Mason Greenwood has helped the sportswashers by distracting football fans
Mason Greenwood is still dominating the F365 Mailbox but we also have mails on Qatar, Liverpool spending, time-wasting and poor men.
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Caicedo money shows Liverpool money is there
Does Scott, LFC, Toronto realise that FSG aren’t responsible for who LFC sign? They set the budget; the manager and the DoF decide how to spend it. While they haven’t signed Caicedo or Lavia as we’d all have liked, this is hardly FSG’s fault. The club had bids accepted for both, after all.
Yes the club has freed up six midfield slots from last year (including Melo), but I would argue Jones and Bajcetic have nailed down two of these squad places when they hadn’t before; say Hendo and Melo’s, respectively. Then Szobozlai for Keita, Endo for Milner and Mac Allister for Henderson makes five.
So there is definitely room for at least one other MF signing in place of Fabinho, but if you remember we’re playing a new system with Trent in CM a lot of the time, a case could be made for prioritising a centre-back instead of another midfielder. Plus there is also a strong indication that Andre from Fluminense will join in January, too – possibly to replace Thiago when his deal is finished, but let’s worry about next summer next summer.
I’m guessing the frustration is actually coming from the lack of money spent; we have at least £111m after all. But throwing that about on players we’re not sure about is hardly wise, is it? If you splash out and order the £40 steak only to be told there’s none left, you don’t spend £40 on the £15 burger; nor do you buy a 2nd burger or 2 desserts when they’re not needed just because you have the readies.
FSG aren’t perfect – we have a part time DoF at a critical juncture after all – but the money is clearly there if the players are good enough.
Andy, LFC, Dublin
Sitting on the Doku bay
If rumours about Jeremy Doku going to Man City are true, that’s very bad news -for those of us who don’t want City to do well.
The kid has great pace and has been one of few bright spots in the national team these last two years. Manchester City are not getting a goalscorer, but such an exciting talented dribbler will create loads of chances, if they can just find someone up front who can finish…
A pity for the rest of the Prem!
Paul in Brussels
You’re my favourite waste of time
Complaints from fans and managers about bookings for timewasting is going to replace VAR as the new argument isn’t it?
I’ve said this before but clubs and fans know the rules. They are published and widely communicated to all clubs. Don’t moan when you get booked for diving, time-wasting or similar – learn and play to the rules. However, refs must be consistent at the same time otherwise it’s pointless (no ‘not wanting to ruin the game too early’, big club bias or the Fernandinho cloak of invisibility from being sent off).
The lesson that Arsenal should learn shouldn’t be that the rules are unfair, but should be to not waste time on throw ins in the second game of the season.
Tom
Man Utd to be fan-free?
So now I hear that Qatar are going to own Man Utd and all the hand wringing from the fans about morals and rights etc etc
I assume they are going to have half-empty stands as everyone boycotts the filthy regime’s ownership of their oh so righteous club..
More realistically I imagine no difference at all and lots of crowing fans in a year’s time as they spend like Chelsea on crack to make themselves the new(castle)
It’s looking like Man City, Newcastle and Man Utd will be owning the Premier League.
The knock being that the other teams will need to leave and start their own league with a different name.. meaning Harry Kane was right to leave, as the arbitrary record of top scorer in a league while is has this name..
Just starting to become disillusioned with the state of things – But God forbid I turn in to Johnny Nic…
Al – LFC – Getting too old for this sh!t
Not in my back yard
So a large majority of Man Utd fans have got their wish. Mason Greenwood will not play for the club again.
It is the right decision, not for you but for him. He wouldn’t stand a chance to turn his life around in a country where everyone is perfect.
However, these same fans who wanted him out and shouted their virtues are the same people who want the Glazers out and a Sheik from Qatar to own the club.
Ya know, Qatar, the country where the world cup was, a world cup you said you’d boycott because of its human rights abuses and him bring a Sheik, he’s directly involved with these abuses.
But hey, so long as all the bad stuff happens 4500 miles away we don’t really care, except when we do, then we really care but really, no, we don’t care so long as it’s not in my back yard.
You lot are too funny.
Laters Y’all
Hugo
…Sportswashing clearly works when the Utd Womens team and the media cares more about Mason Greenwood than the club being bought by a Qatari Sheik.
Jon, Cape Town (they got what they wanted and are still irate at Utd, maybe utd should have put him in stocks for a public stoning? Life of Brian springs to mind on that suggestion…)
Still Mason Greenwood
Buchule Fulanisi, East London, South Africa manages to be completely right and then come to the wrong decision on Greenwood. The inverse of United in fact.
