ponsaelius

Can utilize the savings made to give bumper deals to 'Fletch & Sav'

Rafa played him during the relegation run in for his workrate and presence over more talented players who's heads weren't in it - ie Shelvey and Wijnaldum.

Well I'd say the same with my eyes too. He wasn't necessarily arsed about the club, and his effort probably transcended personal gain more than it did the teams, but he certainly wasn't lazy in the strictest sense of the word. Technically inept, poor decision making, a complete lack of attacking output, tactically hopeless and selfish in the way he played - I'd probably agree with all of them. But not really lazy, and he didn't really hide.

And some of our supporters are obsessed about how much Sunderland are obsessed with us. Both sets of supporters revel in the rivalry, arguing otherwise is a nonsense. It's not even necessarily a bad thing.

He certainly didn't care about the club. But he wasn't lazy on the pitch. Dig up stats from most of his games and he'll have both covered the most ground and had the most touches. Therein lies half of the reason we went down, because so much of our play (by design or necessity) went through a player who scored 1 goal all season.

Plenty of our own fans are equally obsessed with Sunderland.

FWIW, Wijnaldum on the other hand, was certainly a player who didn't put the effort in and definitely did fall short of his actual ability level because of it. Yet he escapes with far less stick because he went about downing tools quietly and tends to be a bit more smiley than Sissoko.

I do think he was more of an average player than he was a cunt. Most games he covered plenty of ground and was often our only ball carrier and threat. The idea that he was lazy on the pitch or hid is just not true. What he was, was extremely unproductive and frequently too limited with what he did with the ball. The other thing is, he never gave platitudes or empty statements. We signed him on the cheap to a 6 year deal, and definitely did so under the very promise that he could have a move within 2-3 years to some other club. This is a failure of the club's transfer and recruitment policy, by taking no regards to a player's character. In fact, we actually utilised those very character traits to sign him on the cheap and to then fulfill future profit margins. Honestly - I struggle to hate him with the verocity that some do. He is a cunt, and a bit shite, but he was an honest cunt throughout the entirety of his time here. Just very glad that its unlikely we will ever recruit a player of his character and motivations again while Rafa is here.

It's Jansson, as he's Swedish not Danish, and he's shite.

Can tell he's got some Austrian in him, like. Nation of proto-Germans.

Hyped for next season, when Greg is taking people up for not calling the Carabao Cup by its new name.

Not that it's really worth getting irritated about. It's just a brand name anyway. Colloquialisms are fine.

It was called the Premiership between 1993 and 2007 http://i.imgur.com/OXKY7jK.png

They Pozzos have turned them from a shite Champo side to a shite, comfortable Prem side. Done well, no matter if they regularly dispose of their managers.

:lol:

No as I don't wear them to the match or for general wear. And if I ever play 5 a side I'd wear some obscure hipster footy shirt instead to look like the cunt I am.

Yet another Italian manager that did a good job in England. Kept a tinpot club up comfortably, job done.

Balde seems to be involved in a tug of war between Napoli and Juve. Would probably be a stretch, unless we offered both more wages and a guarenteed starting XI place.

He's gonna probably be used against tired legs away from home, and maybe against weaker sides at home. He offers depth to the bench, can go on either flank, and won't be demanding to be a starter. If he's our first choice wide player next season I'd be worried, but I'm fairly confident that he won't be.

quite incredible that we've got a load of pisshead geriatrics modelling instead of sponsoring the visas for some of that fun88 totty.

Sponsor would look 10x better without the white background. Very naff.

They'll win the league next year.

Yes please.

Getting anxiety from just looking at that