Rayvin

That is just pathetic. I mean I'm not trying to dislike the guy but if he actually did have any dignity he'd just shut the fuck up due to privately accepting that he is going to be removed sooner or later.

Is Bruce going to retire after this or something? Why are people going on as if he's not going to just walk into another trash team and get them relegated over the course of a year or two - the same pattern he's been running for the last decade? He'll get that 1000th fucking game whether here or elsewhere. Better off elsewhere tbh cos it's going to be a tragedy of an experience for him if he's here on Sunday when the goals start flying in.

Fair enough, but they've got a lot of success out of that over the years, they've been run well as a sporting institution. In the end we don't need to react to this stuff, I mean he's being pretty balanced on it, he's not needling the fans, and you'd expect him to point out that this makes his life harder. Yes it's hypocritical on some level but in the end it appears he's just going to get on with it, so that's actually positive from our POV. It's begrudging endorsement of this being just how it is. Works for me.

If that person turns out to be left leaning in some capacity then we're just fucking done. "Conservatives under threat of violence, bravely speaking out despite constant intimidation" "We need to have a conversation in this country about the danger of the left" "Left wing extremism on the rise, further measures put in place to control society for the safety of all" Seems like he's stable at least anyway. Hopefully he ends up ok and it turns out to have been some lone wolf attack.

Yeah but he'll claim that Liverpool got their money on merit through success, whereas we got ours from nowhere for nothing. Liverpool represents society as we would all like it to be, Newcastle represents society as it is Either way this doesn't feel that bad to me and for all the other clubs are bitching about this, we might still get relegated this season so their concerns are some way off!

I like Klopp, I am prepared to trust him on his concerns for human rights because it seems consistent with what he's said in the past. Although I do think that point about China is relevant tbh. Clearly though his main issue is that we become a threat - and we will, so fair enough. I do think some people can legitimately complain about that, whilst at the same time acknowledging that it's just the way it is - which is what he does. I mean idk, of course managers from teams who aren't owned by nation states will point out that this gives a big advantage elsewhere.

Right well if that's the barrel we're over then the new owners really have no leg to stand on, unless they're hoping that they'll save a few million by forcing Bruce to be humiliated on Sunday. Again, this should have been well known to them as they bought the club so while I appreciate they may as well make an attempt at saving some money, if it isn't working then they should already be at peace with what they need to do.

Yep, gardening leave. Who gives a fuck - spreads the costs out as well. He's contractually entitled to be paid whatever he's paid every week, so let's lock him in.

It has to just be arrogance at this point unless they know something we don't and think they can turn it on pre-GE. I don't want them to take risks like that though, I want them to do the safe, secure thing so we don't lose another 5 years.

Damn. Downer indeed, but good to know nonetheless. Hope we do manage it while she's still here.

Lean towards Polarboy with this one (in general) but can see the Fish's side too in the sense that if a group of people who don't care about Saudi human rights abuses come to associate them with positive soft power, sporting success and they become 'cool', it could provide some cover for them for future heinous acts. People who would have been apathetic might now feel compelled to defend them. I'm sure we'll see some NUFC fans doing this. Just not sure it'll be to any tangibly useful level.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2021/oct/14/what-it-is-like-as-a-player-when-you-know-your-manager-is-doomed Article inspired by this very issue

I almost wrote this myself but decided I've made enough inflammatory statements on here recently. It's not a threat. It's poor taste, it's servile as fuck to use "His Excellency" FFS, but it's not a fucking threat. If anything it implies that the guy making the tweet doesn't think the Saudis do murder journalists. I don't give a shit if they call it a threat though in order to take action, cos the guy who posted it is a complete weapon. But as far as Edwards is concerned, he's making as much out of it as he possibly can.

I know it probably doesn't seem like it, but I read hardly anything now. Just skim headlines, close the app and put Netflix on. What else is there to do, we've been totally defeated.

