Geordie_once_removed

2 nil down. Away at Liverpool. Bruno off and Longstaff on. And that's my que to turn the TV off.

It's all gone quite on the Angel Gomes front. I've not kept tabs on him but if for no other reason than a cynical PSR flip he would surely make sense. Based on what I saw for England, hin in and Longstaff out would improve us as a team. Him behind Bruno and Tonali could be a good combination, especially in games where Joelinton is not able to make the most of his physicality and his lack of technical refinement is highlighted.

Well that was a nice way (the result not the actual game which was pretty meh) to end an otherwise disappointing weekend of football. Cheers Amorim.

I would bring in Pope if Botman and Schär start as their ability to play the ball compensates for losing Dubravka's superior range passing. I think it was against Arsenal where Dubravka saved a shot down to his right and I was surprised. On the replay it became apparent that he still dives in slow motion to his right. Pope has a point to prove Vs Liverpool after missing the last final due to his sending off.

I think that is Howe for "We wanted to rest him against opposition we can beat without him." He's just to polite to say that.

There's some stuff competition but it's up there for me too.

Ok I think I've got it. This would be the first football song I've put together, so be kind you fuckers. 'A boy was born in deepest darkest Wembley. But Black and White runs right through his family. So Geordie fans give him love and affection. He takes the piss, and leaves teams fucking fuming. Scoring loads of goals, loads of goals - Jacob Murphy!' In case you don't know the source material (shame on you!):

I think something to the opening 5 lines of Stevie Wonder's Living for the City would work really well.

Can't feel strongly either way here. He's a great addition on paper but has been fine to poor when on the actually on the pitch for us. I do wonder what the club's plan for back up is long term as without him we have Targett who I think will be off in the summer if not before and an aging Burn who was too slow to be a Premier League LB as back up to Hall.

It took me a long time to be able to see Souness on TV and to not launch into a lengthy and varied series of expletives. It was always going to be hard for anyone to take over after the disgraceful treatment of Sir Bobby, but Souness really excelled in all the worst ways. What an unmitigated disaster he was.

Joe Kinnear managed us you know right?

Basically what I said. But the reductive headline grabs attention the factual but more nuanced one doesn't. "PSR powered city pounce to block Toon's ambitions." Etc. etc.

How you present it here is a bit reductive. I can fully see them identify that their CBs are aging and they need to invest this summer or next. He'll have been one of many players they were monitoring and they got wind we were looking at him. They look again at their data and their reports and then decide that he could be a top level CB for the next decade and as there is now a likelihood that if they wait they will miss out, they pounced. Was it just to block us, no. Are we (or any other club firming up their interest) a factor in their decision, yes.

If the £7 million figure is true it feels a fair deal for all parties. He's got a big question mark over him due to the last 2 years of injuries and he's not going to have a sell on value which we all know matters in a PSR world. Equally he's shown he's good in the PL, seems a good character and is in what used to be considered his prime years. So taking a loss on the £12 million spent but still getting a decent chunk back and getting his wages off the books, which is becoming more important due to European Competition's wages to turnover rules, is about right.

That would be a transfer I would endorse. Between the fee and the wages that would eat up a good chunk of the money and I'm pretty sure Felix's picture is on Google images when you search the term "Flatters to deceive".

I'm in between positions here. I've had serious reservations about Postecoglu since we humped Spurs (again! Hohoho) last season and he stood hands in his pockets like a man without a clue about what to do. That game was far from an aberration at the time. His team had a style with clear vulnerabilities that people had started to clearly work it out. At the start of the season I think I even predicted on here that I thought he'd be gone by the end of the season. Equally our injury record was bad last year and we don't need reminding how badly that cost us. Spurs' this season is next level again. It's almost impossible to get good results with that many plays out. It's not just who you're missing it's how those who are there can't do what they normally would. Think about how our high press fell apart for a bit as players who were fit were just 1 or 2% off it due to fatigue. Ironically I wonder if the injuries may keep him in his job for a bit longer as it masks what I feel are chronic weaknesses in him as a coach.

Whoever was on seconds coms for the Southampton game today goes right to the top of my f*ckwit punditry list. Seemed to be unable to see the fact that the Southampton defender launched his legs across Isak, missed the ball totally, then brought down Isak as Isak's right knee hit his leg which was right in his way. We we're lucky apparently. Eejit.

I think we should all meet up and swap our painstakingly created business cards.

I just checked in here to see if there was any news of a re-release of the 1995/96 away shirt like there was of the home shirt. I didn't expect to be taken to such a deep cut of the Good Housekeeping forum on how to get stains out of white shirts. Equally I feel like I'm reading an section of American Psycho (the book) that was edited out.

My mate flew Forest from LBA to somewhere down there for their game against Bournemouth this morning. I imagine we'll have done something similar.

Between Botman, Targett, Krafth and soon Lascelles being fit and Alex Murphy (hopefully) developing we certainly have cover for him. I like him for squad depth and given time I'm sure he'll be decent for us but if there is an offer over £15 million you'd have to take it. His value is perhaps a little higher but that's very subjective and to get above £20 million you'd need us to be reluctant sellers due to the impact on the team (which we clearly can't pretend to be) and for there to be a bit of competition for his signature which I don't see happening any time soon.

I think so at the moment at least. Murphy has been effective as we've made use of his pace and directness recently, Mbuemo has these traits and is even more lethal. I think Bruno moving forward reduces the need for a RW with guile over pace, finishing and crossing as Bruno is bringing that closer to the goal now. Case in point the pass for Isak's second goal yesterday. Longer term Miley also looks like he'll bring this with his passing.

Busy day can someone catch me up. Why are we talking about DCL? Are there new concrete links or is it just that we've been linked for ages? As for Miggy this feels like a great move all round. He's attracted way more flack than he deserves and I'll miss his goofy mug. However, a combination of his decline, I feel he's not got back to old levels since his injury last year, and the team's progression mean that he doesn't have a role here anymore that justifies his wages and missing out on a fee like this. A swansong at the club he really broke through at should be a nice end to his career.

I hope we give these guys a proper cup day out at a big club. A great pre-match Wor Flags display. A loud crowd. A plucky first 45 minutes where some last ditch defending keeps us out, maybe a highly dubious penalty call that isn't given that folklore can build up as a great injustice. Then a second half where our fitness and talent shows through and a couple of goals come. Finishing up with kidney punching goal from one of our academy lads, Sansui perhaps, to make it 3 nil. Just a shame for them it's not a Saturday as Newcastle is a great night out. Hopefully a few booked tomorrow off work and can still enjoy it, wrapped up warm in their freshly bought half and half scalfs (full disclosure I have a couple of these, so no judgement here). *Also there need to be at least 3 references from the commentators about the "long drive back down the A1"

I may bang Scarlett Johansson. I mean statistically there is, technically, a chance.