TheBrownBottle

Yes. It’s cuntese for ‘defensive midfielder’. Double-pivot is twatlish for ‘a pair of defensive or deep lying central midfielders’

Shit. Maybe his club will let us swap him for O’Nien?

I reckon we’ll see another transfer of similar value, then maybe a bargain or two. I’m also happy that if we’re selling anyone, we‘re doing it after we’ve bought first.

I totally understand but why Given wanted out, but the timing was shocking, and probably resulted in our relegation - Given in nets wins us a few more points that season. I couldn’t quite ‘forgive’ him after, it forgive is the right term. As for Carroll, from what I gather he was happy to orchestrate a move, Ashley happy to take the money, and all parties to pretend that it was heart-wrenching. Carroll’s failures were pure schadenfreude for me - he had the chance to live the dream and sacked it off.

So much dignity that their comments are hidden from public view

I’m too much a child of the ‘80s and ‘90s. There is a part of my brain that can’t quite shake off thinking of AC Milan as the world’s grandest football club.

I love how these PFMs say this unthinkingly, yet forget that an Englishman hasn't won the title since the PL breakaway

If we had a shred of decency I think we should be going back to Sociedad and paying them the other 40m that we clearly fleeced them of

No-one seems to want the bloke - but it was a cracking finish again for Scotland the other day vs Georgia. Well taken on a shocking surface. I love the idea that the club are feeding false information to hacks - particularly hacks like Edwards, given how much of an arse he's been over the last three or four years.

This will mean that Andreas Andersson will now be only the second-best player we've ever signed from AC Milan. So that's disappointing.

Yeah, that's where my thinking is too. In terms of Longstaff - a successful season going forwards will mean 50+ games played per season. I'm a fan of Willock and Longstaff - they'll definitely get minutes (and I prefer Willock in the centre to big Joe)

I'm enjoying learning about whether Jeff Hendrick is shit enough for their team. And I still think he's less shit than Luke O'Nien, the mackems just couldn't pay Hendrick's wages. But he's definitely shit enough for sunderland.

'Didn't happen of the year awards' - sunderland edition

It's like having a wank to a photo of yourself

Milanista is a good poster, and I like reading his comments - but it looks like he's had a 'mare here. This starting to look nailed-on.

Perfectly reasonable call-out either way mate - I was a bit groggy and completely misread the original post. And even if I hadn't, as soon as I re-read it I thought I'd been a bit of a wanker!

I'd already stated I'd misread it and apologised

Sorry Ed misread it as being after gross. 5:45am here and my brain hasn’t switched on yet

£4m per year isn’t £77k/wk

It looks more like a Monet than a pap photo

‘Sandro from Meee-lan-oh, I bet that’s Italian for Milan, is it?’

Great post, but just to pick you up on ‘if Rice is £100m so is Tonoli’ - not how it works I’m afraid. I’m not arguing that Rice is better than Tonoli - but English players attract a massive premium due to UEFA regs on ‘home’ players. In effect, being English adds (conservatively) 50% to a player’s value in England.

But his team being relegated and the contract having a year to run do factor into it - as does the lack of big name suitors at present. In six months he can talk to clubs about leaving for nowt.