TheBrownBottle

We’ve had three seasons with sub-20,000 crowds post-war. They’re fucking nut cases.

They don’t talk about politics on the show - why would they need to do that? Breaking international law and treating people seeking asylum like vermin is beyond politics. It’s humanitarian position - the BBC does Comic and Sports Relief and no-one moans on that they are political.

It’s not their most popular show - not by a long chalk. It usually pulls in around 2.5-3m viewers. Canny enough for a football highlights programme, but it’s nowhere near as many who watch, say, Call the Midwife. I find myself in an odd position with all of this. The BBC is a Good Thing generally but is wrong in their actions here. Lineker is absolutely correct in what he said. Match of the Day is an institution. But in all honesty, I can’t sit down and watch pundits talking shite during full games or highlights shows. I don’t watch pre- or post match and usually do something else at half time; though I realise this isn’t what everyone wants to do and there are those who enjoy this element. There is a joy to the highlights being on YouTube these days - I just watch those and avoid the waffle of ex pros telling me what I can see with my own eyes; I find it hard to believe that there is much to be learned from Shearer, Wright or Richards. If I was still in the UK, MOTD just showing the highlights and with PL worldwide commentators would do for me - with a short voice over to explain the context of the match and the table. Just find a new Tim Gudgin to do it. I also think that MOTD (or at least the PL highlights rights package - roughly £70m per year) is hard to justify in terms of cost vs number of viewers - particularly with public money.

Ashley the genius businessman. It’s extraordinary to me that the deal was signed in 2021 - months before the takeover was finalised (and was clearly ongoing in the background) - yet no-one on the buyers’ side seems to have told Ashley that signing such a shithouse deal might be damaging. Still, you can guarantee people will be hoying over the wedge for the shite that Castore pumps out over the next few years, giving the club little to no extra income but ensuring that Castore makes a mint. That’ll show ‘em

The reason they’re there is because of the dogshit recruitment strategy of Mike Ashley. Lewis for one hasn’t shown he’s a PL class footballer to date.

West Brom are a much bigger and grander club than those three tbf. Attendance and average position-wise they’re a natural top flight club. Norwich’s ‘natural’ home is the second division, and Watford & Reading’s are below that.

100%

Agreed - though that doesn’t preclude a sale

Players leaving doesn’t worry me one iota. This is a very different club to Ashley’s - I’d be confident that any player leaving would do so because it is also in the club’s interest; this would be akin to those divvies questioning Keegan on the Cole sale. The vast, vast majority of players leave clubs at some point - I’m not so sure that the assumption that players signed at present will definitely be here in 3-4 years time holds. If Bruno stays, great, if he goes - he’ll be replaced. I can’t see the club selling for less than £80-90m, and I’m not convinced anyone is paying that for him at the moment. I also don’t think the lad is looking to leave at the moment. Next season is likely to be a big one - if we don’t kick on, I can see some of the first batch of players looking to move on.

You don’t need xG to tell anyone that. Someone sat noting ‘that’s a chance … that’s a half chance … I reckon you score that one one in ten times …’ is obviously qualitative.

Again, that tells me that the ‘xG’ stuff is a right load of shite. Qualitative not quantitative yet it’s used as a statistical proof of chances created.

It’s the little moments of almost achieving self-awareness I love: ’I don't care, do you think the mags wouldn't be calling it out if the shoe was on the other foot? It's wrong morally, ethically and financially’ All they have to do is finish the thought; what would be the point of us calling them out on it, if they had all abandoned SAFC after their KSA takeover due to the terrible ethical dilemma they’d no doubt put themselves through? The SOS would be empty. We’d have no-one to point fingers at. Or is it the case that they’d all be there …

I agree generally, though plenty of the Engish / British players are; the problem is that European football competitions have a homegrown quota. That’s why the big clubs spunk daft sums on young English players who then rot on their bench for half a decade before they wash up in the lower reaches of the PL / second division. If Gordon is Croatian, Polish or Portuguese he’s a £15-20m player - you pay a significant uplift on young local talent. But you also have to do that - and to be fair, Howe is someone as likely as anyone to sculpt them into the best player they can be.

Must win and we will win. Not sure about the score, and it probably will be tight - but at some point a team is going to get a right fucking thumping off us, as there will be a game where all or most of the chances are taken

Hahahahahaha

There’s some jerking of knees, but generally speaking it doesn’t seem that crazy. It is all about context. Yep, Man City are a much better side and are miles ahead. But we spurned several gilt-edged chances and conceded two comical goals. We played well but were undone by concentration lapses at the back and dogshit finishing up top - the same as pretty much every game for a couple of months. Knee-jerk would be indignant fury and calling for Howe’s head on a platter. I’m not seeing that.

Ashley signed us up to long-term deals on bad terms

Yes, they were able to write off the losses during that weird period where they were for sale but not yet sold

According to the papers, but no-one in the top six in the PL is going to loan anyone to us anymore, so it could only be from abroad or with a guarantee to buy clause from what I can see

That does feel a bit ‘no idea but we definitely would be better if we’d done something better’. I’m not convinced that there was a lot available for that money who could just drop in and improve the side - and I think some of the issues we’re seeing are the result of the rest of the PL figuring out how to neutralise the way we play a bit.

Chelsea partially negated it by offering insane eight-year contracts - they also have an income about three times larger than ours

FFP meant we had roughly £50m to spend - I’m genuinely curious, who would you have went for / which positions? Any change would mean Gordon not coming in of course.

This used to be called ungentlemanly conduct

Murphy puts some good balls in. I like playing non-inverted wingers

Yep