steve_69

True, but every time one of the elite managers takes on a job like Man City or Chelsea, we all question why, if they're so good, they don't opt for a bigger challenge like turning an unfashionable club into Premier League/Champions League challengers. Rafa has been in and won the Champions League, won domestic cups, won leagues etc. Maybe he's the first of the really top managers to fancy a proper challenge at a club with potential rather than one that is practically guaranteed success. We've all played FM - it's far more interesting winning the Champions League with York City than it is with Man City.

Anyone else see Cisse sitting on the bench having a little dance to it? I'm pretty sure he was dancing to the chant because he didn't have earphones in. To R-Kelly? Are you sure!? Ah f*** it, I thought you were on about Rafa's song

I remember our heroes being Andy Cole, Shearer, Les Ferdinand, etc. Ketsbaia and Mitro as heroes? Shows how far NUFC have fallen. To be fair it's pretty slim pickings on the hero front at the moment. I'm not saying he's my favourite current player but I like the guy a lot. Ketsbaia was by no means my hero either but I love when a player shows some spirit and a bit of fire, and he epitomised that. There are too many sterile, boring-as-fuck, R&B popstar wannabees at the highest levels of football. I'd far rather watch a team made up of Ketsbaia's and Mitrovic's than Raheem Sterling's and Berahino's.

Anyone else see Cisse sitting on the bench having a little dance to it? I'm pretty sure he was dancing to the chant because he didn't have earphones in.

I love the mental bastard and i'll be gutted if he leaves. Obviously you can't condone what he did to Kyle Walker and the subsequent play acting but that aside, I think he's shown plenty of potential and I love the fact that he's mentally unstable. He wears his heart on his sleeve and you can see he loves the club - he's like a much bigger, dirtier version of Ketsbaia and I loved that crazy fucker as well.

Good news, well hopefully. Makes me really fucking nervous tbh

It just proves what we and everyone in the game with a modicum of intelligence knows - we're not dead, just in an Ashley-induced coma. Get the recipe right at this club and the sky's the limit, even after 10 years of mediocrity and mismanagement. Yesterday was a flash back to what this club used to be when we had a manager we loved and a group of talented players who gave everything for the shirt, and it was fucking glorious. Shame it took relegation and the prospect of losing one of the best managers we've ever had to unite the fans, ignite the passion and motivate the players but it was there for all to see.

And the prize for the worst piece of sports journalism for 2016 goes to.......

He said that Steve McLaren wanted to sign him but Derek Llambias said absolutely no chance. Barton was open to the move and was prepared to bury the hatchet with Mike Ashley but the club weren't prepared to have him back under any circumstances.

Based on what he said last night on Talksport, absolutely zero

I just threw up in my mouth a bit

First Pardew, then Bruce, now this Napoleon-complex little prick! Benny's had a rough old ride over the past couple of years.

Can't wait for this like. Absolutely buzzin!!

Words of Guillem Balague. Don't believe it, can't even spell Spaniard. It seems the art of proofreading in football journalism is well and truly dead.

I struggle to believe that Ashley would be prepared to put his arrogance aside after 10 years, essentially admit his blueprint of football club ownership is flawed and hand full control of player recruitment, coaching, development etc. to anyone, even Rafa. We've seen too much of his dogshite decision making and cheapskate ways to believe he'll do an about-turn and actually do something for the true benefit of this football club. Sorry lads, I'm just not having it. Once a dream-shattering cunt, always a dream-shattering cunt!

Has anyone else read this?: http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/how-newcastle-uniteds-semi-skilled-11320441 I think Ryder must have had a few when he wrote that, it's absolutely riddled with mistakes, typos etc. Even by his low standards it's a proper pisstake.

If that's true he's gone up even further in my estimation

To be honest i'm over the moon he was injured. Without him in the team we at least had a glimmer of hope of staying up. If he'd still been polluting the first team with his dogwank performances we'd have been down a long time ago

Please, for the love of God, can we finally see the back of this useless dickhead. He's like a fucking cockroach

That would be the decision that finally brings my time of supporting this shithouse club to an end. Normal service has been resumed

Why would he bother? What pearls of wisdom could that f***ing shitehawk possibly offer? Maybe he'll say "Newcastle wouldn't have been relegated if they'd kept me in charge". Of course he'll say that. He'd do better to keep his head down and shut the fuck up because anyone with eyes knows it's complete bullshit.

Why would he bother? What pearls of wisdom could that fucking shitehawk possibly offer?

Nope, it is shit like. Absolutely screams lower league football

Thank fuck for that! Didn't think that goal was ever going to come. ManUre are bloody awful to watch, I can see what their shit, cockney plastic fans have been moaning about now

To be fair to him we've been shit for the entire season apart from the last 4 games, it's hardly a reasonable period on which to judge him. If we stay up I fully expect Rafa to shape him into the player we know he can be. So far the poor fecker has had to work under Pardew, Carver and McLaren and yet he's come out of that shitstorm near enough smelling of roses.