TheBrownBottle

Also, why is this in the pre-season thread? It isn’t pre-season. It’s still the 23/24 season. We’re just daft enough to have organised friendlies in Australia at the end of it.

Just seen the result by as a result of hopping onto this forum. An Australian-based NUFC supporter, all I can offer is *shrug*. Anyone daft enough to pay silly money for this nonsense had it coming. I don’t have much time for the ‘what about the young’uns watching for the first time’ crack. Plenty of local football to take them to - those kids should be supporting their local side first and foremost. Don’t get me wrong, the club deserves any criticism it receives - these matches should never have been played. It will have zero impact on the expanding the club in the very, very limited local market. No bugger knows it was being played. Wouldn’t worry about it.

There is - it’s like a settlement date for a house. You have the transfer and contract arranged for 1st July

Makes perfect sense to me. It’s an area where we could clearly use an upgrade. Along with centre forward it’s the position on the pitch which is most important to get right. A top goalkeeper can win almost as many points as a top centre forward. We conceded 60-odd league goals last season - where might we have finished with a truly first-rank goalie in nets? I’m still in a little bit of shock that we’re going in for someone at his level. It’s good shock, mind

It is a coup of sorts if we pull it off. Freedman seems to have been at Palace forever, occasionally ducking out before returning. He must have joined and re-joined four or five times.

Fucking around with the stripes hacks me off more than the badge. Not particularly arsed about the badge tbh - I get why we have the cartoon facsimile of the city coat of arms (so that we can profit from it), but it doesn't particularly worry me if it's changed. The badge is likely younger than most of the people on this site.

He comes across really well in that interview I did also note that he seems to keep his own training regimen as he's concerned about injury. And he's one of the few we've managed to keep pretty much injury-free this season ...

Zero chance Howe goes to Chelsea, approach or not.

I’ve gone from being utterly non-plussed by Ashworth - he just came across as a delegator to me - to being overjoyed that he’s leaving. Still don’t know why he’s so highly rated. My suspicion is that there are a lot of fucking stupid people in football for whom a reasonably competent administrator appears to be a magician.

Todd Boehly may be the only billionaire that I find likeable Keep doing your thing, Todd. We all love you for it

As one of those who is usually a massive critic, fair play to Southgate. About bloody time he attempted to pick on something approaching current form, but he has does at last

If we were a 'Man City' - possibly As us - no chance. I wouldn't swap Kane +70m for Isak at the moment

Mbappe and Haaland are the only better centre forwards on the planet for me at the moment in terms of knowing they've got years left in the tank

Given his age and form, I honestly think you'd struggle to get a seven figure sum for Dubravka

I honestly think 130m-ish is around his 'market value'. But I also think we'd want well above 'market value' to sell. And no-one has that ...

Dubravka wouldn't be likely to command much more than a nominal fee. Wilson 10-12m I reckon.

I'd be happy with further consolidation (KK's least favourite word) in the top seven tbh - while getting rid of more deadwood. If Man City win the FA Cup, I'd also be pretty hopeful that we finally break that trophyless streak. A trophy next season and top six / seven. Fuck it, I can dream.

Hope so mate

The Ice Man won't be going anywhere in the summer. I've never been more confident of anything. It doesn't even make sense from a 'buy to sell' policy point of view - the lad's value is more likely to increase with time. On a technical level, the best centre forward I've ever seen at the club (not the best centre forward - divvunt gan radge). Those ice-cold first time finishes from just inside the 18-yard-box are his specialty. He's the closest I've seen to Henry, and he's ours.

I told Mrs BB that if Jennifer Lawrence drops a hint, I'd be off Odds are about the same

My favourite NUFC midfielder remains Rob Lee (and that would be hard to shake off, given he played during my formative years ...) - but Bruno G is the most complete midfielder I've ever seen in B&W. Like everyone else I hope he stays, but I wouldn't hold it against him if he wanted to go off to get a chance to win the big pots. He's in his peak years - we've still a bit to go yet.

Doesn’t make any difference to our transfer budget - it’ll go into the 23/24 accounts. More likely it’ll offset any potential FFP worries for this season (edit - as in the one just finished)

Reminds me of when Lego used to do women figures, but because they were the same shape as men they’d have to paint an hourglass figure onto the torso

Beardsley was unlucky to be at Liverpool during the Heysel ban. If he had been able to play European football during his peak years he’d have been in the running for European or World Player of the Year. He’s still the closest thing to Messi that this country has produced.