Geordie_once_removed

The club is such a different outfit these days. I remember in years gone by signings like this that would have been perfect for us, the club just let them pass us by or they couldn't sell them the glorious vision of "ticking along". Now it seems we're getting in there early and professionally and really selling a plan for them and the club. I'm not saying either is that next level signing but it's a big step towards not seeing the likes of Dummet, Richie and to a lesser extent Krafth coming off the bench or in for injured players. I like all of those mentioned and appreciate what they have done for the club but you can't argue that they aren't limited and holding us back.

I ordered the away pro shirt as I wanted a new exercise top. It arrived quickly and seems good quality. A plain Nike shirt of similar quality would be more expensive. The badge does seem a bit weird but as I have vivid memories of the nipple chaif an embroidered Newcastle badge gave me years ago when I went for a run on a cold wet day I don't mind and can understand the decision. I'll miss Castore. I think their designs have been good and as I only ever buy reduced shirts at the end of the season I've never encountered the delivery issues others have. I really like the subtle textured effect on this season's Arsenal shirt and I hope Adidas do something similar on our shirt.

Number 3 would be amazing. Impressive work.

Beth has to be some kind of performance art. No real person would so consistently spout such reactionary ill informed views. She's comedy gold. Long live Beth!

This is like the Mighty Boosh doing a yoghurt based riff on that scene in Scarface where Tony explains how to get women in America.

I don't see Ramsdale as likely due to cost and timing. Cost has been discussed but the timing of this signing would be off. He's very similar to Pope in terms of overall quality so if he came in he wouldn't and shouldn't be a guaranteed starter but at his age he would expect to be. Pope likewise can expect to be the number 1 for at least another season. It just doesn't line up. Much more likely is a highly rated 21 year old where a more natural transition can happen over the next 2 seasons. Of course if Pope has buggered his shoulder then that would change things.

I feel like typing this just to manifest it into happening. I see both Tosin and Kelly signing. Howe turns Tosin into a quality CB, worthy of a team playing in the Champions League. Kelly becomes a 2024 version of an up graded Aaron Hughes. Not a regular starter but solid to good when called upon. That's CB sorted for another year. Upfront we bid a fond farewell to Wilson for between 15 and 20 million and replace him with Guirassy for the same amount, but because of PSR wizardry actually a lot "less". Almiron also heads on his way for about the same (I'll miss you you one footed smiling goon). This frees up a healthy wedge for that RW to take the team to the next level. I do believe there will be a major signing that is beyond what many thought possible, this January aside, this has happened in all transfer windows (Bruno, Isak and Tonali). It's just a shame I don't believe in manifesting.

Thanks for letting me know. I went for M as a result.

What is the sizing like on the bottoms? I'm 6ft and between a 30 and a 32 inch waist. I was think an S but if they fit small I'd go for an M.

This is about where I am. Which is why I don't see him as a good signing (yet).

Hojlund COULD be a good signing. You couldn't say he is based on his cost and performances so far at Man U.

Who is Man U's last good signing? I think you could make a case for Martinez, but he was hugely over priced and has been pretty unconvincing at times. You have to go back to 2019/20 and Fernandes for one you would call an unequivocally good signing. Amazing really.

For sure decency bias is playing a role here but time and again teams do get "found out" and start to struggle. Top teams and managers adapt to this, it's much too early to see if Postecoglu can do this but I do feel Spurs recent form has highlighted the need for this.

Maybe, but it wasn't meant as a comment of the coaching. If my perceptions are accurate I do wonder if signing this kind of player is a symptom of where Spurs are in the football hierarchy. As in due to cost and competition they have to sign players that had one or two attributes that meant top, top sides passed on them, perhaps hoping they can be overcome with time and coaching. I could see this happening to us as for a good while we'll be in the same situation.

I watched the Spurs game and what surprised me was how many "Spursy" players they had. As in a bit lightweight, a bit tricky but not skillful enough to really unlock a defence, nippy but devastatingly fast and ultimately not good enough to consistently challenge the top sides. They seem to sign the same type of player again and again. It also made me wonder if there is a "Newcastley" player? One that pops their kneecap off climbing onto the team bus perhaps?

Agreed, his team of the week column is a weekly cry for help. I certainly want to cry after reading the terrible prose and tiresome paraphrasing of lines even your grandad is sick to fuck of.

I watched that particularly odious and ignorant interview, well as much as I could stomach before I would have thrown my phone at a wall in a Lawro induced rage. In it he blamed his contract not being renewed because he is old and white. What he can't see is that he had a job as a BBC pundit straight after retiring as a player and held it until almost the retirement age. Him not getting his contract renewed is a natural changing of the guard that happens all the time in TV especially as there are lots of people who want to do the job who resonate with the audience more than an old guy who an increasingly large chunk of the audience never even saw play. Also what he can't see is that if pundits before him had gone on as long as he did he wouldn't have had a job in the first place and that's not even addressing the fact that he was wilfully ignorant and had a very tiresome one a note "proto-banter" of being a sarcastic misery guts. For years. God I despised him. But yeah it's the Woke agenda Lawro. You matter that much. You fecking bell.

Three opinions from this weekend. 1. Onana sums up Scum United's failures in the transfer market for the last few years. He's not terrible, despite what the screaming heads of social media might say, but his obvious flaws make him overall an average keeper. Yet they paid the money you would pay for a world class keeper. They've done time and again. 2. Both De Zerbi and Postecoglou and are overrated and I can see one or both being sacked before the end of next season. 3. Arsenal will win the league next season. They are the most rounded team already and they're a great recent record of buying wisely to improve them.

Don't ask me how I know this, but Slot looks EXACTLY like a face drawn on a bollock.

If you're going to try to take the moral high ground and call someone immature you probably shouldn't chuck in some light xenophobia.

It's my fault. I saw their line up with Ayew and Hughes in it and remarked to a friend that we had it in the bag as these are two of the worst players to have over 50 Premier League appearances. Naturally they then both go on to have very good games and play key roles in both of Palace's goals... I still stand by my assessment of Hughes and Ayew mind.

Very poor today. His tendency to flop to the floor in a most unconvincing manner cost us a goal and a pretty good penalty shout. He needs a rest, I would be curious to see Anderson in the middle.

I wonder if with teams increasingly having a more holistic style of play and coaching at all levels we'll see a few more of these semi leftfield appointments. DofFs may increasingly identity managers who match this style over ones who have higher profiles but are stylistically less good fits. Especially at successful clubs whose style is seen to be yielding results. For example there were a few pieces saying Alonso was a stark contrast to Klopp in key areas. If so perhaps Liverpool weren't that interested in the first place or didn't really go all guns for him.

I hope not, that's very bland.

Based on the fact that they haven't won the league in ages and they have built towards their current position really wisely through good appointments, buying well and being patient, I want to want Arsenal to do well. But then I remember "It's a disgrace..." and how so, so many of their fans reacted and I just want them to get humped every game. It's a real Id Vs the Superego struggle for me.