HawK

With regards to application in match situations, rather than raw commitment. I've always advocated Mitrovic being on the teamsheet for what he brings in terms of commitment, but I don't think he's playing near where he's capable of. He needs to temper that infectious passion with some proper decision making and composure and some time on the bench will hopefully make him realise there's more to being a top footballer than what he's doing at the moment. Being on the team sheet every week with no competition for his place with as young as he is and the obvious faults he has was probably not right for him (PL last year), and he doesn't seem to have the ability to carry the increasing arrogance it would bring. TLDR; Don't get me wrong I'm a big Mitrovic fan, I just think he needs some time out for some self reflection. In Rafa I trust. Came back with a bang and looked much more the striker that we want him to be than the striker he was.

Close then

Kinnear was pretty close

We've got the squad depth to go the distance with this style imho. Before we had the likes of Bigi, Ameobi, Dummett (a few years ago), coming in to replace our first 11. Now, we've got full internationals covering positions. Amazing restructure Rafa has completed off the back of the player sales in the summer.

Even at 6-0, as soon as Preston kicked off again we were literally straight onto them wanting the ball back. It was fantastic to see. Saw that, didn't see who it was but he sprinted from the half way line right to the receiving player from their kick off.

Last man off the pitch, absolutely loving it. Obviously you can't compare the 2 talent-wise but similar to Ben Arfa he just thrives off the love and adoration of the fans, he just gets it. For all his flaws I absolutely love Mitro. More like Ketsbaia tbh, passion burning through him.

Ketsbaia levels of crazy. Proper man crush.

Well if someone is injured, so what we go 10-10, Mitro can gan in goal if need

Our squad is insane for this level, arguably the strongest second tier squad since PL formation?

4th

We played Arsenal four times in a season once, including twice in a week and three times away. Got them away in the League Cup (lost 2-0), got them away in the FA Cup (lost 3-0) and then lost 3-0 in the league game four days later. Played Birmingham three times within 10 days in November/December 1973. The games got progressively more violent. One was the game when Jinky Jim Smith got sent off after 57 seconds for breaking an opponent's leg. And yes, I am that old. Don't think my memory quite stretches back into past lives Thanks for the reference, I think it must have been the Arsenal games I was thinking of.

Haven't read through the whole thread - but isn't it odd that we played Wolves twice in a row, now Preston, because of the cup draws? Don't recall this happening much before. I do recall a fixture glut where, didn't we play the same team 3 times in a row, might be Stoke or West Ham? Or I could be completely deluded and mixing real life memories with Football Manager

I think I've learnt some Chinese off that clip

Didn't score, bench him for Mitro.

Who would have thought that playing the kid in his natural position he'd do better than stuck up front or out wide Way too patchy though, needs to find some consistency. Hopefully with this performance he's earnt his place for the next league game and he can carry on where he left off.

Could have spent that money elsewhere. £4m on a young player with his career ahead of him rather than this donkey. We paid less for Haydens didn't we? Would Anichebe or Bentenar on a free be a worse idea than dropping millions on Murphy? So we'd have King Kev, Sir Bobby and Lord Bendtner. We'd half a feudal fiefdom on the go tbh.

It's a shame that the gobarbra website was taken offline, because this guy has definitely got some Shefki Kuqi levels of 'meh'

Being able to criticize our managers over the past 10 years has been so easy when they've been so hopelessly inept. Now, I don't know how to respond to team selections because it's Rafa F. Benitez

http://i65.tinypic.com/2irur81.png

Just looking through the table, this season the Championship, sans Burton, seems absolutely stacked in terms of 'big clubs'.

Helps to give him a bit more warning for when he's going to be launched by an unhappy Serb.

Doing his best to injure Gayle at every non-opportunity, Steve Harper must be his mentor

Fourth. Self-managing his rest periods for the season via collected-yellows suspensions perhaps

First goal - Second goal, (edited for less irradiadation) - https://twitter.com/NewcastleFansTV/status/788473463833030657