It's been a great near 3 years under one of the world's greatest coaches, Marcelo Bielsa. He's done a fantastic job whilst always being humble, respectful of everybody else and the game, improving the players and playing exciting/attacking football. A great time to be Leeds and we've certainly waited long enough to be back!
+1
It’s been a long way back! I think if we add a good left back, plus competition for Phillips and Bamford I genuinely think we could break the top 6 next season. Alioski, Ayling, Struijk, Llorente and Phillips all immense today. Our wingers were little off today, if Raphinha had played I think we’d have won that.
Grealish, Foden and De Bruyne all in the same team?
I know Pep loves a midfielder but they're the same player. All quality but not sure why you'd want Grealish, Foden should be the future IMO.
Grealish wouldn't get in the City starting XI ahead of Mahrez, Foden or De Bruyne and I'm not sure Haaland is a Man City-type striker. Now Mbappe up front for City? That would be carnage. But PSG won't sell him. Surely Harry Kane would be the one to get and nailed on he is available this summer.
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Last edited by ryanb741; 25th April 2021 at 23:32.
Considering Villa's owners' wealth and ambition and that Grealish is captain of his boyhood club (and has been going to watch all the matches plus U23s matches while he's been injured) I think it more likely De Bruyne will come to Villa than Grealish go to Man City. And as Bondurant says, Foden is the future and already at ManC, what a player. But we'll see.
"A man of little significance"
Only caught up on the highlights just now.
Might have a been a tougher task with 10 men?
How that first yellow wasn't given is beyond my understanding; it's been standard for years?
Might also have to do with the EFL being Pep’s toughest job so far and other teams more than capable of winning trophies.
Before Pep arrived most of the top clubs didn’t even take the FA Cup seriously, regularly fielding weak teams. Pep has taken every competition seriously and that, in turn, has been seen the other top clubs fielding stronger teams.
As for money, it’s what you do with it (Pogba, Harry Maguire and Alexi Sanchez immediately spring to mind) and City happen to be one of the best run clubs, top to bottom.
Absolutely and it’s been highlighted in all the headlines. The point is, Laporte would probably have been a lot more careful had he got the yellow that the first challenge should have brought.
Said before, feel sorry for Spurs fans seeing what Mourinho has done to what was a very good team - certainly in an attacking sense. No Champs League and (presumably) no money to spend (with the new stadium debt) makes you wonder who they will be able to attract to take them forward. Maybe Nuno from Wolves who seem to have lost their way recently. Would an established name go there with things as they are?
Spurs hasn't had a deep squad in quite a few years IMO... we got closed to winning the CL a couple of years ago - Pochettino did a great job and that required a bit of luck too. The new stadium is great (then covid happened...) In reality the team hasn't won anything in years. Still keeping my hopes high, but expectations low:(
Haaland alone will probably cost that . Your mob would probably want that too for Ian to come home ;)
Grealish wouldn’t replace anyone, he’d complement the squad .
He’s nothing like Foden or KDB , his skill sets are quite unique . He’s the most fouled player in the league for a reason. With regards to him staying at Villa, ambitious owners are one thing. Being allowed to spend the money is another. The history clubs and their acolytes have seen to that .
Grealish is like any other footballer in that he will want to win trophies and he will have much the better chances at City.
Are you seriously linked with him? A good player…. And although he has a different dimension I wouldn’t often play him ahead of Mahrez or an in form Sterling
I wouldn’t want to stunt Foden’s development either (I’m starting to appreciate what all the fuss is about)
Do you have that kind of dough for those two players? Will it not impact FFP?
Oh…. And you couldn’t afford Ian
https://streamgg.com/ib/lnzkwMkwhG
Pick the bones out of that!
Last edited by Wolfie; 26th April 2021 at 21:59.
Of course. Also someone fed up with the fans of teams with the most money dictating which players they'll buy because their team has the most money, with the most expensive players, who are thus most likely to win trophies and therefore be the only destination for the best players from other teams. And I appreciate Villa's owners have a huge amount of money. But then Grealish is Villa through and through and as I mentioned before, not only captain of his boyhood club but has been going to all the matches he's missed while injured and going to the U23 matches. He's already likely on a lot of money; does he want to move from where the team is and will be built around him, where he can help it move up the table, or go elsewhere to a club that buys the best players and all the trophies, where he'll not start all the time and where the challenge is not to win trophies but not to lose them?
"A man of little significance"
No, you’re right of course. I get all my info from the Daily Mail.
Personally, I have no feelings either way on who City do and don’t sign . If the manager wants him, that’s good enough for me . It was when we were the poor relations and it still stands today .
