dave u

Darwin and Mo to run wild and at full time me and Code will be like...

1 hour ago, sir roger said:

Don't like the overwhelming sense on here that we only have to turn up to win.

Very, very rare in my long lifetime that we have strolled to victory at Old Trafford.

Very, very rare in your long lifetime that they've been as shit as this (and injury ravaged too) though. We have to do more than turn up to win, but not too much more.We'd have to be pretty shit to not win this. Which is possible of course, I just think it's unlikely.

Him sayING Slobozlai all the time is incredibly irritatING.

Yeah nothing's been said about Scanlon and until a week or two ago he was in all the training videos, but on the Inside Anfield from the City game I saw him on crutches at the end of the game. 

JB handled that like a pro. I thought I might break him with "Ben Doak" but he soldiered on. He even powered through when I brought Callum Scanlon into it. Fair play.

All good mate, like I say I only saw the snippet of Walker talking about the ref so that's why I felt a lot differently about it than you did, as you had the context of his Academy stuff and the reason he was doing the interview in the first place, so it will have felt different to you watching the whole thing. I have more of a problem with SSN asking the question than him answering it (and then putting it out as a snippet to generate engagement, which it did, massively!). Walker defo knows what he's doing but it's just smart from him really and he's gained further favour with his boy "Mike" no doubt.

I agree with you about the picking our battles with refs and I've said repeatedly on the pod and in the match reports that it's really hard for refs on the pitch. It's rare I go off on one about the on pitch ref (I've even defended Tierney at times!) and I give them a lot of leeway in general as they only get one look at an incident and it's really difficult. My problem is mostly when VAR is getting things wrong as they have every advantage available to them and there's no excuse.

The ones taking money from UAE is a whole different story though and it needs highlighting as much as possible. Not that a few dickheads on a pod are going to make a difference like, it has to be done on a national level.

My issue isn't about refs being "useless twats" and it's not my job to be "productive in regards to how the process of refereeing/operating VAR can be improved" (even though we have offered plenty of thoughts on that throughout the season on the pod). If you want know how I think it can be improved though, well between us we've covered that on the pod before but from my own point of view I'd say sack Howard Webb and then ban refs from taking side gigs where they are being paid by the chairman of clubs who they are then officiating. That would be a good start.

It's not just Keys saying that about Oliver either, it's been doing the rounds for a while, Keys is just the most high profile 'voice' to state it. Just because the source is an absolute cunt doesn't mean it can't be true and he and Gray will definitely have contacts either in or connected to PGMOL. It's not that big a leap to think that might be true, especially as is nothing to contradict it. No-one has sent Oliver to the screen since he stuck with his on field decision early LAST season (18 months ago). In light of what happened on Sunday I thought it was worth mentioning.

Why would I possibly give Michael Oliver any benefit of the doubt after he took Al Mubarek's money and within a couple of weeks of it we had the Kovacic debacle and him plucking a penalty out of thin air for City when he was VAR in the manc derby?

The Kyle Walker thing, fair enough he's doing the interview to promote something. I didn't know that but it would only change what I said about it slightly. Conducting an interview with him is obviously not unprofessional, but airing all that stuff about "Mike" absolutely was. It's unethical from sky to have him defend a referee who has been giving them beneficial decisions in big games. So yeah, I think that is unprofessional, lowest common denominator clickbait from SSN. Bigging up a ref on national TV can be seen to be trying to influence him. How do you think Oliver felt when he saw that? And do you think it could potentially impact on a future decision he makes when Walker is involved? Not that he needs much influencing.

If you don't want to hear "conspiracy theories" about Oliver then the national media is your best bet because for some reason there's no mention of his little jollies to U.A.E. anywhere. It's almost like it never happened. 

Personally I think everyone should be yelling that from the rooftops until a stop is put to it. Presumably you don't see anything wrong with it though as you seem to have more of an issue with me mentioning it than Oliver doing it!

On 12/03/2024 at 20:02, Code said:

The one and only answer is the manager with 36 games played so far this season in all competions and no losses, and only with a net spend of €12.6m in the summer. 
 

 

It's the biggest no brainer of all time. Ticks every single box. Has a team punching well above its weight because of his coaching excellence, didn't need to spend money to achieve it and his team has the same never give up mentality that ours has. 

The fact he played for us is just an added bonus but even if he hadn't he'd still be the most obvious choice by a mile.

