Raconteur

I have to say that I like away goals for many of the reasons people have criticised - I believe one of your first priorities going into any home match is to keep a clean sheet, and the away goals rule rewards good home defences. There’s a lot of talk about “spectacle”, but defending well at home gives a better chance of qualifying seems a more sporting reward than extra penalty shootouts. Besides, away goals level the advantage derived from playing away first. In the second leg, the home team is roared on by the crowd, but the away team’s goals have greater value. Without it, I’d suggest we’ll see more second-leg home teams prevailing.

Not that we want to envision a world where PIF walk away forever, but I’m wondering how long it will be until Staveley (with or without the Ruebens) decides to try one of those leveraged buyouts the Glazers made look so savvy?

I remember saying a few months ago that he is the worst poster in the history of all iterations of Newcastle-Online. We’ve had some whoppers, in our time, but this one

You've prompted a sudden and vivid image of golden goal in the age of VAR

Imagine we had another Bowyer-Dyer situation where ASM refuses to pass to Shelvey all day until the bald cunt loses it

I have this memory that Ashley was most displeased to qualify for the second tier Euro comp (was it still the UEFA Cup then?) and it seemed like a hard ceiling of seventh was set from then on. From there, "aiming" for seventh at best soon became "surviving in the league". Maybe I'm wrong, but that's how I remember it...

I went back and reread the article, and it was in fact saying for Liverpool to miss out after coming fourth, it would require Chelsea winning the CL (and finishing fifth) AND Arsenal winning the EL (and finishing sixth or lower). Clearly wasn’t too recent if it suggested Arsenal winning the EL!

I don’t think they do - I’m certain I read recently that there is only four places for England. The scenario laid out in the article was the exact one ToonArmy1892 posted, and the verdict was Liverpool would finish fourth but enter the Europa Leage.

nufc.com have him listed as out of contract at season's end - along with Fernandez, Murphy, Atsu and Saivet.

A mate got me a Brescia Baggio 10 shirt while he was in Italy - glorious thing that I fitted into for about a year before I started becoming the man of stature I am today...

Going on the Bruce signing, I could see Ashley giving Middlesbrough a cheque for Neil Warnock.

Wasn’t he certain to leave in the summer anyway?

“Dizzying height of 13th” - the man needs gunning down just for saying that...

Makes all of those very late substitutions even more dubious - I could easily believe some sort of brown paper bag deal was going on if someone told me...

Posts that age like milk #4,278

Rafa’s idea of a “project” and the Super League project seem inherently incompatible...?

I'm certain that the very first reporting stated that five English clubs were involved - it seems City signed on very late

I’d go further and suggest the Super League proposal slashed the value of our club (and all other not-Super clubs). There’s no way NUFC can be properly valued today (or in a week, possibly even a month before things shake out). Even if arbitration ends successfully today, the takeover doesn’t happen until the consortium and Ashley agree to a price. Fortunately, Ashley is a skilled negotiator with a long track record of making good deals...

It was pretty alarming to watch ten-men opponents press us so effectively at goal kicks - our throw-ins have seen us turn the ball over all season, now we can’t do goal kicks either?

For all the fears Fulham would send us down on the last day, it now seems much more likely that we’ll hold Parker and Mitro’s fate in our hands - if Brighton and Burnley can’t put on points

Remember when Roeder was starting the likes of Ramage, Huntington, the shite Saffer - all of those guys were seen too much

Sounds about right. Can't play right back or centre-half = new contract.

Needs punching in the face for that alone. "Deserve" ffs...

Is it just me, or did Joelinton actually look like a footballer against Spurs? Not just the goal, but put he himself about and made some nice touches. And no, I'm not saying he's the new Firmino, just that he actually looked like a footballer for once...

Haven’t done much posting lately, but remember someone (on the old board) saying “where are all the people who voted 0?” Well, I voted 1 at the start of the season, and suffice to say, I’m not at 1 anymore...