Dr Jinx

Unless Rafa has indicated he would come back, and even in that unlikely scenario, it’s possibly too late now. Relegation is probably 70% nailed on at this point. Even if both us and Fulham don’t score another point before the last game of the season, I think they’d beat us in the last game and stay up on goal difference.

He wouldn't even have got sacked had it not been for Benítez making contact IIRC. No, it’s not how that went down. It was by pure chance, the club had been speaking with his agent about forming a list of managerial options (should they pull the trigger on McClaren) and the agent brought up Rafa as one of those options. Lee Charnley wouldn’t have dreamed of landing someone like that given the clubs reputation. Rafa wouldn’t actively put himself in the picture to get someone else sacked.

I can’t say this whole debacle has been in any way good for my mental health, being fixated on this good news that never happens, it takes it's toll. The only people who have done well off this are the journalists. It’s given them a licence to stay relevant without having to do any actual journalism. I include Caulkin in this too.

If this takeover were in any way close what sort of pieces of shit would these potential owners be to not intervene in some way and try and influence Mike Ashley to protect the club from his own decisions. “Please sack Steve Bruce.. here is a voluntary contribution to pay the wages of an actual decent manager between now and when we take over” A few million, peanuts to them but would have made the world of difference to supporters in having to put up with this shit for so long.

Domestically though, they have to be up there with the best we’ve seen? 100 & 98 point title winning seasons, first team to ever win the domestic treble, even in their ‘dip’ year they finished 2nd by a mile, and look like at least the domestic treble and an easy title win is on the cards again. I think Liverpool were going to be their only real test and once they were crippled the league wasn’t too much of a competition. The rest of the euro places this year are the closest in years. Will be interesting to see how deep the pockets of Arsenal, Spurs and Liverpool are if they don’t make top 4 this season.

Wolves were good in that second half, City just soaked it all up, didn’t lose their nerve and put them to the sword in the end. As good as they have been though, this season will only be a success if they can do it in the CL

? that’s cheered me up

Everything to do with this “takeover” is absolutely cringey right now. I hope that Keith Lemon chap can afford whatever he’s spunked on that legal nonsense because he’ll be getting nout from Mandy now her Barclays meal ticket has sailed. We all made a lot of assumptions about what the Saudis plans were for the club, like they would throw money at the situation to succeed, we never considered that they might not do that which could have been equally as likely. Just a punt like they made with Uber and other investments that they dipped in and out of just as quick. Let’s face it, aside from Mike Ashley looking for compensation from the PL we’ve had absolutely no proof that the consortium are negotiating with him again. Zero. Again all assumptions from jaded supporters who are akin to the pilgrims going to Lourdes each year hoping their cancer might be cured. It’s as grim as that. The takeover as it is or was only exists now in the ramblings of a bunch of male Karen’s on Twitter. We should want nothing to do with it. Stop giving them the attention and the bullshit will stop. Maybe one day we’ll wake up to a story that it’s all done but right now all we have is a club that’s in limbo, with (mostly) detestable people from top to bottom (the owner, boardroom, manager, coaches and playing staff) It needs burning to the ground with a wicker man in the middle of the pitch for said detestables.

I think this morning it’s actually dawning on people now that we’re going down. A few have been in denial for the last few weeks but there’s no way to shine any positivity on it now. ASM out, and even when he’s back it’ll take him a few games to get into his stride. Has Almiron been injured yet since he’s been here? He’s been kicked about yes but we don’t have a gauge on how he’ll return. Same with Wilson, he’s going to lack sharpness. Where are the goals coming from? We had a better chance with the squad we had in 2016

The inactivity in trying to protect PL status is significant I think. Two ways of looking at it, the legal stuff is going ahead but going to take another year to sort out. Mike Ashley doesn’t care about relegation as he thinks anyone with a pulse could bring this club back up. (Showing his lack of regard for both Rafa and Hughton) Or.. and get your tin foil hat on. The legal stuff is going nowhere so the club are deliberately moving down a division to take the decision away from the PL and for a much easier test.

