Howay

Sane is quality. I think the hard thing with transfer prices is they jumped quite a bit in a short period of time (or at least seemed that way to me) recently. The way the market is I agree that Sane probably isn't overpriced but it's always galling to think 37m isn't overpriced when our lot would have a meltdown if someone wanted 20m.

Like dropping a nightmare of a fart and just calmly walking away tbh. We could analyze this horror show of a joke for at least another two pages but we'll spare everyone.

I'm glad you didn't, the abruptness of that brutal joke is half the laugh from it.

Alex's bordering the realms of needing to apologize to everyone for that one.

I'm similar to others in that I only really saw Beardsley at the end of his career, so I went with Shearer. Agree with Tooj that it's really difficult to compare them. Shearer was just so perfect for his position though, he had pace (until the injuries), power, two feet, great in the air, brilliant holding up the ball, etc. He also moved to us when I was young which always creates an attachment to quality players. We also seemed to get an immense number of indirect free kicks inside the area when Shearer played for us, I can't remember seeing one since. Have they changed the rule or do they just not really get called anymore? Imagine having to be one of the players attempting to block a Shearer shot from one of them man .

Aye I saw a similar thing about Rooney iirc. I think they clearly have the best facilities and best coaches as they've been hoying fortunes at their youth set up for yonks now, I don't know how much effect Mourinho has had in the short while he has been at Manchester United but he's always seemed disinterested in youth set ups for at least his recent career (all the way back to his first spell at Chelsea in fact, I've no idea about his Porto days mind). As Parky was saying they've not really brought anyone through in basically the decade they've been pouring money into it, seems odd when you consider the quality of the facilities, staff, catchment area, bringing in foreign youth. They did have that Denis Suarez lad I suppose and he's quality at Barca now, but he was similar to Iheanacho that he was 16 or 17 when he went there.

Aye I agree fully he's not worth anywhere near 49m, as you say that's finished product money and he's miles from that. I was more just meaning it's not really denting Man City's resources overpaying like that. Yeah the Man City academy isn't producing much so far, Iheanacho looks good but I think he joined at like 17 so it's a little bit of a stretch to count him, they have a few Spanish lads that are meant to be decent but they have the Chelsea issue of not really giving their kids a chance as they can just go out and buy who they want. I'd imagine Guardiola is keen to bring youth through but he might struggle to do it if he's feeling pressure from the owners and the media ridiculousness.

I guess, he's still young mind and he's still very new to those level of games. I think he's one of the more improved players under Guardiola so far at Man City, he seems to be a bit more focused under him.

Aye the lack of really top level defenders is an issue for him tbh. He obviously had a fantastic attack at Barca and Bayern but they also had defenders like Pique, Abidal, Mascherano, Boateng, Lahm, Alaba, etc, with Xabi Alonso and Busquets covering. Man City don't have anything close to that and as Tooj said there's a bit of a dearth of defenders (especially CB's) at the minute so they're going to have to gamble, which is what Man City have been doing but obviously nowt is paying off for them as Mangala, Stones, Otamendi, etc have all come in for big fees and have been shaky. He'll figure it out if he hangs about long enough (and is given the time obviously) as either he'll manage to get one of those rare top defenders in or one of their gambles will pay off.

I think Sterling has been having a good season for them, 9 goals and 13 assists from 35 starts in all competitions is canny from the wing. Of course he's massively overpriced but it's not like it would have hurt Man City's transfer budget, if they wanted others they would have bought others as well. The other two have been fucking shite mind, that Stones is all over the place at the minute and would have progressed better if he'd stayed at Everton. Obviously don't blame the lad for taking the money that was on the table as it wasn't long ago he was playing for Barnsley. He looked really solid when he was next to an experienced and composed CB like Jagielka but he's struggling now he's next to a group of shaky CB's with no one locking the position down really. Pep needs to sort the GK situation out quickly as well, I know he wants a keeper that will play short passes under pressure but he should find one that can make saves as well.

Aye Jack Colback should definitely be named as a weakness. Him and Anita would look crap on a Sunday league team let alone a Championship side, fucking cloggers.

