TheBrownBottle

England’s biggest club still a draw to players shocker

100%

It works on an annual not a monthly basis

No, but that’s because they all have an income c.£200m more than ours, so wouldn’t need to think about it

I know you're earnestly trying to be a WUM and witty to boot, but it isn't working. Stop being a silly billy.

Even if you weren't being daft, that's not how FFP works. We don't need the 40m to buy players - money isn't the issue - 'headroom' is. Selling Gordon for 40m + a 30m trade wouldn't mean we have 40m left over to spend.

I guess it’ll seem odd these days - but for the first 40 years of the European Cup / Champions League it was for champions only (they didn’t drop ‘champions’ from the name in 1996/97 like they should have). It used to be interesting - Eastern European clubs were competitive, and most nations got a slot in the tournament proper. Real Madrid went over three decades without winning it - it’s a bore fest these days, with the same handful of clubs winning it over and over again, unless they’re propped up by oil money (PSG, Man City). The change to the ‘Champions League’ destroyed much of European football. edit: runners-up (and after that 3rd and 4th placed teams) were added to stave off the threat of a ‘European Super League’ by the petulant ‘big clubs’. They resented having to actually win the league to qualify. That threat has been around for decades …

Absolutely nothing to do with coefficients - only champions qualified for the European Cup (or ‘Champions League’) until the 1996/97 season regardless of which league you were in. After the Heysel ban English football got four European slots - 1 for the European Cup (standard with everywhere else), 1 for the Cup Winners Cup (again standard), 2 for the UEFA Cup (one went to the LC winners). In 1996/97 for the first time runners-up were allowed into the tournament - which still strikes me as being a right load of bollocks. After that, the numbers increased gradually to four. Howe becoming the first manager to do this isn’t really one of note - Howe hasn’t faced qualifiers, and had the fifth placed team been allowed in Robson would’ve added a third qualification; KK would’ve qualified twice under the current rules.

He’s got a year left, it won’t be up to him this season

He can’t be replaced by someone other than someone we’ve trained in the academy. He’s going nowhere.

They’d be daft if they did - even if Clough probably is the best second division centre forward in the history of English football

Ah yes, I remember 2020. OM supporters buying this shite still? It’s been half a decade lads; time to move on

I can’t imagine any football supporter swapping a WC for a European Cup. Absolutely lost on me. I wouldn’t swap any NUFC trophy for an England one.

Same - and don’t get me started on the whistling for the final whistle at SJP; who the fuck do people think that helps? It raises my anxiety levels

The Spanish bullshit press love hoying our name about, because they think we’ve got unlimited funds and PSR doesn’t exist The lack of a single English source should’ve been a massive red flag

All they have to do is the sensible thing - offer all the games on at a reasonable price. Say a fiver a match - and they’d nip most of it in the bud. Most would rather watch it properly instead of a stuttering stream on a Firestick

There’s a degree of truth to it. Walker didn’t want to sell to Man Utd; he asked for £5m more off them then us, and refused payment in instalments.

I bet it will be - and it takes all the joy out of it. I know it’s to avoid bother, but it’s sickening being stuck on coaches for hours to go a few miles down the road

Yeah, I could see a positional switch a la Joelinton. I agree - I don’t think the lad is useless or owt, just think he’s currently a fair way short

I didn’t think you were - it was just a general view. I think Howe is a better manager than KK, though. 1991/92 - funny thing is, there was genuine talent in that side, but they couldn’t defend for toffee. We stayed up last day of the season - the last two games (vs Portsmouth at home, vs Leicester away) were ridiculously dramatic

Just say Isak gets injured at the start of next season - do you think that Osula can step in?

Yes. I’m not seeing potential super talent when he comes on.

Just my view, but when Howe eventually leaves there should be a statue in his honour. KK should have a stand named after him.

Yep - if we’d been relegated to Division Three it was on the cards

The club doesn't exist without Keegan KK remains no.1