This Saudi trip

[Zippity]

...what do we think?

From a footballing point of view, obvs. Any rival fans who come on to moralise will just get a lifetime ban and i'll come to your home and...um...turn your fridge and freezer off overnight and put clingfilm over your bog

Anyway...

I'm not sure it's a good idea. Obviously, it's part of the deal when you're bought out by overseas investors and I don't have a problem with that per se; they haven't bought us out of pure altruism and there'll be plenty more of this sort of thing to come. But, at this stage of the season, a long flight and all the media commitments, the different time zone (albeit it's only 3 hours)...just hope it brings the squad and staff together like it's intended to do but...I'm not convinced this is the time to do it.

Thoughts?

[tinostongue]

...what do we think?

From a footballing point of view, obvs. Any rival fans who come on to moralise will just get a lifetime ban and i'll come to your home and...um...turn your fridge and freezer off overnight and put clingfilm over your bog

Anyway...

I'm not sure it's a good idea. Obviously, it's part of the deal when you're bought out by overseas investors and I don't have a problem with that per se; they haven't bought us out of pure altruism and there'll be plenty more of this sort of thing to come. But, at this stage of the season, a long flight and all the media commitments, the different time zone (albeit it's only 3 hours)...just hope it brings the squad and staff together like it's intended to do but...I'm not convinced this is the time to do it.

Thoughts?

Not bothered about all the human rights crapp that might come our way, I would love a bit o sunshine myself right now, so a good idea IMO, we have 2 new lads so hopefully will help them to bed in even more, although Trippier looks like he’s been here forever !

[bix01]

These warm weather trips happen anyway, we even had them under Ashley. I appreciate this one is different but only because it fuels the resentment by others, however the players will appreciate it - there appeared to be a togetherness at the final whistle yesterday, hopefully the club will get some meaningful business done in the background and let’s be honest, the owners don’t give a fück about the jealousy and bitterness from all the other owners and fans anyway so I say they fill their boots and crack on with it.

[trinitoon]

The Saudi trip is nothing for us to flap about. Leave this to other fans.

All this talk about Human Rights from other fans is just noise. They don't take this stance with everything else affiliated to PIF so it is just an angle for this to throw shade on our club.

People eating cereal while wearing their Man City and PSG replica shirts ignore this >>> Amnesty International on UAE Human Rights Violations

and

Amnesty on Qatar

...but all of a sudden become Christiane Amanpour on world affairs.

--

Let the boys train, get some sun, try to avoid getting injured (and sunburnt). A trip in Business Class or First Class on Saudia is not going to take anything out of them.

Getting paraded around Saudi Arabia is the price of investment.

[bix01]

Clubs can charge a decent wedge for these exhibition matches, no matter where they are - Far East, USA etc. so you’d expect this will form part of new avenues of income for us.

[toonviking]

Clubs go to Saudi Arabia all the time, for some sun and a trainging camp.

Nothing to make fuzz about.

[TANYA_]

i can see this as being an opportunity for MBS and the PIF to personally get together with Howe and Stavely to go through the current issues. Saudi will not want to be embarrassed with relegation so i expect a flurry of players to arrive this week.

FFP is completely out of the window, i saw a report from that Kieran Maguire football financial expert and he thinks even with relatively modest sponsorship deals, we can spend 200million every season for the next 4 years and not have to worry, so imagine the money available if we got into the CL.

I don't believe in the 10 year plan thing, i genuinely think if we stay up, we will be knocking on the door of the top 4 within 2/3 years

Man City are top draw and will take some catching
Chelsea have a massive volume of talent from kids to first team and will also be hard to catch

Liverpool's squad is aging now, and they have not replenished the squad like City and Chelsea do. Their owners don't budge on wage structure so i expect Mo Salah to move on, same as Mane and that tarty looking Brazilian.

Man Utd are a squad full of individuals and ego's going nowhere

Arsenal are on the up, Spurs are utter shlte considering how highly they think of themselves.

Everton

so it wont be hard for the likes Villa and Newcastle to break into that group

[Tut_Foster]

I feel this is a financial gaining trip.. we've gained a whole countries support and the team will be treat like royalty out there..

This whole thing will generate a lot of money..

[toptoon]

PIF buy a club and then bring the team to their own country for warm weather training. Entirely normal and a good way to start promoting the club in the region.

If you want to start stopping warm weather training in countries with dubious human rights records then good luck with that. These NGOs should be camped outside Westminster if they feel strongly about it - the government has huge trade deals with RSA. Seems it’s easier to sit st home and shout at sports fans though.

[Scott Kirkland]

I don't remember the Spanish teams getting stick a few weeks ago when they played cup games in Saudi Arabia.