Altamullan

he-he that is class.

With the caveat that Rafa, the coaching staff, probably most of the population (including primary schools), know better than me... I really like the look of Aarons. His aggression/desire, will to take a man on, technical skill with the ball, speed. I could go on and often do, but in short he looks like he could/should be a top class player. Surely, this is his year? And given their frailties, this could be his game to prove it.

Huddersfield Town 0-2 Tottenham Bournemouth 1-0 Leicester City Man Utd 3-0 Crystal Palace Stoke 0-1 Southampton West Brom 0-1 Watford West Ham 2-1 Swansea City Chelsea 1-3 Manchester City Arsenal 2-0 Brighton Everton 1-0 Burnley Newcastle 3-2 Liverpool (Supermac nostalgia! Joselu, superstar wears frilly...)

Yep. Definitely a bonus if we pick-up points from some games. But we will do that (all being well/on track for a comfortable season) and hope this is a case in point. Would be such a confidence boost for the chaps to beat a generally acknowledged 'good' team like Liverpool.

doh! I was thinking no call for that/how rude!

Is the right answer everybody?

Looked like he's lost a fair bit of weight when I saw him in West Ham game. Couldn't find better pic.

Thank fuck you didn't follow-up with pork scratching chasers! Hope your head is ok.

I really want to beat Palace. Like irrationally/disproportionately so. In a Bullseye, 'Look what you could have won' kinda way, I am looking forward to showing Andros T the new car and watching him trying to be positive about,and arrange transit for, a f***ing useless Speedboat.

Like fuck.

Undercarriage was too heavy.

Yeah, sadly for my early retirement plans I haven't stumbled upon some infallible secret predictive formula. Point is, if there is indeed any point at all, that this may give a sense of relative difficulty and the total points may average out. Lose some 'greens' win some 'reds' lose or win some ambers but overall if we're on for a low top ten finish, we should accumulate somewhere near those totals for the different months. Ish, kinda, etc.

Did this re relative difficulty thing for the season. Surprisingly, we're on track.

Oh dear... 'Lawrie' Grayson

He is such a Rafa no10. Was gutted not to get him.

5% off the price ticket. Surely anyone with any sense would wait until the %25+ period in the (post) January sales?

WTF! Are we boycotting the West Ham game folks??

Confidence and self-belief are high. Recent history against them is in our favour (and then some). As long as they don't score early I think this is eminently winnable. Can't quite get my head around us winning four in a row (given close season) but putting that aside, Howay the Lads!

I saw him in a garage on Princess Parkway Manchester one morning 7 years ago. I was pushing a double buggy, wild-haired and tired-eyed after pretty much a sleepless night. I'd left a radgy sleep-deprived wife in bed and pushed the kids two miles to get them to sleep. I noticed someone watching me approach and it registered it was him. I wasn't in the mood for any footy fan banter (and let's face it: Manure) but he patted my shoulder and gave a knowing smile as a wandered into the shop (probably for alcohol!). Thought afterwards it was a lovely human gesture.

Fuck me that must have had some power! How far are the stadiums apart??

Could always get yersel a nice 1892 t-shirt (or more subtle Spirit of 69) = class act over Geordie stereotype.

Grumpy has been leading the charge for a while to explain to those RTG Dim Wits who think that Short is trousering all the "para shoot " (sic) money and all the Pickford money, and explaining how Short has been propping up the club year after year. Of course anyone who even slightly challenges the notion that Short/Bain are to blame for the financial state and more so the state of the team, is immediately labeled a Mag and the pitchfork and torch Mob set upon them. His new series of posts looking at the financial situation of several clubs are great - and really explain the predicament that Sunderland find themselves in. The penny is now dropping for them (although based on their financial state, they might want to save those pennies) Ooh, that provoked a bit of a long hard look in the mirror re some of our commentary on the unmentionable (without the c word) one...

Nar. The measure of central tendency says his average for that season works out at that. But I say he's a fucking legend! Sign this John Smith on! "Ave it!!"

West Ham 1-1 Spurs Burnley 1-0 Huddersfield Everton 2-0 Bournemouth Manchester City 2-0 Crystal Palace Southampton 1-0 Manchester United Stoke City 1-2 Chelsea Swansea City 0-1 Watford Leicester City 2-2 Liverpool Brighton 0-1 Newcastle Arsenal 1-0 West Brom

Not surprising to me. Academies/Centre's of excellence have a piss poor record of developing players who go on to have a full career in the professional game. I really think that youth development should be taken out of clubs and put into regional centre's with a broader access point and a focus on the kids' development, not the club's interests.