General Premier League Thread 2023-24 Mod Note in op 27/6/23 And 21/05/24

I hate to be cynical about these new rules, but there is a slim to zero chance we will see anyone receiving any form of ban for abusing officials after this. Its the same with the automatic yellow for waving your hands calling for a card for the opposition player, I think there was a few handed out on the first weekend, but I haven't seen anyone get booked for it since, and there has been plenty of occasions.

Have you actually watched Man United games very often? Martinez made a very big, instant impact. The mind boggles here. It is a genuine question as to who had a bigger impact last season Casemiro or Martinez (it was Casemiro, maybe he is average too).

I am honestly perplexed by your take. Even Jamie Carragher climbed down from his mental take.

Like I said - I'm sure he has input, his views are surely very highly regarded. The first season especially he would have had to make more impact as the club were obviously handing back transfer targets that did not mesh with ETH's long term view for a playing style.

But again - I need to reiterate that there is at least 4 people above him that we know of that have say / final say on transfers. That's not opinion or speculation - that's fact. So no, he does not have free reign!!

I do feel like we are starting to create a bit of a narrative around the players brought in. Basically any link to ETH at all is deemed to be the deciding factor.

Mathinez, Malacia and Antony and are the ones I would say we actually went heavy with ETH's suggestion as it was his first summer and we had basically made a balls of our planning. After that, it doesn't make much sense every other signing you can point to it being a collection of reasons Utd would have gone for them.

Onana - moved for free to Inter in summer 22. He agreed that move or it was confirmed on July 1st. Either way a free reign ETH surely would have been able to get a move for a keeper on a free approved?

I understand Onana had agreed a deal with Inter a few months beforehand but again I'm sure a fee could have been agreed if indeed ETH had free reign and a serious thing for ex-players.

Instead Utd become interested a year later after a great season with Inter and the obvious need to change our style of keeper. If you done up a list of the world's best keepers over the last season he'd be pretty high on the list and he was at a club Utd could buy from. His playstyle is far more in keeping with the modern approach for keepers. Sure we could have gone for Reya etc..but they aren't as good or haven't at least shown they can operate at a level Onana can.

Amrabat - Surely a free reign ETH who loves his ex-players would have picked up this bargain floating around mid-table clubs before he had a chance to showcase his ability at the WC?

Instead Utd joined a group of clubs in becoming interested after his WC performances. Happens after every WC. Players profiles explode. Also, suggesting he was being hawked around Europe and nobody bit is a bit much. The player seems to have wanted the Utd move. His profile matches what our midfield lacks (cover and can play with Casemiro) It is an area that needed addressing and Amrabat ticks a hell of a lot of the boxes.

Mount - This one does make me laugh to be fair. England international, pressing machine. Available for a decent fee. Area of the squad that needs reinforcement. Fills homegrown allocation. Young with plenty of PL experience - any of these reasons why Man Utd would buy him? No, it's because ETH watched him play for Vitesse in 2017 :D

Eirksen - Signed because he had a really good season at Brentford and a tone of PL experience that could be hugely valuable in a transition period? Nope because he played for Ajax.

Then you have Hojlund and Casemiro - 2 of our bigger outlays in the last 2 windows and they have no connection. Or at least none that has been dug up yet :D Perhaps they passed ETH in an Airport at some stage.

We like to look for patterns in things and once we find one we often end up with confirmation bias. I would accept that Mathinez, Malacia and Antony were highly unlikely to be on the radar of Utd pre ETH (all happened in the first summer as well) but everyone else you can see why they would be looking at them.

apparently haaland was accused of something sinister. some people online think he should be suspended.

think there's an arsenal player also.

where do the good folk of boards stand?

accused, charged, convicted?

I do wonder did United want to bring Greenwood back in because they were aware of a similar issue with Anthony and they were worried they'd have to follow the same process for both?

Ten Hag must think he's cursed at this stage.

Antony sent on gardening leave.

I'd swear at this stage Antony has made more statements about the ongoing allegations than he's scored league goals.

Why? Because of an event that happened half the world away 22 years ago? Erling was 13 months old when 9/11 took place, I don't think he was making a joke at any Americans expense.

Posting that is just looking to be outraged and begging for people to agree with you

Never said he was making a joke at the expense of Americans. Just thought it wasn't the best date to tweet something about airplanes. And where was I begging for people to agree with me in my post?

Good to have the football back 🤣