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2017/18 Champions League

Jack_Napier

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Correct. We had a well documented weakness in the team which was exposed in the final.

As well as that it’s important this excuse isn’t used as a reason to keep a hopeless goalkeeper. This wasn’t a player that had an aberration, a one off pisspoor game...he’s made these mistakes before, just got away with them.

I will be relieved when a top keeper is signed.
I don’t think Karius is totally hopeless and has shown some good signs since becoming our number one, but he has also shown a few things fairly regularly that suggests we need better if we are to really challenge.

He was an upgrade on Migs but that really isn’t hard. Our business has been all about midfield so far so hopefully now Fekir seems to be sorted we can get on a class GK.
 

Mong

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I don’t think Karius is totally hopeless and has shown some good signs since becoming our number one, but he has also shown a few things fairly regularly that suggests we need better if we are to really challenge.

He was an upgrade on Migs but that really isn’t hard. Our business has been all about midfield so far so hopefully now Fekir seems to be sorted we can get on a class GK.

Would you prefer the club keept him as the number 2 keeper and try and develop him or let him go?
 

Jack_Napier

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Would you prefer the club keept him as the number 2 keeper and try and develop him or let him go?
I wouldn’t have any problem with that. Issue would be him wanting to settle for being a number 2 all over again.

Part of me thinks it may have something to do with our GK coach in John Achterberg, problem with that if true is it won’t matter who we buy as they’ll likely regress if the coaching isn’t right.
 

DC80

Juniors
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215
I don’t think Karius is totally hopeless and has shown some good signs since becoming our number one, but he has also shown a few things fairly regularly that suggests we need better if we are to really challenge.

He was an upgrade on Migs but that really isn’t hard. Our business has been all about midfield so far so hopefully now Fekir seems to be sorted we can get on a class GK.
I’ve heard this mentioned before, “good signs”. I never saw any. He always had a mistake in him, a big mistake. In our Champions League run alone, the knockouts: last 16 we hammered Porto who barely had a shot so he had nothing to do; last 8, home to Man City they barely had a shot (don’t think they had one shot on target, defence was outstanding), away leg, this was when questions were asked of Karius: his weak punch which saw the ball go straight down and hit Milner, should have been 2-0...game on; last 4, Roma at home, at 0-0 Kolarov shoots from 40 yards, straight at Karius...who lets it go through his hands (which we would see again), somehow it hits the crossbar and stays out. That goes in (and it’s pure luck it didn’t) its a different game. Away leg, he pushes a tame shot straight back into the box instead or round the post (something he does often), ball falls straight to Dzeko who scores. 10 minutes later, Karius rushes out of his goal like a maniac to the edge of the penalty area (no need, defenders were beside Dzeko) and he takes out Dzeko who flicked the ball past him...that’s a red card and penalty but for the linesman getting it wrong with an offside call. Then came the final...

The fella is a car crash of a goalkeeper. He instills fear in his teammates, apprehension among fans, waiting for his next blunder.

I wouldn’t have any problem with that. Issue would be him wanting to settle for being a number 2 all over again.

Part of me thinks it may have something to do with our GK coach in John Achterberg, problem with that if true is it won’t matter who we buy as they’ll likely regress if the coaching isn’t right.
Not sure if Achterberg is an issue. None of the goalkeepers that have worked with him had much of a pedigree before they joined so it’s not as if they have gone from good to bad and he has ruined them. The last quality keeper was Reina. We have bought bang average since then.

I’d go all out for Oblak. Yes it’s 80 million, but you are getting the genuine article. His shot stopping statistics are on another level. In the long run he would be cheaper...much more expensive having to constantly change a poor gk, in addition to the costly errors a poor goalkeeper makes. The old saying ‘you get what you pay for’ applies here. We bought a Sony 42 inch tv in 2000, 18 years later it’s still in fantastic nick. Could have bought much cheaper tv, nowhere near the same quality, and would have needed replacing after less than 3 to 4 years.
 
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Mong

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Bale and Ronaldo leaving Madrid?

I need to be playing week in, week out and that not happened this season,” Bale, who scored one of the greatest goals in Champions League history, said post-game.

“I had an injury five, six weeks in but [I’ve been] fit ever since. I have to sit down with my agent in the summer and discuss it.”

As for Ronaldo, the Portuguese superstar’s comments suggested that his time in Madrid may soon be up.

“In [the] coming days, there’ll be an answer about my future,” Ronaldo explained.

“It has been very nice playing for Real Madrid.”


https://coupler.foxsports.com.au/ap...e/news-story/7a37f798c760512f86969c30b991a61e

Has bale decided what he’s doing yet?
 

Jack_Napier

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I’ve read on other sites that bale doesn’t seem to be in Madrid’s long term plans and has already been offered to MU.

Potentially Spurs is an option as well but surely he would be far too pricey for most sides given the risk you run with his injury record.
 

saint.nick

Coach
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19,401
I’ve read on other sites that bale doesn’t seem to be in Madrid’s long term plans and has already been offered to MU.

Potentially Spurs is an option as well but surely he would be far too pricey for most sides given the risk you run with his injury record.
Conversely I read somewhere that Bale had positive talks with Real and a move to Utd is quite remote
 

Jack_Napier

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Conversely I read somewhere that Bale had positive talks with Real and a move to Utd is quite remote
Yeah who really knows tbh. I listened to an ed2 podcast updating the current window the other day and he slightly touched on bale.
 

Mong

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I’ve read on other sites that bale doesn’t seem to be in Madrid’s long term plans and has already been offered to MU.

Potentially Spurs is an option as well but surely he would be far too pricey for most sides given the risk you run with his injury record.

Why would he not be? If he stays fit he would offer them much as a replacement for Ronaldo who is already on the books.
 

Jack_Napier

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That sums up Real Madrid for you. They only bought James cos he looks like a shiny new play thing in his underwear
Hazard and Mbappe I get, they’re world class and one has potential to be best on the planet. Neymar is just a sulky bitch who seems more trouble than he’s worth.
 

Jack_Napier

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PSG have no need to sell those two. It would be difficult and super expensive to do.
Won’t make a difference if the players want the move, I’d put money on one of them moving to Madrid with hazard eventually. And this is Madrid, money is hardly ever an issue.
 

Mong

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Hazzard going makes sense. Would it make sense to spend the kind of money they'd need to spend to get Neymar from PSG and all the rubbish that comes with him when you could spend less (probably) to get a player of two who can compliment Bale?

If we are talking on pure football ability, maybe, factor in the other antics and i'd think not.
 

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