ChrisMcQuillan

I'm usually bang against overpaying. But realistically, it's overpay or play until January without a recognised senior striker. Sometimes you have to overpay.

Howe seems to put up with a lot of adversity, but the prospect of having to start Will Osula in a Premier League game might tip him over the edge. £250m bid for Strand Larsen accepted by 10am this morning, you'd think.

Has anyone with genuine expert familiarity with the topic written anything about what "preparing a bid" means? I'm sure it's all ludicrously complicated, but you'd think a phone call between the right two people at each club would something like? "£50m?" "Nah." "£55m?" "Hmm." "£60m?" "Send it over, we'll have a look." I'd genuinely love to understand how it works better.

That would be great, tbh.

I find the timing of feeling like this strange myself, even though I posted the thread. Objectively, our club is in a far better place than it’s been for decades - no doubt about that. But the playing field has never been less exciting to me. It’s a glass ceiling that they’ll stop at nothing to keep intact. Will we get there? Maybe. But if it’s just us becoming part of the problem, or a new Big 7, then I’m not as keen. Every club should be able to compete if they have the desire, resources and guile to do so. That’s not allowed at the minute, and I think it’s ruining my enjoyment of the game.

Murphy was out for 90 days or so when his shoulder went. You’d imagine this could be the same. Would that be the whole CL campaign, if we didn’t progress past the league stage?

Yep, that's the post.

It will, guaranteed. Just need to be proud of how we've played with ten. Phenomenal.

How the hell can the referee allow Liverpool to attack during a head injury?

Groin gone. Think he knows it's bad.

Sports entertainment is a good way of putting it.

Apologies if there's already a topic on this elsewhere, but I was curious about people's views on this. I've watched the first half of the Liverpool game, and it's the first bit of Newcastle football I've watched since the end of last season. Usually I'm watching all the pre-season games, every second I can get. While I still want Newcastle to win every match and do as well as possible, I haven't felt this disillusioned with football in my lifetime (35 years). The state of the corruption in both the Premier League and Europe, which is broadly responsible for us not having a striker to field on the pitch, just leaves me wondering what on Earth the point of getting emotionally invested actually is? When other clubs bring in new rules to stop us competing, and I see Villa fans talking about being down to the same squad they had when Gerrard was in charge due to having to sell all their players despite their excellent performances on the pitch, what on earth can you aspire to? I hated the doldrums one the Ashley-era and getting beat in the derby because it felt like one football club trying to be a football club, and the other being Mike Ashley PLC. At the moment, I feel worse than that, because I'm disinterested in the entire sport at an elite level. It's not actually a disillusionment with football itself: I'm playing more football day-to-day than I ever have. It's just watching the Premier League/European competition. The joy has gone. Does anyone else feel similarly?

Tbf that line was crossed about six weeks ago, hasn't helped.

Switching it off. No interest.

He'll be sent off here.

You watching a different goal or something?

Sutton is a total prick.

That sounds like they’ve agreed to deal with Liverpool after the match. Or that Isak has backed down. So it’s obviously the former.

Yay.

Oooh. Where do I rank!?

He’s such a prick.

He’s just ruined any chance of any apology in the future being accepted. Plausible deniability of being misrepresented now disappears. No way he plays for us again now.

Wissa 11:59PM on deadline day.

If - and it's a big if - we sign two good strikers to replace Isak and Wilson and they're capable of 30 goals between them, then I think it could well be a good window. Last season, with our starting XI fit, we could beat anyone on our day. Our problems came through fatigue or injuries, and an inability to switch tactics in games because our replacements were a real drop in quality. This window, hopefully when it's done, will give Howe a deeper squad of quality. Okay, it hasn't pushed the starting XI on significantly, but it means he can rotate which is going to be crucial in this congested season. That could actually pick us up more points over the course of the season than signing one or two real purples. Still think we need a forward who can break down stubborn low blocks with moments of magic.