The Fish

Ahhh, but now any derby win won't count as a real derby because of our owners. Just like no Manchester derby counted after 2008. Of course, if they were to win in our next meeting it'd be 7inarur, but that's neither here nor there.

They only have to look at one from their own crop of players to see that potential doesn't always equal product. Patrick Roberts was the next big thing and his performances for Fulham persuaded Man City to lump £12m on the gamble he'd come good. He was sharp moved onto Celtic, then Girona, then Norwich, Middlesbrough, Derby, Troyes made 1 (one) appearance and then joined League 1 Sunderland.

What're you going to do about it? Set a dragon on me? Throw some Leeks at me? Rock up with 20 of your coal miner mates and sing beautifully at me?

Is it? I guess I just imagine Welsh cities to be underfunded and shit.

Yeah but Cardiff tho.

Honestly, the only thing the Stadium of Light has going for it is it's size. There are 14 bigger stadiums and most of them are in much, much nicer cities.

We're doing it again lads. We're all saying "nah he'll never sign, but..." and with each post we're getting closer and closer to thinking he might. He's not signing for us. but if he did...

Sure Sunderland shares the same infrastructure, in the same way as Covent Garden and Heathrow do. And why, in the world, would you arrive, stay and socialise in a nice city with a larger stadium, then get on a shitty train/Metro 30 minutes to a smaller, litter-filled stadium located in a shit hole?

Rice is only 24, so he's still fairly young. We could field him for 4 years and still sell him for a tidy sum. I'd love him, and I think we could get him, if nobody else at the big boy table was after him. But imo he's tailor made for Pep's Man City side, and he'd improve every central midfield of the 'big clubs'.

Sometimes, it comes and goes.

Half tanked, with a shower room and an office down there and everything. Office has phone line, muliple outlets, bespoke shelving and all that good shit. But it's been out of commission since we moved in because the Mrs inherited a coffee table made from massive fuck off reclaimed railway sleepers and a massive fuck off pane of glass. It doesn't fit comfortably in any of our rooms. It needs a team of 4 big boys (who probably know about blobbing and have calluses) to get it out of there. So, we can never use it in this house, and we couldn't sell it online without a team of sherpas to shift it, but can I take it apart with a handsaw and hammer? NoOOOOOooOOoOOoooo wimmin, amirite?

Yeah I'd like to see them get a chance together, especially as Emery is likely to have them sitting deep in a LOW BLOCK which will need to be unpicked. Which is obviously much easier with two strikers occupying their CBs. If he goes with 1 up front, I'd prefer Isak as he's better able to beat a man.

I've got one of those in the basement. The glass is broken and the beer has been drunk. So there's just the wooden stand I can't think of a good use for. Stay tuned for more high octane anedotes.

Don't worry mate, I'm sure you'll get another full English into your gut soon enough.

Bambaclaart

Frustratingly he was beginning to show a greater level of suitability. Making better decisions at the business end, doing more work on the defensive sides of things. 2 assists in the last two games as well. Be interesting to see how we line up without Almiron and ASM in the next game (or more). Big opportunity for Anderson as surely he'll get more time? Murphy and Gordon likely to start, aren't they?

Out for 6-8 weeks apparently. Such a shame because he was looking really dangerous and developing his game really well.

While you're waiting in the online queue, you could always go back to the kitchen and have them defrost the sausage and bacon for you.

Quite a bit of "man dem tings y'get me", which ruffled my feathers I don't mind admitting.

I'd love Rice and he's young enough that perhaps the next move doesn't have to be the Man City one, he's got time to take a bit of a risk and join us instead? I dunno, it's hard to make an argument for him joining in the fun at Newcastle, when he could comfortably hold down a starting position at any big club in England and likely a few options abroad as well.

Milinkovic-Savic? Play different roles, and Milinkovic Savic has 4 years on Rice. MS is more of a number 8/box-to-box/Mezzala-type midfielder, Rice is more number 6/DM/Regista*. *---> Safety Wink Safety Wink<---

I think we'll stick to Botman/Bruno/Isak level players; respected, well scouted, bags of potential

I would love Rice here, but I'd imagine he'll be off to Man City or Man Utd.

He's a steward. It was a straight swap for the Stadium of Light workers who've banned the FTM flags.