LucaAltieri

There's absolutely no reason to sell Cisse. If we were going to replace him we'd be looking for a player exactly like him. Someone young enough for their value to rise, has proven he can score goals everywhere he's been, but has for one reason or another lost confidence/form and therefore represents value for money. Why bother looking for another one? Just keep trying to turn it around with the player we already have.

Brace yourself. I can hear them wheeling in the shit cannon.

+1.

Steve Sidwell

There's no way in hell we should be starting de Jong against the mackems. Maybe a cameo from the bench. But as it stands he's had no time whatsoever to get to know his teammates, get his fitness up, or get his confidence back. Dropping him into a derby game with a team he's never played with, in a league he's never played in, with all the expectation that you're already putting on him... it would be madness.

Just discovered someone wrote a song about LuaLua

thiiiis i love it, personally. I don't even think much of him as a manager anymore, but I like that he doesn't give a shit about contradicting himself or saying ridiculous shit, because absolutely every single time, the purpose of his comments is to divert attention away from his players getting criticism. Jolly good show. It amazes me after all these years people still don't get it. "He's a hypocrite!" "He's arrogant!" "He's a cunt!" HE'S PLAYING YOU!

Ridiculous, isn't it? Precisely my point.

It still is. We won the 2006 Intertoto Cup and as a result qualified for the Uefa Cup. The prize is the same, and it was a European competition, not just domestic. So is that more or less successful than a League Cup win? The Champions League is a better competition than the Europa League. Ergo finishing 4th is better than winning the league cup, right? If all that matters is winning, and the fact it's a second tier competition is irrelevant, then we won the Championship. You really have to WANT to believe it, and do some delicate mental gymnastics, to consider a league cup win as the best thing in the north east for 40 years. Aye, can't wait to tell the grandkids about that one. They all count, apparently.

It still is. We won the 2006 Intertoto Cup and as a result qualified for the Uefa Cup. The prize is the same, and it was a European competition, not just domestic. So is that more or less successful than a League Cup win? The Champions League is a better competition than the Europa League. Ergo finishing 4th is better than winning the league cup, right? If all that matters is winning, and the fact it's a second tier competition is irrelevant, then we won the Championship. You really have to WANT to believe it, and do some delicate mental gymnastics, to consider a league cup win as the best thing in the north east for 40 years.

Bullshit. Even the most deluded of mackems wouldn't agree with that. It's fucking true man, despite all our close run things under KK and SBR, we won nowt. Even if we discount our champions league runs, our modest success with the inter-toto, and our near-misses in the Premier League, Boro have a league cup win and a UEFA cup final. It's really fucking tenuous to claim that a Mickey Mouse Cup win and avoiding the drop is the best season of any club in the northeast for 40 years. You'd have to REALLY cherry pick your criteria.

yep- they are fucking abysmal. Fucking awful tonight. I have no fear whatsoever. They'll be lively the first 15 minutes or so then we'll batter them the rest of the match. They've done fuck all to deserve the results they've had. It'll end with us.

Bullshit. Even the most deluded of mackems wouldn't agree with that.

Have done since about the 20th minute.

Stoke a man down. Just as the mackems were making them look like tiki taka experts too.

Very close from Stoke.

Agreed. The mackems still don't look like a Premier League team here. Plenty of effort, bluster, and a nice high-pressing line but they've got fuck all penetration and no real quality anywhere on the pitch. Without Johnson they wouldn't win another game all season. If Stoke had turned up to play football these lot are there for a good old pillaging on the break. Sadly they're playing Crouch up top on his own which isn't really going to cause anyone any problems. And just like that, the very first through ball Stoke try and they're in behind their defence. The mackems really are fucked if Stoke can get some pace on the pitch.

Agreed. The mackems still don't look like a Premier League team here. Plenty of effort, bluster, and a nice high-pressing line but they've got fuck all penetration and no real quality anywhere on the pitch. Without Johnson they wouldn't win another game all season. If Stoke had turned up to play football these lot are there for a good old pillaging on the break. Sadly they're playing Crouch up top on his own which isn't really going to cause anyone any problems.

Stoke are gash. That is all.

Privy to the training sessions, are you?

He's a hairy-knuckled twit peddling whatever garbage the blokes down the pub have been saying. In doing so swearing excessively and repeating the same point over and over believing that it somehow transforms half-baked opinion into fact.

We'll still batter them. They're way too cocky for a team sitting in the relegation zone. They're due a fall. The natural order of things will be restored.

He ticks a few boxes for our scouting requirements: - Young - Has shown the potential to be better than he currently is - Issues at his current club All meaning we can expect to buy low and sell high if we can turn him around.

I'd agree with other clubs but to us he was the guy the entire team and set up was built around Agreed, he was an important player. In a perfect world I would have liked to see him stay. But it's no secret that he misses France, has battled depression while being away. He has expressed his desire to return but been nothing but professional on the pitch. He's found a way back to France with a team willing to offer us a fair price, and who we aren't competing with directly. Sad to see him go but c'est la vie. No Major complaints. Hopefully we'll eventually sign someone younger and hungrier to replace him. It won't be in the next few days but I don't care about that. It's better the right player than just whoever is available.