Chicken Dancer

He was an absolute bellend him, he used to post on here IIRC. Used to take a load of youngns to the games dressed in burberry thinking they were on Football Factory. Proper groomer. Sent a letter to his pals when inside claiming it was a stitch up apparently used to offer massages to young lads as part of some sports science thing. EDIT: just googled him and he got done again last year under a new name. Couldn't write it nonce

My primary concern this window would be building a squad that extends beyond the 13-14 players we have now. Aside from RB & LW, what other position isn't a massively huge drop off if one of the starters is out? We need to sign 5 or 6 players, 2 of which immediately improve the 11 (CB + RW) and the rest who will beef up the squad to make the drop in quality less telling, which will be hugely important if we want to be competing in Europe in the spring. Aye, they ultimately fell (just) short, but Villa managed to go far in CL and FA Cup due to the squad they have built (they signed Ross Barkley last summer, can you imagine this place ). Granted they sailed close to the wind and their gamble didn't pay off, but if Martinez doesn't get sent off at Old Trafford this whole conversation may be a little different, though I do get that the season is 38 games long. 1. CB 2. RW 3. CF (ideally who can play across the front 3/4) 4. CM 5. GK The top 4 are non-negotiable for me, we need them in. Less concerned about a keeper but I do trust the club's judgment on that. GK - Pope, new?, new (Krul/Forster) RB - Tino, Trippier, Krafth LB - Hall, new? CB - Schar, Botman, Burn, new, Lascelles CM - Bruno G, Tonali, Joelinton, Miley, Willock, new RW - new, Murphy LW - Gordon, Barnes CF - Isak, new, Osula Wouldn't be that against DCL on a free as long as he was used as a bit-part player and we signed another forward.

Still so buzzing he got to shine from December onwards. Lord only knows where the season was heading before he went deepest of the 3. One of the best midfielders in Europe and he's ours for the foreseeable. Would walk into any side in the league and possibly beyond. Delighted he's ours, we'd have not won the cup or got CL without him.

Whilst the information above is of course relevant, the eye test definitely matters. He commands his area very well and there is no metric for that as far as I can see. I could be being lazy here. Sanchez is top of save % but by all accounts Chelsea want a new GK? Pope has won us much, much more points than he has cost us. He's not near the best about but he's absolutely fine for where we are right now. Should we look to improve? If the right deal is there absolutely. But it shouldn't be our #1 priority this summer IMO, but I trust the people paid millions a year to know a lot more than me!

Pope is a really good goalkeeper at being well - a goalkeeper. Good shot stopper and surely one of the best in the league at commanding his box. He's really decent at sweeping up too (Liverpool Feb 23 aside...). It's really fashionable to think keepers are crap because they can't ping a ball like Ederson, but 10 years ago Pope would have been talked about as one of the best about. He is absolutely fine and was crucial to any success we've had over the past 3 years - if it wasn't for him we'd have had enormous pressure going to Chelsea away last game of 22/23 and if he hadn't done his shoulder against Man Utd the following year, we've have likely finished a place or two higher and been in Europe last season. That being said, there's nothing wrong with wanting to upgrade, I just don't know/think it should be our #1 priority this summer. I'm not even sure Trafford would be an upgrade yet, but it's OK to think he would be long-term. If we've earmarked Trafford for over a year now he may know that he would be the starter in the cups initially with the intention to have him as our #1 from 26/27 (or later), but after the season he's just had he may not be happy with that. Either way, I trust the club to do the right thing. We've seen success in slowly integrating Livramento & Hall into the side, though granted it may be different for a keeper.

I'd be absolutely devastated if Miley left. I really want him to become a key part of the team in the coming years and I'm sure he will. It's shite what football has become - having to sell good academy players for PSR reasons - absolute bollocks. One of the goals I've felt the most joy in the past few years was when he scored right in front of me at the Gallowgate against Fulham. Fuck selling him. He's probably the best talent we've produced in a generation. Despite our amazing season, I couldn't help but be jealous (and happy too I may add) of watching Anderson excel at Forest. You should always have local lads in the squad representing the city and living all of our dreams. Always.

0% chance of that. Good player yes, though I suspect he's one of them that would always look better staying put. He's not long had twins and now married to the daughter of one of their favourite (non-footballing) sons. Add to that he's captain too - he's going nowhere.

Only gonna end up one way this. Snatch and grab.

Keep going between the two sides as to who I think is more likely to win. Both have dismal records in the playoffs - Sheff Utd are clearly the better side, but Sunderland seemed to match well against them during the season. Should be an interesting game. Either side will be comfortably relegated next season.

I’ve no problem with Spurs qualifying for the Champions League as a result of winning the Europa. It’s been that way for many years. It is ridiculous to have 6 English teams in it though.

