80

It's certainly shitty for Ipswich, that's true. Modern football is grim.

Totally. Football's a strange business in which your career can collapse overnight. McKenna retired injured at 22, he'll have only made a relative pittance from the game so far. Puts any decision he makes in a different light. Plus, I fully agree with the idea Chelsea's reputation is so poor now that they're more likely to come off with a smell than the next manager.

Agreed but with the rider than I can see Ratcliffe being pathetic enough to throw such a big tantrum that he starts the ball rolling on all concepts of binding contracts and transfer fees in football being eliminated. Which, if the football grey suits don't interject forcibly to remove his hands from the steering wheel, will kill the golden goose. But fuck it, I'm up for that.

Looks like this trip might be going better than feared

Seems likely it wouldn't have just been Berrada's idea...

Pretty much priceless. It's like saying how much money would you have swapped Keegan for in 1994.

Wouldn't quite go that far, but yeah, there's nothing to get our knickers in a twist about here. No point in risking looking like dicks about it. We obviously like him, he's obviously interested, but it might not quite be right for one party or the other for a load of respectable reasons. And that's fine. Personally, I'm just pleased to see us working through it all methodically and with an open mind.

A bit of feel good attention from Bruno and co. is exactly what he needs if he's got any hope at all.

Yes, definitely. Though I meant more in terms of comments from players and such e.g. the leadership council they have with Ritchie, Burn and co. 100%. He's clearly spent his life rising to challenges.

I'd love for him to be captain, and I'm not exactly sure why he's not mentioned more in terms of leadership (maybe it's voluntary), but I think Burn, Trippier and Lascelles have already been doing a good job there so I'm not in a hurry to rock that boat. Let's see what our preferred first team is next season first.

He'll clearly do that whether we're nice to them or not. In fact our best bet for protecting ourselves is to wreck his relationship with them in the crib.

It's their saga though, not ours. Nothing stops us getting our own director in. Let it run and run.

Ironically the site won't open at all for me now!

No shaming intended, it's just good to never underestimate someone's stupidity and hubris

Imagine how Berrada must be feeling towards Ashworth this morning

Incidentally... Does anyone want to reconsider their comments that there's no chance Ashworth would do any work for Man United before an agreement is reached and he's far too smart to risk his career discussing anything untoward?

Still doesn't work in my experience... Just gets the first couple of paragraphs.

It's an anonymous quote from an Athletic article about a month ago, isn't it? They made it sound like it was a member of our coaching staff, as I recall. I mean, it's not exactly untrue... Let bygones be bygones, but you can't seriously assess how the last 12 months happened at the club without contending with his impact on us.

Even better - Boehly should have as much control of that sector as possible.

Wow. Dumb doesn't cover it.

*Not do that. I'm not saying he'd put the mouth on him. But I think he would actively lobby for someone like Gordon to get in this summer 'should Southgate approach him for his opinion'. While being more circumspect about Hall seeing as he's only just begun to start for us after a difficult adjustment period.

Waiting to see the dickhead try and claim that as neither man yet worked for Manchester United that it's not his responsibility...

Annoys the shit out of me that they never include penalties won.

Can't really blame him, he's had that little to do with us I'm impressed he remembers signing!