Jonas

Its not just the PSR rules holding clubs back its that it will only ever lead to the already advantaged getting more and more money relative to everyone else. Where's the absurdum infinitum arguments re competitiveness should APT or PSR and the like be ditched or slackened about that.

Also only experienced that against Man United, but a few years later (actually our next time there). Didn't we sing it to a different pace with claps and pauses? One of my worst memories of our fans is some singing it at home to Man United in 97/98 and, fair play, their fans chanting back "who the f*ck do you support?"

Looks like a bigger version of White Hart Lane. Screens in the same place, seat colour and everything. Different to the norm new stadiums yet still samey. Would be a very bitter pill to fetch up with just a bigger version of that.

Tell you what was a catchy number that you could sing for ages - the Andy Cole song. After a few verses was like it was automatic, even if you stopped singing to talk to someone the hands kept clapping to that beat and you rejoined.

That's where I always place it. With the Gallowgate of all things, because the year before with the new Leazes and the exact same stand as the jumpingest part even with a reduced Gallowgate and the year before that with two gaping open ends the atmosphere was great.

Think its a long standing Spurs thing. Will never forget them singing "We want our Tottenham back" at SJP in 97/98 (game had to be 0-0 cos we won it late) and the quizzical looks on people as to what they were on about. In my experience they'd finished 3rd (16pts off top and never in it) once since I'd gotten into football and since then had finished between 7th and 15th which they were on for again (and for the forseeable) They had an average finish of 10-11th in the 90s, 7th in the 80s and 12-13th in the 70s so confused looks from older fans was justified. Levy's had them well above that and their all-time position so it can only be about not winning the occasional trophy with bang average teams like his predecessors. They finished 10th and 11th when they won cups in 91 and 99 and were a bad watch Ginola and Gascoigne apart. They'd moan about that, they did then.

Howe's not been backed enough (because of the legislation) to justify anything more than what he's delivering. Its precisely the point of the rules to prevent us doing better than challenging for the CL every season and getting to cup finals. Even that is beyond what was probably anticipated. For every Bournemouth who may well not end up doing better this season or maintain this next season (like we did) and Forest who overspent in accordance with the rules (we didn't) there's a Spurs and Man United that were doing way better than with no right to. A not very good Forest under Frank Clark finished a ways ahead of a Keegan team once and Fulham, Forest and Bournemouth are ahead Emrey and Villa now.

I don't think there's any great secret to why were so poor at times. Were not a top team, don't have a top squad, so its not realistic to avoid those things over a season. You get over-performing and you get under-performing. Fulham, Bournemouth, West Ham I get but today was exceptionally bad - the attitude mostly was weird. Weren't anywhere near that lame getting hammered there under McLaren (think we even had the better of the first half hour, just lay down today)

Waste of everyone's time. Don't think City can even take pleasure from that as there wasn't even token resistance. So glad PSR has made things so competitive.

Our form outside the cups is probably as bad as its been since Howe took over. Were the absolute masters at pacing ourselves into cup finals in the limpest of form. Whether were good or bad. Never even got to go into one wrongly thinking we had a chance.

Expected nothing. Got even less.

Brighton in the FA Cup, such great memories of high controversey and Pardew second strings

I've had that vision for March.

Think Fulham will get revenge on Man United this time. Which is actually worse.

Said we'd take a home draw so cant complain. One of the worst draws of the contenders thougn. Man City and Villa will breeze intot the quarters.

Know its just conjecture and topical but was feeling comfortable if not confident until all this double cup stuff

Collymore was a flash in the pan. 94-96. Was rarely not abject after that.

Plenty of good teams left that can definitely beat us - but no fear and feels nice.

Oh well - hard lines Donk and hard lines Levy.

96/97 probably Liverpool, Arsenal, Newcastle, Manchester United, Aston Villa (the then top 5 2years in a row) plus Everton and Spurs (both shit then but big clubs) all gone by the 5th. Quarter Finals of Portsmouth v pre winning anything mid-table Chelsea Sheffield Wed v Wimbledon Derby v Middlesbrough Chesterfield v Stockport

Remember an "Alnwick Reds" flag goading us at Old Trafford when we got our first Premier League point and not going down well.

During the one show? Jenas can double up an present both..., forgot, he's been trying to double up too much as is

Had two or three QFs in the LC to embelish the obligated apperance in the FA Cup

Don't think any of them played particularly well with the exception of Tonali but not that sort of game and full effort and fought hard.

A scrappy 2-3 at Birmingham - all that was missing was our keeper getting kicked in the head by one of their arseholes and having to play concussed. Sure the referee would have obliged. Deriliction of duty from him tonight, ran the risk of injury from early on, most of that crossed the line from playing hard and would have been considered dirty decades ago.