Chris_R

Don't think we've had a single shot, on or off target. If they'd put any of their shots away, we'd be saying again how we've just not turned up for a big game. We've got to start getting shots off. Possession in the first two thirds counts for little.

I'm torn on this. On the one hand, giving them ammo about us always thinking of them is a bit unfortunate, but on the other hand they are our rivals and this is a prime opportunity to take the piss out of them. I guess ultimately as long as the vast majority of our energy is pro-Newcastle, I don't mind a small percentage going towards laughing at them. Just keep it minor and in the background, much like they are.

This is absolutely surreal. I'm OK now, but I'm going to be like a kid at Christmas tomorrow. As long as we "turn up" and don't shit the bed (Like in the 3 cup finals I've watched), I don't have any expectations regarding winning the match but at the same time I don't think getting a result is beyond us. Bring it on.

Would Man U sell Beckham or Ronaldo? Big sides sell good players. It happens, for many reasons. We may or may not sell Isak, time will tell, but what I do know is that if we sell him it'll be for a massive profit, and that money will be reinvested. I don't want to sell any of our good players, but at some point we will.

Southgate's awful, be devastated if we ended up with him. He's fine for international management where all he has to do is pick 11 and send them out with a basic plan, that would unravel very quickly in the PL where you actually have to coach, develop and train your players.

I mean I get your point but the dementia's probably not helping with that.

Stoke also got Sunderland relegated to the third division for the first (but not last) time in their history, but they mention that somewhat less.

How will he fit in his seat?

I don't it's anywhere near to a £100m release clause if we've just rejected £100m.

Peterborough Almost entirely St James's Park for me, had a season ticket for probably two decades before moving south. However I've also variously been to: - Peterborough, when we took over the whole ground during the 11 in a row under Keegan - Filbert Street, same season, different result though - Loftus road, beaten 3-0 with Ferdinand just imperious for them but it was an amazing atmosphere. Every time they scored we just got louder. - Home Park, Plymouth Argyle, twice in the promotion season. Once for a cup game, once when we won the league - AFC Bournemouth - live here now, been there a few times but not to watch Newcastle as I can never get tickets in the away end and I wouldn't trust myself in with the home fans.

He'd be effective, but that's a straight red, surely?

As a central defender?

Must have a fucking brilliant wifi connection there for all the "scouting" he'll be doing. Anyway, whilst fair play to him if he's had a positive effect, Como were expelled from the league for going bankrupt and had to re-apply as a new club in Serie D. Getting promoted was probably not that miraculous a feat.

He wasn't at a professional club then, either.

Bump in the road, it's not even that. We've underperformed in one game FFS At best, we're one or two points down on what we should expect to have at this stage. We'd all love to have done better in the last 3, but there isn't even a story at this point.

That's exactly what Man U's statement wanted you to think, to placate the screaming masses. But reading between the lines it was obvious they weren't firing him. He's worth too much. He'll be loaned to be sold, or maybe even reintegrated into Man U's team in time. Money >>>> Morals

Working well for them so far!

We're rivals in that we're both going for a CL space.

I don't even want them having any optimism. I'd like them to get zero points in every match from now until the end of time, not even scoring a goal, and freefalling down the leagues until it's pub teams beating them to nil each week. Why would you want them to have hope?

How bad do you guts have to be that you can't continue your daily life without literally shitting yourself?

Which in turn would batter Tom Mather's team of 1936-37. Which was closer in time to Bill McGarry's era than McGarry is to today.

Good luck to Fraser, far from the worst we've ever had and did well for us at times. Shame if he's been the source of leaks though, that doesn't reflect well. In terms of worst ever, I've had to go 3 at the back to fit in all the shite midfielders we've had. Oh which note, how had nobody mentioned Amdy Faye? Total dogshit, just not even a footballer. First name on my list. Mike Hooper Marcelino Cacapa Boumsong Hendrick Getemi Amdy Faye Smith Colback Guivarch Xisco

I really, REALLY wish they'd stop giving all our rivals massive warchests for their old players. It's getting very annoying and it's really not helping.

Much of the youth are desperate to modernise, but there's a significant middle aged population in positions of power who are scared of losing their traditional values and want the brakes applied. I get both sides.

Saudi Arabia is very different from the rest of the Middle East. Anyone using Dubai or Abu Dhabi as a reference point doesn't really get it. And any footballer going there on that basis is in for a shock too. I've been to the middle east 20 times I think? Indeed I've just come back from Qatar this morning. I think I've been to Saudi 10 times, often for a month at a time, variously to Riyadh, Jeddah and Dhahran. Most of the other places, even Qatar, are westernised to an extent. Even in Qatar I could buy a beer in the hotel. Saudi is a completely dry country - beer isn't difficult to get, it's just not sold, not anywhere. It's illegal to own or sell or make or buy. No doubt you could smuggle some in, but that doesn't seem very sensible given the penalties. People will do it, sure, but taking those risks just to get a beer will become very boring very quickly. They take their faith VERY seriously out there. In most parts of the middle east there's at least something to do or fancy things to go look at. There's NOTHING to do in Saudi. It's just sand, a few shopping malls, oppressive heat and constant prayers. That's not to denigrate the country, I have met some wonderful people out there who I now consider good friends, it's just a fact. Boredom is very real out there because once I finish working (Normal working hours there are stupid, like 06:00 to 13:00) there's just nothing whatsoever to do in the afternoons. Even the internet is heavily censored so it's hard to even spend your afternoons in a debauched few hours of self abuse. And yes, I know about VPNs. But it just gives you an idea what you're dealing with there. As for their football league, I suspect it will go the way of China. It's a vanity project but ultimately fans (almost entirely) support clubs, not players, and nobody gives a shit that Ronaldo is playing there now. How many of his full matches has anyone on here tuned in for? I'd reckon a sum total of 0. Same for all the other players at the other clubs. Ultimately, nobody gives a toss about who wins their league except the locals. The clubs have no history and no pedigree. With their clubs never playing ours, they can't establish one either and anyone playing there will be forgotten about. It's a footballing graveyard and a massive money sink. Their only hope is to get some kind of meaningful competition going with external European clubs on a regular basis, but it'll take 5-10 years of that before the fixtures start to have some history and meaning, and they'll have to keep throwing endless money at it in that time. Unless or until that happens, they'll pump another few hundred billion into it and then slowly realise it was a stupid idea. However I'd be surprised if FIFA or UEFA went for that, as they should know that could tip the power balance towards the middle east so would be sensible to tell them to get lost. But then of course they're hardly immune to bribery, so I guess we'll see a super league next year haha.