Howay

They were all among our weakest performers though, we'll also have a big budget which is written into Benitez's contract. I'm not saying Norwich wont be there or thereabouts but there are 2 automatic promotion spots and we'll be one of them, Villa wont be anywhere near. I think we'll get around 100 points, we did last time and have a better manager, more money and a squad with arguably more talent. I think if Rafa had been given the full season, even with the same squad, we'd have been pretty safe from the drop. Neill had a full season and took his lot down, if that's our main competition I'm very confident. I'm normally quite pessimistic when it comes to NUFC but I just think this will be a comfortable season.

Our attitude towards it makes no difference though, only the players does. I don't agree about Norwich, we're the favorites. We have the best squad and the best manager, probably the biggest budget as well. I don't see how experience of promotion gives Neill the advantage over Benitez, Benitez is a winner and I've no idea how the task of beating shitter teams with a lower level of manager is going to suddenly become more difficult than what he has done in the past. Villa don't even have a steady owner yet ffs, the bloke who owns them wants fuck all to do with them and the buyer looks set to fair the fit person test. They also have a squad that amassed less than half the points ours did, 40m might not even be good enough to get them level with our current lot.

We'll piss it, don't worry. Di Matteo is okay but he's no Rafa and has a squad that got less than half the points we did this year.

I found being drunk for the majority of the day helped with that bit! Congrats Andrew and enjoy the day!

Aye fully agree, people kept saying how tough it would be the last time we went down and I didn't agree then and I don't agree with it now. Our worst players are good Championship level players, the money in the PL has really separated teams more which is why we see so many coming right back up nowadays (like Burnley this season). A lot of those teams in the league have very recently been in League One and have squads that reflect that. Villa keep being pointed too as a real threat but the fact is we finished with more than double of their points tally in the PL and now their prospective owner is looking a bit ropey, even if he was all they think he is they'd have to improve a hell of a lot to even catch what we currently are coupled with the fact we have the best manager in the league by a fucking massive margin (we're going to see Rafa Benitez going up against Gary Caldwell ffs). I really do think we'll get promoted quite comfortably, I'm confident we'll win the league. We've got a squad of lower PL and upper Championship standard players, were the highest of the 3 relegated teams, have a fair amount of money to spend, and a CL winning manager, I really don't see it being a problem. I understand people look at that league and see some traditionally big name teams but by and large not many of them have been in the PL much in the last 10 year and even if they have most were an utter joke there (like QPR).

I think that is the hope, it's what fans of every club (outside of the PL era big sides) really wants to happen. I really hope you're right, my main worry is that now everyone knows PL clubs have so much money so all the PL teams will get gouged when going abroad to buy which means those 5m players will simply become 10m or so players. The 'top clubs' will still be the only ones that have access to a certain tier of player, as the Higuain being interested in Liverpool goes to show as I'm unconvinced he'd go to Leicester which in reality should be daft since Leicester have just won a title and will be in the CL but people wont see it as mental. I'd like it to level the financial playing field but I just fear that all it really does is increase the level of everyone (big rich sides included as they'll now be more likely to challenge Madrid etc for that 60-80m player), the CL money is still a large hunk over what the other PL sides gets and the vast commercial revenue the bigger sides bring in also helps. Again what you said could be right and I genuinely hope it is but I just think next year is going to be a bit of a backlash and it'll be a long while before we see a one like last season (not exactly going out on a limb with that one I know). I think the league is changed but I just think the CL positions are generally going to stay within the same gang, I think the change will be the top 10 sides becoming stronger than ever, teams like West Ham are really capitalizing on this, bottom dwellers like (picking a totally random example) Sunderland will still buy utter dross generally it'll just be overpriced utter dross like Fabio Borini and they wont change much with the money (as which players would want to go there? even Borini fraught the move tooth and nail for 18 month).

