lovejoy

i'm the same. i love the fact rafa doesnt give a f*** and is going up against him, it'll be interesting to see how it pans out, but i'm past worrying about it, going to enjoy the rest of the season with rafa and see what happens. if it does go down that road i hope rafa doesn't jack in at the first hurdle and makes it into a popularity contest basically, would be so much better than him just walking away ashley needs a taste of the vitriol i hope he'll receive if he manages to f*** things up Agreed. His Liverpool power struggle shows he's up for sticking it out, that went on for ages, so let's hope he does the same (if it comes to it).

i'm the same. i love the fact rafa doesnt give a f*** and is going up against him, it'll be interesting to see how it pans out, but i'm past worrying about it, going to enjoy the rest of the season with rafa and see what happens.

He's played this game before at Liverpool with the Gareth Barry /Robbie Keane thing. He knows what he's doing. Good on him. It'll be interesting to see what Ashley's move is.

Press clearly briefed by rafa. He doesn't give a fuck does he? It's great.

Or maybe that he knows that there is s*** times ahead. maybe, it still suggests he isn't going anywhere.

the full interview transcript isnt anywhere near as alarming mind. using language like 'we must stick together' doesn't suggest he's about to walk.

he'll be gone by the end of the week if they're stitching him up. It'll all unravel very quickly.

i totally agree, it appears the manager didn't want any though, he wanted players who were prem ready. You honestly believe Rafa didn't want more boddies in midfield if we were willing to get then? Or do you not think any opinion he has is based on the restrictions he has placed on him by Ashley? He also said he only wanted Prem ready players in earlier in the window when he still young and nieve, he thought he was getting atleast 2 in back then. He'll put on a brave face but he repeated yesterday that he wanted at least 2 in and that it was all on the board whether he gets them or not. his crack from December sounds pretty categoric, whether that opinion changed or not i've no idea, and nor has anyone else tbh. I'd like to think he wasn't just being ashley's mouthpiece though, we've had enough of them. i think we should have brought more competent bodies in for sure, prem ready or not. Guess we'll see how this plays out over the next week or so, we just have to hope he doesn't feel (and hasn't been) stitched up.

i totally agree, it appears the manager didn't want any though, he wanted players who were prem ready.

the tf podcast twitter timeline makes interesting reading, they met rafa in december.

Exactly.

yep.

i haven't counted him in midfield options this season anyway. he's been a waste of space for a long time tiote.

yep. it's on this.

Sure i read yesterday that he has another one in this deal?

Sky claiming we're happy to pay £13m in one payment but won't entertain a loan fee. I thought his release clause was meant to be £13m?

If we weren't talking about Mike Ashley's nufc I'd agree entirely.

This. We'll get him imo.

Quicker we sell him the better for all concerned.

To be announced in the next few days according to the chron. http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/newcastle-united-pole-position-sign-12498296

He was in Newcastle to sign for KK but then Ashley went nah, I know loads about football me. Jeff Vetere and Tony Jiminez special. Keegan told a story at a talk in I went to. Says the deal was all done and then at the last minute jiminez joins them and tells him he's not convinced by him. Deal collapses.

couldn't give a shit about the money, not sure why anyone could. will he improve us? yes (imo) so whether its £13m or £10m or £8m makes not a jot of difference to us fans while it is mike ashleys nufc.