1 hour ago, Barrington Womble said:

We don't know the whole story. I wish the lad would shut the fuck up, he's embarrassing himself. 

 

https://www.90min.com/posts/jordan-henderson-moving-saudi-arabia-mistake?utm_source=fotmob&utm_medium=share

We know enough. He's a tit.

2 hours ago, HazelyCosmicJove said:

Also Kung Fu Doku appears to have both feet off the ground at the time of the alleged non-offence which no-one seems bothered by. Surely as "out of control" as you can get? Unless he also has the wings of an angel of course.

Looks like the ball hits his hand as well. Which would be in an unnatural position if he wasn't executing a Karate Kid 'Crane Kick'.

14 hours ago, Paul said:

These Tory cunts will deport him soon enough. 

Nah he's got money, he'll be sound.

17 minutes ago, Jamie H said:

Arsenal's goal difference is a worry, don't think we can get a 7 goal swing in the remaining games tbh.

We could get that in one game if we put our minds to it. With Salah back up there with Darwin, and Diaz running right into form, we could absolutely demolish someone.

2 hours ago, NoelM said:

"Not today, son."

On 10/03/2024 at 19:19, Barrington Womble said:

What did klopp say? I thought he really struggled 1st half, especially when they were moving the ball quickly early on. Had a cracking 2nd half though. 

The 442 video explained this in detail and showed how our tactical change early in the first half helped Endo and swung the game in our favour. basically said in the beginning he had no chance as he was having to cover De Bruyne and Bernardo, but then we cut off the supply to them (by pushing two players up onto Rodri and Stones) and he was then able to do his thing and dominate the midfield.

That's interesting from Keys because as much as he's a fucking dickhead, he will have contacts that told him about Oliver and his antics.

Some might say that's down to his ego, but what if it's more sinister? What if it's him wanting to influence games and not wanting his colleagues getting in the way? It's incredible that a ref is kicking off about being sent to a monitor by colleagues who have the benefit of replays, angles and slo mo's that he doesn't have. It's suspicious as hell too.

The more I watch City's goal the more I think something needs to be done about blocking at corners. I'm not saying it should have been disallowed as it happens all the time, but I think it needs looking at for future reference. Standing your ground and blocking someone off is fine, but Ake basically acted like an offensive lineman clearing a space for his running back. People said Macca needed to be stronger, but he's an undersized midfielder being shoved out of the way by a centre back who has no interest in the ball, only in stopping Macca from getting to the near post. If this is seen as ok then there should be a free for all and we may as well hire NFL offensive line coaches to teach players how to block.

I'd need to see your workings out on that to come to such a specific number!

I just can't get on board with ripping Diaz after the performance he put in. And Mo should have done better with the chance when Diaz played him in, as that right footed shot was weak as fuck.

He's like a slightly less reckless, considerably more ugly Pickford.

1 minute ago, Code said:

«Ireola has the same agent as Xavi, which might be useful but probably means nothing.»

 

I’ll let you off the hook by the fact V and B are together on the keyboard. 
 

 

 

Appreciate that mate.

Ten games left and we'll win nine of them. Maybe ten, but we might draw somewhere. Spurs at home might be trickier than people think because of how they counter attack, but equally if we're on it that day we could fucking batter them with their high line. This team looks like it's on a mission and won't be denied and Klopp is ridiculously calm and seems to be enjoying himself like never before.  

3 hours ago, Barrington Womble said:

At 100m I'd let him go too. I'm not very sure Barcelona have 60m or 100m though. I wouldn't take 60m for him, unless we knew we had an absolute banker to replace him. At 100m, I think it's a.different discussion. 

Agree with this, also agree that Barca don't have anything like that kind of money.

30 minutes ago, Code said:

His decision making is awful, and there is no excuse for not getting the winner on Sunday when Salah set him up. 

On Sunday Salah's decision making was awful and there is no excuse for not getting the winner when Diaz set him up.

I can play the unfair blame game too.

I love how since the kidnapping Diaz's arl fella seems to have just moved over here full time now and spends every day wearing his lad's shirt and just dancing and enjoying himself. 

2 hours ago, The wanderer said:

Fuckin right , its absolute bullshit. Anywhere else on the pitch it’s a free kick but the bar is higher in the box , total bollox. There’s even a piece in the Athletic where the writer suggest that although Darwin was fouled , a penalty is perhaps too harsh a reward !! FFS it’s called the penalty box for a reason.

Chin stroking at its worst.