Kobbie Mainoo to Chelsea? Man Utd fans would rather take PSR hit

Man Utd to sell Kobbie Mainoo to Chelsea? The fans would revolt. Plus, views on Mikel Arteta, Trent Alexander-Arnold and more.

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Man Utd fans would prefer PSR points deduction t0 Mainoo sale
It’s not particularly surprising to see stories touting the potential sales of United’s previously untouchable youth players. Given the ruthless cost cutting enacted by the club over the last year, especially the ridiculous cutting of the £50 ‘steward of the match’ bonus, it would be mad to think they wouldn’t consider reaping £200m+ from the sale of three players.

Holjund was bought for big money and though this could perhaps be reclaimed in a sale the actual profit from the amortised fee wouldn’t be large enough to replace him adequately. However with Garnacho and Mainoo being youth products their transfers would do wonders for the balance sheet.

Though Garnacho is a darling of the Stretford End I do think his transfer would at least be justifiable. The issues with attitude and the obvious ill fit with Amorim’s system would both temper the anger from the fans along with what would presumably be a significant transfer fee. Mainoo is a different case.

The United faithful have an established history of protest against the club though I really think this may turn to riots if they try to sell Kobbie, especially if this was to another Premier League team. Our Stockport Seedorf may never live up to his potential or our expectation but he is the shining light in this team. In the future, like Rashford, we may be discussing a transfer away that is best for all parties but that isn’t where we are now, no fee could be justified to the fans.

This whole thing is hopefully a bit of contract wrangling, leaks and counter leaks by agents and the club before a middle ground is found and new contracts signed. Hopefully. Though it’s worrying that it feels plausible.

One aspect of Amorim’s system that was likely attractive to United was the singular static nature of each position. A left back doesn’t also need to be a midfielder and a winger, there’s no need for a world-beating defensive player maker to hold the midfield. No hybrid players are needed, instead each position requires only a few fundamental characteristics that are fairly ubiquitous. This makes selling your star players less damaging because replacements are easier to find and cheaper.

United fans aren’t particularly experienced with selling good players and perhaps that is something we might have to get used to in the future but the connection between the fans and academy players should not be underestimated. Rescuing us from the Glazer scourge only to leave us a soulless husk won’t be tolerated. I’m sure fans would rather take the PSR points deduction than watch Mainoo be sold to Chelsea, even for £150m.
Dave, Manchester

Dear Ruben Amorim…
After the shock Anfield result on Sunday, you now have the opportunity to do the funniest thing ever, and put Arteta out of his misery this Sunday, and end Arsenal’s season in early January. Fully expecting you to do so.
Stewie Griffin (Will be the worst thing ever if the awful Rasmus Toilet ends up making Arsenal’s attacking clown car look rubbish! 😂 Arteta earning a higher wage than serial winner Carlo Ancelotti is LOL)

What to do with Arsenal?
Let me start by saying that I really like Mikel Arteta and have great respect for what he has done with Arsenal, the players he has brought in and developed, the couple of trophies we have won, the huge change in culture and the great connection with our fanbase.

There can be little doubt that the foundations for success are largely in place at Arsenal and that success is within much closer reach than it has been for some time.

That doesn’t mean that there can’t be a discussion about what happens next though. An adult, intelligent discussion that is, not the sort of disrespectful drivel spouted by the likes of ‘Stewie Griffin’ in this very mailbox. Seriously mate, are you even okay?

This is a big January for Arsenal and Arteta, no question. If ever a team was in need of fresh faces and fresh legs, it’s this one. We need to add quality, energy, attacking verve and yes….clinical finishing.

We all know it can extremely difficult to get exactly who you want in January, and maybe financial regulations are making clubs more risk averse, but if Arteta and the board cannot see that we need something, then I think questions should be asked. I keep reading that we can’t get our targets until the summer, but I don’t know if we can just sit on our hands and wait, not with Liverpool well ahead and the likes of Newcastle and even Forest looking so strong.

So what if we don’t make any moves? Well, maybe this current phase has run its course? Maybe someone else (I don’t know who, incidentally) needs to take the baton from Arteta and run with it; building on the solid foundations he has put in place and taking us to the next level, making the next step towards challenging regularly for the biggest trophies.

