TheBrownBottle

Burst out laughing on the train at that

Also, if you need to send a scout to hide in a tree with an iPhone to work out that 6’7” Dan Burn might just be a target from a corner, then you probably don’t deserve to be paid millions as a manager or a head coach.

Yep, we were always a ‘stepping stone’ to them - but then, they were always sellable assets to us. That we haven’t been particularly ruthless sellers is more the issue.

If it was a couple of games it might be argued it was an exceptional case - but otherwise, the regs don’t allow it. Besides, if it was just a handful of matches, why not just use the Safe Cracker Arena down in Darlington? It’s half SJP’s capacity, but at least half the ST holders would be able to watch it.

Completely agree - I don’t think the lad has kicked on or developed in the way we might have hoped. I suspect if he played for a smaller club he wouldn’t be in the England reckoning at present. It is worth selling him when there’s time left on his contract and there would be interested parties with the cash.

I don’t think Murrayfield is even possible under UEFA regs - Welsh clubs playing in England fall under the governance of the FA. Berwick play in Scotland of course, but they’re also under the full governance of the SFA. So unless we plan on joining the Scottish league, we won’t be playing home games in Edinburgh any time soon.

If you’re referring to my constant refrain of the KSA govt being resolutely full of shite when it comes to big claims about construction works, then I stand uncorrected. The evidence for this is available thanks to the wonder of the Internet. If they loan the money or bring in outside investment to fund the works then it’s hardly the result of their deep pockets - any owner could do that. Personally, I don’t think that one of the nastiest regimes on the planet needs its feelings protected from anonymous gobshites like myself making sceptical comments on a football forum. But I’m glad they’ve got their white knights on here.

Just to follow up - Saint James’ Street blocks the East Stand ever being extended (below): Additionally, there are regs re building in city centres and returning green space. So an obvious solution would be the below - you demolish SJP in two stages; first, you construct part of a new stadium (area in red); then you demolish SJP, returning most of it to green space (green area), then you build the remaining part of the new stadium on the footprint of the current Leazes End. This reduces the amount of green land you’d need to restore - and of course no-one in Saint James’ Place will complain, they’ve now got light and a lovely park. The residents of Leazers Terrace however may not be so happy - they’ll all lose their park views. Additionally, the owners of Leazers Terrace could well spend time whining about loud and dirty construction works going on for two years in front of the property. They can’t do that if you buy it (childlike squiggles below - hey, I’m a QS not a design engineer / architect)

Saint James’ Place might be about to get attractive park views - and Leazes Terrace might be about to not get those views. Saint James’ Place would need to be demolished to extend the East Stand - that’s very unlikely to be approved. And the Gallowgate is pretty much unextendable due to the Metro station. If you were looking to build near SJP and on Leazes Park, this is exactly the sort of purchase you’d make.

Per Nucasol’s & Bobby’s posts above

Agreed, the constraints on Grade I are significantly different from Grade II. But a lot of folks hoping that this means an extension to SJP are barking up the wrong tree - buying Leazers Terrace doesn’t make it anymore likely. What is now far more likely is a new stadium near the existing footprint

No surprises there it’ll be interesting to see how it pans out. My suspicion would still be that if it is successful then the PL will become even more unbalanced, as the big clubs will push for even greater share of the spoils

You are T Dan Smith and I claim my £5

Which is also grade listed (grade II). Leazes Terrace was never the biggest obstacle to the east stand - the listed houses on Saint James St which practically touch the east stand are https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1024765?section=official-list-entry

Agreed, it’s the one thing I think is positive about it - if you breach the rules, swift and terrible punishment is coming It’s just a shame that the FL don’t run the top division anymore - more evidence that the PL breakaway was a bad thing for the game.

The rules are the rules, and they broke them, but fuck me it seems absolutely disproportionate. Football taking itself far too seriously - Southampton acting like twats for negligible advantage, and the FL being po-faced about it. I think I dislike Soton being in the top flight more than the Smoggies, so there is the laugh factor. But I also think a long term ban of the Soton staff involved would’ve been more appropriate than booting the club out of the playoffs + a points deduction

Maybe Southampton can help out by telling them about Hull’s tactics

Good finish and a good performance all round by the lad

The rules have also worked very well for the selling clubs - Palace and Bournemouth won’t be grumbling about what they brought in. If PSR didn’t exist, then there’s a good chance that the likes of Man City wouldn’t be buying from those sides, but instead offering super clubs crazy money for their top players. The likes of Newcastle and Villa are the only clubs negatively impacted by the current rules.

Isak either wouldn’t have played or would’ve half-arsed his way through any game he did play. The man didn’t want to play for the club anymore and stated it in the frankest terms possible. The mistake was in not getting shot of him quicker.

Keeping Isak wasn’t an option

I’m not talking about us and them - we aren’t their rivals. I’m talking about what you originally said - the fact is that they’re better run than Man Utd, Liverpool and Chelsea Of course they can afford to make mistakes - they have the headroom; we don’t. Which is precisely why when a manager and his nepobaby nephew spunks £250m on dross they should be held fully accountable for the damage they’ve done to our future prospects, something you appear to not give a solitary shite about.

If Guehi was a first choice in a defence which has been brittle, seen 27 points lost from winning positions, and leaks late goals so regularly that it’s like an addiction - sure

Agreed - if we buy a centre forward who moves well and looks like he has potential but doesn’t score goals we wouldn’t claim he was a massive success. That’s my view on Thiaw.

Potentially - I think he is a player who has talent and potential and can improve. He might end up being worth a lot more than we’ve paid. He needs at least another full season for me.