madras

To my thinking, if PIF were to do the things they were planning to do (bring back Rafa or another high-quality manger; invest in quality players) then a season in the Championship would result in a highly probable promotion at the first attempt and would only delay PIF's plans for the club in the PL by one year. Assuming PIF's plans for NUFC are 10-20 years (i.e. it's not a short term investment) then a one year delay would be annoying but nowhere near devastating. Any business with long term investment plans knows (and has experienced) delays to projects that push timelines out (sometimes by many years). So a single year delay to their NUFC project would not phase them very much, in my opinion. How would a season in the championship affect FFP assuming we came back up with PIF backing ?

Visa issues apparently.

Bielsa could become every Geordies 4th favourite Argentine (after Jonas, Colo & Fede ahead of Facundo and Bassedas) if he puts Bruce to the sword as he should. Daniel Cordone is quietly sobbing in a corner somewhere.

That’s even worse than the 5 at the back formation ? Done right its not 5 at the back, it is when defending but becomes a 3 or 2 at the back when we have the ball.

And Lyon can fuck off as well I'm going Arsenal straight win tonight. Nowt fancy no handicaps or part of an accy, don't even care what the price is, just want to break this run and remember what a win feels like, we should be good for that........shouldn't we ?

Wolves can fuck off. Marseilles can fuck off Bournemouth can fuck off And Dortmund can fuck right off.

Deserved nowt, no complaints with the sending off, didn't think it was a pen (the shirt grab was first) and Sharp should've been sent off. But we deserved nowt. I'll reiterate, we deserved nowt.

So one of Marines neighbours is blasting music out. Missing a chance to blast out some porn sounds on the beeb for a giggle.

In my lifetime we’ve won nothing. I’m 50 next week.... Two Texaco cups, an anglo Italian, japan and intertoto you ungrateful git ye.

Very poor from Schmeichel.

Not that surprising, football doesn't get much of a mention in the bible.

Just plop them on the pitch in preferred position. Done. Ironically a Robson or a Keegan would get the absolute best out of those players whilst also not needing them as much as they would be capable of building a team dynamic anyway. It's just a complete mindfuck tbf Robson inherited a better balanced team. Keegan created one. We don't have a central midfielder at the club who would get a regular start at any other prem club.

He came in to the team like a breath of fresh air, after about 5 games he was misplacing passes and playing them short, then got injured, hasnt been the same since. I wonder if those first few games werent an adrenalin high ?

The game hasn't been called off because they don't know what the forfeit situation is They didn't have the last international breaks off. I think they absolutely can complain Bugger, had them in my accy for tonight.

I think it'll be more that Darlow has played well, do we need to bring Dubravka back if he isn't 100% fit.

Just found out that Harry Pearson has a new book out, The Farther Corner, follow up to the brilliant Far Corner.

Nice surprise. Had an American football 4 timer. Dolphins eased it, Colts squeaked it but bugger me the Raiders and Vikings had me all over the place. Then I thought I'd lost as The Vikings was an overtime win which still pays out, never knew that.

My treble for tonight....Atalanta, Lincoln and Bournemouth. Fuck me.

Top tier of Pele, Cruyff, Maradona. Not very far behind both Ronaldo's and Messi Then a huge wonderful group of Zidane, Platini, Bobby Charlton, Best etc Its so hard to put defenders in there, Beckenbauer, Maldini, Bergomi, Halliday.

Wasnt so long ago the Juve owner was voicing that Atalanta shouldn't be in the Champions league despite their finishing league position on the grounds that other clubs had more illustrious histories.

It was on zoom so I'd imagine he'd still have his pyjamas on, the Mickey mouse ones with a fresh soft boiled eggy stain on the pocket and behind him wallpaper full of choo choos.

I shall be handing my £15 over........ .....to the West end food bank

Or to get my wooden spoon out and stir the pot a little.......what if fat lad wants to drag it out. He's got his 17mill, it goes to court and he wins a load of damages etc and keeps the club as the other bidders have done off.

Could see the shackles off writing for the Athletic.

Good post, I agree with Decky here. It maybe ok for those who want to see football return to a pre premier league era but Southampton vs West ham being a big game in said hypothetically situation doesn’t exactly get pulses racing. Theyd be well compensated for so long till that leagues now bigger teams say "its us the public want to watch, those at the top not you" and then cut them off. As for Southampton West Ham not setting pulses racing. Neither would a mid table clash between Spurs and Marseilles in a league I have no interest in. This is a good point, certain big clubs might not like being the cannonfodder of this new league and may try and rejoin their old leagues. Their global brand would probably suffer as well if they're losing more games than they're winning every season and they aren't challenging for trophies. But lets say we become one of the top sides in the English league post-split. If Spurs came crawling back would we try and take their place in the Super League? How would we feel about that? Also what if the Super League decided to create their own 3 or 4 tier system and invited us anyway but into League 3 or 4? Nope, I'd stay. I honestly don't see a Euro league like that as being successful in the long run. Many clubs in the champs league have trouble getting crowds for it as it is and the spctale is not just on the pitch. Ask Manchester fans, both sides about the atmosphere in euro games as opposed to league. Sooner or later that lack from the crowd and lack of localness, the chatting to fans of other clubs at work, social gatherings etc will create a disconnect that will sterilise it and kill it eventually.