So, here we are again. Another transfer window, and another takeover story hits the headlines before we so much as get a sniff of our first swoop for a colossus going cheap.
The third takeover attempt in as many transfer windows, so will it be third time lucky I wonder? Amanda Staveley got as far a having a curry with our esteemed owner, before being blown out the water (near the end of the transfer window) as being a time-waster.
Peter Kenyon managed to write an impassioned open letter to the fans with our chubby leader saying that this was his preferred buyer… Then lo and behold, he’s gone too with no money and no consortium… and another transfer window almost gone.
As many of you may know, I live and work in Dubai, but born in Benwell in the Toon many moons ago. Last Sunday, I came into the office as usual, and a colleague says to me, “well it looks like the Toon will be City’s little brother, and I guess you think it’s your birthday”. I’m a little incredulous and ask him what he’s talking about, to which he replies, “well it’s documented in Reuters, the Toon have been bought by the cousin of Sheikh Mansour”. And so, it began. (Please note this is not the ‘big reveal’ and it gets better / more believable…so keep with me).
Needless to say, I had to check it out, and sure enough, the papers are full of it, Newsnow is in overdrive, and as the days go by, there is one contradicting story after another. It’s sold, it’s not, an offer is in, no offer made…the Premier league knows, and the Premier league knows not. Same old s*** but different transfer window, so I take a big pinch of salt and keep reading. After all, we’ve been here before, haven’t we lads and lasses, but hope springs eternal as they say.
The contradicting stories continue, ho hum, but then I start to see some articles appearing here in the local press and nothing is denied by the club (which usually happens when rumours fly).
I have a small glimmer of hope. I’m probably not alone, in that I’m ever an optimist, so I’m happy to cling to hope however big or small.
Then, a few days ago I was talking to another colleague in the office. We got to chatting about football as you do, and I told him about my concerns, and he says with absolute belief and surety, “no need to worry, it’s a done deal”. He goes on to tell me his wife, who works in a very high up position in the financial district here, (this I already knew), is working on the deal, and that her company is the financial group tasked with putting the deal together for the real estate part, the stadium, etc. He insisted that it is a done deal from the buyers side for sure.
The Bin Zayed Group and Sheikh Khaled are well known and certainly have the money to do a deal of this magnitude. BZG would not come out and say the things that they have said if they didn’t believe them to be true.
And so, my optimism has increased to a level where I’m beginning to believe!
Stuart, the company I worked for had all of its employees in BUPA. Several of my colleagues had minor surgery , nearly all of them for knee surgery , in the Nuffield hospital and had this surgery much sooner than they would with the NHS.
I simply pointed out that having a major operation , like open heart surgery , would be done in an NHS hospital and you would be on the same waiting list as those without private health care , and that it would be at the expense of the NHS .
sidekick(Quote)
If you have health insurance like BUPA even major surgery is quicker. A friend of mine had a q by pass and was done in 3 weeks. That’s quick. But to be honest two of the biggest problems for the NHS is GP’s and A+E. The first can be solved using private care and the second can be helped by personal responsibility and also even charging people £10 every time they use it. Would that stop people going for stupid things? Possibly.
Stuart79(Quote)
Stuart: what the private system does is to take the smart, well off and influential people like you out of the general system allowing them to jump any queues because they have access and resources. That leaves the regular system with less resources because they don’t have the Klaxon of people like you to make it better. Your families leave which make it impoverished for everyone else.
Educating people about when to go to a doctor and not overburdening the system with trivial ailments and showing up for appointments is a totallly separate issue.
I am not going to preach to you about this though. You have your mind made up.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Actually Stuart. The problem in the US is totally different to the NHS. The quality of care is great but it is so expensive that it leaves many people without any coverage at all. A lot of employers do not cover their employees and those that do complain about the cost, and rightly so. The private health insurance premiums over here that everybody has to pay are in addition to National Insurance of 18% of the average workers’s income. It is just a fcked up system.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
The American Health Care system, if you can call it that, is the worst in the world because it does not take care of the sick and the needy. It takes care or the rich and privileged because the politicians are bought and paid for by drug and insurance companies. It is the most expensive in the world and the average worker is the one who suffers with paying an extortionate amount of their pay for it.
