Abacus

The reaction does seem deranged, but I'd been wondering why they were so desperate to hark back to Keane in the first place. My theory is that they've been ignored for so long that they are desperate for any tiny bit of attention. They thought Defoe would bring that, but no-one cares. They also REALLY took against Downie saying they weren't newsworthy, and this seems to be the barb that stings them most. So when Keane was asked about whether he'd take the job on TV, whilst commentating on another game a week or so ago, there was little short of jubilation. "Mentioned on prime time Friday night telly, marra! That'll show Downie and all the mags we're not irrelevant no matter what they say!" was the gist of it. Forgetting the fact that it's Keane who was the story, not them. No neutral could name their last 3 managers, for example. And that "story", which is still more important than them anyway, amounted to some light hearted joshing with a fellow TV pundit and an ex-managerial failure.

There are so many claims and rumours about whether Roy Keane will join them that it's hard to separate fact from fiction. One of the latest on there is that it's a condition that he would need to move to Sunderland doesn't want to. Imagine insisting as well as "having to manage Sunderland" you also "have to live in Sunderland". Anyone who agreed to those terms needs a brain swap.

Think I was a 5 or a 6 before the transfer window shut. I'm down to a 4 now, as I really like the fighting spirit in the team and we've now given ourselves a fighting chance points wise. Lingering worries are because of Wilson's injury and that there's only Gayle if Wood gets injured. Also, as after last night St Max will now become even more of a marked man. Though, hopefully Bruno settles fast and gives opposition teams something else to worry about. And another positive is if all else fails we've got some decent set piece threat now too.

He made a huge difference tonight. Fair play, we seem to have a decent left back who can fizz in a few crosses. Really good debut

My favourite fewming thread title is "Team full of midgets".

I'd hoped it was by kicking Shelvey up the arse.

What an image he paints - standing at the gates with his cheque book, massive jeans flapping in the wind ?. I'd turn a water hose on him if I was one of the administrators. He'd be the perfect owner for SAFC mind. Run them sensibly marra. Not like that lot up the road. Well, except he wouldn't get a transfer for a 39 year old striker 'over the line'. Or put up with Roy Keane for even ten minutes. I think the real barrier to him buying them is that he only ever buys distressed assets, where he has, e.g. the administrators over a barrel and can squeeze them for every penny. That's what he really enjoys. That and hanging round the whoops aisle in supermarkets. This French child might want out of Sunderland (like everyone else) so he can spend his money on sweets instead, but I expect he won't be held to ransom to sell in quite the same way as a business that's in the late stages of going bust.

Hahaha, I'm guessing the BBQ thing was a joke, it's just a funny image. But yeah, the whole smoke bomb is weird. I'm really looking forward to seeing what they've come up with with that flag, mind ?

I've mainly been laughing at the Swearing in Football thread. Some bloke went swearing his head off at the match, and someone with children told him off. So he went on to ask if he was in the wrong. Now they're all confused as to whether they can swear in front of children or not, and if so, which swear words they can use. Anyhow, in response to that initial tale came this; Happened with me mate but it wasn’t swearing I’d brought a disposable barbecue with me and started to cook sausages and a man with his two kids said I couldn’t do it and to move away. Reminded him that in fact nobody has ever told me not to and I laughed whilst eating a Cumberland ring as he and his two kids looked famished. Fair play, that's pretty funny. If only it was real, it would be like the bloke who kept a flap of cheese in his pocket for his half time burger.

Interesting point. I was originally saying that this particular thing isn't really an attempt to get around the rules on FFP, since it has no relationship to your profit or loss in general. And I do apologise to my friends, family and this forum for being tediously interested in this kind of thing ?

He'll just keep quarter-pounding away.

It's been set out well above. You should ignore Kieran Maguire's summary on this on that tweet - he's basically just making a joke there. Any company (like NUFC) can raise cash by issuing and then selling more shares in itself, either to new investors, or to existing ones. This will be to an existing investor, since there's no way anyone else would pay £40m for a single share. It just means the club needed cash, and this is just one common way of doing that, rather than taking out a loan. We don't know what that cash was for - my guess above was re the recent transfers.

I think the nominal value of the share is 5p, not 50p. Not that it really matters. It's also right that this will have nothing to do with FFP, but I think it might be related to our recent transfers. If I had to guess, many of those transfers will have needed an up front cash payment, as well as later installments. So, it could just have been to cover that short term cashflow need. Issuing 1 share (presumably to PIF) would also barely affect the existing 80:10:10 ownership structure.

Yes, but you have to remember those were also their best times in living memory too.

No, he's a decent pundit. I don't think he says much that's really incisive, but he's entertaining to watch as you never quite know when he's going to throw his rattle out of the pram and start whinging, having a go at players or starting a row with someone on air. Essentially, he's like Coco the Clown since at any moment, honk and the wheels could fall off. Shearer exposed him very well on that with the sending off. And he exposed himself with his admission of how he tackled Haaland. So yes, entertaining enough to watch as a pundit, engaging even, but would you'd have to be a fool to think he can manage a team for any length of time without it all falling apart due to his own character flaws.

You can see why they'd be excited by this, after years of nobody paying attention to them. Surely the scene is set for a Netflix return... Roy Keane marches in to save Sunderland's season, whilst Jermaine Defoe rolls back the years to fire them out of league 1 and into a new era! Narrator; But there wasn't a new era.

Let's ask Ralph if we can postpone the game.

No thanks

I don't even think it's click bait with Merson. When asked to assess whether Newcastle had made good signings, he basically said that would depend on whether we stayed up. I.e. he'll wait and see how well they do before offering an opinion. Thus defeating the whole point of a game which is him being asked to have an opinion on how good they are.

Merson delighted that Arsenal lost Aubameyang and have brought nobody in. He judges their transfer window a 'hit'. Honestly, it was just incoherent rambling.

Quite happy to miss out on Alli and for Everton to risk it. They just showed a clip of him sitting on the bench and just something about his sulky gob put me right off wanting him in our squad.

Merson also said that he should have been given more of a chance at Man U and was surprised he wasn't. But then said that he should stay there and fight for his place there anyway. This being despite having been given no chances and Ragnick having apparently twice confirmed he can go. He's completely thick and knows nothing.

Imagine if Chris Wood goes on the goal scoring spree of all time with assists from all over the park

I've been at a 6 for quite a while. But get these signings done, and maybe a loan (e.g. Lingard) and then, to be greedy, a centre back and that changes things a lot. You wouldn't put it past any team at the bottom to go on a surprise run and get out of it. Happens every year. But there's a much bigger chance of it being us if we do all that. Beat Everton on the 8th too and I'll be down to a 3. Maybe less.

I was absolutely furious that Fred West's patio business went bust despite the fact his crimes had nothing to do with crazy paving.