Greenwood, like all footballers, is a product of his club. Man United effectively raised him, taught him his values and have already given him more money that the average person will earn in their lives. There is no comparison with work where you arrive as an adult and you are your own person after hours.
Culturally, there is a lot to answer for at United. They clearly have an Exec Team that either cannot recognise this behaviour or do not care. Remember United claim that he is completely innocent but has committed some undisclosed mistakes. I assume the mistake of being recorded. Greenwood is gaslighting that he has been cleared of the charges. This is a lie and evidence of coercive behaviour that apparently he is innocent of.
The Premier League also have a role to play here. A valid argument is why should United bin him for him to be picked up at the next club. The Premier League has fed into this culture by allowing children of 16 to sign multi million pound professional contracts whilst the continent is 18. This is why the youth academies are filled with overseas children. The Premier League should have taken the decision out of United’s hand and suspended his registration or whatever mechanism. If the victim was a child I am sure we would be happy with that.
We have seen the Premier league suspend players for missing drug tests, not turning up for international duty that they have retired from and relevantly, for calling someone a black c*nt on the balance of probabilities even though the police didn’t pursue a charge. For those of you young enough to think that Chelsea have history, that was John Terry. Apparently we need to add don’t rape women to list of things that we didn’t think needed to be said but do in football alongside don’t be racist, don’t be homophobic and don’t sing about the unlawful killing of children.
I literally couldn’t care less where Greenwood and the £10,000,000 he has been paid whilst suspended end up. I hope it’s away from children and women I know.
This seems to be another new depth for football and its f*ckwit fans. Trouble is, these f*ckwits are too much of a f*ckwit to know that they are a f*ckwit.
Alex, South London
…Man United made the right decision in the end. Greenwood should not represent the club, and no parent, woman, man or child should feel awkward or saddened about supporting or celebrating a person who has done what was alleged, especially in moments of joy such as a last minute winner.
That said, why has Greenwood been the biggest catalyst for this movement? I suspect it was the fact that people saw images and audio, which are very raw, and therefore concluded he was guilty as charged, and it would be immoral to watch United or offer any support. I suspect being a Man Utd player plays a part, as there wasn’t this much uproar over Mendy, and if you saw his charge sheet, you would wonder why.
But then Greenwood was no longer charged. Many say because the key witness withdrew, which is rightfully true, but it should be mentioned the police said themselves that “New material had come to light”. The Man United investigation confirmed this, and concluded that he was not guilty of the charges presented from their perspective. So what is he guilty of precisely? What should he be punished for exactly? Would people be ok with jailing him based on purely what they know? Is that how they would like to be prosecuted if ever charged? Should anyone charged with a crime be automatically fired/expelled?
Fans of the UFC will be aware that its owner hit his wife on camera this year, and one of their most famous, if not their most famous fighter ever, a certain Irishman, was arrested for a worse crime, but it went nowhere. Not much media coverage or outrage for either. I’ve listened to UFC fans say they couldn’t watch United with Greenwood, but have no issue tuning in despite the above two? Why is a 53 yo billionaire, an entire sport owning boss, being held to a lower standard than a 19 yo millionaire? Why so much silence from the media on the incidents?
George Best is an admitted woman abuser, but has a statue out front? Giggs has done many things we have all heard of, but last week I saw Sky Sports praising him. I’m seeing a few different standards, perhaps it could be that time changes perspectives?
With that said, one man famously admitted to being a sexual assaulter in 2015 on audio, and he was elected president of the US, and is the current favourite for his party almost ten years later. Again, why is a billionaire candidate for the president being held to a lower standard than a 19yo?
Many have said “never have a daughter” to others who lean towards “innocent until proven guilty”, but what would those people do if their sons were ever in Mason’s shoes? Abandon them? Make sure they never work again? Agree with the court of public opinion and disregard their side of the story? If the victim’s parents said they hoped they would work it out, would you call them nuts and scum? Demand they bring charges to your kid?
This is not a defense of Mason, or what he has allegedly done, nor is it downplaying the severity of these types of crimes, but a letter highlighting the problems with the court of public opinion, and the media perceptions that go along with it. It seems being charged with something means you are more or less guilty of it these days. Unless you had a career like Giggs/Best it seems. Mendy, Giggs, the UFC owner and the Irish UFC fighter can continue their careers, but Mason should have his career terminated? Best, you get a statue because people looked the other way then? Is that how this works?