By the time they and Wilson are back it might be too late by then. I’ve thought for weeks now that the goal difference between us and Fulham will come into play by last day of season. We could be 3 points down needing a 6-0 win.

He will 100 get a promotion chasing championship job after we bin him We won’t bin him, we will go down and he’ll be giving it Billy Big Bollocks about how he’s the man to reshape the squad etc. It will only be 7 months later when we’re languishing in mid table that those dopes in the office realise that there will be no immediate bounce back like the last two times.

He’s made some positive contributions in recent games, in actual fact all his positive play has been when he’s dropped deeper and pressed to get the ball back or had some nice link up play with more pacey players. When he has the ball he doesn’t give it away cheaply. I’d play him on the right side of a 3 man midfield and then push Willock further forward. We’re going to need some pace up front if Almiron is missing. This is needs must, if we had a stronger squad and everyone to choose from he shouldn’t be anywhere near the starting 11

Funny isn’t it, with the money Ashley gave the two Steve’s, if he’d given that money to Rafa we most likely would be a top 6 team now. Revenues would be far higher from tv, final placings etc and we’d be worth more in terms of sponsorship. It literally wouldn’t have cost him any more than what he’s spunked on one and possibly two relegations.

At this stage in the season, looking like no takeover, Ashley having zero interest, I’m not sure i want someone else coming in and carrying the can for what Bruce has done all season. He should stay here and own it (if we are relegated), if he leaves and we still go down those fucking pundits will drive this narrative of “you never know, he might have turned it around” I don’t want them having anywhere to hide. My hatred of Steve Bruce is heavily outweighing my love for this version of the club right now

I’d love to have Keane here as manager. Just imagine what he’d say to Shelvey

Ah that’s really sad news. Had no idea he was in bad health. Suppose explains why he hadn’t managed full time in so long. In fairness, his cv was good enough that I’m sure he would have had another crack in the PL if he’d been able RIP ?

Same as last time. No and don't want actual murderers and war criminals owning the club. 100% this Would you both rather stick with Mike Ashley for now in the hope of getting taken over by someone else who would most likely run it in the same way? If all the Reubens could be convinced to get involved we could be in a good position but it’s not looking that way. Honestly think Staveleys part in this story is done now. We’ve been in this position with Mike Ashley before, I think last summer he was interested again, maybe just to spite Rafa but he got burned on the Joelinton thing which reaffirmed his beliefs that spending big money in football is a fools game so he’s reverted to type now. He’ll always take advice when it comes to this club from the wrong people, he’ll never appreciate the ones who would steer him in the right direction.

If/when we go down and this absolute clueless loser is still in charge, this will be the beginning of us “doing a Sunderland” maybe not quite as severe but once we’re in it, it’ll be a long journey back Sleep walking right into it. Relegation, then mid table obscurity in the championship. This is what Steve Bruce is all about. But sure he’s a “great man manager” and “we’re really lucky to have him”. We must not get above our station after all, us deluded fans who think we should be playing the champions league

A costly 3 points if we can hang on

I see this going the same way as Mayweather v McGregor, letting us get a few shots in without really taking any damage and watch us knacker ourselves out before they turn the screw.

I did mention a while back I’d heard there was a version of the consortium that didn’t involve her going ahead. We spend too much time worrying about the Saudis and Staveley, it’s the Reubens we should have been keeping an eye on this whole time, if anything is to happen it’ll be them.

Yes and he’ll be cheered

I find it really weird how people are getting all dramatic over reading something that they already knew about 2+ years ago. The Americans literally shot up a bunch of journalists from a gunship, hooting about it while it was taking place. They are in no moral position to make judgements on other scummy nations. This is how extortion happens at the highest level. Once the Saudis start buying more weapons and at a higher rate, all of this will die down. As for the takeover. Fuck knows, it’s a release to think it’s a dead duck. I can stop caring about the club and the fuckwit managing it. It causes me nothing but stress and frustration. There’s more to life

Rafa might have somewhat more of a direct line to the buyers but right now the only updates will be coming from Mike Ashley’s legal team. It’s anyone’s guess what will happen. I’m not holding my breath as far as Rafa is concerned