Mourinho is a bit better at spending than LVG imo. It doesn't guarantee a title no but I'm fairly confident that Man City, Man Utd and Chelsea will all have better seasons than they did this season. I was just meaning teams wont be "doing a Leicester" from now on, it's not going to become a common place event. I disagree that it guarantees fuck all, by and large spending a lot of money is what has kept the league in the hands of a few teams for so long and next season we'll probably see a return to the norm thanks in part to Chelsea, Man Utd, and Man City spending a load. We spent a lot last season but we don't spend consistently which allows players to settle and a team to come out of that, we spent seasons scrimping by and then bought a bunch of players in positions that we thought would appreciate the most (like buying lots of attacking mids). We also entrusted people like Steve McClaren and Lee Charnley to do the spending, they're giving it to Mourinho, Guardiola and Conte.

Aye Liverpool have already had Higuain saying he'd fancy going there, I think West Ham will look to kick on as well. Spurs will hold onto the good squad they have and improve on it so they'll challenge the top 5 positions. If we do get promoted I could see Rafa having us challenge for mid table position though but wouldn't give us a chance at making Europa league positions let alone 'doing a Leicester'.

Especially as next year looks like it's going to be a bit of a backlash by the rich teams, Man City, Man Utd and Chelsea are all gearing up for massive spending windows and all have new managers.

Why the fuck would that ever be a big deal? What difference does it make what he gets called, for what it's worth I've never called him Gini I tend to call him Winny or Wijnaldum. They're fucking mental man.

To be fair with the defence we have and the fact Hodgson keeps trying to just force his favorites into the XI it might be worth a bet. I think the team is good enough to get out but wont get much further, I have no faith in Hodgson though.

Not to mention Barkley who was complete shit at the end of the season, regardless of his potential he's simply not living up to it and he can't just keep being brought to Tournaments especially when he doesn't even look fit (I know they're saying it's not his fitness and that he's knackered but that still means he can't play full games without keeling over). Noble, Drinkwater and Townsend were hard done by.

As I said in the other thread the squad has no width at all, it's all fine and well if he plays a narrow formation (like the diamond he played at some point v Australia) but he wont. Sterling is the only proper winger in the squad, I know Milner, Lallana and some of the strikers can be put there but it's just baffling that he couldn't have taken another winger in a squad where he has taken 5 strikers.

Hodgson proving what a fucking plank he is tbh, taking Wilshere and leaving Drinkwater and Noble home is absurd. Wilshere had 1 start in the league last year how the fuck can you take him to a Tournament? Sturridge is class but he can't stay fit for more than a week and he's not going to be the starter anyway, he's taking 5 strikers and 3 centre backs (I know Dier can play there but tbh he's not very good there) what do blokes like Shawcross have to do to get a friendly or anything? Stones has been diabolical all season and has brought that poor form into every England game he has played, crackers when you think the bloke tends to play one up top. Sterling has completely lost his way and went big time since his move to Man City so he's been shite all season, clearly there on name alone tbh. Not being funny but I think someone like Marc Albrighton should be annoyed, they went on about him on a programme the other week and they're saying he's among the most consistent chance creators in the league whenever he plays. Townsend was class the closing weeks of the Prem but didn't play much the rest of the season, I think that argument could have been used if he hadn't taken someone like Wilshere, I'm glad in a way as it means Townsend isn't in the shop window but looking at the squad he deserved to go tbh as yet again an England squad is criminally lacking in width. Why even take Sterling as the only winger (unless you class Lallana as one, I see him as more through the middle)? I know he's clearly going to do daft stuff like waste Vardy out wide, despite how Vardy proved how daft that was the other week. Ah well not like we were going to win it anyway but it's even clearer now that Hodgson isn't up to the job, despite that being crystal clear after the shambles in Brazil.

