After Can flukes a worldy it looks like all Premier League positions from 1 to 20 are now glued in place
so our thoughts turn to Europe
The two Madrids cabeza a cabeza tonight at the Santiago Bernabéu
The glamour tie of the round tomorrow as Juventus make the slightly longer yet still relatively short trip to Monaco for another shut-out as Chiellini/Buffon/Bonucci once again prove themselves to be the greatest defensive combo that ever walked the earth
Mourinho gets his shot at Celta Vigo on Thursday as he still has his sights firmly set on the treble
We even have a Premier League grudge match on Friday as peoples’ favourites Spurs take the short walk to the Taxpayers’ Stadium for the big London Derby
Also, I posted it in the other thread but just looking at the Premier League table this morning
only 3 points between 9th & 16th - where that 9th place team are in the running for Europe & that 16th place team are fighting to avoid relegation
best league in the world etc.
There’s a lot of shit in there - could see a couple of the Championship promoted sides finishing next season in the Europa League places without even having to spend too much
Subthread;
who deserves to stay up from the squads of the relegated teams? Anyone from Sunderland who’d be punching above their weight in the Championship? Anyone from Boro or Hull who would be a must-buy if they dropped? There’s a couple of obvious choices at Swansea you’d have thought, if they were to go. Come on premier league vultures who’s your carcass pick?
Pickford genuinely looks like he’s got a chance of making it at the very top. When I saw him a few weeks back at Vicarage Road, he really impressed on two counts. Firstly, he showed really strong hands when pushing the ball away from goal and secondly his distribution with his feet was outstanding.
Walter Mazzari said after the game he’s never seen a goalkeeper as good as Pickford with his feet - and he’s certainly seen many better keepers than I have.
He’d be a good signing for someone like Everton who clearly need a keeper, yet won’t be fighting relegation. Hope he doesn’t go to one of the top sides where he’s just going to end up on the bench.
Yeah, true… I’d like to see him at someone like Everton for a couple of years first rather than being plunged straight into the pressure cooker at City / United though. That sort of move has proven a bit of a career killer for a number of English keepers over the years (Chris Kirkland, Richard Wright, Scott Carson, Ben Foster etc). That said, if it did happen and Pickford managed to make the step-up, I’d be delighted to see that happen.
Obviously a fitting end for United’s season would be to draw both legs of this tie, go through on a single away goal, then lose the final on penalties following a goalless game. So that’s what I’m predicting.
regardless of how much of a nob luke shaw probably is, his treatment is starting to look like typical mourinho workplace bullying now. if you don’t like him just drop him or sell him, it’s not hard
Don’t want to blood another young keeper. Someone experienced, solid and unspectacular please. A Van Der Sar equivalent (Christ knows who that would be though)
Think Pickford will be found out at a big club. Does the Hollywood saves but let’s in a few that you’d expect a top keeper to save, particularly shots angled across him.
Keepers who look good when kept constantly busy but struggle with the concentration/pressure levels of only being called into action a few times a match at a big club are a very prevalent breed. Pickford could very easily be one of them tbf, big risk to find out.
Well, before he sells him he might as well try and get what he wants out of him. This is his technique. He wants a player who stays fit and doesn’t walk off the pitch when he could play on. I remember Klopp getting some stick for saying something similar about Sturridge, but there’s surely some truth in it when it comes to certain players.
I guess Mourinho has seen no response from Shaw from dressing him down in private, so he goes public to get a response. While it’s a management style that will definitely not work on everyone and clearly creates tensions within squads, it also has clear successes - like Mourinho calling Ozil a coward and later probably getting the best out of him we’ve seen.
That Ian Wright racism incident is obviously the main thing. Loads of rumours that he was an arsehole to teammates throughout his career as well (there was that Roy Keane fight also but Keane isn’t exactly an angel innit)
In a much pettier stance he can fuck off for joining City and cartwheeling in front of the Utd fans as well.
