Optimistic Nut

1996/7 : First season 2nd place via the league gets a CL spot : Newcastle finish 2nd. 2001/2 : First season 4th place via the league gets a CL spot : Newcastle finish 4th 2024/5 : First season 5th place via the league gets a CL spot : Newcastle finish 5th Can't wait for the roll out of 6th place getting in.

Worst one was wearing the 09/10 home kit last home game v Fulham, loads of people walking around with the top with the PL lettering and numbers, then we went down.

Wasn't he out for about 4 months after the last derby.

Was always great having The Championship one on Bank Holiday Monday.

Him against Isak again, Haaland, even the likes of Solanke, Evanilson, Watkins is going to be gold.

What's the standing situation like at Dortmund?

Shame.

65k all-seater probably equates to 70k with standing once the 1 seat to 1 standing ticket eventually changes, which seems inevitable in the next few years? Everton seem to have accounted for that with their new ground.

I think we'd pretty much guarantee ourselves 3-4 seasons more at least of Murphy style figures given the players around him, plus a better all-round game. I think he'd be a hugely rewarding signing.

Possibly but it means another midfielder coming in and Murphy further forward.

Is it worth a gamble on Everton offering bot all as an attacking threat and going Burn LB in a 4-3-3? Not sure about 3 CBs against these.

Norf Larndon parade looks great. What it's all about.

Is that the fee or "overall package" that the likes of Sky like to use now to make it sound mega big.

Think English teams will dominate for a while, but we weren't a million miles away from an Eintracht Frankfurt v Bodo/Glimt and Lyon v Athletic Bilbao Semi-Final this year which on paper sounds about right for the Europa.

If it's picked on form could argue Barnes should be ahead of him.

What do you reckon the chances are next week replicate the 1926/7 title winning crest for a season, before going to the new simplified one?

Definitely tougher paper rounds back then. Bob Stokoe is only 24 there. Could be 40+.

That's it, like. 5 years ago as a neutral in the CL race, I'd not really want to watch 4th place Spurs at home to an on-the-beach bottom-half Everton over the 5th to 7th placed teams going for it.

It's why I'd fancy us to do what Villa have done. There's no handicap to being in pot 4 anymore.

They've been given a massive second chance to "go again" and put this league one down as a blip in their recent history. A good managerial appointment and a few top signings which they're capable of, they should get back in the top 7/8 at least.

They've been pretty consistent top 5/6 finishers for 15 or so years to be fair.

The amount of years as fans where we've said, "I'll take 17th in the league if we could finally win a Cup", and Spurs have done exactly that.

Take it as a good thing that the neutrals see it as that unlikely we'll blow a CL position that it's not worth showing.

Think it was the Targett one that made it look bollocks, mind. Think it's accurate for US sports where these sorts of things are in the public domain but for football it's basically relying on newspaper sources.