Frenkie de Jong | The last muppeting lap
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik and Imran hold a long overdue conversation about United's awful league form with 1 win in 7. They discuss a disappointing draw at Bournemouth, a not so disappointing draw against Liverpool and a crushing defeat at Chelsea - Is time nearly over for Erik Ten Hag?
Then in a special second half of the pod, Nik welcomes Natalie ( https://twitter.com/natalie_17) to discuss the fortunes of Manchester United Women as they booked a place in the FA Cup Final after a historic first ever win vs. Chelsea.
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It’s off
Not according to my source
Who's she?
OK. Bye.
Some might wonder why FDJ would join us if he’s after trophies.
But if we are being realistic, Barca are highly unlikely to win La Liga or UCL in the next few years either. Real Madrid have bought the core of their future team which already has them stronger than Barca even after the ridiculous amounts Barca have spent. Barca won’t be able to spend like this in the following years. There’s at least 5 teams more likely to win UCL than Barca.
So in terms of winning trophies for the peak years of his career, I don’t think Barca is the club to do it at either.
I think too much emphasis is put on players only desiring a club which will win trophies or play in UCL every year. I believe there’s a lot more to be said for a player wanting regular first team football and also being an important part of a project.
Two perfect examples of this are Jesus and Zinchenko. Both multiple title winners. Yet they’ve gone to Arsenal knowing full well they’ll probably never win the league or the UCL while they are there but will be an important part of their project. Arsenal aren’t even in the UCL and very possibly won’t get in top 4 this season too with how Chelsea and spurs have strengthened. Considering neither of Jesus or Zinchenko have won a UCL before and probably never will while at Arsenal, it shows the project and being a key player is far more important than going to a club where you are guaranteed trophies.
Despite being a shit show so far, I don’t think FDJ is going to make his mind up on the back of 2 bad performances. He will be coming to be part of a project where he knows he’ll be the main man for his manager that he got the best years of his career with.
But if we are being realistic, Barca are highly unlikely to win La Liga or UCL in the next few years either. Real Madrid have bought the core of their future team which already has them stronger than Barca even after the ridiculous amounts Barca have spent. Barca won’t be able to spend like this in the following years. There’s at least 5 teams more likely to win UCL than Barca.
So in terms of winning trophies for the peak years of his career, I don’t think Barca is the club to do it at either.
I think too much emphasis is put on players only desiring a club which will win trophies or play in UCL every year. I believe there’s a lot more to be said for a player wanting regular first team football and also being an important part of a project.
Two perfect examples of this are Jesus and Zinchenko. Both multiple title winners. Yet they’ve gone to Arsenal knowing full well they’ll probably never win the league or the UCL while they are there but will be an important part of their project. Arsenal aren’t even in the UCL and very possibly won’t get in top 4 this season too with how Chelsea and spurs have strengthened. Considering neither of Jesus or Zinchenko have won a UCL before and probably never will while at Arsenal, it shows the project and being a key player is far more important than going to a club where you are guaranteed trophies.
Despite being a shit show so far, I don’t think FDJ is going to make his mind up on the back of 2 bad performances. He will be coming to be part of a project where he knows he’ll be the main man for his manager that he got the best years of his career with.
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Goldbridge? Not a reassuring source
Forbes says the boy is ours! No question about it!
Of course, we knew that already!
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomsan...after-fc-barcelona-treatment/?sh=6f20f3336ba6
Frenkie De Jong Admits He Is Now Ready To Agree To Join Manchester United After FC Barcelona Treatment
Of course, we knew that already!
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomsan...after-fc-barcelona-treatment/?sh=6f20f3336ba6
Frenkie De Jong Admits He Is Now Ready To Agree To Join Manchester United After FC Barcelona Treatment
Pull my lever you bastards and just get it over with 
We got this bro
Looking at those aggregator tweets over the last day or two Barca pushing a narrative they can keep Frenkie and get Bernardo Silva, or that if they sell Auba, Depay and Dest they can do it. That still doesn't resolve his refusal to take a pay cut so maybe it' is just public pressure on United or Chelsea.
