Molehill
International Coach
Agreed, Portsmouth took 4 points off Leeds last season and that was largely down to his failings.
Anyway, good start for us today. Scrappy but deserved.
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**Official** English Football Season 2025/26
- Thread starter GIMH
- Start date
Anyway, good start for us today. Scrappy but deserved.
GIMH
Norwood's on Fire
Ah it happens. I was at cricket but sounds like we played very well tbf.
Tangles
International Vice-Captain
Maybe they haven’t bottomed out yet. Relegation is always an option.
The Glazers spent the best part of 10+ years running player acquisition based on name and shirt sales. They didn’t buy Pogba etc to win. They bought them to sell shirts and merch. It’s the cubs method. You don’t have to win if you are highly popular as a brand. At best it was an attempt at a Galacticos strategy with no positive outcome.
They routinely spent high transfer fees and silly wages on older established players. Which leads to now having clubs expecting top dollar and older or bad players on silly wages who won’t leave. Even loans have been an issue where United end up having to cover the difference in wages.
HeathDavisSpeed
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Surely there are multiple clubs in L2 who are more of a shambles than Shrewsbury?
Himannv
Hall of Fame Member
Getting relegated is technically possible of course.
I don't like the Glazers, but you make it sound like they were more involved than they actually were. They didn't come up with the idea to buy Pogba, the Manager had the power to do that with the club senior leadership, who also had a say in it as well. The Glazers perhaps made the final decision, but I doubt they even know who Pogba was beyond a quick Google search. They'd have looked at the player sales aspect at that point, but you really have to point the finger at Judge and Woodward for that sort of thing.
The Glazers let the club run itself into ruin, took dividends out whenever they could, did not put football people in charge of football decisions, did not invest anything, saddled the club with debt, and generally were far more involved with their other franchise. Got to blame them for the right things. They are absolutely some of the worst owners around and are mostly interested in lining their own pockets.
However, the Glazers aren't in charge of football operations anymore, INEOS are. I'm not saying INEOS are great owners, but they are much more involved with the club and they have people with good football operation experience in senior leadership now.
All the things you mention about transfer fees and bad contracts are valid, of course. But right now we are trying to get the wrong players out the door and we've spent close to 200m in this transfer window. I don't know if we can really complain. If we land the right midfielder and a decent keeper, and it looks like we are trying to do that, we'll go into this season looking a bit better than what we did in the last one. I'm not saying we'll be top 4 or something, that'll take some time, but we can move up the table I believe.
Skipper Pup
State Regular
I don't think there needs to be nuance to it, he's a pro GK so of course he has a highlights reel. Easy to be fooled by compilations.
His shot stopping is actually half his issue, the other half is he doesn't anticipate well. He's a below average sweeper at best, has no real presence at set pieces despite his height, and doesn't play long passes or have much ability with the ball at his feet.
Go look at his stats in the Championship if you don't believe me. For a promoted GK they are very mid. I don't think its a stretch to say he's genuinely the worst GK in the prem.
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Skipper Pup
State Regular
I was thinking about Pogba yesterday. What an unreal talent. He would run rings around the current crop of United midfielders, even on his worst day he'd still be above any of their best days.
He carried that side for a long while there with nothing but scrubs around him. Deserves a lot more respect imo.
United fans this preseason have definitely bought into the hype that Amorim/Ineos are turning things around and these are great signings. I'm predicting it'll go back to reality by about GW5 when they've won 1 game to start the season and their midfield is still being run over.
Molehill
International Coach
It was funny how Pogba always got the blame for being lazy etc......
I think they've made decent signings, the problem is, they're not exactly in the areas which we need addressing. If they do continue to add a midfielder (or 3) and a keeper then they're getting closer, but a long way away at the mo.
Uppercut
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I thought striker was by far the biggest need. The next biggest squad gap last year was CM, but then Garnacho falling out of favour meant we needed a left sided player just as badly. If Mbeumo means we can permanently shift Amad to RWB and Mazraoui to RCB then it could improve three positions.
Obviously we need a CM and GK too, but if we can’t do everything in one summer I don’t hate the areas we’ve invested in. I also don’t hate the players we’ve bought. But it’s still a terrible window because we’ve overpaid for all of them and we can’t sell anyone.
Obviously we need a CM and GK too, but if we can’t do everything in one summer I don’t hate the areas we’ve invested in. I also don’t hate the players we’ve bought. But it’s still a terrible window because we’ve overpaid for all of them and we can’t sell anyone.
flibbertyjibber
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I'd say no. Crawley and Bristol Rovers are our main hopes. Both down with us last year and look crap again.
govinda indian fan
International Debutant
Liverpool leading 2-1 vs Crystal place in FA community shield
Thala_0710
International Captain
Wirtz x Ekitike already looking 
Molehill
International Coach
andruid
International Coach
That was today?
Tangles
International Vice-Captain
Pogbas big issue was being inconsistent week to week and wanting to be a 10. Once Jose saw what he could do for France when he wanted too he wanted that from him. He was never going to get it.
I don’t mind the new signings. Don’t know anything about Sesko but he’s young and they said they wanted experience. I do think 3 forward players in a system with 2 forwards is a choice. I would have addressed CM and Keeper because while they were wasteful on chances they also shipped a lot of bad goals.
The lack of sales has become an issue again. Kind of hope Amorim sticks to his threat to take no last day sales and make them sit out a WC year.
Tangles
International Vice-Captain
The midfield will get run over. Casemiro and Ugarte can’t handle it. Asking Bruno to pivot is a waste and he doesn’t have an instinct for defense. Not even sure what Mainoos best position is but he hasn’t looked at home in this system. Collyer shows promise but seems to be behind all the others being tried.
Niall
International Coach
Regarding the transfer window I don't know to grade it really. Cunha is gun and market value, Big Bry they overpaid for but the negotiations were very messy while Sesko is an upgrade on Rasmus because how he could not ?
A Cm is crucial though because they are going to get overran, keeper wise would also agree because Onana is really bad.
Outgoings is pretty dire, they have handled Garno poorly by letting the world know they have no interest in keeping him, Chelsea are going to chill and pick him for a pittance and after that the rest will fetch SFA. Sancho and Antony will be elsewhere but likely loan and maybe even United paying some of the wages.
Niall
International Coach
Where is the poster who worries every year this is finally the season they will go down
Liverpool are rightful favs for the title, however this was a reminder it won't be the procession some say, Trent, Jota and Diaz are big losses and while the signings are gun their is a lot of change to the starting eleven which will take time to gel.
Also when does father time come for Salah and Van Dijk ?
Both have been insanely consistent over the last few years but their has to be a drop off even if's relatively minor its still a huge concern.
Although signing a gun CB and Isak which they do need will lessen a lot of these concerns.
Skipper Pup
State Regular
Arsenal are favourites for the league.Where is the poster who worries every year this is finally the season they will go down
Liverpool are rightful favs for the title, however this was a reminder it won't be the procession some say, Trent, Jota and Diaz are big losses and while the signings are gun their is a lot of change to the starting eleven which will take time to gel.
Also when does father time come for Salah and Van Dijk ?
Both have been insanely consistent over the last few years but their has to be a drop off even if's relatively minor its still a huge concern.
Although signing a gun CB and Isak which they do need will lessen a lot of these concerns.
We just lost to Palace and as you've identified, we have lost some key players too.. top 4 would be great for us.