Kilcline

25m for Doak has been my go-to "but look at how Bournemouth do it" rebuttal this season, don't see it with him at all. That said, I previously used whatever they paid for Alex Scott for those purposes but he's turned into a proper player this season, so I imagine Doak will be brilliant in a year or two aswell now

Custis and Clery spitballing about whether Roefs would be a good signing on talkshite is a hell of a low bar for a rumour even by today's standards

Haha aye, at Brighton away this year I apologised to the bloke standing two spaces along from me because my language was shocking, this was only about 5 minutes in although I must have had about 6 pints. His kid is stood on the chair between us and he just goes "it's alright mate, he can say what he likes at the match" - 2 minutes later this lad who must have been about 8 year old is giving it the "Fuck off Isak you're a daft cunt now" Got a mate who takes his kid to Glastonbury whenever it's on and he has a similar policy, sure the youngun only likes going because he can swear his head off for the few days!

I got pulled for swearing by a steward during the Brighton game, after a fair few of us got an email about a foul language complaint after the mackems game ffs. Just the odd "F off" aswell, nothing you don't hear on the street, ridiculous really.

I'm looking forward to it, with the caveat that we're somewhere close to back to our best. A good chunk of games against teams that will have played a few days before and potentially long journeys, the likelihood of a few Friday/Monday night games under the lights against some of the shite, and a few old fashioned Saturday 3pm games should make for a decent mix. I won't even mind the Sunday 2pms if we're playing a team hanging out the back of their arse. Although on that front, we could, ironically, probably do with keeping the intensity next season!

No, it's mackems. Otherwise spot on

Absolute shambles

£120m Not sure what'd be funnier, that tosser being held to the long contract he was all too willing to sign or Chelsea having to sell at a discount because they'll need to sell to buy (and have to I think under their UEFA settlement)

Sold!

The biggest disappointment for me was that it isn't on the same night as Algeria v Jordan is on at 4 am, could have made a proper night of it

Played everyone and cheers @Magpie, top man. Count me in for any WC related stuff, aye

Aye, UEFA announced in August they'll be at 5pm now. Took me by surprise when I found out the other day too!

Yeah that's a cracking shout. Wonder if Leicester have already been on the phone asking if they fancy taking Harry Winks and his £90k a week off their hands. The "knowing West Ham...." jokes write themselves

Very smart move by West Ham that, can only assume they're not that up the creek financially or will be able to get by with the standard sales you'd expect them to make and will be able to run a decent squad and/or Nuno's had assurances/the wool pulled over his eyes. Could equally be a shit or bust move and they need to come straight back up or they're in real bother.

They're saying they'll ignore it but there's no way they won't show at least a bit of it and pass up the opportunity to get a Roy Keane soundbite about Shakira or the state of the modern game

Yeah, I agree to an extent - and possibly where your Arsenal example comes in. So we know we can do the horses for courses stuff, so where's the pragmatism more often? But then we're probably into the time on the training ground etc arguments and what should/shouldn't be possible given limited time or a week to prepare for games

The Arsenal example is what I mean though, a focus on set pieces to that extent is original in the context of no-one in the league was doing it. Whereas we've tried a heap of different things but they've not stuck. We've had the full backs invert, we've had the midfield build up as a double pivot, but we don't see it through, and they're not original as in we're not presenting problems that teams haven't seen before. We've tried to evolve but we're always a step behind or try it then sack it off.

He's an incredible footballer. Even with the farmersliga stuff I think it needs to be appreciated that it's greats of the game doing daft numbers over there, it's not as if it's someone like Shola banging them in

Have they started stating they're going to fly from Teesside or Leeds Bradford yet?

I always remember growing up watching Football Italia in the 90s and being amazed when it got to March and there'd be a lot of "Trappatoni is coaching against the team he'll manage next season" and the like and thinking what is this world

Yeah, this is where people too get caught up in the "plan B is to do plan A better" stuff because even Klopp and Pep said that's what they do. The top coaches add an original wrinkle or two every year. It's not always obvious, but it's there. Whereas Howe will often try stuff others have tried, but I'm not sure I've seen much he's obviously come up with himself.

If this season has taught us anything surely it's to not assume the three coming up will go straight back down two days after the playoff final?

Can confirm. Gutted I wasn't wearing my NUFC adidads at the time to complete the look