Jonas

Don't know if its already been done but the all-time PL table minus the years and months of Ashley's reign: 1) Manchester United 1453 2) Arsenal 1387 3) Liverpool 1309 4) Chelsea 1247 5) Newcastle 1074 6) Aston Villa 1047 7) Spurs 1011 8) Everton 864 9) West Ham 776 10) Leeds 755 11) Blackburn 747 12) Manchester City 746 13) Southampton 660 14) Middlesborough 559 15) Leicester 445 16) Fulham 428 17) Coventry 409 18) Sheffield Wednesday 392 19) Bolton 376 20-21) Nottingham Forest / Wimbledon 374 (mackems 25th 229points)

Sky tried all that stuff from the outset and give up not for no reason. The sky strikers and all that, Nick Collins the pitchside reporter, as Des Lynam put it years later about 'the guy on the touchline that goes "yeah he's injured"

I've got the full tape of that match/show. Dalglish and Keegan being interviewed inside with the singing outside and in the background of the Sky studio, the show ended with Richard Keys saying "we've got to go, otherwise these boys (motions to the crowd behind) aren't going home tonight" Really felt like an apology for ever doubting KK and a re-energising. Always remember letting out an orgasmic squeak when Clarky cocked to shoot for the winner* - Blackburn were probably my least favourite team at the time, just bothered (and intimidated) me they had all that money and played unattractive football. *edit: watching at home I should add. Was one of my favourite wins, if not the favourite, at the time, gets forgotten now. Still got the science book with the score doodled on to verify that.

By winning the cup Ange effectively highlighted his limitations. He cant do anything in competitions involving top teams, but can win cups populated exclusively by second and third rate ones. Ergo he's no use to them this side of the next Europe League/Conference League campaign, which he'd be sacked for qualifying for anyway.

In fairness to them I recognised, or at least figured out he was one of their players, turns out I thought the name Dan Neil (if that is who it is) went with what must be O'Nein's face and this blokes face went with the name of the lad they sold to Ipswich....Sunluns a massive club

Man City and Chelsea have that theoretical nice clean FFP/PSR headroom because they've been able to invest in their organisations for many years The very investment they're denying ourselves and Villa of deploying and thus depriving us of getting to the point where we can spend a lot of legit money within their bullshit PSR system. Said this before but whatever McEwans paid Blackburn (a middling 2nd tier club) in 91 might have seemed a lot but by 1995 they're league champions and in the champions league. Ended up a great deal for all concerned but would now be stopped at source. Basically speculating to accumlate is outlawed, except for all the gambling adds, that's just fine.

They happily do themselves down if it means diminishing an achievement by us. Read on one of those deluded world posts that apparently NETD now only counts if you're in the same league - which takes away for us the small matter of being a couple league's ahead of them on several occasion, but also reduces their already small amount of times experiencing that down to five in 45years.

Was basically beat two naff teams have the winter off and look forward to the Quarter-Finals. Many of the finals wouldn't be close to sell outs.

Was either the Barton or Ferdinand unveiling. Also have it on tape but cant check.

Think the Baggio interest may have been verified by Keegan in his book Pedantic but Del Piero had taken Baggio's place in the Juventus team that season hence why Baggio was available (went to Milan that summer). Remember some talk of Del Piero even in exchange for Shearer in the Gullit era around the NTL takeover talk time. Think Del Piero had fallen out of favour by then

No "PSR fuck up", no CL twice and no cup

Keegan would have been immense in that role at one point. Probably the best transfer success rate of any manager and such an unthusiastic seller of a project

Definitely not going to get all bent out of shape over this. Did just fine before him. Don't know what he's done exactly since we couldn't sign anyone. If he'd drawn up plans, they obviously weren't up to snuff.

Ruined the whole Keegan era for me, when they had a better season than this under Peter Reid, finished top and got promoted. This is what some of us mean about not wanting to have to bother with them as there's no reasoning with them. Our finish a league ahead of them, qualifying for the Champions League and winning a trophy doesn't effect them, but they get promoted via the playoffs - something none of us would ever want to experience - and it somehow breaks us.

Looks relatively together closing the door when the banging is taking place yet he's completely lost it seconds later to do what he did

That's absolutely horrible. Its bad enough at this end so truly sorry for and wish all the best to everyone that was there and hope nobody is lost.

I'd just as soon not. Might have been a case for a body for Europa/Conference league to rest players but it'd probably have ended up with him resting with an injury anyway

Seeing their fans flooding out the stadium before the end and remembering McGinn sweetened the whole deal, actually now wish it was a lot more glaring an error if anything

I don't feel sorry for them at all, I'm glad its going to happen but its a poor rule. I'm glad they got done by VAR today - also a poor rule though.

Year before was the crusher for most I believe. Surprised we got as far as we did in anything under Souness

Forcing Villa to act like Leeds when Villa don't have any logical financial reason to have to act like Leeds. It was supposed to be about preventing that sort of thing. Rather them than us, rather them than a lot of clubs but its rotten system and its not right.

Would probably swap with us all the same

Someone's had to get lucky one way or the other in a situation like was set up today. May as well be us, its usually not.

Villa would have been at least as lucky if not more so than us if they'd got in after getting bossed by an awful team and lucky only to scrape by and reliant on an unlikely result going their way.