Conjo

Already have the Schar head blow and Pope blasting an easy ball into the crowd. Just missing Bruno hulking up in front of the Newcastle fans after a tackle now for the NUFC match bingo.

Emery will make adjustments for the second half. Hope we have something new to bring beyond go out and do what we did in the 1st half as Villa will take charge then.

Schar with blow to the head

Elanga & Gordon head up, not down.

If Joelinton could just clothesline McGinn and have the entire Newcastle team point and laugh at him while lying down. Please and thank you.

On paper very evenly matched teams. Both solid teams with main focus on the collective rather than individual brilliance. Very much a game that is won by the manager that has managed to outthink the other. Maybe a slight edge to Villa for having had a better pre-season + recognized striker starting.

Sorry. Thought I was in the other games thread

Bournemouth can only blame themselves. Completely curled up after the equalizer rather than continuing to do what they did to get back into the game in the first place.

Awfully predictable

Was just about to say stupid fucking idiot as I saw he was about to shoot.

wow

Think he's looked very good so far today, and in the charity shield. Almost like for like with Isak. Why do they want Isak when they got his 2 years younger copy?

Yes...?

yes, the Saudi Pro League has seen a notable surge in interest since the big-money investment two years ago—and here's how that uptick has played out: --- Broadcaster Reach & Global Exposure TV Viewership: As of September 2024, the Saudi Pro League (SPL) reached over 200 million viewers across 160 countries, averaging three broadcast matches per week . Media Deals & Revenue: The 2024–25 season generated a projected $80.1 million in domestic media revenue, with international broadcasting done through platforms like DAZN in the UK, Germany, Austria, and SSC in the MENA region . --- Commercial Growth & Fan Engagement Massive Revenue Jump: In the opening of the 2023–24 season, SPL’s revenue soared by 650%, fueled by sponsorships and global exposure . Sponsorship Boom: The league saw a 75% increase in sponsorship deals, becoming the third most profitable league globally in sponsorship terms . Social Media Expansion: The league added around 1.5 million new social media followers and garnered over 150 million video views in the early season weeks . --- Attendance & Matchday Atmosphere Initial Surge: Early in the 2023–24 season, the first six rounds saw attendance rise by 25%, totaling approximately 440,000 fans . Sustained Growth: Over the full 2024–25 season, total attendance reached 2,556,572, averaging 8,355 per match . Record Crowds: The highest single-match attendance was 58,117 for an Al-Ittihad vs. Damac game . While still far from European leagues like the Premier League (which averages around 40,000), attendance has nonetheless shown meaningful improvement . --- International Profile & Infrastructure Global Prominence: The SPL’s aggressive recruitment of stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Benzema, and others significantly raised its global profile and brand awareness . Increased Investment: Clubs poured nearly $1 billion into transfer fees in summer 2023 alone . Strategic Shift Toward Youth: More recently, the league has begun focusing on younger talent, with more sustainable transfers and a youth development emphasis . --- A Balanced Take Impressive Growth: Without a doubt, the league’s strategies—especially since late 2022—have paid off in global visibility, commercial valuation, and fan engagement. Ongoing Challenges: That said, the league still lags in in-stadium atmosphere, fan culture depth, and credibility compared to Europe’s elite—though the trajectory is upward .

They haven't spent that much net this season, and sold for more than they spent last season. Would be very surprised if psr is an issue for them regardless of whether they buy Isak.

Maybe it's blind optimism, but I have a feeling this will turn out to be a great signing. The stereotyical story of a great but stagnated talent that just needed a new challenge to rejuvinate himself and take his game to the next level.

I get they don't look exactly the same as Malik & Titus, but cut the AI some slack. You'd understand who's who. Close enough

I suck at AI. There was supposed to be a fairly poor joke posted here.

Add another 10-15 on top of that more like.

Bit weird that it's only a 4 year contract in these PSR times that we live in when we could have split the buying cost across 5 years. Maybe not such a big concern anymore...?

Yeah! I only looked at PL matches

Mostly worried about his injury record. 3 hamstring injuries by the age of 24 doesn't bode well. On the positive side he's been injury free since december, but on the other hand he hasn't played a full match since october which indicates that his playing time needs to be carefully managed in order to keep him healthy.

Possibly Tbilsi not prioritizing him too since he's off anyway?

Yeah, that was 100% the reason why Wilson left Jesus fucking christ I hope nobody believes that. IF he's said that to Shay, which I doubt, it's 100% ego and 0% truth.

Facinating how he can have these games. Been completely dominant in games against us as well, yet looks like the definition of immunodeficiency.