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On December 09 2025 06:09 Bacillus wrote:Show nested quote +On December 09 2025 02:08 WombaT wrote:
As an aside how on Earth did Man City get Rayan Cherki for 35 million Euros plus potential add-ons?
I think the most important thing with a huge bankroll isn't so much about how you can buy the one top player (that'll happen sometimes too, for example with Haaland), but how many times you can gamble on some promising players. If you look at the cost of starting 11s on most top teams, they're often not that dramatically different from the biggest spenders. The difference comes in more when your big investment hits a slump or doesn't fit into some situation. City is going to bring in another equally good (and well rested) player from bench whereas most other clubs start to run out quality or at least have to live with some pieces not operating in their best form or role.
That is a really good point. City can make a "gamble buy" like 10 times a season while other clubs can only do two. So the chances of some of those gambles paying off big time is quite a lot higher
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51574 Posts
seems like the call for xabi alonso out at real madrid is growing by the day - seems like the perfect replacement for slot at liverpool if they both get sacked lol
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Marca said that the Real Madrid-Man City is a decider for Alonso. I wouldn't be so hasty, but who knows with Real and its board & dressing room politics.
I'd definitely put my money on City on that matchup, the current Pep iteration can be pretty pragmatic to shut down individuals like Mbabbe and then you've got the cheat code in Haaland to get a goal or two even with a bit more defensive lineup. I looked at some of the Celta game on the weekend and Real didn't look very convincing there.
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Alonso going to Liverpool would be great. :D
His biggest problem was fighting the huge egos of Real Madrid dressing room
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Northern Ireland26503 Posts
On December 09 2025 06:09 Bacillus wrote:Show nested quote +On December 09 2025 02:08 WombaT wrote:
As an aside how on Earth did Man City get Rayan Cherki for 35 million Euros plus potential add-ons?
I think the most important thing with a huge bankroll isn't so much about how you can buy the one top player (that'll happen sometimes too, for example with Haaland), but how many times you can gamble on some promising players. If you look at the cost of starting 11s on most top teams, they're often not that dramatically different from the biggest spenders. The difference comes in more when your big investment hits a slump or doesn't fit into some situation. City is going to bring in another equally good (and well rested) player from bench whereas most other clubs start to run out quality or at least have to live with some pieces not operating in their best form or role.
The lad was the top assist provider in Ligue Une and the Europa League last season. It’s more the price he’s gone for surprised me, also that City kind of just went and got him, I don’t recall many other clubs being linked.
36 million is almost the going rate for a merely good Premier League player these days! It’s crazy
Point taken as to what you said too. I think it’s long characterised City that they don’t tend to spend absolutely crazy money on singular players, but they’ll happily spend pretty big on two. Both for depth and insurance, but also if one doesn’t come off, they’re somewhat covered. And I think Arsenal now have a pretty similar approach that’s working well for them.
It made Liverpool under Klopp keeping competitive with City all those years all the more remarkable. They spent a fair whack of money, but mostly on core players, they didn’t have that buffer a City had/have, they needed almost all of their signings to fire, and fire they mostly all did.
You’re really starting to see the financial dominance of the Prem come into play nowadays. It’s moved from expensive first 11s into the squads.
A player like Cherki, perhaps say Odegaard/Eze when they’re both fit would be main men for many a side, even top CL sides, but Prem teams have such depth they can afford to rotate even elite players, because they’ll often have more than one.
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City vs Real is gonna be lit! I like Alonso but I really hope Real gets pounded.
What is the English press on about that Liverpool penalty btw? That was more than obviously a penalty. Should have been a call without the need to fall dramatically to be honest.
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On December 10 2025 19:50 Harris1st wrote:
City vs Real is gonna be lit! I like Alonso but I really hope Real gets pounded.
What is the English press on about that Liverpool penalty btw? That was more than obviously a penalty. Should have been a call without the need to fall dramatically to be honest.
I don't know if it was a penalty.
The reason he had to go down as if he had been shot is because the actual shirt pull had zero effect on his movement.
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After seeing the replay, the penalty was a bit harsh but also a bit dumb to even pull in this situation.
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On December 10 2025 20:04 gTank wrote:
After seeing the replay, the penalty was a bit harsh but also a bit dumb to even pull in this situation.
