The Fish

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?

Yes, Saudi Arabia does care how they're perceived by the wider world, in so much as they don't want their apalling human rights history to be the focus. That why they've tried to use sports to wash that blood away. The media's outrage is fickle as fuck. They don't care about Sheffield's ownership, yet it's the same family (right?). They don't care about Man City until they do. They care about what generates interest, and Newcastle United, for all it's faults, is box office and the potential owners are a stick to beat us with. Were the media the arbiters of what's acceptable, they'd be poring over most of the owners in the Premier League. You're not a billionaire by being a sweetheart after all. I'm sure if the Mexican group were the ones submitting papers to the FA the media would be forensically pulling them apart looking for Cartel links or whatever. I'm a little more confident of it going through this time, mostly because of Caulkin, but that confidence is tempered by Ashley. Here is exactly what he's claimed he wants; Filthy rich oil state with an extra zero in their bank balance who can take Newcastle forward. And he's taking a pounding the press, and Sports Direct stocks are tanking and the pandemic could cause untold financial chaos to the league. But I'm sure he'll still try and weedle extra money for this and that, I'm sure he'll still want to keep merchandising, and SD advertising, I'm sure he'll still be an arsehole to deal with. So for that reason I'm still confident the sale won't go through, I'm just not 100% convinced it won't.

If 'smaller' clubs are up against it because of COVID19, Sunderland can't be too far behind given their financial troubles, right?

No idea how I'm going to keep sane working from home. I'm a creature of habit and sitting at the table, trying to work on a laptop instead of being in the office is weird. Especially as the wife has a 1,000 piece Winnie the Pooh jigsaw just begging to be finished...

And if you could get some fat pig-fucking moron to call me boring, state that 87% of people from Blyth are ugly and brag how he's going to have 19 pints the minute he's off the intravenus drip...that'd be nostalgia-tastic.

Did I not mention I've got a wife and kid... sounds like somethingI would have brought up ad infinitum. Finally told to work from home, and because the office is shut down, no fucker can get on. So I'm on hold with IT and waiting for a call from my boss demanding to know why I'm not showing as available. So, have a missed anything? Guessing t00nraider is still pretending to be a Newcastle fan, J69 is still killing joy with gay abandon and essembee is still remembering that important date?

Liverpool? Absolutely fucking not sunshine.

Born with two silver plums in his mouth.

First time I've been actually excited about a match day in ages, inexplicably. Shit match. 2-0 win. 1 O.G. and a penalty. ASM gets injured. Bentaleb to get a red.

Sure, you can avoid the obvious if you want, but it just makes you look at best ornery, at worst stupid.

Not the same chart, but to give a comparison 18/19 vs 19/20 so far

He might be limited, but his effort and PASHUN more than makes up for it.