team"...the team I always like to win against other teams in that league. (The team I most support fell out of main national leagues years ago, after decades of yo -yoing between National Leagues 1 and 2.)
Harry is a fantastic player, its not just his skill level its all the hard graft he puts in practically every time he plays. I actually wouldn't mind him getting a move to one of the top teams (I think Bayern Munich would be a wonderful fit), but I guess more whole hearted Spurs fans feel otherwise!
As I plodded round usual local walk today, I was thinking English football is lucky to have a crop of young players right now that appear to be level headed, bright, and want to give something back to society. That can't be easy when you get so much money at such a young age.
Apart from Harry...who leads from the front and actually keeps a fairly low profile away from the pitch...we've got players like Jordan Henderson, Marcus Rashford, and Raheem Sterling who all seem intensely interested in using their position to help people.[/QUOTE]
Rashford is a national hero. He has done more for the nation than some of the elected officials
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[QUOTE=DebkoX;5224269]Rashford is a national hero. He has done more for the nation than some of the elected officials[/QUOTE]
Yes.
Andrew Robertson...Liverpools left back...has said Marcus will get an enormous cheer the next time Man U play at Anfield (when crowds allowed in)...which is not usual Anfield reaction to Man U players!
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[video=youtube;YEThiMtHWqE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEThiMtHWqE[/video]
Aston Villa are quite entertaining to watch this year, Jack Grealish must have of run 3/4 of the field on the last goal.
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During the lockdown I tend to have a "video conference" most weeks with a couple of guys I meet in the pub in normal times..
After todays talk realised we talked about football for around 30 minutes mentioning nothing except moans on present rules (the new interpretation of the handball rule, and Premier League restricting teams to 3 subs rather than 5 mainly.)
I remember years ago when we actually used to talk about play itself.
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[video=youtube;gGpQGcdy07M]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGpQGcdy07M[/video]
Manchester 1, West Brom 0 (For the Man U comic fan in cyberspace)
Manchester United beating a relegation team, playing like a relegation team, West Brom were robbed a penalty shot, the game should have been a draw.
Player Ratings, (Superb, Great, Good, Average, Fair, Poor)
GK - De Gea (Good) Good kickout of the ball with his foot.
CB - Lindelof (Fair/Average) Was caught out of position a few times
CB - Maguire (Good) He was really good going forward to the net, and passing...defensively not so much.
RB - Wan- Bissaka (Average/Fair)
LB - ALex Tellus (Average)
MF - Matic (Average) - I felt he really controlled the ball play, just looks like he needs more game time to get fit
MF - Fred (Average)
MF - Fernandez (Good) but he did a stupid tackle behind the goal line that almost cost the game, he's very, very lucky.
LW -Rashford (Good/average) Playing with a shoulder injury, I thought he was the best of the three going forward
RW - Mata (Very Poor) - The worst match I've seen from a United forward in a long time, useless, time to pack up for the MLS
CF- Martial (Fair) - He just doesn't have the natural talent to be a number 9, Cavani would have buried his shot. He's great off the left wing, but Rashford is better, so sell him while he's got good market value.
I'll reserve comment on Oli, because Chelsea backed their inexperienced manager and they are now sitting in 2nd. Manchester United did not, and that is why they are sitting in 9th.
Nothing will change at United until the Glazer's are gone, because they have a net worth less than the owners of Wolves, Villa, and Arsenal. They couldn't even afford to buy Sancho this summer, but Abramovich, well he could afford to buy the entire United team.