Man Utd Thread:

[Milltown Row2]

They even out over the season, some calls you get others you don't

[Cunny Funt]

.
I didn't post about it because it's Man United I would have done the same if it was Burnley and I think the media would have been the same.

Sure newbie.  Similar incident and PGMOL said it was fine.

https://www.skysports.com/football/video/16426/13484394/micd-up-pgmol-explain-why-georginio-rutters-goal-stood-despite-handball

They are contradicting their own rule book and saying their ref made an error following the rules effectively this time.  The PGMOL should have acknowledged this, and admitted that they needed to review their own rules to help referees get to the right outcome. That way you defend your man and admit that you got it wrong instead of what they have done here with a incident in a dead rubber game with a PR stunt.

[Armagh18]

Carrick officially announced. Hopefully he is back in the summer and the player don't throw him under the bus.

[magpie seanie]

I see "cash-strapped" Barcelona are forking out 70m for Anthony Gordon. Forgive me as I didn't watch any of Barcelona last season but surely Gordon plays in the same position as Rashford (or did I hear they played Rashford on the right?

Contesting paying 26m for Rashford but happy to pay 70m for Gordon (in my view an inferior player).

What am I missing?

[statto]

I see "cash-strapped" Barcelona are forking out 70m for Anthony Gordon. Forgive me as I didn't watch any of Barcelona last season but surely Gordon plays in the same position as Rashford (or did I hear they played Rashford on the right?

Contesting paying 26m for Rashford but happy to pay 70m for Gordon (in my view an inferior player).

What am I missing?

Is this the same Rashford on extortionate wages who the vast majority of United fans can't wait to see the back of?

[Armagh18]

I see "cash-strapped" Barcelona are forking out 70m for Anthony Gordon. Forgive me as I didn't watch any of Barcelona last season but surely Gordon plays in the same position as Rashford (or did I hear they played Rashford on the right?

Contesting paying 26m for Rashford but happy to pay 70m for Gordon (in my view an inferior player).

What am I missing?

Is this the same Rashford on extortionate wages who the vast majority of United fans can't wait to see the back of?

Yep. Rashford probably a better footballer but in terms of attitude and workrate I know who I'd rather have and it's not even close.

[Milltown Row2]

I'm sorry, but I've not seen anything other than work rate that makes Anthony Gordon stand out

[statto]

I'm sorry, but I've not seen anything other than work rate that makes Anthony Gordon stand out

Barca will be pushing to win Champions League 10 goals in 12 games this season for Newcastle in that competition. Flexible forward can play right across the front line.

[Milltown Row2]

I'm sorry, but I've not seen anything other than work rate that makes Anthony Gordon stand out

Barca will be pushing to win Champions League 10 goals in 12 games this season for Newcastle in that competition. Flexible forward can play right across the front line.

He'd be an upgrade on Conor Gallagher at best

[tiempo]

Anything to be said for Modric on a free transfer?

[Captain Scarlet]

Ugarte is out for the season and they can't sell him. Casemiro was already out the door, so United are down bodies there.

While Camavinga is one mentioned, another French player option would be the Roma guy Kone. He is a fine player and would be cheaper. He seems to have bulk to him as well.

Mainoo with a bigger man and Bruno ahead of them would work. I don't see

I don't see anyone coming in for Rashford on those wages and I think Carrick could get something out of him. Mbuemo has been a bit hit and miss, so wouldn't mind seeing them battling for minutes.

[Armagh18]

Ugarte is out for the season and they can't sell him. Casemiro was already out the door, so United are down bodies there.

While Camavinga is one mentioned, another French player option would be the Roma guy Kone. He is a fine player and would be cheaper. He seems to have bulk to him as well.

Mainoo with a bigger man and Bruno ahead of them would work. I don't see

I don't see anyone coming in for Rashford on those wages and I think Carrick could get something out of him. Mbuemo has been a bit hit and miss, so wouldn't mind seeing them battling for minutes.

Ugarte getting the wages covered by FIFA apparently, so basically the same as getting him loaned out for the year which is probably what they'd have done anyway although leaves him harder to sell next year. Rashford a poison who shouldn't be allowed back. 3 if not 4 midfielders needed plus a back up striker, cover for the left side and if you were being greedy a back up centre back as well needed.

[gawa316]

Will Ederson not be a guaranteed starter?

[tiempo]

Insane money paid for Elliot Anderson and wages at £1800 an hour 24/7, fecking wild altogether, pro soccer has to be part of a huge money laundering cartel, sure wasn't Pablo Escobar himself over Medellín Gaels aka Naomh Pablo's

[SaffronSports]

Wee extract from an article i wrote on Escobar, his mates snd the narco-soccer era in Colombia.

Before long Escobar realised that football was a perfect opportunity to get his money washed. All of the match tickets were paid for in cash which meant if the gate receipts were worth $1 million, they would say it was actually $2 million which legitimised some of his huge income. He invested in two Medellin clubs, Atletico Nacional and Independiente Medellin although it was Nacional that was his preferred team.

With Escobar's money, Nacional became a major club overnight. They were able to spend huge amounts on their squad. New players arrived as well as them now being in a position to hang onto the good players they already had who would almost definitely have left the team and probably Colombia before the drug money arrived.

Escobar wasn't the only drug baron to be putting money into football. Millonarios of Bogota were funded by Gonzalo Gacha, aka El Mexicano. Some say at one stage he killed a previous club owner before eventually taking over himself. America de Cali were run by Miguel and Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela. Independiente had Hector Mesa and Pablo Correa Ramos, as well as some support from Escobar himself and Santa Fe, had been financed by Fernando Carillo until he was charged with being a drug distributor in 1981 which led to Silvio and Phanor Arizabaleta-Aryayus taking over from him.

As the money from drugs came into Colombian football, the standard improved massively. Some of South America's finest players were arriving at Colombian clubs. In fact, the great Diego Maradona almost ended up at America de Cali but the approach came a little too late as he had already agreed on a deal with Barcelona. As well as the foreign players, the standard of Colombian players improved too as they were playing alongside better players and one of Escobar's spending projects was to build top-class football facilities in many of Medellin's poorest neighbourhoods which ended up producing some very talented players.