TheBrownBottle

I’ve no doubt that everyone who is anti-FFP is doing it for sincere reasons - the good of the game etc. And not just because they think it’s hindering NUFC - which is why this thread has been around since FFP was introduced … Financial controls in football are a good thing. The clubs setting their own rules is not - I’ve far less issue with UEFA’s regs than the PL’s because of it. FMV is more of an issue, again partially for the same reasons. Football isn’t ’just another business under competition law btw. The specificity of sport has case law surrounding it. It’s not just ‘yeah that’s just restraint of trade so you can stop that my lad’.

Nah bollocks to all of that. Can’t be arsed with right wing libertarian pish in football

I’ve no issue with FFP and FMV. I have an issue with the manner they’ve been implemented and who did the implementing.

I would still want controls in place over investment levels. Unfettered investment could destroy the game (or at least ruin it further). PIF shouldn’t be able to just come in and hoy a billion down in one window

They started them a couple of months back. Puts me off going there

Yep, agreed

Miley wouldn’t have been getting minutes if the others were fit. It’s desperation that caused him to play.

The traditional way to show a team in formation is top-bottom tbf - that’s why the numbers go 1-2-3 from the back rather than those being the forward’s numbers

That’s great if you’ve developed tactics beyond a pressing game. But we haven’t.

It could even be why Howe was very un-Howe like in his presser when asked about Ashworth. Perhaps Ashworth pushed a policy which Howe wasn’t fully onboard with, before pissing off at the first opportunity, leaving Howe to carry the can

I’ve heard that they’re quite good sides. Though I do think we have been far too conservative away from home this season.

Being ‘unbeaten’ is often meaningless. If we’d won one and lost one instead of drawing two we wouldn’t be unbeaten - but we’d have more points

Not sure about that tbf - Brian Clough once described success in transfers being that it was like a set of scales - as long as the good outweighed the bad, you’re going to be alright. I think other than summer gone we pretty much nailed the three windows beforehand. The ‘scales’ would look like this to me: Successes Middling Failures Burn Wood Targett (perm) Bruno Hall (loan) Targett (loan) Pope Isak Botman Trippier Gordon And TBC (need more time and games) - Livramento, Tonali, Barnes, Minteh. Just my take on where they sit of course (your view might be different). But I think Howe and the club had a pretty good success rate over the last couple of years.

It isn’t - because of other Tories dotted around England. Almost as if Tories are the problem.

In an ideal world I wouldn’t. She’s a Tory who made her name and money schmoozing human rights abusers. I can deal with them being competent owners, but I’m not going to ‘like’ them.

If those cunts - and people like them - paid their taxes we wouldn’t need ‘investment’

There’s 12 games left. Our form in the previous 12 was 17th best in the PL. That run included Bournemouth H&A, Forest H, Luton H&A, Fulham H - they weren’t exactly ‘unkind’ fixtures.

On present form we won’t finish in the top ten - though finishing outside it wouldn’t see me wanting him sacked. I probably would if we were in that position this time next year, though.

Puts me in mind of the greatest movie title of all time …

NUFC finishing outside the top half is a failure in any context. Which is why Ashley’s time was mostly one of failure.

Yeah, I really thought you raising Spurs and Chelsea was interesting because the outcomes have been so different despite both ousting managers relatively quickly (I had Postecoglu to be sacked first, shows what I know - though that was based on Spurs’ track record). Some big European clubs stick with managers for a while; others hire & fire. Correlation between the rarity of changing of managers and the trophies won by clubs isn’t always all that strong. But Spurs can hardly be happy with their lack of trophies despite the obvious financial strength they have. I agree re it would be good if Howe grows with the club - and I also think he’s done a very good job on the whole (though the last dozen games is pretty much relegation form - I suspect that will change when Pope returns). But I’m not emotionally attached to him in an absolute respect - Keegan is the only one I ever truly was emotionally attached to (also, I was young). If it doesn’t turn around next season then my view on Howe will harden. The club comes ahead of any other considerations.

Yeah, this it. Hopefully Tonali stopped after the ban. It really would be harsh to extend the ban further if he was just betting on football matches generally during that period (and not NUFC).

Perhaps Arsenal finishing 8th behind closed doors saved Arteta then?

Chelsea are the most successful side in England this century - and Spurs are of course a club with one League Cup to their name in that period despite being a ‘Big Six’ club. So the correlation between sticking to manager or not is arguable based on those two clubs. Arteta won the FA Cup in his first season, which would have bought him some time. I don’t really care if we stick with a manger for ten years or have ten managers in ten years - I’ll happily take whatever works if we won trophies. I’d take Chelsea’s last 20 years quite happily, and wouldn’t blink about the number of managers we went through.

I really do think that it would be harsh for additional months to be added if he was betting on football (though if he was punished for it, I also don’t think he could have too much of a complaint). But if he’s bet on any NUFC games, then I think he’ll get a (deserved) extension of his ban. So fingers crossed that he hasn’t done that. Personally, I’d be fucking furious if he’s been betting on our matches. You’re right - it’s both. They would effectively be new charges, as he was only charged with what he did in Italy. Of course - but did any other club’s supporters have much sympathy for Toney? I didn’t notice much.