Quoting the mighty keepers and bastions of truth themselves, Sport.
So is Arnautovic still a racist or not because hes Balotellis mate.
Or is Balotelli a racist because hes Arnautovic’s mate???
And Frenkie will be our new shiny toy by Friday?
Or is Balotelli a racist because hes Arnautovic’s mate???
And Frenkie will be our new shiny toy by Friday?
Mikki hasn't updated her insta in 3 days now so she is clearly busy packing.
Or she’s ran away and gone into hiding till 1st September to block the move.
Have to say, that is a very strange take and thankfully many top players like Lewa, Kounde and potentially Bernardo disagree with it. Barca aren't favorites to win the CL absolutely agree but with respect, United are 100% not winning it this season, or next most likely as they won't be playing in it. None of the CL favorites have even shown any interest in de Jong so there is that also. As for La liga, we 4-0'd Madrid at their own home in our crisis season and I fancy our chances again with this summers recruiting. Madrid have a strong core for the future and are favorites but Barca aren't exactly lacking in talents for the future.
The only thing United have in this scenario is ten Hag and some fans are already turning on him. I say this with respect, your club is toxic at it's core and nothing is going to change that until half the squad is gutted + Glazers sell up. Ronaldo, for all the shit he causes, is the only player in your club with a winners mentality. I'll probably get some heat for this but no offense is meant, just an oppo fan observation.
Great post, but also remember that these footballers are mercenaries. Do you think Aguero, Silva or Yaya Toure had a clue who Manchester City were when they signed for them?
PSG managed to convince Cavani, Thiago Silva, Neymar and Zlatan to all go and play in a somewhat secondary league for a club who had never sniffed a CL before.
So I don't get the defeatist posts that "X player would never sign for this club because they're rubbish". Sell them on the "project", create a positive atmosphere/PR around the club, shove enough money under their nose and see what happens. You may need to buy players from within the league & a few mercenaries like your Gareth Barrys, Adebayor & Joleon Lescotts first to give the club a decent base to then go out and get players outside the league but it isn't impossible.
That’s all lovely, but the fact still remains. Barca are unlikely to win the league or UCL in the next few years. Madrid still have a stronger squad than Barca after your club has just had some insane spending. You also won’t be able to spend anywhere near that in the next couple of summers.
No alternative for Busquets if Frenkie leaves, totally average alternative to Alba with Alonzo... Barcelona are mortgaging the future of the club with a team that doesn't make any sense.
Agreed. When City were signing those players and also being linked with the likes of Kaka, it was based on nothing other than money. The club had no history, little fans and plenty of money.
I don't read or speak Spanish.
But is that some pub quiz question: who are the worst Right Backs in the top 3 leagues at the moment?
Isn't that what Kessie is for? Xavi doesn't even play De Jong in Busquet's position.
Guy will get absolutely annihilated in the premier league anyway. He's too thin and pasty.
Considering he plays for barca in sun. He has feck all tan. I've got more tan on my left nut than this guy, and I'll only sit out reading the guardian on my deckchair between the hours of 8am and 8.30am in this weather.
Considering he plays for barca in sun. He has feck all tan. I've got more tan on my left nut than this guy, and I'll only sit out reading the guardian on my deckchair between the hours of 8am and 8.30am in this weather.
I don't think so, I think Xavi will play with Busquets until he retires at 45. Kessie can't organize Barcelona's plays and he almost always played as a DM in a double pivot. All in all, he's a defensive box to box player. And using him as a single 6 would be against the club's and the player's DNA. Lose/lose situation.
And of course, you can't play with De Jong like you did with Busquets but if Barcelona doesn't realize they need to let that idea go, they're lost because they're going to be ripped appart in the CL against teams that bring a lot of intensity.
They need to put Busquets on the bench NOW, build something new with De Jong/Kessie/Pedri and start there. Also, they need to stop starting Gavi just because he's an homegrown player because he clearly is hitting a rough patch.
PSG players are guaranteed a CL knockout round every season. CL being the most important competition for most european players, it's not nothing.
