Abacus

Obviously huge numbers of empty seats - their made up attendances are worse than Qatar's. Probably it's Christmas tree decorating season, marra.

I agree that for all his strengths, Southgate has flaws that can't be overlooked, and I also think that in the last two tournaments he and his teams were found out. The argument that he got us to a semi final and then a final previously is definitely undermined by the fact we got an incredibly lucky run in the knock out stages, and were effectively at home in the Euros. But then, when we finally lost those games, the disappointment was more that we were out-managed in the end and lost both those games with barely a whimper. There was a feeling of missed opportunity and that we could have done more if the team played to their strengths. As for flaws, I often disagree with some of his squad and team selections, but there's probably not a manager alive who can keep everyone happy with those, so I'll leave that one. It's his tactics and passive in-game management which are the real criticism, i.e. the things you need to have to actually win something. However, I don't feel that way about this tournament. He is still too cautious at times for me, but in fairness he did make some tactical tweaks in games which worked. Against France, some will point out his odd substitution of Saka, but in general I thought the team played well. In fact if anything I thought they edged it against a very good France team and probably should have won. So this time I don't come away disappointed that we could have made a better effort and fading away when it really mattered. Instead, I come away rueing a missed penalty and a refereeing performance that was consistently poor all night. Saka in particular got nothing from him. It's not just sour grapes - these were potentially big decisions. One could have chalked off the opening France goal, another could have given another penalty or at the very least a dangerous free kick right on the edge of the box. Nothing Southgate could have done about any of that. So oddly, whilst I don't rate him much for the previous campaigns where England finished higher, it's this tournament where we only got to the quarters but where I'm less critical. He seemed to have addressed some of his previous mistakes to me. If he has the drive and energy for one more tournament, I'd be tempted to give him a final crack at the Euros unless an outstanding candidate turns up and becomes available in the meantime.

It's quite hilarious watching them try and understand the concept of racism! Even now, after being asked to stop, a few still seem genuinely confused about why they can't sing their favourite racist song as well. I keep getting David Brent flashbacks - "How's that racist? It's a compliment if anything!". It was ridiculous even then. And The Office came out two decades ago.

"discussions"..."led us to understand"... Doesn't sound the strongest position, unless they had that nailed down in writing.

So, two players who were born in Sunderland played well in one knock out game meaning that there should now be a Look North special about Sunderland, including talking to their teachers to confirm they were good lads. And they are fewming that this probably won't happen because of the Dawn Thewlis led magedia? Just imagine if one of them rates a 7/10 performance in the quarter finals - there would need to be a double episode of Panorama, with a special theme tune about rivers and boats.

Would look good on a Botman shirt.

Right on cue re Jill Scott; "They’ve hoodwinked most of the country into thinking things like the Angel of The North is in Newcastle and celebrities from places like Shields and Consett are from Newcastle." Like we could be arsed getting together and "hoodwinking" people into thinking anything, for some mysterious reason that I can't work out. Everything that ever happens is some bizarre mag conspiracy - they're demented.

Talking of their stupidity, I had a skim a couple of weeks ago to see what sort of outrage there is currently in that bubbling grudge-soup they mistake for a brain. Only to realise that it's not worth trying to guess how the Fans of Massive Lads on that board come up with their nonsense. For example, one goofus had quoted a tweet about how the Saudis refused to listen to President Biden when he'd asked for more oil. In saying no, apparently some Saudis had mocked Biden's speech. The dimwit's 'gotcha' logic then went something like this; 1. If he can't speak properly, Biden is mentally impaired; so 2. The Saudis are mocking disabilities; meaning 3. Mags must love mocking disabilities A second halfwit then seized upon this drivel to claim; "If KLD mocked a disabled NUFC they’d condemn it. Their owners can knock disabilities though cos they’ve paid to have them currently sitting in 4th." A disabled NUFC? Well anyhow, it's quite the bizarre fictional situation knacker number 2 had dreamt up there to get enraged about in order to show off to his simple mates. To recap; He appeared to want to defend his owner - in advance - from getting imaginary abuse after he'd imagined him making a terrible comment about disabled people that he hadn't actually made. He was mainly delighted about this purely on the basis that if any of it did come true in the future then he'd then be able to say "but whatabout the mags". Even though it was all based on the equally nonsensical made up ramblings of another one of his fellow idiots in the first place. Whilst giving away that it was actually us being 4th in the league table that was really bothering him. Thick as mince.

