manc-mag

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

It absolutely shouldn't be if you're just considering him in isolation. He's easily worth his wages given the standard of defenders we're used to, the guy is just class. The problem is it's not in isolation-if he's renewed at £80k that has to be about £30k more than the unofficial cap, and about £70k more than many players will be earning. That then becomes the prescedent they point to when they're looking to re-negotiate. If it had the knock on effect that everyones wages went up by £10k per week across the first team, that's an extra £5 million per year for the same players. That's not me saying we shouldnt move heaven and earth to keep him, just saying how i reckon FMA views it in his head and he's the one holding the purse strings. Got to be creative as far as I'm concerned. Offer him a new deal that accords with the cap but build a massive loyalty bonus into it which is distinct from wages.

This is getting beyond the pale.

Simpson cleared one off the line at OT and he basically did the same again tonight. Call that lucky if you like or call it busting a gut to stop your opponent. That has been running through the team for the majority of the season so far and the upshot (generally speaking) is that opponents dont score the goals they otherwise might. It applies to harrying a team too and pressing them in possession. That's what we do that we don't ordinarily do. Commentators remark on it because it's not normal for us, which is a massive indictment in itself btw.

Incredible 'luck' going your way and 'piss poor finishing' by opponents happens far more frequently when you play your socks off for 90 minutes and you don't let your opponent walk the ball into the back of the net. That's something that's in your own hands as a team.The real modicum of luck came in that we remained injury free for the period. That changed and we lost games. Everyone acknowledged this beforehand though and everyone expected to lose games anyway going into that spell. As TS says, fill the table in or pipe down.

29,000 at Everton tonight. I'll let Stevie do the honours.

Me neither tbh, they'd got their rocks off, got their rocks off (Virgin) money.

Reported!

dickhead.

on

What are you on about? It's not the same tactics - we played a mixture of direct and passing football, and he dropped Obertan and started Santon. How is that the same thing he does every week? So what if he sticks to 442? Last time he tried a different formation we get well beaten. Why on earth would I want Vuckic on? Perch is a defensive player, so I had no problem with bringing him on just to solidify things. Man Utd are so capable of getting a goal and then another in quick succession. Beyond sad that people have to complain about the subs, like they have to blame Pardew for something. Got his subs spot on if you ask me. We're giving him credit for his role in our win tonight, not "sticking our tongues up the manger's ringpiece". Put yourself in the creche for such nonsense. Got to agree with that, like. Come on Ant, have a word!!! Some balance defo needed from your good self.

Errr...he did. And he takes the credit for the earlier games. And overall he gets credit for being on 33 points at the start of Jan.

What an arsehole's response. What's the point of watching if that's your reaction to a 3-0 win against the Champions? Isn't it what you've been banging on about more than anyone-go out and attack one of the 'big' teams? Fucking magic stuff. Essentially the same system with the one notable personnel change that everybody has been pressing for, battles won in the key areas (bit of the earlier form returning) and just wanting it more than the opposition. Two great goals to win it but the defence were just as big stars on the night for me. Not that it's popular on here to defend well, but I couldn't give a fuck.

Seven virgins tbh.

More good work from TS as per

Well whatever happens, we won't be virgins after tonight etc etc.

When I read this I thought it confirmed my thoughts on the shirt, that it would not get Sports Direct on there, but looking back at my posts on the topic it seems I did some CT style covering of the bases... 8. I'd be interested to know how many NUFC shirts are sold locally and how many are sold worldwide. I still can't decide if it's financially astute to put the Sports Direct name on the shirt. My initial thought was it would be a financial decision, so it wouldn't happen, as local sales would crash, but I think that move would be excellent for his international interests with Sports Direct...so it will happen, whatever the cost to NUFC. Still confidently predicting we'll not see anything but "Sports Direct" on the roof though. I wasn't aiming that at you personally in any way, just to be clear. I was expecting to see 'sports direct' there myself on balance, purely on the basis that nobody would touch us. My point is about people who claim that this was Ashley's plan from day one and it was always clear to them that this was the case, because they're clairvoyant about things like that and everyone else is fucking stupid for not seeing it coming. Cobblers. He'll use the club as a 'vehicle for Sports Direct' if it suits him or he'll sell the rights to a sponsor if they offer more. It's whatever he can get the most coin for (personally) because he knows it has a value. If it was solely a SD thing though (as frequently claimed) sponsorship/rights wouldn't be available to anyone else at any price. It's either a masterplan or it's not.

