‘I’m not fussed with Matic being a Chelsea cast off’

Ashley Colbourn

Manchester United fans discuss the potential signing of Nemanja Matic, while Naby Keita, Cesar Azpilicueta and old football chants are also discussed. 

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Money has lost it’s value in football – Mbappe proves that

Kylian Mbappe is 18 years old and looks to be Thierry Henry’s heir in terms of the amount of goals he’ll score and create. If he manages to meet his potential he’ll be worth it because he will give any club he plays for a good 15 years of football.

If they go on to sell him in future, even if he doesn’t meet his full potential but still ends up a very good player, he’s still going to be worth £80m+ given how prices keep increasing year on year.

Rio Ferdinand was seen as a crazy buy by United when we signed him for £30m back in a day when nobody paid that amount, however it ended up being extremely worth it, both because we got a world class defender for a decade but also because £30m is peanuts in the grand scheme of things (though it was a large amount at the time).

One just needs to realise that money in football has lost it’s value – when a Championship team can ask for more for one player than other clubs at their level are worth in total, you know that all sense of scale has gone overboard.

Sympathy for the devils

You can’t argue with Matic’s ability

So, if reports are to be believed, it looks like Nemanja Matic could be on his way to Old Trafford to play that holding midfield role. The consensus being that this will give Paul Pogba, and to a lesser extent Ander Herrera, the license to play further forward.

With all the rumours of a blockbuster summer for United this (potential) signing has been met with negativity and disbelief. But why?

Whilst he’s not a marquee signing (they can’t all be!), nor is he really my type of player, you can’t argue with his ability. Matic has won the league twice in the last 3 years. He’s got a great range of passing and plays that anchor in midfield role extremely well.

He played 35 league games last season as Chelsea strolled to the title. He claimed 7 assists, more than any other United midfielder! Apart from the stats, you’d have to think Mourinho trusts him. He would probably listen to instructions and know exactly where to be and when on the pitch. He finished top of the league whilst we finished 6th so can’t really turn our nose up at him can we??

£40m seems high but for a player in his prime, at 28 years old, a full international for the last 10 years and a league and cup winner. Yeah you’d have to say, it’s probably about right in this market.

We either trust Jose or we don’t. We all liked the Victor Lindelof signing so let’s get behind the rest of the ones he makes this summer. They can’t all be galacticos and I’m sure he knows exactly where each one will fit into his team.
Exciting season ahead!

happyhurling

 

It’s a team game and a well drilled winning team of eleven needs certain components to function effectively. Eleven creative players full of flair won’t win many titles and Matic may well prove to be that cog that allows Pogba & co to flourish.

I’m not fussed with Matic being a Chelsea cast off, so to speak, as Matic is a specialist player and Antonio Conte needs dynamic holding midfielders in order for his system to be effective.

Mourinho, on the other hand, needs a defensive midfielder who knows where to be and what spaces to fill when required to tighten the defence. Nor am I bothered by the price – it is what it is.

There are no guarantees that Fabinho will cope in the Premier League, though, I would like him to be an additional signing who can either play alongside Matic, rotate with him or Antonio Valencia at right-back. Matic, however, is a winner within the league. He should hit the ground running, and that can only be a good thing for Man Utd.

hailmartial

Frank De Boer has already impressed me

Finally we have our new manager. I have been listening and reading all that he has to say and the one thing that impressed me was that he was quoted as saying he wanted to get Mamadou Sakho from Liverpool.

If that is the case then in my eyes he is a winner already.

PerthEagle

Perhaps Liverpool should wait until next season for Keita

I’m getting the distinct feeling that as much as Liverpool would like to buy Naby Keita it just isn’t gonna happen. Leipzig really don’t want to sell and more importantly they don’t have to sell, they’ve got plenty of money.

They’re also in the Champions League which will go a long way to sate the players ambitions.  I have been reading that he has a clause in his contract that he will be available next summer for 55mil euro.

Perhaps we should aim for that. Maybe this is why we are hearing reports today that we have been approaching Arsenal re Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. The sales of Lazar Markovic and Kevin Stewart will cover price of Ox and we’ll get a lot more out of him than we did out of either of them.

gingerlfc

Gambling on TV money is a dangerous game to play

Premier League: Announce April and May's live games

I think there are some the dangers regarding the new TV deal. I actually think clubs have to be smarter despite the new TV deal. What I mean is that clubs might end up spending lots of money which can be good.

But if the next TV deal isn’t as good or less than the current one, the previous spending might come back to bite some clubs. The next TV deal might be negatively affected by Brexit implications, for example, limits on foreign players.

Part of the appeal of the Premier League is the influx of foreign players on this league. Will less foreigners make the premiership less attractive? If so, then TV companies won’t won’t to pay over odds for the rights.

