The Fish

Exactly. Because of the nature of contemporary football, Howe cannot be as influential on the club, the city as Keegan was. That's not a criticism of Howe. As an aside, neither am I convinced Howe has the ability to deliver the kind of actual success to be as transformative as Keegan was, in purely footballing terms.

I think Allardyce's dark arts were already becoming less effective in the top flight by the time he left for England. I dunno, I think that he may have kept them up for a season or two, but relegation for them felt inevitable rather than just a risk. Same is true for Burnley.

Because Keegan was the reason for the change, not Hall. Keegan had to push and pull Hall to get the money to buy the players that delivered the title challenge. He was the one pushing to repaint the training ground. Howe will not be the reason for the change, the owners will. Howe will be expected to shop in the £35m window, he's not going to forcing the owners to mortgage their house to afford another player. I've not said that nobody can match Keegan, I'm saying Howe won't.

I'm fine. I SAID I'M FINE!

Fist said he could be a Keegan figure. He can't. Now that that is cleared up, can we all just fucking move on.

No.

This is a strange backdown and apology, but I'll take it Wykiki.

It's irrelevant. Because he cannot. It is not feasible. Howe would have to taken the job when we were in danger of dropping into the third tier, then revolutionise the playing staff, singlehandedly wrangling agents, players and the owner, he'd have to have reached higher than the owners thought possible. So stop this, it's ridiculous, and the way you know it's ridiculous is the person who said it in the first place isn't backing you up.

It's like when they were in the PL, the sap brought in to rescue them from the drop would be the man to take them back to glory. Every fucking year. And every fucking year the sap was found out and peddled. I swear to God, had Allardyce not fucked off to the England job he'd have soon lost his luster.

I think you need to re-re-re-re-re-read it. Fist suggested that Howe could be 'just as important' as Keegan. When no, no he can't. Keegan took the club from calamity to the very peak of the Premier League, attracting some wonderful players, playing unbelievable football, changing the whole feeling of the club. Howe has done well, but there's just no way he's be as transformative a figure as Keegan was.

I think Diego's right that Fulham would have demanded £50m for Mitrovic, but if we're even discussing a £50m striker signing, we shouldn't have Mitrovic on the board. Nunez, Schick, etc.

That's it, I'm calling HR. I like Howe, I think he's done well. I'm giving him a chance. @Monkeys Fist did it on the first page.

Howe is responsible for getting the players playing better, cool. Keegan changed the whole fucking club. These are not the same thing. So you best take my name out your mouth.

Sure, sure, how's that first marriage going?

I honestly just pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed. Because of "Haway (sic) the Lads" Sunderland fans have claimed "Lads" as a nickname for their team. Therefore any tenuous link to their club by anybody at all, instantly means that person is a MASSIVE LADS FAN, or MLF. This is of course despite getting together to crowdsource a nickname way, way back in 2000. 'The Black Cats' perhaps didn't reflect the history, the glory, the prestige of Sunderland AFC, so instead, they landed on "Lads". Which is original and unique to Sunderland in the same way as pavements or concrete.

Jesus Christ, CT. Massive Lads Fan Next job for you, Google Image search FTM

I'm glad you have the humility to admit I did, few on here do. (remind me what I said exactly)

Yeah Dark mode is way easier on the eye. No shock that Gloomy prefers an alabaster screen to match his tanless skintone.

Carl Winchester

Thing I enjoy the most is that Pickford averages out as a decent PL 'keeper in 36 games, but he is, without fail, atrocious whenever he faces us. Also, the crowd would have stopped, or lessened, the abuse he gets on Match Day if it didn't work. But every fixture you can see the veins popping out on his temple and he sharp flaps one into the net. Think we'd all enjoy a video montage of the goals we've scored past him, if anyone has the time. Set to the Jurassic Park theme played on Melodica

My three guesses; Nigel Fulchester Barry Gulthwaite Jordin (sic) Nyall (sic) Paulo (sic) Philipps (sic)

This is some logic mind. People 5 minutes from your stadium support another city's team ahead of yours, is somehow proof you've got impressive support.

It was on a white background, like you'd put the first draft on word, then copied across failing to 'paste as plain text' like a pro would.

I'd have Pep, or Klopp, or Simeone, or... Howe's good, but even with mint players, he's not l33t

Formatting issues aside, I'm going to disrespectfully tell you you're wrong. Howe has dramatically improved the performances of the team and improvedbrought on players like Shelvey, Willock, .. fuck it I'm not listing them all as it's hard to think of a player who hasn't improved under Eddie's shepherding. That said, Keegan was the catalyst, he got the club in a headlock and demanded we got better. He cajoled and lied and inspired and delivered the kind of rise from calamity that just won't happen at any other club again. Eddie isn't doing that, he's 'just' doing his job. It's way better than Bruce, but I don't see Howe as the transformative figure, just an agent of that change. I think we're arguing over semantics, which I'm extremely fond of doing.