Ronnie Whelan

The problem for them is that for any of their supporters over their late 20s, they are used to them winning titles pretty much every season. Like us, the bigger you are, the harder you fall. If you asked me in 1990, how many titles we would have in 2024, I'd have said at least 28 but I'd have been confident we'd have 30+ titles and that would have been me thinking that the good times were bound to slow down a bit eventually. I also would have had Everton winning a few titles and would have thought the Mancs might have won one or two, but wouldn't have put money on it in respect of them. It's 11 years and counting and that clocks weighs down heavier as we know so well. Fact is they are a huge club but modern players care little about their past glories. If they're in with a chance of titles, they'll attract the right kind of player. They aren't so they have to take punts on lads, or have bought elite players like Varane or Casemiro, who both left Real (the real biggest club in the world) for the dosh as they are on the way down. Let's be honest, they aren't leaving a city like Madrid, playing under Ancelloti and playing for Real for the right reasons. Their fans are a gigantic part of the problem.

Really good defender. He seems like a good egg too. Being honest, we look terrific in defence this season and with Robbo and Kostas back soon, it's really encouraging. Pity about Big Bird but the others are stepping up.

If you read most forums, bar this one, you would think 95 percent of football fans are knobheads. Maybe, it's people feel empowered behind a computer to say things they wouldn't normally or the shit "banter" culture is taking over more and more. Think the one upmanship shit is a disease across the board but Arsenal fans are among the worst from what I can see. There was a mutual big club respect with them in the past, but especially in that period when we are chasing a title after say 20 plus years, they seemed to take a sociopathic delight in us falling short.

Arsenal fans were okay back in the late 70s and 80s when I lived in London. Possibly the soundest just ahead of Spurs. Back then, they had a proper working class support from North London. A lot of them were of Irish descent and you saw a lot more Black faces on the North Bank than other London grounds. Chelsea were always horrible and West Ham weren't that much better. Spurs fans weren't too bad in fairness and they had players I always liked watching. The times I couldn't make it back to see us, it was great watching players like Brady and Hoddle. It was a different era, so Jimmy from a council flat has been replaced by Joshua from the Home Counties. To be fair, I've had a good natter with Mancs of my age and I can relate to them about the football. I reckon it would generally be the same with most fan bases. I think social media has done more damage to fan relations than hooliganism. I go into a pub full of Arsenal fans and chances are most will be okay and a lot sound. I go on one of their forums and it's scousers this scousers that bla bla bla

So right. Maguire is actually a slightly above average defender for teams that are set up for his strengths. Put it like this, Ten Haag's style does him no favours, whereas a Dyche would have him looking pretty good. McTomminay has been their best player. Again, a very un-Ten Haag player which just shows how Ten Haag hasn't been able to put his identity on them at all. To be fair, plenty of managers across the league like Dyche, the fella at Bournemouth and many more have put a stamp on their teams in a relatively short period of time. He has shown he hasn't done that and he can hide behind Neville and their fans wanting to have pops at the Glazers. He's a poor man's Moyesie from what I can see.

Happy that if we win today there is a bit of distance between us and Arsenal. Personally think they are a very good team. I think Arteta is a knobhead but credit where it's due, he is a very decent manager. City will be much better second half of the season but they aren't what they were previously and I do think they will drop a good few points rather than do something like win 17 or so games. The ideal thing is if they go far in the Cup and get tough draws domesically and in Europe (yeah I know). My concern is that unlike in seasons where we got huge points totals, I think we are liable to draw at places like West Ham or even Fulham. I just hope that isn't our achilles heel.

He's great that fella. I never knew it could be possible to find one of those orcs actually intentionally funny but he makes me laugh. Seems like a good egg and making a few quid for himself so good luck to him.

Yosser Hughes over here

That's the thing Serie A did the right thing even though relegating a brilliant Juve team was bad for their brand. To be fair, Rangers being fucked down a few leagues wouldn't have been good for any of their top division clubs either. Furthermore, here I've no doubt the government won't want the Emiratis or Saudis upset. They're worth too much.

No Collina was a world class ref compared to our gobshites and they relegated Juve for corruption. Yet, our authorities, a lot of fans here and a large segment of journalists would see the Premier League as morally superior to leagues like Serie A. It's laughable.

This is the kind of shite that the Rule Brittania Middle Ingerlund "British fair play" gobshites would mock the Italians for. The same country that had Collina and relegated Juve for corruption. City are a great side, but like Ferguson's Mancs they will get all the marginal decisions.

Same with me last night. Kostas first off the bench for me. He was saying as well his grandfather was at the Red Mancs in the 60s or 70s and small injuries stopped him breaking through - the type of injuries that Ferguson has been picking up. I think it was the type of injuries that if aren't managed in the late teens will lead to ongoing issues. Shows you how much research these clubs do. Brighton are probably better able to manage someone like Ferguson than most because they'll finish anywhere from 6th-9th imo. Not chasing trophies and not in the relegation dogfight. I wonder with Owen and Fowler if they were better managed would they have had longer careers like say Shearer.

