AyeDubbleYoo

Seems a bit harsh this like, he already got sacked... just because he then found work elsewhere doesn't mean he wasn't punished in the first instance. Like you say the legal position would be interesting, I suppose even if Mutu quit football Chelsea could get him in the normal courts for breach of contract - another set of lawyers fees as well.

He looks really relaxed and happy though, bet he can't believe his luck getting a job like this in Europe... relaxed lifestyle, avoid the British press, do a bit of management. Sounds pretty sweet to me.

Too many pundits have got swept up in the tabloid stories of unrest, Keegan being 'under fire'. He's second favourite to get the sack first FFS! Le Tiss is nearer the mark than most of them on this one.

I do maybe pronunce things a little more definitely, clearer and avoid dialect words when I speaking to people who don't have very good English, just think Steve has taken it a little too far!

Canny, I'll be in Newcastle for bank holiday weekend but will be back down by then. Tickets should be easy enough to get right?

I might go to this, only an hour drive from me...

O'Neill has done a solid job of sorting his defence out... when I was picking my fantasy team this season Villa only had about 3 defenders listed! He hasn't signed any world-beaters but at least he now has a functioning back four.

True, the only upsetting thing is the number of people who buy, read and believe the thing.

That article is fucking ridiculous... I'd say sue them except that would only draw more attention to their disgusting little rag.

What we did with that team shows that with the right gameplan and motivation even a team half made up of average players can compete with the best. If you sprinkle a couple of real game-winners in there you will go places. The difference then, and I believe this season, is that we won't go meekly into games against the top 4 just waiting to be spanked and sent home... we'll play our usual game and take it to them. We might still lose most, but we'll do it in the right way. I'm cautiously optomistic about this season, certainly don't predict a pant-soiling flirt with relegation like last season.

Aye, he just get enough of the shit weather, horrible town and average football team...

We won't be selling Faye, it's not going to happen...

I bet they don't

I've got no hard feelings towards Shola, the guy gives his all and has contributed in important matches. He just doesn't have the ability to cut it week in week out at the toon. Will be interesting to see where he ends up and how he does, but good luck to him when he does move on.

Oliver will be furious that he admitted that!

Important point, I would say transfers are a special case where it is best to keep everything quiet until the deal is done. The new regime seem pretty good at that in particular.

I hope you're right. It'll take a long time before it gets to that stage though IMO. But I think the fans on this site represent a relatively interested and aware minority. For more casual fans it might seem like nothing has changed... if all they look at is the back page of the Chronicle.

I've been wondering about this myself recently. All I can come up with is that it doesn't matter either way - even if the club has an excellent relationship with the media and pass them loads of leaks/info they will still write whatever nonsense they feel like. So in that situation best just say 'fuck them'. The only problem with it is that the media is the only way for fans to find out what is going on at the club. When Sam wouldn't talk to the BBC it left a lot of fans without a channel to find out about what he thought. So ideally we would talk to the media and then they would print what we really said, in the context we said it, without their own agenda thrown in. But since that will never happen, best to keep quiet.

The silver jobby looked better in the flesh than in the photos, the lighter stripe isn't as noticable... still not buying a 3rd kit though.

Would be an excellent signing but I can see Mark Hughes exploding with rage if his best players start being sold out from under him a couple of months into the job. Would love it, but don't think it's likely at the moment. (Unless Thaksin needs to pay his legal bill)

Aye, Glendinning is a nob about the toon, shame as he's a decent bloke really. He was starting to spoil the Guardian podcast at the end of last season though. To be fair they probably don't have a specific axe to grind, it's just easy for the whole media to follow the pack mentality and continue to write this rubbish... I don't know if they even realise what they're doing. Anyway, they had plenty of ammo last season but are now beginning to look more and more ridiculous as their sources of information dry up. Hilarious that Taylor thinks that because KK isn't blurting everything to the press he is 'in the dark'. You've done us no favours guys, time to see what it feels like to be frozen out.

Looked like a really encouraging performance, might we be seeing the return of the Duff? Who was it who had the header for the Milner goal BTW, and was it saved or did it hit the post?

Too quick, was just looking for hilarious photo of a rock or something.

He's class, that's probably why his ego is kicking in and he turned down the contract.

Was gonna say the same - Sure I read that Cox return was just till Keegan 'found his feet again'. Again, much like Mort's departure - the media make it out to be some major falling out, when in reality it is something that was agreed from day one. Just goes to show, it doesn't matter if we actually run the club well, the media will have shit to spout about it. Maybe Freddy wasn't that bad after all?!