Crab Lungs

You're right, Defo. A lot are suckered in already and have made as judgement that this is for the best. We don't know either way yet but when a similar worded statement is released after the first player sale (they won't asset strip, but won't have the same hold over the players like NC) there'll be a few people feeling a bit duped

People are very easily pleased very words. Lets have a review in 6 months or so and see where we are.

a lot of people getting really excited and no doubt someone will say that it's nice to have a bit of communication out of the club as Cortese operated in almost complete silence. That said, she, has to deliver that upward trajectory now, not just say it... And I'm not sure the appointments she's got lined up will have the same single minded vision and drive Cortese had. For all hos faults and non communication, the guy delivered and not just any old suit could have done what he's done. I think we're in for a few years of treading water with Uncle John heading up a board that will basically run by Katharina. We'll miss Cortese and probably leave us wondering what could have been. Sure, Williams will be far more personable but this is a stabilising appointment, not an ambitious one.. and the players will sense that too.

Cortese was given a list of things to do from the Liebherr family, mend relationships with ex saints, disgruntled companies, stop going in and out of court over things (or settling just before court), stop being frivolous with their cash and tidy up how he was running the club. He took it as an offence to the way he was doing things so the Liebherrs took it off his hands as it was his way or nothing according to him. Can only hope the new guy shares Corteses drive and vision but we'll have to wait and see .. Katharina addressed the staff yesterday but players haven't been yet as they had day off yesterday.

What the actual f*** to those dippy Sunderland fans, what the actual f*** to people slating him on here. Best keeper since Niemi, arguably better (though more mental) than Niemi. Jesus H.

Now's your chance. Hope you're well bud. x

This, very much so. Yes, life will go on and it's not the be all and end all... but it could be the end of becoming something special. Instead, we'll probably get an average suit happy to do the minimum required and revert to "type" as a club, selling our best players, aiming for midtable etc..

Um, oh f**k.

Well, they probably couldn't sell the club with Cortese in charge unless it was to Cortese himself. He might well return.

Kelvin Davis is the go-to guy.

"very much wanted him to stay" - HMMMMMMMMMM

Seriously, just how far can we go, assuming we keep our squad fit/free of suspension for the rest of the season AND next season, if we add 2,3 quality players - can we realistically challenge for a Champions League spot or dare I say it, a title tilt? No, I haven't gone mad - neither do I believe that we will (though it is possible, yet remote and fanciful). The only reason I ask is that in other countries, seemingly smaller/similar sized clubs have managed to challenge the bigger sides and achieve it against all the odds in recent seasons (Villarreal, Celta Vigo, Deportivo La Coruna, Osasuna, Real Sociedad, Montpellier, Lille, Bordeaux, Nantes, Twente, Heerenveen, Vitesse, Bayern Leverkusen, Freiburg, Wolfsburg, Parma, Udinese, Palermo, Sampdoria, Genoa etc). Obviously, some of the above could be pure flukes with no show or promise of sustained success (think Osasuna or Palermo qualifying for the Champions League qualifying rounds or Montpellier beating moneybag rivals Marseille and PSG to the title). As wonderful as it was, they never maintained the dizzying heights - some, in fact did more than struggle. Deportivo, and Celta Vigo both done time in the Segunda (like Villarreal), as have Nantes in France whilst in Italy, Sampdoria, Parma and Genoa dovetailed divisions during the 00's. However, some clubs have made qualification for European football against the odds on a regular basis - the likes of Villarreal, Leverkusen, Udinese and Lille have always been there or thereabouts. Sure, some are more decorated than others but it's clubs of a similar stature, and similar size to us that have in other leagues achieved what we aim to do. It could be argued the financial climate and competition in their respective divisions are far more favourable than ours in the Premier League. Serie A is no longer the powerhouse it once was and anything beyond Barcelona and Real Madrid in recent years could be considered a Champions League potential. In France, it's started to develop into a two-horse race with the re-emergence of Monaco after years of differing champions (Nantes, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier) and the Bundesliga is now completely sewn up barring catastrophe by Bayern Munich. That said, clubs have still achieved what was deemed the impossible in recent seasons; Villarreal became regular CL competitors, Twente beat off the predictable three big dutch clubs and Udinese have regularly overcome the big northern Italian powehouses. Can we seriously, honestly challenge the monopoly of the Premier League by the "Big 6" or have we almost reached our "glass ceiling" - as someone else so aptly put it on another thread? Over to you...

Gazzaniga's save ratio

that looks like El Sadar...

Yup! And without looking, it's Dartford's ground

haha, definitely not - that's initiative!

Yes! Boundary Park,, Oldham!

In and around that area, but unfortunately not.

Anyone who has been to a particular part of Southern Spain may have been past this little beaut a few times...

Crewe? Looks like their ground... small stands, then one humungous grandstand...

He's always been a half-decent guy. The whole Bridgey thing was blown out of proportion anyway, people who were criticising them have probably banged their mates' missuses anyway..