trooper

John Richardson writing in The Mirror about Rafa. ‘The Spaniard is still fuming at the lack of support in the summer ­window, which saw him scrambling in the bargain basement for players such as £5million Joselu from Stoke. There is considerable interest from a number of parties (in buying Newcastle), but it seems ­unlikely that any final deal will be ­formalised before the critical January window. That would leave Ashley still in control of the transfer funds and, with a sale imminent, ­reluctant to splash the cash. But Benitez, who has drawn up a list of possible signings, has warned that a lack of quality coming through the Tyneside door would leave the Geordies vulnerable to relegation. A drop into the Championship would also cost Ashley, if no sale had been clinched before then, as the club would be worth less than in the highly lucrative Premier League.’

Not many of us expected much yesterday so in one way it went according to plan. But with 3 straight losses & the 3 games in 7 days coming up could define our season as to wether we become relegation fodder or not. Tbh the 3 after that wont be easy Leicester (h) Everton (h) & Arsenal (a) you may thinks its "pants pissing" but we have to be honest Rafa's a good manager but he needs to be able to buy the players he wants, some of these lads aren't good enough.

We are a very good championship side in the premiership. We need quality reinforcements, the big fear is this team through no fault of their own isn't good enough to hold on to a place in the premiership. We now have 3 games in 7 days which afterwards could see us in a comfotable mid table position or dragged down near the relegation candidates. I hope it's the former but feel it could well be the latter, at the end of the day it all leads back to Ashley not allowing Rafa to buy who he wanted in the last 2 windows. In all honesty without new owners i can see the same thing happening in January & that might well be a gamble to far for Ashley. He'd be not only gambling the teams status as a premiership club, but also Rafa's position as the manager.

Rafa having a dig about not being able to buy the players he wanted Rafa Benitez: 'I’m really pleased & proud of my players in the first 30 minutes. Then after, if you pay big money for players, they can make the difference.'

It's happening again Rafa "having to buy who he needed not who he wanted" is coming back to bite us on the backside. If we've not got new owners by the January window i can see us being dragged into the relegation fight. This isn't a knee jerk reaction this is a grim reality.

Held our own the first half fell to pieces the 2ñd half thats 3 defeats in a row. We now face Watford at home & West Brom away before we go to Chelsea we could be in trouble if we dont get anything in these next couple of games

Lost my stream & i dont care United bastards

We're doing really alot better than i thought we'd do. Getting sick of the commentators United this & united that there's 2 uniteds on the pitch you idiots

I'm surprised we're going 2 up top against these i justhope we get the chances to score

This from Mark Douglas ... Big call on the left-wing from Rafa today. Team is interesting! Announced officially in 10 mins:

Rip Mal

Given that Man Utd are 2nd in the league & are unbeaten in 37 home games i think we've every right to fear the worst

With Pogba, Ibrahimivic & Rojo available also Lukaku not scoring for 7 games i think we've got a hiding coming today

Your prediction is more likely as i can't see Rafa starting Mitro

Dummet, Lascalles, Atsu & Merino all out

He should have called him christmas

I moved up to the North East in October 1974 we lived in Felling for a couple of years before moving to Cramlington to be near my dads job at Brentford Nylons. It was a few months after the cup final not only was i the new kid in school i was the new kid with a scouse accent. Obiviously the school bully didn't take to kindly to me as he was a mad Newcastle fan one day he had me pinned up against the wall in the school corridor. Thankfully the headmaster came round the corner just as he was about to give me a beating & saved my bacon. He left me alone after he saw me at the match a few times.

Yeah this is one of those games were we're not expected to get anything from. The best we can hope for is to try & contain them for as long as possible before the eventual barrage of goals go in 3-0

I think most people are at the stage of willing the deal to go through & yet there's always that little doubt that Ashley will balls it up.

If it doesn't go through by the January window we could be in a pickle with Ashley's reluctance to further invest in the club.

How optimistic is everyone about the sale going through "no news is good news" & all that.

Ritchie Blackmore found this guy Ronnie Romero as his new vocalist for Rainbow i think he's outstanding being able to sing like Ian Gillan, Ronnie James Dio, Graham Bonnet & Joe Lynn Turner here's his renditions of Deep Purple's classics Child In Time.& Woman From Tokyo.

It probably will be then

Luke Edwards tweet I’m told #nufc takeover not close to completion, but things chugging along and still moving in right direction. Don’t be despondent but don’t get your hopes up either. Negotiations are delicate