He'll get 15-20 at least imo with a good amount of starts. He scored 9 in the Prem in his first season aged 20-21, I'm tired of the 'but he isn't a great finisher' he almost got double figures in the Prem in the first season there with a team that got relegated and created next to fuck all. He got 1-2 chances in most games ffs. If utter utter dross like Cameron Jerome can score over 20 in the Championship Mitro could, Jerome has managed something like 2 and 3 in his last 2 seasons in the Prem, Mitro got 9 in 22 starts and 12 sub appearances. . Ross McCormack is a good player for that level but 10m is really steep, I'd be almost tempted with Mitro, Armstrong and Perez then spend elsewhere. Armstrong got 20 in the league below (a league which most of the league is closer to the level of than it is the Prem), and Mitro and Perez could both definitely get into double figures. I'd prefer to target Chris Martin from Derby if we were going to get a striker, he's 27 or so which means he at least has a fair few years ahead of him and he has scored 15-20 or so a season for 3 year. I'd like to see us really target some defenders, the problem I think we have is the squad we have right now (with a couple of additions) could get back up but we need to add a bit more due to the volume of games, buy too much and you're lumbered with too much Championship fodder after you get promoted. I'd like to see us get a proven Championship scorer like Martin, then a couple of youngsters with potential (like Dunk from Brighton) and then maybe some older experienced players on 1-2 year deals.

Aye it's time to clear the cunt off the wage bill. He's been an utter fucking arsehole for at least 2 seasons now, I've got so little respect for him that I think for a lot of his injury issues he has been feigning them as he simply can't be arsed. We should have bought 2 CB's in the summer and told him to fuck off home. Had about two and a half to three good seasons but the rest have been shit and he looks utterly fucking shite the last 18 month or so.

They also chanted "he shags who he wants" that to me makes the whole 'innocent until proven guilty' defence they've got going look suspect as it seems they'd support him either way. That and as middleagecool said he had owned up to what he pleaded guilty too long before he pleaded guilty to it, the club fucking knew it and carried on playing him and the support backed him so much that even after he was found guilty they signed petitions etc. It's a non argument now.

I agree, which is why I'd rather take Rashford over Defoe.

That bit we'll agree on, it's the same for us re: Townsend as it increases the likelihood he'll stay. I agree he is taking Rashford over Sturridge because of injury concerns (well founded ones to be fair) I was meaning his reasoning for taking Rashford over Defoe. If England had a shot at winning the tournament I'd have taken Defoe as the 3rd/4th striker.

:lol: Nah, utter utter rubbish. Kane is top drawer and Vardy has had a class season where he has been a quality finisher, if Defoe had went he'd have been 3rd or 4th choice and rightly so he's not in their class. I wouldn't have been opposed to Defoe going but what you've said there is fucking rubbish, he picked Rashford over Defoe as he clearly sees him as one for the future and wants to give him experience which to be fair is similar to a lot of the squad. England wont win the Euro's so he may as well take younger players and get them used to playing with each other and in tournaments. Edit: and before you start I'm not overly convinced of Townsends merits on being in the squad, he was canny towards the end of the season but didn't play enough imo. Saying that England are fairly short of wingers at the minute so that's probably why he was in the 26 (although he looks to have very little chance of being in the 23).

He quoted himself to carry on his point. Why does DCL keep banging on saying they relegated us? That's not really the case is it, if they did then the other 16 teams above them also relegated us. Normally you relegate a team by beating them in a game they must win which sends them down, like Villa did to us back in '08. The again it's not like the mackems to fabricate utter nonsense and then bang on about it for years.

Agree with this tbh, it was clunky and they seemed awkward together (I know it's the first episode but still they even seemed fairly awkward just on their own). They should have really stepped out and done it a different way but they seemed to try and mimic some parts while making others different and it was just fairly clunky. How uncomfortable was the star in the car bit? Especially when they introduced each other .

Hard to beat but you took until the second last game to secure safety Your lot are total shit man.

Just carry on proving my point, such a nice little bonus you spent the time to sign up here and have spent a good deal of time over this weekend on here. Absolutely thrilled at 17th with absolutely no sign at all that your lot will kick on from there :lol: . Look forward to your bitter reply that definitely wont be about how we're relegated or that you're happy your lot finished 17th because you're not all that arsed we went down...

You've also perfectly lived up to the thought that all your lot would be happy with is doing better than NUFC, you finished fucking 17th and you're all delighted. We had a shite season last season and after brief happiness about staying up people were fuming about how shit the season was, that's not happened with your lot and it's all down to the fact we finished 18th if we had finished 16th you'd have all been going mental. Like Ewerk said you're certainly going on alot about a topic that you're saying you aren't too fussed about, thought you were here to talk about "the old times" sad little mackem.