You keep saying Barca are unlikely to win the league but if you look at recent years, Madrid haven't dominated La liga and if not for Barca's terrible start last season (Koeman), the end result would of been much closer. Last season, as I said, we put 4 past them without reply at their home. You clearly don't follow La liga much if you think Madrid are going to dominate the league for the next few years. Their squad is also aging, Benzema will need replacing with a big money striker.
We won't be able to spend much money the next couple of summers? People said the exact same thing before this summer. The spending will slow down obviously, this summer was a major rebuild. Much of the problems are blown out of proportion as usual.
Also, why would a player join a club if not to win trophies? That makes no sense, Frenkie may as well join some random Saudi team for £1million pw, he gets to keep his hot weather then also if it's only about money. He left Ajax for Barca to win trophies.
@Oly Francis
I'm glad fans of other teams are finally seeing the problems Busquets causes. He is unfortunately Xavi's sacred cow though so we have to suffer through one more campaign with him before he packs his bags to MLS. A true legend, an incredible player but he expired a few seasons ago. The stupid part of forcing Frenkie to leave, is that we'll need to reshape the midfield when Busquets does leave anyway and thus giving Frenkie a shot. Our board don't think too smart though unfortunately.
To be fair, AWB gets a lot of stick, but he’s one of the best tacklers in the world. His offensive prowess is nonexistent, but if I needed a late game defender or someone to put out there in a defensive match, you could do far worseIf we can get FDJ by throwing these two in as part of the deal it has to be the greatest scam ever in football.
AWB has to be the most un-Barca player ever! They only want footballers who know how to play football.
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If Meunier is available for €10m why aren’t we interested?! Must be better than Dalot, surely?!
@Berbaclass is itk?!
€50m + both AWB and Dalot.
I think he is slower than Maguire. Imagine that right side of defense will be as slow as a snail.
Yeah he's great at tackling but he's not actually a great defender. He was a terrible buy.
Don’t disagree with him being a terrible buy. Just don’t think he has zero value like some act like. Could also be that I’ve just been deprived of seeing a quality RB on this team for what feels like a century
Yeah he can tackle. But that’s what about it. Imagine Barca trying tiki tika with AWB who can barely play a straight pass to a teammate.
Madrid are simply a better team, better squad with a proven, more experienced manager. They've invested in their stadium, and have recruited well this summer without compromising their ability to spend in the coming seasons by selling off revenue streams.
You've spent - and continue to spend! - using money you've secured by selling off assets, and that isn't sustainable. You've backed yourselves into a corner, and need to deliver in the next season or two. I mean, Lewandowski is going to be 34, so this is an immediate project.
Given the positions of the respective clubs, I'd back Madrid every day, all day, to stay top of the pile in La Liga for the foreseeable future.
We know where we are, but that isn't the issue, really. FdJ wants what's best for his career, especially in a World Cup year, and that's probably not rotting on the bench in Barcelona, whether or not he comes to us.
Given how our season has started, with the club in complete meltdown, I don’t think this transfer will happen…
In fact I think it’s seriously damaged any prospect of us signing any elite players. They won’t want to come here, and you can’t blame them.
In fact I think it’s seriously damaged any prospect of us signing any elite players. They won’t want to come here, and you can’t blame them.
People said that before this summer because they couldn't wrap their heads around a club mired in debt spending money by selling off possible revenue streams simply to recruit players (rather than servicing the debt) for a single summer. I still can't, but whatever.
And enough about the 4-0 at the Bernabeu. You sound like some United fans who kept harping on about our unbeaten away record! These things aren't trophies. At the end of the season, Madrid posted up two: La Liga, and the CL. That's what everyone who's not a Barca fan will remember.
Real Madrid often had consistancy issues in La Liga, they're only dominant lately because there's no real competition. They had this ability to turn on in the CL even being average in their league.
Also, I don't think people realize how hard it's going to be to replace Modric. The team really is missing something when he's not on the pitch and none of their young players are up to the task at the moment.
You could add Alba to the mix even if it's not as bad...
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