It was more clear cut that the one in the reverse fixture.
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Giving these arguments air allows them a false sense of validity. Its why so many fans are so confused over what the rules are. Their player made a wild challenge that made it impossible for the player in possession to retain possession. That is a foul regardless of how well Nunez managed to avoid being wacked by a wild swinging leg
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I assume Silva and Cairney will be getting done by the FA.
For a person who didn’t think it was penalty he sure reacted quick enough to give it.
They can fuck off, bored of this already.
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Just want to add my tuppence to the above, about the blend up front.
In time I see a front three of:
Nunez Gakpo Diaz
Mo Salah is obviously the most reliable goalscorer, so he plays, but how long that lasts for is anyone’s guess. I half suspect that Mo might be open to a move this summer, if we do not have CL football. At his age and stage of career, he either sees out his best years with us, or he has one main move left, before whatever minor move/s come at the tail end of his career.
I am not pushing him out the door, in case anyone gets the wrong idea!
But if a suitable offer came in, it should be considered. We would obviously add another striker with the money, probably another wide forward, fast and flexible like Diaby.
Still, Nunez hasn’t been firing on all cylinders yet. The reasons are numerous. Adjustment to a new country, league and culture. People do it at different speeds. Adjustment to a new language. Getting a ban early on. Finding form and then the World Cup falling mid season. Starting up again, only now with Gakpo integrating too. Cutting his foot and missing out. Losing some form and rightly being benched as others are doing better…
So there’s a list of reasons.
But I think he has a lot of attributes to do a lot of damage for us. And in time, I see a front three emerging:
Nunez Gakpo Diaz
With Jota able to rotate in at a high level, and Diaby too. Not to mention the fun we will have seeing how far Ben Doak might progress.
Do not forsee any problems at all over Nuñez. He’ll be fine next season. He’s had a good enough 1st season.
I love that we have a quality forward line, including the subs. Gakpo, Nuñez, Díaz, Jota, Salah, Doak, Gordon - What’s not to like. People looking for problems where there aren’t any.
There’s some hard to please people on here. Stevie G used to irritate you, Trent does now? Playing the killer pass too often? Wow, it’s what made/makes them great. I loved/love watching them. It was/is a privilage.
Love having Trent and Curtis two Scousers in our team as well. If Curtis can stay fit, he won’t shifted easily.
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Have seen this crop up a few times. This is Mo’s worst season for us and he’s still got twice as many goals and assists than anyone else. I wouldn’t consider selling him
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Is it still the case? Thought he overtook the previous worst in terms of goalscoring now…
The mods must be on holiday 2 prematch threads open at the same time.
They must already be on their holidays…
Gone to Brighton?
I get that. He is our most reliable scorer of goals. I will be happy if we keep him.
Still, to play devils advocate for a second, Mo is getting older and past performance is no guarantee of future success. While he is still banging in the goals he is still a very desirable player for other clubs, who will pay good money and take on his wages e.g. PSG. Just speculation from me.
Also, the comp should be goals across the forward line, not just Mo’s goals.
It is far from proven, but if the main trio up front next season is Nunez, Gakpo and Diaz, I think they will all score. Nunez will take on more of a goalscoring role after a bedding in period. Diaz will be fit and firing next season and will score goals too. And Gakpo, after half a season where he has looked pretty good, will score as well.
I’m not sure if in the hypothetical first season as a trio next year, that any of them will individually score as many goals as Mo this season (Nunez might) but together there should be plenty of goals.
I would also add Jota and say, Diaby, so we are looking at goals across the group of five strikers.
All I’m saying is Mo is great, and if he stays, I’m happy with that. But if a suitable offer for Mo comes in, I can see how a new thing could emerge, and I would consider the offer.
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I wouldn’t. Mo is a guarantee of goals and assists. There’s no guarantee of replacing that no matter how much we get for him. I don’t get excited at the thought of £100m or whatever coming into the bank. Would rather keep a player that we love, and who loves the club (and is extremely low maintenance compared to other elite players).
Obviously the time will come when his numbers drop and he starts getting injuries etc, but think we’re a good few years away from that
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We have 3 world class players (arguably).
VVD just past the mark.
TAA almost there…
We have 3. Mo, Thiago, Allison.
There are people who would sell 2 out of that 3.
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I think you are responding to my post.
Giving away possession easily attempting to make the killer pass so often does bug me. It can lead to players being caught out position, fouls resulting in booking or sending off and conceding goals. Knowing when to make these passes is what elevates players to a different level. Give me an Alonso style midfielder over any other every day.
And it’s nothing to do with pleasing me or anyone else. What’s best for the team at a particular moment is what is important.
You love watching possession being given away unnecessarily good for you.
If van Dijk is past being world class then I don’t know how you can still Thiago as being so? I guess it depends on your definition of ‘world class’ but I’ve always took that as someone who wpuld he in consideration for a “World XI”. Thiago is nowhere near that anymore whereas van Dijk probably still is.
Main problem Thiago is facing is where does he fit when everyone is healthy? Jones is massovely outperforming him currently because he brings an energy and pressing quality that Thiago can’t and without that the midfield doesn’t appear to work, so LCM might be out. He’s played DM a couple of times off the bench recently and been abysmal.
He’s a quality player with a very broad skillset, and been our best midfielder for the last two seasons, but suddenly he finds himself looking in from the outside with no obvious place in the system, playing poorly and rarely fit.
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I hear what you are saying, often I think it does not always have to be the deciding pass. He can look at Ødegaard how to do that, sometimes simply if the deciding pass is too risky but at the right moment …
He is still young, I hope it comes with getting older and more experienced knowing when and when not.
I’d suggest that part of the reason for that is that Jonesy is actually fit. I hope that he is past his dodgy spell with injuries as I think he is someone who could be a backbone to the squad for years.
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Odegaard has given away the ball two or three times in the last few games that have directly led to goals - and them losing the league. Meanwhile Trent’s move to CM has seen him collect 6 assists in 6 games and us win 5 of them, while coming back from 2-0 down against Odegaard’s team to draw.
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Noting in your post contradicts what I was saying.
It wouldn’t even cross anyone’s minds if we had owners who backed the club, we’ve sold world class players in the past before for obscene amounts which benefitted the team massively in the recent success haul we’ve been on.