Football

Cole Palmer is a cracking player. Probably the second most gifted premier league player behind Dwight McNeill.

Chris Woods shirley

I didn't realise, he's been at it again! More penis celebrations
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c756r1609dno.amp

Enjoying Rory Delap’s lad being a bit of a baller.

I was at the bridge yesterday to witness Palmer's four goals (plus the two we gifted to BHA).

He's a great player and well appreciated by all Chelsea fans. My only complaint was that I'm in the Matthew Harding stand and all our goals were at the Shed end.

It's also pathetic how little time Southgate gave him at the Euros.

Love to see a copy of Ineos' summer review of United, although I can basically guess how it went;

'Jason says we had lots of injuries and TBF we won the FA Cup so Erik is still the king'

ETH has to be on his way soon.

Villa were shit today, but how on earth the tractors kept 11 men on the pitch is a great imponderable. Morsy should have had 3 or 4 yellows.
Anyway - on to Bayern.

Matthijs de Ligt Is only 25, why the fuck did he sign for Manchester United and effectively finish off his serious career - it’s not like he’s Raphael Varane or Casemiro, sated in success, legs creaking, fancying a last payday in NW England?

Why?

^ Should have gone to The Mighty Villa, joined Project Unai, a definite upgrade on Diego Carlos and Pau Torres

No way, a new 5 year deal must be imminent!

Mads Hermansen.. what is it about Danish goalkeepers.. I’m already a fan..

Arsenal were very lucky yesterday..

His career going backwards, I doubt any top teams were interested

Quite the decline at only 25

I'm losing my patience after spending two seasons asking other United fans not to!

There must be something seriously wrong in the dressing room (whether that's tactics or personalities) - that starting line-up yesterday should not be shipping 3 goals at home to Spurs.

Child in a man's body.

What's the deal with this 'always play out the back' approach now? So many goals and chances seem to come from messed up playing from the back.

Does nobody hoof it anymore? Seems odd.

Pep came to the Premier League and soon after more and more managers employed this tactic, the problem is that not every defender is good enough on the ball to play that way, which results in all the mistakes and goals.

I'm hoping this was actually meant to be Chris Woods rather than Wood.

Watching Everton the other day I was thinking that Chris Wood is just the player they need.

You're suggesting that Bolton aren't good enough on the ball to play out from the back?

https://www.skysports.com/football/video/30998/13215367/huddersfield-score-fourth-goal-against-bolton-as-they-attempt-to-play-out-from-the-back

The basic idea is you control the ball and pull people out of possession freeing up space for forwards to operate as the midfields pushed up to try nick it. Also in theory if you have the ball the other team can’t score.

The issue we have is from 5 year old these centre halves have been picked because they’re units with zero consideration given to how they can actually play football and you’re now asking them to pass through lines like a prime makalele.

It works in Spain as they’re generally picked young on being able to play football then grow not because they’re built like an 18 year old at 12.

Bruno Fernandes was a centre half in his youth career.

This method also requires a player (and to a degree a team) highly skilled in tactical fouls and a reffing system which gives bigger teams players the benefit of the doubt. Which sounds a bit conspiracy theory, but if Fernandinho had played for Burnley in the premier league he’d have been sent off 3 times a season.

It's not conspiracy theory at all. It actually happens.

Does nobody hoof it anymore? Seems odd.

If you hoof it, you're at least as likely to lose possession as keep it.

Having grown up on a diet of team's hoofing it, I, for one, am glad teams play it out from the back now.

What's even more ridiculous about that is that they were losing 3-0.

To give credit where it's due, Huddersfield's pressing is better than Man Utd's.