wormy

I do find it ironic that these comments come at a time when the team is performing more efficiently over these past six months than the rest of his time at the club and when he was getting all the plaudits. I said after Watford at home that his patchy performances were worth living with because we don't have much else going forward. But with (hopefully) higher calibre reinforcements arriving this summer, I think next season is his make or break. Where we find out if he thrives with those better players, or if he is more suited to being the big fish in a little pond where he's relied upon as the saviour. I'll readily admit that I'm heavily expecting the latter.

It's weird. I couldn't care less about the who wins the title out of those two so I'll keep everything crossed that we cause an upset this Sunday. Conversely, I'd still find it hilarious if Everton goes down so I'd be totally fine with us throwing the final game against Burnley if it helped.

Call it bias but I'd honestly rather we gave Dubs another year than tie ourselves down to Pickford for whatever transfer fee/wages it would take to get him. Lets his emotions get the better of him and seems to have a howler in him way too often. And Jesus Christ those arms. The worldie saves he does manage don't make up for his faults if we're looking to actually push on up the league imo.

vinegar tits.

I think it was on here but can't remember for sure, but while it's boring for us, I suppose it's unsurprising that just like there's players who are too good for the Champo but not quite for the PL, there's teams in a similar position. Putting it in that perspective has made me a bit more accepting of the fact. That being said, I'd love to see Forest back in the PL. Weird to think I remember them so firmly as a PL team just because they were in my first Panini sticker albums, even though I only turned 10 in their last PL season. It's just what those formative years do to you, I guess.

I'd say he's jumped the shark at this point but this is pure entertainment when you're on the outside looking in.

Have I made this up out of thin air or wasn't Bruce quite a forward thinking defender for his time as well? That thought made his disdain for our ball-playing defenders even more baffling to me. Have I just been blinded by his goal scoring record?

Do you really? I kind of like that because for some reason it always irked me that 1st gets a trophy and you could get one if you sneak 6th then get through three more games but 2nd traditionally gets nothing.

Maybe a somewhat fortunate instance of me being a dirty southerner so my love for NUFC at that age mostly amounted to my dad bringing replica kits home whenever he headed back up to see my grandma.

Hasn't he said before he couldn't really handle the level of adulation our fans gave him? Suppose it would make sense he would feel more comfortable blending in as just another 'good' player at Man U. I was five years old when he left so I only really knew him as a Man U player until I got older and learnt more of the club's history so I'm working entirely from second hand info and a sketchy memory of an interview I feel I read not all that long ago.

Fair play to them this is awesome.

Everton down and sunderland up would provide entertainment value on both counts. mackems might get themselves together over a few years to push for a return to the PL, by which point you'd like to think we'll be in a position to humiliate them twice a year. In the interim, we get to watch them face Everton in the Championship for a year at least? Sure, why not. Shame Everton would likely go back up quickly because even aside from my unreasonable bitterness, the visual of them running out in their state of the art new stadium in the second tier would've been objectively funny.

Generous of you to assume he's got anywhere near enough humility to do so in private.

Taking our own allegiances out of the equation I think that could be one of the worst soundbites of his entire managerial career.

Give the lad a six year deal.

No way is Ritchie choosing to play for Bruce.

Maybe it's just my general mood about things surrounding the club where I'm finding a positive spin on most things but I'm hopeful us being so defiant could come back to help us. The club stood its ground whilst getting reinforcements at a cost they deemed acceptable for a turnaround from relegation favourites to top ten challengers in half a season. Hopefully that tells them that they can fuck us around all they like but our board will still look to get the job done, so they might as well just take our money like any other club.

Has he ever won a game when he's tried to be a cheeky cunt? Really should be benched for any game he might get emotional in. Absolute manchild.

Quick search seems to indicate that ending the loan was considered due to injuries but he was on the bench for them just this Tuesday. Crazier things have happened but at 21 years old, after three years of loans where he's dropped from the Championship to League 1, I dare say he's not a 'what if' we should be worried about.

'if we've got decent owners I imagine...'. That's one hefty imagination you've got there, HarrogateMackem.

I'm hopeful of a European push depending on signings, considering the number of places available and how open things are right now outside of the top two. But equally I won't piss my pants if it simply ends up a top ten-ish consolidation season before we really look to push on. Either way, please, for the love of all that is holy, make a run for the cups.

I'm not one for interacting on Twitter but I'm really close to bookmarking this one for potential later ridicule.

@WillDanceForChocolate A fantastic write up and much appreciated. I knew he was engrained in the modern history of the club but not to the extent you've opened my eyes to, particularly his playing return even being fan-funded all those years ago. Seems his humbleness has rubbed off on you as its interesting to read you still consider your team as a third tier club on holiday as you look set for a fairly quick return to the top tier. Providing disaster doesn't strike in your run in (just realised it's a relatively tough run in so fingers crossed for your boys), I'm really looking forward to your return and Howe's return to the Vitality as I can't even imagine how emotional that's going to be. All the best for the rest of the season and hope we see you back in the PL next season.

I hope anyone of note makes sure to remind him what side he was truly on whenever he tries to bask in the joy of the next few years. I'm sure he'll be back to his wine-fuelled bitch rants in the summer when he remembers hes got no 'in' at the club to fill his articles with anymore.

No no no! Not that billionaire.