magvicar

I think Rafa is a poisoned chalice for any club to be fair. I wasn't too keen on him at Newcastle as time went on. I don't like his style of football and I don't think players do. I also don't think he has any man management skills. But most of all I don't like the way he left the club, regardless of whether people hated Ashley. His utter bull crap of saying that Chinese club was just the project he wanted was laughable. I mean it had nothing to do with the 12 million contract or so he was offered to do absolutely nothing more than any average Joe could've done. I feel sorry for any club that takes him on, on the wages he would be asking. I just don't like the bloke.

It seems to me that since this Chelsea takeover, which is dubious to say the least, it appears Todd Boehly is literally playing FIFA 22/23 but using real players and currency, playing as some kid on cheat mode. It almost looks like the players are simply playing in mercenary mode with no (in most part) allegiance at all to the football club, manager or staff/owner. It wouldn't surprise me to see Frank Lampard being paid 5 million or something stupid to see out this season with a silly bonus of 86.5 trillion added to his bank account if Chelsea win the champions league. Chealsea seem to be the only club in charge of the monopoly game as bankers who can slip money aside without the other players in the game knowing. It's nuts on top of nuts.

There's a few ways the Gordon situation can be taken and many fans will take certain sides to the argument. I prefer to think Gordon was just fuming over being subbed on and then subbed off and took it as an insult, especially after playing well. What he should've looked at was the position Eddie Howe was filling and the reasons for the obvious change for simply running down the clock. However, Gordon won't have thought anything like that in the actual heat of the battle out there but I'm sure many words will have been said between Gordon, Howe and the staff and it's likely resolved with the focus being set right back onto the next game v Villa. If...and I say IF.... Gordon has further issue then he'll simply be moved on at the end of the season and we'll likely lose a small amount of the fee we paid. But I don't think it'll come to any of that as it does nobody any favours.

Who would swap Nick Pope at this point? Not me. Not for any keeper.

It just goes to show the absolute resilience this squad has. I thought Thomas Frank was a sore loser mind but, so what.

Bias out of the window and all that but there's really no other way of looking at it with Alex Isak. The man is absolutely fantastic and when you compare his transfer fee to those of other clubs who paid much much more, we got a bargain. He just oozes class. And guess what? He's only been playing properly for us for half a season. He's taken the premier league like a duck to water. Like a great white shark to the ocean. Like a soaring Eagle. Like a mountain goat just not caring about the steep mountains to climb, he just does it. And....well....I'm sure you get it. Imagine us having two proper strikers at the club. Proper proper strikers. Wilson and an absolute world class Isak.

His ban can be construed as fair enough only when all other players suffer the very same ban. Bruno Fernandes should've also been banned the same but seeing as he's the untouchable darling for some strange reason, it seems Mitro had to be the benchmark...or will he be the benchmark? Let's see. Mitro was stupid to do what he did and ref's have to be protected by threats of violence or intimidation and a strong message sent...but let's not see cherry picking from this day forward with this stuff.

We just might. It's absolutely possible. Having said that, it becomes a big hope and dream for many of us fans and a Europa place would be acceptable happily. I think anything outside of that would be classed as a minor failure rather than any catastrophe. The quality of player we entice will largely come down to us qualifying for something, whether it's CL or Europa. The thing is we need to build steady with top quality and offload the many that will not make that step up. Then that leaves space for the young talent we've taken onboard, who will steadily (in many areas) gain in quality themselves with being around a saturation of quality. It's exciting to think about but the proof will be in the pudding.

Yeah his transfer has already been triggered because he made 3 starts so being out for the rest of the season means nothing against us getting the fee. They just have to take it on the chin and draft in one of the other 776 players they have and hope he helps.

Not too sure about this. The kid's been named Pat Almiron so I'm wondering.

I think Miggy went to see Oscar Goldman and it seems he's coming back, better than he was before. Better, stronger, faster.

Gordon will get his chance but he's came in from a misfiring Everton team who do not play the game we play. He'll take time to fully integrate. As long as he doesn't get badly crocked I think he'll have a big say in our final games and an even bigger one next season when he's fully up to speed with everything. As it is he's adding much needed quality to that squad and when you look at our bench you actually see players who can make a massive difference. Much better squad depth of quality will be key for our finish this season and then top it off in preseason with quality additions and obvious departures enmasse. I think Gordon will be a massive key to our progress.

Yeeharrrrr, get in there, lasses.

Just got back from 2066 and we're still mint with 32 champions league trophies, 26 FA cups and won all but 2 league cups which were won mostly with fringe players when looking back to 2025 on-wards. And shock horror, Eddie Howe and mad dog Tindall are still running the show from Zimmer frames and being respected still. Sunderland ran into difficulties and ended up in the some kind of league as its called in 2066 which is a league specially formulated for those teams not capable of staying in a real league. Roy Hodgson is still in charge at palace inside a robo-cop sort of suit set up. I'll offer more after I've fixed the timer on my time machine.

It's all exciting times ahead on top of the resurgence already in motion. What's not to like about it all?

Let's be honest, football hooliganism could be almost stamped out with the correct sentencing after identification, which is fairly easy with the big brother like cameras we have around grounds and cities/towns. Simply make the punishment fit the actual crime instead of pussyfooting around this type of idiocy.

You see many Sunderland fans being bitter towards us and vice versa. The only issue Sunderland have at the minute is Newcastle fans don't see Sunderland as any threat anymore for obvious reasons...us being in the premier league and them spending a long time in league one. This has ramped up their hatred for Newcastle and on top of that Newcastle United now have owners who are extremely ambitious and it's given their fans another good reason in their minds to get more bitter and use politics to add boulders to their stone throwing arsenal. If they had a takeover like ours with a promise of ambition like ours they would be shouting it from the rooftops and arguing their position. Of course many would deny this because it isn't happening for them at the minute. The thing is Newcastle fans would be doing the same if the boot was on the other foot and we were in their position and them in ours. It's just about people owning up to it all. We are almost being told to apologise for being Newcastle fans by those who suddenly develop a stringent set of morals when it suits. This applies to all rivalries anywhere but in Newcastle's case it becomes ultra bitter among many because It's Newcastle United who are a north east club and many people don't like to think a club from the north east can challenge the elites. Sunderland fans are just another bitter voice jealous of the potential we have.

Until we sign him then it's speculation. If we do sign him then I'd suggest Howe and co see enough in him to aid in the forward movement of this club. As for what I think of him. I would support any player no matter who it was we bring in, like most would. But, as we've known on many occasion, we get linked with all kinds of players and very few come to fruition or were never on the radar to start with except for rumour mill gossip..

Just an opinion and hence why I put up the subjective part.

Aye, I suppose you do have a good point in that.

Aye but at times commentators are baffled by decisions and basically try to offer their own. I just think very contentious decisions would be better explained on field, briefly, just so the fans get the gist. I wouldn't want all decisions to be spoken out on the pitch, just the extreme one's that offer fan bafflement.

At least fans would get an explanation as to why a decision was made.

No I wouldn't be happy. And you make a very good point which is why I said it what I say was subjective. But let's offer that the other way and Isak breaks Fernandes' leg as he's through on goal and then Isak scores the winner. I mean, if we're honest, in that scenario, I'm fairly sure we wouldn't be complaining but Man Utd would. Swings and roundabouts. However, I think, on the whole it looks pointless to keep 11 v 11 but to have massive fines and lengthy bans, I think that in itself will actually benefit the game rather than hinder it and also keep the game cleaner. Obviously it is just my massively subjective opinion but I do get your point.

Then the appropriate lengthy match bans and fines await any player that decides to go in like that.