I know nothing about French football. I should say that from the off. I also have very little interest in the Champion’s league normally, because I find it frankly boring, with practically the same teams involved every year.
But obviously, I’m taking more notice this year and have been watching the games.
I’ve come to the conclusion that while some sides are very good, it seems to me that many are overhyped. Or is it just that we’ve excelled in our previous qualifiers? It’s a very subjective thing, but I don’t think we’ve looked very good in our games, the Bayern one apart. Mind you, I don’t think we’ve looked very good for most of the season, but the reality is we’re still very much in the mix.
That’s not to say I think Monaco are rubbish. I don’t think much of Ligue 1, a few teams apart but they do have a few decent sides, of which Monaco appear to be one. They’re a very young side, the third youngest in their league, but reading around tells me they’re very tenacious. They’ve made the most tackles, ball recoveries and second-most interceptions of any team in the French top flight. They’re also fourth in the table. So definitely no mugs then, although I should probably add that they’ve been on a poor run of late.
Hence it would seem it’s by no means going to be easy. My lack of European football knowledge makes it a bit tricky to give an opinion, but I can have a guess or just give my feelings.
And while I don’t want to jinx us, I do think we can get something from this game. A win wouldn’t make us mathematically certain to qualify automatically, but it would put us in a very strong position and however you look at it, that would be some achievement.
A draw obviously wouldn’t be as good, but you’d have to think that with our last game being Celtic at home, we would still be in with a very good chance
And that’s what I’m going for.
We always look like we’re going to concede, although it seems we’re looking to address this weakness, with a young full back, Andreas Garcia announced as having been signed from Levante just this morning and a central defender being in the offing who will replace Diego Calos who is apparently going to Fenerbache, if Wolves can’t persuade him to join them.
Squad news and John McGinn remains out with injury. He’s also looking doubtful for the Celtic game. Amadou Onana limped off against Arsenal on Saturday and is also very doubtful. Ross Barkley and Pau Torres are both injured and Diego Carlos is suspended, which is probably academic anyway, if he is indeed off to Turkiye. New signing Donyell Malen isn’t eligible.
As for Monaco, it’s all a bit vague but from what I can see, they have several players coming back from injury or illness, with Denis Zakaria, as well as Aleksandr Golovin who was ill, Christian Mawissa and Wilfried Singo all available and it appears they’re practically at full strength.
So if Monaco are going to get one goal, logically we’re also going to get one. In which case, could it be Duran who gets it? My guess is yes he will. The big question there is will he start or come on as sub?
Either way, that’s my prediction. A 1-1 draw.
UTV!
I smell a rat. We would only sell Carlos with a secure deal in place for a replacement. Apparently that player was Badé. Monchie previously signed him for Sevilla, therefore an established relationship to aid the transfer. However, it has been reported that Monchie and Sevilla fell out when he left.
Is it possible that Sevilla have played a game of pay back? Go through protracted process to sell a player, whilst encouraging (surreptitiously) for the player to remain. Outcome, Monchie looks a prize twerp for selling 1 out of our 3 fit centre backs.
Either a high stakes game of poker will unfold. Whereby, Badé signs but his room with us fans will be low due to a perceived stub to initially join us. Or Monchie has a back up player who will add value to our team and can sign him within the week!
Credit where credit is due. Chris Heck has been delivering on his brief. We are up to 18th wealthiest club in the world. €310m euro sales and 27% growth. This does not include Addidas / Bentano / Champions League monies. UTV reported despite these figures our wage to revenue was approximately 94%. To compete in Europe next year it cannot be above 70%. I have no doubt that come the summer a number of players will be sold who can either reduce the wage bill or can be sold for a profit. Carlos has gone with his £100k per week wage.
Coughing £135k
McGinn £120k
Digne £120k
Bailey £120k
Cash £80k
Buendia £75k
Olsen £50k – contract up
Best part of £37m wage bill.
I look forward to developments,
Problem is Sid, that apart from ‘Coughing’ we have to replace those players otherwise our squad goes from paper thin to translucent.
‘Coughing’ accounts for about 20% of that amount and I get that we’ll look to be paying less so maybe we can realistically reduce the bill by a further 10 – 15% – will that be enough and will we have a good enough squad quality wise?
Could get Moreno back for Digne as backup for Maatsen.
Cash already replaced with the new boy. Ned as backup.
Does Buendia need replacing? The cash from the non Felix sale should still be there – with interest.
Olsen doesn’t need replacing – Gauci in place.
As for ‘Coughing’, the less said the better.
Hitch
Absolutely. The % of wage to revenue will automatically fall with the increased revenues. But there is a clear policy now of buy players with potential and increase their value. If they succeed their salary increases. If they fail, not much lost. Occasionally a complete player will be bought at a high salary. However, those who gain a higher salary and fail to deliver e.g Bailey will be shipped out.
It now seems highly likely that Mr. Bade has decided to stay in Spain – has Monchi been outflanked by Seville?
If true it leaves Villa with only 3CB’s, one of which is likely to be out for the next two months or more. Could we see another (disastrous) panic signing?
