GM

Oh stick another dagger in my heart, why don't you, 1977?

Great post. I think you've summed up precisely how I feel about things at the club there - except I won't be getting a season ticket because I simply can't afford it. I can't even afford a Sky subscription anymore. In a weird way, the lack of transfer activity is a kinda relief for me, because it means not being able to afford it all right now is made just a little bit easier to take. That said it goes without saying I'd love to see Ashley step it up and just go mental in the transfer market a la Abramovic in his first summer as Chelsea owner - but let's be frank here...the credit crunch (or at least the general economic environment right now) may be part of the reason why Ashley's being a bit more circumspect in his dealings thus far. It's frustrating, sure...but it's understandable on one level as well. Season ticket holders who stick at it through thick and thin, whilst laudable for their loyalty, may well be doing so to the detriment of their families wellbeing, and I just cannot fathom that.

Spurs are patently going to do another "Leeds". Or at least I f***ing hope they do... Modric, Bentley, Arshavin. Bunch of f***ing c***s. I hate them.

Gay's Treat Hotel, more like...the way you and MiguelJon carry on.

Damn straight, cowboy. Worse than Dave & MiguelJon. Cliquetastic. Get a room.

We're probably more likely to re-sign Jenas than compete with Spurs for Arshavin. I don't understand why. Are they in Europe? Oh Jesus. FFS, I was being sardonic.

http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/2597/gmpt7.jpg Nice.

I still do. Not as much as he hates you though, you sour-faced old prune.

We're probably more likely to re-sign Jenas than compete with Spurs for Arshavin.

But we've already got Mark Viduka.

*GM crosses fingers*

Well, you would certainly fricking hope so. Right now though, it doesn't seem so much as "when" but "if" - and a very big fucking "if" as well, if I may say so.

Ah, fuck it. Why not? I'm in.

Aye, OK. You've made your point, I get it, I get it...move on. As for your second point, have to say I don't see why. Surely, regardless of whether the team is on a good/bad/indifferent run at the time, the pride at stake in the derby itself should be enough to see to it that we prevail?

Verbal sewage. Do you want to explain how? Aye, it's quite clearly literary. Well if he's having a go at Heneage's grammer then, FFS get a life, it's pretty clear what he was trying to say. Really? So how come it made f*** all sense to me? And for the record, I wasn't having a pop at his "grammer" (sic) - I was having a pop at his overall inability to make any f***ing sense whatsoever. I'm pretty sure, English is not his first language, cut the lad some slack. I would normally. But tonight I'm being a bigger twat than normal...for kicks.

Verbal sewage. Do you want to explain how? Aye, it's quite clearly literary. Well if he's having a go at Heneage's grammer then, FFS get a life, it's pretty clear what he was trying to say. Really? So how come it made fuck all sense to me? And for the record, I wasn't having a pop at his "grammer" (sic) - I was having a pop at his overall inability to make any fucking sense whatsoever.

Verbal sewage. Do you want to explain how? Aye, it's quite clearly literary. Huh? I just didn't understand what the fuck Heinous was on about.

Verbal sewage.

First bit sounds like Owen. Just the first bit, Dave?

And by pure coincidence he was playing for Manchester United at the time. Not that I would be suggesting he had favourable treatment, in any way, purely on account of that small fact. Because that would just be petty-minded, chip on the shoulder, sort of stuff.

I'd be interested to know how much growth Sunderland's management board have built in for this season in terms of their player salaries budget. They simply must have made a decision to ratchet up what they're prepared to pay their players - because those three Malbranque, Chimbonda and Diouf won't have come cheap in terms of salaries, surely? So they're clearly bedding in for a longer stay in the Premiership this time round, under the management of an increasingly confident Roy Keane, and who's to say (?), maybe this will be a renaissance for them from here on in. You're right - if this doesn't give the Ashley & Co a serious jolt then nothing will. Things are going to get interesting and more exciting as a result.

In a perverse way, it could be good for us if Sunderland do improve and continue to attract quality players since it could help raise the desirability of Newcastle and the North-East as a location of *choice* for players in a way not seen for quite a few years. If Sunderland became more successful it would raise the profile and boost the reputation of football in the North-East, rather than being so London-centric as it has been lately. May even help us sign the very best players in future rather than struggling time after time. Maybe?

Whilst our squad is probably better than theirs in quality by quite some margin, is it seriously unthinkable that they won't possibly close the gap further...possibly even overtaking us this season at some point?

I think their squad is shaping up quite nicely, actually...providing the intended outcome Keane is going for is a clash of titan egos. If they don't gel as a unit quickly, there'll be trouble in the Keane household.

The only thing that distated Kluivert from not playing was his addiction to Sausage and Bean slices. like kluivert said in an interview when he left, everybody knew it should have been bellamy and kluivert, but due to club politics, it could only ever be bellamy and shearer or kluivert and shearer. There was never a fair chance for other players. Bellamy summed it up in that text I saw Kluivert out on the piss one week, four nights in a row, yes four nights in a row. That says it all. About you it does. I knew someone would say that. Makes you wonder what Big Ron would've had to say about Kluivert if he'd known about that little gem...