I personally do not think Greenwood is innocent, I’ve heard the tapes and was truly disgusted, but I cannot say he is guilty ‘for sure’ of anything other than being a smug aggressive Tw**. Maybe he did what he was charged with, maybe he didn’t as United said. Maybe he has coerced the victim into being the mother of his child and not to leave him? Maybe they truly love each other? Maybe the new material made the charges impossible? Maybe it was the removal of witness testimony?
Ultimately, I do not know. All I wanted to say was that the court of public opinion is not always right, and nobody would like to be tried by it. I wouldn’t deem a UFC fan a misogynistic scumbag just because of the UFC owner’s/fighters actions, but I could if they defended what they did. You can believe in “innocent until proven guilty” , while at the same time understanding that if someone is charged with his crimes, they should probably not be in a position of influence on such a level as Man Utd, or higher. You can also believe he is guilty, while also being forced to accept he is no longer charged with a crime, and therefore, legally speaking, is innocent in the eyes of the law. Morally is another question..
It is great these issues are being highlighted, are being taken more seriously, and there is certainly much more work to be done. 1/4 women being sexually assaulted in their lifetimes is way too high, and 1/20 men being charged is way too low. This needs to be done in tandem with football clubs, and not used as a way to eviscerate them. This case is certainly a sports issue. Giving young men a lot of money with little guidance can lead down predictable paths, and we’ve seen it time and time again. Clubs are now actively focusing on this, which is great, but as a society, I think we need to focus on this as well, and on a broader scale.
Greenwood has faced and will face more of the consequences for his actions, and rightfully so, but he should not be held to a higher standard than owners of entire sports, football icons or leaders of the world’s most powerful nations, or at the very least, they should be held by the same standards. Those who are demanding action for the Greenwood situation, should also be just as vocal about the other, more famous, more egregious offenders.
Football can be a catalyst for change, but it has to go beyond football for it to be the change that is truly needed. Young people understand and see those who get charged, but let’s not act like they don’t see or understand those who aren’t.
So judge if you must, but judge fairly and equally. If you do, understand and accept that it is fair that you would want to be judged by the very standards you judge others by.
Calvino (“When you judge others, you do not define them, you define yourself.”)
Won’t somebody think of the men?
Finally someone speaking up for the oppressed minority, the long suffering group that have faced persecution for generations, centuries even, perhaps since humanity first formed tribes. Finally Zdravko is here to bring justice to these poor weak fools we call men. As a fellow man, and having suffered under the iron rule of Womankind got my entire existence I can only salute his stand.
As a baby I was forced to endure the ignominy of only being fed breast milk, no choice, no variety.
As a child my mother, a woman, would force me to go away all day, imprisoned with another group of children in a building with a gated yard, the boys lorded over by the girls who were being trained in how to oppress.
All the way through my life there have been women doing…stuff, in my life. Women teachers putting false ideas in head, women bosses telling me what to do, women politicians barely bothering to enter politics until recently, mostly leaving it to their male lackeys to do the work. As a side note women couldn’t even be bothered to vote until 1918, before this only men got involved in our democracy while women remained home polluting the minds of the next generation of children.
And here in Football365 Towers, run by a woman (of course!), we poor men are forced, forced I tell you!, to read all manner of articles claiming that men have, and have always had, some kind of advantage over women! The sheer cheek of it, it’s not like men banned women from playing the sport, or deride women’s football as inferior, or fling misogynistic (not even a real word) bile at their players, or forcibly kiss their players at the World Cup medal ceremony.
Football365 should be a place where men’s football is given equal consideration and placed in equal standing to women’s football. Right Zdravko?! Say it with me. Equality for men’s and women’s football!!!
I bid you all good day, I have QAnon and incel rabbit holes to fall down.
Alay, N15 Gooner (when will the time of The White Man come!?)
…F365 hates men? What?
The struggle for coverage, grass roots funding, equal opportunities to even play the game isn’t made up. Some girls still don’t have access to play football at school.
When England won the World Cup, women’s football was banned in this country.
You simply cannot tell the story of Women’s football without being mindful of that struggle.
And you know and I know that upon England’s defeat on Sunday, morons were already making misogynist memes and spreading them through social media.
I’ve been writing to this mailbox for 20 years. Sarah and her team do a marvellous job. Credit where credit’s due.
Graham Simons, Gooner, Norf London