Culers Pro

Dani Carvajal was asked which player he’d sign for Getafe, and he said Vinícius Júnior. I can’t tell if that was a joke or just love for his former teammate, but honestly, if Vinícius doesn’t improve his game, Real Madrid might as well send him to Getafe.

Rúben Amorim’s AC Milan are losing 4–2 at home to Bologna at the San Siro. After his disastrous 38% win rate at Manchester United, the inconsistency is raising serious questions again. Is Amorim a fraud, or was Manchester United simply broken beyond repair? Because attractive football, intensity and running mean nothing without results.

Watching the Carabao Cup, I’m questioning the quality of the Premier League’s biggest clubs. Their second XIs look average compared to PSG, Bayern, Barcelona and Real Madrid. Are English clubs struggling in Europe because the Premier League is so competitive, or because their squads simply aren’t good enough anymore?

Barcelona and Atlético Madrid’s rivalry just got another twist, with Barça fined €602 over the Julián Álvarez saga and reportedly planning to appeal. The rivalry between Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético is getting fiercer, even off the pitch. It makes La Liga more interesting, but constant cheating and refereeing allegations damage the league’s reputation. But appealing over €602? Is it really about the money, or is this rivalry running deeper than that?

Harry Kane winning the Ballon d’Or could help Bayern Munich keep Michael Olise. It proves that staying at Bayern can lead to football’s biggest individual honour. Bayern prioritising Kane may also have limited Olise’s recognition, because pushing both could split votes and attention, as seen with Vinícius and Bellingham in 2024. Now Bayern can use Kane’s win to convince Olise that he can become their next Ballon d’Or winner.

Arsenal are maturing into an elite side under Mikel Arteta, and it’s becoming obvious. They no longer play like a team desperate to win. They play like a team that KNOWS they’re better than their opponents and uses that superiority to control games. Everton are difficult, frustrating opponents, yet Arsenal made a 2-0 win look routine. That’s what elite teams do: they make difficult games look easy. As a Manchester United fan, I’m genuinely jealous.

As a Manchester United fan, I'm genuinely worried about what Andoni Iraola is building at Liverpool. People are judging Liverpool through last season's struggles instead of recognising their steady progress. I've watched most of their games, and they're getting better. The project is nowhere near its final destination, but the signs are promising. They still need a defensive midfielder, more defensive depth and a long-term successor to Alisson. Their attack is already decent and should improve further when Ekitike returns. Look at how Bournemouth struggled to maintain their level after Iraola left. He repeatedly lost key players yet kept building a competitive team. Liverpool have a proper manager, and if they back him with the right signings, they could become serious Premier League and Champions League contenders again.

Manchester United giving Michael Carrick more time as manager tells you everything about the incompetence at this club. I’ve lost all faith and interest in this project. The UK fans will keep filling Old Trafford and putting money into the owners’ pockets. At this point, I’m done stressing. I’ll just sit back and watch the movie.

Hansi Flick needs to start demanding more defenders from Barcelona’s board before he becomes the scapegoat for their failures. Barcelona spent the summer chasing Julián Álvarez despite Atlético’s stance, instead of using that money to strengthen their defence. Gerard Martín playing through injury and the absences of Eric García and Koundé already expose their lack of depth. Imagine more defenders getting injured. A club the size of Barcelona should never be this short of defensive options. Flick needs reinforcements, or he’ll take the blame for the board’s failures.