Messages

[If he continues to pick them regularly he'll be gone in the summer.]

Any Utd supporter should be very worried after last night. Firstly an inability to put the game to bed. They let a really bad Wolves side back into it. Gave away a very silly penalty. Bruno in first half gave away a FK similar to what he did against Galatasaray which resulted in them getting back into that game. We just can't learn from mistakes.
Onana simply isn't good enough. DeGea saves that last goal easy. Only for Martinez kicking one of the line we'd have drew or poss lost that game. He came for a FK and once again flapped. What EtH sees in him I'll never know.

EtH was playing 5 at the back and conceded an equaliser. Committing CBs to a corner then getting caught on the break because Antony gave the ball away. He gave every single possession away when he came on. Losing leads in last few minutes is EtH MO. He did the same at Ajax against Spurs. He hasn't got the cunning to see a game out.

I'm worried for EtH. JR won't watch that and think great job. He'll watch that and think this team is a f**king joke. City, Arsenal win those games 4 or 5 nil.

EtH has bought Antony and Onana and honestly they are two of the worst Utd players ever. If he continues to pick them regularly he'll be gone in the summer. Ole done the same with Maguire and it cost him his job. You have to be prepared to be ruthless and drop these poor performers.
 

Agree.  They are his signings and he is trying to justify them by trying to play them into form, but it just ins't happening.  He needs to be ruthless and bench them, or risk going himself. 

What has happened with Maguire? He seems like he was playing alright only to be benched again?

As a united fan, even I am sad to see him go.  A top manager and charismatic figure for the PL. 

Hard to see Liverpool not dropping off a bit now. 

Agree that he will take a year and likely end up in Madrid or Barcelona, any club would pay top dollar for him. 

[As a book though, I found it jumped back and forth too much and became repetitive (but I suppose his life was really on a repetitive loop).]

Making a slight move from podcasts to audiobooks recently. Recently finished the Matthew Perry autobiography. Long suffering addict and strange to listen to knowing how his life ends. As a book though, I found it jumped back and forth too much and became repetitive (but I suppose his life was really on a repetitive loop).

I've now started Unruly by David Mitchell. So far it's a funny breath of fresh air look at the British Kings and Queens.

Listened to this several months ago and found it a hard slog also.  Thought his haggard sounding voice didn't help it either.

Listening to Micah Richards, pretty good. 

Crazy to give that goal away from their own free, Glen finished strong but Brigid's will be kicking themselves, better team lost

Aye crazy decision making with that free at that stage of the game, really poor pass.

Watching the replay, the goalkeeper was in no man's land.

How are teams relegated to Intermediate and Junior championships in Cavan? I understand winning is the pathway to the level above, but how do you go about going down?

[By any league metric Arva are a div 2 side.]

I mentioned it before, but the biggest issue seems to be they had played, and maintained their division 1 league status, and played in a junior championship. 

Had it been intermediate championship they had won, I would say people, like myself, could reconcile more with that. 

This is coming from my own point of view where, in Armagh, the leagues and championships are linked, the idea of a senior league team entering a junior championship would seem preposterous, and the outcome would be inevitable. 

Just one caveat there though. By any league metric Arva are a div 2 side. It was a championship style one game knockout kept them there when they were completely adrift of everyone. So you absolutely cannot call them a senior side. That is completely disingenuous.

Elaborate?

Finished rock bottom of league. In any league scenario this should mean relegation.

But they were a (albeit struggling) division 1 team in 2023 and played junior championship.

Aye generally it does, in this case it didn't. 

You can't argue that by all conceivable metrics they are a division 2 team based on their final league position, when the same county board that allowed them to play junior championship also allowed them the chance to stay in division 1 with a relegation playoff. 

[By any league metric Arva are a div 2 side.]

I mentioned it before, but the biggest issue seems to be they had played, and maintained their division 1 league status, and played in a junior championship. 

Had it been intermediate championship they had won, I would say people, like myself, could reconcile more with that. 

This is coming from my own point of view where, in Armagh, the leagues and championships are linked, the idea of a senior league team entering a junior championship would seem preposterous, and the outcome would be inevitable. 

Just one caveat there though. By any league metric Arva are a div 2 side. It was a championship style one game knockout kept them there when they were completely adrift of everyone. So you absolutely cannot call them a senior side. That is completely disingenuous.