This season is far from over, but the warning signs are there and surely we need to act to make sure it doesn’t peter out into another year of ifs buts and maybes. If it does, then maybe it will be time for someone else to have a go.
Gareth (It’s my birthday tomorrow and I’d like an Isak please 😁)

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…Brother, can you spare some time?

Arteta is on borrowed time, arguably has been since the last day of the season last year. The general consensus in the overwhelming majority (even, in part, amongst themselves) was that this year, Arsenal needed to really come good with an impressive season that finally ended in silverware and, while they remain just about still in four competitions as it stands, the last 5 weeks has put a massive dent in expectation that they are going to put a further foot forward in 24/25.

It is of course important to remember that this is Arteta’s first senior job, and from an objective standpoint, he’s still done some genuinely impressive things to a team that were quite literally unable to take a throw-in correctly before he took over. Just the fact that he’s managed to go unbeaten against the top-6 is noteworthy to an Arsenal side that couldn’t catch a cold at the top stadiums, let alone a point.

Before factoring some of the key take-aways from the “not as good as City” seasons, huge points totals comparative to their history, sizable goals scored (for a team without a striker), impressive defensive displays. However the fact remains that the wider football community can see this is Arsenal’s best squad since the early 00’s and “2nd” will only ever be first loser in the sporting world – with many of us able to see some glaring errors alongside the impressive positives.

I still maintain the draw at City in the run-in last year was a great result – but being unable to overturn West Ham and Fulham at Christmas is unacceptable – having a team that remains exceptionally immature 2-years after an (arguably acceptable in the circumstances) immaturity cost them the title in 22/23 is something that can only be levelled at the manager.

All this before factoring that the, ahem, “confident” fella himself would likely admit that it doesn’t matter if it’s his first job, he felt qualified enough to do it to take it in 2020.

However, let’s put something to bed. While Arteta’s Arsenal have spent money in his time, it is only comparative to his peers not excessively beyond them.

Since Arteta took over at Arsenal (total spend since Summer 2020 according to a reputable outlet):
City: 750m
Arsenal: 782m
United: 885m
Newcastle: 573m
Spurs: 822m
Aston Villa: 618m
Chelsea: 1732m

Even Liverpool, who impressively in the last 5 years have “only” spent 536m in acquisitions, are heavily reliant on three players bought for 189m combined over 5 years ago.

So yes, there are myriad reasons to knock Arsenal after a Christmas where they find themselves hoping again rather than expecting and even Arsenal supporters themselves (the real ones, and the parodical ones round here) will often admit their flaws if you get them in a comfortable setting, but it is disingenuous (and dare I say, a little lazy) to suggest Arsenal’s purse strings have been comparatively looser than their peers.
The Right Dishonourable Harold Emmett Hooler
P.S: Say what you want about Haaland, but you do wonder what a slightly more “humble” Arteta might achieve.

The unspoken value of Trent
What is often said is Trent is a great creative passer and a bad right-back.

What is never said is how often his creative passing has been a benefit for defence.

One thing Trent provides at right-back which no other player can do or does do, is that when we are being pressed high and have no time on the ball to pass it out Trent can most of the time launch a long pass to either flank with no time on the ball with both feet.

Normally when teams do this the ball ends up at their opponents’ feet and the pressure is back on straight away, it’s a short respite. When Trent does it (most of the time) it ends up at the feet of Salah or Gakpo alleviating pressure from our defence and bypassing a high pressure. As good as Van Dijk is he needs time on the ball to pick out those long passes and he generally only does it on his stronger foot.

This is something we miss when Trent is off form or not on the pitch and we lacked it against United. Sometimes I think that people just see sliding tackles as the only way to defend and when a player doesn’t do that they think he’s a hindrance to the defence. Trent isn’t very good one on one, that’s no secret. But every season he ranks top in Liverpool defenders for interceptions and top 3 for ball recoveries so he can’t be that bad.

And like I said, his real attribute for defence is his ability to alleviate pressure by feeding accurate long balls to forward positions while retaining possession – something which I honestly can’t name another defender in world football can do. Plenty of defenders can pass long, but they can’t do it under pressure, and they can’t do it with either foot.

