The patience of a Saint?

"I still believe Michael will stay. He's obviously out of contract so there's virtually nothing to stop him from leaving but it's not like he's going about saying, 'I want to go here, I want to go there'. He's happy here, he's committed to Newcastle and he might shock people, maybe he might stay."

Nicky Butt, talking about the prospect of Little Saint Mick staying on Tyneside beyond the summer, tries to set a new record for the number of conditionals used in one sentence. Groundless optimism? Living off the ifs not the buts? He really is becoming one of us. Hope he's factored into his prediction the possibility of us being a Championship side next season...