Danilo to City £26.5m

Originally Posted by dunk

Or the CL.. or any football other than United?

Nail on the head

Originally Posted by Sapien

Nail on the head

At least you're honest about it

So this will make £350 million on incoming players in a year. Would expect more as well given how their midfield still looks. Where is the achievement in winning while spending those sums of money? no doubt the press will line up to kiss his feet if they have a good Autumn.

Originally Posted by Tiberian

So this will make £350 million on incoming players in a year. Would expect more as well given how their midfield still looks. Where is the achievement in winning while spending those sums of money? no doubt the press will line up to kiss his feet if they have a good Autumn.

If they £#%&! up next season it's a huge dent to his rep. Shows up and spends probably half a billion, arrived (rightly so) with the rep as the top coach in the game. Like you I still see a huge problem in their midfield. They remain a Kompany injury from having no leadership at the back too.

No excuse for us or City not to be in the race this year.

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

If they £#%&! up next season it's a huge dent to his rep. Shows up and spends probably half a billion, arrived (rightly so) with the rep as the top coach in the game. Like you I still see a huge problem in their midfield. They remain a Kompany injury from having no leadership at the back too.

No excuse for us or City not to be in the race this year.

Yes, Sparky may be suggesting there is no chance that Utd will win the title but you can not be spending on the level of Utd and City and not be involved in the title race.

Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs, these are not great teams, don't even think Chelsea are that good and they may be one more blown transfer away from a Conte meltdown.

Originally Posted by dunk

Or the CL.. or any football other than United?

Not so outrageous if you are a United fan tbf.

Originally Posted by Tiberian

Yes, Sparky may be suggesting there is no chance that Utd will win the title but you can not be spending on the level of Utd and City and not be involved in the title race.

Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs, these are not great teams, don't even think Chelsea are that good and they may be one more blown transfer away from a Conte meltdown.

The competition level is the big factor for me. Six good sides but none of them outstanding. Certainly not enough to excuse us failing to compete. Last year was a let off with the cups; breaking the world transfer record and finishing 6th is very poor.

I'm expecting City to improve but there's no way we should fear this league.

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

If they £#%&! up next season it's a huge dent to his rep. Shows up and spends probably half a billion, arrived (rightly so) with the rep as the top coach in the game. Like you I still see a huge problem in their midfield. They remain a Kompany injury from having no leadership at the back too.

No excuse for us or City not to be in the race this year.

a fit kompany played every week will ensure they win neither of the big two trophies.

guardiola's reputation has been hugely dented over the last 5 years. to not even challenge last season was farcical given the preparation for his arrival that had been put in place in the preceding years.

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

The competition level is the big factor for me. Six good sides but none of them outstanding. Certainly not enough to excuse us failing to compete. Last year was a let off with the cups; breaking the world transfer record and finishing 6th is very poor.

I'm expecting City to improve but there's no way we should fear this league.

spot on. there's no excuse for drawing 10 home league games, especially when you see that at least half of those games we completely dominated and maybe 7 or 8 should have been won.

big call from mourinho to go for lukaku as the solution imo.

hopefully we won't be left sacking the league off with half a dozen games still to go this time to focus just on europe

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

a fit kompany played every week will ensure they win neither of the big two trophies.

guardiola's reputation has been hugely dented over the last 5 years. to not even challenge last season was farcical given the preparation for his arrival that had been put in place in the preceding years.

They've won the league twice with Kompany captaining them

Hes had to change everything there, similar to Mou at United. Partly why both are getting an extended grace period.

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

They've won the league twice with Kompany captaining them

Hes had to change everything there, similar to Mou at United. Partly why both are getting an extended grace period.

and?

just checked and he missed 10 league games last time they won the league. he was consistently targeted and shown up in the CL back when city were good as well.

guardiola hasn't had to change everything at all, he's chosen to try to - much as van gaal tried to.

mourinho has had to challenge united's mentality and any struggles to change anything are more towards compromising style for substance.

i wasn't comparing the two anyway tbf, though understand you'd struggle to frame criticism or critique of guardiola in any other way

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

and?

just checked and he missed 10 league games last time they won the league. he was consistently targeted and shown up in the CL back when city were good as well.

guardiola hasn't had to change everything at all, he's chosen to try to - much as van gaal tried to.

mourinho has had to challenge united's mentality and any struggles to change anything are more towards compromising style for substance.

i wasn't comparing the two anyway tbf, though understand you'd struggle to frame criticism or critique of guardiola in any other way

I wasn't comparing them either, just saying it's the same thing. Mourinho, like Guardiola, found a club and a team that he knew he'd have to completely re-shap to match with his values. That does take time, and apparently bottomless bags of cash.

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

I wasn't comparing them either, just saying it's the same thing. Mourinho, like Guardiola, found a club and a team that he knew he'd have to completely re-shap to match with his values. That does take time, and apparently bottomless bags of cash.

i'm bound to disagree.

i don't think either have had to rip it up, exactly.

Originally Posted by Sapien

Nail on the head

I barely watch United these days, never mind some shite from abroad.

Originally Posted by Sandman

I barely watch United these days, never mind some shite from abroad.

It shows, tbh

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

i'm bound to disagree.

i don't think either have had to rip it up, exactly.

Didn't Mourinho say he was having to delete players' memories?

Think Pellegrini's laid back, let the players get on with it approach was due for change under Guardiola too.

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

Didn't Mourinho say he was having to delete players' memories?

Think Pellegrini's laid back, let the players get on with it approach was due for change under Guardiola too.

in theory that was a compliment to van gaal, except the dutchman failed to get most of them anywhere near automatic - mourinho had to free their minds.

either way, what you're talking about there is mentality, which doesn't amount to a ripping the club up and starting again.

the main thing to change at city was to play more direct, physical football - kick and rush pep style. at united it was to remember who we are and be more ruthless. fair to say both managers failed last season, but that mourinho did so and still won silverware.

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

Didn't Mourinho say he was having to delete players' memories?

Bit um Men in Black..

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

in theory that was a compliment to van gaal, except the dutchman failed to get most of them anywhere near automatic - mourinho had to free their minds.

either way, what you're talking about there is mentality, which doesn't amount to a ripping the club up and starting again.

the main thing to change at city was to play more direct, physical football - kick and rush pep style. at united it was to remember who we are and be more ruthless. fair to say both managers failed last season, but that mourinho did so and still won silverware.

Nope. And neither really was Mourinho. He has regularly gone into minor detail about the amount of tactical adjustements needed. Mourinho and LvG were great friends but always conceded that they viewed the game completely differently from each other.

I'd say Guardiola underwhelmed more than failed. Same with Mou. Was it 3rd they finished? Not a disaster but below what was expected, especially as they dropped or of the race early. Also guilty of letting teams off the hook; I expect them, like United, to be more ruthless.

'Top coach in the game'

'Underwhelmed rather than failed'

Referencing pogbas fee whilst completely ignoring Pep dropping 50 million on John Stones.

Originally Posted by browser

'Top coach in the game'

'Underwhelmed rather than failed'

Referencing pogbas fee whilst completely ignoring Pep dropping 50 million on John Stones.

My opening post was about how Guardiola's rep is on the line now after spending half a billion.

You nutter