steve_69

I think the loan market is going to be critical for us this Jan. Ashley needs to pull that penny pinching knobhead he installed back, and allow Rafa to sort some deals out. If we have to pay big wages temporarily to secure our PL status, so be it. Players like Shaw, Torres, Ings, Origi, Wilshere etc. would make a massive difference to our first team. Now is not the time to cry about an extra £20-30k a month over a 4 month period, especially with a potential takeover in the offing.

It's easy, just keep listening to him. It'll come

A bit disheartening?! They’re f***ing outrageous! I’m now starting to see why so many people give our fans grief for being thick and having unrealistic expectations. Some of the comments directed at Rafa are an absolute embarrassment. Problem is, views like this make it appear that Benitez is infallible. He's making plenty of decisions that several disagree with. Loads of daft selections, subs, transfers. I get that he isn't being given a suitable budget to work with, but he has cocked up a lot this year. Cocked up according to who, you? Other world renowned football experts? I f***ing love this armchair management stuff - ‘obviously we’d have won if Mitro started instead of Joselu and Shelvey played alongside Merino’. The sheer f***ing arrogance of it is staggering! You’re talking about one of the best and most decorated managers in world football! We all have an opinion but being so certain that Rafa got this wrong or that wrong is laughable. Oh right, no opinions allowed on a football forum. Gotcha. You might want to read the last sentence of my post again Einstein ?

A bit disheartening?! They’re f***ing outrageous! I’m now starting to see why so many people give our fans grief for being thick and having unrealistic expectations. Some of the comments directed at Rafa are an absolute embarrassment. Problem is, views like this make it appear that Benitez is infallible. He's making plenty of decisions that several disagree with. Loads of daft selections, subs, transfers. I get that he isn't being given a suitable budget to work with, but he has cocked up a lot this year. Cocked up according to who, you? Other world renowned football experts? I fucking love this armchair management stuff - ‘obviously we’d have won if Mitro started instead of Joselu and Shelvey played alongside Merino’. The sheer fucking arrogance of it is staggering! You’re talking about one of the best and most decorated managers in world football! We all have an opinion but being so certain that Rafa got this wrong or that wrong is laughable.

A bit disheartening?! They’re fucking outrageous! I’m now starting to see why so many people give our fans grief for being thick and having unrealistic expectations. Some of the comments directed at Rafa are an absolute embarrassment.

That’s why the whole ‘shit tactics’ and ‘stubborn manager’ comments are so fucking ridiculous. He’s trying everything he can to get us back on track - different lineups, different formations, different tactics etc.

Not a single one of our players would get in Chelsea’s squad let alone their first team, not one. It would’ve taken something incredibly special for us to get anything from this game. Some people on here need to pull their heads out of their arses and grow the fuck up.

Comfortably Merino’s Worst game for us.

We really need Lascelles back. We’re so weak in the air at the back without him

What's this in reference to? Was just wondering the same thing. I can't find anything along these lines.

Talking to a Leeds fan at football tonight and he reckons we’ve been sniffing around Samuel Saiz. He’d be a great signing if true

Did we spend £12 on Gayle?

Probably because he's cheap. Not getting game time at Atletico and looking to go out on loan apparently. Massive wages though so I think we can count us out

Linked with Fernando Torres again today

Well Tony Cottee, you got your wish - more top flight jobs for British managers. Let's see how this ends up.....

Why don't the top clubs buy strikers for £1.5m then? It would seem a bit daft to waste £50m on an expensive prima donna when you could by 15 players for that. I guess because the bigger you get and the more successful you are, the further you have to fall. Those clubs therefore become more risk averse and opt for the proven option rather than taking a punt. £50m buys you a quality, well proven striker whereas £10-15m might buy you a young, relatively unknown striker who has had one good season and looks to have good potential. Plus, big names sell more merch. Not to mention, you could buy a relatively unknown striker for £10m with a lot of promise and if he flops you get relegated. I can think of at least one club that happened to in recent years. Not sure who you're getting at but yeah, it's definitely happened

Why don't the top clubs buy strikers for £1.5m then? It would seem a bit daft to waste £50m on an expensive prima donna when you could by 15 players for that. I guess because the bigger you get and the more successful you are, the further you have to fall. Those clubs therefore become more risk averse and opt for the proven option rather than taking a punt. £50m buys you a quality, well proven striker whereas £10-15m might buy you a young, relatively unknown striker who has had one good season and looks to have good potential. Plus, big names sell more merch.

Insightful stuff! You ok Hun? 20m in this transfer window, in Jan, for this squad. The current rate players are going for, double that and clubs reluctant to sell. We need a 15 goal st, a number 10 and a LB. We wont get anywhere near that for that money I get what you're saying but there are clubs looking to offload players for match fitness etc. Again, I point to Ings - he might turn out to be shit but from what's being reported he's available for loan, and even with one leg he's better than Joselu. If Rafa is drawing up a list, which he says he is, you can take it from that there are players available. January is the last opportunity for teams to cash in on players who are out of contract in the summer as well. There's always something that can be done but I agree with you, we're unlikely to sign a world beater for £20m. That said, Mahrez only cost Leicester £500k.

Insightful stuff! You ok Hun?

Everton with Big Sam at the helm is likely to be a hard ask.

He broke every unwanted record going when he was here. How many games was it without a goal from a set piece?

£20m would get us a striker who can get 7 or 8 goals till the end of the season, right? It might even get us a decent loan striker (Ings for example) and a proper #10. For some reason, backed up by nothing other than assumptions, I feel like it would be easier to sign a striker on loan than a #10. Unless we can persuade Fat Sam to loan us Barkley for the rest of the season...

Not having any lefties on the left has crippled us going forward. Lost count, before Aarons came on, of how many good crossing opportunities were passed up because the winger/full-back had no confidence to play it in. I wouldn’t mind giving Hadaria another shot at left back now he’s fit, he certainly use to get forward and can cross a ball,still only 24 but maybe Rafa doesn’t rate him which is fair enough I can't even remember what he's like as a player, it's been that fucking long

:lol: Get the popcorn in lads, this is going to be glorious!

Fuck, that brings back memories. Those were some seriously dark times. I just hope he fails at everything for the rest of his life. Not just football, everything