TheBrownBottle

Nothing to see nor to worry about here. If he leaves it won’t be this summer. I don’t think his performances in the second half of the season were particularly fantastic in all honesty - he’d be on a much stronger footing to demand a massive hike if they had been. Players come and go - the best thing about having an ownership which is competent is that I’m far less worried about players leaving than I would be under Ashley. Ashley saw only profit; this board will sell players if it’s the best thing for the club. I’m aware that people are tying themselves to the notion that the top quality players we sign these days will be here long term. I’m not convinced this is the correct assumption - there is likely to be a full recycle over the next half decade as huge profits from transfer will just build the club further. Every achievement at the moment is like a bonus - it’ll be another few years before the commercials have us competing with the big boys. We’ll get there, though.

I think Arsenal will have a big drop-off. Man Utd and Liverpool will be the challengers to Man City, who'll end up winning it. The other three usual suspects + Villa and us to make up the rest of the top 8. I suspect we'll finish c.7th, though I think top 8 should be the target. Lower than that would represent a modest failure, I think. Top 8 plus a cup run would do nicely.

In a B&W shirt …

What was the last series like btw? I’m on the other side of the planet so missed it (though I probably could find it online somewhere). I tried rewatching the originals about a year back on YouTube after not having seen them since they were broadcast … they don’t hold up at all. And I still understand the references

I love how sunderland has city freemen, yet the place has so little history that the term has never actually meant anything

It would have been all over the press if, say, West Ham were offering 50m and we turned it down for half that from the owner's other clubs. We wouldn't be able to stop leaks elsewhere. There is no conspiracy to this - the lad isn't worth what people want him to be worth.

All those clubs willing to pay significantly more just sat silent for some reason, and missed out on a bargain apparently. The lad didn't have suitors lined up - he's injury-prone and produces intermittently. Yes, he's fantastically entertaining to watch when he's on his game - but how often is that? Managers don't pay for entertainment - they want players who are fit and hurt the opposition. I'm glad I got to watch ASM in a B&W shirt - he really was a beacon during some dark late-Ashley era days. But it really is onwards and upwards - the club isn't any longer lower-midtable dross which needs enlivening from a maverick. Winning is the order of the day now - and there isn't much in football more entertaining than winning.

‘Young man, this is how football works. It’s a simple game. Centre halves - head the ball. Wingers - cross the ball. Centre forwards - score goals. Midfielders - they need to ensure they’re utilising torso deception and have a strong comprehension of orientation’

Yeah, that's right. The starting point of any new signing should be vitriol until they prove themselves.

I bet the first few dozen pages of this thread make uncomfortable reading. It was more than thinking his value was a bit inflated.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/in-bed-with-maradona/2017/mar/17/la-liga-spain-beckham-bale-kroos-real-madrid-language

Just one year short of the traditional testimonial requirement - amazing how long Ashley-era signings ended up staying. Nothing against the lad at all, though - hope he does well in the future.

It is funny - though I very much doubt a British or Irish player doing likewise wouldn't be criticised heavily for it. The lad doesn't exactly have to, of course.

Definitely, if the imaginary combined XI plays with two CFs. He wouldn't get ahead of Kane, and while he's a superb footballer, I'm not convinced he walks into a position on the flanks.

I'll be watching, but I doubt it will top 'Premier Pashuns' or 'Sunlun til I die' for laugh out loud comedy gold. I still watch both from time to time - age has not diminished the laughter.

He did, but had he sat it he wouldn’t have needed a conviction to fail the test.

MBS didn’t need to be convicted in order to fail the FPP test

You literally can’t give them away due to their wages.

The harsh reality is that no-one outside of Sunderland actually gives a shite. We only notice because of schadenfreude. I don’t actually think that this is a good thing, mind. Particularly for Sky Sports, which owns the broadcast rights to the Football League. This applies double for NE hacks. They should be interested in the Mackems, smoggies, monkey hangers, etc.

It’s incredible how bad a signing the lad has turned out to be. I wonder what would have happened if he had signed for Liverpool instead of us.

As was I

It's all a bit silly, tbh. Grid iron, ice hockey and rugby are all sports where you can get hurt badly playing. This is also the case with football. All a bit daft

Padding and helmets are for wimps, etc

He's still listed on PZ Newco

Ok cheers