For anyone that's arsed. Not sure I am tbh. Although with two new signings I'm more arsed cos there might be some change from the horrific shite we saw last season.
Also Amorim has had a lot more time with the players so maybe we'll see some new ideas and some progress.
First game is v Leeds at 2pm today
Preseason 2025/26
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Fuck the Glazers
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One point of interest, we're not playing any top team in preseason.
Leeds, Everton, West Ham, Bournemouth and Fiorentina
They're all shite
I wonder why that is?
Leeds, Everton, West Ham, Bournemouth and Fiorentina
They're all shite
I wonder why that is?
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Fuck the Glazers
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Beat West Ham 2-1 and played well apparently. Bruno was instrumental.
From what I've read, the press looked really good with Mainoo and Ugarte in the midfield, Cunha, Bruno and Dorgu breaking forward. The second Casemiro, Mount and Maguire came on, we looked an absolute state through the middle, couldn't keep the ball and nearly conceded about 5 times.Fuck the Glazers wrote: ↑6 months ago Beat West Ham 2-1 and played well apparently. Bruno was instrumental.
Obviously only a pre-season practice game but I think that will be a dynamic this coming season. We'll look improved at times but with injuries and subs, it'll be the same shite as last season.
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Fuck the Glazers
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Makes sense tbf. We need a couple more windows to have decent replacements. But if we can at least look like a functioning team next season, that can get the ball from back to front and create chances, it will be progress.Felwin wrote: ↑6 months agoFrom what I've read, the press looked really good with Mainoo and Ugarte in the midfield, Cunha, Bruno and Dorgu breaking forward. The second Casemiro, Mount and Maguire came on, we looked an absolute state through the middle, couldn't keep the ball and nearly conceded about 5 times.Fuck the Glazers wrote: ↑6 months ago Beat West Ham 2-1 and played well apparently. Bruno was instrumental.
Obviously only a pre-season practice game but I think that will be a dynamic this coming season. We'll look improved at times but with injuries and subs, it'll be the same shite as last season.
Also for the style of play to look effective, to be worth backing, I'd take that.
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JoelfuckingGlazer
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I watched the West Ham game. We did play well until the mass changes. We look fit, sharper, leaner. Time will tell whether that’s just a mismatch of pre-season fitness timing between us and West Ham. We play Bournemouth - a physical, highly intense team, so it’ll be a good marker.
A couple of things to note. We’re all assuming that the next priority is a Striker. Which I don’t necessarily disagree with, but we have a couple of other material gaps. It’s clear that Amorim’s style relies on 2 central midfielders who are physical beasts - big, strong, mobile. They’re much more about counter press and recycling possession simply than being creative. We only really have Ugarte in that mould, and he’s still a work in progress for the PL. And then we need a back 3 who are all very press resistant and able to play out. Outside of Martinez, I think that’s a worry area.
Bottom line for me, is that we need to see material progress this season. Obvious signs of the squad improving and playing style starting to look consistently effective. We have several big, big contracts that role off in 12 months - Casemiro, Sancho, Maguire. Sadly, we still have Shaw, Mount and Onana on the books for a long while. But we need to be able to align, with confidence, progress on the field with the ability to repurpose those savings into better recruitment, so that over the next 2-3 years we get back to the top.
Not expecting miracles, but I am expecting progress in terms of how well we compete and build a sense of new team spirit. By all accounts, the spirit inside the squad has markedly improved, and Mbuemo and Cunha have landed really well with the group. That’s a really important aspect,
A couple of things to note. We’re all assuming that the next priority is a Striker. Which I don’t necessarily disagree with, but we have a couple of other material gaps. It’s clear that Amorim’s style relies on 2 central midfielders who are physical beasts - big, strong, mobile. They’re much more about counter press and recycling possession simply than being creative. We only really have Ugarte in that mould, and he’s still a work in progress for the PL. And then we need a back 3 who are all very press resistant and able to play out. Outside of Martinez, I think that’s a worry area.
Bottom line for me, is that we need to see material progress this season. Obvious signs of the squad improving and playing style starting to look consistently effective. We have several big, big contracts that role off in 12 months - Casemiro, Sancho, Maguire. Sadly, we still have Shaw, Mount and Onana on the books for a long while. But we need to be able to align, with confidence, progress on the field with the ability to repurpose those savings into better recruitment, so that over the next 2-3 years we get back to the top.
Not expecting miracles, but I am expecting progress in terms of how well we compete and build a sense of new team spirit. By all accounts, the spirit inside the squad has markedly improved, and Mbuemo and Cunha have landed really well with the group. That’s a really important aspect,
Agree with both of you. It's a work in progress, even if I do worry that the pressure will build on Amorim if we don't start well.
I think it's a toss up between CM and Striker tbf. CM would make us better all round and improve the floor, a good Striker may be the difference between 10th and european football.
Medium term we definitely need progressive CBs as well as more energetic CMs. DeLigt, Maz and Maguire are acceptable to good when we want to defend for large parts, but they won't do for progressing the ball longer term. Maguire in particular just causes more problems than he solves, not fast enough to step up, needs to play in a three to look anywhere near good enough and his dilly-dallying on the ball kills impetus - even if his character is among the best in the squad.
Yoro looks good in terms of progressing, Heaven has shown flashes, Martinez can definitely do it but his injury record is worrying now. My ideal back three would probably be Yoro-DeLigt-Martinez (though DeLigt worries me on the ball) but it would be great if we could pull off Yoro-Martinez-Heaven. Overall, something for next summer when Maguire and Shaw leave.
I think it's a toss up between CM and Striker tbf. CM would make us better all round and improve the floor, a good Striker may be the difference between 10th and european football.
Medium term we definitely need progressive CBs as well as more energetic CMs. DeLigt, Maz and Maguire are acceptable to good when we want to defend for large parts, but they won't do for progressing the ball longer term. Maguire in particular just causes more problems than he solves, not fast enough to step up, needs to play in a three to look anywhere near good enough and his dilly-dallying on the ball kills impetus - even if his character is among the best in the squad.
Yoro looks good in terms of progressing, Heaven has shown flashes, Martinez can definitely do it but his injury record is worrying now. My ideal back three would probably be Yoro-DeLigt-Martinez (though DeLigt worries me on the ball) but it would be great if we could pull off Yoro-Martinez-Heaven. Overall, something for next summer when Maguire and Shaw leave.
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fat maradona
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I don't mind De Ligt on the ball tbf.
I see the club are making moves for Sesko and as much as we need a goal scorer, we definitely need someone to play at DM who is better than Ugarte. But then I'm wondering if Amorim thinks Ugarte will be better in his 2nd season in the PL and whether they think Kone will be stepping up into the first team this season, in which case there's no point spending £80-100m on Baleba,
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I see the club are making moves for Sesko and as much as we need a goal scorer, we definitely need someone to play at DM who is better than Ugarte. But then I'm wondering if Amorim thinks Ugarte will be better in his 2nd season in the PL and whether they think Kone will be stepping up into the first team this season, in which case there's no point spending £80-100m on Baleba,
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Always had at the back of my mind that Martinez could play DM. Might suit him better in a sitting position rather than having to cover wide, at pace, which he struggles for and is probably the reason for his last injury.fat maradona wrote: ↑6 months ago I don't mind De Ligt on the ball tbf.
I see the club are making moves for Sesko and as much as we need a goal scorer, we definitely need someone to play at DM who is better than Ugarte. But then I'm wondering if Amorim thinks Ugarte will be better in his 2nd season in the PL and whether they think Kone will be stepping up into the first team this season, in which case there's no point spending £80-100m on Baleba,
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