Topic: Harry Maguire considering his options thread

[stewy17]

I won't write them off because of how nuts this season is. Leicester were written off, they weren't good, but they kept getting the results. No bones about it, these are shit, but they are consistent in picking up points, we're not, we keep dropping stupid points. Hopefully once Jota returns we reverse that

City are my biggest worry though.

I don't really understand the point of them consistently picking up points, and us not. You mean over the past two weeks? Because before that we were picking up more points than anyone and we're still only three points behind them. Being three points behind them doesn't really paint a picture of one team consistently picking up points and one team consistently dropping points, does it?

We're currently in our worst run of form in the league since what, the 13/14 post Christmas period someone has referenced in the last page or so? Do we really think that's going to continue? We've lost twice so far this season. If we beat united on Sunday and then match or better 2 defeats in the second half of the season, whilst overturning some of the silly draws versus shit teams, then we're in really good nick.

As always, the crisis is being massively over stated. I'm happy to bet good money that we pick up more points from now until May than any other team bar city. City are obviously still our only real concern and the game against them in a few weeks will be massive.

[PeterTheRed ...]

Ref is Paul Tierney. Attwell on VAR.

Anyone have an unbiased view of them?

Well, it could have been worse. If I remember correctly, he refereed our game against Chelsea in September, and didn't do much to piss me off ...

[DelTrotter]

Well, it could have been worse. If I remember correctly, he refereed our game against Chelsea in September, and didn't do much to piss me off ...

They got a penalty for a dive and he somehow didn't send their guy off at first when hauling down Mane. Apart from that he was fine. Though you are right it could be worse.

[aw1991]

Ref is Paul Tierney. Attwell on VAR.

Anyone have an unbiased view of them?

https://mobile.twitter.com/babuyagu/status/1348979101902778369

[elsewhere]

  According to the wise heads of RAWK, the ones that 'tell it like it is' this lot have won the league every week for the past month or so. They must be on about 26 titles by now.

Yeah, I'd say Utd solidified their position in Top 4 but for the title it's still gonna be a race between City and us, City having slight advantage since we had huge injury problems.

[Andy82lfc]

https://mobile.twitter.com/babuyagu/status/1348979101902778369

So the ref for this game Tierney has given Man U 5 pens in his last 10 matches?? 50 fucking percent!

An as someone pointed out coupled with the fact he didn't give the absolute blatant red card for manes foul against Chelsea and just 1 penalty for us in 14 matches, I wouldn't say that's looking too good   

As Klopp said something is wrong when a team is getting that percentage of penalties and others are not. Personally I think it's partly due to the mancs having a blatant culture of dive first try and score second when in the box. As Oliver said about the Virgil foul if players don't ask a question of the ref they won't feel the need to give anything. So if players fall down when touched ten times instead of once you are bound to get more pens, especially with the csi investigation and anything given for the smallest of touches now. Fucking refs.

[B0151?]

They have a great deal of momentum right now with a lot of luck from penalties/VAR and injuries. They aren’t playing well but they are grinding out results. I don’t think they’re good enough to win a tight title race and I think Guardiola will be happy that there seems to be zero expectation on City, who should really be the favourites right now. We need our luck to turn, but I don’t think United are good enough to go all the way as ourselves and City.

The main frustration for me is that we’ve allowed them to build a title challenge.

I agree but it's still too early to call it a title challenge

Also I don't think we should get too frustrated. This was always going to be a tough season due to the high levels of the previous two and the massive disruption Covid has caused. And then add onto the absolutely devastating injuries.

There have been frustrating games we should have done better in, but there's no reason not to be positive for the rest of the season. Starting with twatting the shit Mancs on Sunday

[Red_Rich]

Largely an irrelevance for the past 8 years -and certainly for the last 2 or 3 - it's now slightly annoying that we have to somewhat take them seriously as challengers - at least for the time being.

I thought the days had gone of checking for who they're playing the next few games.

Do I think they'll win it?  Probably not.  More to the point HOPEFULLY not.  But that will absolutely depend on what ourselves and City do.  If all 3 teams were firing on all cylinders with fully fit squads, fans in the stadiums and everything under normal circumstances, I wouldn't give them a prayer, no matter how good their 'form since Bruno' was.

But that's the thing.  It isn't.  We have spluttered and even City haven't been themselves for a year.  Only now are they showing signs of that old relentless sky blue winning machine that we saw between 2017 and 2019.

Since we lost Virgil and Joe our form in all competitions has been patchy.  Yes we've put in a few great performances, some of them even what you'd call statement ones, in both the league and Europe.  But in general I think we are 25% down on the standards we set last year.

