CB Fry

Then Burnley go down. They are not all going to get 40.

Liverpool can beat us 25-nil and we still won't go down.

Boris must be absolutely hopping mad what with all that resigning he did. Hopping mad.

A more realistic question is to assume JWP goes and we get £70m to spend. I'm not sure it that the person we want to spend that is Ralph. It's a borderline decision because I think we are probably bottom 6 again next season regardless. The squad is shit. All I know now is if we are in the relegation zone this time next year, i won't think for one second that 'if only we'd kept Ralph we'd be so much better off". Especially as that team this time next year will be Ralph's anyway (remember the first two and a half years of RH's his defenders consistently said that Ralph was working with Puel/Pellegrino/Hughes team, so any successor should expect the exact same latitude.)

If we're that skint then we are relegated in both scenarios.

Who is in the FA Cup final then?

So the squad is a load of old shit again? Fair enough, could have sworn it was strong and balanced and deep enough earlier on in the season. Of course that was when the "told you so, we're mid table, can eighth get Europe, can't believe people doubted Ralph, proved the doubters wrong" forum victory lap was well underway. I think that's finished now, right?

Yes he did okay. One pretty decent season with Kevin Davies on fire (12th) and then a bit dodgy but a wonderful great escape season with Pahars. That's all Ralph is. Okay, fine, bottom six okay. Remember there have been moments where we think he's off to Manchester United or Spurs and all that nonsense. He's not that. He's Dave Jones.

Said it before. He's just the Austrian Dave Jones. That's all he is. Probably capable of getting us to 16/17th again next year.

How dare we say this wonderful team and wonderful manager are on the beach. How insulting. How dare we.

Last time he got on his holier than thou high horse, after the West Ham cup game, we went on yet another of our dreadful runs of form. How about let's stop being dogshit, Ralph.

As opposed to the alternative reality where they don't accept ministerial limos and then get no referendum on any change to the electoral system at all.

Maybe call it the USSR or something.

Nice Lineker Spurs retro kit there. Would quite like that design in different colours for an away. It's got the Jewson lot.

That, and more really big flags.

If we had the whole of the Northam we'd match it no bother.

I think we should put Unai Emery back on the "maybe" list for the Saints job.

I only saw the second half so I just saw Forest barely lay a glove on Bournemouth. Massively tedious IMO to see the same old clubs come back up.

Fair enough. I live in the East Midlands and work with Forest and Derby fans so I want them both to do well. They're getting battered by Bournemouth tonight, mind, even though its 0-0.

Hope Forest smash them. Huge soft spot for Forest and who the fuck wants bloody Bournemouth in the Premier League again.

Fantastic news that The Athletic have recognised the great work that Sheldon has done. Personally I think he has shown a lot of growth and his writing had improved in recent months. Plus he has uncovered some genuinely exclusive and interesting stories. Good luck Dan and well done. Well deserved promotion.

I think the point is you are. On any metric anywhere that season was not our worst season ever, and we all know you don't even believe that yourself. You're just too petty to back down from it.

But we got more "bums on seats" and definitely brought in more money in those administration days and in the Championship, right? After all, bringing in money and bums on seats is the fundamental purpose of a professional football club, so I'm told.

It's not 1983 anymore. So that's where 8th place and a Cup Final comes in incredibly handy, if, as you believe, "bringing in money is the fundamental purpose of a professional football club". Didn't he do well?

I think quite likely in the same way similarly local-hero Grealish had one when he signed his extension a couple of years ago. Agree with above that £60m would be on the cheap side. Contract too long and lucrative and he is the dictionary definition of a "proven" Premier League player. So not Grealish money but maybe £70m odd.