WilliamPS

A free press challenging what a dictator says is a bad thing? Should they be like the Saudi press and have their hands chopped off for asking awkward questions? If the Saudis want to play with western toys like the PGA golf and PL football then they get the press scrutiny

The claims of “we’ve got our club back” were always going to ring hollow. NUFC will now become a football mega brand, like Man City or Man Utd, we’re fans are customers and TV deals in Asia more important than local supporters. That is the price of a good team on the pitch. City are unrecognisable from the club they used to be - as is a lot of their fan base. The only way to have success in the PL without being a brand with a football club attached is if you are taken over by a super rich fan - the Brighton /Leicester model - and that has a ceiling based on the owners wealth. Just wait until the existing fan base are referred to as ‘legacy fans’! People can decide for themselves whether that’s a price worth paying, the alternative is a midtable PL existence at best. For some the CL and competing for trophies will be worth it, for other it won’t.

A £100m+ release clause is fairly meaningless as if a club came in for Bruno at that price it would come down to player power anyway - if he wanted to go he’d go and it would be seen as fair to all parties. Its only when a release clause is stupidly low does it cause problems

He’s a very out there knobhead though, which I respect. Like Bellamy and Cisse

I guess he has seen the club are looking to buy a RCB in the next 12 months and knows that will be his time over, so a move away now might be attractive. I hope he stays as I like the guy and it’s very short turnaround to buy a replacement. However a lot of the poor opinions of Lascelles are based on the Bruce side where being a CB at Newcastle was the worst job in the PL…chaos at both fullbacks (Lewis is the worst fullback defensively I’ve ever seen) and a collection of central midfielders in front who are no longer playing PL - maybe not even championship- football 18 months later (Hayden, Shelvey, Hendrick). If CBs have to make a load of tackles, interceptions and interventions every games, under constant pressure then inevitably the number of mistakes per game goes up. Maldini would have struggled in that set up and Lascelles got a lot of the blame. One area Lascelles genuinely does have a weakness is with the ball at his feet, and that unfortunately means he doesn’t quite fit with how the team want to play, which makes his replacement inevitable if not an immediate need, but he could have a good career in the PL still.

If anything it will be south Asia and parts of Africa that the Saudi league is flogged to: fans already watching foreign leagues and Saudi offers a slightly better time zone South American, US and European fans have their own leagues and interests already. But South Asia and Africa is a big big market! It’s all the Saudis need,

Everyone knows Almiron’s limits, as well as the FFP constraints, not worth raging over. City are the best team in the league, with top defenders, you can’t expect miracles. Almiron will have a good season, in line with his ability

100% A potential team of Ederson, Walker, Akanji, Gvardial, Ake, Rhodri, Foden, Kovacic, Alvarez, Haaland, Grealish, That is not weak

The 30m population of Saudi is peanuts compared to the Asian markets, the relationship with the country of Saudi is not about earning more money it’s for the Saudis

If he has family he could set his kids up for life, or he could play some championship football. Not a hard decision. And he’s being paid by the largest sovereign wealth fund in the world, it’s not like the owners will miss the money. If it wasn’t for FFP no Newcastle fans would give a stuff either.

The club will be approaching both Arsenal and Chelsea and sounding out the best option There is probably a preference but this is a good bit of opportunism - both clubs could probably do with making a sale, both clubs have too many players. If they know the club is flexible and pursuing multiple targets it’ll make them a bit more realistic in valuations

A drop of 50k per week is 2.5m a year, given he probably has another 4 or 5 years on his contract that is probably £10m to walk away from. Don’t see it. A loan with subsidised wages is the only thing that would get him to leave and I reckon that means he’d be sent to Italy or Spain

Liverpool seem to keep dossiers on every other premier league club. Very weird behaviour

Thems the rules. Tbf look at who wins the CL and it makes sense for players. They pay top wages and the biggest transfer fees and you compete to win the CL every year

There has to be something in it for Newcastle to bother with the loans - if Hayden and Fraser don’t go off their careers will quietly end - so up to them really - but Nufc aren’t a charity and the leverage on the players is whether they want their careers to end now, or earn a bit less elsewhere but play on for another few years

Liverpool (& Chelsea) will have defensive midfielders by the time Newcastle play them. One will have Caicedo and the other Lavia. Getting entire new midfields to gel will take time though

Can also now see why these pair are both after lavia and caicedo Liverpool have an excuse in that Fabinho went to shite but Chelsea had Kante. I don’t know why I try and understand Chelsea’s transfer approach

If James and Chillwell stay fit Chelsea will be a much better side based on that alone Comic how many of their big signings dont even get near the team

Big season for Isak so great to open his account first game, just settles him into the season

Issue with a new stadium is you’d spend huge amounts and the capacity would only go up about 18000 max as the club are not realistically going to sell out regularly over 70k Whereas there was a lot more corporate and premium stuff at SJP in the 00’s, you can boost the commercial revenue from the stadium substantially. A lot more of the leases and milburn used to be various clubs and areas. id expect a modest extension plus a refurb One outcome will be higher prices…

Too much money but IMO overall a good deal for both clubs They are two midtable players, established in the league. Probably decent characters too. Maguire will play himself back into his (limited) form. West Ham will have a capable midfield 3 West Ham to finish a solid 11th or so and have some fun in Europe.

Pundits have to say something even when there’s nothing to say so not worth reading too much into Carragher It is true the club has a very specific profile; age 20-25, up to £50m, from clubs that need to sell. This does contrast with Man Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City and who go after more established players and will pay bigger fees. Nothing controversial in stating that.

Signings will make a bigger difference for Newcastle as the squad was weaker to begin with E.g. Shelvey then nobody > Tonali is a bigger shift than Man Utd signing Mount, Chelsea getting Caicedo etc I reckon 5th, behind Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea. Caveat with that being reliant on a decent season for injuries. A few key players out for an extended period and it could be 8th

? sport isn’t about how much money to be made, the idea it’s about attendances and commercials is awful Football is a European, South American and latterly African sport, if more people around the world start to enjoy playing it great, but the idea it’s all about maximising commercial interest is ?

If PSG hold their nerve on benching Mbappe he’d have a year of no games before the Euros. Benzema leaving Real leaves the gap IMO Mbappe only fancies staying so he can trouser an insane signing on bonus next year instead of PSG getting the transfer fee this year - teams should reflect on whether that’s what they want in their squads. He certainly isn’t staying for football reasons