Totally get what you're saying but nothing in my lifetime (37) suggests that they will ever be able to consistently been seen as a decent football club. They've had 3x top10 finishes (in the top flight) since the 50s, I think. All of which have been since the turn of the century. They've changed their approach and are essentially (trying to be) a poundland Brighton, but for me their absolute ceiling over the next decade is a yo-yo club. That's not me being biased either - they're a much bigger club than plenty teams in the Premier League now, but the likes of Wolves/Everton/other teams that generally struggle for large parts of the season will eat them alive. I naturally dislike the people of sunderland and that stain of a city, but I've some very good friends and family members who support them. Can't say I'm happy for them but I feel nothing either way. If they go up, financially it will obviously help them but in the grand scheme of things, they're lightyears away from being an established top-flight club. It says more about the state of football than them in fairness, but a long old season awaits either of the teams in the final. There's also no guarantee whatsoever they'd bounce straight back up. I'd seriously be willing to bet my mortgage on them going back down. Any investor would see it as an opportunity to make a quick buck rather than be in it for the long haul. The best bet would be that the hang onto our coat tails when trying to attract players but they never would because of the animosity - we all know they hate the mags more than they love their own team. What's the way to approach it anyway? From what I gather they're pretty conservative, which will definitely help. Sell your youngsters to get a bit of a kitty? Well their youngsters are their better players, so then they're weaker immediately. Ipswich spent well north of £100m and they haven't laid a glove really. The gap is far too big and the playoff winner generally is at a disadvantage immediately. The club & 'city' (joke in itself btw) will always be known as 'the one that's near Newcastle'.

Even so, I’m sure I’ll get over it when I’m in the ‘new’ Camp Nou or watching us lift another shiny thing. Even if they are bought, they’ll be pretty shackled up due to PSR and the state of their finances. It isn’t too pretty from What I remember? I could be wrong.

Genuinely feel nothing to them going up or staying down. We’re on another planet to them and will be for the forseeable. Sure, the may beat us in a one off game, but it will mean next to nowt in the grand scheme of things.

Aye they’re all very sure it’s job done. I definitely wouldn’t be counting any chickens in a semi final if we were only winning by 1 at half-time.

Surely the players and fans don't give enough of a fuck to let it damage the next 3 games man. Will have absolutely 0 bearing on how our season ends.

Absolutely gutted this one is 12pm. 1630 I'd be 90% sure we do them comfortably. That being said, we should win. Yes they're decent, but we're at home and we are a big game team now. Our record at home under Howe when we really need to win tends to result in... a win. 3-1.

Real Madrid are the biggest fish and any player at any club in the world would likely want to make the move if the interest was genuine. That being said, I don't think they'll be after him (yet), nor do I think he would want to move (yet). We'll get at least another year or two out of him.

We will beat Chelsea at home but I wish it was a later kick off. 12pm will mean it's flat as a fart. We will beat Ipswich, Chelsea & Everton and it'll be enough, though I'm hoping Everton expend a lot of energy at Goodison the week prior as they've recently been a bit of a dodgy team for us and they'll love to play party poopers. Still think if we need to beat someone on the final day, you'd take a team 'on the beach' at home all day long. Forest will have enough in their games as will City. It's a shame Chelsea play Liverpool after they'd have won the league, but if we beat them at home it should put them to bed. I think we will lose to Brighton and Arsenal, not being a negative twat here I just never fancy us down Brighton and think they're a bad match up for us. But win the home games and we will be OK.

I actually enjoy having no signal in the ground personally. Call me old school but I actually enjoy hearing the scores at HT/FT without any prior knowledge. Back in the day the fella would always read out the mackems last if they were losing, not sure if he still does tbf. Hate when someone nearby is loudly telling their mate that the scores in other games Betting culture is the reason. People can't resist checking the scores so they can check how their coupon is getting on.

Would have been delighted with 10th or below if it came with a cup win. Everything else is a bonus in my eyes. Win the home games and that’s all we will need.

Fulham, Spurs and City in them 3 games please. Still think City will get there regardless, so best to keep Villa at arms length. If we beat Ipswich, we’d be 5 clear of them with 4 to play (if Man City beat them).

Shit happens. Had a horrible feeling all day we’d run out of steam. They’re a really good side, fair play. Hopefully Fulham and Spurs can do us a favour and we’re back to square one. It would be lush finishing as high as possible but 5th will do it. Win the home games and it’s done.

And the rest!

It does make me wonder that when we do upgrade at RW that we'd prefer to keep a right-footed player there. It isn't the norm these days but we/he have shown it can be hugely effective. Actually love how him, Schar and Joelinton - all signings from the previous years - are mainstays in a class NUFC team. Shows the importance of coaching, confidence and belief.

I'd definitely be interested at a (much) reduced price in the summer. He's a good defender playing in a mid-table side. Understand they've just conceded 10 in 2 games but they also recently went 6(?) off the bounce without conceding away from home. He's quick and reads the game well. He's Premier League ready and an England international. If we could get him at £40m I'd definitely bite. Unfortunately, defenders who can spray it like Schar are few and far between. Though that being said, I do think Schar has at least another season of top-level football in him. He's like wine him, both in body and in footballing ability.