midds

I'm suggesting, and probably being a little paranoid here, that the decision is already known, will be announced after the window has closed and the rules have already been re-written by the PL so they can't be challenged by any other team. Essentially locking us, and any other rich and ambitious club, out of challenging the current teams at the top of the tree. City win and get away with it, PL learn from their mistakes in the wording/legality of the rules and both work together to block any legal routes to challenge them in the future. Yes I know how paranoid that sounds

Sounds like the perfect player that could be instantly dropped into the meticulously well-drilled and well-oiled machine that is Manchester United's XI

This is the issue - even if City do win their case they're going to have the PL over a barrel. They could go nuclear and blow the whole thing apart OR they could negotiate their own set of rules that both cement their own position but also make it impossible for any other rich cunts (us) to challenge them in the future. They win and they get the chance to cut off our challenge for the foreseeable. A City win in the courts isn't the slam dunk many think it might be imo, they'll just change the goalposts so we, specifically, can't throw £500m at it and topple them

Watch out PL, Newcastle are about to strengthen the GK sub position. We're back

So fuck, our lads are tying up Aaron Ramsdale on loan. Joke's on them

Anyone else found themselves pretending to be Eddie Howe answering hypothetical questions from journalists in imaginary press conferences when asked about this situation? Just me?

Under Ashley my expectations were rock bottom, this window I genuinely thought we'd push on and capitalise on the trophy and CL. That makes the frustration and disappointment even more acute this summer. The incompetence and lack of communication has been embarrassing in the last couple of months and I have little to no faith in them resolving the Isak situation to our benefit and/or adding the necessary players needed to fill the squad out for a potentially brutal season coming up. Between them they've absolutely fucked it and I'll be both astonished and delighted if they prove me wrong by the end of August

As long as we've not breached the contract HE willingly signed then why the fuck could he do that? If the bid isn't high enough then we've got every right to turn down a thousand bids until they hit the magic number. Such a set of cunts man

The worry is that we've already unofficially agreed a fee that will be played out in public (to give the illusion we drove the price up as high as we possibly could) over the next few weeks and it'll be concluded, pure coincidentally, a day or 2 after Liverpool (H)

Ask away mate, there's no cunt there to answer them anyway tbph

Some bloke called Dominic apparently. Limped into Rightmove in Jesmond this morning

The just as they're getting close to the number suddenly move the goalposts and ask for an extra 10%, fuck them. Fight fire with fire, match the energy they're giving off

I know it's a bit Walter Mitty but I'd honestly rinse the cunts for as much as I could while I could. Dynamic pricing shit: Before season starts £160m Before window closes £175m Jan 26 window £180m Summer 26 window £200m Jan 27 £140m Summer 27 £90m Jan 28 £30m Or something like that. Let's see how much Isak wants Liverpool and vice versa, fuck him, contracts work 2 ways

That's their entire MO though isn't it? Liverpool to sign Isak is far more interesting/engaging than Isak to stay where he is. One is an actual news event whereas the other is just maintaining the current situation. They're a 24h news outlet, they need to report on things that could/may/will/possibly happen and Isak to Liverpool would be a huge transfer in the history of the sport, of course they've going to hammer it, they've got nothing else to offer in July

Man U are still a huge club and their recent history (last 40 years or so) still make them a hugely attractive club to join. They've been absolute pigshit for quite a while now on the park but their name and status is still big enough to draw players in. They also make a huge amount of money too and that's massively important when choosing which contract to sign. It's just a vey unpalatable fact we need to accept

I just think the only way we improve the GK position specifically would be to go big or do nothing and delay it for a year. Ramsdale falls between both stools, we've not got worse but it's getting a new kettle when you've got giant holes in your roof and no front door

In other outfield areas then adding depth was/is crucial yeah, no doubt. We're short of bodies and quality in loads of areas but with the GK position I think we had 2 choices - sign a huge upgrade on Pope OR do nothing and focus all funds/attention into the other gaps in other positions. Adding Ramsdale into the mix of GKs we have doesn't improve the team at all. It strengthens the bench slightly but how often do we change the keeper during the match? I just don't get it, it's pretty much pointless

Yeah but whoever plays - Pope or Ramsdale, the team isn't particularly better either way. Having the other on the bench could potentially benefit us if one or the other pick up and injury but even then the replacement isn't significantly better than the one who's out. Say Pope dislocates his shoulder again in October then the option of Ramsdale or Dubravka or the Greek for a few months doesn't seem like a huge bonus

Same outfield 10 plus: Pope starts, Dubs bench Pope starts, Ramsdale bench Ramsdale starts, Pope bench Ramsdale starts, Dubs bench? Pick your poison but I don't see much difference to the team on the park at all there tbh. Probably option 2 or 3 if I was pushed but I it's negligible imo

If he's part of the team that's failed miserably in the transfer market this summer then fair game in that respect. He's a brilliant football manager but the recruitment team, as a collective, has failed to match what Howe and the players achieved on the field last season. As I've said I've got no idea how much of a role each part of the mystery team plays or who needs to carry the can for this summer but, as a collective team, it's been a hideous, embarrassing and sobering summer. They've humiliated themselves imo

Whoever are running the place off the field. It's vague and sparse atm that I'm not sure who's doing what or who's stepping in for someone else. I can't be any more specific than 'these fuckers' other than to include the word 'incompetent' too

This doesn't improve the team or the squad at all. Not against loans, I've been advocating them all summer as a way to plug the gaps in the squad but the GK position is different. We didn't need more depth we needed a significant upgrade to Pope or divert funds to other positions and stick with Pope for this season. To bring in Ramsdale and move Pope to the bench (or have them battle for the number 1) makes zero sense to me. He's not an upgrade and he doesn't improve us. Each week these fuckers find a new way to make a complete horse's arse of things off the field, it's beyond embarrassing now

Aaron. Fucking. Ramsdale? That's it? This window is fucking aids