leffe186

It's been binned for the time being as far as I'm aware but aye it's a farce. I don't know whether it happened in the end but I think there was planned large scale protest before Grondona and AFA backed down and changed it. I assume it's just gone back to the same system as last season but I'm not 100%. That system is hard enough to keep up to date with it since the relegations are over a 3 season point average which has its obvious many flaws but it does have a positive in that in theory no games are pointless as you're always playing to boots your points average. There was talk of a new Copa Argentina too, I think thats going ahead though although I don't know in what format. f***ing hard work tbh although last season was class so I'm going to persist with the following of it. So have River Plate managed to *cough* negotiate their way out of relegation?

Oh I know, just wanted to blow off some steam. You mentioning the CWC earlier reminded me of better days.

Welcome to the Europa Cup. It's criminal the extent to which UEFA have fucked it up.

Crew top of the East! Didn't see that coming. Don't think it will last, but a nice surprise.

We went through some pain in 2004-2005 doing this corrective stuff on our squad. Got rid of Postiga, Rebrov, Carr, Anderton, Sullivan, Zamora, Redknapp, Keller. Got in Paul Robinson, Naybet, Edman, Atouba, Mendes, Sean Davis, Carrick, Davenport, Michael Brown, Defoe, El Hamdaoui, Mido, Michael Dawson, Andy Reid. Didn't really make a lot of money on the sales, didn't really spend a lot of money. At the time it was great, because we had been mediocre for ages and shed some big contracts and some old crocks. The problem was as expected, a completely different squad with no idea how they would knit together. Seven players made their debut for us in the first game that year, and we were bricking it. Never looked back, got 9th that year then 5th in the next two seasons. There is still time for you guys to bring players in, but there clearly isn't the goodwill from the fans that there was with us. I just wouldn't abandon all hope yet.

Like that a lot.

You've missed out a couple of costs: http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/5264/newcastlepl.jpg Matchday and Commercial was not 60M but 58.3M, this went down to 48.4M in 2009 so let's split the difference at 53M. Amortisation was 18M in 2008 - I'd expect this to be less - let's say 10M. "Other expenses" in 2008 amounted to 28M. Plus depreciation/net interest. Still, that is a fair profit. I'd guess that Ashley was trying to put you in a position where you don't have to sell people for 35M to break even. I'd have thought you were there already. Won't be much use if you get relegated again. I simply cannot believe that you won't be buying at least two or three more players (presuming Enrique and Barton go). FWIW I'd keep Enrique to the end of his contract - with your squad so thin in certain places and so "unknown quantity" in others you need the stability. It's not as if there are plenty of left-backs out there, we've got Danny Rose as our back-up FFS.

Not if Agbonlahor is anything like he was last year. A lot rides on N'Zogbia doing well.

...and that's without taking wages into account. (Or agents' fees).

This

The weather here's been fucking mental. I'm gutted we couldn't get down there for this game actually, love going to see the Crew. Anyone there now?

Wouldn't forget Blackpool, think they'll do well this season too, hell maybe even Boro or Ipswich I reckon Forest will be there near the top, I really hope Westham fk off like Leeds did. Division One football in a deserted white elephant would be beautiful. Of course, so would bankruptcy.

We liked this review of a friendly match they lost 3-0 to a Spurs XI: http://www.safc.com/news/20110722/tottenham-res-3-sunderland-res-0-_2256213_2399555 "Spurs Reserves". "Experienced Tottenham side". "Spurs bossed the pitch with a side full of players with Championship experience". It was our kids, and not even our best kids. Three of them have played a handful of Championship games, and one of those is the keeper, Alnwick, who apparently didn't have anything to do anyway. Alex Pritchard, who scored two, looks about twelve. http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/players/reserves/alex-pritchard.html Once you know that, the match review (on the official site!) just sounds a bit sad.

Still a lot of reliance on individual skill, and not as cohesive as we were before VDV. Like the man says, though, Aguero is surely a pipe dream.

Because we're grrrrrrrreat!

That Belfast Celtic v Linfield riot was in 1948. http://www.sirc.org/publik/fvhist.html/en-en/ - some stuff on the timeline at the end. I guess it depends upon whether you ignore any hatred that has an outside origin (religion, "nationality"). Also depends upon what you think of as modern. There have certainly been issues since the 50s in games such as Spurs v Arsenal.

Was in the Mail and couldn't be arsed to double-check. It will be one of those 8M up front and money for every goal scored, England app or fancy trick done on the pitch, probably.

The less big transfers the better. Bring on September 1st. That's when we can all stop pissing about and concentrate on the footy. Anyway, we've had - Gervinho 11M Clichy 7M Downing 20M Young 16M Jones 16.5M Henderson 16M Adam 9M Savic 6M Boateng 10M De Gea 18M Wickham 13M Johnson 7M among others. Stop whinging!

Everton - no-one gets in , no-one gets out. Unless you're Steven Pienaar. ...or Dan Gosling?

Yes. We're probably near the top of our wage budget vs turnover (considering we don't have CL this year) and have more than 25 potential squad players. Losing high-earning bit-part players like Keane and Bentley would be nice, but we're having to consider cashing in on Palacios and Kranjcar to create space.

Corluka just looks so bloody ponderous. He runs as if he's a long-distance walker.

What a goal that would have been. About time we started putting some football together, it's all been a bit disjointed.

Agreed, can't see him being anything other than back-up next year, even to Cudicini in the Europa. FWIW, we look about the same as last year on the pitch.

Dodgy keeper

Call me an optimistic nut!