The Fish

Least surprising post of the day, that.

He'll end up managing Villa when they eventually go back up to the top flight and struggle to do more than last time.

Best thing is that it seems Rafa has instilled a resolve throughout key members of the squad, so even if Shelvey is taking it easy, we've sufficient number of players in the 1st team who're grafting for every point. It also helps that not a single player has an automatic spot, not even the likes of Ritchie or Gayle.

Didn't know Colin had beef with Rafa

Yeah, I suppose. Poor Shane

More than Ritchie, yeah. They cross from the byline, or stay wide until at least the box. Ritchie cuts inside/crosses from deep.

Once the dust settles and he's coined in a ton on various football show sofas, he can always come out of retirement, for the right "project".

3rd worst attack in the league, 4th worst defence (Norwich have the 3rd worst defence, by the way), we should smash these all over the shop. Ritchie is suspended though, and while Atsu and Gouffran are more than capable producing against this level of opposition, we might be as creative. Gayle is likely to be fit, but I wouldn't be surprised if Rafa started with Mitrovic because; a) why risk it and rush Gayle back, 2) Mitrovic is in good form and iii) if the two wide players are more like typical wingers, isn't it better to have the big man in the centre?

Something on twitter that caught the eye yesterday was the sheer volume of signings they've made, that they go on to sell/release at a loss. And so many they receive nothing for at all. £32m lost on Alvarez, Fletcher and Johnson alone. What's notable is the number that are bought for a few million quid, then released on a free within a season or two.

Makes sense to cut costs everywhere. Didn't Ashley swap out all our light bulbs for more economic ones? Sure you're only saving £20k a year on some poor Administrator's wage, but you'll also be looking to flog Rodwell, and Kone and the rest.

Gotta feel for the people losing their jobs, as it's hardly the admin assistant's fault the owner's consistently employed the wrong people, bought the wrong players and then sold then for buttons.

Innumerable options there mate, personally I'd advise getting a big breakfast down you and getting into the Strawberry early doors.

Isn't the first time, won't be the last. Do you think we will beat our record, and the league's too?

I'm so very tired. Meant I thought the record was 105.

Thought our record was 105?

Depends what you're after, glass of bubbles and michelin fare, decent pub grub and a pint of real ale, dorty borga and a fosters?

Imagine them firing Moyes, to replace him with someone like Pearson only to become the worst team in Premier League history. Just imagine that as Mitro scores his 3rd and our 5th against Barnsley to clinch a record breaking 106 pts, they concede their 3rd at Stamford Bridge to go down with 5 points. back in a mo.

Nope, a weaker team than the one that managed the heady heights of 17th last season should be performing much better than it is currently, and that's Moyes' fault. Not Allardyce's for his short-term fix, not the players for being dogshit, not Short's for failing to invest, but David Moyes.

On top of ludicrous wages, I think they're still paying for players who aren't even with the club any more ( as we did under Shepherd & Hall), and that Alvarez debacle was hilarious.

Defoe was an inspired signing, is has to be said. Kirchoff was exactly what they needed last year, but he can't manage more than 60 minutes, it seems. I think their biggest problem is that their few good signings are good for 1 thing only, dragging them to safety, that season. They never buy for the future, they have too many shit footballers and too few players with any real quality. Moyes wants them to play a passing game, but they simply don't have players who can do that. And it seems that Short won't give the managers the money to address the weaknesses. They've crippling debt and while relegation is something clubs like Aston Villa, Norwich and ourselves can manage in our own ways, I'm not sure that Sunderland would be able to swallow a season or two outside the top flight and the frankly obscene amounts of money that that brings. Didn't they make a £25m loss last season? That's bonkers for a top flight team that isn't pushing for honours.

3 more and it's a full league season without a win. I wonder how many of those games were losses "BUT THEYER PREMYAH LEEG LOSSES!" "FTM"

Said elsewhere, but that's a classic "fuck this shit" injury.

Aye, and she's "gone" "out" this "morning" to "meet" a "friend" for "coffee".

Dr Strange: Trippy, Superhero origin movie, some good performances and sets up nicely for Drimblesnatch's future in the Marvel cinematic universe, but suffers with a fairly average antagonist and a pretty by the numbers Origin plot. Definitely one to watch in 3D on a big screen though. The visuals are incredible.

My lass is being unreasonable, she used to go out with Simon Tweddle at school and he's now the Senior Fitness Coach at Newcastle, and she won't get back in touch with him to clear up who's injured, unfit etc.