Essential The Official Football (Soccer) Thread - We are SO back, the Premier League returns!

[Regular Developer]

He's done out here too

Welcome to the Partey!

 

[Montez]

Apparently Ole getting sacked

Really wanted another player but this is exactly what we needed.

If we get back in the top 4 AND all these bums come off books this club better go buy someone stupid expense. A certified Don.

Sanchooooo blood.

In all seriousness, don't know who is out there but if we get top 4, it should be fun.

 

[null]

Man Utd STILL missing that CDM ... How many seasons is it now? Since Carrick retired? And he was more of a DLP although he played as a specialist 6...

 

[BlackBall]

 

[NSSVO]

Welcome to the Partey!

For some reason I expected to hear that fukking song when I clicked play My homie from HS has been on a fukking high all day. Tagging me in shyt like the dino and sliding that Partey shyt in there

 

[Premeditated]

*scenes from ArsenaTV crowd when they realizes Partey still doesn't fix their problems and they don't watch boring ass Atletico games*

 

[Regular Developer]

For some reason I expected to hear that fukking song when I clicked play My homie from HS has been on a fukking high all day. Tagging me in shyt like the dino and sliding that Partey shyt in there

I saw a hilarious tweet about Gunnasaurus being sacrificed so we could sign Partey, lol. I wonder how quickly Arteta will start moving towards the 4-3-3 formation that I know he wanted. A lil crazy to think that Unai Emery wanted to get Partey years earlier. Unfortunately the board wasn't set up like it is now. Plus, I don't really know what Unai Emery's overall goal was. I know what Arteta is tryna do.

 

[Black Magisterialness]

Pepe, Partey, Auba, Saka, Gabriel, Willian, Saliba, Xhaka, Ainsley. Black all over.

Lol what?

 

[frush11]

*scenes from ArsenaTV crowd when they realizes Partey still doesn't fix their problems and they don't watch boring ass Atletico games*

He fixes one of our problems. And can help patch over another problem

 

[MikelArteta]

rip pop smoke

 

[Rottweiler]

Daniel James with latin seasoning

We'll see what happens...

That highlight video looks more like a fail compilation

 

[TobiOT]

 

[ScottyG]

Oh I found out I have keratoconus. What a start to the month LOL

damn been I'm sorry to hear. I hope you're good at find a way to manage.

Start vigilant and Stay positive

 

[Regular Developer]

This sounds like Arsenal Fan TV, lol.

 

[Montez]

Sancho x United article on The Athletic

Spoiler

When Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc stood at the side of their training pitches on August 10, the first day of pre-season, and said the decision on Sancho staying was “final”, one alarmed United director made a call to check whether the statement was genuine. The response was along the lines of, “What did you expect? You knew the terms.”

Hans-Joachim Watzke, Dortmund’s chief executive, is said to have personally phoned United at the start of the summer and explained very clearly how much the deal would cost and when it needed to be done by.

United privately argue that the continued conversations after that point, conducted via intermediaries Emeka Obasi and Marco Lichtsteiner, were evidence of Dortmund remaining open to a sale. But the reason for the involvement of agents is hotly disputed.

United insist Dortmund wanted talks done through Obasi and Lichtsteiner, and some believe this was so Dortmund could stick to their public stance while having a backchannel to a potential resolution. United held lengthy discussions and made known what they were willing to pay, which held a firm limit given the current economic environment.

In any case, United never got near to that guaranteed sum. One offer, submitted by chief negotiator Matt Judge through the agents in the final week of September, amounted to £80 million, plus add-ons. Once passed to Watzke, it was immediately rejected as too little too late. There was a sense at the Westfalenstadion that United did not take Dortmund’s demands seriously or were acting without full intentions to actually complete the signing.

All proposals were said to have been relayed to Dortmund via the agents knowing full well they would be turned down.

All proposals were said to have been relayed to Dortmund via the agents knowing full well they would be turned down.

Sancho himself is believed to have felt undervalued by the offers and even if United had placed the right bid late on, it is understood he would have questioned why it did not come earlier.

The forward was prepared to join United but not “desperate” to move this summer. He was relaxed either way. That was the sense drawn by England team-mates at the September camp.

That being said, others close to United were under the impression he “would walk to Old Trafford”. Sancho texted Marcus Rashford about United, and the pair were said to be excited at the prospect of linking up. Sancho has many friends in Manchester from his time at Manchester City.

Other United players were in touch too and so was Solskjaer, who as long ago as January wanted to ascertain Sancho’s willingness to join and to get a personal sense of his character. Having privately acknowledged the possibility of a sale, Dortmund were aware of the conversations, which are standard for most transfers.

United insist they knew all those details and were for a long time frustrated by what they perceived to be the slow process of dealing with Dortmund through Obasi, Sancho’s agent, and Lichtsteiner, the brother of former Arsenal player Stephan. The two intermediaries are described as “very close”. Lichtsteiner previously assisted on the departures of Aubameyang and Dembele to Arsenal and Barcelona respectively, and has vast experience of difficult transfers. He is said to be well-regarded and very discreet with information.