"Someone" from a Saudi University, you say? Game, set and match to the mackems then. Still, it's pretty funny how excited they are at the prospect of abandoning all their made up principles due to an imaginary thing happening, just in case it's bad for us. Hard to have to live in a world where your only waking thought is how something (anything!) might badly affect the "mags".

Keane is so stupid he doesn't realise that it would be us being punished if we signed his mate

Spain looking incisive, some great play. But that stadium looks half empty even from the pitch-side angles you can see. There's no way you can disguise what a shower this whole thing is.

Howe - Always calm and never flustered Bruce - First blame the fans, then treble custard!

I mostly agree. But on the other hand, as well as taking money out, they have remorselessly grown Man U's commercial brand around the world at the same time. One fan argument is that the club would be better off if they just spent their own money instead of paying some of it to the Glazers and also in debt interest. But on the other hand, it's the Glazers who helped build all that income in the first place, so they've taken money out from a bigger pot they've grown. Give with one hand, take with the other. Unlike Ashley, who not only took money away through sponsorships etc, but actively strangled the commercial side. I.e. he took with both hands. I'm not arguing with your basic point, by the way. Just like their fans, I'd also have detested their ownership if it was us. I just don't think they are as calamitously bad as Ashley in terms of the long term damage they have caused. Also, higher interest rates worldwide on a debt funded asset, where you've now got real competition for your TV money, in a likely future global recession ... yeah, a house of cards that ownership. No surprise to see them and FSG want to cut and run.

They should make him play two more games instead.

You can be delighted for the Saudis without needing to link anything to NUFC. It's a huge sporting upset, and one they deserved, against a tournament favourite. And in what was probably the best match of what has been a pretty stale tournament so far. You don't have to agree with their regime, or anything else, to be able to enjoy that. As for Qatar, I was happy they lost but that's due to how the tournament was awarded to start with and how it has been conducted since.

The Qatari mackems will be fewming

I do sympathise with the travelling fans though. It's seven hour flight at least, plus transfers, to the stadium. Pretty gruelling to be holding it in all that time before they can take a nice relaxing shit in their seat. Here's to the Turtles' Head Trophy.

They are clearly hoping for a bit of investment / sponsorship / interest from the Middle East by piggybacking on our owners. No other reason for them to choose to play a Saudi club. They probably also had to pay the Saudis to sportswash their image, because there's no conceivable benefit in the KSA being associated with the awful Wearside regime.

I agree and think the Tyneside Life guy came across badly in this. I especially liked his "gotcha" where he told the guy that the Saudis hadn't signed up to the Human Rights Convention. Err that's right, agreed the guy suspiciously, clearly wary that he was being lured into some kind of clever trap. Before finding out it was nothing of the sort and it was the questioner who had just made a prat of himself instead. You highlighted that earlier, but at that point my own cringe factor was so high that I had to switch it off. NB I didn't agree with the protests themselves, even if I agree with many of the issues they protest about. Regardless, I thought he was reasonable and afterwards I thought fair enough to him, he's made his case. He was always entitled to do that of course, but whilst you can always say what you want, he at least earned the right to be listened to by how he went about it.

Away first, just after New Year. To be honest, a point there and them still having to come to our place afterwards would be pretty immense.

I don't really understand the shithousery thing. Do you mean, a bit of time wasting near the end of a match or rolling about after a hard tackle? Making the most of a foul and being certain you get it? The odd tactical foul or physical intimidation of players? Being in the ear of the referee the whole game so you're not a pushover? There's a line with all of those things, and I don't think we've crossed it. Making your case to the ref, for example, is a far cry from surrounding and physically bullying the ref like Man U used to do, with Ferguson screaming from the touchline, or has happened against us this season, like with send-him-off Klopp. But if that line isn't crossed, and I don't think we have crossed it, then none of that is shithousery in my book. Blatant diving, cheating, pretending you've been elbowed in the face, or nasty off the ball fouls - that's my definition of shithousery, and I don't think we do much if any of that. Probably the only example I can think of was Zouma getting meowed at, and that was both deserved and hilarious.

Be interested to see how we do against this Arsenal team. There's nothing scary about them, from what I've seen. I mean, they're doing brilliantly so far, but it looks like you can get after them.

Toney looked absolutely furious in his post match interview. I like that attitude.

He won it for us last February as well after the relegation rescue act. Three times with Bournemouth.

Gymnastics is giving them a bit too much credit. It's more like a series of belly-flops.