Mcfaggen

Klopp basically walked of on the BBC website when he asked the journo if he thought it was a Red & the best the journo could come up with was 'seen them given'.

I am hoping that Real Madrid sack Zidane and go for him heavily. I reckon he'd be more than interested. I suspect this needs to happen quickly though, as Ole might not last long either.

Well, that it was necessary... agree they're good things, if they have the desired effect & the rules aren't bypassed in some other way.

FIFA introduce a fee cap on agent fees and a restrictions on loans: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49831235 We paid out quite a bit on Agent Fees on last available figures, and a loan cap would potentially hit Chelsea's Farm?

"... and Richarlison has gone down very easily there..."

At the time, I fully agreed, but in hindsight, the free kick benefited us as it allowed us to break the game up a bit more, no?

Fair enough. Yes, not expecting much against the Dutch, particularly away. Maybe do a shut up shop job out there, but at the least we'll make them work for it. We can still qualify through the play offs, so not slagging the process off too much yet! It's obviously crazy all the same.

I never admitted to being unbiased! Yeah, they probably deserved the win, just not sure they deserved it by two. Next up the Dutch... away. Make or break time.

Last night at the final whistle, Emre Can made a beeline for the changing rooms at the full time whistle. A member of the German staff and Low had a good ten second conversation with him, including physically barring him (as in standing in his way and putting hands on him to turn him around) from going on. He was sent to applaud the away support with the rest of the team / squad. We gave them a game. 2-0 flattered them perhaps a little. We possibly had the three clearest chances of the match. Oh for a goalscorer. The German back four are a bit ordinary and Neuer is as ballsy/mad with the ball at his feet as he ever was. Don't think they're winning the Euros with that squad to be honest.

I believe there are some rules around kits that teams wear based on colour blindness of viewers on TV. I've only heard of them in relation to international football though, so can't say exactly if the FA / PL have similar.

From the Telegraph's Football Nerd (no I don't know either): Jose Mourinho insisted throughout his time as Manchester United manager that the quickest, easiest and most effective solution to their defensive problems was to spend big on an established centre-back. After half a season of trying to change things with the same group of players, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gave up over the summer and convinced the club's hierarchy to splash out to the tune of £85m on Harry Maguire. Following the 4-0 thrashing of Chelsea on the opening weekend of the season, conclusions were being jumped to about Maguire leading United into a new dawn. He had brought calm, assurance and leadership to an otherwise lost defence in that win, but since then it has been very much back to the United of old. Indeed, the honeymoon period that Solskjaer initially enjoyed is now long forgotten, and United's defensive record remains a particular concern. Over the 15 games since the goalless draw with Liverpool on 24 Feburary, United have kept just the one, solitary clean sheet - that coming against Chelsea at the start of this season. That leaves 14 other games in which they have conceded at least once - and in half of those at least two goals have been shipped. Familiar defensive frailties were exposed by Crystal Palace last week as United fell to a desperately disappointing home defeat. United had 22 shots and scored once. Palace had just 29 per cent possession, managed just five shots all game and scored twice. Of the 17 Premier League teams that were in the top flight last season and still are this, only struggling Watford have kept fewer clean sheets over the past 15 rounds of matches. Incredibly, United have the same number of Premier League clean sheets since February as newly-promoted teams Aston Villa and Sheffield United. So what hope for United going forwards? Maguire may well steady the ship eventually, but they face a tough game in Saturday's lunchtime kick-off against a Southampton side who have scored in each of their last 15 home Premier League games. United's poor recent record suggests there is something more fundamentally wrong than the oversimple assumption a sizeable force like Maguire could plug the gap. To realise their top four ambitions, Solskjaer needs to make significant improvements - and fast.

Yes, though that was a first round draw, so it's hard to read too much in to it. My Dad skipped school in Enniskillen to go to that game though, so it was a big deal for the whole province. I believe that to be the case, yes.

I've a friend who is a Spurs ST holder, and every time he goes to a game at WHL now, he spends hours in the ground before the game at the bars there. He's very complimentary about it all too, with queue times not big even when it feels busy. They've changed the approach for many football goers. Regular & OOT's. I could well be wrong, and I accept that I'm no expert. I think the Concert angle is also a part of their thinking. They've got the few on trial at the moment, but they'll clearly want more and the ARE will provide the necessary access etc. so perhaps that wasn't properly on the original submission?

Dunno, a full park the bus job with two goals to defend, might just have been enough. Will never know now. Single goal will win it and I can't see Linfield offering much in the weather forecasted for next Wednesday in Baku. But yes, outrageous result. Linfield got to an European Cup QF in the 60's and Glentoran to a UEFA Cup QF in the 70's so you're probably going that far back?

Finished 3-2 with a penalty given away in a horrendous decision by the defender to hack a player down in the 92nd minute with only a minute of stoppage time to go. Amazing result, but you'd feel that second goal will be the difference when the second leg gets played in 25 degrees of heat next week.

Wasn't it! Ref let it go a bit maybe, but fair play.

I get it, but I believe that yes we can continue to sell tickets at those prices. I reckon that the demand is that big.

Game is being shown on the BBCNI website if you're really bored.

Linfield (of the Irish League) are 2-1 at home to Qarabag (Azerbaijani) in the play off round for the Europa League. It'll ultimately end in tears for them but that's a remarkable achievement for them already. Already lifted £1.3m in european prize money this summer, which is huge money for the Irish League. If they actually qualified they'll lift millions more (£3-4m I believe). I'm not sure they're all full time players either, so would be an incredible result for them (and the Irish League).

Aren't they on record as saying nothing will be confirmed until the Training Ground is done? That's due for handover in March next year I believe. So numbers will get crunched early next year you'd imagine & probably something announced middle to autumn 2020. If they copied the Main Stand design & put it at the ARE end (narrowed to suit and end of pitch stand) I just can't imagine the demand won't be there for the Corp stuff in the middle deck. FSG were apparently shocked to have underestimated the level of interest when they took over and we've raised the playing side performance since then, so it's probably blowing their minds at this point. Some additional Season Ticket stuff, some additional General Admission stuff, away supporters sure, but it just seems win-win all around. It might not pay itself off as quickly as the Main, sure, but in terms of finance it will, and in terms of PR it'll only be good. And if it ups the capacity to 63K all teh better?

It was almost like he didn't see him... that's basic, very basic.

What kind of contract have we got Adrian on that his first instinct after winning a trophy for the club is go & get his towel?!

If Jurgen wants the cunt, I’m on board.

I think we like to have our business done early given the rigours of how we play, so a pre-season is important. If the player doesn't get one, then they'll be broken in slowly to the squad. So even if we do sign someone with First XI or Bench/Rotation in mind, they'll likely not be getting many minutes in the first half of the season. Copa America / AFCON / Gold Cup may all have had a delaying impact on getting business done too I suppose?

Wasn't intended as a dig (nor would I expect a reaction on here of all places), just the first game that popped into my head. We beat Spain a year or two after, also in early September. We lost to Iceland a year or two before that as well (might even have been late August).