Nuff Said

A fair point, but I think most Man U fans don't look past where they are in the table. That's why most of them are Man U fans in the first place!

That's how Man U operate isn't it? They seem to manage.

Didn't win either. Phew!

The piece of the jigsaw you miss is that we don't know how Emi would react to being told he cannot take advantage of a dream move - I'm picking figures out of the air here, but it could easily be four times his current salary, plus it wouldn't be surprising if he was offered a sizeable signing on fee to compensate for the promotion bonus we would pay *if* we go up. On top of that, he would be playing at a club with a real chance of European football, and likely to be in real contention for playing for his country. No matter how likely our promotion looks, Leeds showed a couple of years ago that it is possible to choke and miss out. Even if we do go up, we could never pay what Arsenal can offer or offer the level of exposure that comes with playing for a club of their size. We all know he is an emotional character, and if a genuine offer was made which we said no to, it's not hard to imagine that he would react badly, in effect meaning we only got 50% of the player he can be for the rest of the season. If, and I think it is unlikely, we do sell, I will trust that factors like those above were part of the decision the club made. For others who don't need much an excuse to trot out the "lack of ambition" stuff again, they will see their own biases confirmed. But wherever we sit on the happy clapper/Delia out spectrum, let's try and look at the whole picture, not just cherry pick facts that support our particular point of view.

Sigh... Here we go again. Please no-one mention RVW. Damn, i just did!

Sorry Wacky but it is nothing like not buying home insurance. If you need it you use it, if you don’t, you don’t. It’s a clear yes/no decision and result. Only having one recognised left back, but a selection of players who could do a job there is very different. It’s more like not buying travel insurance because you know you can claim for your belongings on your home contents. It’s not as good because you won’t get compensation for delays and cancellations, but you have the cover that matters to you.

Does he have an Italian agent perhaps?

I thought it was a reasonable point to make myself. We all know that transfer speculation unsettled Emi to an extent over the summer, and the worry is that the Arsenal fuss could do the same thing again. So far, it looks ok, he's risen above it.

That's the problem with today's 24 hour a day rolling news culture. You need content, whether or not something has happened. On a slow news day, the Downing St dog can get a 30 minute story.

Leave it Big Nose Edit: I really, really hope you don't actually have a big nose.

My favourite bit in one of my favourite films:

I think that was the very poster I had on my wall as a kid. Probably my favourite NCFC player still. Many happy returns!

The only reason we lost money in the last Championship season was paying promotion bonuses, which kind of reinforces Bill's suggestion. Not sure how that would go down with new recruits though. "Join us, we have a proven record of success as a club and for individual development- and you'll never have to play in the Premier League".

Still makes me laugh: https://www.thedailymash.co.uk/sport/sport-headlines/delia-smith-turns-down-norwich-promotion-2015052698577 NORWICH City owner Delia Smith has turned down the club’s promotion, insisting the Premier League is too fancy. Smith said the Championship was a ‘lovely, comforting league, a bit like a Victoria sponge’ and has offered the promotion to Middlesbrough instead. Smith said: “As well as having our arses continually handed to us – we only came third in a division that includes Rotherham – we’d have to play against all those dreadful people. “Marouane Fellaini? I’d rather drink my own urine.” She added: “Also, we’d have to go to big, scary places like Manchester and Liverpool. What if we got really pissed and the bus left without us? “Perhaps when the top flight once again includes Leeds, Notts Forest and Coventry we might consider it, but at the moment it’s not really our cup of tea. “And of course, winning promotion then turning it down will absolutely infuriate Ipswich. Bunch of twats.”

Source? (You're going to say your local aren't you?)

Good post, perhaps a little too reasoned and logical for the Pink Un , but I think a good summary of why, despite various grumbles, we should feel pretty hopeful for the second half of the season (if it happens).

I think you’ve described Mrs Greavsy on a Saturday night once they’ve finished their cocoa and washed the mugs.

Yeah, I’d much rather have a coach who didn’t give a **** about whether we won, lost or drew.

Lee Camp?

Don’t get it?

He’s terrible in media interviews though. Very wooden.

Consider how many ridiculous negative posts you create. Consider how few goals we are actually conceding this time round. Consider that as a manager of a team relegated from the Premier League, Farke has seen what’s needed to stay up a lot more closely than you have, despite your fantasy tenure as England manager. Consider that promotion *to* the Premier League is exactly what our self-funding club needs. We have achieved it once with our model, and are on track to achieve it a second time.

But you do understand that some bids can’t be ignored? Chiefly because the player bid for will insist on leaving because of what it means for them?

Not quite the question you asked, but surely Tettey deserves a testimonial if this is his last season with us? Mind you, not much point without a crowd.