TheBrownBottle

Got to be smarter in possession here. Giving it back much too quickly, then chasing for a minute or two.

This ref is a cunt

They’d have done better to make trumpet impression noises and played an air trumpet

We look up for this today

I played trumpet in middle school. It sounded like that

Which are in line with market expectations. Not a freebie or inflated.

I always hated that ‘CAM ON [insert club name]’ chant beloved of London / Southern clubs generally. Always sounds so fucking whiny.

I’m unconvinced by Joelinton in CM tbh. He’s excellent wide left with Willock behind

We should probably wait to see if owt comes of it. If Tonali is an addict, it would be surprising if he kicked the habit when he joined us. At the same time, sometimes a fresh start can help with getting your life straightened out. It is only if he’s been betting on our games that he’d deserve an extension for me. I’m not sure so many would be quite so forgiving of what he’s done if he’d done this elsewhere - personally, if he’s been betting on our games too then he’s a fucking idiot.

The numbers are of public record - the likelihood would be a loan with a guaranteed buy in the summer. That’s what he’ll mean by ‘moving the summer spending forward’

Total guess, but I reckon there’s zero chance of the club loaning from the KSA league. Two reasons - the KSA league is the PIF’s priority, and the club won’t want the inevitable pissing, whining and moaning from the rest of the PL, especially Liverpool and Spurs. To date, they’ve been playing everything by the book.

They can impose further sanctions - especially if he’s bet on our games. He would have broken the FA’s rules - previously he broke the FIGC’s rules. edit: it could be concurrent

Likewise. ‘Phwoar, down boy’ etc etc

Yeah, that’s definitely the root of it - but that of course doesn’t mean they shouldn’t know better. Every book I’ve read on England’s WC squads read like what you’ve written - boredom resulting in betting (card schools, horses etc).

The other players were pointing fingers at Tonali being the one getting them into it. Definition of a ringleader: ‘a person who initiates or leads an illicit or illegal activity’. The hat fits.

Others will likely know better, but I’ve got a feeling that a contractual clause that stops a player from earning could lose if challenged in court. Of course, what would usually happen is a sacking, but that won’t happen here. It’s an impossible situation for the clubs - though I agree that the club should do what it can going forwards to protect itself from repeats of this nature.

My sister’s mate Rebecca Welch will be the first female VAR ref at the weekend - they worked together at the PPA in Newcastle: https://www.skysports.com/amp/football/news/11095/12998938/rebecca-welch-to-become-first-female-fourth-official-in-premier-league-this-weekend-for-fulham-vs-man-utd

That does seem less bad, though if our friendly grass noticed him doing it and asked about it, it can’t have been all that inconspicuous. Others likely noticed too.

That isn’t happening anytime soon - Tonali signed knowing full well what the risk was to his new club. Zero chance he’ll take a pay cut. I haven’t even seen something as asinine as a public apology yet, never mind handing millions back to the club.

PS At present this really doesn’t look good for Ashworth or his scouts. That’s a significant amount of outlay for a club with strict limitations on outlay. The owners are likely pissing blood about it - they pay people to make these calls. Those people aren’t on minimum wage - I wouldn’t be too worried about them.

Football is very ‘insidery’. Tonali was acting like a ringleader - so there would have been people in the dressing rooms he was in who knew. He managed to get others involved - so there would likely be others who he approached who didn’t. There is a good chance AC Milan were aware - either from internal whispers or outright knowledge. Someone claiming to be his psychologist came out and said he’d been diagnosed with a gambling addiction. So the chances are the club knew. Making that stick is likely impossible. Scouting is about character as well as xG wank. We don’t know whether what Tonali was up to was discoverable or not - most on here appear to have made up their mind that it was ‘impossible’ to know.

Scousers do tend to settle well in the NE - and vice versa

Yep, and I’m going to continue laughing at the dopey sods. I used to passively laugh at them - but after the Ashley era, balls to that. I want their noses rubbed in their own shite like a bad owner training a puppy

I love how short their memories are. A Man Utd reserve loanee was their stand-out player last season

And Kyle Walker … who is the best of the lot.