"Crackin marra wheeze got to get home as I'm up early to sign on for me giro the morra "

So if anything they're improving.

I like that they're trying to act like this is new for them, for my entire life that place is mostly empty around the 60th minute.

I think tracing paper is thicker than that cunts skin ffs.

Simon Jordan is a total fucking cuntbag too mind.

What a dick he is. Him thinking this one would just go through unchallenged is spectacularly stupid, even for him. Is this one not almost identical except they took Iraq off the list? I'm glad his attempt to divert attention with his 12 year old tax return didn't work, the bloke is a shambles. He also recently said "Nobody knew that health care could be so complicated." about the current utterly shambolic Republican (that contains none of his original promises about healthcare) plan to replace the affordable care act. Apparently it gives massive tax breaks to the upper 1% though, man of the people for sure.

Spot on. They've been trying to shrug it off as "innocent until proven guilty" and all that shite but they didn't just treat him like an innocent man, they gave him more support than I've seen them give a player in about 20 years. There was a roar anytime he took the pitch, they cheered his every touch, and then also there was the completely fucking foul "he shags who he wants" chant. I still think the club should have had points docked, they knew the cunt was guilty and they lifted his suspension and he went on to get them some points. The fact they still try and laud it over us that "they relegated us" and they finished above us, he definitely helped them gain enough points after the club found out he was guilty that put them above us, yet they are still giving it the "you're still fucking going on about that" craic. Horrible club, horrible fan base, horrible cunt of a player, I genuinely hope they go down this season and never return to the Premier League.

What makes you say everyone will fancy their chances against us? Fulham are currently 7th and could be in the play-off spots if they win their game in hand. Wigan are 23rd, Burton are 18th, Preston 8th and Barnsley 11th, the only side comparable to Fulham are Leeds from that bunch (you could argue Preston but they were still a point behind Fulham with 2 games more played before we lost to Fulham). There's no need to go into panic mode if we lose a game like some on here are. We've got utter shite history against Fulham and yes our home form isn't as good as our away form but we'd still be 7th on just a home table with a game in hand on a good amount of the sides above us. We beat two of the top 3 and drew with the 5th placed side and people were still fucking moaning, I honestly think some people revel in when we lose (not directed at you Trooper). Look at the Barcelona match at the weekend, after their game against PSG they lost to Deportivo La Coruna who were in fucking 17th place before the game. Games like this happen after a big game or a big run. Fulham played well, we were caught fairly unprepared from the sounds of things which I'm sure was down in no small part to the massive focus on the prior week. A two goal margin of defeat is the largest (tied) we've lost by this season (ignoring the kids playing in the cup), just enjoy the fucking season man.

Genuinely don't know how Anita still plays for us. He's complete and utter shite. Agree with what HMHM said in regards to them being a bogey team for us, I also felt like this was a potential shit game for us coming off that great week and I'm sure that's where most of the coaches planning and focus was rather than paying loads of attention to this one(I'm sure they still prepared obviously but the focus was rightly on that run). We'll be fine.

Promotion hopes disappearing

Glad to see Atsu start.

It makes up about two thirds of him.

Hope you're right DK, also good to hear Gamez looked capable. I think Anita's best position is right back (he's honestly a joke in CM like Colback), however he looks like what he is there, a bloke playing out of position. He rarely looks to go forward, and when he does he often chooses the wrong run, offers little support to the winger ahead of him. He is a poor passer of the ball, he isn't particularly quick (which led to a dangerously positioned free kick for Hudds), his positioning isn't great (so not many interceptions), weak in the tackle and prone to mistiming them, he's very short and not that good at jumping so he's pretty useless aerially. I honestly don't like watching him play, much like I don't like watching Colback, I can obviously stomach them for now (especially when there aren't really any other options due to injuries etc) but I look forward to the day neither are NUFC players. I'm probably being harsh on them, and I'm obviously a little over the top on some points but I just think the two of them don't do anything well at all. I do understand Rafa playing him early on over Yedlin but like I say going forward I hope he picks Yedlin (or Gamez if he kicks on) over the little nightmare.