brummie

There are other clubs out there spending 100%+ of their income on wages alone? Serious question that like, I'd be interested to know. Certainly in comparison to most Premiership clubs (including us until this season) its a pretty large difference. No, I don't think there are What I meant was that very many football clubs operate on a basis which you would not find in any other business, where wage costs are an insupportably high proportion of turnover. Portsmouth are the poster boy of football's meltdown, but for those of us who support clubs who either do, or traditionally have done, pretty much the same thing, if on a less imminently disastrous scale, to be going for the moral high ground is a bit hypocritical. Football clubs are businesses, they don't operate in a special vacuum where the basic principles do not extend to them. It has got to end some time soon, and I reckon there will be more than a few chairmen looking at what is happening to Portsmouth and thinking "there but for the grace of God ..."

Feel for the fans, but all to happy to take their undeserved place in the premierleague. how is it undeserved ? Arguably it's undeserved because they've spent far beyond their means on the players that has kept them in the league. Not saying I agree with the sentiment mind. Isn't it a bit "glass houses" for a Newcastle fan - or, for that matter, a fan of about three quarters of the teams in the Premier League, including the one I support - to criticise Portsmouth for spending far beyond their means, though? This isn't just Portsmouth's problem, it is football's problem, and if something doesn't change soon, it will all go to tit. Fair point, but there's quite a difference when a club hasn't been able to pay their players for several months this year IMO. Not saying the overspending doesn't need to stop, but there's quite a difference between Pompeys overspending and anyone elses. No, there isn't that much of a difference. Spending 100 percent of your turnover on salaries is unsustainable. Spending 80 percent of your turnover on salaries is also unsustainable. One just becomes fatal quicker than the other.

Oh, one final (I promise) thing. A big portion of the Man U fans had fucked off before the presentation, and in many cases, before the final whistle.

Oh, and I know it is becoming almost cliche to say this, but the Millenium Stadium is 10 times the venue Wembley is.

That's true, and the arch doesn't come anywhere near it. As I said, the worst thing was the lack of atmosphere created by the corporate pandering. The second worst thing was the really, really drab feel to the place. It is a bit like going to a conference somewhere. Steel and glass and coldness. The third worst thing was the fact that, quite clearly, they got to a certain point in building what they wanted to be the best stadium in the world and just fucking gave up. Drinking in the concourses is all concrete and darkness. It is like having a pint of shite beer underneath the M6.

Being half full of Man U 'fans' probably had something to do with it. And the other half Villa You could stage the Boca - River Plate derby in that stadium, but stick that corporate level in there and it would reduce it to Wigan - Portsmouth on a wet Wednesday night, believe me.

The thing is, with the atmoshpere, the middle layer just kills it stone dead. It is quite amazing, and I can not stress it strongly enough. On Sunday I was on the bottom tier behind the goal. I looked to the top tier and there was singing all around it, and singing around us, but it seemed like they were singing different things. It is like when in the World Cup in an England game, there is a Mexican wave and it stops DEAD at the England section (although in that case, thankfully), the atmosphere at the new Wembley just gets killed by the middle tier. It is honestly the least atmospheric ground I have ever been to (and when you consider how un-atmospheric almost every PL ground is, that is saying something).

That's the point, there isn't a huge difference. Pompey was the extreme instance, but plenty of football clubs are run with sufficient disregard to the basic principles of business to find themselves in potentially the same problem pretty soon.

Feel for the fans, but all to happy to take their undeserved place in the premierleague. how is it undeserved ? Arguably it's undeserved because they've spent far beyond their means on the players that has kept them in the league. Not saying I agree with the sentiment mind. Isn't it a bit "glass houses" for a Newcastle fan - or, for that matter, a fan of about three quarters of the teams in the Premier League, including the one I support - to criticise Portsmouth for spending far beyond their means, though? This isn't just Portsmouth's problem, it is football's problem, and if something doesn't change soon, it will all go to tit. The whole of football is one big glass house, from chairmen, managers, players to fans. Amen to that, brother Liam(s).