Yep same. Was staring at my food bill the other day in disbelief. I swear it's now about £20 more per week than it used to be. Coupled with energy prices and fuel, it's just.. it's going to be fucking painful. I'm currently trying to work 8 days a week(!) to offset the difference. (I'm a bit of a psycho on this front though). I just don't understand how people have allowed them to get so attached to this lunacy that they're prepared to accept this.. all to avoid admitting they were fucking wrong. I have nothing but contempt for them now. And I say that with grim sadness, not anger.

I mean I've disengaged too, other than the odd day here and there. You can't just stay angry and Brexit going through actually did release me from a lot of care about this stuff. I was obsessed at that point but have really backed off from it. Writing is on the wall for the next election IMO, the sad thing is that Labour appear oblivious.

Well yeah that's what I've been saying too, several times. They've been caught out by the speed of it. Was accused of tackling it like a mackem for that sentiment but I'm glad we've worked it through

Aye, but shouldn't they have known that it didn't have these things? That's my issue with this, there's no possibility that they've gone in blind on a £300m takeover and been surprised by what's there. Which means that they either intended to wait as they're doing, i.e. part of the plan, or something has thrown them off.

So to be clear, the prevailing view is that the operational performance of a previously profit making business is impacting negatively on their ability to set out clarity concerning who should take over the running of the football side of the club, and that even if this runs on to the weekend and into the Spurs game, all this will mean is that Ashley knobbled them (in a way that couldn't be picked up and therefore prepared for during due diligence, but which prevents them from setting about with what we assume their plan would have been had everything been totally perfect). I mean it's possible I guess, and I want to stress that I am in no way calling into question their ability to run the club. I am merely saying that they may well have been caught on the hop by all of this given the speed at which it went through, and whereas during their first attempt to purchase the club they were talking to Pocchetino and Rafa before they'd even gotten the deal over the line, here they appear to be chasing around a bit. The media may well have entirely invented all of that to fill the silence that's otherwise coming from the club, but it remains somewhat odd that Bruce is still in post, and I can see it being a bit confusing indeed for the staff. However, maybe they've had private assurances about everything. Still though, it'll be interesting to see where we end up.

That would legitimately be hilarious tbh

Agreed but we can't have them not telling him anything either. If they have no immediate plan to put in place then they've got to make a call on this definitively so that everyone has clarity. I mean if the players and coaching staff lose focus and confidence then we're going to find this a lot harder, and quite quickly too. Bruce is one thing but they need to nip this in the bud really.

I reckon there might be something in that Edwards article. I know he hates the whole thing so is about as far from an impartial opinion as you can get, but the first few days of this haven't been inspiring. Whatever state Ashley left the operational setup of the club in, it has very little bearing on the situation around the football parts of the club - or at the very least I can't see any particular overlap that we wouldn't have been able to observe previously. I reckon they fully expected Rodgers to join up - and since he hasn't that's led to the uncertainty. They should have had someone tapped up before we got this far really, and I do appreciate that they did the first time around. All of which makes me think that they've been caught out a bit by the speed at which the deal went through, as much as everyone else was. Ultimately they need to keep cool heads here but the risk is that this might mean telling Bruce and the coaching team that they've got time. Maybe we even have to give them to the end of the season at this point, since I doubt anything else will be sufficient to settle things down. Money talking will have to be the solution to the relegation issue if so. Realistically though, that's not a good option - and they'd be far better off sacking Bruce so that some pressure is relieved, and taking their time over the next appointment while Jones looks after the team. Jones himself can be given assurances about a good pay off or an ongoing role under the new management, with the latter being the idea. Either way, they need to act decisively. And I'm not particularly convinced that the Saudis are the ones who should be responsible for that based on how this is going.

If Bruce walks away from £8m for the sake of reaching an arbitrary number, he's a fucking madman I could see it though.

Good. Although I am curious as to why not I suppose.

Ah sorry yes I assumed that accusation had been levelled. OK well maybe a bit of criticism is due but ultimately I guess it's for African players to comment on if they see it as an issue. I suppose we'll see as things move on, I daresay every little detail will now be scrutinised anyway.