Yorkie

It's got to be a huge blow to our recruitment plans, considering our presumed financial limitations. Schar will surely start fading soon; beyond that it's Lascelles and Burn, who simply don't have the quality to enable us to kick on. With Botman out it feels like we'll need to spend a fortune simply to match the situation in May 2023. Scouts have got their work cut out, big time.

Obviously heartbreaking for the lad and terrible news for us. He's our big investment at CB but his career here pretty much hangs in the balance now. We can all speculate on the reasons why we've got here. It does seem plausible that there's been an error of judgement somewhere down the line.

It was 100% better than the squad Pardew left. The squad Pardew left was Riviere and co. was it not? The 2014/15 (Pardew) squad was pants. But the one only a year prior was very good. It had Remy, Cabaye, Debuchy, Ben Arfa, plus less-finished versions of the likes of Cisse and Coloccini. Gouffran was still pretty useful at that point too iirc. It was very different by the time Pards left, like, and while some of the incomings improved the shape of things, it was still piss. Pards 2012-14 is the answer to the original question imo.

@Kid Icarus The big turning point with Pardew was that defeat at home to Reading imo. Was clear then that he needed to go.

I assume you quoted the wrong post but there's absolutely no way the McClaren squad was better than the Pardew squad of 2013/14 imo. You're overrating the players you've listed, without mentioning the disinterested shite we had elsewhere in the squad in 2015/16.

I don't think it's McClaren at all. By that point we had next to nothing in the way of decent strikers; Remy and Ba were long gone, Cisse had all but lost the plot, Siem de Jong never assimilating, Mitro areet but very rough around the edges, Perez decent but just a young lad, Rivieire laughable. Then you had the likes of Sissoko who wasn't interested, Tiote well past his best, Anita and Colback who were basically rubbish, Thauvin who couldn't give a monkeys. Rob Elliot first choice goalie. If it wasn't for Wijnaldum and Perez we probably wouldn't have got a single point.

That's very easily Pardew imo. We arguably punched above our weight in 2011/12 but in the two seasons which followed we massively underachieved given the quality in the squad, ultimately setting the tone for the remainder of the Ashley era. That's why everyone was aching for him to get jettisoned: it was clear as day that the promising run in 2012 was never going to be replicated or built on. There was lots to hate about him but the fundamental issue was that - even in spite of the lack of investment - we were wasting a really good squad on a rubbish manager. Speaking for myself, it took a little bit of time to realise that the lack of progress was, of course, all by design. Being oh so burdened with the Europa League in 2012/13 cemented in Ashley's mind that it wasn't worth competing. That was Pardew's fault and that's why people shouldn't forget the existentially disastrous implications of his tenure.

Howay Luxembourg!

Genuinely one of my worst nightmares. I'll try and go for a piss three times before I leave the pub. I've always been like it.

Genuinely always try and get as close to the end as possible for this reason.

feel this is a bit unfair and doesn't belong in this discussion. Yours, Someone with a very small bladder.

Would be good to see you.

We were class like. These spells were the best. D L L L D L L D L L D L L L L L L L L D D D L D L L L D L D D L L

Yeah I'd expect us to squeeze more than £15m out of someone. Like him or not he's played 99% of Premier League games so he's worth more to us than that.

Even this is gradually becoming desensitised imo, on account of it happening so much now, and most games going on and on and on and on, routinely concluding closer to the 100th minute than the 90th minute. Play until they score.

Know any keepers who'd be up for it?

?? The annual Spring forum kickabout is upon us. If you would like to play, please register your interest here. If you've never played but always umm and ahh, now's the time. Please Like this post if you fully intend to play (unforeseen circumstances notwithstanding). In: @toon25 @LFEE @TaylorJ_01 @Sifu @Papavasiliou @Ryan @Danh1 @KDT Theregulars @Robster @samptime29 @Slim @TheInfiniteOdyssey @Heron @ponsaelius @AyeDubbleYoo Yorkie Maybes: @Sempiternal @Super Duper Branko Strupar @Superior Acuña @Stifler @HaydnNUFC @Jimburst @NEEJ @Rocker @El Prontonise @MKSC @M4 @Dr Venkman Details tbc but venue expected to be Dunston Powerleague, kick off for 10am. If it's a big turnout we'll introduce a third colour, as per the last couple of Lockwood Cups. Open to suggestions there. Yellow? White? 11th May to tie in with NUFC vs Brighton.

Seems that it's correctly counting up the second option but not the first. How annoying for those on that side of the argument.

Yeah, it's clearly not working properly is it. I have it at 24 to 35 atm. Really sorry but I don't know how to fix it, or if it's even fixable. @Rich / @Big River any ideas chaps?

No, VAR.

Obviously agree but would make the point that he still quite clearly has majority (probably total) backing in the dressing room. A truly dramatic collapse only happens if that goes away. Which it won't do; he manages the players brilliantly on a human level and you know they'll go until the bitter end for him.

Feel like I'm in the twilight zone with this shit. I wish there was real hope of it just being binned off altogether. Have argued why I think that particular change would be totally stupid more than once before so I won't bore everyone with it again. But I'd love to know what actual linesmen would make of such a change - I doubt it's easier to identify slithers of daylight as opposed to body parts being ahead of other body parts. Tbh I can see linos getting stood down at some point down the line. They'll still be there as pitch side officials, checking for other infringements and the ball being out of play, but they won't have the duty of offsides.

It's not a 'must win' at all really. The consequences of not winning are merely that we've one fewer chance of claiming the points we need to qualify for Europe. A draw would be disappointing and an opportunity missed, but it hardly ejects us from the race. West Ham are a good side; probably favourites for 7th as things stand. A defeat would be a miserable result, like; not that I expect it.

I think it's impossible to make any fair judgements on Ange, O'Neil, Iraola, Edwards, Glasner and Kompany. Arguably even Ten Hag. All of them are either new to the league or quite new to management; in some cases both. Certainly absolutely zero evidence to suggest any of them are more talented than Howe. I feel like you basically have to have zero fundamental weaknesses to manage at this level and the talent across the board is generally very high.

That is the Adidas template which seemingly will be applied to everyone connected to that manufacturer, including us. The main body of the shirt (in that case the tartan pattern), the fangs (the bright yellow), and the under-arm/sides (flat dark blue) are where any individualism will be applied. Wales for comparison: All other Adidas internationals: https://www.footyheadlines.com/2024/01/adidas-2024-national-team-kits.html Here's England's new shirt: https://amp.footyheadlines.com/1993345979402252834/ And all other Nike internationals: https://www.footyheadlines.com/2024/01/nike-2024-national-team-kits.html England away is really nice. Interesting that Nike have dropped that awful curved design which ruined any striped kit. All the new kits seem to have the exact same texture though.