oldtype

Read today that the minimum wage for player is about $11,000 per year. That's less than half of what I'm making working in Korea right now, what the f*** did they expect? Market forces, football isn't that popular here so obviously your average reservist isn't going to be making a lot of money. For what its worth one of the solutions they're introducing is to double the minimum wage. It isn't just the piss-poor players though. There are internationals involved who commanded salaries roughly commensurate to that of lower-end Premier League players who've had leading roles in the whole affair. It's a complete embarrassment.

South Korean domestic football is officially going to hell due to a massive, massive, absolutely f***ing ridiculous match-fixing scandal. Initial investigation revealed 10 current and former players who were engaged in match fixing, all of whom were banned for life from Korean professional football. Then the second investigation came up with an additional 45 players. One team in particular has lost 9 active players to match-fixing bans, including 3 of their 4 goalkeepers. After their only remaining goalkeeper was sent off last week, they had to play 90 minutes this week with a defender in goal. Now just today it's been revealed that the manager of that same team has been receiving payments by persistently blackmailing the parents of players whom he knew were match-fixing. Absolutely f***ing ridiculous.

Oh sweet Jesus hell no. Seriously, my mind just exploded, can't stand statements like this.

How? Up there with the 'moves' for Kieran Richardson and N'Zogbia. Ashley/Llambias will have fed a line to the media to try and curry favour with fans. One of the most consistently suggested and consistently ridiculous "theories." It's just tedious. tbf it's not an anti-ashley line for those that remember the rooney bid, to some, from exactly the same school of thought. I wasn't around these boards back then so I don't know what the situation was. Nevertheless I maintain that the idea that the Arshavin/Modric/Richardson()/N'Zogbia/Gameiro/Gervinho bids were "fake bids" to appease the public is mind-numbingly ridiculous.

I don't think we would be letting him leave permanently at this stage unless somebody made the decision that his attitude is simply not correctable. There's no incentive otherwise.

How? Up there with the 'moves' for Kieran Richardson and N'Zogbia. Ashley/Llambias will have fed a line to the media to try and curry favour with fans. One of the most consistently suggested and consistently ridiculous "theories." It's just tedious.

Are those statements false?

Where would you theorize this "vanished" money is going? Because if it's into Ashley's back pocket that would be embezzlement.

Wait, when were we linked with Park to the degree that the local press felt the need to "rule him out?" Can't believe I missed it

9 goals in 4 pre-season matches for Hamburg's Son Heung-Min. Looking sharp

I'm willing to defer to the judgement of the people who actually work with him on a daily basis. Given the current regime's "obsession with profit" I doubt we would have sold a young prospect like Ranger this hastily unless they were convinced that his attitude was incorrigible and to keep him around would simply do more harm than good.

The disturbing thing for me is that they already feel the need to explain away the Carroll money at this stage - it's only Mid-July. It's like they know they're doing something shady and are covering their asses beforehand.

At this point I'm definitely desperate enough to be happy about signing Shane Long.

Out of our three signings he's probably the one I'm least excited about, but I certainly hope I'll be pleasantly surprised. The videos look good.

Careful, let's not fall into that trap...

It doesn't seem like anybody in the media has a clue what's actually going on with N'Zogbia so I wouldn't put much stock in all this paper talk.

Yes, but I actually know the above is fact. I was told by a coach at SAFC. In that case, it's just more proof that the decision-makers at Sunderland are idiots, so good news all-around.

Please be Smith

Internet football fans have perfected the "I think ~ should happen, sadly, it won't" post into an art form.

Four year contract to Wes Brown is pretty damning evidence as to Bruce's mindset and capabilities as a manager imo.

We're certainly better off in every aspect than we were before Ashley took over. The squad, our financial situation etc. That said, back in the days of Freddy you knew the club was in the shit, but always had that lingering hope that one of these windows our crazy spending would come good and we'd be back in the Champions League. Due to a variety of external and internal factors that's no longer the case.

I for one am not the least bit surprised that you think so. They can't even run a decent website or manage a box office, they're hardly going to be orchestrating an internet-wide influencing campaign. And if they are it's the worst one ever. Fess up Ian, how much is the club paying you. It certainly took a lot of effort on their part to fix me up with this whole "Korean Toon Fan" cover story when I'm actually some fat b****** from London who's on Mike Ashley's payroll. I do it for the love of Mike and Del. No idea how I ended up as an "Ashley sympathiser". I've hated a lot of the decisions he has made, but I just try to understand things based on the reality we're now operating under. I hated the Carroll sale but the fee was massive, I hated the Hughton sacking but Pardew is doing well. I was devastated by relegation but we did well to bounce back. Sometimes I think the positive stuff gets ignored because the mistakes have been such big ones (even though they haven't ended up costing us that much). Also, Ashley is bringing an approach that is common in business but unusual in football. Unsure how I've ended up being categorized as one as well. I think I've posted that I'd like to put an axe through his spine at some point. I'm certainly not pro-Ashley. Just anti-stupidity.

I for one am not the least bit surprised that you think so. They can't even run a decent website or manage a box office, they're hardly going to be orchestrating an internet-wide influencing campaign. And if they are it's the worst one ever. Fess up Ian, how much is the club paying you. It certainly took a lot of effort on their part to fix me up with this whole "Korean Toon Fan" cover story when I'm actually some fat bastard from London who's on Mike Ashley's payroll.

I for one am not the least bit surprised that you think so.

It's the "this is not an attempt to circumvent a closed thread" part that makes this a classic. Yes, obviously opening a second thread on the same topic is not an attempt to circumvent a closed thread. Obviously.