The Fish

He been to Wuhan recently? I would not put it past him to spark a global pandemic to avoid relegation.

Less a beard and more Becher's Brook these days.

Surely more to do with the circumstances of it? In an embassy, brutally tortured and murdered, then get away scot-free? I'd imagine the (justified) outcry would have been the same had it been a politician, or whatever.

Because if the Saudis have a vested interest in the Premier League you can assume they'll want in on the broadcast rights. they'd love nothing more than to muscle out Qatar backed BeIN. Which means a bidding war.

Chart is invalid, they've spelled Brighton, Southampton & Newcastle wrong and haven't included Norwich at all. Useless spenks

I've done something like that, if I understand it right... Drop down returns an array of results elsewhere? Or do you want drop down A, to populate dropdown B?

Aye, "buying the league" is as old as professional football, like you say. Man Utd, Blackburn, Chelcea, Man City, Liverpool did it, even Sunderland were the "Bank of England " club way back when. We'll have hypocrites from other clubs saying we've sold our soul by supporting a club with shady owners as if, a) their owners aren't on the scale of evil, b ) they wouldn't support their team should it be taken over by Ernst stavro Blofeld

I'd take that.

Owner and director test will take a while mate, 2-4 weeks. Reportedly started on the 8th, so I wouldn't expect owt for at least another week.

Why in the hell would you want to keep Carroll? He's hardly proven worth an extension and whenever the football starts again he'll have likely piled on the beef.

Aye, they'll come down. If for no other reason than £2m for the amount of the stadium that's covered is a fucking piss take.

Dunno, it's what's been reported and picked up by papers and the like. I can quite believe the Palace and Southampton pay out significantly more than we do.

Who we waiting on? Fop? Wolfy?

I'm sure there'll be ways around it. there used to be something where, if you could prove you've a new source of income that will cover the increase, you're allowed to spend what you like, but I'm not sure if that's still the case.

As I understand it, we can spend a fortune on fees, but not wages. Unless there are significant changes to FFP because of COVID, I read somewhere it permits a 10% increase a year? Manchester United £332 million Liverpool £264 million Manchester City £260 million Chelsea £244 million Arsenal £223 million Tottenham £148 million Everton £89.5 million Leicester City £72.62 million Crystal Palace £66.8 million Southampton £60 million West Ham United £57.46 million Watford £45.91 million Burnley £41.70 million Bournemouth £40.44 million Newcastle United £37.96 million Brighton £36.21 million Wolves £32.65 million Aston Villa £23.8 million Norwich City £13.8 million Sheffield United £13.1 million

No doubt. But Lascelles is probably our worst defender, and it's an area we've got strength.

It was only when he was able to add the quality he wanted that we were able to play more expansively. Rondon, Perez were good for grinding out results, but Almiron's addition transformed that attack.

Gayle? Lascelles maybe? Want rid of Darlow, Manquillo, Yedlin, Lascelles, Clark, Hayden, Shelvey, Ritchie, Carroll, Gayle, Joelinton, Muto, Atsu... First window will be interesting. Personally I'd keep the Centre Backs and the 'keeper as is. Keep ASM and Almiron. Give the Longstaffs new contracts. Think we should focus on fullbacks and a striker or two, and definitely a central midfielder.

Aye all the Man City fans I know are either indifferent or positive about Newcastle fans (and most of the Man Utd fans to be fair). The blues definitely want someone else to take some of the criticism for sportswashing, buying the league, and so on. I think thoughtful football fans will be, begrudgingly, happy that we've got shot of Ashley and that we'll be ambititous again.

Keegan and Shearer in ambassadorial roles Wouldn't bring in Benitez again. He's top class, no doubt, but if we truly are bankrolled by billionaires who have ambition then I think we can approach Pochettino-level managers.

OOoooh the Telegraph?

For a time relegation rivals. Before and after that? I don't really think of Stoke at all. Oh, except Deadline day, always seemed to be oddities in the background whenever the Sky cameras showed up at your place. Shaqiri is/was decent. Ba's hattrick game at yours 11/12, or the 5-1 when Hughes lost his rag and his jacket in 13/14. Nope. Noisy at home when you were newly promoted, but that petered out as it does for all clubs who stay up. New stadium is a flatpack celebration of meh. Hope this helps

Prove it, you big ol panty sniffer!

The Owners and Directors test can take up to 4 weeks can't it? Haven't seen anything to suggest that it's begun.

Why would the Saudi Prince entertain that though?