Happinesstan

I know, but you can understand why Dalglsh was their second choice after Bobby. He seemed jus as charmed as Keegan, and had followed him before. Think maybe a bit too much fairytale stuff and reality had had enough.

Absolutely. Like I say we were only a couple of years away from that, at the time. It all seems so inevitable, in hindsight.

Aye. Our battles with Man U were a massive boon for our global exposure. If they'd turned to shit that year and we'd won the league at a canter it probably wouldn't have grown so quickly.

Aye, but dodgy deals are all over the place now.

I'd also add that it would have become sustainable in the following years. Succes at the time was a top 3 finish, but only a couple of years later top 6 or 7 was adequate to keep the cash registers turning over.

You're mostly spot on but the sustainability was heavily dependent on continued success. It was a bold plan, with huge ambition and belief.

It was obviously hyperbole, but 3 players from a complete squad is pretty much nobody.

Just burn some more oil and we'll be right in a few years.

Thing is, if they'd bought Man u, the opposition to them would have been silenced to a degree. Just like Tories doing arms deals. Without that opposition you lose the platform to promote your vision.

I doubt anybody fighting the drop would want them, either. Edit: Should have read all of the post before responding. Dubravka would definitely be a legitimate target for those fighting relegation. Don't think Rafa would take ASM though.

Rafa filled them with Belief, desire and commitment. Bruce came and pulled the plug out on his first day.

Bruce never made any attempt to play them as a coherent effective team. Therefore his influence is nil, in this respect. We're a squad of Championship players from which Rafa got a quite pleasant tune. Bruce came along and blew in the wrong fucking end.

You appear to be ignoring their already globally acknowledged reputation.

Christ you talk some crap. Yes. It's all about perspective. Who'd've thunk.

Do you honestly believe in 5-10 years time, when we're bringing in the most investment and global interest, we won't be sitting at the top table telling the PL which way to bend?

But we now have a plan, involving the same players Rafa knows so well. They were never Bruced, he couldn't inspire a dog to piss on a lamppost. They've been de-Rafad

Our owner for the past 14 years was rich, our current situation is not directly related to finances. Ashley used the club for his own purposes, PIF intend to do the same, but they're prepared to gloss over it with a trophy or two.

Didn't Bruce surprise these with his lack of a discernible plan to be countered?

Trouble with that is Rafa knows all of our weaknesses. He knows all about our proneness for individual errors.

I've never really understood the desire to be 'rich'. What does it mean? I can get the desire to earn a million, that's an ambition, an attainable target. but being ambiguously 'rich' seems like an empty life.

He was a bastard thorn in our side, but you can't help loving him.

The delightful thing about our takeover is that we will soon be one of the cunts. Triffic.

Don't forget the subs bench. Even once we've replaced the entire first eleven, we'll have about 3 adequate substitutes.

They couldn't give two fucks about financial profit from these ventures. They're investing in public image.

I'd love to see Lascelles rise to the occasion but I think he's been through too much to ever believe in himself the way Rafa had him. He looks broken to me.