sushimonster85

Same. Players come and go, this could have a last impacting on the club for next 20-30 years.

Sounds like it's something separate from All or Nothing. Likely as they will want to do a few seasons as we grow.

This is very true. You see journos saying it all the time, but ESL never went away, it already exists, and it's the Premier League. We now live in a time where we hear of a Premier League side in the bottom 3 splashing out 50/60m in a transfer window, and don't thing much of it. When actually that's more than the combined spend of a lot other leagues in Europe.

This always winds me up. The governing bodies put all these road blocks in place to ensure what they would call 'sporting integrity' but is actually there mainly to ensure 'historic' clubs who may not normally be able to keep up don't get left in the dust. Yet they have no issue at all with a guy buying a club to essentially turn it in a giant advertising billboard for his own business, paying vastly under market value for the space. Don't get me wrong, I think FFP should absolutely be a thing in one form or another, but it should be there to ultimately ensure that clubs are run in a sustainable way. The test should be, if the owners were to walk away from the club tomorrow, could it survive without immediate huge disruption.

I imagine the absolute harshest penalty they may end up with is a 10-15 point deduction for next season. Which would likely cost them the league, but not a CL spot. Anything harsher and City (and their fans this time) will happily get the ESL train moving again. Which would destabilise the entire league.

I have the exact same issue. Love the actual strip (helps that there is a large Celtic supporting contingent in my family so always partial to some green and white), however almost scared to pick it and wear. So far as the match goes, as much as it pains me to say it, the way things went against West Ham really does suggest starting Gordon over ASM. Isak also needs to start. I don't think we're at the point where we should completely change the formation, so bring him in for Wilson, rather than alongside.

Looks like it, aye. That's just happened recently as they were still selling them an hour ago.

Who did they have in goal that day? Not often you can say the keepers played a blinder after a 3-0 defeat, but he clearly did!

Aye. Decent beer there. Go to the New Years thing they do each year and it's always good. At a wedding there the Thursday before the cup final too. https://www.ticketweb.uk/event/big-screen-cup-final-action-wylam-brewery-tickets/12900535?pl=wyla

This is likely where I am headed. Nice venue, not directly in the city centre, but a 5 min walk to the stadium after should we win... or a 5 min walk to the metro/plethora of bars should it go tits up.

Maybe from next year they could introduce cup season tickets, especially with us likely being in some form of European competition. Say £150-£200 and you get all home cup ties, with there likely being some form European competition that's 3 European games at the absolute bare minimum. And that's assuming we go out early in both domestic cups without playing a home game, and finish last in a CL/Europa group and go out of Europe immediately. But I'd fancy us to get third in a CL group at least (meaning Europa play-off), and qualify from a Europa/Conference League group. Obviously regular season ticket holders and members get priority for what's left over, and the truly hardcore who already have a season ticket can purchase a cup season ticket as well, just maybe don't give them first dibs on them when they go on sale. Then should we get to a final, you can have cup season ticket holders as well as regular season ticket holders in priority 1.

Same. I'd just turned 12 the season Ginola joined and, whilst I'd likely heard the name 'Cruyff' before I didn't really understand his significance till I was a little older. David Ginola in that hooped away top sporting the number 14? *chefs kiss*

14 was started by Cruyff right? Or did he wear it because someone he idolised wore it?

Hopefully that's a mistake he only makes once. It was his daft run-up shenanigans that caused that.

Don't want to jinx anything, but if it goes to pens I make us heavy favourites. Pope is decent on pens, and De Gea is shocking on them these days. Before last season he hadn't saved one for 6 years. Remember that Man U/Villareal shootout in the Europa league? Never got close to one.

As a pot 6'er myself I have resigned myself to watching it in pub somewhere, unless they're holding some back for the ballot stage (which I highly doubt). To be honest, I will be shocked if it gets past pot 3.

I feel like he is ok. The concussion protocol is clear, if he was diagnosed with concussion he wouldn't be able to play, regardless of how he felt. Either Howe is deliberately being vague (which he does like to do with injuries) or he isn't concussed and Howe is just being cautious and waiting to see how he feels.

Pretty sure Castore knew exactly what they were doing as well. Remember when they first started they initially had bunch of 'a new beginning' type marketing out there, almost like they'd had the heads up that there was still a pretty strong chance the takeover would be going through later in the season. They've basically paid (barely) mid-table money for what will likely be a top 4 side by the time their contract is up.

Where did Anderson actually play for Bristol Rovers? In my head I have always had him pegged as a wide attacking player, but seen people suggesting he is more of a CM than I may have originally thought.

I thought it was 6 years? Which (without paying them to fuck off) would be another 4 seasons after this one.

Spoilers for that Athletic piece... Apparently it was between Anthony Gordon and Nico Williams for who we brought in after Wood left.

I fully expect him to start, but not sure he will last the 90. Guy who does my training was saying you or I may not notice, especially if still training every day, but an elite player at that level starts to lose match sharpness after just a couple weeks. Bruno won't have had any competitive minutes for 3 weeks by the day of the final.

Period 6 represent. Wonder if they're holding a set (obviously decreasing number) for each? If not I'd say I have 0 chance.

Not sure its been officially confirmed, but I'm sure I read somewhere it's 20.

Whatever happens in this game, the feeling around this final is so much different than 98 and 99. Back then it was clear we were on the way down. Getting to two finals in a row was remarkable in itself, but each one had the feeling of 'we will need a massive bit of luck to even have a chance'. This one feels so much better. Partly because (whilst we're underdogs) I do give us a very legit chance of winning. But mainly because, whatever happens, this should become more and more of a regular thing. If the worse happens and it doesn't go our way, I really don't think we'll be waiting another 24 years for a crack at another cup final. If things keep going the way they're going there will likely be more in the next 3/4 years. I have a quiet theory in my head that we're making the final of the Europa League next season for example . All that being said. I think I'd give my left arm to beat the bastards.