TheBrownBottle

You makes me laugh though, because, you know, it's your interfering, it's your timing. Going on about fatigue -it's New Years Day here in Australia, you know.

Agreed, especially when you’re chasing shadows as we did a few times - especially vs PSG. I think the PSG and Chelsea games cattle-trucked us physically- we couldn’t keep hold of the ball for much more than a few seconds (much of this was our own making - there was some seriously poor play in those games by us). Dortmund away was similar too. The games were all a case of *chase for two minutes - win ball back - fail to make second pass or stupidly try to run with the ball - lose possession - chase for two minutes*. It was just really poor game management.

It does - the papers I read related to football specifically. I’m absolutely not a sports scientist mind - no idea if what I read is accepted generally

I’d read the same recently - medical science reckons three days for recovery from serious fatigue. edit: creatine can take up to 120 hours to be fully replaced, and full sprint performance 96 hours after a game. Which does explain how the likes of Gordon and Almiron were able to play but not regain their normal sprint capabilities. The team have had ample rest time to recover - physical fatigue should not be an issue. Mental fatigue - not sure.

He did a Mackem!

They haven’t been quick out of the traps in any of the windows. I think George Caulkin said a while back that the approvals process for transfers isn’t particularly quick, as everything has to run through Riyadh?

Aye, fair enough. I think I’d probably stay well clear of a permanent move.

Why would signing Phillips on loan prevent us signing a RW?

He should embrace it and go full-on David May

The takeover was approved days after KSA paid a $1bn settlement for BEOutQ. NDM and the appeal process had nowt to do with it. We can only speculate, but I have my suspicions that they might have thought twice. They can’t have predicted the PL’s reaction and ongoing attempts to block every route to grow the club.

Cheers mate - I was still back in Newcastle when WSW won the ACL. I’m used to following football clubs where the glory days are in the past

Just for clarity in terms of what I’m saying; I think Bruno is obviously comfortably a better midfielder. I’m only talking about technical ability. And of course, I don’t doubt that many will feel Bruno is ahead of him by a long way on that front; I’m just not one of them. I think Bruno is better technically, but I don’t think it’s a wide margin.

Still think Cabaye was a superb technical footballer. No-one else I’ve seen comes near Bruno in that regard (I did see Gazza play for NUFC, but the reality is that I was far too young to fully take in how good he was).

We’ve got a local derby vs Macarthur tomorrow. I’m trundling along to Parramatta for that one

Jesus’ wiki page looks really different for me

Good to see massive Sunderland fan and former ALS contributor Jonathan Wilson getting the column inches in for some completely unbiased commentary there

We already turned down signing Guardiola as a player

I’d ban anyone who brings a drum mind. Hate that shite

I’m in complete agreement tbh. Lee is still no.1 for the reasons you’ve outlined, but the idea that Bruno isn’t far more technically talented is crackers. I do think that it isn’t as cut and dry with Cabaye - I’m still slightly on the fence between Cabaye and Bruno. Gun to head, and I would probably say Bruno. But not much in that one for me.

First half of a season Rob Lee, definitely. Second half of a season Rob Lee - less so. It is easy to forget that a lot of the players back then had seriously extended dips in form.

I can see you’re not his friend, buddy

Dan Bum, more like

I do think it’s important to know which players are out there bumming people. Especially teammates.

UTA, shurely?

Football clubs being considered businesses these days is part of the problem. Independent regulation is what would be needed - not potentially destroying the game. What NDM would bring about isn’t tweaks to the ‘market value’ rules, but a free-for-all which would wreck the sport.