Stuart mate. I like you but you don’t want to open the can of worms of American Health care non-system with me. Because I know a lot about it and know it is unfair and corrupt.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
BUT. Please can we move on from talking about healthcare. I shouldn’t have got involved.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Actually the key to all of this is diet. We need to educate people about how food is Medicine. A lot of illness is caused by obesity (I’m not a healthy weight myself) but it is clear that if we had a healthier diet the health care systems around the world would be less stressed. It’s no coincidence that pharmaceutical companies and food companies pay for all these studies which show real foods are bad for you and ignore sugar as a problem. What does a pharma company get from getting someone with diabetes off their meds by changing their diet to real food? What do the food companies get from it if they stop eating processed food?
One example of a GP’s surgery in Manchester is that they changed peoples diet with people who have type 2 diabetes. They take them off their meds and tell them to cut out sugar/carbs and eat real food. Meat, fish, above ground veg, diary products and higher saturated fat food. They lost weight due to them eating less as a result of their high fat diet and burning fat instead of carbs and didn’t need their meds for diabetes or blood pressure. The practice has already saved over £250k on meds.
Stuart79(Quote)
So… it seems that there are now several interested parties wanting to buy us according to the gutter press… ho hum..
Just consider, when buying a house in the U.K. how long does it take? It can take months sometimes and that’s a relatively simple transaction. Buying a football club with all those player contracts, stadium, lead on land, staff, etc it’s just not going to happen overnight. I still feel that BZG will get the job done… ?.
Dubai Toon(Quote)
This takeover malarkey is gonna give me heart attack, good job we have an NHS 😉
kimtoon(Quote)
RIP Cheick 2 years today
kimtoon(Quote)
Stuart: you have an excuse, you travel so much that you probably eat in restaurants all of the time. I actually try to limit the type of restaurants I go to. Mainly Mediterranean, Tapas, Thai and Sushi. Anywhere else here and they serve you giant portions. Even Italian where you get like a pound of pasta and a protein. And it is not like in Italy where that is the one big meal. American Italian food is different to Italian food. They take the heaviest, fattiest recipes and deep fry them. And you just have to look at a Chicago style pizza to see what I mean. I haven’t had Chicago style for like 20 years.
Seriously, I have consciously limited myself because I have seen that about 50% of the people I see on street and 75% of the regular people (not actors) on TV are overweight. It is 100% at premier league games 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Nothing happening at NUFC so we may as well talk about health and food 🙂
Not even transfer speculation. Only Ryder and Waugh interviewing each other every other day.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
India looking scary. They should probably be favourites instead of England.
England need to learn how to bowl in 50 over cricket.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
The Chronic have let another computer science student loose on football manager. The players he mentions look OK but there haven’t been links to any and you could just as easily find 200 more and name them. Unless there is something to support a link, why even go there?
This seems to be their new thing to let students loose on computer games and stat sites and give them an article with absolutely no links whatsoever.
I am sure if you gave his pal sitting next to him with his own playstaion controller that he would come up with 6 different names.
SO WHAT IS THE POINT?
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/six-players-who-fit-newcastle-16378360
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Cricket will be between England and India and as it’s in England it gives them the edge. To be disappointed at losing by only 14 runs when chasing 350 shows how good we are. It was the fielding that let them down and that’s a strong point usually.
Stuart79(Quote)
I don’t think we can give India 300 which Pakistan were given in the warm ups. I am OK with the bowlers but they are also not going to bounce every team out. 4 samey seamers including Stokes will be a problem if they go that route again. Rashid blows so hot and cold and will really need to be on his game in the semi-finals. He might be the key because he is capable of getting 5 wickets or being the worst bowler on either team.
Watching it live now. Got the Sky feed for $15 a month so I will watch the Ashes as well.
Is that little lad bowling side-arm legal?
And I watched Sri Lanka and that fuzzy haired fast bowler who is older and one of their stars looked like a chucker to me.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
2 of the biggest strains on the NHS have always been and remain alcohol and drug misuse – and the effects of each.
