Raconteur

Thought it was £15K a week? If it's £25K a week that is a solid offer tbf. Well, the rumours suggest he was offered the former by the club, and after Udinese came in, upped their offer. Problem is "Who is telling these stories?" And then "How credible are they"... Either way, there's a decent case for saying he's entitled to collect some cash as "backpay"

1984 and the Villa players were on a £500 per player win bonus. 2020 and Matty Longstaff is (was?) making £850 per week.

Reading the comments was certainly a good choice on my part I'll never understand the mindset of a man who defaults to thinking all rape claims are bids for money and fame. As if anyone would choose to put themselves through such a public humiliation...

And they also managed to get most people's names slightly wrong. Truly weird journalism.

Can't believe this is the first time he's been mentioned. Would take him before almost everyone else discussed.

I remember him signing with a "dog chasing a balloon" reputation, but he is seriously talented and, relative to the rest of the team, also pretty effective.

I thought he copped a bang in the second half and looked a bit proppy - but that's probably my paranoia playing up. If that's all it was, though, hopefully it's little more than some bruising

Wrong thread, but that is an outrageous suggestion. On many levels.

There are people who think Diego Maradona was the best player ever - well, those people now think of Messi, but Diego #2. What more could he possibly have achieved in his career? And until Maradona came along, there were people who thought Best was the best ever. "Reviled"? Nah

Maradona and Best both say hello. I think I hear Gazza coughing in the background, too...

For his goal - he laid the ball off, turned and busted his gut to get on the end of the return pass. Has he ever done that in a Toon shirt before?

Love a defensive rick

If he had struck it cleanly and tucked it into the bottom corner, it most definitely would have been a goal, I mean, that's how it works. From that angle the keeper had it covered, would have needed incredible curl to get round him IMO. If your going to near post then it needs lots of pace to surprise the GK. Yup, to score at the near post from there you’d need to welly it like Shearer

Almiron and ASM have been busy, but we’re otherwise toothless in attack. Another day of wondering where the goal will come from.

He really is - but our second choice left back at the moment, and going by Rose’s performance...

Surely the referee union will think this is taking the piss? Give a player a card and there's a YTS kid hammering the button making the crowd go "BOOOO FUCK OFF REF YOU'RE SHITE" You have to be a masochist to be a referee, so they probably suggested the idea

Love the effects guy booing the yellows

Disgraceful finish from Big Joe

That might be the way to get some truth - ask Roy Keane while he's in the mood! I've seen him lump Bruce in with the group of big drinkers in Fergie's early reign, so maybe he'll start with him being an unprofessional player who couldn't make the England squad, and then go from there...

Given we've no chance of the cup, I'm hoping City put on a 10-0 performance to rubbish all the talk of Brewcie's cup heroics

With so many games being 0-0 at half time, and with Sheffield United already having a game under their belts, it's not hard to see the Blades getting a good start. I'm fully expecting to be 0-2 after 10 minutes, but probably followed by 80 minutes of low-quality grit with a late, bundled-in consolation goal. Thus Bruce gets a respectable loss and on to the next shit show...

It's been said that the best thing about being a footballer is raiding your sister's hairbox - and I certainly wore my share of ponytails and alice bands on the pitch. But who is Maddison kidding with that hair band?

Wasn't his "big break" the BZG fakeover? Which would mean there's a reasonable case that one shouldn't believe a word he says...?

Ms Rob Elliot would absolutely castrate you while you slept