Dokko

Can't afford to carry him and his pathetic performances any longer. Not that it matters, his inability to score has us down.

Supposed to be quite intelligent so I'm hoping Rafa's methods and game plan can sink in quicker for him than other options.

were gonna get fucked all over

He's not got much to work with at the back even when fully fit but as it stands what options has he got? Hope he doesn't risk anyone for Monday, would be nice to make a statement and get something but we've bigger games coming up. Also if puts out a massively defensive team i wouldn't hold it against him. Think mentally not getting bummed or even picking up a point before the mackems would be huge.

Just had this mental thought....Rafa Benitez as our manager. I need sectioning.

West Ham to Sunderland perhaps? Swindon to Sunderland.

think weve left it a game too late but its a fantastic appointment

Biggest signing the club has made since shearer/robson. Really hope we stay up and this isn't a false dawn. Loved being told by a load of mackems at work today why this is a bad signing... Just sat grinning ear to ear whilst trying to eat my lunch. Not bitter in the slightest.

Who? the nonce your disgraceful club still played s Ouch

If this doesn't come off the disappointment alone will relegate us.

Off to Valencia

Dave said he'd buy everyone a pint if this happened. Fair play to him.

Aids more like.

Tbf he's put us in the position where Ashley (after the best part of decade) finally understands the importance of a good manager.

Good job we lost to Bournemouth

So Steve is off to grow a goatee, dye his hair black and practise his broken English with a Spanish twang...this is the closest we'll get to Rafa.

Dave is on the turn, that's one of the 4 horsemen right there. The Rafture is coming.

If Rafa came in for 10 games then we've got 10 games to make damn sure he falls in love with the club and get him to stay. It's possible, if Ashley does his part and hands over transfer control and managerial title. The really sad thing about this is if we had a half decent board it's not beyond the realms of possibility. :'(

Carver was a calculated gamble due to the points on the board already. The only thing worse than sticking with him is sacking him and being turned down by the handful of people who could actually turn it around.

Personally I don't think it's anything to do with money, but about control. The two go hand in hand mind as managers who want control over transfers and be a manager rather than head coach will want the bigger wages, or at least believe they command it. They'll pay money to a manager good enough but he'll have to play the players they buy and be called coach. Until that changes we go nowhere but down.

Not if that day has been spent sounding out not just possibilities but managers who have basically said yes. Then it's been the best possible way to handle the situation. We can't go without a manager to the end of the season, we need to have our replacement lined up before we pull the trigger. Smac knows that, he'll have been told it's over if they can agree someone else to come in who they think will make that difference. If not then he continues on and if he keeps us up he gets to stay next season. You have more confidence in them than me. Remember how long it took them to appoint the latest failure? They had a plan though, and went with it rightly or wrongly (of course wrong but they didn't see it like that) regardless of the set backs and pressure to change. If thryve got something better lined up they'll take it. It's whether that is the case or not, they could be stalling out to pass enough time, it's the wrong decisions which will cost the club millions mind, I can't see Ashley taking that kind of gamble.

Not if that day has been spent sounding out not just possibilities but managers who have basically said yes. Then it's been the best possible way to handle the situation. We can't go without a manager to the end of the season, we need to have our replacement lined up before we pull the trigger. Smac knows that, he'll have been told it's over if they can agree someone else to come in who they think will make that difference. If not then he continues on and if he keeps us up he gets to stay next season.

The argument that mike ashley won't do something really stupid cos he loves his money has never held water, the running of the club is incompetant. Would a competent club have let Carver drag us to near relegation? All assumptions on what the club may do has to be filtered through the fact that they have absolutely no idea what they are doing. The fact we spent £80m and we fielded that squad on saturday is testament to that. They tried to appoint the current idiot before Carver, they clearly thought there was no way Carver could be that shit and decided he could fill the 6 month gap before trying for McClaren again. Obviously, they were wrong about Carver's level of ineptitude, so I imagine it'll be a similar story here where they'll sound out a couple of managers and if they all say no we're stuck with this idiot. This

The argument that mike ashley won't do something really stupid cos he loves his money has never held water, the running of the club is incompetant. Would a competent club have let Carver drag us to near relegation? All assumptions on what the club may do has to be filtered through the fact that they have absolutely no idea what they are doing. The fact we spent £80m and we fielded that squad on saturday is testament to that. Carver sailed close to the wind, too close for Ashley and if smac hadn't turned us down he'd have been replaced. Carver should never have got that close to relegation, it was almost impossible from the position pardew left us in, thry underestimated his stupidity. At some point Ashley realises he needs a manager or he'll lose millions finding it out. I just don't think he's that stupid... Not when money is at stake.

Mike Ashley likes money too much to let him stay. If Ashley has a choice, another decent manager in line the it's time up for smac... If no one agrees to take over then we're stuck with him. Hopefully there's someone out there dumb enough