As someone else also just mentioned, I think United have basically aimed hard at top 4 and found themselves higher up due to a set of circumstances that have arisen.  They shot for the moon and now find themselves in the stars, if you will.

I also saw someone mention how Spurs have 'fallen away' since we narrowly dispatched of them in December.  Well the table tells a different tale.  Same with Leicester.  Same with Everton.  Again, not because any of them have been brilliant, but because WE have 'fallen off' or 'faded away'.  The very thing people are accusing others of.

I think it might be wise at this point to simply consider ourselves merely in a top 4 consolidation race for the immediate future and put away any title talk.  Take it off the table for now and just concentrate on winning one game at a time.  Like we did so brilliantly last season.  And starting with those Manc pretenders on Sunday.

[Crosby Nick]

I haven’t looked at the table in a while and will probably only so so when we start winning again. But we shouldn’t panic if we drop a place or two in the short term. If we get our form back the table will take care of itself.

[Son of Spion]

I haven’t looked at the table in a while and will probably only so so when we start winning again. But we shouldn’t panic if we drop a place or two in the short term. If we get our form back the table will take care of itself.

These have been incredibly fortunate this season, with seemingly endless gifts from officials. Honestly, every time I see their results I click on just to see at what stage of the game Penandes slotted his penalty away. They are getting penalties when their player really should have been booked for simulation. They've had every conceivable advantage go their way but are only ahead by three points. On the other hand, Liverpool have had absolutely everything go against us this season, the likes of which I've never seen before in my life. Despite this, we are just three points behind, and only for VAR travesties we'd still be ahead.

If we pull our fingers out, we leave these behind. If we don't, well we don't deserve to win it anyway and Abu Dhabi will bag it. We've been magnificent for the most part given the circumstances, but in the last three or four games we've literally done it to ourselves.

[Andy82lfc]

An irrelevance for the past 8 years, it's now slightly annoying that we have to somewhat take them seriously as challengers - at least for the time being.

I thought the days had gone of checking for who they're playing the next few games.

Do I think they'll win it?  Probably not.  More to the point HOPEFULLY not.  But that will absolutely depend on what ourselves and City do.  If all 3 teams were firing on all cylinders with fully fit squads, fans in the stadiums and everything under normal circumstances, I wouldn't give them a prayer, no matter how good their 'form since Bruno' was.

But that's the thing.  It isn't.  We have spluttered and even City haven't been themselves for a year.  Only now are they showing signs of that old relentless sky blue winning machine that we saw between 2017 and 2019.

Since we lost Virgil and Joe our form in all competitions has been patchy.  Yes we've put in a few great performances, some of them even what you'd call statement ones, in both the league and Europe.  But in general I think we are 25% down on the standards we set last year.

As someone else also just mentioned, I think United have basically aimed hard at top 4 and found themselves higher up due to a set of circumstances that have arisen.  They shot for the moon and now find themselves in the stars, if you will.

I also saw someone mention how Spurs have 'fallen away' since we narrowly dispatched them in December.  Well the table tells a different tale.  Same with Everton.  Again, not because either have been brilliant, but because WE have 'fallen off' or 'faded away'.  The very thing people are accusing others of.

I think it might be wise at this point to simply consider ourselves merely in a top 4 consolidation race for the immediate future and put away any title talk.  Take it off the table for now and just concentrate on winning one game at a time.  Like we did so brilliantly last season.  Starting with those Manc pretenders on Sunday.

Main difference is simple for me, the two best teams in the league by a long way have either imploded a little or been massacred with injuries and bad luck. Normally we would be well ahead with City with a team or two hanging onto the coattails until dec/Jan (this year more like feb/march with late start). Us and city are instead in the group of teams that have been fighting for a usual top four spot which is now top spot.

Whatever happens it would be extremely unlikely for city or ourselves to not pick up form again and stretch out leads and just as more/unlikely for a shit/mediocre team to continue a great run of form for not just 17 games but an entire season.

I think for me more and more people buy into the media sensationalism and hype each year by discussing 'title races' and who may win etc after not even half the season is passed.

[stockdam]

Oh my........over in Redcafe somebody posted a picture of one of the protesters in Capitol Hill with a red hat on. Somebody photoshopped a LFC badge on it and the dumb idiots over on Redcafe think it’s real. They really are a bunch of idiots who want to believe anything.

I see that “No Idea for Nickname” has copied and pasted my post in Redcafe as he does with practically all posts here (maybe he’s a Bot.....nah a Bot would have better things to do).

Nobody over there admitted that there were an idiot and fell for the Photoshop........maybe No Idea for a Nickname should rename himself to “Clueless”.

