Chicken Dancer

Probably is the right time to let him go. Absolutely love him though. Seen him in town walking down Northumberland Street with a fucking gorgeous lass about 4 years ago. He was absolutely lush too. My lass will be gutted the day he leaves.

If we don't finish top 7 (assuming no silverware) with no European football to stretch the squad it would be a massive failure imo, regardless of other teams. Unless there's a spurs level injury crisis for us next year I'd expect us to be challenging the top 5 tbh, but finishing at least 7th.

Yeah that doesn’t sound encouraging at all. If Gordon and Tonali/Tino leave we’re going to need at least 6 in.

I'm looking forward to it now, think mainly just because of how dull the PL has been this year and how poor it's been from an NUFC perspective. Don't expect England to do much - their route to the final looks quite tricky from memory (could be wrong). Mind as a kid the World Cup was fucking class like. Sticker books, Playstation games, music, adverts on the tele. Chumbawamba still take me back to the summer of 98' (was the soundtrack of Fifa France 98). Great and simpler times for sure.

I actually do see his future there to be fair. Reminds be a bit of Carrick both in stature and the way he plays. He's understandably a little cautious at times but he's shown he's a great eye for a forward pass (he played someone in on Sat at the Gallowgate, but can't remember who). It's whether Howe would trust him enough to play there but I definitely think his future is there for sure.

Goalkeeper, striker and holding midfielder are the 3 glaring holes this summer. I'd be really excited if we signed a dedicated '6' as I would see that as Howe having an appetite to evolve our style into something different to what it is now. Clear as day we need a keeper and someone who can put the ball in the back of the net, but those 3 should be the absolute priorities this summer. After that we're going to need a new winger and probably a couple of fullbacks, and I wouldn't say no to a new centre half as I can't say I have much confidence in any of ours.

We’ve been absolutely rank in most of our league games this season, despite ‘being in the game’. Rotten to watch. Doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve the chance to turn it round, he’s more than earned that luxury.

You are making a fair point but I think Jones is just bang average. He’s the type of signing we should be moving away from. He’d cost at least £30m (for the reasons you list) and he’d be on a pretty penny - I’d be shocked if it would be under six figures a week. There’s so much talent in the Championship and we should be tapping into it. Hayden Hackney might never amount to anything in his career, but I’d much rather take a low-risk punt on him than someone like Jones. I don’t think he’s shite or that, just a bit meh. He’s the type of player West Ham or someone would sign. Above all I’d rather we signed an even cheaper midfielder from abroad with a much higher ceiling than both and hope that’s the sort of thing we’re looking to do, especially on the back of last summer.

Let’s not pretend Curtis Jones is out special man. He’s the exact type of signing we shouldn’t be making. Hackney might also be shite, but then Morgan Rogers could have too when Villa took a punt. I’d rather sign someone who may have a higher ceiling than someone who might be an expensive mistake. In fairness it’s a daft conversation anyway as we’re far more likely to sign Jones than Hackney.

Think it's more the fact he could have a higher ceiling and would probably be a fair bit cheaper. There's a fair bit of talent in the Championship that have become very established players in the PL. Don't really fancy signing any cartel cast offs either FWIW.

Would definitely take them 3. I think Hackney will be on the radar of a few clubs though, but he looks a talent. Curtis Jones would be an expensive squad filler and I've never really thought much of Van Hecke. Antonio Silva is another one that will probably be on the radar of a few clubs.

Obviously the German league is of a lower standard but it would be a hell of a move from him and his agent if he wound up at Bayern Munich like. They're the best team in Europe (certainly top 2) at the moment. Certainly not their level but fair play if he got that move. I do think they'd try lowball us to fuck though. Given the prices wingers went for last summer including our very own Elanga, £70m should be the bottom line but I think £75/80m is doable.

That's fair. But he does do it twice as much as any of our other wingers, and he never stops the other way either. As I say his face doesn't fit - I know my mates would love to see the back of him and I totally get it. But I'd sooner get what we can for Barnes and keep Gordon if it were up to me. That being said I would take £70/75m IF we were to reinvest it wisely with a couple of young, talented players from overseas. I suppose that's the part that worries me most (the fact we will just blip the money). Once bitten and all that.

I wouldn’t be so sure… Will die on the hill that we’d miss Gordon if/when he goes. Comfortably our best forward. Sure, he thinks a bit highly of himself and his face doesn’t fit with most, but even on his worst day he never hides like some of the fannies we have playing on the wing. I would take £75m, though no trust on replacing him.

Not playing like a fucking bunch of fannies in both of them would be a start.

I would actually tend to agree with this about any game (finals, derbies etc), but the mackems are actually proof of the opposite. Call it tinpot or whatever but it’s drilled into them cunts from the minute they arrive on wearside how important it means to the fans to beat us and they treat it as such. Seems to have sadly worked a treat over the last 10-15 times we’ve played them.

Always narks me people downplay the derby like. Don’t get me wrong I personally don’t think managers should be binned because of losing them games but they’re still the most important two games when the fixtures come out in June. Anybody who says otherwise is either not from the area or is just trying to look cool. Obviously as the season progresses other games can become important (cup knockouts etc), but the importance of the derby should be drilled into the players for weeks prior. Losing to them twice you can accept but the two performances we put in were borderline unforgivable.

I wish we wouldn’t call him ‘Eddie’ constantly mind. Makes me feel like a scouser.

We will be fine next season as we’re playing one game a week. It’s the season after that’s going to be the worry.

Agree. Brighton is by far the worst away game for having a drink in my experience. the uni thing near the ground is sound enough but rammed to fuck. We just stay a couple of nights in London when we’ve been to Brighton in the past.

I’ll be surprised if he’s able to consistently put in performances like the first 45 yesterday. But been proven wrong many, many times before in my 37 years on this planet. I think he will have a decent career but that’s about it. But absolutely should be playing at the moment for us.

Well we signed him for £10m and £20m profit in actual money is a canny return for someone who’s scored a handful of goals for us. We need to do more of that sort of thing to avoid situations like Anderson in the future. I get he’s playing well at the minute but most of us were ready to drive him to Germany last summer when it looked like we could get £30m for him.

Aye our first goal was against the run of play, but after that we played better than we have for ages (granted a very low bar) for the rest of the half. Second half was meh but we managed to hold on which I suppose is the main thing. Do agree with what someone was saying earlier though - we lack any type of control and can’t seem to keep the ball for a sequence beyond 3 or 4 passes. But the rot is stopped and any lingering - however small - doubts about being dragged into a relegation battle are thankfully gone. Roll on 6pm on 24th May.

Yes I’d be taking £30m for him. I can’t believe people wouldn’t tbf