TheBrownBottle

Luckiest miss in football history for me. If we’d signed Ekitike there was no going in for Isak. I fall to my knees every morning and give thanks to his small-time arrogant twat of an agent and his unprofessional remarks in public which have likely told every club in Europe that they won’t want to deal with him. The notion of sitting on the bench watching Mbappe and Messi play improved a player is daft, too - he’d be better off buying a season ticket at PSG and continuing to play for a ‘lesser’ club if that’s the case. How many talented young players have rotted on Chelsea or Man City’s benches over the years and didn’t improve by watching excellent footballers?

Agreed. It’s a smart through-ball but I think the Twitter gadgie doesn’t understand the notion of what ‘putting it on a plate’ is. Is it even possible for it to be ‘on a plate’ 40 yards from goal? Maybe if the keeper has went up for a corner and is behind play? Even then ….

No worries, I shall quote it to you no more

magvicar doesn't do it so they turn round and go 'Thank you magvicar for the opportunity, thank you for the wisdom, thank you for the laughs.' He does it so, one day, someone will go "There goes magvicar. I must remember to thank him."

I haven't written anyone off. Just saying most of them have been shite this season. I am aware that good players can be plucked from relegated sides, but usually the narrative is around one or two of them - particularly if they've played well despite the circumstances around them. Wijnaldum had a decent season for us that year.

It's striking how many of Leicester's players every top half club's supporters are looking forward to signing, given just how shite they are and have been this season. Tielemans in particular hasn't looked much cop for some time to me.

The argument of the conspiracy theorist right there

Prove this isn't you, magvicar - tell me you don't think the ISS is fake. I mean, obviously 9/11 was an inside job, the moon landings were shot in a studio, and JFK was assassinated from the grassy knoll. No-one is going to argue those.

Yeah, it was a bizarre call by your board not to recruit a centre forward in January - I imagine almost any half decent second tier forward would have done, really. It is still tight for the 5th and 6th slots - and there is usually at least one side which comes into the playoffs with a late surge. I'm got a funny feeling that side might be West Brom, though anyone down to Watford I wouldn't write off (and this is allowing for PNE having a cracking run of form lately). There is no reason that can't be sunderland, of course - though you'll have to understand that I'd be happier if it wasn't

Do you think if Stewart isn't injured you make the playoffs? It isn't over yet, but I'd be looking at a couple of those draws and wondering if they could have been wins with a proper centre forward

Benitez talked about 'Newcastle United is not a stepping stone'. With Bruce, it was back to 'unrealistic expectations' and 'can't compete' shite. Ashley paid millions for a man to be his professional apologist - Benitez actually had enough self-worth and stock in the game not to have to go down that path. Benitez was a La Liga and European Cup winning manager reminding us of what we are and can be. Steve Bruce was a Second and Third Division playoffs winner with a truly weird accent telling us that we were deluded. He can get to fuck, frankly.

Mitrovic destroyed himself by acting like a knacker and generally speaking not being able to hit a cow's arse with a banjo. He wasn't good enough at the time. He's popped a canny few in the last couple of years for Fulham - but at Fulham he remains; I don't see many teams knocking their door down to get him. He's an elite level second division footballer, or a decent PL striker these days - but he's hardly the dog's bollocks.

I've never liked them. Even though I was mid-20s before we lost an away game against them; even with long runs of wins, I fucking hate derby days. Yes, Pardew and co's risible derby performances leading to six defeats on the bounce wasn't pleasant - but then, winning non-stop against them didn't remove the anxiety-fueled sickness I'd feel until FT.

You've lost me now - I'm generally ok with folks not enjoying the football Benitez played etc, but defending Bruce is a line no-one should cross . 'Bruce's team did ok for bit and then everything dropped' - this directly refutes your point. It took the team time to drop away from what Benitez had drilled into them. Bruce actively made them worse - a point further proved by the number of players whose NUFC careers Howe has saved since.

Bayern and AC Milan (if they qualify). I’d want teams we haven’t played before.

I'm firmly in the 'love Rafa, wouldn't want him back as manager though' camp - we've moved on. That doesn't mean I don't hold him in the highest regard - his coming to the club felt like a reminder to both us and the world outside that NUFC is actually a sizeable football club, and not one which 'can't compete with Palace and Southampton' (see another Ashley manager).

Plenty of us have experienced that music before at SJP, you know ...

Yeah, it always seemed an odd one. It's hard to imagine Clarkie making this:

It didn't last too long from memory - both Cole and Clark (who were mates) were linked with moves away in the week after that Southampton game - both missed a cup tie vs Wimbledon midweek - but they both returned the week after vs Wimbledon (with Clark setting Cole up) in the league

Speaking of Clough, he infamously subbed Martin O’Neill in the Charity Shield just after he scored his second goal and was on a hat trick. A pissed off O’Neill asked why he’d been subbed, to which Clough apparently replied ‘because if I had left you on, we’d have needed two balls - one for you, one for everyone else’. That was in 1978 - like I said earlier, players being pissed off with tactical subs is as old as tactical subs!

Hope it comes across that I was joking when I said he should be kicked out It’s all daft tbh. Yes, Gordon’s tantrum was a bit daft and a bit OTT - but he’s a young lad who was just subbed having came on as one, pumped up from playing during a really tense moment in the game, not anticipating the substitution. Ideally, he doesn’t react - but plenty would (I probably would, and then would feel daft afterwards). It is no black mark against his character, and I’ve no doubt that Howe will have had words. It isn’t worth a second’s thought, really.

I’ve said it before on here, but my first preference would be to approach the council re building on the bit of Leazes Park right next to SJP, with a guarantee that once the work is completed the current SJP will be demolished and a new park built on the spot - replete with boating lake etc. Plus a significant investment in other renovations as required.

Sorry, you’re right. Gordon is a cunt and should be kicked out of the club unless he makes a grovelling apology In all seriousness, I never felt KK handled either particularly well. The point I was making was more that these incidents are not the result of modern players being spoilt, but have always occurred, and it is up to the manager how they handle it. People are making massive leaps about Gordon’s character, but they didn’t with Beresford or Clark.

The East Stand used to have them, of course. This to me is why a demolition of the East Stand and Gallowgate would be the way forward if we have to stay at SJP - the best use of the narrow footprint of the East would be to redo it with some seating plus a shitload of corporate. Then have some corporate in the Gallowgate but expand it to ensure you get the extra capacity. It likely wouldn’t increase the ground to 60k, but it would maximise income. The better solution to me is a rebuild elsewhere so that you don’t have to compromise on revenues or income. But I understand why that isn’t popular.

There was only two games left. Beresford started the Charity Shield two months later and remained a regular under Keegan after that. Footballers like a tall tale, Bez in particular is a story teller.