I think a lot of people place too much value on passing “the eye test” which Trent often doesn’t when defending. We’re all subject to that bias but we should also ignore that bias if the number suggest it’s wrong. Or if there are unseen factors, like with DMs well often ignore the lack of goals and assists if they look like they run everywhere all the time (even though the best DMs don’t do that)
Lee

Liverpool fans no worse than any other
It was only a matter of time before opposition fans turned their ire on Liverpool fans with regards to “The Trent Situation” as if they would not behave in the exact same way and are morally superior and sure enough Aman obliged in todays mailbox.

We are suddenly the worst fans in the world, shameless, disgusting, ungrateful, entitles yadda yadda yadda. It really doesn’t warrant a reply but lets do a thought experiment shall we to see if this is true.

Imagine Trent was a Real Madrid player, brought up through their academy, a local lad, global superstar and possible future captain who was thought to embody and understand what it means to be a Real player.

Imagine now that Trent was winding down his Madrid contract in order to obtain a big money move for himself to a rival European club citing friendship issues and personal glory as his main reasons.

Imagine then he played like he did at the weekend against Barcelona in the Bernebeu in front of all those lovely tolerant patient Real fans.

What do you think would happen?

I honestly think his life would be in danger. He would have had to have been escorted from the stadium and they would be burning effigies of him across the City.

I’m not saying Liverpool fans are better than anyone else, we’re not, but we’re no worse or no different.

Except perhaps Real fans who have shown themselves over and over again to be highly demanding and unforgiving of any flaws in their team or players.

Trent is a highly talented footballer but a deeply flawed full back and an inadequate midfielder.

Liverpool fans have backed him to the hilt his entire career and rightly so even when costing us European cup finals etc etc. We are hurt that he wants to leave us now, why wouldn’t we be? It’s called a normal human reaction.

But if he does go to Real caveat emptor as my business teacher used to say, the grass is not always greener, sometimes its wavy and white and, won’t love you like we loved you Trent, hopefully your bessie mate has a nice soft shoulder to cry on if it all goes wrong but I genuinely hope it doesn’t cos your a good man and gave us moments we’ll never forget.
Dave LFC

Pride and all that
Despite my disbelief and protestations, I’m somehow forty years old and feeling every day of it this morning after a thoroughly enjoyable game of 5-aside cage football last night. Due to my first child arriving ten weeks ago and all the glorious chaos that has ensued since, I have gone from playing 5-aside three or four times a week to a measly once every four weeks at best. However, my love and obsession for this beautiful game remains as strong as ever.

I was never blessed with a velcro touch or exquisite passing and my speed and stamina is waning considerably as Father Time marches on. I have two footballing moves in an attacking sense (fake to pass one way and go the other way instead as well as the more exotic ‘fake backheel move) and both continue to be surprisingly effective as I gradually accept my new role is more of a defender who makes the occasional foray forward rather than a pacy box-to-box marauding midfielder.

Last night, in a fit of pique, an opposing player (new to our Tuesday game) blatantly dived under the slightest of jostling and demanded a penalty. He was not only roundly laughed at and disparagingly called a few choice names but he was told in no uncertain terms by the veteran founders of the game that we play every Tuesday to “enjoy the game without anybody getting injured as we’re all getting on a bit and any diving or acting the bollix won’t be tolerated.” Sheepishly nodding, the guy got on with things and that was the end of it.

The reason for this story is that we 5-aside players can only dream of being as talented and successful as the pros but we are superior to most of them in one sense: having some fecking pride.

I cannot understand how the incessant diving, play-acting, calling for a throw in when it clearly isn’t yours or pretending to be shot or headbutted that takes place in the Premier League and professional football is tolerated as much as it is. Gaining a slight competitive edge isn’t enough justification for looking like an absolute tit and going down in everyone else’s estimations surely? It’s beyond pathetic and embarrassing and if it was called up more and punished more severely, we might rid ourselves of this plague that taints the beautiful game.

Just a thought.
Eric (my two moves work wonderfully against new players, significantly less so against players who know me!) Galway

And finally…
Greetings from Cambodia,

Reclined, languid** pose, presented with cheap beer, and endless highlights (of Klinsman in his pomp*) it occurred to me that certain strivers* at 365 Towers (or in the surrounds) might deign* to bestow* / inflict upon the rest of us a myriad* of Top 10 based purely on the sublime*.

Thanks slackers**
Dan, Phnom Penh

*Words TAA would need to look up
** Words he’s learned recently