Neither have ever properly been addressed, when you consider the steps that have been taken regards cigarettes.
In my opinion the cheap alcohol should have been banned along time ago – 2 litre bottles of cheap cider, cheap strong lagers designed for just one thing – so readily available and targeting one market – alcohol dependents. They are consumed in large volumes and destroy internal organs, causes mental health issues, and physical injuries from drunk falls. It also plays a big part in a lot of domestic violence. Cheap alcohol is poison in my opinion.
On the flip side, I think there is a good argument to legalise drugs. I would say from the outset that I am not a drug users and am randomly tested in my job, so would be sacked if I ever used drugs – so my opinion is not coming from a bias place. Whether you agree with drug use or not, you can’t deny it happens on a huge scale – in a country where it is legal. That means that not only does it have a huge impact on the NHS, but also our police service. It also means that large crime groups are making a hell of a lot of money selling unregulated drugs. Legalising drugs would mean that money would go into our NHS. It also means we could regulate the drugs, making them cleaner and reduce some of the devastating effects of bad drugs.
That new money going into the NHS could build support centre and safe havens for the most needy – freeing up space in our hospitals.
It won’t fix the problem – but I don’t think it’s a problem that can be fixed, only managed better – and hopefully legalisation would help with that.
I think the NHS suffers due to departmentalisation, and poor management at times – but show me an organisation that doesn’t. It’s an absolute treasure and the envy of a lot of the World – hence why Trump wants a slice.
We should do everything we can to keep it and improve it.
Sharpy17(Quote)
That should say in a Country where it is illegal ?
Sharpy17(Quote)
Nowt happening so I had a look at the SMB sale. The Chronic purport to give us the facts but all they have to say is this new guy, Campbell, is an American Stockbroker with connections in Asia who is putting together a consortium. His minimum requirement for Jack Ross is promotion.
My reading of that is Ross has 3 months and if they are not top 2 he will be out.
Chancer Stewart Donald is basically selling up because he is retaining only 10%. I said this would happen when he bought the club because he didn’t have the money to take it to the next level and wanted a quick buck. I am actually a bit surprised they didn’t get into more financial trouble as they had some big contracts to offload and nobody to sell.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Now, how do you get Sunderland promoted? Obviously you have to throw money at it but who do you buy?
3rd Division players and dump them when you are in the Championship? And these players are in the 3rd Division for a reason and will be given good contracts for that level.
They can’t go the Rafa route because NUFC kept a core of good PL players, and added a few more. Sunderland don’t have any of their “good” players left. They got rid of them all. Maybe Whatmore but he is a sicknote.
They really have to gamble on Championship players. Or maybe Scottish. None of the players from clubs pushing for promotion will want to drop down so you are probably looking at journeymen from lower half looking for a payday.
I don’t think it is certain they will get promoted.
As usual the Mackems were overconfident last year and I am sure we will see that again this year. Who knows though because we don’t know who this new guy is.
I just think they were and are delusional to swallow Chancer Donald’s patter. They still seem to still hold him in high regard. Mugs.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Some sort of update on the sale. There has been a company registered called Monochrome (which obviously means black and white). The shareholder is 100% Zayed Group and the two directors are Bin Zayed and the MD of the group…
Stuart79(Quote)
Oh and the address is registered to the lawyers Ashley used to buy the club.
Stuart79(Quote)
I am waiting for the announcement. It is impending, I think.
runforrestrun(Quote)
As I said in my article… ?? … it just takes time…
Dubai Toon(Quote)
Right then, who we gona sign?
I think Zaha would be a good player for us at our level with aspirations to break the top 4.
Shamrock(Quote)
Sharpy noted your comments on drink and drugs. Agree tbh. I also get tested so am objective but clearly the current strategy does not work.
Shamrock(Quote)
Sham – I just think we have to get smarter mate and try different things.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Well the takeover news looks promising – I’m happy to wait patiently for this to come off ??.
Desperately want this to include Rafa staying on too though – that would be the perfect outcome.
