The Fish

There's no way he's on £52k a year. A load of sites are saying £20-£30k and FM22 has it around the same.

Edwards had softened his projection to £60-80m ( a leap of 33% by the way) so lets say £75m, plus say £20m from player sales - £95m, then a commercial deal or two swells our FFP envelope to £100m. If we signed Tarkowski, Grillitsch+ Nketiah, we'd have dramatically improved our 1st team and kept our powder dry for a big expense. Conversely if we spend £70m ona few players to improve our first team and suddenly Darwin Nunez becomes available to us for £60m I'd expect us to stretch the 'budget' and sign him too.

Cry me a river, MSM-er. On your two points 1. Yes he is. 2. Yes he is. But, in his role, he's way more likely to lose the ball than pretty much anyone else. And I want him to moan like a fanny. Might get us a freekick for nowt. Honestly people need to get a grip, ASM is a really talented attacking threat, but if he was a) consistent, b) good at defending, c) more generous, he wouldn't have signed for Mike Ashley's Newcastle United under the stewardship of Steve fucking Bruce. There's a reason why bigger clubs have swerved him. But we're not yet better than him. Sure if someone throws £40m at us, take it, but he's not the first one out of the door.

I agree with that, his performances since Howe aren't at the same level as they were under Bruce. But how much of that is because he's now no longer Plan A (B and C)? And how much of it is because we haven't had Wilson fit? Is he guilty of being greedy? Absolutely, but I'd be less likely to attempt a pass if all I see in the centre is Wood, Almiron, Joelinton, etc. I agree that his days are numbers, but to be honest everyone bar Bruno would be wise to see what his options are. However, the narrative is that he's not a threat, that he's lazy, that he doesn't create anything etc. This isn't true.

Aye, it's as much about getting the right personalities for the average midtable Premier League player, as it is bringing in someone like Bruno. We need Trippier-types, not Shelvey-type. The Lascelles of 2015/16, not the beaten man he is now.

Like shite is he on £52k a year man. If I had to stick a number on it, I'd say around £20-25k a week. This new contract won't see a significant uplift, maybe £25-30k.

With a higher xG, so that means it's not just daisy cutters but better than anyone else in the team.

Just some objective information courtesy of FBREF: League wide he's; 15th for Shot Creating Actions per 90, 1st in dribbles that lead to a shot, 14th for Key Passes, 20th in expected assists, 38th for assists, 46th for passes into the box, 1st for dribbled past players, 12th for progressive distance. For NUFC; Nobody creates more goal scoring opportunities for the team than ASM, Nobody creates more good chances (xA) for teammates than ASM, Nobody has more assists, Only Guimaraes has more Shots on Target per 90 than ASM, Nobody has a higher expected goal return than ASM (and he's scored more goals than expected too), Nobody has completed more passes into the box than ASM Nobody has dribbled past more players than ASM (146), Joe Willock is next (39) Nobody has more progressive distance than ASM (4901yds), Joelinton is next (2409yds) So when he said he'd have more assists if he had better players to pass to.. well

Saw some absolute danger had been sharing photos of young lads half undressed, so did the right thing and emailed the FA about it. Not stupid though, did it anonymously incase the pest gets wind of it.

Have they? Trying to rob the world of a feel good story like Joey 'use your eye as an ashtray' Barton managing a team of too-good-for-the-league loanees to glory? How typical of a beige, anti-romance town like Northampton.

FFP was 100% brought in to protect the established clubs. Just as the proposed changes to the Premier League's O&D test, and the rules around sponsorship have been brought in to stop PIF getting Aramco, Saudia and STC to sponsor our shirts, sleeves and training ground for eye watering sums. Objectively these would be reasonable measures, if they were enforced retrospectively and across all national leagues. But this, in conjunction with 'seeded' teams for the CL, are thinly veiled measures to ringfence the establishment. Like you say though, the kind of wealth that the owners have, and the objectives they have, should mean that challenging for honours is a matter of when, rather than if. Especially given the sensible approach they've taken to recruitment, appointments etc.

To be honest, you could field a limp Ryvita and a bag of salad at the back, and you'd still be odds-on favourites to twat the three remaining teams. I like the down-playing of expectations from the ownership/management, and I think it's the best approach, BUT I'd love to peak into an alternative universe to see which superstars we threw oil-money at.

Honestly, it's as much about outgoings as it is players coming in. We've heard a budget of £60-80m, but my read is that that's very much 'as things stand'. If we canpull in a few commercial deal s(an area that billionaire businessman Ashley entirely neglected/poisoned) and if we can offload some fringe or unwanted players, that budget could very well increase significantly. I think we'll only see 3-4 first team players join replacing the likes of Shelvey and Lascelles, we'll add a few younger players to our decade-neglected youth system. However, if we've spent £40m on a few bodies and Darwin Nunez becomes available to us at a fair market value (£60m), I'm convinced we'll spend that. Just like in the January window if we could have signed Botman for £30m we would have done that on top of our other business.

It's in your hands really. We did our part and rolled over for you, next season, when we meet in the Semi's of the FA or League Cup, we expect the same back. The night of the match, you may feel a slight sting. That's pride fucking with you. Fuck pride! Pride only hurts, it never helps.

Subtlety

Both of the local wards have gone Lib Dem after being Tory held for ever in one case and 15yrs in the other. There is a sense of satisfaction as I drove the little lad to nursery this morning, seeing the garden signs for the Tory candidate still up and imagining how unhappy the people who live there will be.

Just as an alternative point, far too many people are getting astroturf and getting rid of plants in favour of 'outdoor living spaces' in the gardens and that is fucking pollenating insects, nesting birds etc. Letting your lawn grow out for a month is a good thing for the local ecology.

Getting strong vibes of 'The defence used by a Mackem on Jeremy Kyle"

I think I speak for most of us when I say we'd prefer Liverpool didn't win anything else this season. Guardiola is one of the best managers out there. These people wanting him gone because you only got the the semi-final of the Champions League... who are they expecting to come in and do better?

They'll batter us man. Without the CL, they've 'only' got the Premier League left. I'm convinced they'll go all guns blazing in every fixture, especially when their run in is us, Wolves, West Ham and Villa. Three teams with, realistically, fuck all to play for. Whereas Liverpool have the FA Cup, the Champions League and the PL on their plates. I think Spurs can stop Liverpool winning, but regardless of that result, I think Man City are going to win every fixture they've got left and with some style.

There's nothing quite like NN.

He's really struggling now that he's not Plan A. I don't disagree that with a better striker his assists would increase, but then if he's that good lay it on a fucking plate. e.g. Bruno's debut, ASM dances past a few players, Bruno is unmarked in the centre, but ASM has a pop himself. Arguments could be made that he's done the hardwork and deserves a shot, but honestly, it brings to mind Solano. Nobby was one of the most generous footballers I can remember. Always happy to slide a pass through for an easy chance, or lay the freekick off for Shearer to smash home. A bit of humility would do wonders for ASM.

I don't think that's wholly true, there'll be plenty of players there now who were their previously. I do think Rayvin is right about the mentality thing. The manner of the collapses isn't because Guardiola doesn't know how to see out games, he's done it plenty of times before. The manner of the collapse is because the players on the pitch see the finishing line and panic. Like when CT's on his way home and needs a piss, he's fine 5 minutes away, panics at the driveway, sweating as he puts the key to the lock, fumbles and gently sobs as the damp patch grows on his khaki capri pants. Again.

I like him. but he doesn't fit with the future I see us enjoying, so if Fulham offer us £40m for him, fine.

That podcast of his is shit, by the way.