Or perhaps that just translates as "fat Mike was asking too much for the stadium naming rights, so we'll leave that one, ta".

Yet another weird twist. Not that I expect we'd see the money, but if this did happen does it at least mean the people who say that "everything about the club is a vehicle for the sports direct brand, it'll be the shirt next etc etc (ps and always has been since day one") will have to admit they were just chatting shit and in actual fact nobody knows the first thing about whats going on.

I know a few of them choose to live in Newcastle like as you say, but that sort of supports my point. Ideally as a footballer you have pride in your club. Living in your closest rival's city can only add to the inferiority/resentment towards your own employer iyam. Psychologically, it's the same as any other depressing drive into work.

It's one of those things where, if you think about it, Sunderland are badly positioned in the modern game. Pretty much every Prem footballer is now a millionaire, and in Sunderland's case given the premiums they pay, several will be multi-millionaires, yet despite that they have to spend their lives based around Sunderland. Professional football is also a career where you're left with a lot of free time, which means a lot of time consciously 'spent' in Sunderland. Most millionaires absolutely 100% wouldn't chose to do that, but in their case they have to. Not that I feel sorry for them as such because footballers are a bit of a different breed that wouldn't be millionaires in any other walk of life, but the fact of the matter is anyone with that much cash would probably get resentful of having to be anchored in Sunderland like they do. Then of course you've got the black players who, as well as probably not liking living there to start with for exactly the same reasons as their white colleagues, also have to put up with their families being racially abused. The Toon and indeed anywhere out of London (even Man U) suffers to a degree because young, undeserving millionaires all want to be around the distractions of the capital as a preference, but Sunderland is probably the extreme example of where you absolutely wouldn't want to be with that time/money on your hands. I think that's their biggest issue, players there that really would rather be anywhere else.

Tbf you can play pretty much any formation you want if your left sided midfield starter (Vuckic) is also a central midfielder and left back cover Presumably Krul is expected to get forward at intervals too. In all honesty I wouldn't even say Vuckic is a winger he doesn't seem to have the pace. At the moment I would say he's only an attacking midfielder, although he's decent at getting balls in the air. I'd agree. I'd say that's the only function he's shown some capability of at this level (yet...hopefully he will come on in time-I've actually got a decent feeling about the lad). Despite that she's got him starting out of that position, and operating effectively in three positions - central and left midfield with additional defensive duties. wide midfielders with defensive duties, right backs with offensive duties is what I meant. johnny 2j catched my drift, and with best and ben arfa the word i had been looking for was roaming upfront behind ba. Well we haven't got full backs good enough for that and you can't have half a load of 'roaming' players against the Champions full stop. Best gets slated for being shit when he's 'just' a striker (by you amongst others) but if you think he'd suddenly be better carrying it from midfield too then that's your fantasy and youre welcome to it.

That would no doubt make your day and yet we still wouldn't be arsed (about you).

Tbf you can play pretty much any formation you want if your left sided midfield starter (Vuckic) is also a central midfielder and left back cover Presumably Krul is expected to get forward at intervals too. In all honesty I wouldn't even say Vuckic is a winger he doesn't seem to have the pace. At the moment I would say he's only an attacking midfielder, although he's decent at getting balls in the air. I'd agree. I'd say that's the only function he's shown some capability of at this level (yet...hopefully he will come on in time-I've actually got a decent feeling about the lad). Despite that she's got him starting out of that position, and operating effectively in three positions - central and left midfield with additional defensive duties. Oh and that's against the current league champions. Fuck me gently and she slates Pardew's tactics every post. It's a piece of piss picking teams when your youngest, most inexperienced player can be relied upon to cover three positions he's never played in before in the same game against the top side in the country.