Minhosa

I was in the Milburn paddocks for this season. What a time to be a supporter.

I don’t know this and it’s purely a hunch but I think our primary targets might have been his and when they didn’t come off, Howe Jnr took over with EH just to ensure some bodies came through the door as brevity became key. As I say, not been told that, just guesswork.

It’s completely accurate. They sought his opinion when already in talks with Woltemade and he gave his view which was that Woltemade wasn’t a guarantee of goals and he had concerns over his PL fit. They proceeded with Jamie Reuben leading the negotiations on that one with Andy Howe alongside. I’m broadly very pro Howe so there’s no convenience in relaying the story tbf but it is 100% from a reliable source. I’m not willing to share the family reasons he’d be reluctant to move areas publicly but will over DM.

Like a cockroach this cunt. Just can’t kill him off.

Also don’t know I’m afraid.

That I don’t know.

He’s got family reasons for needing to stay in the NE. If they weren’t there he’d have left imho. I know his best mate. He’s very very secretive for obvious reasons but very occasionally lets some info slip once a deal has completed (Not fancying Woltemade for instance). He wasn’t involved in ANY incomings last summer. Only outgoing moves. Howe Jnr did the incomings with Eddie directly involved. I know for sure Nickson has said to his pal that he’s never traveled as much in his role than he has for the last 12 months. Constantly on planes and consistently in South America for the last 12 months….

I’m fairly sure both would be all over a move to Bayern if they wanted them tbh.

They’re going to be very vulnerable to set pieces imho. Their keeper is flappy and their attacking set pieces are generally poor. Barely beat the first man all night tonight on corners for example… I think Arsenal will do them but hope Arteta and Co. get pumped.

I imagine both Liverpool and Arsenal will bid tbh. Agreed, has to be in the region of £80m imho.

The last two wingers we've signed have been worse than him tbf.

Totally agree. He’ll benefit from it massively in the medium term and he’s been our best RB anyway this season imho.

Watch the first 15 mins of yesterday back. We barely got close to them. It’s like we’ve ran out of legs which is mad given we’ve not played with intensity all season. Agree we need a proper DM next season to give us the foundation if we are to reintroduce a proper press.

Aye. Massive opportunity lost imho.

Whatever happened to ‘intensity is our identity’? Appreciate that’s hard to maintain when you’re playing 2-3 times per week but we’ve played once a week for the last month and there’s nowhere near the same energy to our play without the ball. It’s just upped and disappeared.

He’ll never justify the fee. We got completely rinsed paying more than twice what he was worth. Just shockingly bad commercial nous from our transfer team last summer.

Couldn’t agree more.

Pleased for him. Have to be honest and say I wouldn’t have chosen that starting 11 nor made his subs but we won so it doesn’t matter.

We lose that today without Bruno. If he was to leave this summer, we might as well pack it in and fuck next year off completely.

Utter liability. It’s virtually every game, he’s gifting chances to the oppo man. Beyond a joke now.

Fucking sticking his hands in the air for the ‘assist’ after almost contriving to fuck it up only for Barnes to pull him out of the shite . Plays like a veteran footballer.

First half was his best 45 mins yet for us imho.

In 40 years of watching live football, I’ve never seen a senior player sent to explain a managers rationale to subs. Thought it was worth pointing out.

I maintain, he runs like Papiss Cisse, current day.

Was warming up in front of where I sit today along with Gordon, Ramsey and Elanga. When Howe made our subs, he sent Trippier down to where they were warming up. It seemed like Trippier was sent to explain the rationale to them because there were words exchanged with Woltemade and Elanga looking particularly pissed off. Elanga was pointing, angry looking and very vocal. Woltemade was downbeat and basically stopped warming up, instead just pretty much stood there and started talking to the Brighton subs. Gordon seemed to get the majority of the explanation from Trippier and seemed pretty cool with whatever was being said. It didn’t look a happy camp to me.