Sharpy17(Quote)
On a different note. It’s been great (if that’s the right word) to see the commemorations at Portsmouth today. At a time when this Country seems to be getting so much wrong – we definitely got this right. Absolute heroes, all of them!!.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Yeah I think you are right. I often think that the reason they have not done it is because the finances will not stack up. For example it would have to be regulated in every workplace amd compulary teating brought into almost every job due to the risks involved. Even for all drivers etc. The costs would be huge and then of course legitimate drugs would still be expensive and as a result a black market will always exist. No idea how they would role it out or what effect it would have on society but one thing is for sure – the current strategy does not work.
I would like to see far more impactive public notices on televsion advert spaces etc. People think a bit of personal cocaine does no harm. Wrong. They are directly responsible for creating the demand that results in thousands of horrific kidnapps, totures, rapes and murder every year on the other side of the planet. Even most the cannabis most people smoke is not from their mates garage, but from some warehouse or house being ‘staffed’ by exploited immigrants living in overcrowded conditions who have had their passports taken away from them.
Its a really sticky problem. And then there is alcohol misuse!
Shamrock(Quote)
Yep. We have no idea what they and those left at home went through. A whole different world. Heroes.
Shamrock(Quote)
Sham – maybe, but then I think all of those things already exist anyway?!. I mean, I’m sure people turn up to work still under the influence, and drug driving is certainly a thing.
If it was legalised tomorrow I don’t think everyone would be going out getting stoned or high – I still wouldn’t have an interest, as many wouldn’t. Alcohol is legal, but plenty of people self regulate and keep themselves right for work or driving – plenty don’t as well mind, but I think it still exists with drugs too.
Maybe it would be difficult, but plenty of other places manage – Holland have for years, and many states in America have legalised cannabis – I think it’s still early days to see how that works out, but I suspect they have a plan.
In terms of alcohol – ban the cheap, super strength $hit for me. I don’t know of any well functioning person who drinks the stuff. It’s is targeted solely for addicts and dependents.
Again, it doesn’t solve the problem, but it goes someway to tidying it up a bit.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Yeah definitely targetted at the ‘vulnerable’. Alcoholics, crack addicts and ****** addicts generally (not all, bit certainly offenders) cost the tax payer hundreds of pounds every year. There has to be an alternative way to manage the situation.
I still think if the takeover happens then Zaha would be annideal signing for our ambitions and his. Who else fits that catagory?
Shamrock(Quote)
I would raise the age of purchasing alcohol 21. That might help a little bit. We do still need personal responsibility though. Obesity is still the major health issue in the Western World. Solve that and solve NHS’ problems. Diet can only do that.
Stuart79(Quote)
Sham – I dared myself to start thinking player recruitment post take over as well mate. I think Zaha is a top quality player, no doubt about that – but I can’t stand him!. For that reason I’m torn – but at least we’d get a few penalties ??.
I was thinking, if we get the Arab wealth coming in, do we still want Rondon or are we wanting bigger and better?.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Get Rondon in for depth as it would be him and 1 other this season. Obviously we would not be doing a Man City but I think our recruitment model would still dramstically change for the better compared to the Ashley years!
To begin with it would be your top half players being recruited that have potential to push us into top 6. It would surely still be a slow process and absolutely Rafa has to stay as it counts for nothing if there us not a safe pair of hands overseeing it. Investment would also be going into youth recruitment/facilities and raising the club profile globally – so expecting massive names with huge fees to arrive in the first couple of years would be unrealistic. But watching the building process would be fun. Not to mention the links with other powerful clubs owned by the Arabs and the loan opportunities it may bring?
Shamrock(Quote)
Stu – I think we definitely need to address the drink culture in this country and look at supermarket deals where you can buy crates of alcohol at least than £1 a can at times.
I agree about obesity too. But while you can buy a multi pack of crisps for less than a bag of apples, it will remain a huge problem to address.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sham – yeah it’s going to be a building process over the next few years until we get to a point where top players see us as a credible competitor and if they join us they could win things.
I’d take Rondon still. He’s the type of players you want in the dressing room and his work rate and ethic is one that could get us going on that journey. That said, he’d be in to replace Joselu or Muto, and I’d want a top forward in too.
I’ve been thinking re Zaha and if it was him or Ryan Frazer – I’d prefer Ryan Frazer I think.
