Chris_R

It may be unique but that's no reason to keep it. There's good reasons why no other city has "an expanse of agricultural land with grazing cattle in the heart of the city".

Yeah the Town Moor is shit. It just exists, it's not really used in any way. Its only justification for existing in its current state is the freemen of Newcastle and their "grazing rights", but come on, it's 2024. Nobody cares about this anymore and it has no relevance in modern times, but yet it prevents anything being done with what would otherwise be a wonderful green space.

Good point. Maybe the planning permission will go more smoothly if a part of the plan we fit Leazes Terrace with surface to air missiles to prevent any airspace incursions?

Flatten the current stadium and turn it into a giant multi storey car park with some massive escalators at each corner. Then build a 100,000 seater flying stadium that we keep up in the clouds (everyone's big on cloud storage these days, yes?), except on match days it flies in and sits over the car park escalators. Added bonus that we can adjust the lift slightly at half time so the opposition always has to shoot uphill.

This. Him or ASM would be leagues better than anyone to pull on their shirt in a decade. They'd both walk into their famous "all-time XI"s. Whatever they're worth, Clarke is worth far less. What's he done in top flight football? Literally nothing.

Didn't we get £20m for ASM? And loads on here were saying that was right? Are those saying Clarke will go for the same thinking he's as good a player? If ASM is only worth £20m, they'll be lucky to get £10m for Clarke.

No thanks. I quite like Colin and he always seems to get results.

They're missing a trick because if they just called a new club "FTM" it would break worldwide attendance records.

I don't think there's any mystery - nobody plays left back ahead of Dan Burn. Targett doesn't, Livramento doesn't, Hall doesn't. It's far less to do with Hall than it is with Burn, IMO.

I make that 19 different goalscorers in the league this season. ...So far.

Odds of 6 away games from 7 draws is 5.47%, I think? So the kind of run you'd expect once every 18.3 years, assuming you had this many draws each year. So it's unlucky, but not quite "Oh my god it must be rigged!!" territory quite yet. It's shit though.

So Tino's chance was one game away to Arsenal. Fucking hell.

Tradition - it's an internet forum, not a cave painting. Anyway, if I were writing the team sheet out I'd do them goalie first, but if I'm sorting the formation I'd put the striker at the top, that way the left sided players are on the left etc. Even if it is tradition, which I'd argue strong it's not, not all traditions are good. Also saying "that's why the numbers go 1 2 3" makes absolutely no sense, as if in 1928 Herbert Chapman was thinking of how he could make life easier for people writing on the internet.

Well I wouldn't play Isak in goal for starters, and Karius is probably not a good striker.

That 0% chance of winning from 20 minutes ago feels rather generous right now.

Yeah kinda feels like he's thrown him a hand grenade and kept the pin. Unless we now beat Arsenal away, he can say it didn't work and just bring Burn back in. Grim if that happens TBH, needs to give Livramento time. But let's see.

So you're saying they were due a win?

I can't see why Ashworth would be any more (or less) likely to work for a new club whilst on gardening leave now, than he was when he was on gardening leave waiting to join us. Although we don't have that answer, the club will, and it'll play into their negotiations. That said, this will absolutely drag on. The window is closed, there's no reason at all for either side to make a significant move in their bargaining position until the summer window gets underway so I guess he's got a few months at least whilst we all just sit looking at each other. For me though, I'd rather pay him his wages to do nothing for 2 years than to reduce our asking price by even 1p, just based on how Man U were with Lingard. It also sends out a message to other clubs that they need to start dealing with us fairly, or there'll be times in the future where we'll have something or someone they want and we won't be amenable to them.

Good. If they're thinking about moving on before they even get the job, we're right to dissuade them from even applying. We don't want those people anywhere near us.

Odd people. Why would it be any different if we signed one of their players? Could they just leave for us for nothing, with us citing restrictions of trade? Or would they then think they'd be free to ask for whatever transfer fee they wanted? This is what this is, effectively, a transfer fee. Pay it or GTF.

Yeah that's why there's no FFP either, and we've spent billions. Oh hang on...

If we're weak at right wing, if Trippier must be allowed to get forward, and if Burn is a liability and if Livramento must start, then ... Trippier plays right wing, Livramento plays right back, Hall plays left back and Burn goes to the glue factory. Sorted.

Controversial, but maybe the club could ask?

Nah. That implies that 2/3 of the EU have heard of Sunderland...

People are missing the obvious - the ONLY person who plays left back is Dan Burn... Targett couldn't get a game Livramento can't get a game Hall can't get a game It's most likely nothing to do with Hall, it's just that he's not Dan Burn.