Mistle17

€4m according to a journo on Twitter. Absolutely scandalous what is happening at this club. Santon is absolutely one of the better players at this club, but because he has been injured for a while his ability has become almost forgotten and therefore any backlash from the fans would seem unreasonable as we're apparently getting rid of an 'injury prone player' for 'good money', that will be 'reinvested in the squad and the academy'. I actually fucking hate this club now, and passionately despise those who run it. On the last fucking day of the window again.

Aye, agree with that. The passion for football in Argentina is better than any country I've experienced.

My goodness, the Argentinian Ultras are the best. I adore the passion they have for their own teams. The songs are brilliant too, they can just go on and on! Everything really, I just need to experience that first hand! It just shows how truly mundane and sterile the English football atmosphere's have become! It's an offence to stand and watch a game of football in this country ffs! It's pathetic. For me, Ultras groups are the saving grace for modern day football.

This is fucking ridiculous.

There won't be much to miss with this guy in charge.

Not surprised. Every match you watch nearly everyone sits there with their camera phones just recording or taking pictures. Sometimes you see people not even celebrate or clap because they're too busy acting like complete tools. I just don't understand why you would destroy the privilege of going to the match by taking pictures of half of it? For example, if we have a good free kick or a penalty, I am far too nervous/excited to concentrate on trying to film it. And if we do score it, I want to properly celebrate, not jump around with a camera in one hand ffs. I watched Espanyol the other night and they seemed to have a gathering of Ultras behind one of their goals (about 1-2 thousand) and it looked class, and sounded good too. Similar with Atletico Madrid who seem to have a cracking atmosphere (not sure if it will reach the same level since their Ultras were 'banned' from their section) as it's proper fans who live and breathe the club, whereas Real Madrid suffer from the same camera-phone generation as Barca do. One stadium I would like to go to, especially for a big match, is Feyenoord's De Kuip. Looks like a brilliant atmosphere there- Everdise fans seem to be quite hardcore. Imagine if The Gallowgate End was all standing? What an atmosphere that could be...

Good post, hithere. Imagine 10 years ago going to Man City in a league match with no major importance, winning, and thinking 'My god, I don't think I'll ever forget this win!' That's why I detest seeing Man City do well in any way, they just shouldn't be where they are. The status quo that Sky Sports have created is sickening. They cant stand the thought of the rich boys being upset by a lesser team. There's so few talented English players allowed to break through because of this ridiculous obsession with blowing millions upon millions on foreign players for instant results. But they don't care because it just means that the rich boys keep winning. They don't care that fans can't afford to go to games anymore because more people will be able to watch it on TV and there won't be any chants with swearing at the match now, and people can sit there in silence and just marvel over the sterile league that Sky have created. Meanwhile on the continent they can stand and sing whilst watching good football with more homegrown players at generally affordable prices. I fucking hate English football these days. Typing this makes me wonder why I still bother?

Unbelievable post, Memphis. I couldn't have put it better myself.

When people say they go to 'support the team', my idea of supporting the team is creating an atmosphere that makes it hard for the opposition and inspires our players. However, all it is nowadays is people sitting glum-faced accepting what is served up. There is no atmosphere anymore, people don't even kick off when things are dire....there is no 'support', just a muted crowd. I don't get it, personally.

I see more and more the argument that "the ST money makes no difference to Ashley because of the TV cash, so I'm still going" which makes me laugh every time. "This new iPhone is s****. I'm getting mine next week" "Why are you getting it if you hate it?" "Apple are loaded man, what difference would not getting it make?" "Are you mentally ill?" Saw people making the comparison on twitter last night that watching it on sky was doing the same damage. Aye. Aye, some lad NUFCThreatLevel I think? Unbelievable. 'What difference does £25m make?'. A lot. And also, it's the principle of it, man. Have a bit of dignity. For me, supporting this club is, for now, walking away. Funding it is supporting our mediocre existence, and as people I don't know how our fans can accept that. Good analogy, Wullie, btw.

As Dave said, the club are just laughing at those people who are renewing. It's too easy for them. They know now that they can make as many awful, malicious decisions as they like- in the process taking this club nowhere- and people will still throw money at them.

We'll probably go down now. Part of me hopes we do just to fuck off Ashley but the chances are he will cling onto us for a lot longer than we'd like to believe- he'll probably think it'll be piss easy to get promoted and enjoy the parachute payments and promotion money. We're doomed. Literally. We are screwed.