[Son of Spion]

Largely an irrelevance for the past 8 years -and certainly for the last 2 or 3 - it's now slightly annoying that we have to somewhat take them seriously as challengers - at least for the time being.

I thought the days had gone of checking for who they're playing the next few games.

Do I think they'll win it?  Probably not.  More to the point HOPEFULLY not.  But that will absolutely depend on what ourselves and City do.  If all 3 teams were firing on all cylinders with fully fit squads, fans in the stadiums and everything under normal circumstances, I wouldn't give them a prayer, no matter how good their 'form since Bruno' was.

But that's the thing.  It isn't.  We have spluttered and even City haven't been themselves for a year.  Only now are they showing signs of that old relentless sky blue winning machine that we saw between 2017 and 2019.

Since we lost Virgil and Joe our form in all competitions has been patchy.  Yes we've put in a few great performances, some of them even what you'd call statement ones, in both the league and Europe.  But in general I think we are 25% down on the standards we set last year.

As someone else also just mentioned, I think United have basically aimed hard at top 4 and found themselves higher up due to a set of circumstances that have arisen.  They shot for the moon and now find themselves in the stars, if you will.

I also saw someone mention how Spurs have 'fallen away' since we narrowly dispatched of them in December.  Well the table tells a different tale.  Same with Leicester.  Same with Everton.  Again, not because any of them have been brilliant, but because WE have 'fallen off' or 'faded away'.  The very thing people are accusing others of.

I think it might be wise at this point to simply consider ourselves merely in a top 4 consolidation race for the immediate future and put away any title talk.  Take it off the table for now and just concentrate on winning one game at a time.  Like we did so brilliantly last season.  And starting with those Manc pretenders on Sunday.

This is it for me. No one has impressed this season. We were stuttering after we went top. The Mancs are distinctly average yet they are currently top. The season is so inconsistent that as soon as any team strings a few results together they are touted as potential champions, only to succumb the same inconsistencies the rest have gone through. The fact that everyone is so inconsistent means even after a bad run they don't fall too far away and a couple of wins sees them right back in it. We've been terrible for the past three or four games yet are still right in it too. Normally, that could have killed our hopes stone dead if we had a consistent Abu Dhabi in the mix, but they've been poor at times themselves.

There are mitigating circumstances, of course, but we are way off our own standards this season, apart from the odd flashes of our usual selves. The good thing is that we have many gears yet to go through, but have United? I really don't think so. They are running flat-out and have the strong wind of scandalously favourable refereeing decisions behind them, yet they are only ahead by three points, and that's only due to our own inconsistency and a number of horrifically poor VAR decisions against us that altered results. 

[deFacto please, you bastards]

It's a marathon not a sprint.

[killer-heels]

I haven’t looked at the table in a while and will probably only so so when we start winning again. But we shouldn’t panic if we drop a place or two in the short term. If we get our form back the table will take care of itself.

The only caveat I would put to that is that failure to win on Sunday means we are now 4 league games without a win, which isnt good at all. Also, just like City last season, we will be asking our side to go on a run which it hasnt managed for a while.

I absolutely believe that by the end of this month we will know whether we are competing for the league or not. 4 matches now in just over two weeks and them and City’s 4 fixtures will tell us what we need to know.

United though are not winning it.

[Medellin]

May have been posted..ain't been on here for a while.

<a href="https://youtube.com/v/6HMv8pAY7UM" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://youtube.com/v/6HMv8pAY7UM</a>

[Andy82lfc]

May have been posted..ain't been on here for a while.

<a href="https://youtube.com/v/6HMv8pAY7UM" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://youtube.com/v/6HMv8pAY7UM</a>

If they are telling each other to dive on the pitch in front of 20 odd tv cameras and refs imagine what they do in training.

They know how to play the refs like a fiddle by looking for contact and it won’t stop.

[tonysleft]

mind the gap

[Son of Spion]

mind the gap

Yes, six European Cups to three is something of a chasm, isn't it. 

[Samie]

Ole's gonig to be at the wheel a long time mate after this, I hope you realise that. 

[Medellin]

New 5 year contract (with the option of a 6th) incoming for Ole.

[slaphead]

mind the gap

  
Fair play. I don't begrudge you that mate, it must of been sitting ready to hit send for a very long time and may not be applicable long so you had to take the opportunity

[Crosby Nick]

mind the gap

[Son of Spion]

[Medellin]

Gary Neville with an appearance too..

