Optimistic Nut

I know our record without him is shit but I think it's for a period of time we'll find a way. Normally it's just been the odd game here & there.

Ironic that a Tudor's managerial career reads like Henry VIIIs marriage record.

Forest won't be far off being one of the favourites to win the Europa League. Villa will be a clear favourite but I could see Forest giving it a go under Pereira. Dyche wouldn't have.

I do still think the countries who gain a 5th CL spot through the co-efficient should do so at the expense of its Europa Conference spots.

Agree, knowing full well I'd cheer & celebrate it if we won.

Wonder how he'd do today in a Salah role?

I don't particularly like it but got a lot of respect for the likes of Brentford, Bournemouth & Brighton. There's a bit of a football snobbery that the likes of Leeds, Sunderland, the Sheffield clubs etc should be in the PL because of their relative histories and fanbases, but those 3 clubs have grafted their arses off to come from lower league to mid-table PL clubs doing something different.

That was at a time where The Chronicle were the main transfer talk source for us. Sad seeing the state of it now, just an aggregator these days.

Ibrahim Ba & Taribo West seemed to be set to join for ages as well. Remember people talking about how mint West would look with black & white beads in his hair..

Aye, linked to both, ended up with Maric.

I hope so, would be the logical one.

Could be an interesting one. I know Brighton get caught out a lot being pressed but that's more to tactics. Don't particularly want us playing that way all the time but someone just capable of helping to improve the way we play out would be nice.

I can't find anything online to why it fell through in the end. I remember all the links after Gullit arrived, only thing I can find is an Independent article saying we'd agreed a £6.5m fee and he'd flown to Tyneside. https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-gullit-moves-for-rui-costa-1197413.html

We were so close to having Rui Costa alongside him that season as well. Imagine that pair man.

So important we get the keeper situation sorted like. Don't think it'd be an exaggeration to say Pope & Ramsdale have cost us about 8 points and two extra Champions League games between them this season.

Solanke & Thiago from this league. Possibly Evanilson. Not sure elsewhere.

I don't know if Wissa coming back from injury made things harder for us. When we only had Woltemade we had to change our style to suit, he scored a few. When Wissa returned, we tried going back to our usual way (no issues with that), but it's meant we're chopping & changing too much in game just based on one sub, or we're playing same way even when Woltemade comes on and it's not suitable

Bellamy & Robert man. Transformational and added about 3 years to Shearer's top level career.

9 points clear 82 minutes into that match.

He used to get stick because he'd hit the first man a fair bit from corners, but the way he'd hit them meant a percentage would always do that. When he hit the sweet spot though they were impossible to defend, and had too much dip & "swazz" for the keeper to come out for.

From potentially 8 points clear late in the Liverpool v City match, to 4 if they don't pull this out the bag.

So weird, hate Brighton and how they do it. Hearts doing exactly the same and I'm fucking loving it.

That ball to Saha man.

When was the last time we beat a higher ranked team in the FA Cup? Spurs 2005?

Surprised at some of the criticism tbh. He hasn't hit Oct-Apr 24/25 levels but very few would. Still think he's been important for us and wouldn't swap him for anyone.