gazza ladra

Are they buying a lot from mid table clubs? Neves, obviously. They appear to be going the American route (NASL, MLS) and buying last paycheck stars from the bigger clubs. I guess ASM (like Neves) is a sort of exception as he is relatively young, but mid table clubs aren’t biting. The Saudis are picking up luxury players on high wages as far as I can see, players that smaller clubs can’t afford. Midtable clubs are better of buying and developing young talents from Portugal, France, Scandinavia, and ( why not) England as far as I can see.

Largely agree with this, but I think we have overestimated ASM’s talent. When things are dire there is a natural tendency to cling onto flashy players (ASM, Ben Arfa) that disrupt the doldrums. But they’re not that good. They’re great compared to what we had, but nothing compared to what competitive clubs are used to seeing. A lot of people are shocked to how little we’re getting for ASM. I am as well. But on reflection, I think that we are overestimating his value and contributions because he was all we had to hang onto when we were watching Bruce Ball. Goals are exciting. Harvey Barnes scores goals.

He did well enough when he played. The point is we really didn’t miss him when he was out injured. So he’s expendable and relatively valuable.

Really wanted Diaby based on nothing more than his reputation and some YouTube scouting. The vids of Barnes more impressive; looks like what we need. Convinced that the club knows what it's doing.

Adams is the one American I’d definitely have. Good character as well. If he is not injured, Leeds do not go down. Will be underpriced

FBRef identifies Chancel Mbemba as the player in the top 5 leagues most similar to Disasi.

Don’t know make of the repeated links to left forwards when it appears to me that we have less depth on the right. Has the club already penciled Gordon on the right with Miggy and Murphy? Or the pursuit of Livramento when left back seems a more pressing. I’d really like to see us do something about the backline; losing Schar or Botman for an extended period would be disastrous. I suppose they expect Burn to play centrally and start Targett.

Both Rafa and Emery dropped Digne from their starting 11s almost immediately after taking over. I think they knew what they were doing. He’s been a bit player at Villa since February.

Watched this today by chance. Didn’t remember ASM tearing West Ham up like that. We should sign this guy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zr-EuZ2ggVU

But for the injuries…. I thought his game had really improved under Howe. Will be sad to see him go, and think he may tear up wherever he lands. If he stuck around, and if he avoided injury, I think he would do very well for us. We would have more than one “Man City” performance to point to. But he is the only (expendable) player on the books that has any real value. Miggy would be a distant second second. If we have depth anywhere, it’s left forward. There’s no one else that I can think that is “expendable” and “valuable”. If we are constrained by FFP, and we have to sell to buy quality elsewhere, he’s the most obvious (I.e. only) candidate. Everyone else is either irreplaceable or virtually worthless in the marketplace.

Don’t think Forest are answering any of our calls at this point.

Harrison and Adams are worth a go.

Don’t think I’ve seen ASM have another game like he did against Man City last year. I’d love to believe that a healthy ASM can be that player, but the realist in me says that it’s not at all likely. When posters point out that Barnes had more goals last season than ASM has had in his NUFC career that’s a bit hard to argue with. (If we can afford to keep him with FFP, I’d love to keep ASM. If he has something to prove, he could well be an absolute terror)

I was wondering about this —and I think that a couple had the same concern earlier. Feel we need help on the right, more than the left. Looks like Barnes is exclusively on the left. I’d think that JoeLinton would have to be one of the first names on the teamsheet on left or in midfield. Left —— JoeLinton Barnes ASM Gordon Murphy Isak Right —— Miggy Murphy Gordon saw that Gordon played 6 games for us as a left forward, and 5 on the right

I’m sure that the club will make the right decision. He was injured much of last season and consequently inconsistent, but he showed signs of changing his game to adopt to Howe’s game plan. And he’s always up for a big game, so I think that he will do really well for us in Europe. I think he will be worth more money at the end of next season than he is now.

He phoned this one in. Just looking for likes from Geordies. No homework, or thought at all. How many times does ask for a like in five minutes?

Guy is wrong about everything: Haaland would bomb, Sterling is a brillant signing, Lampard is a terrific manager…

If we can fill key roles and keep him, great. I suspect that we cannot.

Where was this link? Haven't heard a peep about him since the Euros.

Wtf is up with Canada drawing with Guatemala and Guadeloupe? They playing kids or something?

Absolutely. Racists (the ideological ones) have love to troll. They like to act innocent and play the victim because they know it riles people up. Sartre wrote some interesting observations on the arguments of anti-Semites who argue in “bad faith”. There is no talking to those people, you are just wasting your breath and they’ll take pleasure in trying to wind you up. But there are people who say or repeat racist things or think in racist ways who are not committed to that world view. And they can be talked and will to reason, and will change their behavior. From my own experience, I have thoughtlessly said and thought all kind of racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, classist, ageist, etc. BS in my life, until someone (a friend or stranger) called me out on it - and I thought about it, and changed.

Couldn’t disagree more. But, opinions

Ok. My context is the US. I heard too many people -- white people (especially of my parents) generation manifest this contraction. When they deny that the are a racist, they are denying that thay ideological racists. They are not racists by conviction. So in that sense, they are not racists. But they are racists in their attitudes and language and many other ways -- but they haven't had to think about racism because it has never had any effect in them. They completely unaware if their own racism. And the don't want or can't be bothered to think about it. (not joining the klan is enough for them to absolve themselves )

I don’t think that’s contradictory or particularly confusing. The term racism can be used to identify a number of different things, from tribal impulses, to cultural biases, historic grievances, to outright racist convictions that are the foundation of an ideology. I think that racism and the term “racism” is fuzzier than anything Kaka just stated.