Optimistic Nut

It's literally taken 30+ games and being able to go 3rd if we win a game in hand for us to be considered to have a good chance of getting Champions League. Baffling. Even in the periods where we had a few dips in form we've never really been any more than 5-6 points behind.

Their two biggest recent sales went to Southampton & Ipswich and flopped. Their best aren't good enough for these clubs and they flunked.

Think that's where I am. If we get 67/68 points and 5 teams finish higher than us, hats off to them.

Birmingham will be a nuisance to the promotion spots next season. You'd imagine at least 2 of the 3 going down will be at the top again. They need to get out of that league this year.

I think Krafth for one game would be fine.

Think it's also why I'm still keen on Guehi for RCB. It's high risk so having someone like Guehi who's got the recovery pace on the occasions he doesn't get there first is so important

Was going to say, thought that was a feature of him in 22/23.

300+ games for them. Absolute symbol and poster boy of what's probably the worst era in Sunderland's history. And they love him.

I think 2 draws there as long as we beat Palace, Ipswich & Everton will do it. Might even be able to afford to lose one.

I'd love the 2026/7 one to be a replica of the 1926/7 title winning one. Laces in the collar the lot.

The way shirts are out every single season, not a lot you can do with stripes, I'm not against the occasional attempt at something different like we did with the 91/3 home shirt.

Similarly Jean-Kevin Augustin to Leeds. Loaned him in the Championship with an obligation to buy if they reached the Premier League. He played 3 times contributing nothing to promotion, they tried arguing against having to buy him, ended up paying £18m to RB Leipzig.

Feels like we're stepping up the quality of prospects we're targeting now? We're not just signing other clubs' academy players but him and this Georgian kid have already played a fair bit of senior football at a very young age. You'd be confident they'll either become useful squad players or nice little PSR flips like Minteh.

5 goals & 5 assists in 18 starts & 13 sub apps. Málaga in the bottom half of the Second Division.

Just read he's out of contract in the summer. Wonder if he's one we've got earmarked with a route to the first-team, if he goes to a lower end La Liga club on loan with a view to flip him to Real or Barca or a Minteh type fee.

Yes.

Cash out dropped to £82 after this weekend. Gap at top of Turkish League still 3 points but Gala won away to the 3rd place team which was their toughest game left.

Wonder if Wolves would fancy Willock. Obviously a lesser player but if he's fit he can play in most of those positions on Cunha's position map.

Love Wilson and we possibly wouldn't have had that Champions League campaign without him. The build up to the World Cup when Isak was injured he was on fire, but has to go this summer. If we don't quite trust Osula yet I'd sooner see us go with Gordon up top for 20 minutes or so if Isak isn't able to.

Could we make him into an almost better footballing version of Joelinton in that LCM slot? Feels like Joelinton gets into good positions but doesn't always have the composure to finish moves off. They'd both still get plenty of game time.

I like the idea of him.

Having their rivals singing "Ben Dawson's black & white army". Also the irony that their manager on the night is now at Newcastle in a similar capacity to what Dawson was here at one point.

Chelsea for £80m before Brighton sign El Regeno to replace him for £4m.

I'd like to see Bournemouth get in the Europa Conference League. Best team we've faced this season by a mile and they'd have a good chance of winning it which for a club that size would be immense.

Yep. It's only really been the last couple of weeks that the mainstream pundits have really pegged us as CL contenders, even though we've at least been on the fringes most of the season.