TheBrownBottle

Make that three of us. It isn't an 'assist of the season' - it is easily goal of the season for me. The technique and vision for the pass was simply unbelievable - all coolly finished by a sublime footballer. The notion of 'assists' is a relatively recent one - the greatest World Cup goal of all time is still Carlos Alberto's in 1970 for me - but it isn't because of the finish (which is well taken). Thunderbastards are ten a penny for me - that there are so many of them to choose from tells you that they are more visually spectacular than they are requiring of sublime technique.

No, but it is a reasonable point that some of the more OTT criticism may not be justified - and that if he signed, he might prove himself to be of significantly better quality than the current incumbent of that position. Just as Pope did. Personally, I find the 'elite level players only' stuff a bit odd - one top four finish doesn't mean that we're an elite level club yet, and FFP slows our ability to join that club. Perfectly reasonable for people to think that he isn't much better / is the same as / isn't as good as Longstaff - it is a game of opinions, etc - but I watched what happened to our midfield when Longstaff was out at the end of the season. I think McTominay is a perfectly talented and capable footballer, and would be better than the current competition for Longstaff - which last season was nobody, and next season would at present potentially be Hayden (if he returns). There is a danger we're getting ahead of ourselves and making the perfect the enemy of the good. I don't doubt that in four or five years time, signing a player like McTominay would be a retrograde step and would raise eyebrows and questions - I'm confident we'll be at a much higher level by then. And of course, we might not even be interested in the lad anyway - it is just speculation until something happens. I get the feeling that the rumours may be inaccurate this year, now that we have a full recruitment team onboard.

Yeah, I agree with that. Hollywood saves are often the result of poor positioning - and Dubravka's positioning isn't the greatest. Pope is clearly superior in terms of positioning / angles / decision making, and was when he signed. Dubravka is a mediore top flight keeper - but that made him superior to what we had at the time. He's still an excellent 'number 2' if he is happy to stay, though.

Come on Kaka, we’re ultimately talking about watching a game; an entertainment. A game invented - in its current code - by Victorian schoolboys if we’re getting exact. It is by definition a childish pursuit. It’s meant to be fun - and even if those saying they’d want to see Messi in B&W shirt just once were serious so what? The joy of the game is the happy moments and memories that stay with you. Seeing possibly the greatest player ever play for your club would be one of those things - even if he doesn’t press like Almiron … The childish thing to do IS to treat football so seriously. I was never more serious about football than when I was a kid. As an adult I laugh most of this stuff off.

While I know there will be context and it’s just ‘mad bantz’ but current footballers doing this sort of media is just unprofessional for me. I’m surprised NUFC & WHUFC are ok with them doing it.

Arsenal signed Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus last season from Man City. Unwanted squad players from rivals don't necessarily equal bad signings. Tierney is a really good (if injury prone) LB - and would be an obvious upgrade on what we have already

Yeah, it is a tricky one for me because I think Targett is a canny player and a good personality / of good character. It is just that we're probably not at the point where 100k/pw for a reserve LB is the norm. I'm trying not to be overly critical here, as I like Targett and would be happy for him to be in the squad for the next couple of years (provided he's happy with a squad role). With the increased income next season (and of course in future seasons) everything I've written becomes less of an issue.

He was an excellent loan signing - but I'm not sure 15m + his being one of the highest earners at the club is worth it for a reserve LB. The back five also haven't been the best in the league since the tactical switch in February - we kept three clean sheets in the second half of the league season (final 19 games). They looked pretty vulnerable to me for those last few months - with most matches seeing a goal conceded from a piece of poor defending. Not meant as a criticism of Targett nor of his signing - but you'd be hard pressed to argue for 'value for money' for the first full season.

No need for any watching at all. The takeover has sent Delaney and Panja peculiar tbh - my advice would be to completely ignore them; a couple of plastic 'big club' supporters whining because their own clubs are under additional threat from another club. Delaney said fuck all about the talk of a KSA takeover of Man Utd (and seemed to welcome it), and has been laughably forced to be a bit vocal re the potential Qatari takeover. Panja is an Arsenal fan who hasn't so much as raised a peep about his club playing in a stadium sponsored by a UAE airline nor his team running out wearing 'Visit Rwanda' on their sleeves - a country where Paul Kagame wins almost 100% of the vote on almost 100% of the turnout due to bent elections, having now been in office for nearly quarter of a century (and effectively running the country for 30 years). They can get fucked, as far as I'm concerned - I don't buy their sudden love of human rights. They come across as risible wankers, and a lot of their criticism (like that tiresome drunk cunt Barry Glendenning) comes across as being soaked in regional prejudice. Once the takeover was approved, it was pretty much game over for them - as per Chelsea, you'd need a govt intervention at this point to force a sale of the club. Restriction of trade is usually frowned upon - football is sailing close to the wind already and possibly would find any challenge to its rules and regs being successful. If any club were to challenge them, it could turn football on its head - ask Jean-Marc Bosman.

I quite like Carlisle too. Mrs BB did her degree there - always thought it was canny for a day out on a sunny day (August / May matches). Without wanting to upset any lurking Cumbrians, I know it is geographically in the North West but (accent and culturally) it feels more 'North East'. Also helped by the fact that the BBC North East and Tyne Tees also covered that part of the country.

Then bring them all on It’s not that I don’t think we can / will get out of it. It’s a sort of security policy. It could be a couple of years before we get back in it too - I really would like at least on supergiant in there.

I missed this one what did Eales say?

I’m not saying it wouldn’t - but I’d like at least one bone fide giant in there. I’m not thinking in terms of getting out of the group.

It’s been quoted by multiple sources. He hasn’t been the greatest value for money so far - though that’s not the lad’s fault

Perhaps - but that group looks very ‘Europa League’ to me All personal preference of course - but I’d want as many real heavyweights as possible; it increases the risk of finishing bottom, but any and every win would feel historic. All European nights really are something special, so it will always be great - but beating Barcelona and Juventus at SJP in the CL has the edge over the other European nights for me

It would be depressing to finish bottom of that group. I want genuine giants personally.

I know it’s a shit rag, but is there anyone of my vintage who doesn’t immediately picture the below when they see or hear that name?

You can't sue, but the club doing the tapping can be punished by the FA with fines and transfer embargos

I don't think he'll leave in the summer and I've always got the impression that the lad likes being here, but I also think the following: 1) 'emotional' ties don't mean a great deal when you're talking about massive pay rises 2) I don't think the club are looking to do massive wage hikes just yet 3) if he did leave, we'd just go out and spend money replacing him. This isn't Ashley's NUFC - I wouldn't lose a second's sleep re a single one of our players being sold. It would say nothing about ambition - and we're going to sell good players along the way. Bruno is not irreplaceable

I’d avoid Tielemans like the plague. Heavy Bogarde vibes off that one.

Huge natural oil and gas reserves probably have more to do with it than superb business acumen tbf

There absolutely will be. FFP, not the owners’ wealth, dictates this.

Szoboszlai would be an incredible signing - how likely is it though? It feels like we’re a year or two away from players like him, but perhaps the CL qualification opens up paths to this sort of player?

I hope he signs for the sanity of many on here. Personally, I still think he’ll end up somewhere like Spurs.