acrossthepond

I'd be more worried about Rafa's judgment if the story is true to be honest. Joselu is pants, 12m would be chucking good money down the drain. Stoke would never have rejected it either. Luckily it is 100% made up.

Really sad, cringeworthy stuff actually. They went down bottom of the league, have no players worth the name, no money, got knocked back by the Aberdeen manager () ended up with some bloke we trounced a few times last year, have got drunken dullards mouthing off about teammates, got humped 5-0 on their own patch by fucking Glasgow Celtic before their season opener on Friday, and this is what they cling to.

Sky Sports live feed cites the Chronicle as saying Rafa is after a striker and a keeper: "TOON AFTER CLUCAS? Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez has made it clear a new striker and a goalkeeper are his priority in the remainder of the transfer window, according to the Newcastle Chronicle. The Magpies have also been linked with Hull City's Sam Clucas but it is believed that no approach has been made yet for the left-sided midfielder." This smacks of Pardew all over again, as the window goes on the list of positions we're in the market for gets shorter and shorter until we get nee fucker at all in. We need a lot more than a striker and a keeper to be competitive next season.

You're having a laugh with that video surely? Don't get me wrong, I want to be pleasantly surprised by Manquillo, but he looked like shit in that.

Be honest man, you're just happy it's not your throat getting jumped down. For the record, I wouldn't touch Markovic with a barge pole. He's like the midfield version of Manquillo, another Liverpool reject who spent his last season on loan at a relegated shitheap.

We could've done a lot better, can't lie. Rafa's record with fullbacks has been pants so far, this guy looks like a nailed-on plum. Let's hope I'm wrong.

I think Krul has run his race here. Good keeper on his day but those days are getting fewer and I don't think he fancies competition for places. Darlow was responsible for a few spectacular cock-ups last season that cost us points, but he also had amazing games like the one against Forest. Good to keep as no. 2. Not sure if that's what he wants.

How unfortunate. To be honest I find it hard to conceal my contempt for him. The last 3 years of his time with us were one piss-take after another. We should've got shot of him far sooner than we did, but of course the ludicrous wedge he was on made that difficult. Of course, working with the defensive powerhouse that was Mike Williamson for so long hardly made him look good....

Minging shirt as well, the all-red back is horrific. Looks like something Brentford would wear.

My son is 2 1/2, the first six months were wretched (because we had no idea what we were doing), and I have to say, it was pretty blissful for about two years. Now he's turning into a right little terror though, a proper little troll. The "terrible 2s" are real apparently.

Don't really want any of those players you mentioned that are "not happening" so no loss.

Wouldn't touch him with yours. We've been linked for so long it'll be another Thauvin situation, he blatantly doesn't fancy coming here but we'll throw enough cash at him to make him dirty his boots a few times a match. Avoid at all costs.

I thought we'd broken him down for parts years ago. The fucker probably is more metal than man by now.

Their assistant manager, who was due to take training on Monday the 29th, has done a runner as well. Pretty soon the tea lady and "Catts fer me like" will be the only ones left at the club.

It would be just like fatso to bugger off once things have stabilised, but either way, this isn't going to happen.

God rest his soul. No time at all to go, what a tragedy.

Of course pens will send this dogshit Hudds team to wembley. I almost hope they make it, they're rubbish and we will tonk them in the PL.

Never wanted to be here, absolute fraud of a player. When they describe players as stealing a living, they're talking about Thauvin. I don't reckon his kit had to be washed more than twice.

Shit - flush immediately Colback Anita Dummett Gouffran Sels Did a job in the "Champ", best wishes at their next club Hanley Murphy Atsu Permanently crocked/non-features Lazaar Gamez Haidara Aarons Sammy Surplus to requirements/Were never any good anyway De Jong Krul Thauvin Armstrong Riviere Saivet Mbabu Worth keeping for their PL experience Diame Perez Yedlin Mbemba Mitrovic Clark First XI Shelvey Gayle Ritchie Hayden Lascelles (?) Elliott/Darlow This isn't groundbreaking as it's what fans have been saying all along, but fatso better be ready to open up the chequebook, because that squad doesn't have a hope in hell of PL survival without major surgery.

Wretchedly disappointing. That was a game that we dominated and to come away dropping points in the way we did is always going to be a kick in the teeth. I admired the performance that Jansson put in, he was constantly in the right place at the right time. The other Leeds defenders were more of the faux hard-man/dirty fouler/comedy club style of defending and it seemed Jansson was always there to clean up their messes. For me he was a cut above the usual Championship CB and I wouldn't mind seeing him in black and white next season. Mitrovic was really good, too bad next time he plays he'll be back to the disinterested, lazy hothead we've seen turn up far too many times this season. I think Rafa will definitely shift him. Oh well, onwards and upwards, time to put this slog of a league behind us.

We (the West) could've snapped Assad like a twig 3-4 years ago when he was on the brink, but we stood by and did nothing. Now that he's already retaken Aleppo, butchered a quarter of his people and sent another quarter fleeing through Turkey to Europe, feeding the likes of Wilders, Orhan, Le Pen and Farage, NOW some gas is a step too far. A handful of missiles are too little, too late. This is a show of force to prove Trump's independence from Russia and make him look decisive and presidential. He won't escalate in Syria. He won't stop Assad, any more than Obama did.

I'm not following you at all here. How is going to events at mosques, segregated or not (they all are, by the way, as are Coptic churches, many Eastern Orthodox parishes, Orthodox Jewish communities, etc.) representative of a secret leftist agenda to obliterate Islam?

A mistake is what happened when Bruno's da didn't pull out in time. Having your child's mother brutally murdered and fed to dogs is not a fucking mistake. And any club signing that abomination of a human being should be hit with a points penalty for every day the cunt is on their books.

Without him we'd be where Aston Villa are right now. And if he goes when we're promoted, you'll see just how quickly we turn back into last season's Newcastle once Garry Monk or Mike Phelan or Alex Neil is in charge. Our first XI is still relatively uninspiring. McClaren would have this lot around 11th or 12th. The reason we're top is because of Rafa, make no mistake. As for "functional football", how many times have we yearned for a team that could play a solid, drilled defensive game while still in the PL? Now it's arguably even more important, we've got a coach who can actually do it, and the spacka portion of our fanbase is moaning about grinding out wins. Wagner and his delightful passing/pressing side got cut down by fucking Bristol City. Rafa knows exactly what he's about, long may it continue.

I think part of the problem is that Mitro is a "big man" striker who doesn't play like one. In his mind "being a nuisance to defenders" means all you have to do is foul them constantly. He doesn't have the work rate IMO to play the mostly thankless job of being a lone striker. Most of your time in that role should be spent making pointless runs to open space for players behind you, dragging defenders out of position, blocking them off on set plays, etc. On the relatively rare occasion where he gets the ball at his feet, back to goal, and can set up other players, he's shown some good touches. But he seems to think that should be happening on every play, and he takes the huff when he isn't constantly receiving the ball. He's immature and a hothead and to be brutally honest he's unreliable. Which is why Rafa isn't relying on him. On the other hand, Murphy is an extremely experienced pro who has been playing this role for a long time and he looks the part. When Rafa sent him on for 20 minutes against Brighton he knew exactly what the drill was and he stuck to it. Done exactly what we bought him for if you ask me, chipped in with a few goals, and he's got my appreciation.