Django

There’s absolutely no way Arsenal lose this, I’m going on the record!

Was apparently only on loan there from Villa

Always find it hilarious when Pep mentiones how much spirit his team has, what battling qualities they show. Like they're a normal team. They're far and away the best team in Europe if not the world. The have the most expensively assembled squad, the best coach and unlimited resources. Reversing a 0-2 scoreline against relative minnows should be business as usual. The notable thing is them being 2 down to begin with. I guess he's just reframing the narrative and thinks we're all idiots (or at least their fans) like most top team coaches.

How accurate do we think this is? https://www.spotrac.com/epl/newcastle-united-fc/payroll/

Rest is football podcast, their season preview is chiefly notable for the jarring number of times Shearer repeats the phrase ‘in and around’

Mad these prices, £40 million for what is essentially a good prospect from a relegated team but I guess it's not my money so what do I care!

That wasn’t the narrative I was running with there…

Please take him, please?

Yes, in the football forum I'm very much a lurker

He'll most likely be on prohibitive wages now.

I don't think most people would give a shit tbh if the team was doing well.

Wait, you're not suggesting these are choreographed? That would seem completely out of character for the regime. Apologies for source (I'd actually advise you not to click) https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-11429323/World-Cup-2022-Qatar-accused-paying-hundreds-fake-fans-Tiktok-video.html

Bob Zimmerman

Apologies for resurrecting this but does anyone know which hotel the Liverpool players stayed in for this match, or even if they did stay overnight?

Indeed, the amount of adverts is maybe what annoys me the most. Payne's forced joviality (I'm convinced they all hate each other). The recent quizes smack of time filling. A bit like Newcastle at the minute it's slapdash and unconvincing.

Has anyone any thoughts on the podcast Pod on the Tyne? I initially liked it (mainly I think because it was the only Newcastle only footy podcast I'd listened to) but I'm now increasingly finding it tedious and even slightly annoying.

You can tell he's just come out of the dressing room as he's just basically echoing what Bruce said in the after interview, everything he can remember anyway https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/54848355

Jeff Stelling posits Solskjaer's popularity might win round some of the Cardiff fans that Tam has disgruntled. Solskjaer's popularity? Wasn't he only popular amongst ManU fans? Did I miss the universal Solskjaer love in?

Anyone see Brian Deane's story about Pardew on the Fantasy Football show on Sky tonight? Genius man management?

The difference in quality is almost literally staggering.

Surely Shola's in there to help deal with the physical stuff Everton will invariably bring to the party.

Pardew: We're already in transfer action (Sunday Sun) http://tinyurl.com/3jmx23y A couple of names I hadn't heard linked in there: Cheikh M’Bengue & Gervinho.

Piece in the Daily Mail about the fastest, slowest and fittest players at each Premier League club, interesting that Danny boy is our fastest, Harper slowest and Guthrie our fittest. http://tinyurl.com/3c3azbp

Nice to see Sam Allardyce doing his bit for the beautiful game as usual. Constant long balls from the keeper to 6ft 5in Samba playing up front. Wish he was still here!

I would sell him, the chances of him having a season like this one in the future are uncertain. In purely football terms. But this seems, if true something of a power play by Madrid, attempting to re-establish themselves as the biggest club in the world. As mentioned the £100 million would mean much more than the signing of one player. It would be symbol of their dominance. Just as Zidance, Beckham, Ronaldo et al were in the past. It's undoubtedly bullshit though, just another in a long line of hugely exaggerated estimates of the value of Cristiano Ronaldo (I still think the Ronaldo when hear that name alone).