charlierc

Since the takeover? Not that I'm aware of - when the thing was signed off, it was mentioned Mike Ashley's frugal nature meant we had a lot of FFP wriggle room for signing players, but that the signings made in the first 2 windows with Saudi cash meant that we didn't have as much in Jan. I know that we may be limited in what we can do with commercial deals with companies tied in with our owners thanks to a 2021 rule change, as noted here: Premier League lifts temporary ban on owner-related sponsorship deals | Football News | Sky Sports. Not to say that there aren't any links - main one being the presence of a Saudi-based retailer called Noon as our sleeve sponsor - but I think the controls brought in because Man City's owners were running up substantial losses (£200m or so in 2010/11 at its most extreme) may stop us from going truly wild. Or at least a smidge more wild than the already overheated PL transfer market. It's certainly more modest than, say, the PiF's attempts to create its own golf super league, or rumours they had a $20bn bid to buy F1 from its current American owners rejected.

Honestly, if you've already got tickets for the Iggy Pop and Blondie date at Crystal Palace and wanted to see Pulp, I'd recommend going elsewhere to London due to the simultaneous dates. Dog Day Afternoon to me just sounds like a brand name rather than it being a sign that they'll be done by half five.

Presumably given Jamie T's supports have been announced, there's schedule space for one (maybe even two) extra acts and any such additional acts for Pulp might well be announced as coming along soon enough. How many, I'm less sure of. It does seem like it's not quite at the level of being a full-on 10 hour fest in the mould of when QOTSA did Finsbury in 2018. Much as I'm mainly just hoping for extra tickets or failing that striking lucky on Twickets.

On a sort-of riff of that, the Premier League power is such that rumours abound that in the January window, Bournemouth were offering more in wages to Roma attacker Nicolo Zaniolo than AC Milan, the literal Italian champions and a side still in the Champions League. Which, I doubt in 2007 when Milan won what remains the most recent of their Champions League titles, I would have expected to be writing that. There is a very valid argument that the Premier League is now a European Super League - hell, I know a lot of people have concerns Newcastle and the new deep pockets we have will try to blow everyone out the water, but if anything, Chelsea have gone crazy on that front, while we also got out-spent by West Ham and spent about the same as Nottingham Forest. So, pfft, I dunno - you then start to stray away into the broader argument on whether the Premier League as a whole is bad for football rather than just the outrageous spending of some clubs, or indeed this new case.

I mean we're re-litigating the past with this Man City case stretching back to 2009 but the call to re-litigate Wrexham's ascension to the English leagues in 1921 (to say nothing of Cardiff, Swansea and Newport also being in the English leagues) is another matter.

Worse with him in charge is an odd predisposition imo - in the last season before Bielsa took the Leeds job, they finished in the Championship's bottom half, but MB got them 3rd, 1st, and then on the first try, a top half spot in the Premier League. I think he'd run out of road at the point when Bielsa sacked him, but that Leeds team under him last season would likely have won any hypothetical game against their 2017/18 side.

As I said in my first reply, I was planning to see them support Frank Turner in Northampton, and that gig was last night. Wasn't sure what to expect but they did look like they were having a lot of fun, did make me laugh a few times and had some decent tunes. So, good booking. Frank was good too. Did note his rhythm section seemed beefed up - new drummer seems to hit the things harder and bass was higher in the mix than previous times, given I've seen him quite a few times. Still got the tunes though.

That is pretty cool tbf. Shame it didn't quite go to plan this time around.

Who even knows. The charge list being over 100 points long stretching back for more or less the entire Abu Dhabi ownership of Manchester City means this has to be analysed seriously. I would be surprised if the penalty handed is expulsion from the league, and one early article suggests it may not end up in the stripping of Premier League titles Manchester City have won since their 2008 takeover. I suspect it's going to be heavily litigated and analysed and it could take years for a verdict to be reached.

It seems like the World Cup break came at a bad time for us, given that barring the first game back at Leicester, we've struggled for goals in Premier League games. I still think we can do it, not least given a defence as robust as ours has proven itself well as a tough nut to crack and we're still on an unbeaten run stretching back ages, but we are absolutely seeing our margin for error disappear and like you say, this is a brilliant chance to get in the Champions League club with Liverpool and Chelsea's problems.

