manc-mag

Aye, I spose I'd have looked less of a career masturbator if I'd remembered to quote the original post there.

You haven't watched this then: Mega Shark v Giant Octopus (2009) Starring Debbie Gibson no less. I've not seen it but should I be worried that my wife has a copy ? Yeah, I'd definitely be worried Jimbo Fucking brilliant! (I genuinely don't know which of the two is more worrying btw) OMG I love it. and given the amount of pornography in this house it's surprisingly close to the truth ! Check out the bloopers on the dvd extras! Half of them are one guy and he's only in one fucking scene. You can see his 'career' going up in smoke before his very eyes And yes I realise I've got too much time on my hands.

The 'bigger than average' claim is a matter of public record tbh.

You haven't watched this then: Mega Shark v Giant Octopus (2009) Starring Debbie Gibson no less. I see your Mega Shark v Giant Octopus and I raise you Sharktopus Mega Shark has got Debbie Gibson in, Dave. That's the Debbie Gibson out of the 80's. Unless Sharktopus has got a cameo from Tiffany you can GTFO.

You haven't watched this then: Mega Shark v Giant Octopus (2009) Starring Debbie Gibson no less. I've not seen it but should I be worried that my wife has a copy ? Yeah, I'd definitely be worried Jimbo Fucking brilliant! (I genuinely don't know which of the two is more worrying btw)

I just want to tell you both good luck. We're all counting on you... RIP

You haven't watched this then: Mega Shark v Giant Octopus (2009) Starring Debbie Gibson no less.

I just want to tell you both good luck. We're all counting on you... RIP

I don't think he'll sell anytime soon, not until he makes a profit somehow. I think he's hoping a rich Yank/Arab/Indian/Chinese/Russian wants their own train set to play with and makes a bumper offer. I also think it's pointless worrying about who he sells to, we won't have a choice about that and he won't give a toss who he sells to anyway (like Sir John). In fact if there was a choice of buyers, I reckon he'd go for the most offensive one just so he can part his arse at us at the back window of his car as he heads towards Washington Services. We'll see. Some of us know a "man in the pub" you know. More input please...

I think it's probably quite symptomatic of the way we've changed focus over the last couple years. Newly promoted, looking to stabilise first, on limited funds and with a manager who was a defender as a player I think the defence overall and the addition of Tiote to protect it has been a bit of a success story. You're right about the other end of the pitch though and it's absolutely crying out for attention now. The club needs to be clear that Carroll making the impact he's had has been completely unexpected. If he'd just been an average Prem striker in the first half of the season (and that in itself would have meant exceeding most people's expectations including my own), we'd probably be 4 points worse off now (looking at the Arsenal and Wolves games specifically amongst his goals as I think we just wouldn't have scored those on another day with a different striker playing). I know he hit three against Villa and the West Ham winner too but I think we would have beat West Ham come what may as the game went on. Arsenal and Wolves are games where we'd have got nowt in previous seasons though.

It killed me that, I said literally 15 seconds before the goal if we can hold on for one more minute we'll win this. Best I've seen Kalou play to be fair, and I think he's shit. Does anyone know what Souness said? I missed half time, but before the game he was saying that the crowd get frustrated with the players after 15 minutes if nothings happening and it transmits onto the pitch, that was why he tried to sign experienced players while here. Commentators picked up on it during the game when Shola went on a mazy dribble without the ball, and 10mins later, when he kicked it out of play for no apparent reason. It fucks me off this line because we're pretty much renowned for it in the media/Sky now like it's some sort of truism of English football. It's called playing in front of a big crowd and it comes with the pressure of playing for a big club. Do they honestly think (eg) Man U fans are fundamentally more patient human beings or do they think it might just be down to the fact that theyre watching a team that wins every week? Do they think they'd be more patient than us after (eg) ten years of watching Shola? Does Souness feel Liverpool fans were notably more patient when he was having heart surgery? You get loads of impatient fans in a crowd of 50,000 and loads that see a totally different game than the one that's being played on the pitch, but guess what, it's cos it's a fucking big crowd and thats what happens. If players can't rise to it then broadly speaking it's because they're playing above their level rather than the other way around. It's basically a sly and disrespectful way of saying that NUFC should know it's place, which obviously wasn't what he was saying when the club was rewarding him hansomly for being an utterly fucking useless cunt. I just wish someone with balls would take the lazy bastard pundits to task over it the next time they trot it out.

Australia's 2nd innings bowling figures are a joy.

they tried, they did their best, they went for it, they paid the going rate. If you don't take a shot, you don't score a goal. We got close, mightily close, and had some great years, because they had a go. Thats all you can ask. We should also be demanding the same from the current owner, and the next owner too. Its as simple as that, instead of swallowing all this bullshit and lowering of standards they are coming out with. Would you rather not take a shot ? You can't blame owners and directors for seasoned international footballers and managers bottling big games, they supply the means to provide the managers the tools as best they can to the ability of the club, they have done their side of the deal. Hopefully the next owner will go for it. This bit ends up getting circular between me and you mate. I think you effectively can blame them if, overall, the culture that is allowed to develop at the club is counter to what those top players are used to elsewhere. Because then they don't care as much about winning. You don't think the Chairman can be criticised for that though so we just have to differ on that bit. I want to take a shot again and I don't think it will be with Ashley, because (while I don't accept it's the only ingredient for success) his spending will never be top four. I totally agree with you on that. I'll be completely honest though (and this isn't said simply to be inflammatory), I don't think Shepherd would be capable of the transfers of the past now either because viable credit isn't available anymore. These are different times. I don't know if this is an odd season or what but that seems to be starting to have a bit of an effect on the table with the upshot that if we establish ourselves as a well run club it's possible we could make progress in certain areas which would give a good foundation for any new owner who was serious about a cash injection.

