Mark Albrighton

When watching that visual, we’re all thinking it looks like a sperm race in a bid to fertilise the third and final sky bet championship logo, right? It’s not just me that immediately conjures that thought? Good.

Very appropriate product name because I have never heard of it!

I’ve often wondered this Brian, probably not suited to this thread but what can I do… If you could “save” one of nestle’s chocolate bars and have them be produced by a more socially conscious company so you could then eat it…which bar would you pick? And I’m not exaggerating, if I’m in the co op and I’m looking at chocolate bars, I find myself thinking “Hmmm, BOF wouldn’t approve of that choice…but does he himself ever pine for a Yorkie bar?”

Yeah but it’s not as easy to have big ****ing whinge when you take those facts into consideration. Better to just whine about the players not being up to it despite being good enough to have us knocking on the door of finishing fourth for the first time in nearly 30 years, that’s much better.

Front pocket. Always has been. I’m slightly surprised at the number of back pocket replies.

I think the media were broadly more enthusiastic about Newcastle finishing fourth last season than they are at the prospect of Villa finishing fourth this season. I think there are various reasons for that, some more tangible than others. Their takeover was big news that people outside of the game could have an opinion on. Couldn’t say that about ours. With that ownership comes more of a belief that they’d upset the sky six long term. They’re also probably more enthusiastic about an English manager doing well than they are about the previously written off foreign guy people were laughing at because his third/fourth language wasn’t spoken as well they thought it could be. And then I think there are less tangible things, my perception. I think the media are more enthusiastic about Newcastle doing well because they’re kinda easier to pigeonhole and “sell” than us. They’re proper northern, not middling midlands. They have a more Sky friendly derby I think. Everyone knows Kevin Keegan getting irate in the 90’s, we can show that clip for the thousandth time, mild mannered Brian Little isn’t going to generate the same recognition. Alan Shearer being a pundit is, inadvertently maybe, a bigger advocate for Newcastle’s relevancy than Dion Dublin is for us. I’d also argue that their failures/questionable moments over the years are more memorable. I think Shearer’s relegation has generated interest than our capitulation did. Pardew and Ashley are inherently more newsworthy than Lambert and Lerner. Lots of little things.

These “roasts” that they have in the US for celebrities (prompted by the Tom Brady one referenced in the sha thread and me inadvertently finding out the most well known Kardashian had a rough time herself at it). At the risk of contradicting myself by putting in this thread, I suppose I do kinda get the appeal. But at least the bits I see that go viral leave me cold. I think it’s because it’s all pretty much all one note, at least it seems to me. And because the person who is being made fun of is there knowing it’s going to happen it feels a bit like they’re in on the joke and because everyone knows what subject matter is, the element of surprise is a reduced. I guess it feels kinda contrived.

Thank you. It does slightly irk me the “we’re terrible when it matters” sentiment. If we reach a cup final and lose it’s “argggghhhh, when it matters we didn’t turn up…” Did the semi final not matter? Cos if you don’t win the semi final, the importance of the final is kinda moot. Likewise winning away at Arsenal as you say, I’m pretty sure that mattered. People seem to ignore “important” games that we do win or retrospectively decide that they weren’t as important as the really important game we just lost.

Individually those results are quite feasible. Accumulated, much less so.

I agree, I think it will be over following the Spurs - City game. People should relax a little more. They won’t. I’d love to know what this place would be like if both Villa and Spurs had won today. How fraught people would have been seeing Spurs drag us back to just a 7 point lead.

I think it’s because they have Sheffield United and Burnley, they could both be big victories. Draw with City. We could lose badly against Liverpool and lose 1-0 to Palace. It’s unlikely but I understand the worry. We’ll finish fourth.

I’m not worried about it. As I think we’re finishing 4th. However, I can see why someone might have a concern. At the time of writing we have a better goal difference of 10. Assume we lose both our games, that would be down to 8 (could be lower). Spurs win two and draw one. They hammer Sheffield United 5-0 and Burnley 4-0. Both of those aren’t that unrealistic in my opinion. Again, I think we’re going to finish 4th.

You might prove to be right. The only thing that is certain is that Spurs HAVE to win again this season. It’s still quite possible we don’t need another point and will still finish 4th. I think we probably need to a couple more.

Throw in Rotherham winning (5-2) and it would be crazy.