80

"When he accepted the role, Mitchell was unaware of the extent of Newcastle’s PSR limitations" If true, this would make him a real dummy and Eales a piece of work. Sounds more like an excuse invented after the event, though.

6th highest average attendance in England across history. About 800 behind us, but ahead of Villa and Everton et al, according to a random website*. *Can't be bothered to look properly but that conforms with my understanding for the past 20 years.

It did start being briefed as mitigation by his side after his attempt at going to Man U became a shit show, but not beforehand. Then, after his stint at Man U became a shit show, his side started briefing that he really liked working with Eddie Howe and he'd suggested him as a replacement for Ten Hag. Ashworth spreading self-serving bollocks seems to be the consistent theme.

I assume they're properly split by now, mind.

Bang on.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-14793871/Duncan-Ferguson-reveals-current-England-international-battered-training-ground-boxing-match.html Apparently he stopped sparring, maybe we need to get him back in the ring.

Oh aye, we gave it both barrels for the last couple of months of the season, frequently playing them both together (Brentford away sticks in my head as being the first real time, rightly or wrongly - the Gordon hissy fit match). But it was as much that Isak became our favoured left winger in that period, it didn't exactly strike me as an official striker rotation policy... Not arguing about whether it can work with Pedro next season, mind.

That rotation was mostly injury inspired... We were extremely lucky that they kept timing their injuries just as the other was returning to fitness from a long layoff that season.

Believe it was after personal terms had been agreed but before the medical. But, iirc, also after Freddie Shepherd had gracefully told him to get stuffed in his traditional fashion. So far as I'm aware, a club can cancel a deal at any time before it's gone through, it's not like buying a house in Scotland...

After we'd fucked him about pretty extensively, aye.

It was a frankly pathetic campaign to bully them into making media narrative friendly moves. Hire Gerrard, bed in with some 'super agents', spaff huge amounts on fees and faded star power, and crash and burn for everyone's entertainment over the following two years. Us doing what we did pissed some of them off so much.

Club website says going straight out on loan, but unclear on where.

The photo looks like it was taken just as Miley read the tweet. I'm fine enough with it if Howe wants to do it with all the cartel strings attached though e.g. 50% sell on free, buy back price agreed etc.

Is that still the case? Was under the impression it was Amanda and Mehrdad who drove that relationship. Now they're back in the CL along with us and awash with money from the FIFA club cup, they probably see us as more of a direct competitor than before.

It was a bit weird - Romano giving it the here we go prematurely, saying the info came direct from Watford - but I think Wilson getting a bad injury early in the season made us rapidly move on to a surer thing in Isak.

I'll laugh if one day Howe comes out and explains we only fabricated this rumour to distract the press and public from any players we had actual interest in.

Was just being diplomatic about keeping us out, but I agree. Unclear on how weighted the results in different competitions are e.g. does 1 CL win outweigh an entire Conference campaign, but again, I agree on Palace and Forest.

Sympathetic to all that. On a not unrelated note though, I think we have to assume we're getting 4 CL spots next year rather than 5 as I can see our European entrants e.g. Tottenham dragging down our European ranking. Hopefully not, but it would make requalification a solid chunk harder still.

Marketing. There's an entire generation of under 30s in the wider football world who don't know that. And some very interested parties who would prefer they didn't and want to keep up the Saudi interlopers narrative so they can insist that the Chelseas and Tottenhams deserve special favours based on their historicity.

The club should really spend a little bit more of it's own time hammering this kind of point home, along with the ongoing discussion in the other thread about how many times we'd have been in the Champions League if it was based on modern standards. We were in a big 4 before there was ever a big 6. Make the Ashley decade look bizarre rather than what's happening now.

We're more likely to hear about him from you, honestly. He's very low on the totem pole.

That equaliser against Liverpool - another vital point on our way to the Champions' League

Yep, I'm biting my tongue, but there's definitely room for an interpretation of events where he's a snake who has spent a decent amount of time nearly ruining a lot of good at the club.

That's maybe a bit strong, but my belief - happy to be proven wrong - is that Eales is happiest running a generic, paint by numbers corporate operation and has generally tried to squash every part of us into that shape, on and off pitch. Individuality and distinctive talent is a threat to that kind of person.

Ultimately there's no substitute for being a good judge of character and talent. As things stand it's a great environment for people like Alan Johnson from Peep Show to thrive in.