Also another factor is viewing figures…viewing figures were down last year so that’s another issue. I’m just speculating who knows how it will go, but I still think clubs need to keep a pragmatic eye on the gravy train.

mwake

It might take a while, but I’m confident Liverpool will get Van Dijk

There’s evidently more to this. Its not particularly complicated, to be honest just a slightly tense game of haggling.

Southampton are clearly trying to get the best price from Liverpool. If not, why even name a price? If you are that affronted by our approach, you can just say “we will never sell to Liverpool at any price, and if they come forward will send a complaint about their behaviour”

They haven’t. They are in fact encouraging us. So I’m not sure we can get a transfer ban when they have clearly encouraged a bid! This is likely to be used in any evidence, so a transfer ban is unlikely.

Its also unlikely anyone else is bidding that high – if they were, a deal would have been signed already. so no-one else wants to pay a premium either. Only clubs that could pay (in Europe) £70m are Chelsea, Man United, Man City, Barcelona, Real Madrid, PSG.

None of them want him that bad. Chelsea want Leonardo Bonucci and are better catered anyway in that position. Gary Cahill and David Luiz will take some moving. It’s hardly worth blowing a premium on a player that isn’t essential.

The player appears to want to join us too. So in summary – I expect this to drag on, and a bid agreed around 55-60m

Gul

Azpilicueta is the first name on the team sheet – but not at wing-back!

Cesar Azpilicueta as we all know is a brilliant defender and will always be one of the first names on the team sheet, but as a wing-back it’s not going to work.

He does not have that particular type of ability, and Victor Moses, although not be a world beater does have that. Conte needs to find someone to compete with Moses as he is currently doing with Marcos Alonso, in trying to acquire Sandro.

I think Alonso did very well all round. Nemanja Matic can go to Man United he won’t even be their first choice defensive midfielder – Conte knows what he is doing by getting rid of him. Rather reap that £40m for a player in decline, even though he may yet recover his first year form at some point. Just not consistent enough.

notnice

Interesting observations guys. I must admit that I like a defender to defend first and attack second but in this day and age they are expected to do both.

That is why I am more watching the right hand side as I am of the opinion that Moses did not finish the season as strongly as he started and rather than replace Alonso, it was Moses who was my expected change

With us reportedly looking at more centre-backs and with Andreas Christensen lurking in the wings (I am reading Zouma goes on loan), I was wondering where Azpilicueta would fit into the picture. I can only see him as the direct replacement/challenger for the right wing-back role

He is a great defender so that meets my criteria but he will have to improve his attacking capabilities as well. However, seeing as he has shown how adaptable his game is, I am expecting that this aspect should improve quite easily. That move would certainly save a lot of money going by the fee linked with Sandro.

CFC1905

I’d take the Aguero/Sanchez swap deal – if Alexis wants to leave

Sergio Aguero and Alexis Sanchez: Go head to head on Monday night

I’m really not sure if it’s just innuendo or not,but would anyone swap Alexis Sanchez for Sergio Aguero? It would come with one stipulation for me, and that’s if Sanchez wants to leave, then it’s a no brainer and I’d take it.

In a way it would be a great deal if that’s the case because Arsenal will be getting the best ever goal to game ratio striker in Premier League history. I don’t want to Sanchez to go,but with a year left on his contract I’d rather take someone of equal quality than for Sanchez to leave for nothing next summer and be left looking at replacements for both positions.

I’d take the swap if Sanchez wants out and replace him with Mahrez with Aguero up front. It’s not bad is it.

Steve68

The question is would Aguero join a team who can’t keep their best players? In general if Sanchez leaves what message would that actually send? I think that message would hit us harder than us missing out on the Champions League.

Why would Aguero agree to taking a step down? Yes we have a history as a club but in terms of making the team improve we are a step down in terms of ambition and showing that we want to go for the title.

We say we have ambitions but what we do in the market is proof that we don’t have that. So our mentality within the club would be a step down for Aguero. I hate to think this but it has become a reality under Arsene Wenger and Stan Kroenke.

muffler_1

Arsenal fan reminisces over old songs

Arsene Wenger: Arsenal future still up in the air

There’s only one Arsene Wenger? ?

I personally liked Boom Boom let everybody say Keown, Keown! – should have been sung more.

We’ve got Slyvinho, you’ve got our stereo (sung at Anfield) made me laugh and Freddie’s was good: We love you Freddie, cos you got red (later no) hair, we love Freddie cos you’re everywhere, we love you Freddie, cos you’re arsenal through and through.

I really liked when all of Highbury shouted Nigel Winterburn, Nigel Winterburn over and over again – the simplicity was brilliant. Though I’m with others Petit’s is probably the best.

fatmop