And. Not sure if that’s meant to portray some kind of balance. Newcastle committed to pay Isak £6mill a year for the next 6 years when he signed, even if he turned out to be a flop. If rumours are correct he now wants £15mill a year then I wouldn’t negotiate either.

Surprised De Neve is starting, probably getting up to speed

Good point. Both razors could apply so it's very likely just because our internet content people are dogshit.

Don't worry, it wasn't a comment on your line-up specifically I agree it's the most likely! It was more an indictment of where the owners have left us.

I didn't say it was the line up I would pick...

So the countdown to Travis leaving has begun and no surprises its started at 1.5 million and won't get anywhere near some of the numbers expected on here in reallity. Under the cloak of 'undisclosed' and 'add ons up to' etc

To be fair, only Pears could go and get a hair transplant and even fuck that up...

I have no sympathy at all for football clubs. They routinely screw over players. Not the high profile ones, but those at the bottom trying to make it. If what I read earlier is to be believed Newcastle told Isak last summer that they'd negotiate a new deal in the summer of 2025. They decided not to. Isak also allegedly told Howe twice at the end of the season that he wanted to leave.

How was the question phrased to Pasha? In answer to a direct ”has Lowe left the club” then Pasha would appear to have been being truthful without explicitly denying that something is going on. What sounds like a clueless answer might actually have been smart from him… Makes him appear dense but less controversial/revealing than ”he’s been kicked out by one faction but has appealed to the other mob to keep him on” 🤔

I think it’s been pretty much played down, the implications of the court case. That is the one regarding the misuse of funds, not the owners going to court to get the need for a bond removed. I have to admit, that I have been in the dark about the implications on this and wonder if you are able to expand on it, in particular if they are likely to face fraud charges.

Not sure if it was posted elsewhere but I saw this last week. If this goes in the direction the players want I expect a lot of clubs are going to be completely unable to compete. Of course for now it is very much up in the air. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cy5prnpy142o

O'Riordan on the bench this evening - according to comments on twitter they have started their reserve side with 11 changes since their win on Saturday score/update

Hedges much too important to risk in a cup game. If he were to get injured we’d have no right wingers…oh, what’s that you say?

Venky’s and Pasha want him, but the agents don’t. It makes perfect sense. I will be surprised if he doesn’t reappear, but how will that then go down with Ismael, after his comments that are in the public domain?

In addition to weaker relegated sides, the promoted sides are likely going to be much stronger than recent years too. Will likely be an exciting promotion race but we'll be nowhere near this time.

Or Hanlon’s?

Even against a League One team that line-up terrifies me.

I normally like to see the youngsters get a run out, but realistically we need to get the new signings up to speed and bedded in. Wouldn't be surprised to see something like Michalski Alebiosu Miller Wharton Pickering Tavares (idk, maybe Forshaw) Hedges Henriksson Kargbo Gueye And then plan to bring Tyjon, Montgomery etc. off the bench for some minutes

7.45pm

kickoff time ?

I think that might be what it is. The rumour was that somebody removed him way back, maybe 10 years ago, to trim down the coaching staff. Only for him to be reinstated by Pasha, with both of them going to Pune to get it sealed. He has since been promoted and has become the eyes and ears of Pasha around the place and also appears to be part of a coaching package that new managers have to accept. He has connections to the old agency crew, but I think that might just be coincidence. The logical explanation has to be that Pasha and Co rate him as a coach and want to keep him around for as long as possible. We know how loyal they are to those they like. Take Kean for example. The issue here for me is, if he has been sacked/released, as mentioned a few weeks back in the LT...who has made this decision and why does Pasha not know about it? He's the head honcho here and a trusted Venky employee. Why is the news a surprise to him? (as suggested in the latest minutes). If he wasn't pretending to be surprised before the forum and he genuinely didn't know, it could add weight to the theory that he is just a face here and that the real string pullers are elsewhere. Another poster shared an opinion that there might be two opposing camps in the building and that this is why there are often tales of 'power struggles'. I'm of the same view. In my opinion, it feels as if we have a 'normal' camp and a 'numbers' camp. The 'normal' camp is the one the public sees and hears from. This camp consists of 'normal' footballing people operating under 'normal' football principles i.e ambition, trying to win, strategy, having plans in place, a desire for promotion etc. I think the likes of JDT, Broughton, Eustace, Ismael and Rudy are in this camp. The people in this camp come here thinking we are a 'normal club' and expect to find normality, but they are always left disappointed in the end. Then there's the 'numbers' camp which remains largely in the background and are seemingly headed by one individual. The same individual with the old agency links that never seem to go away, hence why, even if it's just theory and there's nothing to it, the coincidences appear to keep on leading back towards this direction. It's been a theme for many years...that things run 'normally' for a short while, everybody's aligned, fans, manager and players, optimism is in the air, then boom. Camp two strikes, whether that be because the 'numbers' can't be met for new signings, can't increase wages, can't push for promotion due to funds, can't meet what the manager is demanding or expecting etc and we always end up going back to square one. Cue the infighting between the "positive v negative" divide in the fanbase. A new 'project', a new 'journey'. More ins and outs. Who wins here? It has been like this for a very long time. So who exactly is winning out of the constant churns and resets?

Is he fully fit though? Played ten minutes last Saturday after recovering from injury. Wouldn't start him but rather have him play final half hour or something. Same goes for Miller.

There is a potential criminal case about tax fraud lurking if they don't fight in the Civil Courts. What they have apparently been tripped up on- mischaracterising a domestic property purchase and a lavish party to get more favourable tax treatment is incredibly petty for such a wealthy family. I am certain their tax advisors in India would never have sanctioned this.

It's been that long since I bought a physical ticket, I genuinely forgot that they exist - it's just more convenient (for me) to buy online and have the electronic ticket on my phone. Anyway, I'm hopeful of an entertaining game tonight, seeing players like Kargbo and Gueye. Would be nice to see Michalski and Tyjon in particular, being probably the 2 highest rated kids from the Academy (in the first team squad). Looking at the online ticket thing earlier, the JW looked fairly decent in terms of sales, as of about 4pm tonight.