The old Wembley was a horrid, piss stinking old dump of a place. I was at the new Wembley on Sunday. It is a horrible, piss stinking new dump of a place. I've never been in a stadium with so little atmosphere. I was quite staggered how much the corporate tier kills off any atmosphere. Anyway, my Wembley experiences are 1975, 1977, 1994, 1996, 2010 LC Finals 1981 Charity Shield 2000 FA Cup final 1990 Div 2 play off final (don't ask).

Feel for the fans, but all to happy to take their undeserved place in the premierleague. how is it undeserved ? Arguably it's undeserved because they've spent far beyond their means on the players that has kept them in the league. Not saying I agree with the sentiment mind. Isn't it a bit "glass houses" for a Newcastle fan - or, for that matter, a fan of about three quarters of the teams in the Premier League, including the one I support - to criticise Portsmouth for spending far beyond their means, though? This isn't just Portsmouth's problem, it is football's problem, and if something doesn't change soon, it will all go to tit.

Spurs do well because of the immense ticket prices they can charge, being in London.

How strange though, as I would say the same of La Liga this season outside of the current top 4. You can include two of the top four in England, though. Arsenal are woefully unconvincing. Liverpool, well, the most important point from them is the fact that they're in the top four at all.

You do have a gigantic squad, though. If you want injury list look at Everton. Moyes is a magician in that job. And I know 1878 and Neil will disagree, but that's the way it looks from the outside. I think the general point is valid, though, there is precious little quality anywhere in the league this season.

Spurs are flat track bullies, they do fine against the crap sides, but struggle against the decent ones. Same is true of Man City to a certain extent (and I think their Chelsea result was very much the exception to the norm). We struggle against shit sides but do well against better ones, Liverpool just look shit but keep picking up points from fuck only knows where. Everton look like world beaters one week then awful the next, and don't start playing until December. There's hardly any quality out there, and that extends to Arsenal as well. In fact, it extends to Chelsea and Man United who have also thrown up some really shite results, too.

None taken, mate.

No, I can't be arsed. I'll only end up arguing and getting irate and making a show of myself, and I don't want to appear ungracious. I'll settle for slowly shaking my head whilst looking at the laptop, and muttering about 1992.

Liverpool it will be. That's depressing, but it also tells a more significant story about the 'best league in the world'

*deleted* I can't be arsed, but you can imagine what was here before I deleted it.

Something wholesome, probably. Fruit, or muesli. Or running. *shrug*

To be honest, I'd imagine Sunderland and Donetsk are pretty much interchangeable. Donetsk http://farm1.static.flickr.com/6/76519294_12ac2d6a5a.jpg?v=0 Sunderland http://blog.kievukraine.info/uploaded_images/6235-778540.jpg Crikey, Sunderland has undergone some serious regeneration since I was last there.

To be honest, I'd imagine Sunderland and Donetsk are pretty much interchangeable.

Wenger's more of a compulsive whinger, Benitez is just plain petty. The best thing with Benitez is when he tries to play mind games with other managers, and gets it totally, totally wrong and ends up looking a tit.

Oh well. Still, it was a pleasant day out, though. For 1 Squillion Pounds, thought, they could have put a decent number of bogs in.

Piss off. If it makes you feel better, I'm not massively excited. Why? I've convinced myself beyond belief that we're going to lose, so I am fully expecting to lose. I've simultaneously convinced myself that we're going to reach the FA Cup final, so that will be a happy consolation. I am fully aware of the flaws in this plan. Best to keep your expectations low, in my experience. Oh, I am, believe me. We're drinking in Harrow on the Hill (will turn out to be a shit hole, prob a Wetherspoons or something grim), we're getting the Tube to Wembley (will definitely be closed for the day), we've got category 2 seats (we won't see a fucking thing), it will be an embarassing defeat (no gloating towards the bluenoses on Monday). And we'll break down on the M40