Yeah that's fair I think.
Silly to pull the shirt, but come on, it didn't even slow the player down let alone bring him down.
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Norway28781 Posts
It's a soft penalty but not incorrect, main blame goes to the defender because doing that is stupid.
Just because people have often gotten away with some tugging doesn't mean you're allowed to do it.
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The way I see it VAR had no reason to interfere because at least for me, its not a clear mistake not to give it. Weird anyway. Besides that, was Liverpool way better without Salah?
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Northern Ireland26503 Posts
On December 09 2025 21:48 sharkie wrote:
Alonso going to Liverpool would be great. :D
His biggest problem was fighting the huge egos of Real Madrid dressing room
It’d be crazy to me if they got rid of him this soon. If there’s any ego that’s perhaps a problem it might be Perez. It feels he wants to hire a more modern, cutting edge kind of coach but not really give him the time and space
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On December 10 2025 22:32 gTank wrote:
The way I see it VAR had no reason to interfere because at least for me, its not a clear mistake not to give it. Weird anyway. Besides that, was Liverpool way better without Salah?
I wasn't watching thinking about how obvious it was that Salah not being there was helping them, put it that way.
They played pretty well, but it didn't seem like a Salah related improvement.
Then again, I might be wrong, it just wasn't immediately obvious why that would be the case.
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On December 10 2025 20:18 Jockmcplop wrote:Show nested quote +On December 10 2025 20:04 gTank wrote:
After seeing the replay, the penalty was a bit harsh but also a bit dumb to even pull in this situation. Yeah that's fair I think. Silly to pull the shirt, but come on, it didn't even slow the player down let alone bring him down.
Sorry but that is just wrong. He was off balance and even a light tug can do the rest similar to a small shove to a player mid-air. He would have been first to the ball, though really not in a prime position to score so it was indeed pretty dumb.
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Very happy to see that Slot and Salah issue seems to be resolved for now!
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I saw some headline that Real only has roughly 10 healthy outfield players for their match against Alaves today. I'm not too knowledgeable on their roster and who can cover what and so on, but they're definitely missing a lot. Less than ideal must-win match for Xabi, should be interesting.
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United States10354 Posts
On December 10 2025 23:30 Jockmcplop wrote:Show nested quote +On December 10 2025 22:32 gTank wrote:
The way I see it VAR had no reason to interfere because at least for me, its not a clear mistake not to give it. Weird anyway. Besides that, was Liverpool way better without Salah? I wasn't watching thinking about how obvious it was that Salah not being there was helping them, put it that way. They played pretty well, but it didn't seem like a Salah related improvement. Then again, I might be wrong, it just wasn't immediately obvious why that would be the case.
You could argue the defensive structure and how solid we were (barely conceded any chances) was a good change without Salah in the team. And the diamond midfield was working reasonably well too. I think some of it is that Salah wasn't in the side but not like a huge dramatic change/reason. I do think we should see more 4-diamond-2 in the future with this squad to utilize both Ekitike and Isak with our strong midfield lineup.
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Norway28781 Posts
Polish league halfway through the season. Top team has 2 wins more than the bottom team. Never seen anything like this in a top flight. The top team, Wisła Płock, was promoted before the season, too. Of course, they might still go down again for all we know.
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51574 Posts
the two i'm most familiar with are lech poznan and legia warsaw; must be shock to everyone that legia warsaw are in the relegation zone?
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Usually 5 draws from last 5 games doesn't land you top of the league either.
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EPT![[image loading]](https://scontent.ftrd3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t51.82787-15/588293923_17943231495092661_938616141372188295_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s565x565_tt6&_nc_cat=1&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=127cfc&_nc_ohc=FzcpvyrZS7kQ7kNvwFfPBa3&_nc_oc=Adma6Q9KNfLhNgv5IpjyNx1p0yepBfbnFhl219_F_EBO1v8BbPFkQHZZJaOiXxK5BnBhzstnaW8TOcnWwGeNVfye&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent.ftrd3-1.fna&_nc_gid=ZOso1jCDFoAvEH_dPud-lQ&oh=00_AfnVF1vpFRBOp9CwMTLLV1msWqfrKjq0YjPq-AAweCKLog&oe=6947C92A)
