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15 minutes ago, TheManc said:

Unfortunately there is a very good chance City will equal our PL record (13, not 20) and CL record before we win either again.

For all the BS around the financials, they're just an amazingly well run outfit, unfortunately. 

Agreed.

I could maybe see them in transition next season though.

They're at the end of a hugely successful 3 year cycle (3 PL titles in a row, LC, FAC and The CL).

With some of the team turning 30+ this year, they need to decide whether to go for a record breaking 4th PL title in a row or to start a slight rebuild.

I think Laporte, Cancelo, Gündoğan and Mahrez will all leave.

They'll need a LCB to replace Laporte. Lewis is already Cancelo's successor. It looks like Kovačić will replace Gündoğan. I assume that they'll sign a winger to replace Mahrez. They do have some good U21 talents though.

There's still a good group of U23 players in Lewis, Perrone, Palmer, Foden, Álvarez and Haaland. Pep will probably hope that some of them can become starters soon.

Rúben Dias (26), Akanji (27) Rodri (27) and Stones (29) are still in their prime. Bernardo (29) too if he stays. Those will be their key senior figures.

I wouldn't be surprised if Arsenal or Liverpool win The PL next season. It's difficult to keep yourself motivated season after season. 

2 hours ago, hdcantona said:

Jesus Christ not Pickford you gotta be shitting me

Watching onana last night and then waking up and seeing this good lord

Pickford would suit ten Hag's chaotic style.

He went to shit the last time they broke up. Getting back with her was good for him.

7 minutes ago, hdcantona said:

And yet finished like this:

inter played it really well, just let down by finishing and fortune, shit happens

 

city become the second team to do the treble, or they would be if it wasn’t a treble*

I don't really rate xG like you do. It's helpful, but flawed.

As I said before, multiple shots within one move can inflate it e.g. The Dimarco double header. If the initial header goes in, then the 2nd header is mute. A 0.29 header became a 0.83 move. Meh.

Lol at Foden's chance only being 0.39 btw. 

Inter could have won it had they showed just a little bit more composure on the ball. City didn't play great, but showed that extra bit of quality in general play.

Remember when it looked like a done deal to United at one point... sigh.

He's only gotten the praise he deserves after his goal scoring exploits over the past 3 seasons.

The closest thing to Scholes that I have seen since he retired. Not in terms of long range passing, but his ability to pop up with goals from any area of the pitch. He's as clutch as it gets. 

He missed almost 18 months of football with a back injury at Dortmund, and then an ACL at City within weeks of joining the club. He's obviously mentally tough.

City will miss him if he leaves.

1 minute ago, John Locke said:

Inter gave a dogged display but they are a bit out of their depth in the final. They got the good side of the draw. 

 

Certainly one of the easiest routes to the final in recent times.

Stones moving to midfield turned City's season around. He was playing young Rico Lewis a lot.

The Stones and Rodri pivot post February was key.

He was probably their best player tonight.

6/6 dribbles completed. 8/11 ground duels won. 89.2% pass completion.

That's the big one out of the way now.

City are established as European heavyweights with this CL (and treble).

It's up to United to get it together. They're 6 PL titles behind, and only 2 European Cups/Champions Leagues.

City deserved it. Inter gave it their all, but just couldn't create enough from open play.

Foden really should have killed the game. Missing that chance after a roulette in the build up to it. He'll be sick!

Inter only looked like scoring from set-pieces or the occasional City mistake.

1 minute ago, hdcantona said:

Even before the injury he wasn’t good outside that pass, the kind of performance Bruno is rightly slated for

 

meanwhile I can’t believe we were linked with Dumfries earlier in the year, every time I watch him it’s harder to believe, bunk 

Most of his bad passes and crosses were from the injury on.

Horrible ball to Grealish, overhit cross, etc.

KDB turns 32 in a few days and has been slowing down physically since that achilles injury vs Portugal 2 years ago. Bad challenge from Palhinha.

City still need his match winning ability. He can create/score a goal from little.

Just now, hdcantona said:

Kdb was gash so it may be an upgrade tbh

Only because of the injury.

He still played the pass of the game to Haaland.

KDB off.

City have still been the more dangerous overall, but Inter will be happy.

Only Stones and Bernardo are playing at their normal level in midfield.

Rodri and Ederson with uncharacteristically bad passes.

City are very nervous. At least 4-5 of them are showing it.

7 minutes ago, hdcantona said:

You know it’s ominous when even @Oisnt trying the reverse jinx lmao

Inter have found form at the right time...

It's mainly a case of City not overthinking it. That's their biggest threat. Themselves.

Inter will give City a tougher game than expected.

But City should still win it if they keep their heads.

New owners.

Kamara, Douglas Luiz, Tielemans, McGinn, Buendía and J.Ramsey is a good collection of midfielders.

