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Him and Canavan are the two most naturally gifted forwards I have ever seen. Everything seemed to come so easy for both of them. Probably couldn't take another year of the muck that Football has become.

Spot on.  Unfortunately they are now classed as forwards from a different era and kids today are unlikely to get to see their like again due to the current "systems".

Thanks for the memories Gooch

Shaw was a waste of money. Never understood why anyone was considering spending millions on him, he didn't stand out for me on that Southampton side.

Given United's recent failures to develop players, it could be argued (without wummery) that he picked the wrong club.

Leave aside De Gea. Who was the last player to join United, or rise through the ranks at United, and clearly improve as a player (or even largely fulfil their talent)?

Would we have to go back as far as Carrick or Ronaldo?

You might think I'm on a wind up. But there should only be 2-3 clubs in the world (if any at all) that are a step up from United, and (De Gea apart) it's a long time since a United player caught the eyes of those chairmen.

Valencia. Although admittedly I can't think of any post Fergie

Thought Robles couldn't do much about either of the goals...maybe the 3rd but he guessed it was going to Firmino. I didn't expect Origi to hit it then.

Handy enough game in the end, some awful tackles from everton...ironically it was the accidental collision between MAne and Baines that had this most effect

Might be being harsh on him but I thought he was caught on his heels for all 3 goals.  Down the other end Mignolets save on the deflected effort was important today.  Would have brought Everton back into it

As an aside Jamie Redknapp is brutal as an analyst. How many times does he say  "do you agree Gary"

An easy and comfortable afternoon at Anfield. Liverpool by far the better team without even playing that well themselves.
The last 20mins was like a pre season friendly ffs.
Was Lukaku even playing or have they already sold him to a big club?
Strange on the week that their captain suffers a horrendous injury that Everton players spent the afternoon trying to do the same to Liverpool players. How Barkley wasn't sent off is mind boggling.
3 points in the bag hopefully those around us will drop points now, a draw between City and Arsenal tomorrow would be grand. Hopefully Everton show a bit more balls in their mid week game.

Coleman and McCarthy big misses for Everton but they were really poor today. Lukaku was awful and the keeper?WTF? Couthinho very good as was Milner and Lucas. Just hope Mane is ok.

Well round 1 was an odd mix. Sydney, GWS, Hawthorn all beaten and the Bulldogs run closer than they would have thought.

The new ruck rules with the third man up banned will have a big influence on the season. Genuine top draw ruckmen will be able to give their midfield first use of the ball much more often than in the past. It is one of the gaps we have at Sydney with a number of ruckmen but no one really top class.

Deliberate out of bounds rule is also as random as ever. Some very odd calls already.

Yeah some strange results. West Coast very impressive as were Essendon. Should be a good season!

The funding sounds complicated but it certainly looks like it's going to happen.
Hopefully we continue to improve on the field as well and are fighting to be in the top 4 with the big boys again.
It sounds like Moshiri's is a shrewd businessman.

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Everton have taken a huge step towards leaving Goodison Park after 125 years with the news that the club have a land-purchase agreement with Peel Group for Bramley-Moore Dock.

Additionally, a funding mechanism has been worked out with Liverpool Council whereby Everton will fully fund the stadium but with LCC as guarantors of the required loans for the estimated £300m project which would potentially see the Blues kicking off in their new ground in 2021.

The news comes following days of mounting speculation that today would be the day that confirmation of a successful agreement for the potentially iconic waterfront site for a new stadium being struck. Everton's stadium at Bramley-Moore would form part of Peels' £5bn Liverpool Waters regeneration scheme which promises to transform the waterfront along Regent Road north of Prince's Dock while the LCC-backed Ten Streets initiative hopes to regenerate the derelict section along Great Howard immediately to the east.

Everton are believed to have negotiated a price of around £22.5m for the site on Liverpool's north docks with commencement of construction dependent on planning permission, the application for which will be submitted either later this year or early in 2018, and the funding being in place. The club's business plan provides for them staying at Goodison until the end of the 2020-21 season.

A full announcement from the Council via the LiverpoolExpress website outlined the creation of a "special purpose vehicle" whereby LCC would guarantee the loans, receive a security fee (reported to be around £4m a year) for its trouble and take out a 40-year lease on the site from the funder that they would then sub-lease to Everton. The club could then have the option of acquiring a leasehold interest in the stadium.

The arrangement does not involve any capital from the council but it allows Everton to secure funding for the project from a wider spectrum of lenders and most likely at significantly lower interest rates than if they were to go it alone as a higher-risk entity. The initial cost analysis is based on a 50,000-capacity stadium but Blues CEO Robert Elstone insists the final details have yet to be decided and that supporters will be included in a full consultation.

Funding structured this way is relatively common for projects like this that give a lot of regeneration/community benefit. Good news for Everton,  they needed to move to another stadium to try and get to the next level where they are genuinely challenging for the top 4 annually.

RIP. I think people will only realise how big a debt The North of Ireland owes to him in the years ahead. Things could have been very different were it not for McGuiness's insight and intelligence

When I seen this thread reopened again I thought a different story might have been getting talked about lol

Not sure we're on the same Paige. ......

Fair result. Either team could have won it.  Two unbelievable misses from lallana and aguero!

Get the Derby out of the way next up and hopefully there should be a lot of weekends where the other teams battling for the top 4 take points of each other.

GWS for the flag.  They have been building towards it for a number of years now.  The bombers to be the years surprise package. Some serious talent in there like hurley and hepell with a point to prove.

Mitchell at WC will make them contenders, he's that good and Hawthorn with realise it.  Big Roughead back and o meara and Tom Mitchell in the midfield mean the Hawks will be competitive but not on the same level as previous years. 

As for the Brownlow, Fyfe will be in the mix but if Danger field plays like he did last year a repeat medal is likely. The biggest risk to him is Selwood stealing votes from him.

Bring it on

Usual story so far. Making Burnley look like Chelsea.

Think is actually worse than the Leicester match.

Poor all half. Bit of luck at the end to go in level but need to up the tempo big time

[If they are not noticed by the referee, they are not fouls]

If they are not noticed by the referee, they are not fouls

His total foul count is 17. He;s averaging out at about 1 foul per game. Hardly Chopper Harris territory.

That's brilliant.  Not content with rewriting the coaching rule book to reflect his insight  Stallion is now going to have a go ąt redefining the definitions in the rule book! !

Rule 1.1 If Simon Mignolet is selected the opposing team shall immediately be awarded the match. 

Did Ibra also try to stamp on Mings in the passage of play?
Looked like there could be a case there

Certainly not enough to make a case in my view. It was on the leg as well so nowhere near as dangerous.  I'm sure it was sore though

Agree with what you say AZ. I think it was deliberate and Mings did it knowing he was likely to stand on Ibra but hoping for the benefit of the doubt because he wasn't looking down at the time of impact.

As for a 10 game ban MM that's excessive.  The worst case scenario for a stamp  is an eye injury due to  studs. That could easily have happened in the elbow as well given the force Ibrahimovic swung at.  An elbow has the potential as well for broken cheekbones/eye socket a la Gary Mabbutt so I don't think you can differentiate the two so widely.

Either way I think they will both get banned and deservedly so. The ref did not cover himself in glory anyway!