Is Colin Calderwood still about? Carl Tiler? Anyone?
🙂
Reports of the Saudi league offering £100 million for Duran. Also Cunha available for around £55-60 million.
If true a no-brainer for me and bye Jhon.
TBH as brilliant as is in front of goal Duran always worries me. Ballotelli mark 2 perhaps?
Duran is way more talented now than Mario ever was.
If we lose / draw tomorrow I can’t see us going much further than Conference this season maybe scraping Europa. Champs is still on the cards but this should be a walk in the park for a team like us with home advantage under the lights.
Celtic becomes the big game in the UCL and my big question is do I sell my ticket for four times the price like I’ve been offered? 😉
No. You’ll always earn money. Games like this only come around every so often. Go to the game and enjoy it!
On Buendia, note his role in Roger’s winning goal against West Ham in the cup. Watkins got the assist, but without Emi that winner doesn’t happen. He gives the team everything they’re currently lacking: intensity and drive, forward passing, quick movements to keep opposition on their toes. And a goal threat with head as well as from range. Not to mention surgical through balls. My favourites are his combinations with Ings at Brentford and Burnley in the bin dipper’s first half season. Brilliant.
Unai should be looking at how to integrate Emi back into the first 11 every week. Not selling him!
BFR – I’m not sure Emery wants to sell him.
As Sawiris said, PSR has transformed football into a business driven by the bean counters – the managers have to deal with whatever is thrown at them.
If you listen carefully to what Emery says he’s telling us this at every press conference whilst sending a clear message to our owners.
I’m beginning to wonder if there are rifts appearing between Emery and the owners – or maybe I’m seeing demons that don’t exist?
Can’t really see that. Emery knows how things work and PSR is part of it. It stinks. It’s corrupt. It’s there to maintain the status quo.
Celtic’s game against Dundee today called off because of storm damage. Don’t you just know it!
Yep and we have to play at 16.30 tomorrow!
The footballing gods are having a laugh at our expense!
And Celtic are in form in the CL.
No excuses IMO, mockery of English football if we somehow mess this up, don’t know how it is in the question. They’re worse than Bologna but everyone is flapping because they have the name ‘Celtic’. Put the same team under the name Young Boys we’d think walk in the park. No way we mess this one up or we’ve gone dreadfully wrong!
UTV
At 16.30 the weather might see our game off as well. What are the chances of the Brumbrella suffering a breakdown and leaving the pitch open to the elements?
Ah, the legendary Brumbrella – who can forget it?
Forecast is for rain to have cleared a couple of hours before kick off – with modern drainage systems the pitch will be OK.
If it’s a worry about fans travelling they would have to call it off this morning – personally can’t see it happening.
Celtic scraped a 1-0 home win against Young Boys. They play in the equivalent of our league 1. Remember how we stuffed Hibs! No excuses when playing at VP. Just DON’T concede with the first attack which has become a worrying trend this season.
We need a win tomorrow to keep in with the chasing pack. Scores went our way last week, not so this week.
Bournemouth: 👏👏👏👏👏
It’s not just about winning tomorrow, we have to put West Spam to the sword.
Our negative goal difference is a disgrace and will ultimately cost us in the competition for European places.
Looking around you can see teams like Newcastle and Bournemouth with long unbeaten runs, scoring goals and keeping clean sheets.
We are clinging on by our fingernails.
Correct. We are currently bottom of our league. Which means we’re in danger of relegation.
I have given up trying to guess. Which of our three 150KPW players is Coughing, Kamara, Martinez or Tielemans?
I was wondering that too. I thought it was Bailey, but don’t have a clue where the name has come from???
Coutinho is still coughing!
Unbelievably he’s still our player having signed a five year contract, if memory serves correct – isn’t he out on loan again with us picking up a (big) part of his salary?
He signed in 2022 on a four year contract for £17m. He’s currently on loan at Vasco de Gama.
Thanks Mr Gerrard.
‘Mate’s rates.’ How Purslow sanctioned it is beyond comprehension. There were massive doubts so why 5 years? Why not 2? Shocking. These are the kinds of decisions that, if consistently made, bring big clubs to their knees – see Leeds under Ridsdale. Thankfully, it was an aberration.
I assume it’s an autocorrect typo, Badger.
KAMIKAZE football from front to back, Martinez included. I can’t see why Watkins should be asked to play an hour with Celtic next. Bringing Digne inside when Mings went off: has that ever been tried in a practice game? It did not work because Maatsen is a colossal waste of money at left back and West Ham attacks never got halted down that side until the player on the ball was in the box. The Hammers know they can out jump Cash beyond our right goalpost, they have been doing it for years and with a plentiful supply of crosses from our vacant left back area – eventually one of them counted.
We are getting worse Unai!
OLL, spot on , I’ve said ball over the top and we’re f:;.ked . How many teams have beaten us with that move, he getting Cash to do a wingers play and they know that . I’ve watched them beat us because we have no cover with him working the wings. and as for our midfield we do have certain midfielders failing to spot danger in coverage of player’s position. That ref was dreadful no two ways about that , and I’m having thoughts about Unai and his methods.