Elaborate?

I mentioned it before, but the biggest issue seems to be they had played, and maintained their division 1 league status, and played in a junior championship. 

Had it been intermediate championship they had won, I would say people, like myself, could reconcile more with that. 

This is coming from my own point of view where, in Armagh, the leagues and championships are linked, the idea of a senior league team entering a junior championship would seem preposterous, and the outcome would be inevitable. 

[I used to fight with myself all the way over in my car, just don't go!]

Because they are soft.. Falls park running up hills in the snow with someone on yer back!!

I used to fight with myself all the way over in my car, just don't go! Tuesdays Thursday, vomit!

Brilliant! Preseason every year I remember thinking during training's that i'll see this training out then that's me done.  Every session I was jacking it in. 

[Kids are made of paperEvery injury now requires surgery!! Players know about, hamstrings and metatarsals and ligaments (was a sore leg in my day)]

There are a few things different from back in the day..

Pitches are harder
Shoes are different
Training in the gym
Kids are made of paper
Every injury now requires surgery!!
Players know about, hamstrings and metatarsals and ligaments (was a sore leg in my day)
Players are bigger
Diet plans

Few other factors as to why we have these injuries I'm sure..

The enjoyment I'm sure is still there but, seems like hard work in comparison to the, hill runs during the week preseasons and the drills with the ball at the weekend

Aye exactly this.  I find the young guys coming from our minor team to the senior team are all specialists in complicated injuries and are getting told they need surgery etc. 

There are no more "sore legs" its all hamstring tendinopathy this and osteitis pubis that. 

I think parents have a lot of input here putting it in their heads they are 'injured', rather than just sore. 

Honestly think every team in this division could beat the other on the day.  I would expect Cavan, Fermanagh and Louth to contest relegation, but for each of them to put a spanner in the works of the others. 

Armagh and Donegal are probably bookies favorites for promotion, consistency and staying clear of injuries (Donegal in particular) should steer both of them up. 

Should be a competitive league

[McTominnay is not high quality but he was left out in the cold like Maguire and then when shit hit the fan he needed them and they turned up.]

I know lads are saying that fans back ETH here, but not if you look or listen to some of the English coverage where it's poor Jades. The BBC did a have your say thing and it's pretty much made him a martyr.

I'd agree with the idea that Ten Haag is out the door soon. Like I agree with him standing firm with Ronaldo but he also had needless spats too. Like wtf did Varane do? I know he is pushing on but he is still a good player and never seemed to have attitude problems.

Antony seems like a dose and then you add in the scandal. Like that does come down to him signing lads like that. McTominnay is not high quality but he was left out in the cold like Maguire and then when shit hit the fan he needed them and they turned up.

Like Klopp for example doesn't seem to sign dickheads very often and there is a culture under him that doesn't seem to be at United for years.

There's so much to fix!

Aye exactly what I mean.  If it comes to a vote of no confidence from the players on their views, he has surely fucked himself over burning bridges.

Glad he is gone.  Ability wise he could have been a great asset, but his attitude would continue to drag the team down. 

The fact there is no buy clause in the loan move makes me think that United must be thinking if ETH goes at the end of the year (or before) would a new manager be able to deal with him and have him come back into the fold. 

I suspect the morale of the dressing room come the end of the year may have a say in whether ETH remains as well as results, he has publicly put down several players.  If a squad as a whole are unhappy with management it may be the end for him.   

interesting, more details.  Always love hearing how clubs are trying to get an edge

[minor/club/u21 bosses would have been able to tell him]

The rules are there for everyone and I'm sure all top managers would be aware of them. They are there to protect youngsters in the long term. So Donegal/jim didnt know he wasn't available to play this year! I know he has been out of game for long time but surely minor/club/u21 bosses would have been able to tell him. If he was aware but still played him then you have to take the consequences. I'm sure there has been a few other youngsters teams may have liked to play over the years. Particularly the weaker counties . Simple question for journalists to ask Jim - were you aware of rule?

Exactly.  Club bosses throughout the county (including the young lads own club, who i'm sure would love to have been playing him) would know the rules around playing underage players.  The question should be put directly to him alright, he isn't that slow.