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I was literally about to post that I can see where everyone is coming from, basically. Although, if that pass he put through in the five minutes of football he got against Slovakia(?) wasn't creative, I don't know what is.

Sort of. You're right there were very dark ideas around at the time - to be honest I was shocked at how defeatist many were. I always thought we should do well, but obviously, should is different to would. It was basically a case of whether we'd shake our heads and get out of it. That's why Chris Hughton deserves so much respect. He filtered out those who weren't up for it and quickly got everyone - squad and support - to focus on the fundamentals - what they could control and how they would be remembered. The club went up that year the most united it had been since the first Keegan years, doing it regardless of Ashley's presence. It's why I was so appalled at how he was treated the following season.

We should be looking to sue.

Good stuff. Hopefully at least two more to come...

What a knacker.

He's out of contract next June, isn't he? So I think we've missed our moment.

I think he would've been off this summer if not for the injury.

Good shout.

I'm not clicking on it, but that's a joke, right? I'm happy for him, but that's unbelievable. Unless it's as a coach or somesuch.

£40m up front sounds better (in PSR terms ). Feel like I need to do my duty and say this is a really cool signing. Hadn't felt serious when Gordon was talking about him in the Euros. Not necessarily the way I'd go about it (re: RW) but it's an impressive signing and I agree with the idea that a quality player can raise your team in ways you hadn't even imagined before you had them. Really positive he's apparently so keen to join, says good things about what we're still doing. Seems a very likable lad from what I've seen, think he'll fit in well.

Maybe you're right, but I think @PauloGeordio is far more likely. If it's rubbish, he's probably better off just not dignifying it more than necessary and keeping on with his own business. I could see an interview coming out at a more natural time in a week or four.

Was confused as you're normally a sensible poster

Yeah, I think we're gonna blockade his car in the street while screaming he's not fit to wear the shirt at him, obviously.

Not sure if you're agreeing with me or not, sorry. But yeah, he's already a nomadic multimillionaire, so he's much more well resourced and familiar with adapting to new places. Comparing him with a shelfstacker from Morpeth doesn't work that easily.

Right, so I think it'll get more widespread and acidic if it becomes clear he's refusing to play ball. Not sure what's controversial about it.

Groans, old men yelling "fucking gerrim off man", that kind of thing. Standard stuff.

As it happens, I would go to Saudi. But yeah, the question is already inherently different if you've already moved across the world from home to Malaysia, before going across to Kenya prior to receiving the Saudi offer.

It's obvious enough on here that people are out of patience with him. If he ends up hanging around for another two years running out his contract, running into brick walls on the pitch and blocking a squad place when we're meant to be pushing on, it's going to end up on a very sour note.

Sure, he doesn't have to have any loyalty to us. But it won't be surprising if he catches a lot of shit over it, particularly considering emotions like loyalty, love and betrayal generate the money that makes him a multimillionaire in the first place - otherwise he'd be earning the same wage as a field hockey player or something.

If we got money for all three of them this summer I'd be absolutely over the moon. Edit: Well, not Wilson now that we've committed to Osula. But in a perfect world.

Well no, the footballing authorities are responsible for PSR, and shame on them. Every boring thread on this forum is ultimately their fault. But operating within that, he's had a yes/no choice on helping the club and being given tonnes of money for the privilege - beyond his value as a footballer - and chose no. Bosman transfers are a knife in the heart of football clubs nowadays. That goes for Lloyd Kelly, Tosin Adarabioyo and anyone else, by the way. I don't expect Miggy to fully understand that, in fairness to him. That all said, we clearly made a big mistake giving him a new contract instead of selling him after his hot streak season, so that is on NUFC. Have to admit at the time I imagined there would be a gentleman's agreement about him moving on before it ended, though.

He'd be seriously fucking us over by rejecting suitors offering him a wage rise for the sake of an extra 12* months here, mind. Very serious damage to the club. Given he rejected Saudi in January, he's probably already largely responsible for us losing Minteh - the gap would've been much smaller to bridge, at least. The thing is, he's educationally subnormal. Lovely lad, but dead stupid. *Edit: My bad, thought his contract here expired next year. Bollocks.

I agree with all that, although one thing that's left out is Wood's nous. The little digs, the triggering of the press, the dark arts of making yourself a nuisance for defenders. We can't really expect Osula to be fully up to speed on that yet, but I'm sure Eddie - and hopefully Wilson - will teach him.

The other thing is PSR (once again). It's basically created a parallel economy. If you lose a player on a freebie, you don't just lose the money, you effectively lose the permission to replace them - it's catastrophic.