TheBrownBottle

How many times is Raul Jimenez allowed to completely stop in a penalty run-up before a referee grows a pair and rules it out?

Yes, that’s right - thinking that the club needs a new stadium to compete with the elite is precisely what Veruca Salt would demand

I want a new stadium and repeatedly said Howe deserves more time

yep

That’s Faustian pacts for you

Yes, unless they’re happy to have their stake diluted

Those doubts can’t be a surprise at this point, either. The article mentions that three years in and there’s still nowt on a new training complex. The numbers involved with this are massive, and every penny spent needs to be checked off with PIF. KSA isn’t noted for timely decision-making nor for wise investment choices.

I’ve been watching Isak for a while and I can confirm he’s a pretty decent centre forward. I wouldn’t be surprised if others have watched him and came to the same conclusion.

My house could increase to an eight-bed one if I wanted to. it could . But it won’t.

No, runners-up in the LC have never qualified (unlike the FA Cup)

I’m yet to experience a cup final defeat which didn’t hurt despite expecting all of them. I’ve got far less dislike for Spurs than I had for Man Utd in the ‘90s.

Looks like it, more than likely using a standard adidas kit shape. Which is less of an issue were they not selling these things at such a premium.

Yeah, it’s incredible, isn’t it? When we played Arsenal in the 1998 final we’d also played in the same number of finals as them. Now they’ve been in 21 to our 13 …

I can remember when what would be discussed is the fact that football is a working class game, that Newcastle is in the poorest region of the UK, and many families would struggle to afford to buy their kits this stuff even though of course they’d want it like their mates. And the fact that most of this stuff is manufactured for buttons in a sweatshop in countries with lax labour laws, so they don’t need to be charging anything like this kind of coin.

*sound of Emlyn Hughes’ squeaky cunt laugh*

It actually looks like a knockoff The stripes are wrong, for starters. The OG kit had five white stripes on the front - the sleeves met with a white stripe at the shoulder. £90 is a joke. All we need is Shepherd and Hall in a Spanish brothel laughing at the support for buying this shite.

We demand explanation!

Part of the problem is that clubs can only project a portion of their income - ST sales are locked in; commercial deals are usually clear; basic TV rights are confirmed in advance of the season. Much of the income of football-club is performance-based, and no matter how much is spent there is no guarantees offered on that front (see United, Manchester). Prize money for league position; money for TV appearances (less likely if you’re mediocre); advancing in Europe and the domestic cups. The sport isn’t set up well for clubs to be able to confidently project future income and use those projections to determine how much they can spend. Underperforming on the pitch is traditionally punished in the usual sporting way - failure, relegation etc. These rules double-down on failure. Owners who are already risk-averse just become even more risk-averse - resulting in increasingly turgid ‘product’. None of that matters, though. The bottom line is what counts. Isn’t modern football fun?

You’re right - but I’m only joking

We’ve got a great record in SFs. We’ve got through 16 of the 20 we’ve been in prior to this season (major competitions only)

I’m amused at NUFC supporters juggling in their head who they want in the final due to the disappointments of the past while seeming blissfully unaware that we still have to actually finish the job against a really good Arsenal side. The most NUFC thing ever wouldn’t be to lose to Spurs in a final; it would be to lose 2-0 at home to Arsenal and go out on pens

Liverpool have looked a bit ‘off the boil’ last couple of games to me, plus the three key players now in Bosman territory. I’m probably completely wrong, but I can see a sticky patch coming for them.

If we get through it’s a hard final whoever we play. Let’s get there first and worry about that at the time.

Wonder if Ange will complain that a player who should have been off scored?

Bergvall should be off for that.