Colos Short and Curlies

Oh for the days when the first you'd hear is from a Ronnie Gill seller stretching his lungs

No doubt about it. It's more of a problem than many people realize. Would you say its centred in particular demographics or completely widespread? I've been fortunate that from the age of 11 I was brought up in a rural area (village just outside Hexham) and apart from 6 years in Liverpool have spent my adult years in rural parts of Wales / a small town. Yes there are the occasional ignorant idiots but in general I haven't encountered any real racism. Of course I know its out there, but have I just been lucky/blind to it or is it concentrated in cities (for example)?

We get a slickly produced announcement video which ends with MbS and an unidentified shadow wearing a Newcastle shirt, turns to the camera and just winks while unveiling Rafa (or romantically King Kev) as the unidentified shadow

Put aside Villa's antics when we went down (and I think 90% of the clubs in the premier league would have done the same tbf) and it has to be West Ham to go down? Second only to Liverpool in the media's love in and a ownership as rotten as ours. Their stadium in the Championship would be amazing and you can see them doing a QPR in trying to get back up - throwing money at sub-par players only to see it implode. Could easily see a L1 fixture between them and the Mackems in 21/22

So he gets his season in charge finishes in a respectable position, takeover is confirmed and he is graciously let go. Bruce gets to come out ahead and gets another PL job, we get a decent manager. Win win all round there

The thought of Qatari involvement in the US bid would be fun just to see Keys head explode

Bournemouth without Fraser after he rejected an extension to his contract past 30th June.

The UK government won’t want the Saudis pissed of given the billions they spend here every year. The government can’t/won’t get involved but they can lean on the PL, not that we’ll get to know about it. Yes but what leverage can they use to lean on the PL. If there is no real leverage the PL don’t have to listen. Policing? Or just threaten to send HMRC round to every club and every facet of the Premier League to do a full anal cavity search type audit

"The World Trade Organisation has ruled that Saudi Arabia was behind a pirate satellite TV and streaming service that illegally broadcast sporting events" But they haven't though, have they? They've established that Saudi Arabia didn't do enough to stop it, not that SA was behind the illegal broadcasts. The same people would be complaining if the Saudis had caught those behind beoutQ and chopped their arms off (or whatever they do to pirates over there). Can't win. but the premier league wouldn't give half a shit and would have rubber stamped the takeover months ago You don’t want this takeover to go through do you, now you’re straw clutching. quite frankly I would rather almost anyone else be trying to buy the club preferably someone without one of the worst human rights records in the world Have you killed anyone sir? "no" Pirated any football matches? "no" Congratulations Mr Glitter, your application is successful. Welcome aboard. As if Up the Glitter has never illegally streamed Young Boys playing

As if a 109,000 capacity would be enough. Need to try harder Luke

So home and dry?

The way he starts to sprint I think you may be right

Awesome overhead kick attempt by Joelinton before ASMs goal

Love that the refs first thought was yellow card

Dubs fit yet? Have a feeling that the enforced break is going to hurt Sheff Utd and they will fall away towards the end of the season. If ASM and Almiron can last 90 mins (Brucie factor at play here) then I think we'll sneak it 1 or 2 nil with a couple of goals in the last 20 mins Carroll will start and get injured, as will PD

Talksport have a bit of a hard on for Saudi, I can see us being their 'favourite' team once the takeover is completed.

What are the penalties for not being able to put a team out? With Brucie tactics and Brucie 'pre season' training I can see a hilarious amount of injuries after 3-4 games

Maradona btw, yes it would have been the twilight of his career and we'd be seeing the roided up version but early 90's Premiership would have suited him down to the ground

You just want to see his missus in the stands on MOTD every week

Imagine Rafa on the touchline giving instructions with no crowd noise

Unless you're going for a mid 90s gk kit design just keep it green top white shorts white socks

I know the 3pm blackout has been lifted so all games can be on TV, but it would be great if they had all games for a few rounds on in the evenings spread over the week

Just imagine having a plane in Cannes and deciding to fly to fucking Luton

Top 5 'top off celebrations'? No particular order Jonas vs West Ham Ketsbaia vs advertising boardings Dabizas vs Mackems Robert's farewell Tino vs Metz Should never be a yellow card offense Non-Toon ones Giggs Ginola Akinbiyi (although very similar to Ginola)

Rafa is my number 1 choice but lets not start pretending that his teams will be more pleasing on the eye than a Poch team. That's not to say its negative or defensive, but Rafa's teams will also be more in control than a Poch team who would have more freedom for individual expression. Still Rafa though Rafa Benitez is the highest goal rate Real Madrid manager in the last 60 years produced their biggest goalscoring win in Champions League history(8 v 0) and their biggest La Liga win in sixty years(10 v 2) It’s just a myth that he only plays defensive football and that Poch would be more attacking than him if both had a good team/financial backing. Rafa’s goal rate at R Madrid(2.76) Rafa’s goal rate at Chelsea(2.06) Rafa’s goal rate at Napoli(1.96) Compare that with Poch’s goal rate at Spurs(1.91) Hence my point that its not negative or defensive. However goals aren't what I was on about, its the aesthetics. Compare say Ginola and Robert (or even Gillespie). All are effective but Ginola had that little bit more individual flair. you wouldn't complain with any of them and they all get you goals and results but one is a little more pleasing on the eye. Shit analogy, but I'm not downplaying Rafa's methods at all - he is my number 1 choice to take us forward and he is more likely to bring success than Poch atm based on experience if nothing else but I completely get why for some 90 mins of Poch vs 90 mins of Rafa gives a different choice. Gillepsie was my favourite out the 3 btw