The guy who told me about Grealish is well connected with the club, he has been correct on a number of transfers before and also called a couple that went the other way when it was seemingly a done deal ( Sanchez to United for one ) . The staff are keen on him and Grealish, supposedly, is interested. Wether it comes off is anybody’s guess.
We still have the buyback clause in Luiz’ deals at the end of this season for £25 million. Our manager was extremely peeved that he didn’t get the work permit whilst with us . Wether this could be used as a makeweight or not would also be interesting.
As an aside, how long do you think it would take Villa to compete? It would be extremely difficult to build a team around Grealish, Watkins , Cash etc within a couple of years. You only have to see the clamour of the press and pundits telling Harry Kane that he needs to move on to see the pressure these players and clubs are under to win trophies and medals.
Good turnaround for fake City last night Ben . Some strike from Nacho man . I think that cements top 4 for Leicester, a couple of tricky games left but I think you’re better than United and Spurs .
There’s only one City pal !!!
Big Sam suggested we were the second best team in the league! I’ll take that (although don’t believe it)
7pts with 5 games to go is some swing…. Points on the board needed Friday to put pressure on the pack…. Would love to see us catch Yernited, but, I’m just being greedy!
Nacho is unreal…. That finish was just superb…. He strikes the ball so early and so powerfully
He’s always had that first touch and devastating finish. I first saw him years ago in the U19s v United and he scored an absolute cracker.
Everyone tells me he’s not a Pep player but Guardiola has always been really effusive about him . I ‘ heard’ last night that there’s a £50 million buyback clause but it’s the first I’ve ever heard about it.
Imagine how good you would be withKante and Mahrez still in the team ? They are both playing superbly at the minute . Just watching Chelsea and you’d think Kante had just come on the way he’s having around the pitch .
Looked like a great game in Paris last night, if the highlights are anything to go by!
Bit of luck about the City goals, but you make your own luck when you perform as well as that
I think they'll make the final now
An archetypal game of two halves. PSG sublime in the first and City came back very strongly in the second. Their goals were soft but they deserved the win I thought. PSG had lost their heads by the end.
Set up nicely for the second leg, PSG can't be cagey, they have to go for it.
I very rarely last right through in games that United aren't playing in but last night was a great watch.
It was a good match, surprised PSG looked so poor in the second half. City did step it up but PSG should have been able to cope and conceded 2 very soft goals. Neymar has to be the most frustrating player on the planet, his talent is clear to see but all the diving and rolling around is just pathetic. Just stay on your feet and play football!
Arsenal fan here but after the Super League fiasco I'm glad we are getting smashed by Villarreal. Hope we lose horribly. I'd also like to see us start next season with a 20 point deduction (and the same with the other unfaithful sides). This treachery must be punished.
I'm likely to move my affiliation to Southampton from next season also as a result.
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A Man City v Man Utd European Super Cup next season looking likely.
United playing like they should. I like it.
Wow! "unfaithful sides"??? Unfaithful to whom? UEFA?
As a Chelsea fan, I was overwhelmingly pleased that the ESL idea was quickly and decisively kicked to the kerb but only because it was a monumentally ill-conceived concept. A small, selective league with no perceptible competitive element. Utterly ridiculous!
However, are we saying that nobody should ever be allowed to challenge the massively corrupt fiefdom of UEFA or FIFA? Are we saying that once you're under their control you have to accede to their every whim? The real reason UEFA were so outraged by the ESL idea is that it would have taken money from their trough. A trough funded by you and me. UEFA don't give a stuff about football or fans.
The ESL was a stupid idea but, what really needs to happen is for all sides to come together and reconstruct the entire football concept. To put people in control who truly care about all levels of the game. However, the problem is that the billionaires were allowed in and for anyone to believe they wouldn't want to milk the business for all its worth and to exercise unrelenting greed is naivety of the highest order.
Liverpool Man Utd on Sunday ..... as a Liverpool fan I’m rather nervous ...... although I’d be nervous if they were playing my sons team at the moment
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Patrick Bamford put it perfectly when he said how quick UEFA could respond when money was involved but where are they on the racism issue. Pep was also bang on when he called the other clubs cynical. Football is a business whether we like it or not and there's no going backwards.
Pickford having a good game tonight. Play like that all the time and I'll let you stay
Good open game, end to end stuff.
Well done City, well deserved.
I love anyone beating PSG. They dominate a crappy national league, but cannot compete with the big boys. A bit like Scotland really. I always thought PSG were a big spending version of Celtic
So the final will be between 2 of the mercenaries.
Will not bother to watch.
Last edited by Hood; 4th May 2021 at 23:18.
City have an awesome team With such talented players and I hope they go on to win. Their style of play is lovely.
Last edited by awright101; 5th May 2021 at 17:42.