TheBrownBottle

Aye, it’s hard to argue that it might not go that way. There is a chance if it’s a lengthy ban that he doesn’t play for us again. I’m not trying to be melodramatic, but it’s hardly something which has a tiny chance of occurring. Considered the size of the outlay, it’s up there at the moment. Hopefully in a couple of years time this thread is a great big Tonali love-in. But at the minute people are well within their rights to be fucking furious.

Yep, I thought his quality was there, his positional sense within needed time and obviously it takes time to get up to speed with the way Howe has us playing (Gordon is the classic example of this)

Michael Owen pales next to Marcelino, Luque, Thauvin etc - no matter how much of a little wanker he was / is. Just in terms of output for cost.

Matt Law is a decent hack tbf - he has a decent record of not pulling it out of his jacksie

Completely agree - I’d also completely back Howe in his approach to handling this. Like you say though, Howe strikes very much as a man who demands the same high standards of integrity as he demands of himself. I get the impression you get one chance with him, then *boot*

*puts on best Kenneth Clark accent* ‘It was in that epoch of Metro expansion that the tribe from Prudda, known as the Pruddaese, were so taken against the mechanised carriages - which represented a sensibility with which the simple architecture of their tribal buildings would clash - that they would unleash spears, javelins, and let loose arrows at these great symbols of a modern age when they would invade their atavistic homesteads’

Even if Milan didn’t know, Tonali and his agent did. Of course the club should work with him, and I know you can’t expect perfection from all people at all the times, but he signed the NUFC contract knowing full well what he’d been up to. Some level of personal agency and responsibility has to come into this.

‘Charley sez: would you like another cup of tea, Mike?’

FIFA can

Matt Targett is on 100k a week. I wouldn’t blink at giving Kalvin Phillips the same

Not sure what use that would be, given it’s a worldwide ban. It would raise suspicions you’d think.

Don’t know tbh - Joey Barton was still on full whack in prison

Now there’s a healthy addiction. Get stuck into that one, Sandro.

If (when) he receives his lengthy ban, you do wonder how a gambling addict being paid millions to sit on his arse will fill those long, boring days during his suspension

I can understand your anger, but I can’t go along with the ‘sack him’ option. The lad deserved punishment - and he’ll get it - but I’d still rather the club provided support and helped him, most importantly for his personal life and also his professional one too. I’m not going to criticise any supporter who wants shot of him, though. Tonali has done himself no favours.

Yeah, completely agree - we have a duty of care. And you’re right - if it pre-dates us signing him, maybe not. I find myself furious with the player for putting us in this position, but also thinking that the ban will be punishment enough for the lad. He’ll need proper support and hopefully he’ll come out at the other end of the ban having his addiction under control.

Not sure about that. The club won’t do it because he’s a valuable asset, but doing something expressly banned would likely constitute gross misconduct

There would be no real FFP benefit this season. Next season he’d likely be back in any case - and we would have got rid of a £50m+ player for nowt.

They can if there’s no proof of prior knowledge.

I hope Bruno hasn’t picked up any habits from his midfields mates Paqueta and Tonali. Stick to playing with your dog Bruno - there’s a good lad.

Sadly, you’re right. Especially if he’s been using secretive betting websites etc. Like you said, probably not (we hope), but by doing it in the first place you leave yourself open to suspicion. edit: the stories coming out also relate to what Tonali has admitted to. He’s owned up to betting on Milan - but only to win. Would he willingly state that he bet against them?

Betting on your own defeat provided stronger evidence of match-fixing, but the potential for match-fixing remains with betting on your own team to win. And it is matches being fixed which is the issue with players gambling. edit: match fixing can be very difficult to prove - a player could bet on their own team winning knowing that the match is fixed, and yet the proof of match-fixing never gets uncovered.

That’s not betting

That’s fair enough - we’ll have to agree to disagree on that one point