I’d love to see us get Mata on a free – but I’d be amazed if he came.
I’d like to take Youri Tielemans off Leicester (from Monaco). I think he provided in his loan spell that he could cut it in the PL.
I’ve always liked Tierney at Celtic and think he could be a good PL player.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I think Mata would come if we are under new ownership. He is 31 and probably wouldn’t mind a project and would like to go somewhere that he would be first choice. That wouldn’t happen in the top 6 or the elite in Spain. Maybe Valencia or Sevilla.
I looked up his Wikipedia page and he has had a good career but has been very unlucky getting Mourinho twice who doesn’t really fancy him. He was Chelsea’s player of the year, then Jose arrived. He preferred Oscar and while Mata played he was pushed out to the right wing.
At Man U he did OK with van Gaal. The Dutchman’s football was ponderous possession football mostly going nowhere but Mata did OK. I saw a Guardian interview this week where Van Gaal said he had to play that way because he didn’t have the quality of players. That’s probably right but also a bit of revisionism. An out of form Falcau and past-it Rooney as your main strikers would back him up.
Then Mourinho again. He played Mata but in typical Jose fashion also p!ssed him about. Starting him, then dropping him to the bench. Subbing him, playing him out of position. We all saw it. And the atmosphere!!! And they didn’t have great players around him either and Sanchez was bought to replace him.
I reckon a fresh start at NUFC would do him the world of good. And he knows Rafa from his time at Chelsea.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric – when he first went to Chelsea I thought he was brilliant – similar to David Silva at City. But you’re right, Jose messed him around. At 31 I think he maybe has 2 good seasons still left in the PL, but could he do the job Rafa would expect him to do. Does he still have the legs to get round the pitch the way Perez does?.
Mata is real quality though, and to have him in our squad as an option even off the bench – yes please.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I watched the Portugal game last night – Ronny’s still a canny player isn’t he?! ?
But I think Bernardo Silva is my favourite player to watch. He was brilliant for City this season and was class last night as well.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy: it would be minimal risk with Mata on a free and his game was never about pace but skill and guile and picking the right pass. Rafa had 6 months to evaluate him. I think he would be a good transition buy if we get taken over. There are quite a few players I would keep to see how they would do with a few better players around them.
We saw how going to wingbacks and Almiron transformed the team. 3 or 4 starters would be enough with a couple more for competition and to bring into the team later.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Well I just arrived in Shanghai for week of business… I see no further news but that positive feeling is still there. I don’t expect us to suddenly start throwing huge money around. A few good quality players at a time to improve the team… I don’t expect to win the league next season, but the one after…????.
Dubai Toon(Quote)
Great minds thinking alike Sharpy!! Your list is very similar to mine with Tierney (I’d prefer N’Soki), Tielimans and Mata. It’s all fanciful wish list stuff. We definitely need a dm though. I’d go for William Carvalho. Add Rondon and Sturridge on a free and we’d have a team!
georgio(Quote)
Stuart: why are they bowling with a white ball? It is not a day/night game.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Great Muse gig at Ashton gate, really enjoyed it
closing track https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YW_c4EhJkI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRFI4KPripo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQmKU1bLsC4
Tom Morello supporting, lovely stuff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq8gFt4KSo0
Especially this message
https://twitter.com/tmorello/status/1136573414666395649?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweethttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq8gFt4KSo0
Back to footie
Mata, yep that would be lovely , not likely under fatty but defo under new owners if rafa stays.
kimtoon(Quote)
Interesting day again with the news about the Monochrome company. And a pic of a skip full of SD signs outside SJP.
Then this: ArabTec Holdings are saying they are the new sponsor from next season….. Fat Boy has cleared his desk…
MIght all be hot air but it doesn’t look like it 😀
georgio(Quote)
All one day games are white ball, Eric.
