Chris Winterbottom

@shaunypizzle Why are open play assists deemed superior to set piece assists?

I’m sorry but 8 open play assists out of his 19 and you man are talking POTY stuff. This league is down bad.

1). The figures quoted, if accurate, would not have changed the outcome anyway as Reform were 4402 short of the green party. 2). It is not clear who those 'family votes' actually voted for. For all we know they could have been voting for Reform...

@Smooth_Booth @gtsmale 😂

@gtsmale Because it’s obvious what happens if you are found innocent, there is no punishment thats how these things work.

Pundits always seem to ask ‘what if City are found guilty?’. Never seem to ask ‘what if City are found innocent?’ 🤔

Glad De Gea is getting some recognition. People forget how good he was for 5/6 seasons.

@AndyC_7_ 😂

If you removed all the profits made out of gambling addicts and the desperate, you'd GO OUT of business 🤯

@robdelaney moonlighting as a football agent.

@henrywinter For me, the argument is about the principle of working conditions/requirements. It's a slippery slope to say workers, no matter what sector they're in, should put up with it because they're paid more.

Andy Robertson and Heung-min Son are the latest elite footballers to voice disquiet over player workload and welfare. It’s not a subject that elicits much sympathy from fans - given size of squads and salaries - but so many players are issuing warnings now they deserve to be heard. Robertson and Son join Jurrien Timber, Alisson, Rodri and Manuel Akanji, amongst others, in arguing that the great spectacle of football is damaged by player fatigue brought on partly by expanded competitions. They’re not complaining about the domestic game, and that is where their income and support stems from. The target of dressing-room anger is Uefa and Fifa, who did not even have the sense or diplomacy to consult players properly. Expanded competitions are all about politics, votes and money, not about the sport any more. And that’s why the players should be listened to and supported. They’re standing up to Uefa and Fifa. By trying to protect their own physical and mental health they’re protecting the game. Nobody wants to watch a game with exhausted players or players succumbing to fatigue-related injuries. The comments of Robertson and Son have triggered further debates on social media and radio about the crowded calendar. Players and their union reps, the PFA and FIFPRO, have mentioned a maximum 50 games a season. It would actually be more logical if players talked about a cap in minutes played. 50 games could be anywhere from just short of an hour (albeit rather unlikely) to 4,500 minutes. Phil Foden, frequently cited as a player at potential risk because of his workload, played in 35 Premier League games last season, 2,871 minutes out of a max 3,150. His City team-mate, Jeremy Doku, played six games fewer but 1,277 minutes less, obviously because of not starting or finishing. Minutes is a better metric than games. (Injury time also needs factoring in). Either way, it’s too many. Uefa expanded European competitions to see off the threat of a Super League for now. Fifa is far more culpable. It has turned the World Cup into a 48-team beast, reducing the competitive edge of qualifying and diluting the quality of the tournament itself. 2026 is now spread across 16 cities, three nations, four different time zones, 39 days (up from 32 in 2018) and 104 games (up from 64). The drain on the environment, players’ minds and bodies and fans’ time and money should really be considered by Fifa. Who advises these people? Probably accountants. The World Cup is special, I’ve been to nine and they are magical (although some like Qatar have very obvious issues). World Cups are the most important event in the sporting calendar, even more than the Olympics because it is about the world’s No 1 sport. Even Fifa’s changes cannot wreck the World Cup’s stature and allure. Where Fifa can fully be accused of not having the game’s best interests at heart is with the 2025 Club World Cup, which fills next summer with an extended 32-team event when players should really be resting in preparation for the 2026 World Cup. It would be little surprise if some players missed the World Cup because their bodies have broken down on the treadmill accelerated by Fifa. And then fans and broadcasters will ask why some of the stars are missing the greatest show on earth. Because Fifa made them run around when they should have been resting. Fifa announced the 12 venues for the Club World Cup this week, including one in Miami during Hurricane Season (as England discovered during their wind-tossed pre-2014 World Cup base there). The players are caught between a Hard Rock and a hard place. Fifa president Gianni Infantino argues that “allowing the best clubs from Africa, Asia, Central and North America and Oceania to play the powerhouses of Europe and South America in an incredible new World Cup which will impact enormously the growth of club football and talent globally’’. Really? It may simply highlight the financial power of Europe where most of the world’s best players ply their trade. A month to reach Real Madrid v City? England’s representatives, City and Chelsea, will be expected to take full-strength squads, especially as each receives £42m for qualifying (basically what Chelsea paid City for Cole Palmer). Further substantial prize money will then flow their way in the tournament. Club accountants will be adding up their loot from the Club World Cup. But it is the physical and mental cost to players that fully needs totting up.

@salley_v_ Fair enough

@Winty_B Fabrizio said same

Reference is talksport. Therefore, incorrect/lie

You're one more Jermaine Jenas away from being Talksport

@FabrizioRomano @David_Ornstein Alright fellas. Bit concerned United haven't formally announced Ugarte yet. Is the deal still done?

Awesome content @ladbible 👍

@AndyC_7_ 😂😂 just making shit up

All but 3 of these players were signed in the 90's to mid 00's when you had no money and were in the old division 2. Applying the same time frame in future, I wonder what Grealish, de bruyne, Gvardiol fees would be adjusted to?

- Arsenal spent £30m on a keeper they're now trying to replace for a further £30m - spent £60m on Havertz who has scored 19 goals in 91 apps - the fact that YOU haven't heard of him is not an indicator of a players quality. Hope this helps 👍

😂

@lauriewhitwell @BBCSport @TheClubLiveTw @David_Ornstein @henrywinter

Good to see the #FA putting fans at the heart of football by reducing the allocation of tickets for fans 🤦 Absolutely swizz. Hope you all choke on those swinging corporate cocks. #FACup