TheBrownBottle

The only worry for me is the huge intensity drop off early in the half, just like midweek. Bruno’s absence hurts the back line as much as anything, but West Ham’s midfield has been first class. Even with that, if Trippier doesn’t switch off at the corner we’re still one up. I do think the complaints re lack of signings needs to settle down. We were told the budget wasn’t there, and it wasn’t. Howe doesn’t like signing loads of players, either. This rebuild will take years, not 12 months.

Yeah, some are classics. It’s that sad realisation that they’ve got nowt and had nowt for decades - Sewpa Kev and Defoe can’t be used because they now hate them. The likes of Raich Carter are bone fide greats - but we’re going back 80 years. Why even go down that rabbit hole?

I think that’s true generally, certainly with the ‘beast’ descriptions. The donkey one, not so sure - that’s been around for yonks. Tony Adams is the player most will associate with the term - the ‘ee-aw’ noises were often directed at him. Arsenal supporters even adapted it into a chant.

Straight up. I’ve even heard that in order to be allowed to drive you need permission from society via a licence, and this permission can be revoked if you break driving laws and regs. I hope this isn’t true, because I don’t have this licence thing and have always assumed when driving that a 30mph sign is a suggestion not a requirement

I have heard - and I can’t confirm this - that people have been killed on roads before too, even in the UK. Cars driving faster than necessary or than is legal could risk this happening. I’ve also heard that the way to avoid being caught by a speed camera is by not driving faster than the law allows.

Fuck me ragged, that looks like one of those terrible spray paintings of superheroes you get on the side of cheap hoppings at the coast Also, do you think that the weird ‘Bobby in the skies’ motif, signifying that the man is dead, but somehow Joe Harvey isn’t, is a bit incongruous? We’ve really got some embarrassing oddballs in the support *cringe*

‘Let’s call out the bigotry of their owners. That would send a message about our moral superiority. Hang on, what about the swathes of bigots we have? Shit, best rethink that. Luckily that was a whole sentence ago, I’m sure no-one will notice’

RTG will be the only place on earth sad to hear that KSA and the Houthi are in peace talks in Yemen. Mind, I don’t have a son with a PhD (I don’t have a son full stop) so what would I know?

Yep. It would be unbelievable if he ends up in the clink for it. Usual red top horseshit - and the S** is the worst of all. It is just a monumentally stupid act if he has done this.

Yeah, classic. I wish someone would upload the Miami Tab Machine version from Sid the Sexist - I had a copy when I was younger but that was lost years ago

It’s unlikely he was just doing circuits of the hotel car park

Oh ffs. Stupid cunt. It’s not like you can’t afford to pay a chauffeur you gormless get.

Yep. I’m not advocating violence but fuck me what a bunch of complete fannies. They don’t need to hit him, just step across him and make it clear that he needs to calm down and fuck off. Instead they’re grinning and gurning while hearing exactly what’s being said.

A coked-up baby by the looks of it. Times have changed in the Bigg Market mind - I’m sort of surprised that knacker was able to keep going and going without anyone stepping in.

Yep, get Mick the DJ on at SJP. Jack the rippers and curry hell for pre-match entertainment is better than anything offered by NUFC

Champ man used to go 2-11 from right to left, back to front, as the default numbering. Always used to make sure I moved the players around until the correct numbering you’ve got there was in place. It’s all a bit daft of course, as the numbering is based upon the old standard 2-3-5 formation which was already being replaced with W-M by the time numbers were becoming a thing. So from almost day one the numbers weren’t logical. Despite that, a ‘number 6’ is the left-sided centre half. Don’t ever dare call a DM a ‘number 6’ in my presence or I’ll … probably frown a bit. Mebbes correct you if I know you.

It isn’t, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it emerged that big retailers like SD make better margin on Castore products. I know SD shops have Nike and adidas stuff in to get people into the shops, sometimes making very little margin, then make their big bucks on other stuff (in Ashley’s case, particularly the dead brands he bought out for himself - Lonsdale and the like)

Yep, I suspect this will be the case. It’s why patience is being requested - a lot of the shite Ashley deals need to be run down

I’m not in the string ‘em up brigade. But the lack of prosecution does not mean that a person should expect to retain a high-profile, high-paid job.

Yep. You don’t need to have committed a crime for that.

Being ‘innocent’ means that the club cannot sack him - which would mean he walks away with nowt. They’d have to pay him off (assuming he doesn’t agree to walk)

I’m not saying you’re wrong re additional income from bonuses etc - but that might be difficult to argue if the club never intend to play him again. His personal sponsors dropped him like a bad smell, so he’d find it difficult to argue he’d be in line for additional payment. I’m sure a razor sharp shithouse lawyer could give it a go mind

Greenwood is likely outside of the protected period in his contract; even if he isn’t, the financial damages stretch only to the party suffering the loss i.e. the player. And if you’re paying up his contract in its entirety - as in paying for every week of the remainder - that is covering damages. If he’s outside the protected period there are no further sporting sanctions; if he is within, there can be - but are the FA really going to come down on Man Utd? Seems unlikely. edit: just to be clear, mutual consent is not required. It’s only required if the parties want to arrange a negotiated settlement. Greenwood is a little scrote so I can’t imagine that would appeal. Newcastle can also buy their way out of the Castore contract - but there are likely to be damages. A contract isn’t a shackle; it’s just that the injured party needs to be compensated for potential losses. I’ve seen people talk about just giving Castore their £5m a year back, but that’s not what Castore’s losses are - they expect to make a profit on that investment. Given what’s happening, that could be a lot of profit. So any break - assuming there is no clause in the contract for damages if the club breaks the deal - is likely to lead to an award of additional damages if it goes to arbitration.

The Castore deal was finalised when they were still trying to sort out the takeover. Why the fuck did Ashley sign a long term deal? And why the fuck did the prospective buyers not say it might be reasonably important not to do that? Also, while I haven’t bought a top in 24 years and therefore it has no direct impact me, I’m a bit puzzled by the clamour for adidas. Other than that first season, my memory is that most of the kit designs were shite tbh. I know money talks, but I’d be far happier if Umbro came calling again. Or Nike for the first time.

Roy Keane was also invited to leave, from memory - and he’s arguably the best all-round midfielder in English football of the last thirty years. I hope your club do exactly that, tbf. I suspect they will