Ellis XI

You chose the wrong weekend for that. With the top 3 all dropping points & Leeds managing consecutive clean sheets, plus reducing their gd to a mere minus 2, the news is that all bets are now off for the title to finish up at Elland Rd this season. The Leeds-Luvvie MSM have even gone as far as demanding that the EPL hand over the trophy straight away as an early Christmas prezzie. However, in response, Mr. Bielsa, ever the Southern Gentleman, has insisted that before that can happen, each visiting team from now on are to be awarded a "one free goal start" (à la Villa 2019) just to make sure that everyone acknowledge they´ll really, really, finally deserve to win something at last. No, mate, you haven´t heard the last of this... ...Lowfields 1919 hasn´t even started on you lot yet. Cheers everyone.

Sorry to hear about that bit of sad news re. Tommy Robson. Decent NUFC side, was that. That photo must have have been taken sometime during 1967/68, and is remarkable for the absence of Bobby Moncur, the last Newcastle skipper to lift any silverware (Fairs Cup 1968/69). That´s Frank Clark, whose full name didn´t quite make the final cut in the photo, but the real star of the show was Bryan "Pop" Robson, who is probably better remembered (at least by oldies like myself) after his transfer to West Ham in 1971. Ftr, saw the basis of this side go one-down to a John O´Rourke goal shortly before half-time at Portman Rd in Oct 1968, before coming back after the break to smash the other team 4-1, Pop Robson scoring twice. Anyway, thought you all might like to know the final score that day... ...and I did say that I was old. Cheers.

Before you go Lowie (not that anyone believes you really will or even wish it if the truth be known), please give us your opinion about Raphinha, since he seems to be the one Bielsa has finally settled on. Pleased with that signature? I hear that he´s able to play anywhere across the front line, so where do you think he´d feature? I´m still surprised, despite what you´ve said, that nothing concrete became of the interest in Cantwell. The general consensus is that he´ll be off soon, and there was quite a bit of evidence that he was keen on a move to ER. On the other hand, maybe that is indeed the end of the speculation, now that Leeds must have spent getting on for £100m (if you include the U-23s) so far since promotion. We´ll see. Still some time left in the domestic transfer window for this to be resolved. Cheers anyway.

More interesting - and certainly more relevant - is whom do those who vote for either of the first two categories suggest as a replacement? I get the argument that, on reflection, Farke might only be seen as a manager who did good (but actually REALLY good, lest we forget) for 6 or 7 months between November 2018 and the following May, but looking around at the current level of competition, I still think NCFC have a reasonable chance of achieving top six in a league which is barely underway this season. What with a number of some of the best players on the verge of possible departure, I would have thought that stability at management level is of paramount importance atm. Would it have not been possible to have included an option somewhere between this Christmas and statue-bearing immortality, btw?

I do not doubt for one moment that both Webber & Farke are smart, and for that reason they´ll not want a player on the books with a market value of some £20m+ whose interest in furthering a career at CR, is, at best, questionable. He´ll probably finish up with some diminishing PL club, like Liverpool or ManU...

Can´t have people on here enjoying themselves. Stop it. At Once.

Still so sure, Lowie? Now that Cuisance has failed a medical, and then this:

There does seem to be some weight in today´s French & German press behind the story that Cuisance has now agreed terms for joining Leeds. Bit of a surprise, given that he was lined up for more integration into the Bayern first team this year, and looks like they could have used him after their nasty 1-4 reverse in Hoffenheim at the weekend... However, the issue here is where that leaves Cantwell. It would be a real shame if he & Buendia did in fact go, because I feel sure that if Farke could somehow pull this all back together, the Canaries with a settled side would easily be in with a shout of top 6 this season, looking at the level of competition they currently face. Anyway - ftr - first post here, and I came across this forum searching for what became of the old Pink ´Un, and was glad to see that it still exists in one form or another (immediately removed adblocker, btw, to help support its necessary advertising income). I´m no longer in the UK, but still like to follow the fortunes of both ITFC (I have to admit!) and NCFC. Good luck to City for 2020 / 21 - hope the crowds can soon return to CR, and before a few posters on here start feeling depressed about promotion chances, the season is barely underway for goodness sake. Let´s not forget how the table stood after 3 games in 2 years ago, and look how that eventually turned out! Cheers everyone.