BlueStar

Sounds more like the Wigan model of "Come, play in the premier league, play at Old Trafford, share a pitch with superstars like Dzeko and Bale, get your face on telly and know that if any decent clubs spot you you can be straight out the door."

The other down side is things happen like you go into a transfer window needing a striker, and instead sell your best striker. And then if the players in the next transfer window that suit critera of things like "Injury worry, twat, fallen out with club, contract wasn't checked properly, agent is a friend of a friend" don't happen to be strikers, but goalkeepers and midfielders, then you simply don't get a striker.

I understand the attitude of "I don't care as long as we're getting results", but it'll still be there during home defeats...

Don't have to look at it thanks to sitting in the East Stand, so the animated hordings piss me off more.

SUNDERLAND chairman Niall Quinn is a shock contender to take over as Manchester City’s new chief executive. It’s believed that City, searching for a successor to Garry Cook who resigned over an alleged unsavoury email, are aware of uncertainty over their former striker’s future at the Stadium of Light. Sunderland club officials had to move swiftly two weeks ago in the aftermath of a home defeat against Chelsea to deny Wearside rumours Quinn had resigned. Sunday Express Sport has reported that relations between Quinn and American owner Ellis Short have become strained over the past months with Short bringing in two of his own men from the USA to enable a more hands-on approach from the other side of the Atlantic. Friends say that Quinn has become frustrated believing he has become the whipping boy for any Sunderland problems. City, who have started a worldwide search for the right man to head the off-the-field Etihad Stadium operations, are considering Quinn’s attributes in the knowledge that he remains a favourite with the club’s older fans. Quinn also has an ally in City’s head of football operations, Brian Marwood. The pair have remained friends after being team-mates at Arsenal in the 1980s. http://www.express.co.uk/football/view/273492/Niall-Quinn-in-the-frame-to-be-Etihad-chief

Oh yeah, itk - the old guy who sits next to me says "According to my sources, that Sunderland striker, he was playing around with a lass in Sunderland and his missus said either you leave England or we split up. And that's why he left."

It can never be that we have an alright player, or manager, or fans, or anything, can it? There's always a qualifier, there's always an excuse...

Alright. Few good chants from The Corner. Good reception for Arfa and for Ba going off.

Best had surr many chances :'( Played well, deserved a goal.

My dad couldn't make it cos he's just back from holiday so I was sitting next to the auld fella I grew up next door to. Seemed to really enjoy it

Weird that us and Blackburn and Arsenal and Bolton are playing today as well. Nice to see Man U and Aldershot's balls were kept in the freezer beforehand.

They have to ask the bureau.

Put my five quid free bet on them getting beat by Bolton, why not.

Norwich fan Stephen Fry was talking about how everyone likes the Newcastle accent last night and didn't mention Sunderland, mag kernt. Frendship Cup CANCELLED.

I won't see it cos I'm in the east stand. Last time there was a sudden increase in branding in the ground it elicited a chanf of "Sports Direct is fucking shit" from level 7 not long after kick off.

New thread title right there tbh.

Manages to type it without an asterisk in the address bar to get here, I see

Well there's an ultimatum

He gives 100% against the Mackems...

First home game I'm going to be able to use my season ticket for this season, so if we lose, blame me.

The Sage is in Gateshead and the fact you can have a pint in Newcastle, walk 3 minutes across a bridge, see a concert in the Sage and then have another pint looking at the fucking thing from the quayside is irrelevant, it doesn't count as a plus point of living in Newcastle because its in Gateshead.

Even seen them trying to claim SBR as a mackem, its beyond pitiful...

I wonder if Shola is simply too dim to let the pressure of taking a penalty get to him...

Is his name pronounced Abayed, like obeyed? That's what the commentators were saying last night, but then I've also heard "Tie-oat", "Obraton" and "Marvoo" this season.

Maybe they could start a petition to get it taken off us, like the one to send our players to jail?