Shadow Puppets

You’re right to an extent, of course. But you can’t tell me that last season and many seasons before, we regularly had turgid atmospheres. A few more this season, sure. I think the biggest obvious issue between this season and last is that Wor Flags haven’t seemed as present this season, because focus has been on CL games. Last season it felt like a lot of games were Wor Flag spectacles which helped massively in building atmosphere. They were there today obviously, but it was a rehash of earlier stuff, and there is perhaps a bit of desensitisation to it when people have seen it all before. I’m not saying it should all be on Wor Flags of course… I’m just trying to find the obvious differences between this season and last.

The atmosphere had fuck all to do with the ticketing situation. It’s regularly like that and has been for years. For whatever reason the atmosphere one week is incredible (PSG) followed by shite.

I usually can’t stand Jim White (Simon Jordan is becoming much more reasonable in recent months), but Jim’s reactions and stirring in this are hilarious ?

As I said a week or so ago... from the horses mouth... if he needs surgery he'll be out for 6-8 months. If he doesn't, it'll be a few weeks still. There hasn't been any further update since he returned from Holland when I said that he has been told he doesn't need surgery as things stand.

I’m in the minority who thought this was horrific then? ?

No surgery needed (at the moment).

I'm glad you had a good time mate, but from the area I was in, it was clear that people were so far gone they didn't stand a chance of being able to create an atmosphere. Literal zombies.

You can get to fuck on that one though. ?

Rashford decision was wrong in my opinion. Maguire handball penalty was correct. Agreed on forearm. Your penalty was very soft though. Convinced it hit Maguire’s hand first.

he’s flying from Amsterdam to Newcastle

Taking my hatred of Man Utd out of it, that’s a ridiculously unlucky red card like. Of course intent matters. He’s protecting the ball, the other player puts his leg exactly where he’s about to stand. How is that Rashford’s fault? Why isn’t it the Copenhagen players fault?

In this game, yeah. He’s been doing a pretty good job of it the rest of the time.

?

Just going back to yesterdays atmosphere (shite from minute 1), compared to the league cup game against Man Utd (phenomenal from minute 1)… - both evening kick offs - both massive games - both decent > good away allocations - both playing weakened teams The only difference is: - far less alcohol / drugs consumed vs Man Utd due to it being a work night, most people driving to and from the game that day. And the Man Utd game had FAR more day tripper away fans with the 7,000 allocation. Really think the fans need to take a good hard look at why the hell they bother if all they plan on doing is getting wankered before during the day.

Oh I did ? Some pissed up dickhead chav on the tube shouting at some Dortmund fans that "England won the war" and that we "saved the world from having to speak your horrible language".

Well unless everyone who I see weekly in the corporate team are point blank lying to me, the 7% figure is correct. I think it's much much more likely to be season ticket holders selling them on / giving them to mates. Two of my friends went on someone else's ticket yesterday.

People will always say / believe whatever they want if they perceive some kind of injustice somewhere (see the vitriol towards YouTubers etc). The reality is that last night's atmosphere had nothing to do with who had the tickets and everything to do with British drinking culture... I'll never fucking understand why you'd spend hundreds of pounds to follow NUFC in Europe, only to be too pissed to make a noise / stand up.

They are very open about it if you just ask any of the corporate team. I was speaking to my corporate team contact at the match last night who said for the PSG game they've only been allocated 100 away end tickets.

No that's not true at all. A maximum of 7% of the away allocation are held back for corporate clients AND players friends/families. A few years ago it used to be maximum 5%. So only a small increase. That's not the reason for the away issues at all.

I can only go by my own experience last night, but I was surrounded by paralytic drunken zombies. Literally, in the immediate vicinity, say in the 50-100 people around me, I’d say maybe 10% were sober enough to even talk and stand, let alone sing. Probably the worst away end I’ve been in, to be honest.

Pathetic away area today. Everyone just treated the trip as one big piss up… huge amount of pissed moaning zombies. (I don’t drink so it was fucking disappointing) Why spend all that money and be off your face by the time you reach the stadium?

It was aimed at UEFA

Sven will find out this week whether he needs an operation. If he does, he’ll miss most of the rest of the season ?

I spoke to him before the Burnley game, and yeah, he said he pulled away to run and just felt something crack under his foot.

I keep saying that to everyone who'll listen, whenever I hear undue criticism of him. To get a player who offers more than Miggy, you're looking at £70-£80m.