[Gray Hamster]

Utd winning matches, it’s just annoying but it wont at all impact who lifts the title this year. City winning matches, now that’s an entirely different matter. Come on Brighton.... (-:

[Andy82lfc]

mind the gap

Although not a big fan of fans on opposing forums as 99% of the time it ends in a wind up/trolling, to be fair to your self you do and have posted throughout the course of us winning last year, you lot being awful and not just popping up when it suits. So I don't begrudge you having some banter now as I know you will be back posting when it all goes tits up again 

What the news on Martial and Matic ahead of the weekend?

[Dr Stu-Pid]

While it would be great to think that this is a short term rise, Utd have actually got the most points over the last 5 games, last 10 games, last 15 games, last 25 games, and last 30 games.  The only stretch that they don't have the most points over is 20 games when they are 1 point behind City's total.  Now, they may not have always played well in those games, and have certainly benefited from some luck and some generous referee calls, but points on the board are points on the board.

However, as has been mentioned several times, this is a very odd season.  Utd are top with 36 points after 17 games and in the last 10 years that points total would have only been good enough for 1st place in one other season (2013/14).  In two of those years they wouldn't have been in the top 3 places, and in 7 of those years they would have been at least 6 points off the lead, and for the last 3 years they would have been at least 13 points behind the leaders.

So this isn't Utd catching up with City and Liverpool as some pundits have been saying, this is City and Liverpool essentially slamming on the brakes to let them overtake them.

Lots of games still to go and there are no trophies awarded for being top after 17 games.

[Dull Tools]

Gary Neville with an appearance too..

Can someone please photoshop Neville's head on the rat and Ferdinand on the main guy.

[Gray Hamster]

While it would be great to think that this is a short term rise, Utd have actually got the most points over the last 5 games, last 10 games, last 15 games, last 25 games, and last 30 games.  The only stretch that they don't have the most points over is 20 games when they are 1 point behind City's total.  Now, they may not have always played well in those games, and have certainly benefited from some luck and some generous referee calls, but points on the board are points on the board.

However, as has been mentioned several times, this is a very odd season.  Utd are top with 36 points after 17 games and in the last 10 years that points total would have only been good enough for 1st place in one other season (2013/14).  In two of those years they wouldn't have been in the top 3 places, and in 7 of those years they would have been at least 6 points off the lead, and for the last 3 years they would have been at least 13 points behind the leaders.

So this isn't Utd catching up with City and Liverpool as some pundits have been saying, this is City and Liverpool essentially slamming on the brakes to let them overtake them.

Lots of games still to go and there are no trophies awarded for being top after 17 games.

I think we all acknowledge this mate. Given the fact that before last night 7 points separate the top 10, tells the whole story really. It’s not a matter of if but when Liverpool and City get their mojo back and the rest of the league fall way behind again.

[Samio]

Well, it went great for them last time they celebrated being top of a table 

[rushyman]

Neville with the hating scousers song on twitter

Sky’s main man.

Their other main man Carragher wouldnt fucking dream of saying anything remotely close to that cos he’s now Sky’s bitch

I Cannot get rid of sky quick enough

[BoRed]

Neville with the hating scousers song on twitter

Sky’s main man.

Their other main man Carragher wouldnt fucking dream of saying anything remotely close to that cos he’s now Sky’s bitch

I Cannot get rid of sky quick enough

To be fair, their other main man spat at a Manc's kid and got away with it. Didn't post it on his own Twitter account, admittedly.

[Elliemental]

Neville with the hating scousers song on twitter

That's pretty fucking scummy, in fairness. How do they get away with it?

[Elliemental]

To be fair, their other main man spat at a Manc's kid and got away with it. Didn't post it on his own Twitter account, admittedly.

If by "getting away with it" you mean suspension and hauled over the coals to make numerous grovelling apologies, then yes. I suppose he did get away with it.

[Pistolero]

To be fair, their other main man spat at a Manc's kid and got away with it. Didn't post it on his own Twitter account, admittedly.

he didn't spit at a kid and he didnt get away with it...apart from that though, you're spot on

[vivabobbygraham]

[BoRed]

If by "getting away with it" you mean suspension and hauled over the coals to make numerous grovelling apologies, then yes. I suppose he did get away with it.

he didn't spit at a kid and he didnt get away with it...apart from that though, you're spot on

Times must be bleak if everyone is this touchy . He kept his job, didn't he?

[rob1966]

Neville with the hating scousers song on twitter

Gary Neville shags his Ma, up the shitter

[rob1966]

To be fair, their other main man spat at a Manc's kid and got away with it. Didn't post it on his own Twitter account, admittedly.

Was getting goaded by some bellend, who was filming the incident on a mobile phone while driving and Carra stupidly took the bait and spat at him. Kid was an unfortunate victim due to her father being a c*nt and a man reacting when he should have known better