GrahamTaylor5

You regretting the cinema decision?

That is disappointing but was coming.

I have a good feeling about this. Nothing to lose here and the pressure is on them.

Nowt wrong with Barbie. Surprisingly not as bad as I thought it was going to be.

Sunderland are a strange one. I don't mind Onien as he seems to love what he does and their new bloke Dreyfus comes across well. Then they are Sunderland so they have to have Beale. His interview when we played them was awful but I wasn't sure if it was because he was relatively new to the role and it was a massive occasion for him. Her him on BBC Newcastle yesterday and it felt like he ran his players under the bus. I'm not sure how Sunderland got on as I missed their score but by the feel of things, I figured they must have lost. They were also slating Bellingham, who calls himself Jobe now? Who uses their first name because of their brother? It just felt tragic. I would try to get it if you were like Shearer's *son* trying to prove that you have what it takes. When it is your brother it just comes across as a complex.

I'm still in two minds as to if FFP is actually doing us a favour. I am not convinced that us being able to sign indiscriminately would be helpful to a sustainable build. If we had been able to buy 3 more midfielders in January, it would be great to be able to nurture Miley's development but when do we then give Miley some time? When Willock comes back, when do we play him? I'm not convinced this would be the best environment for the team to develop. I think FFP might actually make us more of a proposition as you are not going to join us on January 1st for another 2 players to be bought on 15th. At least the transfer is a two-way commitment. I cannot think of a manager, that I would be 100% convinced, if we could do a straight swap for Howe would do as good a job for us in this period of time.

There have been massive implications to the full system when we lost Pope. This has given the very slow defence a lot of extra ground behind them to cover. The loss of Joelinton had given Burn even more ground to cover. I think Tino makes more sense, but even he has not looked *as* good without Pope. Part of me wonders if we have accepted the position that we are in and boxing between what is best in the short, medium and long-term. I thought we would have went for a short-term replacement up front like a Vardy type character, like we did with Wood. I wasnt expecting a midfield replacement with Willock and Anderson not being far off. I wonder if we accepted the need for a short-term fix then (Wood/Burn) but we don't need them now. As much as we would like Champions League next year, maybe a better plan for recruitment and a proper path may be in the offing.

Surely, at some point, some of these people need to understand that there are levels. I am sure most of us have played 5-a-side. We have all played with that lad who is just a cut above us (it was never me, I have always had zero ability) who manages to score 7 goals and make it look effortless. I have never thought to myself, 'wow, he has better stats that Haaland'.

To be fair I get where they are coming from when watching us play. The last time I watched Sunderland play on the telly, I really wanted the other team to beat them. Luckily we did. Since then, I have had no interest in watching them.

If the Liverpool game was a penalty then that one should have been. As it happens neither should have been.

I feel that this cannot be put on Burn. He is too slow to be playing against Elanga. It is crazy that he started. I just do not get it.

Not sure it was the best idea to play Burn against such a fast winger. Burn is good but this is not the game for him.

Where did 9 come from? Dubs being down for the tape?

Genuine question, who do you support? I really don't mind if you are a Makem, but at this point, I don't think even that explains some of your posts.

I don't think it is a case that Dan Burn has been 'found out'. He was always slow. Premier League scouts amd managers will have identified that our whole back line is very slow. One big difference, as I said in the Botman thread, is the keeper. Pope sweeps far more, enabling the back line to push further up. Dubs is doing a decent job but it will lead to more issues with the pace of our whole back line. Burn is not a long term solution but he was never meant to be. I am still not sure what is going on with Hall. I think he is maybe deliberately trying to not play Tino at left back as I think he is seen as our long term right back. I could be miles off though. It is easier to plead a case for a left back as well if you haven't been playing Tino there who was doing a great job thus stuffing up the long term right back plan.

I don't mind Roy Keane he seems to be just enough of a wind up to get under your skin without lying about whether a challenge was or wasn't a free kick/ penalty when it was blatantly the opposite of what he is saying due to loyalty. I think him calling Sunderland the bigger club is relatively funny.

Interesting the use of the language and the throat slit. I thought that was Mag behaviour?

We all know that feeling- being a teenager and redecorating your room only for the rest of the family to kick off and you have to undo all the hard work. I feel for the kid.

This has been a really disappointing match. Howe has been shown to be lacking. Maybe it is time for Jose. It also shows that Sunderland really are the best team in the North East and would have managed the double over PSG.

How has Ballard gone this long without a card?

Does this depend on how much he will want to use him as our next RB. Sometimes it is better to not muddy the waters.

We need a Lascelles touchline yellow card to calm this game down.

That has to have hurt haha

Only 1 yellow there and it goes to Gordon? Alright.

Why does this still feel stressful?