Bingo. Completely agree 100% and that's exactly what they didnt find at NUFC. And these were top international players as you rightly point out, so it's a big indictment. That's basically what it all boils down to for me. We disagree on it for the most part so we won't come round to each other's way of thinking, but you (wrongly) accuse me of being ungrateful for the peak years and that's completely untrue. I'm 33 and we've won fuck all in my entire lifetime so I'm probably going to be at least as grateful for that football as you for instance, whose been around during FA Cup and European successes. So I'll simply say you're wrong on that, but beyond that I don't feel the need to apologise for holding robust views on how the club should be run. It doesnt make me ungrateful, it doesn't make me an Ashley sympathiser, it just makes me an emininently realistic student of how the top clubs do things. In fact I'd go as far as to say it's completely retrograde if you don't learn lessons from what's around you.

Man City had a rickety arse temporary stand around that time too. Their Chairman was an outright bell end, but we contributed to a complete farce and as the big club (who had failed to beat them at home earlier) we ended up looking like sore 'losers'. Noblesse oblige tbh.

no we wouldn't have bought the lot of them at inflated prices. We would have bought better quality footballers at the going rate, most of whom fulfilled their ability and expectation while a few did not but thats football. Anyway, I'm off to the game and if its called off I'll be in the pub instead. It's semantics really though. Even if we paid the 'going rate', it's still a complete waste of money if you pay that and then welcome them to a holiday camp rather than a serious football club, which is effectively what we did. you show me a "holiday camp" who qualified for europe more than any club bar 4 over a period of 15 years, attracted top quality international footballers to do it, filled a 52000 stadium every home game, got to the 2nd round of the Champions League, expanded a world wide profile and attracted big sponsorship deals [which have now disappeared], sold shirt all over the far east and worldwide [who have now disappeared], and increased the value of a football club from one deemed to be not worth 1.25m quid into one that was going for the thick end of 200m give or take. Until then, pipe down and stop talking utter shite. Edit. Seriously mate, I realise you aren't a brainless idiot, like some, but points of view like you have just posted make me fuckin wonder about the mentality of football supporters, not even mentioning their ability to latch onto any old stupid unrealistic and daft cliches they find, which have absolutely no foundation whatsoever. I hope you enjoyed those "circus" years, because they may be a long time coming back again ........although my "man in the pub" tells me otherwise unlike your own esteemed and high profile circles...... What I mean is too many of the top international footballers we bought didnt have any respect for the club. And that was entirely the fault of those running the club. And of the things you mention, significantly, it was the one dynamic for success that you can't achieve by solely throwing money at something. Which is the tragedy for me, you actually don't need shedloads of money for that, you just need the club to be run by someone demanding the top effort from your top buys. We never had that though, in truth we've had a bit of a soap opera for years outside of the Keegan era, with only Bobby's quiet dignity bringing welcome respite. I'm not knocking Shepherd for spending the club's money, I'm saying he got very basic things wrong (consistently) and these actively devalued the money we spent. Btw, the fact it's even back onto this sort of proves a point. The guy really should have been completely anonymous. Which of the big clubs that ever won anything of value since the Prem started have done so with a Chairman who's felt the need to be as big as the club itself? Even Abramovich keeps it buttoned and he's spent hundreds of millions of his own money running a club with gates that used to be 6,000 ffs. The Glazers are cunts but you never hear a peep. Who gave a fuck who the Chairman of Liverpool was when they were winning everything? I have a far more balanced view than you do on this. You (wrongly) take pretty much anything as Shepherd bashing to the extent that even the legitimate criticisms of him wind you up. It's not some sort of Ashley love-in. Ashley came throwing his sports direct money around and being the playboy around the Bigg Market. Look where that ultimately got us. Relegated. There's very basic psychological principles behind it all.

last time was one of our lowest points - we came over as totally arrogant and idiotic and they took us to a replay................... We sent our safety officers there iirc (uninvited) having already declared the ground unfit beforehand. Lacked class really as the 'big club'. Their chairman was a wanker but it just played right into his (and Sky's) hands. Anyway as I say, hope we go there without the big names this time around, zero fuss, and just turn them over.

Was hoping FCUM would get through their 2nd round replay and get Man U in the 3rd. This'll do alternatively though.

Hope we go there without any fuss after all the histryonics last time around and just quietly dick them.

Fuck off Besty.

no we wouldn't have bought the lot of them at inflated prices. We would have bought better quality footballers at the going rate, most of whom fulfilled their ability and expectation while a few did not but thats football. Anyway, I'm off to the game and if its called off I'll be in the pub instead. It's semantics really though. Even if we paid the 'going rate', it's still a complete waste of money if you pay that and then welcome them to a holiday camp rather than a serious football club, which is effectively what we did.

Tbf if a loan is available, unless the player represents an exceptional opportunity (either because of his particular talent or because the permanent transfer fee is such fantastic value for money at that point in time) then why not a loan? If they've got owt about them then they play hard to show that they're worth the permanent transfer. If they're shit then they can be fucked off. We've managed to turn up some good additions having been forced to be a bit more resourceful. It can't be a long term strategy but it can serve a purpose in a first season strategy of re-establishing ourselves as a Prem club.

I presume that Sky somehow ensure that there is money to pay the council for the extra gritting in the surrounding areas. The club would have to at least you'd imagine (and hence Sky would indirectly)

Stating the obvious but Swann really needs to turn up for the second innings like. The rest bowled well at the start of the innings (with no reward), but he just didn't contribute at all. The faster lads are always going to tire a lot sooner (mentally as well as physically) if they haven't got Swann making the top order play a rounder game in between facing the faster balls.

"Last one on drugs is a queer!"