Keegans Export

...???

Every time we hire someone to a new executive role, I just add it to my list of jobs Lee Charnley was supposed to be doing. Now, maybe he was just useless and a lickspittle for Ashley but his role of "Managing Director" is now being done by Staveley, Merdad, Jamie Reuben, Dan Ashworth, Eales and now this guy. No wonder he never got anything done

It's a fair stance but at the same time we're talking about 10-man Fulham and Brentford at home - a trip to Old Trafford isn't what it used to be but its still a completely different animal. We should play our strongest available XI imo

I don't agree with the wording ("whigning" etc) but this would be my solution. Doesn't have to be 500 specifically but some amount. It means the loyalty point system is still in play and rewards that "loyalty" but doesn't make it a closed shop for newcomers (like the hypothetical 14-year-old hoping to go on his first away trip).

Well if we can play enough shit teams or teams that play shit against us that we get into Europe I won't be crying into my passport about how we got there

This is panning out like my favourite FM save. Buy up the best young prospects for reasonable fees and have them grow together into £100m players. In my case it was Tielemans, Rotariu, Jovic (plus others). Bonus point to anyone who can guess which edition that was...

Hopefully, for the sake of football as a whole, this thread can gradually die a death now.

I think that even if we were perennial CL qualifiers we'd still be vulnerable to the likes of Real and Barca. Difference is that now I'd back us to take whatever astronomical fee we get and buy three more quality players rather than see the owners use the money to buy H&M.

Does the BBC Sounds app work for 3pm KOs abroad? I know there's a black-out back home so I'm usually stuck with 5Live but I'm in Spain currently so hopefully I can get our game?

Greggs corporate "banter" isn't bad actually. That nativity scene depicting Jesus as a sausage roll

I think it was Howe's thing, although he never planned for them to be made public. Agree they're great though.

Going to be at least one AAAARRRRGGGHJUSTPUTITINTHENET

Is Anderson shagging Eddie's sister or something?

Targett to Burn isn't a huge drop-off but we'll be so soft in the middle without Joelinton

Surely Anderson gets a chance at LW?

Yeah that's sort of what I meant - I'm not reading too much into it until I've seen more of how they defend against others outside the top 6

Bournemouth are a funny one. Man City, Arsenal and Liverpool ripped them to shreds but in the other four games this season they've only conceded three goals and two of those were penalties. Interested to see how their defence goes from now to the World Cup, they've got a nice run of fixtures. Either way I'm not reading too much into last weekend, as disappointing as it was.

I suppose we really only need him to stay fit until the middle of November...

No options on the bench then. Hopefully it won't matter...

ASM on the bench? Bruno is the difference maker though, massive having him back.

Would you not have Almiron RW, Anderson LW and Willock in midfield?

They work because they are black or white - the ball is in or it isn't. Goalline technology works because there are no grey areas. In cricket the "is it a catch or isn't it?" calls can be controversial because someone looking at a monitor needs to use their judgement and there's an opinion element to it.

I mean, we finished 11th last season and that was after essentially giving the rest of the league a 2 month head start... Just out of interest, if we assume the top six remains the top six, who's filling those 7th, 8th & 9th spots?

6.5/10 man, honestly Don't get me wrong I'd have liked one or two more but we've added top quality starters at GK, CB and broken our transfer record on a forward who already looks the real deal.

Yeah, 14th is Arsenal on 2nd Jan then Fulham isn't until the 14th.