Abacus

Sorry, stuck into that dinner. Five days off all round - let's play!

Have added my comment to the Athletic, along with a few other Newcastle fans it seems, suggesting lovely bloke Steve Bruce to be the ideal candidate! I would absolutely love to see him roll up his sleeves and get stuck into that job!

I'm not sure that the goalkeeper will have been top of Howe's thinking up until now. But it's obvious Darlow isn't the answer, not just for his gaffes and his poor distribution, but for how he doesn't command his defence. He's ineffective at crosses and free kicks, too slow to react in open play. If we get relegated, it'll probably be by just a few points. A decent keeper saves you those few points that make all the difference - and that's not Darlow.

The general view before this was that we'd need at least 7 points from our next 3 home games. We can still do that. Even if you'd just swapped Darlow for Dubravka today, which will surely happen by the next home match, I think you'd be looking at a whole different result. I also don't think it's right to assume we'll get nothing at all against any of the bigger teams - other teams do and at least now we won't be going in with the same defeatist attitude. Some promising signs, some old problems. Will it be too little, too late? Maybe - overall, I'm up to a 6.

Bet he still turns up on Monday with a new briefcase. "I'll bring my own crayons, Amanda!"

I thought the rumours were we aren't getting Emanalo? In which case, for his own mental health, I hope he has a plan B spreadsheet all ready to demonstrate exactly how great he is instead. NB there is a thread on RTG asking about a potential Qatari World Cup boycott due to human rights abuses, and most are saying they wouldn't bother. That's despite Sunderland being a beacon of Western liberal values and enlightened learning, just like they were in the dark ages. It's because they just want to watch the football, you see.

Nothing according to Richard Masters, writing to Newcastle's Member of Parliament.

You can believe what you like. I have my own theories on the piracy links, but that's all they are so I won't speculate. But I would say that being unhappy with an outcome and then, on the back of that, being able to force a senior board level resignation from a process you aren't supposed to have any say in, looks a bit like you might have undue influence on the people who are supposed to be making those decisions impartially. Anyhow, let's leave it there. I'm sure the truth will come out in the end. Either way, whole thing needs a clean up because it stinks no matter how you look at it.

Then why is Hoffman apparently now having to resign? After all, the piracy is resolved. Surely he has done a good job in that case. So why would he need to go?

From a 14 August 2020 Letter from Richard Masters to Chi Onwurah MP. Is it true that several Premier League clubs objected to the takeover and what influence do the views of competing clubs have in the approval process? The Owners' and Directors' test is delegated to and carried out entirely by the Premier League Board. Other member Clubs have no role whatsoever in the approval process. So, this resignation is a mystery alright.

But of course, we've been told there was no pressure from other clubs to try and block it ...

I don't think we disagree at all, I'm mainly trying to point out how difficult it is to compare them. Which I do know is the whole point For what it's worth, I think Rogers has been around the block enough to be counted as an experienced manager. I'm sure he'll get a crack at one of the top jobs soon. As for the up & coming managers. I think Gerrard has picked the right route and has now been given every chance of making it at Villa. I'd worry that he may not have the same effect as he did at Rangers, though, since I don't think Smith did a lot wrong. The jury is out for me, and I'm happier with Howe. Potter is doing an excellent job - probably at the top of that little group for me, but it's really hard to separate them. Howe has achieved a huge amount at a young age, and I like his self improvement ethos. Vieira has had a great start in the PL and likewise seems to take the job seriously, not trading on his star name. But maybe, it's a bit too soon to tell. I think you could put those 3 in any order for lots of reasons, and I really wouldn't sensibly disagree with you. Ole is a different kettle of fish altogether. He must be given huge credit for stabilising things at Man U, and as a relative novice at one of the biggest clubs in the world, that's incredible. But he also seems tactically unaware, unable to affect the play and is patently shown up by the best managers, despite having some incredible talent at his disposal, as those are who he is judged against. Maybe it's just come too soon in his career and so this is unfair, but I don't see anything that suggests a consistent or considered approach to how he sets up or his team selection.

Well, I suppose take someone like Mourinho. He's won virtually everything there is to win. But I wouldn't want him at my club - his time is passed and he is toxic. That's why I wouldn't go all that far back into a manager's previous list of achievements. Or as another example, Ranieri. A likeable guy, who achieved the almost impossible and perhaps the greatest footballing feat of all time with Leicester. But I wouldn't put him in the top rank of managers just for that. The fact that Vieira hasn't won anything yet doesn't make him a worse manager than those two, judged from today imo.

I happen to mostly agree with you about Vieira being underrated, and was a bit surprised to see him ranking so low in most people's lists. I think he's done a cracking job so far, and that away point against Palace was a good one. I do think it's hard to compare across different leagues though, and, although it's just a bit of fun I don't think he's been managing enough games in the PL yet to make many sensible comparisons. For example, keeping Bournemouth defying gravity for so long speaks well of Howe, and I don't know you'd realistically compare those achievements. But you could say that about anyone on the list though, as they're all managing in completely different circumstances and some people are judging managers based on past successes etc. Personally, I've no problem with OGS being towards the bottom of the pack, for instance. Benitez, I think, has often been placed too highly on here as well. Mid table for me right now, which will be an unpopular view. Both him and OGS are in the difficult position of trying to manage hodge podge squads that weren't of their making, though. So again, there's context. Although, I suppose OGS has at least had time to address that problem and yet still hasn't - but who knows what real say he has over transfers in the first place.

It's only just occurred to me. That training camp was in Portugal, wasn't it? Where Brucey has his holiday home.

I think every player deserves to get a fresh start, both from the manager and hopefully from the fans as well. It may not work out but at least we'll have given them a fair chance this time. I can't imagine coming to one of the most competitive leagues in the world, with huge expectations due to your transfer fee, only to then have Steve Bruce as your manager.

Listen to this pearler, from the global warming thread; "If it gets too hot up here I would suggest we sign lots of African players."

Can't we just avoid this sponsorship hoo-ha by selling Shelvey to a Saudi club for £20bn? Player sales aren't part of this fandango. Granted, such a move may sour international relations forever, but it's swings and roundabouts.

Are they mainly just cheering because someone finally said the word Sunderland on the telly?

https://www.readytogo.net/smb/threads/will-global-warming-benefit-safc-and-the-region.1564477/ I don't think he has considered that it may increase the size of their other enemy, the north sea.

Call me a romantic, but perhaps they could auction the SD signs in case we ever want them back.

Aren't McLaren owned by Bahrain? I don't really know why any of it is either here nor there mind, as I don't see any of it as being my problem in the first place

How low quality would their tea towels have been?

I really want this to be Howe's big project now, for both the sake of him and our club. As job interviews go, that training session did it for me. I'm totally sold.

Not impressed. I didn't see him throw the ball in the air and say "let's play!".