TheBrownBottle

I can empathise. I started throwing invective at a TV screen, like a mad old cunt getting angry at a news channel

No, some of us have been pretty consistent in ours views on this one. Maddison isn’t crap - he’s a good footballer - but it isn’t bonkers to think he doesn’t fit with how we play. Because he doesn’t.

That’s a good enough spine to not be floundering in trouble constantly.

I was on my way to work here in Sydney this morning when one of the huge contingent of antipodean Sunderland fans spotted a gravy stain on my tie and challenged me on Jamie Reuben basically just being a spoilt rich boy with inherited wealth. I had no response and was crestfallen, and he is now Top Dog in Sydney. True story.

Rice has a choice to make between Man City and Arsenal. We didn’t bid for Maddison other than last year.

Bruno is the ‘6’. We’ve signed an ‘8’. It would be astonishing if we signed another midfielder who wasn’t a wide man. The squad needs strengthened elsewhere. Maddison clearly doesn’t suit our style of play, and I’d much rather have Tonali as our RCM than Maddison

None whatsoever. Same in January. Just the desperate wishes of some of support.

That’s where my thinking is.

The obvious has happened, then I’m extremely dubious that we were genuinely after him after last summer. We made a bid, Leicester wanted a shitload more, that was that. Leicester would have happily watched a ‘bidding war’ if we’d even been remotely interested this summer. An awful lot of people have set their heart on a player who can’t get past Trent Alexander Arnold in England’s midfield …

He was already at a top club - and he's costing top dollar. There were no noises from any of last season's European-qualifying clubs saying that they wanted Maddison. You'd think they'd happily be trying to pick up a bargain from a freshly relegated club

The cunt actually made me want Man Utd to win the FA Cup

I'm going to switch my brain off entirely here and ask a daft question. Howe plays a 4-3-3 generally (or 4-5-1 or 4-3-2-1 etc etc). Three midfielders including a deep lying playmaker, two inverted wingers and a centre forward. Where does Maddison play in that set-up? Tonali makes perfect sense as a Longstaff upgrade (I like Longstaff, but I'm all for adding quality). Does Maddison replace Willock / Joelinton on the left of the midfield three? That really doesn't look ideally suited for him - they're both superb athletes. We don't play with a 'no. 10'

Also, not that individual matches mean shite all tbf - but I'm pretty sure Pardew never won at Arsenal

Fuck me ragged. The man who turned his surname into a verb on Tyneside - players having their talents recede through mismanagement will never be anything but being 'Pardewed' as far as I'm concerned. Yep, his lack of bitter criticism means that he doesn't rank with Souness, Allardyce or Bruce. But ho'way man.

The team Pardew nearly relegated in 2013 contained two Argentinian, one Italian, two Dutch, one Senegalese, one Ivory Coast and FIVE French internationals at its disposal. Nothing further to add, your honour.

Yep. I've been with my better half for a decade and a half - but we're 'living in sin'. We own properties together, have insurances paying out at 100% to the other half should the worst happen, have wills etc made out to each other, spend just about every minute we can in each other's company - we just don't agree with the notion of marriage. This isn't a criticism of those who are married of course - it just isn't 'for us'. (Or as the old joke goes - marriage is a great institution; but who wants to live in an institution? )

I think Wood was a qualified success. He certainly helped keep us up, then was sold a year later for a loss of a few million.

I think too many had already signed this lad in their own heads tbh. He’s good footballer, but the idea that there isn’t anyone else that we’d be able to sign who is better? Christ almighty. Let’s wait and see.

I’m trying to imagine them as a front three at NUFC today. Would be entertaining but can’t picture them playing a pressing game …

Completely makes sense to me. I’ll repeat what I’ve said for months - he ‘feels’ like a Spurs player. In both a good and in a more negative way. I don’t think he was a good fit, nor do I think that the club was really after him this summer. All guesswork based on a bid late last summer.

Yep

Liverpool’s (and English football’s) European football ban is what stopped it. He wins European Cups with them if they’re in it.

I once caught herpes in a building in Amsterdam

Is the correct answer