Dr Jinx

Fuck that. You're representing your club and it's supporters and trying to promote inclusivity. Such a dick move.

So if the club is valued closer to 1bn now, do you think PIF have a number, a value, where if it reaches that and there is interest, that they would sell? The initial investment in players was to ensure we stayed in the league and with just a few more additions we got top 4. They haven't invested or been able to much since and we've dropped off. I am sure they'd be delighted to win something but it doesn't occur to me that they are doing EVERYTHING they can so ensure that. It's not a Middle-East vanity project. We're all waiting for some financial flex that may never come, so in itself worrying about PSR or whatever other bullshit the cartel wants to protect themselves with, it's sort of irrelevant. Announcing a new stadium would go some way to putting my mind at ease but so far, all we have is a feasibility study, maybe costing 100k? And of course we do not know what they are discussing behind closed doors, the answer could well be "not now". Regardless of whatever happens, we're never going back to the Mike Ashley days so i'll always be thankful for that.

Its consistency or lack of that will be his downfall. We could turn up next two games and play very well, but then it’ll all fall flat again and it’s been this way for last 2 seasons. He had excuses last year with injuries and suspensions but he’s exposed this year and he’s been found wanting. Other clubs around us have changed things up and have improved and it feels like we’ve stagnated on that side.

Who needs enemies with friends like that. Even if one of them shared the vid with someone else, that person sitting there unable to control themselves for a brief moment in the sun, on twitter..

That's a very good point, generally footballers for the most part are not the sharpest people, a lack of education and being surrounded by people with a lack of education creates a bubble where they can function perfectly well in life not knowing the things they don't know. A manager needs to aspire to be a bit more than that. But they cannot lose the aspects of their personality that make it easy for them to relate to their players. That's why for the most part, current managers are past players. You don't get many outsiders who go straight to coaching. Rafa Benitez was done as a player by his mid 20's and made the jump to coaching/management straight away. Similar with Eddie, his playing career finished relatively early at 30, so he had that time to soak in a bit more.

You can't read too much into a game when the opposing team changed their entire 11. But, a good win and a 1/4 final, not complaining and if we manage to get through maybe we'll be coming to the boil this time as opposed to the previous years.

The problem is that he won't, evolve that is. He's still trying the same thing from 2 seasons ago when it's quite obvious even to us dopes that teams have figured it out.

It's the thing Eddie said in that last press conference, and i'm paraphrasing.. but.. "we had hoped he'd be back but Callum didn't feel that he was ready yet. he's a bit hypersensitive to any issue" That to me says he couldn't be arsed playing through a niggle. He's at the back end of his career, like what's he saving himself for?

Yes, iirc there was a slight delay in announcing the move as it had to be approved. I always thought we could have wrangled a few extra million on that sale but maybe the price was something that wasn't going to get looked at too hard.

You're asking the wrong question. If other teams can win more than we do by putting in less effort on that front, then isn't the fundamental principal of what we're doing inefficient? It's tactical. And unfortunately, it's what our whole style of play is based around. Eddie Howe isn't going to have an epiphany and come up with something better. He's spent years developing something he feels is the right way and he'll die on that hill.

Plenty of creative ways to make money from what we do own. Found oil at the training ground eh?

This is somewhat of a coup.. let’s hope we handle his progression well.

Amorim I reckon is already lined up to replace Pep, that’s why Viana is making the move. Ornstein usually spot on but not 100% on these things.. I think they’ll approach and haggle and it will put him off. City are so much better run as a club, they just pay generally what the asking is and are decisive about it which is the most important bit.

There is something Longstaff does that allows Bruno to be more effective. That's the link.. get Tonali doing that and we'll improve no end.

I’ve been impressed with him, subtle changes tactically and he’s let the players know who’s in charge.

For a DoF to work effectively, he has to have his own person in charge of the team. Howe is not his appointment obviously and despite the public comments, I won’t be convinced that Howe wants that person/position in place. So if that is the case, how can it ever work? Ashworth got rid of Hughton straight away at Brighton despite doing ok for them. Now they follow a structure. As for Howe, my feelings on the topic are well stated so I don’t need to add to it.. I think maybe a few more are coming around to my way of thinking looking at the comments.

We’re misfiring for sure and he’ll turn it around to get us to a certain level but we’ll never surpass that with him. We’ll never become a possession based team who can break teams down. Brighton were happy to give us the ball first half and watch us run out of steam.. it’s not the first time that’s happened.

Awful that, RIP.. thoughts with him and the family 😔

I mean to have that stadium.. even if it must be burglary

She may well be gathering together a group for another investment elsewhere but I think personally, she's probably got enough out of selling her shares at NUFC to clear off any other debt she had and have a little nest egg to retire on. I can understand the club couldn't have a director and part owner about to have a phase where companies were about to appoint liquidators but I also think they would be missing a trick by not having her at the club in some capacity, she adds that personal touch that's been missing.

The delay makes total sense. I'm not even convinced the feasibility study is 100% complete, it's a huge undertaking. Much easier to build fresh on a new site.. there's all manner of surveys which need to be carried out so that a high level costing can be completed - which is what will determine their choice. Then just say hypothetically a call is made in one direction or the other.. at this point a design team gets put together, even that process can drag on months. That will need input from those currently in charge of operations at St James'.. this is where you need a chain of command essentially, for them to feed their input to the CEO who can be informed fully at these design team meetings (CS, Fire, QS, PS, M&E, Architects, PM's, PSDS to name but a few) and that's even before a construction contractor is tendered. Any of the options also require traffic management, drainage management and a whole bunch of other considerations while the building phase is going on too, there's so many different elements.

They tend to name stadia after royal family members but that's in Saudi, so who knows really. But if it was at the Arena site, you'd have to give a nod to existing heritage.. Black Gate, St Nicholas, Tynebridge etc

Plus the aerial shots of the stadium and the river/bridge before kick off.. it would make its own place in heritage of the city assuming the design isn’t a complete pig

It’s the path of least resistance

Not only that but say for a club that found themselves in the situation we did last year, being able to address an obvious shortcoming in the squad that was going to derail an entire season. I think that would bring about a bit of stability to a majority of clubs.