They were playing NFL or did I miss this? In all seriousness (Lampard-ism), I didn't think Marsch was that terrible, but ultimately it's a results business and they weren't getting them, with just a real problem at both ends. It's also not that surprising given Leeds showed that readiness to go all in when sacking Bielsa last season, so it's not a surprise to see it happen again. Probably says a lot about Liverpool and Chelsea's dodgy seasons that 2 of Leeds' 4 wins this season were in their meetings. Maybe Southampton might be next? Nathan Jones kinda went all in for saying "Everyone sucks but me" after their loss at Brentford at the weekend.

Until this weekend I was thinking Everton, Southampton and one of Bournemouth or Leeds. It could yet come down to that, but Dyche's instant impact hints Everton may not be as abysmal as they were under Lampard, and might not even need new signings to crawl over the line. Though long way to go ofc. Indeed, still a lot of games yet, and Spurs closing the gap to 1 point does erode my confidence a little that Newcastle can keep them at bay, though beating them at SJP in April would help, as would Spurs being distracted by still being in the FA Cup and Champions League.

Agreed. This was a golden chance to close the gap and they blew it, keeping the bizarre run going as to how they keep going to the Tottenham Stadium to fall flat on their face. Lost every visit without scoring - a run that Aston Villa have already bettered by winning there this season (let alone also doing so in 2021). It just all seems a bit strange how they have such a talented squad but never quite seem to be in perfect sync with Haaland, which should've made them untouchable.

Oo I'm seeing Frank Turner in Northampton on Monday. Must make a note to go along early for their set.

Ooo wasn't aware of that.

I know some were speculating about Florence and the Machine doing this - her UK tour finishes in Bournemouth on Monday. So maybe it'll come along soon enough. Her with St Vincent supporting is the one-two that would make me go "Damn the expense I'm in", if as much out of annoyance I missed the latter last year. Unless her Primavera dates are Euro exclusive or something.

Well it's not going live until 2026, with Red Bull continuing their Honda partnership until then - something that has been pretty good tbf. There's a lot of competition coming along tbf. Audi's investment in Sauber is a huge move, their sister brand Porsche are still sniffing around, plus Andretti is still trying to break down the door despite F1 teams themselves not being that bothered, and others are also interested in the FIA's note to expand the field. Whether it's done with the current FIA leader given the current cloud of stink being kicked up around him is another matter.

That's quite the giveaway in and of itself tbf.

Given the current arguments over water companies and their sewage dumping, is "deep dive" a pun intended?

If it had been Florence + Foals, I'd have been up for a trip to this, but they appear to be on separate days. Does intrigue me a little tbf given Foals before The Strokes is how they paired them together, given they had that combo at TRNSMT in 2022 and there seemed to be genuine beef between Strokes' management and Foals in the wake of the gig.

Well it looks like this old thing is firing back up. Ford partnering with Red Bull on their Powertrains project nearly 20 years on from selling what was then called Jaguar Racing to Red Bull in the first place is quite the impressive full-circle move.

If I'm honest I thought Manchester United had actually cancelled his contract in the wake of the original photos/videos the girl shared on Instagram rather than actually suspended him. A few have shared this opinion, including fans I know of Man United, but I do think that if I was a Man United fan, I would be deeply uncomfortable at the idea of him playing for the club again. Same goes if a club I follow was trying to sign him.

I mean La Liga have been very quick to slag off the Premier League and they've been quick to oblige: La Liga director bemoans 'cheating' Premier League clubs after 'barbaric' winter spending (football365.com) The fact Chelsea spent more than Ligue 1, Serie A, La Liga and Bundesliga clubs combined is bizarre, and feels like a bit of an extreme strategy, particularly given how much of this outlay has gone on players in their early 20's as essentially a high stakes bet on future potential, rather than necessarily addressing the fact they are over-reliant on full-backs Reece James and Ben Chilwell staying fit and can never seem to find a reliable striker. Even for the Premier League and its cash rich way of living, spending over £500million in two windows is bananas and it is a surprise they think this can somehow be FFP compliant thanks to amortising the fuck out of it. Maybe it'll work, or maybe it'll be a high spending version of AC Milan, who tried this in 2017 and duly got a UEFA ban for breaking FFP.

Just been announced. There's a few here I like but I kinda preferred the bill when I went in 2019.

Possible but feels like it'd be more nailed on if it was closer to Glastonbury.