Dr Gloom

RIP MC Conrad. Hard to put this into words how gutted I am by this. The bloke was an absolute legend and I'm genuinely devastated. Logical Progression is the album that got my into drum n bass as a teenager and it is still my favourite genres of music 30 years later. i was lucky to see him and LTJ Bukem play in Sheffield around 97 or 98 at a club formerly know as the Music Factory - I don't think it even exists anymore. He blew my mind on stage too. An absolute master of the craft. A host really, no big ego like most MCs. He knew when to spit bars and when to shut up and let the music breathe. Enjoy this classic

i saw late night with the devil at the cinema recently. it was the most original horror film i've seen for a while - worth a watch. i enjoyed last night in soho too, but i'll watch anything by edgar wright

it'll be devastating. we should be building a team around him, just as man city were able to do with david silva and yaya toure. we shouldn't be forced to sell him because of some bullshit rules - arbitrary lines in sand drawn to protect the established clubs who were able to spend their own money with impunity, build their squads and grow their brands without having to contend with these bullshit rules it's the most newcastley thing ever that when it finally is our turn, all this shit is put in place to stop us.

he could play both roles with aplomb, particularly in your midfield alongside world class players. he played "number 8" in his first half season after signing in the january window and scored a bunch of goals. they have dried up since then as he's played the deeper role since. but the numbers don't tell the whole story. everything goes through him. he is head and shoulders our best player, picking up the ball from the centre backs, always looking to receive it and dictating play from deep. he'd be a massive loss for us. we should be able to build our team around him and we have the money to do so. it's only the bullshit psr nonsense stopping us, which which is why we would be crying out for an astronomical transfer fee.

i can't remember who reported the release clause only being open to foreign clubs, so i can't guarantee that it is accurate. i hope it's true. you could forgive him going to real madrid if they activated the 100m fee before the end of june but it would hurt to see him playing for another english club. however, he would be a perfect fit for man city's midfield and f i could understand why his head would be turned - the chance to win at least a trophy or two every season and to play alongside world class players instead of miggy and longstaff every week, on an even bigger salary, i'm sure would be hard to resist. i just hope the story about the clause is true and we're able to extract a massive fee were he to end up going to another english club. it would have to be well north of £100m, i suspect, unless sone of the more alarming stories about our PSR struggles are also true and we really are looking to sell a prize asset to finance a squad rebuild.

IMO, at least £150m apparently the £100m release clause can only be activated by foreign teams already in the champions league and the fee has to be paid up front. So realistically, you’re talking PSG Real, or a Saudi club, which seems less likely given he’s at the peak of his powers. It would take an astronomical bid from an English club so it’s probably a nonstarter for Man City.

I mean, if they can make it work on the existing site, it’s perfect. Hard to see how they create an arena with 60k+ seats and world class facilities though without demolishing most of it and rebuilding most of it again, which raises a load of other questions previously discussed on here

you definitely helped everton add a few more points every season

just started baby reindeer as it's one of those boring zeitgeisty shows that no one will stop fucking talking about, so feel compelled to join the party for fomo

If we weren’t so annoyingly inconsistent we’d have a good chance of catching spurs for 5th. “Ange-ball” has been found out

More shit zonal marking from spurs and another goal conceded from a corner to make it 3-0

If he listen to what he says and tweets and consider the recent house purchase, he isn’t going anywhere. But the release clause exists for a reason. PSG are one of the few clubs capable of paying £100m up front and his mrs is French (I think) so it wouldn’t surprise me if he does go. I’d be gutted if he does go and a little disappointed in him. He’d just be another cog in the wheel there, in a farmers league, albeit with a chance of going deep in the champions league. But he can be a legend for us. The one club I’d forgive him leaving for is Real Madrid. Seems unlikely this summer though due to Kronos signing an extension.

Tottenham’s shit zonal marking from corners exposed again for Arsenal’s goal there. He wouldn’t have to head the ball towards his own goal if he was marking his man, goalside

I’m Alan shearer’s lost yard of pace

I’ll be really annoyed if we don’t finish above them - they’re turbo gash

If we can’t beat these at home we may as well get the sun loungers out

the laughs from the audience

isn't his mrs french?

tbh, the last game i went to at home (1-1 v everton) was a bit of a throwback. flat as fuck. it was one of those where the crowd turned up expecting to win. i had a great seat in the milburn paddock in terms of view - just above the dugout - but atmosphere? not so much. i was surrounded by old blokes in their 50s and 60s who didn't try to join in with any signing - even after we scored. the only time they made any noise was to complain. time for some of these old timers to give up their season tickets for the next generation. a lot of them don't seem like they're getting any joy out of it, so why bother? the corner did its best to get things going but the rest of the crowd couldn't be arsed - you could hear a pin drop at times. if we do build a new ground there should be a designated section for boring old bastards ticked high in the gods somewhere, as well as designated singing sections behind the goals.

what a fucking electric night in SJP that was - absolutely magic and along with the Arsenal game the previous season, the best I've seen it since the Keegan days. I didn't mange to get tickets for PSG at home but I gather that was arguably just as good or even better.

Sorry

keep mrs Renton out of this