Unbelievable

Bent equaliser

Yeah well, therein lies the problem with Ashley doesn’t it? Let’s face facts here: Ashley is only interested in staying in this league and he will see us finishing comfortable midtable as a vindication for not spending much last summer or indeed this one, rather than a sign to speculate to accumulate and invest to move forward. I’m surprised any of this still needs spelling out after all these years. It’s takeover or bust for the future of the club with Rafa, plain and simple.

Ashley would probably be wanting to press the sell button at a 20m offer. I don't think we are in a position to turn down certain offeres mind, I don’t think anyone but the elite clubs can and even then player power will dictate. It’s a tough one. Say someone offers us 40m for Lascelles and Ashley says Rafa can have that to spend, would Rafa take that? I think ideally he’d want to keep Lascelles, but I’m also confident he would be confident finding someone somewhere who could become another Lascelles for us and him. Selling your best players only ever leads to one thing... it’s catching up with Southampton for example. Wages is my main concern under Ashley, I honestly think he believes players are mere employees like his SD staff who get paid enough and any more is too much. He doesn’t value a footballer as an asset other than a saleable one. Our wage structure will see to it that players will eventually want to leave, especially the better ones, more than what we do or don’t do on the pitch or links to other clubs. Maybe that’s a good thing the likes of Lascelles and Shelvey are not in the England squad or likely to be as that is as much a tapping up meeting than a get together for an international match when it comes to agents and players from other clubs. Why would he take a proven liar’s word on something as vital as that for the club’s future?

Lee Cattermole on how he gets his shorts so high

Congratulations!

I was there in the home end with a number of Sunderland fan colleagues from work. A lovely match day experience it was

Rafa really has done a remarkable job of steadying the ship and getting the best possible results from what little he's been given. The club has been entirely reinvigorated and we're all pulling in the same direction again and much of the discontentment towards Ashley and the club has dissipated. Still, I firmly believe Rafa, like most of us, is desperate to see Ashley sell up and get a new owner in who will be willing and able to put forward the type of investment required to really push the club forward, both in terms of the playing staff as in its foundations (academy, training ground, stadium upkeep, etc.) We have a unique opportunity to grow into a genuine contender once more, but under Ashley it will never happen and in fact disaster is never far away. Another transfer window of broken promises will surely see Rafa walk and all his good work come undone. This Newcastle United "project" that Rafa took on will always be hamstrung by Ashley's looming presence. For that reason I hope Rafa's next move is a power play against Ashley. He's clearly been directly involved with the Amanda Staveley takeover bid, and he's in a perfect position now to demand to either be backed with the funds required to push on, or the club to be sold to someone who can and will, or to walk and find himself a new project while his stock his high and he's revered by the fans. Rafa has Ashley over a barrel and he needs to make it clear that he will not be pushed around again. I would be devastated to see Rafa walk out on us on behalf of Ashley acting the cunt (not investing whilst upping the asking price), but the time is now right to make a play and set the club up for the future and I wouldn't begrudge him leaving if he thinks he's achieved all he can under the current ownership and there is no chance of a change. After the last two seasons Rafa holds all the aces and Ashley must know he could be back to square one if he loses him. Howay Rafa, time for the next stage of this project: tell Ashley to either stump up, sell up or risk losing you

AC9

No idea what Hart was supposed to be doing there like

Crouch

The sad thing is we all know he would currently be playing in the Lithuanian league two or some shit if he had signed for us and been entrusted to such luminaries as Beardsley, Pardew and Carver during his formative years

https://www.readytogo.net/smb/threads/now-were-a-league-one-side.1426722/

A very good summary that. good to see you enjoyed it Ameritoon

Maybe he should try punching Gayle to see if we end up with Henry. Worth a try!

Last one took two years. I’ll go for league one playoff positions in 2020.

I’m not a mathematician but I struggle to see a set of results that sees 8 teams overtake us even if we lose all our remaining games and Southampton and/or Stoke win all theirs

2005 apparently, which means I was there At home. Beat them in 2010 away.

Is that us officially safe yet?

2005 apparently, which means I was there

Enjoy your birthday tomorrow Rafa

Sorry for not having read up beforehand, but a win must surely officially make us save or thereabouts? 13 points gap and plenty will play each other..?