I listened to the Brighton chairman on the radio a few weeks ago talking about Ferguson. Basically said that they will manage his minutes because he is going to be a huge investment for them in the years ahead. Very well run club I must say.

I think Ferguson will be an outstanding player- serious Alan Shearer vibes off him, but he's just gone 19 and I think he would be better served having another year or two at Brighton. An agreement to sign him in 2025 with Brighton next summer and loan him out for the year could be a shrewd move though. He seems like a level headed lad, but the expectations of playing here may be too much right now. I heard Shearer saying that was why Blackburn was perfect for him rather than joining one of the bigger clubs. I think Watkins is really good as well. Ferguson has a far higher ceiling, but right now, Watkins is the better player imo. Bowen is top class. I think he is definitely good enough to play in a title chasing side. If we sold Mo, we could get him and maybe have a bit of change left over. I like a good few lads at Brighton, Villa and West Ham to be honest. That Kudus is very good and I really like Paqueta. McGinn is a very good player too. No point talking about Livramento because he ain't coming here. He'll be part of a Newcastle title chasing team in a few years unfortulately. Excellent prospect. Ideally we get a top young centre half this summer though - well ideally in January.

I'd be happy if the next generation played it rather than being hung up on teams. The likes of me came of age in a different era, but whereas back then the owners were very wealthy, now they are billionaires, whereas back then the players were very comfortable, now they live a different life. The players were accessible. I love Jurgen and to be fair our players seem like a good bunch, but the poverty around Anfield is so striking. All around the country it's the same. I lose sleep thinking of us but that's just force of habit and civic pride in our great club representing the city I love. If I was 18 now, I do think I'd be a Liverpool fan, but without going to the games every week - including going to Goodison the weeks we were playing too far away from home, and being in big groups with mates and having a laugh, hard to see where the passion comes from. Especially when our next owners are probably sportswashing bastards from the middle east.

Right, here's a challenge for you all. Given how the Mancs love to feed us every Christmas, I think it's only right that we return the charity to them. Pick two players from the 80s team and two from the 90s (at their current age) to go 7 currrent players for the Manc game on Sunday. A lot of our 80s stalwarts played in the 90s so they can count in either era. It might make it more of a contest and it would be interesting seeing what teams we get. I really like Nunez but I can tell you Rushy is one of my wild card picks. Even at 61 or 62, I reckon he could score two on Sunday.

Proper aways there but would probably prefer to avoid Galatasaray. Nice jaunts to nearby countries would be easier on the lads. Sorry, had it in my head that Villa were in the Europa. Good news they aren't.

A Liverpool - AC Milan final would be great. Anyhow, we need to earn our place there. We're the most talented by a distance and Dublin will be like Anfield West if we get there, but plenty of teams still involved that can hurt us. Fuck Newcastle. Never got the whole so called solidarity with them. I always found them full of agro, although I did like them under Keegan and felt it would have been romantic if they won the league then, especially for that old boy who used to be at the games. Fuck them now though and good news we have one less "derby" in Europe to think about come February when we are hopefully in a real title race.

The only English team I wouldn't mind meeting in the final is Brighton. They wouldn't bring a massive following like say possibly Newcastle, Villa or West Ham. There could be aggro with any of those three and while Dublin would be mental anyway, we want it to be nice mental. Ideally, we get a German team. Proper fans generally and could be a good laugh.

Maguire because he's a fucking oompa loompa and Shaw and Fernandes because they are snides (especially Fernandes) are good to not be playing - if we were more than two up, they would resort to hurting our lads. Wouldn't be much fun missing two or three for Arsenal. McTomminay is always a snide who gets away with a lot so he is one to watch. Got to be honest and in a way it's hillarious. He is by far their best player and my sense is that he is the most un-Ten Haag player ever. It shows you that Ten Haag hasn't been able to implement his footballing culture at all. As much as I'd love to anhilate them, I'd take 3 points and no injuries and march on for the Arsenal game. As low as the blueshite have been, I always was the same and Prickford's assault on Virgil shows how these games can massively impact and derail a season through injuries.

Thiago over here.

I know City won, but in the years we lost the league by a point, today would have been a day they blitzed Luton and ate into the goal difference.

He's a good manager Dyche in fairness. Makes someone like Ten Haag look like a gobshite. Came in, kept them up. This season has them getting good results.

I am available to play as well. I can play in any position. No job too big no job too small.

Few points from tonight: Dyche is a very decent manager. He will do well for the Blueshite. Bowen is terrific. In fact, West Ham have a few players I like. Spurs are maybe the second most unlikeable bunch of players after United in the league. I mean City have a few absolute twats but you can somewhat accept them because they are winners. Arteta is probably the least likeable manager in the league with Howe not too far behind - I'd actually have Ten Haag as being a bigger twat than Pep because he seems a complete weapon to take the bronze. Actually twat eleven would be a good threat for Stig to start.