TheBrownBottle

Anyone who's ever worked with or is mates with a smoggie (or smoggies) will testify that they absolutely do think that there is a sporting rivalry with sunderland, Newcastle and Leeds (a Boro-supporting mate of mine is from N Yorks and is more in the 'Leeds are our rivals' camp, which I think is more often the case with their more southerly fans. Most Middlesbrough / Redcar based support seems to think that sunderland and Newcastle are sporting rivals. It should probably be Hull when you think about it - but it isn't. I get the impression that the 'Wear-Tees' derby means a bit more to the smoggies than the 'Tyne-Tees' 'derby', but we barely give a toss about them. I don't look for Boro's results, for example. The mackems on the other hand absolutely are our sporting rivals - and who could ask for a better one?

Was it time-barred? Because Almiron playing in the CL for us turned out to not be that dubious

I can’t help but think that Mags arguing in the Sunderland thread is exactly what they’d want

Spurs are ahead of Arsenal and Chelsea financially; I don't think they'd have too much to worry about re Villa or even us on that front for quite a while. Spurs' ownership seem more concerned with income than winning things.

Part of the issue is that the £105m in allowable FFP losses over that period hasn’t moved

I completely understand your skepticism

‘OH MAH GAWD IT’S JT!!!’

We absolutely paid those fees, nothing to do with Ashley’s PR this one. Fees are recorded and paid, they’re on the company books - and the tax man in the US, and Germany would no doubt take great interest if the selling clubs weren’t putting on their books what has been recorded in ours and by all parties. Edit: if £21m included wages over five years + signing on fee then Atlanta would have been paying us

£21m / 5 = £4.2 m per year new contract in 22/23 - so 19/20, 20/21, 21/22 count for previous amortisation (three seasons) £4.2m * 3 = £12.6m amortised £21m - £12.6m = £8.4m £8.4m / 4 = £2.1 m per season 22/23, 23/24, 24/25 = three seasons £2.1m * 3 = £6.3m £8.4m - £6.3m = £2.1m remaining amortisation £10m - £2.1m = £7.9m So Almiron would yield around £8m PSR ‘profit’ with a sale.

I still hope he smashes in the League Cup-winning goal at Wembley and makes me eat my words re cashing in earlier

Yeah, I agree - I would have also cashed in earlier (and advocated it at the time). His career turnaround with us is probably the most remarkable I've seen at the club, but I wouldn't let sentiment get in the way of driving the club forward.

Bournemouth has replaced Southampton as our South coast bete noire. I wouldn't be upset to see some rotation for this one, though I doubt Howe will. 5-0 to NUFC and an immediate bounce back.

I'd say they're his strengths; for me, it is his technique which is his greatest weakness. I still think he looked much better further forward, and he isn't a particularly great midfielder. Love him as a marauding, muscular LW provided he has support from LCM and LB - the problem is we're well stocked at LW. From a PSR perspective, he'd be on my the list of preferences to cash in on this summer as he'd fetch a tidy sum and his original fee has been considerably amortised (without PSR I wouldn't countenance it). I totally understand if folks are upset by that - who doesn't love big Joe? - but in terms of going forwards, if Howe is to carry on with his 4-3-3 I think we could find a better fit at LCM and also open up headroom to invest elsewhere.

Remainder is OH&P. So you're absolutely right - if the clubs are run at massive losses due to ridiculous OH, then that's fine. If the clubs are super 'efficient' and have 25% profit, then that goes to the owners. Growth won't come into it - so they can exploit the support as much as they can squeeze them. PSR isn't about protecting clubs going bust, though 'fair play' is closer to the 'intent' - to stop new owners coming in and pumping in vast sums into the playing staff. There's evidence that Abramovich and Abu Dhabi did cause transfer and wage inflation - most of the cost of which is passed on to the supporters, as other clubs have to raise prices to compete; but we know that's not what the rules are there to protect against

Imagine being Howe, and looking at your GK, RW and need for a fast RCB and thinking of how close you are to a side capable of potentially challenging for the title. It must be incredibly frustrating.

It is all relative - there's no metric where BHAFC are anything like the size of NUFC.

I’m not seeing the over analysis here. Fatigue was mentioned as a reason for the scale of the defeat; I think we were outplayed and Howe was out-managed on the day, which happens. That doesn’t mean Bournemouth are a better side nor Iraola a better manager. It’s not particularly in-depth analysis.

Yep, it’s tiresome. It’s a football forum - we’re going to debate wins and losses. I thought it was a bad defeat and poor performance from the team and manager after an incredible winning run. It happens, but for me if criticism can’t be offered then praise can’t either. We’ve got a good manager and a good team, that hasn’t changed.

Bournemouth had to put academy products on the bench because their squad has been hammered by injuries. They’ve also played three games in the same number of days. I don’t think it’s much of an excuse. edit: their fixtures in that week were a decent West Brom side and Chelsea away - we had Bromley (and played a reserve team) and Wolves at home. So fatigue isn’t the answer.

I’ve always thought he was quality when he was fit. He’s a better midfielder than Joelinton, for example. The lad is made out of paper, unfortunately.

Yep, that’s because feasibility studies don’t take years, they take a few months. Those of us who actually work in the industry know this, but that would be to criticise our owners, which cannot be countenanced.

It’s not to do with being winners, we were poor against Wolves, too; but Wolves are shite and Bournemouth aren’t. Bournemouth played really well both in terms of their play and in knowing exactly how to exploit all of our players’ weaknesses (and we played poorly to boot). BDB’s clumsiness, Botman’s lack of pace, Hall’s positional sense, Joelinton’s hot temper, Bruno’s playing with fire in trying to draw fouls, etc etc etc. The match was a perfect storm in terms of beating this NUFC side. Not sure re mindset as I’m not in the dressing room.

That wasn’t great, but cool heads need to prevail. That was a bad day at the office not a trend. Howe deserves some criticism for today, as well as deserving lavish praise for the nine games before it.

Trippier seems to have forgotten how to play RB.