Checko

Agree, I think the weakest point of Howe's set up is that our wingers often stay very wide in passy passy phases leaving our striker very isolated and it become very difficult to move the ball forward through the middle. It's a bit like we're set up to counter even when we want to do more posession-based stuff. A legit playmaker on the right could do a lot for us.

Had no idea Viana's been Sporting sporting director for the last 6 years. Bring the handsome bugger home!

Sick a palm tree either side and a giant Bruno bucket hat on top of the sign and it'll look fine IMO.

Also yeah, Nick Pope's been class and I'd be sorry to see him go tbh.

OH MY GOD JACK'S POSTED IT IT'S FUCKING HAPPENING!!!!!

Actually where's that AI pic of Joelinton wearing a cape on a sausage roll, holding a bottle of brown? Can we just use that as our badge?

I like our badge, though don't like the light shade of blue with the name. I wouldn't mind a slightly simplified version of it. It is a very formal coat of arms design though - I'm all in favour of trying to push the circular NUFC badge with the little magpie as an addition, though I'm sure marketing experts would talk about brand awareness dilution or some such term. I think the NUFC is a good, simple design, well-suited for less formal stuff like street clothing etc.

Yeah I'd pick Atletico over us tbf, especially as he already lives in Spain.

Wonder if there's some thinking about playing some 343 / 541 (however you want to call it) next year. Worked for Palace since Glasner took over and obviously Leverkusen this year. Think Inter did something like that as well and they've bossed it. It's very in right now. CBs like Tosin and Kelly who are fast and comfortable on the ball would work well with that on the outside and we have 2 very attack-minded fullbacks it would allow some freedom to.

40 million Euros is 3,407,000,000p at current exchange rate btw. Does feel like this big bearded Georgian one has some legs. He's clearly being sold this year.

Do we want to sign a load of Sporsy players though?

Yeah quite possibly. Just have some memory of us being stronger in the second half of the last 2 years of Rafa, but I don't want to look it up because I'm probably way off!

This cunt signed and done his hamstring yet?

Felt with Rafa that he took a little time to find out what worked best, but he'd tinker a bit and find a good system. Which is probably the sign of a good manager.

Seen Brentford have a 'director of elite performance'. Should get one of those rather than a regular performance director!

It's the premier league's money and the premier league's shareholders (the clubs) generally wouldn't want that money spent strengthening potential rivals.

He's a journo, and sometimes journos post bad news which people don't like. Injuries only happen if they're reported. I quite like him tbh. He has a reputation for being very negative but I don't think that's the case. Certainly watching his post match reports on youtube he doesn't come across as such. If anything I would say the fact he's a fan of the club (as far as I know, - his son certainly is) means he's not always the most objective. He does the thing you've mentioned all fans do of overrating his club's home-grown players a bit for example. He will be pro-Newcastle (he fucking loves Eddie Howe), so definitely worth bearing that in mind but he is knowledgeable about the club as far as I know. He was reporting about there being an informal agreement between Ashworth and Man U back in mid Feb for example (which turned out to be true it seems) before any official contact made, so he's not clueless.

In all seriousness though, if he decided our project wasn't for him, or he was loyal to palace in the end, or just played the contract leverage game then fair play to him. The grass isn't always greener.

They may have thrown in Bromley then

Gillespie had it by the end!

This is why McKenna at Ipswich might want to move to a bigger team: struggle with a newly-promoted team, which is to be expected, and suddenly many people think you're shit. From a very cursory glance Kompany did ok at Anderlecht - they came 4th and 8th the 2 seasons before he took over, 3rd and 3rd in both his years in charge, and 11th the year after he left. Lost a cup final on penalties. Did great at Burnley in their promotion year. Perhaps should have been a bit more pragmatic in the premier league but they were starting to turn it around by the time we played them. There is a big gulf between Premier League and Championship that's hard to overcome. Anyway, he could be absolutely fine with better players.

Yeah I agree, but it should also a consideration in the whole 'make him sit out his whole gardening leave and rot like his compost heap' school of thought, as hilarious as that would be.

Yeah I'm not saying we've actually been unreasonable, but from the perspective of someone not directly involved, they might see the base story and hear the perpetual moaning from Man U & it can create a narrative.

There is definitely something to be said for not wanting to look like we'll hold prospective employees hostage if they want to leave.

Fair enough, they probably gave him permission to urinate wherever he wants in the whole of Croydon. Pretty sweet deal. Get the bloke from that dodgy 777 lot in.