TheBrownBottle

I, for one, am looking forward to Miguel Delaney ending his support for Man Yoo in the event of a Qatari takeover.

Agreed - there’s still plenty of our lot who think that F1 etc doesn’t get mentioned in terms of KSA, despite the BBC bringing it up all the time

Agreed, and I am aware that some universities now run seminars on being drunk not being an excuse for sexual assault etc. Still though, it instinctively seems wrong the notion that someone would think rape is ok unless specifically instructed not to rape.

wtf is that? Also *Leazes

Joselu subbed off after remembering how to play like Joselu

It’s been a lot longer than that tbf. Season tickets from 93/94 were very, very expensive - especially in the NE still suffering the effects of Thatcherism.

It was completely inevitable that type of whinging. They’re like those old blokes who think that a seat in a pub / club is theirs and get offended if you sit in the fucker. Just fucking accept a seat swap. No-one ever thinks that the Strawberry corner is the best seats in the house in any case. Watching the match from there is like playing 16-bit FIFA with its isometric camera view.

I'm really glad to hear that. I spent my teens and twenties desperately wanting to stand again (my ST was in the Milburn Paddock until 95-96 - I was 12 when the paddock was closed in 95). It is often a much better way to watch a game - especially if you're young(ish), had a few pints and want to gan a bit radge (singing and dancing and jumping, that is). Now that I'm 40 it sounds like a nightmare! Those who want to be in it will love it, though.

Yep - and what is often forgotten is just how expensive European away games are; and they are the ones people get excited about going to. Two of my mates were with us in Rotterdam for Feyenoord away (after a night in Amsterdam) who didn't bother with home tickets as the expense of being made to buy all three tickets up front (plus booze) would have left them without enough for the aways. Also - and the younger ones will find this incredible - it is actually possible to start treating Europe like the League Cup after you've been in it year after year for an extended period of time. If you include the Intertoto Cup games in 2001 when we lost in the final, we played European football in 10 of our first 11 seasons after promotion in '93 and our first season back in '94 (after somehow blowing it in '95). It does become just another game a lot of time* *I always loved European games, but that wasn't reflected by all match-going supporters that I knew. One of my mates just stopped going to them other than against huge clubs, viewing most of the games as a bit of a pain in the arse edit: correction, 12 of 13- just remembered losing to Depor in the Inter Toto semi final in 05-06. We were in the UEFA Cup the year after.

Oxlade-Chamberlain would be miles away from what we’ve been told (and seen) so far in terms of transfer policy. He’d be on crazy money for starters - and he’s barely played for a long time. He’s one of those who signs for a mid table side on a long term deal and they can’t get shot of him. Avoid like the plague.

We need a new left winger tbf

'I am the Mag-Finder General - and by the powers invested in me by 74.367867856% of the population of Chester-le-Street, I declare you a MAG'

Fair dos, apologies Kaka

Yep - we'll be linked with approx. 400 players between now and September, so god knows who we'll end up with in any case

I'll go with the set piece ability. The rest? Sorry, I don't agree - and at 28 there's little that could be improved with coaching.

Yeah, you're right. You know what I've seen and what I've not seen - forgot about that. Condescending load of shite mate.

He's almost on a par with Seb Larsson's GTG ratio in terms of FKs in the PL. And we all would have dreamed of Larsson running around in our midfield.

JWP is the 'complete' midfielder. Heard it all now

I'm scratching my head at that one, Kaka. His being English has nothing to do with it - he's not as good as Bellingham, Mount, Rice, Phillips, Maddison, Gallagher etc. He's not as good as Willock. I don't rate the bloke particularly highly, beyond his ability to take a decent FK. Other opinions do exist though

He's 28 years old and played his entire career at Southampton, looking like one of their better players but in a consistently below average PL side. In PL terms, he's bang average - zero chance he goes to a Sky Six side if sold.

'Quick - silence this one! He isn't toeing the party line!'

Mediocre footballer with a decent dead ball ability. Wouldn't touch him with a barge pole for anything more than 20m

It won't, I'm afraid. Qualifying will not see the PL ratifying sponsorship deals that are at Man Utd levels - it would take many years of sustained success to be able to argue that we're at that point. Which is why the club would be daft to do anything other than short-term (1-3 year) deals - the shorter the better. Don't get me wrong, the fact that other clubs get to decide what 'fair market value' is strikes me as uncompetitive practice, but as it stands that's where we are.