4 minutes ago, hdcantona said:

i think gundogan might be off, potentially bernardo silva too, so they may well sign kovacic for gundogan and replace bernardo with someone younger (or put foden central, and buy a winger) - there's talk mahrez may be lured to Saudi Arabia too 

That's the thing with great squads, people want to buy some of the players especially if they've been there a while. Nobody wants our donkeys.

I think losing both Gündogan and Bernardo at the same time would be a bad idea. But if they're ever going to cash in on Bernardo, now is the time. He's turns 29 in August. Barcelona came close last year.

I assume that Pep will try to integrate McAtee after his loan spell at Sheffield United. He scored 9 goals and adapted well to senior football after a tough start. He's basically Phil Foden 2.0, and Palmer is another good player who either needs a loan or more minutes next season. They're both local lads, so it would benefit City's image to churn out a few more Academy players. They have the best Academy setup in the country. Dominant at U18 and U21 level.

What City really need is a direct wide player like Sané. They never replaced him directly. Selling Mahrez and bringing in that type of profile could be smart.

It looks like City ate close to signing Kovačić.

I really like him. Pep can probably get a little more out of him.

29 though. I thought they'd target a younger midfielder due to the ages of Gündogan and KDB.

It looks like Liverpool will sign one of K.Thuram/M.Koné to go with Mac Allister.

Khéphren Thuram has a lot of potential.

Cowardly bunch at United.

Not willing to do the right thing.

They hope that a loan will either make him a sellable asset or get him up to speed ahead a full return next year.

As @TFIAsaid, we can expect a TV interview with Harriet before long.

Sickening.

Bellingham to Real Madrid - €103 million

Mac Allister to Liverpool - €40 million

Flekken to Brentford - €13 million

Benzema to Al Ittihad - Free transfer

Messi to Inter Miami - Free transfer

R.Guerreiro to Bayern - Free transfer

Aouar to Roma - Free transfer

Kanté to Al Ittihad - Free transfer

J.Lerma to Crystal Palace - Free transfer

3 hours ago, TFIA said:

Delighted for Moyes. Got awful abuse from West Ham fans all season. 

One of the very worst fanbases in football. As they showed again last night. 

Moyes is lucky to be still in a job given the money they spent over the past 2 seasons. They also resurrected his career after bringing him back a 2nd time tbf.

West Ham fans are cunts, but Moyes isn't likeable either.

It took him over 20 years as a manager to win anything of real note. They should still sack him if they have any ambition tbh.

I wouldn't trust him to spend the Rice money correctly after last summer. He doesn't really know what to do with technical players. Michail Antonio alluded to that in a recent podcast. Brave. Lol.

29 minutes ago, hdcantona said:

Some unsavoury stuff being put on Antony's name...

https://ge.globo.com/sp/futebol/noticia/2023/06/06/influenciadora-acusa-antony-do-manchester-united-de-agressao-e-ameaca.ghtml

The DJ and digital influencer Gabriela Cavallin filed a police report, on Monday, against the player Antony, Manchester United, for domestic violence, threat and bodily injury. The case was registered at the 5th Police Station for the Defense of Women - East, in Tatuapé.

Sought by ge, the defense and the player's representatives have not yet spoken.

According to the document, to which Ge and TV Globo had exclusive access, Gabriela said she had been assaulted during the month of May and decided to make the report on Monday. In the report, the assault is dated May 20, when Antony was in England. Sought, the DJ confirmed the registration of the occurrence, but did not clarify whether the alleged assault was committed in Manchester or in Brazil.

Gabriela also requested a protective measure with urgency and had a physical examination requested. According to the report, the DJ and influencer suffered previous aggressions and attached to the police report photos of bruises and threatening messages.

Antony and Gabriela Cavallian have been in a relationship for the past year. In July, the DJ announced on her social media that she had suffered a miscarriage of a baby she would have with the player.

United DNA.

The PGA and LIV have agreed to come together.

Money talks.

23 minutes ago, hdcantona said:

The year they made the final was too late though, and like i said, not spent wisely

Those four signings were all very good on paper in 2019. I was jealous.

Like United, Spurs haven't gotten much change out of signings. 

Poch was given Davinson Sánchez, Gazzaniga, Foyth, Aurier, Llorente and Lucas Moura during the 17/18 season. They only didn't spent money during summer 2018.

He has still managed to back managers with transfers while opening one of the best stadiums in the world.

Levy isn't perfect, but he's certainly not an idiot. He's done well to sell assets to foreign teams instead of top 4 competitors. He learned from Carrick and Berbatov.

He can feel hard done by that Poch didn't deliver a trophy during his 5 and a bit seasons. They really should have won the league the year Leicester did. In classic Spursy fashion, they let Arsenal pip them to 2nd on the final day.