Pablo

Forgive me for losing my rose tinted spectacles. a lot of our past has been horrid, with a smattering of hope now and again. Will make it all the sweeter when we finally rise to the top

Couple of headers from Shearer? god I hated that season.

Failed again for Spurs. Applied for a few tickets together via every ballot so far and only ‘won’ tickets in the ballot 3 times, last one against Forest on Boxing Day so doubt the number of applications have dropped unless I’m just extremely unlucky - can’t get into SJP even through this rough run of form. I always try for Cat2, but was put into Cat3 for one game. I’d happily have the worst seat in the ground. I’ve picked up the odd ticket through resales, which means going alone. i just find it frustrating and demoralising. Last years system was much better, cos I cared enough to make every effort to be online at the prescribed time. This 2 day window opens the floodgates to the dont really care if I get a ticket or not crowd. Most games I’ve witnessed folk who don’t know songs, more interested in their phones and unwilling to stand in safe standing sections. Wrt season ticket holders they aren’t much better, with their little cliques handshaking, and leaving 10 mins before the end of the game regardless of score and telling me to sit down or be quiet for inevitably wanting to cheer on the lads. There’s a lot to fix

Thought he looked v promising in pre-season, but hasn’t had a look in

Roll on 2025. Best of wishes for your recovery Sven.

If we stay then I expect large increases in season ticket prices once the 10 / 14 year deal ends, possibly pricing out some of the loyal fan base. PSR requires every penny to be squeezed out of us, or we remain an upper mid table team. if we move to a super stadium, possibly 80k, perhaps the level 7/8/9(?) seats could be kept at a low price point, similar to how Barcelona use to operate at Camp Neu. I get the view is worse but at least the less affluent could still have a means to be a match goer. Those seats could be subsidised by higher price points for the seats with a better view and the corporate and hospitality sections which we could expand. I’ve always heard that NUFC has the best and most loyal fan base. I therefore challenge that 65k is sufficient if we become elite and develop a global fan base. Even at present many thousands are locked out with circa 70,000 members struggling to get tickets.

The way this season is going, that wouldn’t surprise me either, here’s hoping!

Suspect that whoever defends better will win this one, as I think both teams will be fairly matched in attack. They have some quality scatter across the midfield and attack.

It is only anecdotal and a small sample size, but the vast majority of match going fans I have spoken to accept we need a new stadium to compete. It was more split, last season, but the constraints of remaining at SJP and the farce of the ballot this year have become so apparent in recent weeks that an acceptance that moving it the only option is becoming obvious. This doesn’t mean they actually want to move, they simply realise we need to move to compete.

Toney would be a great signing for us, at the right price, would fit in well with Tripps and Sandro. That ships sailed though, as he missed the boat during the Rafalution. Shame the club had no strategy back then and didn’t realise we had a borderline elite striker out on loan. I heard Rafa wasn’t even briefed on him.

It’s (hopefully) almost certainly going to come to a head soon. Ultimately I think we need Forest or Everton relegated on the back of financial breaches, and mass hysteria and uncertainty through the summer with a will they / won’t they circus in the media. We need the league to be totally split and up in arms, with threats of boycott. This could drive a hole into the current regime and we can just go along for the ride, without being the focus of attention. i have no love for Everton or Forest, but I can’t accept that they have done anything worse than the red tops, citeh, Chelsea and spurs or even Leicester. Teams should be promoted and relegated on sporting merit, not on financial results (as long as they pay there creditors and don’t go bankrupt / administration).

I’m all for it, blood the team including the young uns and some squad players, and Eddie into 2 games a week, build our European co-efficient and hopefully break our duck and claim a trophy. This isn’t something to turn our noses up to. Knowing us we’d fuck it up though, West Ham win in 2023, Villa win in 2024 and then we shoot ourselves in the foot and miss out on a trophy.

I’m not sure there’s enough goals in that front 6 for a title push. Throw in a talent like Saka or Salah on the right, and let Gordon and Big Jow rotate and I’d feel a lot more comfortable. Defence needs to stop dropping clangers too.

Bruno to City is similar to Modric to Real. His levels would increase beyond what most would believe possible, with that movement around him, he’d become a Rodri /KDB hybrid. Perfect.

Given it is going to take 9months to build the stack I think it is unreasonable to expect a stadium to pop up quickly. However I would appreciate some club communication on the matter, it will give us a true insight into long term plans and ambition. i think we are being held back by a large proportion of the fan base insisting on staying at St. James at all costs, and the recent requirements for fan consultations and engagement. I fear the board are worried about further fan backlash as there has been a lot of negativity recently. Ultimately I think as a club we need a good news story and we need it soon, the national media are quick to twist the knife and we seem to lack friends.

I’m absolutely convinced that to progress a new stadium is a must. Standing still is going backwards.