Colos Short and Curlies

It's impossible for 20 teams to all do the right thing. There is all innovation and movement in the way the game is played and unless every player was an exact equal, every manager is an exact equal and every club does everything the same way there will be a 'wrong' way to do things. I'd say rather than it being that an owner doing it right makes relegation impossible it's more a case of its actually easier to run a club in a way to stay up than it is to get it so badly wrong that you get relegated. Of course for a newly promoted club sometimes the best thing is to come up, go down and pocket the cash and then come back up again. Ashley has done everything that would be on the 'do not do' list and even he has only managed 2 relegations in his time here. That's quite an endorsement on how badly other clubs get it

It's brought Mbappe over for his medical

Did Over the Line die with Pardew?

Bit harsh to suggest that Bruce can't turn players into 'decent' players. I'm sure he could turn Mbappe, Neymar, Ronaldo, Messi into half decent players given time

such an easy first press conference.. We're delighted to be here as the new owners of NUFC and have some really special plans for the club, the city and the region. We've been clear from the fist day that we started planning this project that Rafa is the man we see leading the club and as such we'd like to put forward our gratitude to Ste.. (whispers into ear, nods) Fuck off Steve

Long sleeved 95 home shirt with 18 Gillespie on the back. Was going to go 7 Lee until we got to the club shop and it was £5 for any name and number

It's niche, but it's 2021 so whatever floats your boat I guess

You could just as reasonably argue that the move to arbitration being offered was due to the buyers refusing to give a full reasoned response. There's a bit of supporting evidence (for either side) missing when just taking the letter. Reading through the last few pages here, I'm not sure that arbitration will be around F.1.1.1. As you say on page 910 there is no reference to what happens if the PL do not respond within 5 days and the wording of F.4 (which feeds into F.1.1.1) sets out what happens for people put forward as directors should they fail. So arbitration has to be centred around the phrasing of F.4 and the term shadow director - who are the PL to overrule Saudi law in defining a shadow director? If we can win on that point then it becomes a seemingly straight forward path to passing the test. The CAT action is also going to concentrate on F.4 and not F.1.1.1, only this time it will be on whether the PL gave assurances or indicated that the proposed board would be accepted only for it to then change it's mind following interference from other clubs or partners. It will be the actions of others that will win or lose us this case - and if we prove that competition law was breached through using F.4 to stall the takeover then for arbitration you can bypass the legal definition of a shadow director and whether UK Company Law prevails by showing that the PL were happy not to consider KSA as directors or owners. You then go straight to F.4.1 and F.4.2 on the submitted directors My guess is that the case for interference leading to the collapse of the test is stronger than the case for forcing the PL to accept Saudi law on shadow directors.

Howe and I reckon he has been in talks already hence knocking back Celtic

Anyone with any ounce of a heart h has to want to see Aguero score the winner surely?

Just imagine Wilson playing up top with a supporting trio of ASM - Almiron - Ben Arfa Stick Willock and another centre mid behind those Willems - (pick 2 from Lejeune, Schar, Lascelles, Fernandez) - new right back Dubs Thats say £60m outlay on 2 centre mids and a right back for a really decent first 11

Money talks ultimately. Bruce must know that (a) balance of probabilities say he won't get an extension to his contract here, (b) his 'stock' will never be higher now with a 12th place finish to fall back on. So it comes down to does he take the final year of the contract knowing that there is a risk that this will be it for it or does he put the feelers out for a top half championship club to see if there is a 3 year deal on offer there (what's his standing at Sheff Utd these days :-)) Or the wildcard, does he stick it out hoping that Dyche picks up another job and Burnley becomes available.

There may well be a bit of poker playing with Ashley and managers as well. In the world he is used to you just push managers to the side and get them to leave on their own accord. He probably thinks he can do the same with football managers - hang them out to dry with the pressure from fans and assume they will just sack it off. Problem is, football managers have millions at stake and don't just pick up the phone to Hays

edited for accuracy

Who the fuck is up front?

Ashley gets his compo of £300m then sells to Staveley and the Reuben's for £50m. Job done

Lucky we have the most billion of billionaires on our side then

I feel like we had this kit

I imagine it would be ungentlemanly conduct / unsporting behaviour even though the rules for this state verbally distracting an opponent and not physically doing so..

6-0

Now TV's advert for the game 'searching for a vital 3 points'. Nah, we're safe, City have won the league. Could not possibly be a less vital / pointless fixture to try and flog

Reckon Rafa would have got us top four in 11-12. 4 points off 4th and 5 off 3rd (of course 4th didn't get Champions League that year). Home defeat to West Brom and absolute thumpings fro Fulham, Wigan and Norwich in that season and only really Chelsea away that was a remarkable win (maybe Man U at home as well). You'd put money on Rafa getting 5 more points than Pardew managed

Notice the little things like them using a different picture of Amanda from the last few months. She's a lot happier in this one. Takeovers on!

If you accept that fans have unrealistic expectations (it's false but lets go with it being true)... Keegan, Bobby, Hughton, Rafa Souness, Pardew, McLaren, Bruce One set of managers embraced this and used it as a weapon, one saw it as a threat. One set were good enough and confident enough in their own ability to say it's a good thing, the other group aren't. We know which group were more successful

Now I'm worried, we're shit in possession