HaydnNUFC

Went 8. Teetering on a 7. I posted in the Bruce thread that I can never bring myself to want us to lose. This coming season is the most apathetic I've felt or anyone I know's felt going into it. Mixture of takeover nonsense, Bruce, Bruceball, shite players and more Ashley. I'm an 7-8 though as since March 2020 when COVID hit, football as a whole has been pretty much dead to me. No fans, no soul, no nowt. They're coming back so that brings another dimension to COVID-era football, if it was another behind closed doors season I'd probably be closer to a 9-10. But I know I'll watch the games on TV and get infuriated at watching Shelvey, Hendrick and Krafth attempt to play football and I know I'll get excited when ASM picks up the ball or Wilson puts a great finish away. That feeling is still there. Don't think it'll ever go away. My activity on here reflects my feelings tbh, 2016-2019 was probably one of the most active posters in the football board due to Rafa and wanting to talk about the club and team through the week up to going to the match on the Saturday, but that's just gone for me. Outside of the 90 minutes, its all just meh to me.

Good to see some general normality and fans back in staidums, I guess.

Most unenthusiastic for a season starting as I've ever been. Personally can't bring myself to want us to lose though. Yet another season sitting on my arse, at home or uni, watching matches when I’m around in passing. Getting a modicum of excitement if we score or look good and not really caring when it’s bad. Just apathy.

Don't think Lemina is that bad, he was decent for Southampton in the first few months of 17/18 but then just tailed off. Him and Willock coming in would improve our options, getting rid of Hayden though and keeping Shelvey and Hendrick is absolutely brainless. Would take Gallagher too, also surprised no one's gone in for Matheus Pereira yet.

This season is the last of his contract. If it gets extended

Don't think it's dead tbh, the PL are just kicking the can down the road for as long as possible, put their fingers in their ears and pretend this isn't happening or waiting for the buyers to pull put again. Still an absolute fucking joke. There no way for Staveley and the Reubens to just buy the club on their own?

Shite decision, just like it was when he was loaned out. Can't wait to see the absolute wall that is Krafth filling in at CB after the next injury crisis.

We lost? Christ. Pre season does mean fuck all, for example we lost 5-1 to Middlesbrough in last year's pre season. But bloody hell, losing to a 6th tier side, Brucetastic.

That Fulham game in 2018/19 was shit, Everton wasn't though. Or Huddersfield, Burnley, Southampton. Liverpool in spite of us losing the game. Man City. The Man City game in 2017/18 he's referring to was when they were on a run of 19 wins in 20, we'd won 1 in of the last 10 and were a newly promoted side yet we almost got a result because of how we played. Hope that bus gans off the road.

Lazaro was the best of the January 2020 loanees, and got played the least out of the 3. Bringing him back is surely not a Bruce decision.

It is shit but it could be saved if it wasn't always that horrific blue colour on the home all the time. It would like ten times better if it was too black and white a la the McEwan's Lager sponsor on the 93-95 home shirt but nah.

I like Southgate, he speaks well and represents that national side very well, the players like him and is a great man manager by the looks of things but I just don't think I'll ever be convinced that he'll ever be up to it tactically. I posted last night that I worried that ourselves and Italy are very similar in terms of quality player for player and the game will be won tactically. And if its a tactical fight between Mancini and Southgate with squads of equal quality, Mancini wins it.

Pens were shite and I won't point the finger at any of those who missed despite seeing the opposition miss twice and not take advantage of it but the 90 minutes was just shocking management. I worried that player for player us and Italy are very similar and it would be managerial nous that saw the winners through, and hey ho, it was Mancini, a man whose won trophies before.

The ASM link is just laziness imo. It's in the Sunday Mirror, saying Ancelotti MIGHT go for Richarlison at Real Madrid which COULD see Rafa go for ASM. Like aye, ok. Think we'll get at least 1 more season from ASM providing there's no changes on the ownership or managerial fronts.

I think it's more down to football fans now preferring the shirts from the 90s, 80s and even early 2000s to the kits now, whether it's design, material quality, memories/nostalgia, who knows. I bought a genuine 1997-98 home top for my brother's birthday just gone and he was amazed at the attention to detail with the club crest in the material on the white stripes. You don't get that now, it's cheap, shit material made to maximise profit from sales. Suppliers and places like ScoreDraw have now been trying to capitalise on the preferral of the older shirts and this is what we get. Most suppliers who bring out their own take on kits, particularly ours, have been rancid. Although I do agree that the collar on that kit does look forced. Ah whey.

Home needs more stripes a la 17-18 or the nice looking concept a few posts up. White grandad collar needs to go on a white stripe, that looks forced. Said it far too many times but just recreate Juventus' 17-18 kit. It's really not hard. That's purple kit seems like a keeper kit. Also, does any club do embroidered crests anymore? Seen a few disappointed at it looking like a stuck on patch again, but clubs have been doing that for years now.

Need this ref to get his cards out.

Vete a la mierda

Love him still. Hope it all goes to pot though very selfishly. Will hate to see him succeed at another club, just too painful.

*Mourinho switching off the TV (or modern football) and saying fuck off*

Been on the whole staying away from this since August. Don't get wound up or take him seriously either though, he's just a total attention seeker feigning to be ITK (which is hilarious when he gets things wrong, backpedals and blocks people for pulling him up on it ) and he's not a nice person either. Add on the fact he shags aliens and yeah you may have someone to laugh at, but contributing to the takeover debate? Sorry, like.

Posting Burnsie tweets should be a ban worthy offence imo. Guy is an absolute cunt and weirdo to boot. Hope he gets ran owa.

"Getting the ball" is nowhere to be seen in the Laws of the Game. Pen.

Two people in the crowd at the Spain game with Toon tops on, there.