kingxlnc

Gundogan?

Have seen Ronaldo looking to leave Al-Nassr. Do you think he may be pushed on to NUFC by PIF, just from a commercial perspective especially now we have CL. On loan with a lot of the wages subsidised. Howe wouldn’t like the circus but he also understands the commercials. If Ronaldo could be the elder statesman and not the petulant demanding first choice, imagine his experience guiding Isak and also in the Champions League. It would feel elite even at his age. Would require him to drop ego and status which I can’t see him doing though.

The problem with Ashley is that he only knows one way to make money. Cheap and (not-so) cheerful. And that's all he did. So he couldn't adapt or do things in a more high end market. And nothings more high end than the PL. Even a recent BBC article showed his inability to understand the luxury market. The article shows his son in law is now CEO and running the group, and doing quite well focusing on Flannels, the high end part of the group but MA thinks it's bonkers for people to spend that kind of money - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65613808 He was the wrong fit completely. Ironically if he bought someone less aspirational, his model may have been deemed decent for someone grateful to have been plucked from obscurity or survive financial meltdown to be competing at a decent level. His lack of due diligence into who NUFC were and what they represented versus his outlook and vision is the core of a lot of the hate and misalignment

Not sure how accurate but I read the 25m from here: https://sportwitness.co.uk/newcastle-targets-price-now-dropping-ahead-summer-e15m-knocked-off-original-figure/

Milinković-Savić apparently available for 25M as he enters final year of contract next year. Him and Dominik Szobolai as the two midfield pickups would be amazing. Although would like Guler too. Longstaff, Joelinton, Joe Willock, Bruno, Milinkovic Savic, Dominik Szobolai, Guler is an absolutely drool worthy midfield It's that mixture of experience and youth, technical ability and guile and bite and creativity, too. Get Vitor Roque to support alongside Wilson and Isak that's looking pretty amazing - for around 120M and 3 additions. Get Guerrerio free agent for LB, N'Dicka free agent for CB and M. Thuram free agent for CF. Then it leaves us with 70-80m for a world class RW - Diaby etc for 60-80m. Job done.

Another cool thing, he was asked was this his greatest ever achievement He said very respectfully, it's the highest profile achievement and will get more recognised in the media What I did with Bournemouth that first season to keep them in the league, that's also up there Completely agree, and a very classy answer to respect both of the clubs he's represented

We should do media stuff more. The last thing we did, Goal! ended up in the happy ending of Newcastle finishing in the Champions League. This one... ditto

The end of Ritchie, Fraser, Dummett, Lewis, and Dubrakva / Gillespie / Darlow. Clark / Hayden / Matty Longstaff / Hendrick released too. Maybe's to leave are: Manquillo, Krafth, Lascelles (I'd rather keep him but he may want first choice somewhere). That's at LEAST 6 of the current 25 spaces available, and up to 9. I'd like to get a mix of 5-6 purples then some talented youngsters like Ashby to make up the other spaces. Minimum purples we need to buy: 2 CM, 1 LB , 1 RCB, 1 RW, 1 CF

Interesting how much better Bruno was with Longstaff next to him… plot twist: Longstaff is actually the Woodgate and Bruno is the Bramble

It would be nice to have ASM start against Leicester, they would be under pressure from the get-go with his trickery

If he signs that’s the new and latest bromance, Antony Gordon and Declan Rice

I had higher expectations for Thauvin hence he was a bigger disappointment. Really thought we’d finally replaced Ben Arfa

Benz needs an elite upgrade - Haaland or Mbappe and that's a new generation of galacticos

Out of the bottom 5 would like Forest and Leeds to stay up. Leicester in place of Leeds at a push. Southampton, Everton and Leicester/Leeds for me. Forest deserve another go at it - with a more settled team. Plus I think Rafa might be the next one in the door there, and it's a good club for him to get back to their glory days, there's decent history and ambition there.

All of those would be amazing tbh - perfect window

All these changes and Benitez still doesn’t get a look in? Everton destroyed his rep completely it seems

Nolberto Solano-esque

With Todd Bohleys level of interference it kinda makes me appreciate Mike Ashleys complete apathy towards the club

As a goalkeeper myself, I thought there were at least two of the goals (perhaps including the disallowed goal too) that crept under him or he had poor attempts to save. Would've expected better from his quality. Definitely not looking as strong as earlier in the season.

I didn't like him on the left in the second half, I like him central. More withdrawn behind a central striker is defo better. I like that his first instinct is to shoot always especially as he has great technique and accuracy and can generate a lot of power. His saves were routine but they came out of nothing and were on target which is a good sign

Was shocked how bad Pope looked. Two of those three goals were saveable. Martinez looks very good, especially with his feet

Tbh I never quite saw what SBR saw in him for him to become Solano's replacement. Always seemed lightweight to me

Bruce was barely professional by the end. Maybe it's his weight so he's lower energy and more tired than he used to be - aka lazy - but I know amateurs whose professionalism is way way way over and above Bruce and his clan. The sheer amount of time off, even damning indictments of his own players that they were kind of told to get on with it ('lets play') and very non-detailed suggested he was really complacent and just couldn't give a toss. The charlatan mercenary nature of not caring COUPLED with the fact he claimed to be a fan in charge of his boyhood club - my God, what would the effort levels be if he had no attachment / no link to the club?! If he was a foreigner he would have been run out of the league by the media, national debates on radio and media about foreign managers getting jobs instead of British managers. Pardew was slimy and lowered expectations etc but he was still professional. The reason why Gullitt and others get a fair pass by the fans despite not being very good is that you couldn't argue with their effort. They knew it was a serious club and treated it as such. Even Souness who was horrid for us, you didn't question his effort, you just questioned his ability and temperament. Bruce had neither the ability, nor the temperament... but worst of all, he didn't even have the effort, which surely is the bare minimum. Then you have his sheer cringiness of his interviews, and his seemingly invincibility in the media and management meant it just killed the spirit completely. He was truly the icon for a club that stopped trying, symptomatic of its malaise and neglect, the representative of a rotting corpse.

Can see him going to a Villa or West Ham

Leicester remind me of NUFC in 2015/16. McClaren took a talented team who should be no where near there down - and Rafa came in too late to save the club despite improved performances. Even then it was said why did we not sack before the international break, so there were an extra two weeks to train the team. With that said, let's hope it's not a 5-1 defeat for us on the last day like we did to Spurs!