Spot on.

Never made himself available (vs. Southampton)? He was dropping in between the Colo and Dummett to collect the ball and distribute. We have a system where there's very little movement and he struggled from there. Personally I thought he was streets ahead of Colback, but then again as player he certainly is. Unbelievable to think people on here are making him out to be in the same bracket of worthlessness as Williamson, Obertan etc.

VI, do the Spanish press/public had any qualms about Atletico's defensive/direct style of play? Obviously it is incredibly effective, but in Spain nearly all teams at every level want the ball and want to get it down and play. Simeone has become a bit more expansive this season, especially at home vs. lesser teams, but the core principles of the system remain.

- I agree with Ronaldo in that Owen's value expired once his pace went- as we found out, not very long. It was absolutely a massive stunt to appease the fans but also for Shepherd to cut him some slack with the fans; we were in the midst of a horrendous start under a horrendous replacement for SBR, it bought everyone on the management side some time. However, it was an immensely exciting day. Those days always were, as short-sighted as they were. - If you offered me to win the FA Cup when Portsmouth did, but it meant Ashley never bought the club and we went down Portsmouth's path and were playing in League 2 now, I would take it if you showed me how miserable our existence is under MA now.

Great. Bottom 5 here we come. I'd actually love for us to go down just to f*** these heinous arseholes in charge of our once fine establishment. See how f***ing smug they are then about when to buy and when not to. I feel the same at this stage.

It's perfectly timed. They know we're going to be in the s***, and deep, quite soon- no manager, no signings, probably departures- and combing those things, despite how stupid the majority of our new-breed fanbase are, people won't be keen on renewing. But, because the majority of our new-breed fanbase are worryingly easy to convince this will be music to their ears and think, 'well, why aye the club are changing their ways man...Pardews gone, new era and top 10 next year like '. And so, the cycle of footballing death continues. Incredible how anyone can believe a single word of that utter crap. The club have a set way of running, we have not ever been ambitions under Ashley, are not, and will never be. Any talk of a coach bringing in a 'philosophy' of play won't change that. I think people get over excited when they hear a coach with a playing 'philosophy', and mentally link this to a Barcelona-Guardiola style of play- Mike Ashley has a 'philosophy' for running a football club. Tim Sherwood has a philosophy- a flat, boring 4-4-2, and it sucks. Tony Pulis has a philosophy, and although it's very dull it obviously works. But the fact is you're splitting hairs trying to take positives out of that. As long as Ashley's here it will always be the same old lies, deceit, and a crushing lack of ambition/investment in the club. I just hope and pray that people don't renew and actually start to make a stand against this.

Great to see the club lamenting our poor cup record and looking to improve it, whilst talking about future ambitions of getting back into Europe, challenging for honors, and being 'back where we belong'....

If we stay with Carver, or bring in an equivalent, then I thin we are purely relying on other teams being worse than us. Not an impossible possibility, but teams like Burnley are better than us despite their standing. It's not going to be fun. But then again, it never is.

They don't and won't need to do anything, plenty will renew regardless of what happens.

Aye i'm sure they'll miss your support Santoon Good one, wasteman. You don't put any money towards the club. Your support has zero value. Your post is funny. What a gobshite.

Because Tiote is so much better because he flies into tackles, concedes fouls on the edge of the area and needless yellows? His distribution is absolutely no better than Anita's. Play Abeid alongside Anita to offer some physical compensation, not the passenger that is Colback. People on here also seem to neglect the point that confidence is an issue for players, also. If you were frozen out by your manager for a matter of seasons and now found yourself in the team only because another player is on International duty, whilst the system doesn't play anywhere near to your strengths, you probably wouldn't feel too great about yourself. I like him as a player, and although he's not the answer to our problems he would definitely benefit the team given a run in the team under a competent manager. It's just so frustrating reading people dismiss him because he 'can't cope with the physicality of the Premiership' etc. He is one of our better players and we are not utilising him.

You comfy up there on your high horse? I struggle to see how that is being on my high horse. I cancelled mine half way through last season, I had seen enough. That doesn't make me any better than anyone else, but for goodness sake why would you support this? No doubt you'll scoff at people buying the latest Wonga shirts in the club shop, pies and pints in Shearer's (Nine, whatever). Well, buying tickets is just as bad.

Ok Edit- And as I said, Vurn should have been ready to challenge for the second ball and he can be held accountable for that. But to say that goal was his fault is slightly depressing.