Stuart79(Quote)
so SD signs are coming down which they normally do each yr for painting,but not thrown in the dumpster which they are doing this time 🙄 🙄 🙄
icedog(Quote)
Ice , they are being replaced according to Steve Wraith, he was told by media guys. That makes me all the more certain it isn’t happening, why replace if you are selling up, unnecessary expense surely ?
kimtoon(Quote)
we are being mugged off AGAIN . 👿
kimtoon(Quote)
Ryder has gone down further in my estimation if that is possible. He has done a hatchet job on Shelvey today saying he has hijacked the agenda. Apparently in Lee’s small mind Shelvey has taken advantage of the current situation to further his own cause in an interview with the club TV channel.
I am guessing Shelvey doesn’t have much time for Ryder and that the club asked for the interview to fill the no-news summer void. Shelvey said he came back early and expressed his commitment to NUFC. How is that “hijacking the agenda”? Lee Ryder is a piece of ****.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
C’mon England. Game just about to start. Hope my prediction of Pickford making a costly mistake doesn’t come true.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Can we hang on to this lead, unlikely.
kimtoon(Quote)
Ah well, knew it
kimtoon(Quote)
We have sat back and deserved to be drawing now. Although ince they scored we have looked lively. Still fancy us. Although to be honest I am not sure we had anywhere near our best midfield on the pitch.
Stuart79(Quote)
Drama in the extreme… 🙂
Stuart79(Quote)
Stuart79
June 6, 2019 at 21:38
Drama in the extreme… ?
indeed stu, good second half
kimtoon(Quote)
I don’t know why we should feel sorry for Donkeylu as Olly’s latest article does. He is a non-scoring striker who freezes in front of goal. I don’t say to slaughter the lad but he is paid very well to do a job that he is not up too. We the crocodile tears?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Maybe that’s why Stones doesn’t start for City?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
The giant-assed Mackem has had a good game. Always been a good shot-stopper, it’s his command that is wanting.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
bloody mess that was
kimtoon(Quote)
People complaining on Twitter about mistakes like that. If we are going to play out from the back we are going to make them kind of mistakes. Their centre half did the same and he will be sold for £70m this summer. But Stones has been really bad all game and looks like he hasn’t played for a while.
Stuart79(Quote)
Stuart: Stones looks like he hasn’t played because… he hasn’t played.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Maguires made a few mistakes and gotten away with them too.
kimtoon(Quote)
That goal was pretty unlucky though. Pickford had it covered but Walker really still had to slide in.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Stones again
Eric Sykes(Quote)
our defence man
kimtoon(Quote)
50-50 blame Stones and Barclay. Neither should be in the team anyway.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
This loss is on Southgate as much as Holland playing well. He picked Stones, Delph and Barklay to start and held back the Liverpool and Spurs players for no reason. Plus, Kane is obviously unfit.
We might have lost anyway, but Southgate screwed up.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Utter shower of $hite!!. They couldn’t pass wind.
England defenders aren’t good enough to play that system imo, and we looked better as a 3 at the back.
Walker, Stones and Maguire are too shaky and Pickford has a mess in him as well – though to be fair he also saved us from both mistakes there.
Not to worry though, our next game might be against Albania and we’ll be World beaters again ?
Sharpy17(Quote)
The game was pretty meaningless for England anyway. Winning the whole thing is a backdoor in to the Euros and we are in the easiest Group AGAIN.
At least this has had some good competition for England because we typically qualify from very easy groups and then get handed easy groups in tournaments and either scape through or go out of a p!ss-poor group. Then get beat by the first decent team we face – even Iceland.
Probably because we never face any competition in qualifying. This Nations League has at least provided that.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
They’re talking up to 80 million for McGuire. Are they insane!?!
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sharpy: the whole back 5, including Pickford, have mistakes in them. They need the safety blanket of the 3 centre halfs and wing backs. Southgate got it right to start with but now has to prove he is a tactical genius.
He wants to be more on the front foot but the defenders are not good enough for that against decent teams.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
By the way, take the mistakes out of it and Holland bossed the game throughout.
Rice is a decent ball winning midfielder, but he’s no creator. Delph isn’t good enough and Barkley is hopeless.
Kane should never have played – the fact he did tells me play power still exists in the England squad in a big way. He’s not match fit and Southgate knew that. I know Rashford got a knock but Callum Wilson was on the bench and should have been used.
Sharpy17(Quote)