And we kept Salah, and sold him. Boggles the mind. He would have stayed if he was offered some of Salah's dosh
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- Thread starter Frogfish
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And we kept Salah, and sold him. Boggles the mind. He would have stayed if he was offered some of Salah's dosh
The new-manager bounce was felt at several other clubs too.
Real Sociedad: Pellegrino Matarazzo - appointed Jan 2026
Mainz: Urs Fischer - appointed Dec 2025
Atalanta: Raffaele Palladino - appointed Nov 2025
Middlesbrough: Kim Hellberg - appointed Nov 2025
Juventus: Luciano Spalletti - appointed Nov 2025
Lyon also on a splendid run. Pity these teams are in the same league as PSG.
View: https://x.com/GFFN/status/2020259753369461174
66.7 - Win percentage for a Lyon coach across all competitions combined:
🥇 Paulo Fonseca - 66.7% (34/51)
🥈 Gérard Houllier - 63.9% (69/108)
🥉 Alain Perrin - 63.6% (35/55)
Triumph.
View: https://x.com/OptaJean/status/2020260470213710127
Imagine if we'd kept him and sold Gakpo (or at least benched him and sent Rio on loan). I was vocal about not selling him (despite many on here who couldn't wait to get rid) though I understand the offer for him was very good.
Sad.
Diaz was a good player but there was plenty of moaning about him on here when he was ours, granted nothing like the Gakpo wailing.
Plus, the general feeling at the time was that he was dead set on leaving and we had to make sure we got market value, something we're not normally good at.
So, he wanted out and is now scoring well in a farmer's league. Good for him.
Plus, the general feeling at the time was that he was dead set on leaving and we had to make sure we got market value, something we're not normally good at.
So, he wanted out and is now scoring well in a farmer's league. Good for him.
Exactly this
i personally rated diaz and thought he gave us a few things lacking in the squad but whatever i also agree that the problem was the replacement.
but then we’re back into the bigger picture and responsibilities, does slot actually want that type of player? who decided to go huge on 2 strikers, a 10 and relying on cut in cody for the left?
but then we’re back into the bigger picture and responsibilities, does slot actually want that type of player? who decided to go huge on 2 strikers, a 10 and relying on cut in cody for the left?
Selling Diaz at that price, when he wanted to go, was the right decision.
Failing to replace him at all, let alone with a player of top quality, was the mistake.
Failing to replace him at all, let alone with a player of top quality, was the mistake.
Crashed out of the CL and lost 5-0 to PSG. That would do it I guess.
View: https://x.com/topskillsportuk/status/2020747493571694967
According to reporting from L’Équipe, the atmosphere inside Olympique de Marseille has significantly deteriorated in recent months, with players increasingly uneasy about working conditions under head coach Roberto De Zerbi.
The Italian is reportedly engaged in deep personal reflection, questioning whether he has become “definitively the problem” at the club – according to RMC Sport. A decision could be made as early this week on his future.
Several players reportedly feel they are under permanent observation, with strict monitoring extending well beyond the pitch. Arrival and departure times at the Commanderie training centre are scrutinised, as are the duration of stretching sessions and even the menus served in the canteen.
This heightened level of control has contributed to a growing sense of discomfort within the squad, sources close to the dressing room told L’Équipe.
Beyond the atmosphere, there is confusion surrounding De Zerbi’s sporting choices. Members of the squad and staff are said not to fully understand some of the Italian coach’s decisions, yet feel unable to openly challenge them.
More worryingly, L’Équipe report that a feeling among players that they are not progressing in training, despite the demanding nature of the sessions.
Les Olympiens come off the back of a 5-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain last weekend capping off a chronically inconsistant start to 2026.
======
Been at war with the media too
'My passport changes things' – De Zerbi suggests Marseille criticism has been unfair after headline win
Roberto De Zerbi alleged he is criticised more frequently, as an Italian, than other Ligue 1 coaches, following Marseille's win over Lens.
Coaches with the highest win ratios with @OM_Officiel in official matches in the 21st century:
57%- ROBERTO DE ZERBI
56%- Igor Tudor
54%- Jorge Sampaoli
51%- Marcelo Bielsa
50%- Didier Deschamps #DeZerbi #OM
View: https://x.com/Statsdufoot/status/2021410168131707009
View: https://x.com/i/status/2022008259071382014
For depth, it wouldn't have been the worst option for me. Especially for a low risk 6 month (ideally low wage) spell
The German league is shite. Kane was waining when he went there and looks a world beater.
Diaz looks prime Messi.
Diaz looks prime Messi.
Fair comment amigo
The same Salah who was our player of the year last year while Diaz had about handful of goals and plays on the left and helped us win the league? Yeah, why don’t you compare him to Virgil next. Diaz wanted to leave but yeah, fair comparision if you ignore the above.
The key word is "Last Year". There is an argument, that Salah could have been seen in the twilight season, and it would have been prudent to move him on. We also would be less rightward dependent, so Diaz would have got more of the ball perhaps.
Bottom line is that decision to sell Diaz, NOT replace him, and persist with Salah has left a club, known for it's flying wingers without any.
Not replacing Diaz was a major mistake. And Salah dropping off could have also been seen.
This is why we pay our Football staff the big bucks. To see these things head of time.
You didn't have to see he future to know that Salah was declining, you could have just seen the past.
You are comparing LW to RW, pointless comparision. When we signed him up, he has scored over 25 goals, yes it was last year but Salah’s contract had nothing to do with Diaz. Continually bringing him up without corrolation is a bit of crappy argument. How DID Salah impact Diaz’s contract negotiations or Sale? Honestly, I don’t see the connection and you are just playing to the usual SCM populus.
So do you think Diaz even wanted to stay?
If he had played like this then maybe Gakpo would have been the one who moved on. Can’t blame the club for moving a player if he wasn’t performing at the level required and clearly wanted to leave. Their mistake was to not replace him with someone capable as a Left winger.
There's definitely a correlation as their pay comes out of the same budget. Yeah, so I think it did. I think if we weren't spending as much $ on Salah, we might have had more $ for Diaz, and it seemed like $ was a major factor for Diaz staying or going.
Diaz was always a better player than Gakpo. And he had performed well last year.
yes, that's what I am saying above. Should have replaced him. End result? We are effectively playing without wingers at this point, since neither Gakpo or Salah have the x factor alas.
Was he then how come he played just as much through the middle? Same budget? We spent 130m on a forward without a fit. It’s not related to budget, where are you getting this from? If his wages of 50k were to be believed and we just extended Gakpo by over 130k a week to 250k so money was there. Him ans his dad most likely decided to leave well before and not related to Salah or anyone else playing 50 yrss other side of him.
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