Abacus

Rooney can't even put a tie on properly

I don't really know what the ten Hag situation is going to do for their players. You'd think it would be a mess, but on the other hand will they be playing to impress the next manager, especially the ones who don't like him?

This has to be down to Poch more than Chelsea. Was reading that he wanted more control of transfers (you can hardly blame him given their previous scattergun approach) and they said no, hence they agreed to part ways. I imagine he scarpered from the mess. You also wonder what room they'd have anyway given all the hotel / training ground stuff. But he's proved himself to be pretty decent pulling that lot round from the rabble they were early in the season, albeit with some talented players to work with. What decent manager goes there now, given it seems they need CL as the target for their finances, but then you don't get enough say in transfers to guarantee it? Watch them try to sell Connor Gallagher to themselves now.

It's £100m now and a pristine lawn

Could be. Or, that we're supporting anyone who wants to push that arbitrary boundary. Or, that we've got a transfer target in mind and want to break it. Or, that we want Villa's support in future votes. Or, that it's completely made up.

Agreed, but on this point I think it does the exact opposite. "I know, so as to maintain your dignity we'll make you run across the pitch in front of a baying crowd for it to be pointed out in front of everyone as to how you've been a knob."

I understand and have some sympathy for the perfectly reasonable objections to VAR, not just the inconsistency but most particularly the impact on fans experience. However, it's not going away for international or European football, so it's going nowhere and we might as well get used to it. So it's going to be about refining, while accepting it's never going to perfect with human beings in charge. Train them better, tweak the rules, each year and carry on. I did wonder if we'll get to the point where some sort of incorruptible AI could be fed all the rules and have access to all the camera angles, to make decisions in seconds. But then there'd be no point even having the poor ref in the first place and it's probably not as fun shouting at computers.

Interesting snippet at the end that there is apparently Saudi interest in Dubravka, so a new keeper likely on the way.

What a mess. It seems that there was a general panic after Abramovic was sanctioned, and that by Chelsea self reporting alleged prior breaches (still not dealt with), that the PL were clearly asleep at the wheel then anyway. FFP rightly allows you to spend what you like on training facilities etc for the development of the club and the sport in general. But unless you value the training facilities as development land (the opposite of what FFP was supposed to achieve for the sport), it's hard to see what other independent value it has, or how this is a good look no matter how you try and slice it. The hotel thing I could sort of understand, not that it's been approved so far anyway. But this would be nonsense. Well done on showing how you can regulate yourself PL, even just to the point that clubs are trying this sort of thing. I wonder if they ever replied to the select committee asking for more details about what Masters was specifically whingeing about when he claimed with no examples that having one could wreck the sport. I'm ambivalent to the idea personally, but they aren't half making the case for it themselves.

It would be pretty farcical if this was allowed. Well done in that case for sustainability by encouraging clubs to sell their own assets (i.e. the ones they are actually permitted to spend money on like training facilities) to another group company to make a short term profit for playing staff. And what would be the fair market value of that specialist asset?

I think we'll be really frustrated after the Brighton game, even though it was hardly a disaster, and will look to take it out on these. Two teams with patched up defences, but we'll have had that extra day of rest. Hopefully Isak is well and firing as I can see both him and Bruno having points to prove - Howe and the management as well for that matter, after Ratcliffe and the constant gardener's antics.

Outfield yes, but I'm wondering about a keeper. A young one maybe, one to be 3rd choice, given Karius is off.

Agreed. Hopefully they buy some Adidas shirts from JD Sports.

A very frustrating scrappy stop-start game, which was exactly how Brighton wanted it. That first goal was a bit of a killer for us, but either way we never really found our rhythm, or were allowed to. So it all felt a bit flat. All in all, it's not a disaster - 6th is still in our hands with one last push. Looking forward to Wednesday now - we could all but guarantee it there, what with Chelsea playing Brighton the same night.

No, it's that rather than repositioning the sun we're just trying to figure out how to affect the tilt of the earth's axis to change the angle of sunlight. Yes, this might affect the planet's seasons causing untold misery for life on earth and mankind in general, but fuck off man. We've got human rights too.

Just shove a bunch of glow worms through all their letterboxes and build merrily away.

Agreed, but next season is the real test for him. See if Villa can cope with a likely terrible CL draw like we had, plus little money to strengthen to progress due to ... reasons. To my mind, Howe will have come through this benighted season with flying colours. Emery's difficult second album is coming up and fair play if he manages it and keeps shaking things up.

His argument is basically that fans are a captive market, so will buy the shirt anyway and could be exploited. Wonder when he realised that?

Dan Ashworth is edging closer to Manchester United. Think that's the important word - Monty Dan really is dedicated.

It's not so much of a devil's advocate opinion, I've thought likewise. When he joined, we seemed like we were about to be the next Man City. And then rule after rule came in. Saying all that, I think he's bought into us now and isn't one to duck a challenge, especially as we can have a proper go next season. Rafa, apparently cold hearted and ruthless, stayed because he could see something here. I hope Bruno feels the same way because he's already a hero for me and could go one step further and become a legend. Go to Arsenal and get knocked out in the quarter finals of the CL? Meh. He'd get a bloody statue if he won something with us.

They can get to fuck.

Absolutely love this thread btw

Agreed, but we'll probably have a few of those types in a few years, instead of most of us who stuck about through relegations in the pissing rain, or decided we couldn't stick with an Ashley run club and gave up our weekends with mates. For all his wind-ups he did play that question with a straight bat when most would hide. Still think he's a traitor, like.