Happy Face

I just liked the idea of a manager getting a touchline ban leaving their bedroom during the game ...and playing Abide with Me and wearing a suit for the cup final

Of course he didn't. 2 years ago the commander in chief decreed that Manning had broken the law... http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/53601.html When the leader of the military leads a tribunal to assumptions like that it's totally at odds with the claims in the US of innocence until guilt is proven. It was a Nixonian level of overreach. Then when it came to the actual trial very little of Mannings motivation was deemed admissable. What has been called his 'defense' was therefore nothing of the sort. He was not allowed to defend himself as a whistleblower. It was deemed irrelevant by the judge that he was exposing war crimes or that attempts to raise these issues up the chain have command fell on deaf ears, also irrelevant that there is no evidence that anyone came to any harm as a result of the leak, despite the ample prosecution claims that the reason for a harsh punishment is the potential harm done. The judge, rather than his lawyer, was most pivotal in framing Manning's defense. He was told he could only argue that he didn't know al-qaeda would see the information he released...which is a ridiculous notion for a worldwide leak splashed on every front page. http://www.dailypaul.com/270726/military-judge-rules-mannings-motive-mostly-inadmisable-in-wikileaks-case

Football Manager craze has matured into a full-grown national obsession http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2013/aug/21/football-manager-craze-lionel-messi

Bastards. I should ring for a freelancers rate payment... Or at least an acknowledgement.

So asylum is never warranted in your opinion? Everyone in the world can be confident of a fair trial on any crime they're accused of and non-politicisation of their 'crimes'?

At least Manning has been charged with a crime.

How can you offer that excuse when no other club has seen a downturn, let alone to such a massive extent. Its clearly a result of relegation and the way he has tarnished the club name and chased off customers that could still afford it, like Gemmil.

Need Stevie to tell me what I'm allowed to put. South Shields born, North Shields dwelling. I'd say I'm a Geordie still living in God's own country. He'd say I'm an OOT'er with no real Geordie connection.

When compared with other top flight regulars, the ONLY club to be on a downward trend in earnings from non media streams.

Sorry, i mean the income has declined and the outgoings have been maintained, so he has financed the losses that were incurred as a result. Commercial income has halved. Matchday is down a third. Wages have gone up, along with total operating expenses. That's not more financially stable. It's just having an owner that can afford to cover the worsening financial position. TV money is now up £30m now (thankfully), so he can claim he's overseen a financial turnaround on the back of that. Perhaps maintaing a premier league place makes him worthy of praise for it...but that was never a luxury we afforded Freddy Shepherd.

Is that the shadow of your hat as you peep into the occupied territory?

As long as the steady boys know their place. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AF4rxTGYfM

Sorry to be picky, but I would be more inclined to say he has financed our declining income, rather than make us financially stable. Freddy Shepherd could have stopped buying expensive players too. Ashley's done no more than that. Agree though, just waiting it out until the TV money went up made the club a far better prospect...if he doesn't get us relegated again.

I'd sooner listen to Talk Sport than what JFK personally tells someone in an airport.

We didn't really launch many balls into their box either tbh. Tiote did a couple of lobs and there were a couple of set pieces. But we generally tried (and largely failed) to play it or run it into the final third.

That's based on Transfers only. Because it's a thread about transfer income and spend. The club has other income. But Ashley has only ever taken one payment out of the club in all his time here. Last seasons £15m or whatever it was. If you want to look at Ashley's personal profit/loss based on all income and outgoing, then he's massively in the hole having invested £250m+ and got back £15m. He's got 5p back for every pound he has put in.

Ignore the stats if you like then. Let's discuss it on perception. How anyone could have watched us on Monday and thought we played "hoofball" is beyond me. One of the few positives was how we persisted with playing it on the floor out of defence. Last year we would have went into panic mode and been booting it non-stop. Not the case at all now.

?? Transfer income over the past 7 years is £122m. Transfer spend in the same perod is £105m. He has "creamed off" £15m in all those 7 years. If he spends the next decade earning enough at the club that he is able to cream off £20m a year then he'll be doing a lot better than he has previously. Far preferable to not having that kind of income, down in the championship or owt.

Earl Sweatshirt - Doris. Canny

I'm 2 sentences in..."Geordies"..."Toon Army"....."Sick as a parrot" CLeeche Ryder tbh.

Our possession was among the lowest (36.5%). Only Villa (36.2%) and Norwich(33%) had less of the ball (both of them got points though). But we passed it more in total than 6 other teams (395). 9 other teams played a higher percentage of their passes long, we were sandwiched between Man u and Spurs on 12.7%.

Not even a wink to go with that? Despite us hitting less long balls than the majority of other teams over the first weekend.

It's like Readers Husbands on Stevie's timeline.

You don't think there's a moral issue in spending £100s (£1000s?) on a handbag when Aldi bags cost coppers and there's kids sober in Africa? It's a tightrope like...buy a cheap Primark bag and you're exploiting foreign slave labour, an expensive tarty one and you're a morally bankrupt, materialistic husk with no compassion for human life.

Scotty84 Arsenal won't make top 4 this season