Viana

I wouldn't be so disrespectful to LFEE mate. Maddison has always looked good enough for the league, but I don't think it's unfair to question his credentials as a top four player. He was basically given the keys of the Leicester City attack. His goal involvement numbers are exactly what I'd expect for a player we're looking at to step in and help us make last season the rule rather than the exception. The questions that need to be asked are; can be that guy when we play a team like Leeds at home that want to frustrate the shit out of us? Is he able to step up to the Champions League level? Is he able and willing to play the 8 role like we currently have been doing so. We can't pay 40m for a 10 to use in certain occasions.

Aye, his mum has a lot to answer for. Miss 'I could get him fired' did fuck all.

Genuinely amazes me it passed the test.

There's an argument to be made that the outrageous sums thrown around in transfer fees (essentially the cost of breaking an existing contract) could be invested in scouting.

How do we know he isn't trying to feed the malnourished lions and tigers?

I found Pep's relief at winning the Champions League quite telling. They're likely to lose Gundogan, KDB is the wrong side of 30, and Walker can't go on like this forever. I think he knows a big shift of the core is coming and I think Rico Lewis, Foden, and Palmer will get more chances next season for that reason.

Koeman is a spectacularly bad manager.

It's almost like signing a lad from Brazil, shoving him into a flat on his own with no support and giving him to a luddite head coach isn't going to get the best out of him.

Found it amusing that Barry Glendennig appears to know about every fart that happens at Newcastle but didn't seem nearly as clued up on his own team.

Onana goes then.

She seems like a very nice person, but I have to confess, I can’t remember a single thing she’s said on their podcasts. The clips I’ve listened to always sound nebulous and like a rambling collection of adjectives and in jokes.

I wouldn't go near Tah.

I was saying to the wife it's actually soured my opinion on them tbh. It's not like a live podcast has the same production costs as other performances. Did you mate enjoy it at least?

My opinion is also colored by the fact I was just quoted 250 quid PER TICKET, to watch the Its Always Sunny podcast live show.

Sensational

Yeah I get that. I just think that expectation was dropped under Ashley. We're now closer to where we were when I was a kid, where tickets were harder to get and cost a bit more because you're genuinely watching the elite.

It's not entitled, but as someone that works a moderately well-paid full-time job I wouldn't expect to be able to afford every game in three cup runs in the same season. When I was a student under Ashley in the Championship I think I made it to three or four home games and one away and that felt like a lot. I don't anticipate the club's every move to be cheered through the door, but when you consider who we might get in the Champions League you do have to attach some degree of premium to it. If she's still stuck, might I suggest tweeting about how great Fun88 have been for Fan Engagement and sticking with us during the bad times.

I get it to a point. Havertz was a hell of a prospect at Leverkusen and despite that I wouldn't say he ever consistently played in the role Chelsea have had him in. If Arteta is doing this to restore him as an AM or RW then it takes sense.

You do a bit of coverage of the Caps?

Was only joking Jokes aside, I see why Gregg wants this job; the roster is good and there's a decent pool of talent that will be close to its prime come 2026, which is on home soil. Why the USMNT thought letting him sit in limbo just to rehire him was a good idea and in anyway inspiring is baffles me.

Harsh, he did a good job on the NUST board.

If anyone will know it's Speakman. Jude was the definition of precocious and didn't look or play like a teenager. His brother isn't in the same category and only managed 600 minutes last year in dribs and drabs. I don't imagine Sunderland can afford to throw that kind of money away, but he also doesn't look like a player that's going to come into the team this season and make a difference. A quick Dennis Wise scouting mission suggests he's a midfielder that connects defence and attack. Given they did some of their best stuff on the counter I can see why they want someone like him. As before, the biggest question for them is how they improve their striking options and replace Diallo.

Good chance there's Bayern fans saying similar about us.

I'll never understand why they don't just say; we've heard no further developments since the reported interest.