SEE YOU! A brand spanking new modern fitba thread 2025-2026

The table is a bit funny at the moment, only four points separating 5th and 14th. Somewhat surprised that they don't appear to have a standby option, talking of an interim after fletcher....

 

Man utd need a better striker not a better manager

 

Bruno Fernandes being injured hurt a little but the point there is much what Salaco said....they spent plenty.

 

On utter shite tho. No head coach is gonna come in and turn Sesko into Haaland. They're a bloated Celtic imo, same problems

 

I know folk scoff at xg but over 20 games it's a decent proxy for how a system/coaching is working before finishing, goalkeeping, luck, officiating land on your head. They were midtable last season on that basis but up at 4th this year so I think a shrewd board look at that, stick with it & put their energy into finding the man a striker.... nobody ever accused modern man utd of being shrewd tho

 

I honestly think they got lucky with Ferguson, the emergence of the Prem and the TV money,stadium redevelopment etc all at the same moment. There's no reason, none at all, that they couldn't have spent 40 years more wandering around like Moses.

 

Just FTR....United will try to get a new stadium at the taxpayers expense on the phony bogus basis that it's "good for Manchester".

 

7 days into the transfer window and, predictably, no striker. Not even striker rumours. These clowns have only known they needed to replace Kyogo since summer 24, gotta give them time.

 

Given how shite theyve been for how long it's really remarkable that they're still the biggest club out by revenue & media footprint....those rando Vietnamese & Nigerians are surprisingly loyal

 

This.

United are a great club, huge etc, but their current status as second-biggest in England behind Liverpool is wholly based on two great eras under two great managers in Busby and Ferguson. They've really done nothing at all outside of those periods. They've never been able to sustain success under different managers like Liverpool or Arsenal (domestically) have in the past.

 

I think that's a wee bit unfair considering those two eras lasted over half a century between them! Plus man utd have continued to win European trophies and a bunch of domestic cups since Ferguson left. They haven't had a trophyless decade since the 30s which is a longer streak than LFC or Arsenal

 

I agree that both reigns were anomalies in terms of how long they were there and how unprecedented the success was, when compared to other football clubs it is certainly unique (with the exception of Maley as manager of your lot - mental!).

The point stands though, say Ferguson had stayed at Aberdeen for those 26 years instead and kept on winning things, does that put Aberdeen on par with Celtic or Rangers? Of course not. Ferguson, love him or hate him, was just a remarkable manager, arguably the greatest ever.

 

I don't think man utd were anything like an Aberdeen when Ferguson took over though, they already had the biggest average crowds in England and had won the FA cup a few times since Busby.

 

Yeah to be fair that's a great point about the crowds, I'll concede that. They have always had a massive support base.

 

I still think a club with the history and success of Man Utd only having 3 league-winning managers in their entire existence is an absolutely bizarre stat, mind. It must be unique to European football, let alone just England.

 

If city draw tonight Liverpool might take a beating tomorrow....epochal beating.

 

West Ham on their home kits this season.

"This time we'll ditch the blue sleeves so we won't look exactly live Villa and Burnley."

Meanwhile...

...Burnley have the exact same idea .

 

Welcome to the American model of team ownership.

 

Ironically they had Jewish Americans* in charge for decades and never pulled a stroke like it .

It took a true blue "Sir" to get the ball rolling

*Aka Jews

 

Yeah it's an oddity. Although here's another way to look at that! Maybe Liverpool had almost as much continuity in coaching during their ~25 year era as Man Utd did in their two, even though manager title changed a few times? Fagan, Paisley, Saunders, Moran & the bootroom etc. Continuity embodied in one man with Ferguson/busby but in a coaching regime at LFC

And Liverpools trophy haul probably clusters more in that one era than in either of Man Utds?

(Not sure why I've decided to play defence lawyer for Man Utd here )

 

If doubt there's any city in europe that needs a publicly funded arena less than Manchester

 

Fitbaw fans in scotland:

 

There's fuck all in a lot of pl towns .... Sunderland, Leeds....Burnley....wolves.....are simply not better toons than Glasgow.

 

Liverpool under dogs to the tune of 5/1

Could get very ugly.

 

Arsenal are soft.

 

The rumour mill says we've finally found our kyogo replacement and it's.... a shot Kyogo! The actual state of this club. We're back to the days of resigning fat/drunk versions of Charlie Nicholas & Frank McCavennie

Kyogo vs xg (finishing quality)

 

Liverpool played well I thought. Arsenal were shocking in the final third. There were a few opportunities where a genuine goalscoring striker would have read the pass, but none of them were making the runs. I've no idea why Arsenal are being so stubborn about not bringing in a proper striker, such a weird hill to die on. It could well cost them by the end of the season.

 

Online* this morning it was palpable the burgeoning dislike of Arteta and friends. The mentality is very much that they are a disliked unlikeable stubborn lot. I think City have a greater propensity to drop points over a longer period but that Arsenal could "go" at any minute.

I sincerely believe that if City peg them back by March that they'll win it because Arsenal will simply buckle under the strain of having lead from so far back only to be still on a dog fight.

*Algorithm tells you what it thinks you want to hear

 

Forest going out of the cup to Wrexham?

 

A nice surprise to see Everton playing on ESPN2. But first off, why in the fuck are we wearing an away kit at home?

Next, Jesus H, Everton are decimated. Two starters at the African cup. Two more got red cards last match. And then two more regular starters are out with injury. The player the experts deem our most valuable (Braithwaite) hasn't stepped foot on a pitch this season.

Beto has been the invisible man all game. Except for being dragged to the ground in front of the ref with no call.