oldtype

oldtype spat as he typed this. Their third vs Belgium was shit hot, tbf. You'd have to be blind to ignore the fact that Japan is the best team on the continent at the moment. Weak-minded cunts always crumble in big matches though so it should be fine. Would love to be paired against them in a knockout round.

Your manager in the qualifiers was a bit of a dick, wasn't he? Going on about how he'd love Uzbekistan to qualify for the World Cup, and he'll crush Iran's dreams and all. Glad he got binned. South Korea is usually a class side with a lot of dignity, and deserves a class manager. Not that clueless clown who was a 96th minute equalizer in Beirut away from sending you guys to play-offs against Uruguay. He's the best Korean manager at club level but that's down to him being a complete dictator. Was never going to have that kind of authority with more accomplished players who had played in Europe so the national team was a bad fit all around. I have much more faith in the new manager.

We're clearly worse than Japan but far better than Australia. I doubt anyone writing articles for the Guardian watches any Asian football.

Feel bad for people in Europe. We've been at every World Cup since the year I was born. Draw is only a couple of weeks away now. Hope we get Switzerland-Greece-Algeria

Shola will score against Korea at the world cup. I can feel it coming.

Staggering how some people don't realize that Twitter is a public forum.

Sports Direct logo on the Bobby Robson statue.

They're a team you expect to finish fifth and they're on course to do so despite selling their best player. Unsure what they're complaining about.

I think it's 4, without City scoring. 1-0 (Bardsley) 1-0 (Johnson) 1-0 (Ji) 1-0 (Bent) That Ji goal in the last minute was something like five miles offside

14 shots on goal so somewhere around 14 is probably a fair estimate.

Can't count the number of times I said to myself "ah fuck, that's in."

It's probable that other obscenely rich countries are also lobbying FIFA to let them join the party as as solution for the Qatar problem. Solve corruption with more corruption. Makes perfect sense.

Probably left it to Kinnear in his will.

Obviously I wouldn't want a Red Bull takeover just in case, but I highly doubt Red Bull will choose the same rebranding strategy with whatever PL club they buy. Backlash would be immense and most PL clubs are already pretty valuable brand names in and of themselves. It would be unnecessary and counterproductive.

It's complicated because multiple sets of rules apply. UEFA flat out bars any two clubs owned 50% or more by the same individual from participating in their competitions, but has no restrictions on acquisition itself. (Probably because it'd be unenforceable) The PL disqualifies anyone who has a 30% or more share in a PL club from owning another PL club through the fit and proper test. FIFA places no explicit regulations on club ownership. There'd probably be a giant stink kicked up given that both clubs are fairly high profile, but no rule seems to outright forbid it. If we both end up in the Europa or something Ashley could always just withdraw NUFC so Rangers can participate

You know what, that's probably exactly what he'll do. Sell us to Red Bull for a profit

At least we'll get to try a different flavor of meltdown I suppose. Make it more interesting.

You shouldn't need a tin hat. Anyone who doesn't realise the brilliance of Keegan needs locking up. The best manager we'll ever see at NUFC. I am quite curious as to whether Keegan would be capable of working with someone who has similar philosophies as Mike Ashley but is less spiteful/egotistical/crazy. In the abstract, I'm quite for the idea of being frugal, buying low and selling high, and having a director of football (that's not Joe Kinnear). I'd like to see an owner who would be able to integrate those philosophies with other forward-thinking measures like integration of advanced statistics, scientific conditioning, and an organizational effort to help players settle down/learn the language. I wonder if Keegan would be okay with those circumstances if he actually got along with the owner and had a DoF he could respect. Interesting points. I believe the forward thinking advanced statistics, scientific conditioning, and psychological/organizational effort for settling, regaining confidence and form, language etc. SHOULD be incorporated in any modern day top division club. I'll add that I don't mind a "frugal" owner, if he was someone who preferred to sanction the EXACT same transfer policy (using this as a base case) but the club utilized a modern medical/sports science to gain advantages via conditioning + a very shrewd tactical manager who was a bit of a maverick, I'd be all over it . You could say that is someone like Mauricio Pochettino. But the above to me is clear. The owner does not want to fund major transfers, fine. The owner is taking advantage of unique scouting situations to obtain young players who have potential. The owner has addressed strength, conditioning, and psychology of his players by employing best-in-class practices as a commitment to keeping the playing squad fit and healthy. The owner has employed a manager who uses his tactical knowledge of the game to constantly adapt and be proactive getting the best out of the players that are signed. This is ambitious, this is addressing the money problem or issue and finding ways around it to get on as level a playing field as possible. Absolutely. Honestly, every club should have a dedicated data collection department. Every club should have a sports science department. Every club should employ multiple staff who's job is to do nothing but help new players buy houses, settle in, tell them where the car wash is and where they can get their suits pressed etc. I think I'd almost prefer an owner who was relatively skint but invested wisely in these things to gain an advantage than a megabucks Abramovich type. Football really needs to be brought into the twenty-first century and I wish our club were the ones who were doing it.

I mean, what's the point of the data anyway. Most of the people on that list were just not good enough and a few % here and there doesn't really make any appreciable difference.

You shouldn't need a tin hat. Anyone who doesn't realise the brilliance of Keegan needs locking up. The best manager we'll ever see at NUFC. I am quite curious as to whether Keegan would be capable of working with someone who has similar philosophies as Mike Ashley but is less spiteful/egotistical/crazy. In the abstract, I'm quite for the idea of being frugal, buying low and selling high, and having a director of football (that's not Joe Kinnear). I'd like to see an owner who would be able to integrate those philosophies with other forward-thinking measures like integration of advanced statistics, scientific conditioning, and an organizational effort to help players settle down/learn the language. I wonder if Keegan would be okay with those circumstances if he actually got along with the owner and had a DoF he could respect.

Rangers fans seem to basically be thinking "anyone has to be better than the current owner." Reminds me of us back in the day

Gah, what shit managers we've had It's now been over a decade since we've gotten an appointment right with the possible exception of Hughton, and not a single one of our managers after Keegan have enhanced their reputation and moved on to better things through working with us. Staggering when you think about it.

I've said this before but I genuinely think it will be Beardsley. I don't think Kinnear wants the job anymore given that it almost killed him last time. Ashley won't appoint anyone outside of his clique and that clique is rapidly running out of members.

Neither of us know enough to make conclusive statements about whether they were friends or not. Just think it's quite possible that Ba leaving was one of many factors that lead to a gradual realization that he didn't really want to be here anymore. Would probably draw a decent price from a Russia, Turkey, or some other secondary European league.

What? As in being one of many reasons he no longer wants to be here.