LFEE

It’s what’s GOING to happen… Thats the problem with some people. They can’t look any further than their own noses at times. This is about the next 10-20-30-40 years and beyond when I’m long gone not about us sitting 5th and still in two cups this season. The UEFA regulations are going to be stricter than than the EPL current ones which already now we are having to sell players we don’t want to and not able to buy anyone of progressive note in 2 possibly 3 transfer windows. Wages unfortunately is the main way to keep players without success and they are intrinsically tied to both sets of rules. Here’s a little heads up. Players wages rarely go down. As it stands at the start of each season Man City can spend £260m more than us due to their turnover ratio alone never mind their ability to sell youth players unable to make the first team for £30-40m (or a backup striker for £85m) which are fees we see as a mainstay first teamers which makes their transfer pot even greater than £260m bigger. They are currently increasing their capacity to an already modern stadium. Arsenal have similar advantages and they’ve realised within 20years they were a bit shortsighted in their new ground capacity and now looking to increase and make the gap bigger. Spurs are making something like £100m more despite tied to £25m per year interest payments on the new stadium which they’ll eventually pay off. Chelsea are the closest to maybe trying to do things whilst staying at a small ground but the cheapest tickets that leads to is around £90 and have a completely different economical catchment area as well a 20 year head start on us. Liverpool have expanded too and still have one eye in the future to move if they can’t keep up and they’ve a 20 year head start also. Everton and Villa will challenge in the chasing pack despite where they currently lie in the table. Even Leeds and others not even in our division. Look what Real Madrid have built and Barcelona are building amongst other clubs in Spain and Europe. I think it’s you who’s living in fantasy land thinking remaining as we are will lead us to the top table of European football. We are only anywhere close because Howe is a miracle worker and we’ve had an almost perfect success rate in the transfer window. That will not always be the case and as the other clubs get bigger and bigger any thought of silverware will feel just as distant as it did under Ashley. I think most agree the location needs to be as central as possible for a new stadium. Turning your nose up at a fully paid for new stadium that would bring multi generational change is nothing but shortsightedness.

Losing our best players? Getting further and further from winning a trophy? Maybe even Howe… Really don’t get your fascination about the ground it’s falling apart if you have a wander around when empty. The acoustics are terrible. Some of the views are woeful and we’ve a giant screen only the away fans can see. Since my first game in 1983 all 4 stands have changed. The pitch has been dug up. The box office and club shop moved as have statues. What is it that you are clinging on to?

To finish above them in top 5.

Such a PSG signing. Thought they’d learnt their lesson.

I agree. I guess they didn’t want to deliver the news of the stadium move alongside overseeing the PSR fiasco. Would love them both back on board still as paid employees as they were great at the front of house stuff and promoting the community stuff and ladies team.

I still get Collymore Vibes off him. Probably more explosive actually but maybe not as cute. He’s raw but sometimes that appeals to me watching a player as you get to see them develop in front of you.

Yeah the one problem with the arena site that gets overlooked is the new arena site is years behind schedule. Was meant to open last year yet other than ground prep there is no sign of anything emerging.

Just caught up with this thread and have a feeling @Heronand his eyesight have mistaken Targett for Barnes

Great return albeit the opposition taken into account. What he lacks in physical assets he makes up for with his intelligence. Plays the game lovely and simple. Will be interesting how much game time he gets this season.

This. Almiron was never a winger. Certainly not an inverted one either.

The Arena site would make the ground more visible TBH.

They’d all be used just people would walk a bit further and I’m sure Nexus (conversations with club one of the few things confirmed) will probably run a later and more regular timetable on match days/nights.

Hadaway Anyone not willing to walk 27mins to see the match send them my way. I know dozens and dozens of people who’ll walk over broken glass for a ticket.

What’s 27mins? I sometimes walk to match from home and that’s 70mins and think nothing of it. Longer the walk more chance fans will have a stop off point and spend some money rather than heading straight home.

Disagree. It’s not much of a walk at all. (And I walk in from Gateshead Interchange most games)

That’s exactly what I was thinking.

I get you. I just don’t think you get 1-2 of that 9/10 without sacrificing that 1 if that makes sense. His treatment of players from the outside is fantastic showing real emotional intelligence and treating them like humans and with that he gets a lot back from them showing why we punch above our weight constantly to the point those levels have wrongly been expected from some fans every game. He’s shown with Fraser you are demoted if not on board but still not criticised. Was in Fraser’s hands to get back on board. In all the years of following NUFC I’ve never known such a well moulded group. The trick as most managers will admit is not keeping the 11 regularly playing happy but the 11 that regularly aren’t.

Sorry. Just having a bit of fun I certainly agree I would’ve had Pope in for those games if fit as Dubs form is nowhere near what it is now. End of the day one of the first calls EH made was to upgrade Dubs with Pope so all things being fair and even (sounding like Ange now!) you’d suspect Pope would get the nod as soon as 100%. We’ll never know but I’ll always fall on the side of trust in Howe. He’ll of had reasons that were best for the team and club.

So 3 games. So around a couple. Not several. Even less than half a dozen. Arguably less than a few 🙂 Was hardly a stretch. Pope maybe wasn’t quite sharp/fit enough to displace him. Or maybe he thought against teams like Brighton and Man Utd you’d be best off having a keeper as an 11th outfield player as previously discussed. As for Burnley we won 4-1 and played well (I was there!) not that he had loads to do apart from an early spell and late spell. In return he showed Dubs that he’d given him a fair chance with not dropping him instantly and is reaping the rewards with Dubs still giving his all this year and mulling over turning down a big contract offer and remaining professional. Looks like good management to me personally.

I’ve got a short memory. Remind me which seven games he was on the bench for fit when Dubs got picked? My short memory only recalls two.

This is where I’m at TBH. If Burn is going to remain in the defence Dubs helps massively with having the extra man in the team to create the angles whilst Burn helps out aerially. If EH reverts back to Botman and Schar then there could be an argument it swings back to picking Pope. As you improve with Schar’s feet what you might lose a little aerially. Next season you want a defender with both AND pace. Which of course EH knows though I’d argue Guehi wasn’t the right fit aerially.

Not that I’m totally disagreeing but I also think when you are used to seeing Isak every game any replacement will look a bit raw particularly with different strengths. Would like him to drift away from defenders to receive in space rather than being drawn towards them and battle for the possession as the ball comes to him. Definitely something there EH can work with the glimpses I’ve seen.

Hopefully he gets 90mins this Sunday and bags his first goal…

I see the latest SJP article pretty much confirmed memberships are reaching 6 figures in numbers. Certainly in the very high 5 figures.