STM

I prefer Clark but I think Rafa will stay loyal to Lascelles, for now.

Unfortunately, not a chance. Shelvey has too much of a reputation as a maverick. Gayle will never be perceived as a player good enough for England. Unless we over-perform big time, none of our players will make it. If Gayle starts banging them in, in the premiership, he's got to be in with a shout. