christ

That’s my recollection. Toontastic was part of the absurdly long URL, got a redesign and changed to Toonchat then relaunched as Toontastic again after the merger which gave us N-O. Used to spend hours every day on Toontastic back in the Robson/Souness/Roeder years. Skunkers was great fun too. Still around albeit half dead and under a slightly different name iirc.

You can understand how having an actual striker who knows how to play that position at this level may mean we’re better set up than not, aye?

I mean it is but then acknowledging that would prevent people from shitting their pants. It’s the same way people flip their lid and want ASM dropped the minute he has an off day, ignoring the fact his presence immediately has teams sitting five yards deeper.

I mean, he’s fucking class so I’m not sure why you’re surprised.

Shell shocked we managed to hold on to a lead tbh.

Yes. What’s your point caller?

Trippier giving his glowing report.

You must be a used car salesman’s wet dream.

I’m not sure the issue is fitness now as much as it is a squad low on talent and low on confidence.

It’s a good opportunity to get them more intimately involved with the club too. Whet their appetite a little bit. Show them the day to day, allow them to see how shit we are in person.

I’m usually a bit suspicious of ‘warm weather training camps’ as it sounds like an excuse for a bit of a jolly. No chance of that happening in Saudi. Facilities will be light years ahead of our training ground too. In that regard I don’t see any issues with it.

The DOF stuff is such a red herring. All the drama around the supposed lack of structure was whipped up by anonymous agents complaining that they didn’t know who at the club to pester on behalf of their clients.

Got as far as “sustainable, measured investments” and laughed so hard I popped a lung.

I understand the impatience but some people could do with logging off FM for a bit.

Us hiring a manager to ‘give us a lift’ would’ve been a total disaster. We’re not a fundamentally decent team that have lost our way a bit and need a kick up the arse like Villa. We’re shit. The only time the core of this squad has looked good for any length of time is when it was drilled to within an inch of its life. If a Lampard or a Gerrard had landed here they’d never get another job in football.

I understand why people are upset and ranging around looking for persons to blame. I do think the fundamental truth is that the years of chronic underinvestment have came back to bite us on the arse at the worst possible time, and trying to judge either the new ownership or management team on this season is mad. One or both might turn out to be shit but what’s happening right now has very little to do with them and a lot to do with what came immediately before.

In fairness to Howe I don’t think there’s many managers who could come in and salvage this mess. That’s not to say he’s without fault and he doesn’t deserve scrutiny but we’ve got so many gaping holes across the squad where we lack anything approaching Premier League quality.

I think people grossly underestimate how much of a specialist position it is. There’s a reason centre backs who are nominally pegged as being able to play defensive mid are usually absolutely shit when they do have to step in. Joe’s been a revelation in midfield but he’d be shit in a 2.

Still, it’s good news about all the transfers.

No one likes a show off.

See you all at 10am next Thursday for the next one then.

Could’ve had Longshit. Absolutely dreadful posting.

We’re owned by mental cunts who want to build cities in a straight line across the desert. I don’t think it’s much of a secret we’ve money to burn.

They signed him last summer and he’s what, six months younger than Wood? They’d be in the same year at school ffs They’re both basically 1 in 3 across their careers.

Danny Ings cost Villa £25m.