Chris_R

Gained quality, lost depth. Long term, good. Short term, slightly disappointed that we didn't get a couple more bodies in. After all, everyone else seemed to. Still, they've earned my trust by what they've done so far so no big deal but if we fall outside the top 4 by the end of the season I think there'll be a few eyes cast back to this last month and what we could have done differently.

This is so true. Us losing the final would be their best result of the season, which basically says everything you need to know about them.

Nobody will have a fucking clue who is being cheered on with all the half and halves.

If I added that this has been organised by a separate Spanish company who are acting as intermediaries for us, and that I'll be flying out on the second of my currently-valid UK passports, would that help it sound any less shady?

Need to be on site for Monday 27th, it's the only time myself and the customer are both available between now and May, and it's literally my job to go. Only thing I can think of is to ask to fly a day early and offer to pay the hotel for the extra day. Which they may well refuse to let me pay, but morally I should offer as then there's no reason to not let me. Question is if they do let me pay, am I willing to pay £170 to watch a Newcastle match on a shit stream in a hotel on the other side of the world? Also Cuban internet is fucking shit and even if I am there there's a chance the game will be unwatchable for me despite doing all that. :lol: Should add it's a south-coast company so playing the "but Newcastle are playing" card will likely count for fuck all.

Supposed to be flying to Cuba with work that day. Not sure I've ever been this conflicted between being absolutely ecstatic and being utterly furious.

No complaints about the red, as soon as I saw the first replay I knew he was off. Hopefully he comes back well rested and eager to atone. Now, we've got 43 minutes to get Maddison signed.

I've heard it's dependent on a Sean Longstaff hattrick.

So Wood doesn't have a replacement and we're short up front instead, so nothing I've said changes. We're criminally short on depth, and selling 3 whilst buying 2 doesn't improve that whatever the positions. We'll still be asked to register 25 players and at this rate we won't be able to.

I'm really not sure on the logic of selling Fraser and Shelvey if they're not being replaced this window. We might not need them much, but we might need them and if we're left short of bodies it could bite us. Whatever their faults, they're better than [EMPTY SQUAD SPACE] or whatever kid we need to chuck in from the U18s.

No, he's finished.

Well then he should come here. If we qualify for the CL, we've got a decent chance of drawing a Spanish club.

Ashworth will know who we want, those discussions will have been had long before now. He'll be able to do that business irrespective of a match being played tonight. If he needs permission for anything, the owners will be available on the phone. The window also doesn't close until after the match finishes. To suggest the match tonight will impact our ability to do business is misplaced. We are a professionally run multi million pound organisation and we have enough staff in key areas to cope with doing 2 things at once.

I doubt Howe is doing any transfer business, but equally I doubt Ashworth is doing much prep for the match tonight. The two things are entirely separate and with separate personnel dealing with them.

I don't think it can ever be as simple as "player X has a better pedigree so should cost more" because no two deals are the same. Different contract situations, different player happiness, different selling club, different level of need for that player, just so many variables.

Google's got fucking loads.

Wasn't there a stat just a day or so ago that ASM played more minutes than any other player last year? Sure some of that was under the cabbage, but it's baffling to think he's not rated by Howe. He's not played because of injury and because we've not lost since he's been back fit again. It took Bruno ages to get in the first XI ffs, and Isak is having to walk the same path as ASM. When you consider all of that, there's absolutely no reason to think Howe doesn't rate or trust him. He just needs to bide his time.

Because they'll be told to by PIF.

Yeah I'm Howe's biggest fan but that's beyond even him. Have more luck trying to teach a stone to fart.

I think he's really bought into what Howe is doing and I've generally been pleased with his contribution so I'd be sad to see him go and it would leave us dangerously short in midfield. However if he's replaced this window with someone like Maddison, I'll come help him pack.

Serious question, how do you know who broke what? Who keeps track of this?

The last haircut he got, I think half way through the fire alarm went off. Or maybe I just don't understand fashion.

You go to Eldon Square then. Metro centre is full of mackems having a day trip out to civilisation so they can experience electricity for a few hours.

We only want to hear from sources who know what's happening before NUFC even do.

Yeah I might pretend to haggle for Maddison, but eventually I'd just pay what they wanted. Fabulous player who (surrounded by our other talent) would keep us in the top 4.