TheBrownBottle

Possibly the best right back I’ve ever seen. Excellent centre half too - that Parma back line of the late ‘90s was something special

Who the fuck is Thurman? Is that you? Is your name Thurman? Thurman Merman? Jesus

Surely the mackems' weird obsessions can't be that old? Surely when the Vikings starting ravaging Northumbria we had some sort of unity? *Checks the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle for the coming of the Vikings in 793 CE* 'Here were dreadful forewarnings come over the land of Northumbria, and woefully terrified the people: these were amazing sheets of lightning and whirlwinds, and fiery dragons were seen flying in the sky. A great famine soon followed these signs, and shortly after in the same year, on the sixth day before the ides of January, the woeful inroads of heathen men destroyed god’s church in Lindisfarne island by fierce robbery and slaughter. And Sicga died on the eighth day before the calends of March. Oh, and Jarra is 95% MLF, and the Norsemen eat Sugar Puffs, the cunts' The primary source has spoken, I guess.

Yep, it always rings hollow - and anyone with a modicum of education can see through the posturing of twats like Barton.

TBF it is more to do with current form than league rankings - Leicester are also in shit hot form. This would always have been a hard game pre-WC

Great, isn’t it? Like ten angry B&W hornets swarming every team that comes to SJP

Can anyone think of a particularly good NUFC Xmas / NY period? They're usually horrendous. My favourite was trips to Highbury and Elland Road in quick succession in 2001 - two of my favourite away days ever to this day. Can't think of many happy ones though

I'm nervy about this one - I'll go for a 1-1 though a loss wouldn't be a shock by any means. Tough game this one.

Yep, he's always been a complete shithouse - never liked him including when he was here. Then after prison he went on Question Time and tried to present himself as a deep thinker by being mates with Morrissey (and Barton is clearly thick enough to not realise that chumming about with Morrissey these days makes you politically suspect) but he couldn't undo the fact that he's an innately unpleasant human being

Yes that’ll do for me

Proper ladge like

Some ball that from the skipper

The high press works better against teams who aren’t playing 11 men behind the ball. We’ve struggled with Bournemouth twice and Palace at home for the same reason. We’ve still done enough to be winning - just that bit of quality at the end lacking. We’re a good side these days - good sides often have to play against this kind of negative football. Fuck knows we played that way for enough years.

Yep - I suspect Howe likes Burn playing there because we shuffle to a back three when Trippier bombs forward

Yep - and while interference doesn’t require a touch, the lad could hardly get up and out of the way quick enough

Any worries about intensity dropping off after a break completely dispelled there. Thought we played well just lacking a bit of killer instinct. Wonder if Howe will take off Longstaff or Willock and bring on ASM and drop Joelinton deeper if the score is the same after 10-15

Almiron’s right foot

Agreed, though the lad doesn’t have the time to get up and out of the way

Willock doesn’t look like he touches that when he’s off. Wilson definitely isn’t off. Shite decision which looks like it was made out of fear.

Joelinton looks so much more composed on the ball these days. I still prefer him deeper, but the lad’s touch is dramatically better

HOWAAAAAY YAAAAANITED

Brazil 94-02 and Spain 08-12 were pretty much complete sides too - and I do think that Germany 14 and France 18 were clearly head and shoulders above everyone. This Argentina side are (IMO) the weakest winner in some time - they may be the weakest since Maradona carried their last winning side in 86, though there are arguments for Italy 06. It is odd though how Euros and Copa Americas spring up surprise winners and WCs don't. It is hard to imagine Denmark or Peru, or Greece or Bolivia winning a WC. It will be good for the competition if it ever does happen.

I'll give the extended highlights a watch later - the score times suggest it was a bit crazy. I am glad for Messi - while I don't think winning a WC actually makes a difference to a player's greatness, it does at least remove that nonsense from the conversation. I don't think there was a truly top side at this WC mind - it isn't a coincidence that Messi and Mbappe met in the final. Those two are the effective difference between their sides and about seven or eight other teams.

Hi Pata Christ, I don't remember what I said yesterday, never mind whenever I wrote that. Ah well, glad you're here to remind me. I didn't watch the final, but four pens suggests a bit of a farce.