The Fish

Give over man, that's the same one we've heard about Pardew, Rio and all that.

I'm not sure that there was the finances available to us to get the kinds of players we'd need to grab Champions League football for next season. I'm not sure if there were the players available to us either. To really be assured of getting into the CL we'd have needed; a top class defensive midfielder who slotted straight in, a reliable goal scorer, depth at fullback on both flanks and maybe more. Conservatively, to get the quality we're talking about, you'd need to drop north of £100m in January. What DM, CF and FBs are available in January that aren't prohibitively expensive? We couldn't sign James Maddison because Leicester were asking for too much, same with Matheus Franca. Spurs are shit and in flux, same with Chelsea. Both clubs have bigger problems than just their current managers/current squad. There's a disorder to both clubs that's not going to fixed by firing Potter, or Conte. Liverpool destroyed Man Utd, that's true but anomalous. They're still playing with an ageing squad and stalwarts like Van Dijk and Salah are getting worse, not better. Their 15 players with the most minutes in the PL this season have an average age of 28 1/2yrs. Take 19yr old Harvey Elliot out and it's over 29yr on average. Now, this would be fine if it wasn't where that particular side needs the energy of youth. Their midfield is; Thiago, Henderson, Milner, and Fabinho. Average age - 32.25 dragged down by 29yr old Fabinho. We've gone toe to toe with every one of the 'big clubs' and only fallen short because we've lacked a little in terms of quality. Next season we'll be stronger still. Chill Winston.

I like partisan punditry. I do. Sure it's annoying when you're losing and Don Goodman is piping off the opposition, but hearing Gary Neville lose his mind because his beloved Manchester United just got bum fucked by Brentford, is fun. Seeing Roy Keane grow increasingly furious is entertaining. Plus, as long as we're not playing one of their teams, Neville and Carragher are usually fairly balanced about Newcastle. Enjoy them way more than Danny Murphy or whomever. To be honest, I'd prefer if the commentators and pundits eschewed impartiality entirely, wear their colours if they want.

A very good swing at it, but you forgot to go on a long rambling analogy that goes nowhere.

Ok, but explain that without using mathematics, appeals to authority, personal testimony or any kind of evidence.

Yeah, I can understand and Irish, or maybe even Scandinavian people choosing a Premier League side and, sure, if you want it easier go for one of the teams that wins all the time. Why not? But a kid from Surrey can choose any one of the London cunts, go be a fucking Chelsea fan or something.

It's because they did a real days job back then.

Check out Project Sunshine.

I think this is like a step towards understanding some conspiracy nuts. they cannot conceive of a mind capable of the level of understanding that leaves the rest of us in the weeds. I'm not having a go, by the way. You're saying it's so alien to you (us) that someone can have that ability that it's mind blowing. Conspiracy Nuts say that it's not possible. They are so arrogant that the refuse to believe that there are minds out there capable of thoughts beyond their own comprehension. You saw Wolfy's stuff. It was a resolute dismissal of anything outside his own little bubble. I'll never forget Rikko patiently explaining, as best he could, how a nuclear submarine works. And yet because Wolfy couldn't understand it, he fucking dismissed it. Anything more complicated than what he could understand, was by it's nature impossible.

I'm the best player in the world and I'm offered the move to midtable Championship club where the city is a shithole, the prospects are poor and the 'fans' fuck off at 60 minutes? Sign. Me. Up.

He's outperformed the xB

Then you'd know that calculator was a paid position?

Well, in terms of automated calculations, sure the modern calculator has more processing power than the monster machines they had then. But the mathematics was just completed by people and brains have pretty powerful processing capability. You might enjoy the film "Hidden Figures". I remember my Dad brining home a early version of a laptop, it was massive, the battery pack was huge and it essentially needed to be constantly plugged in. He proudly declared "you could run a small country" with it. Well, sure, it had a spreadsheet program and a word processor.

Good food No shits Would recommend.

Haven't read the thread, but same positives and same negatives. We're playing ok, we're not overawed by better opposition, we're just missing chances that we'd bury in the first half of the season. Shame that Joelinton is out, but that's not the biggest call you'd just bring Willock into that midfield 3. The biggest call Howe has to make is up front. Wilson is getting chances and there has to be a balance between keeping faith in a good striker who's having a bad string of games, or dropping in and potentially further damaging his confidence? Howe is certainly loyal to his players, new players aren't guaranteed a start. But Isak has looked dangerous in his cameos, and he certainly drags opponents out of position more than Wilson does. Wilson keeps his place chiefly based on his goal return. He's not doing that and it's compounded by the failure of other players to find the back of the net either. If someone was playing now like Almiron was then, it wouldn't matter so much. But we have to, have to play Isak, right? Trippier doesn't seem himself either, maybe have Ashby on the bench for the next few games?

WHY WON'T YOU LET ME GET RID OF MARK FUCKING GILLESPIE?

Aye, maybe. I dunno, I just don't see him as anything but taking up a space in the squad list. Pope + Karius would be fine for the majority of the season. Not sure Gillespie is good enough to be relied upon in any game of consequence.

That's fair. I just think Dubravka will still be highly regarded. Happy to be proven wrong.

No, and few outside of Motherwell and Carlisle have. Which is kind of the point. He's not good enough to be 3rd choice for a team aiming to end up top half of the Premier League, I can't believe this is even up for debate.

£25k pw for the next 3 years? Better to sell him for buttons, right?

I could see him ending up back in the Premier League at the Play Off promoted Championship side.

We got £10m for Shelvey.

Right, but bad decisions are still bad decisions. Just because they tossed a lot of money around doesn't soften the blow, does it?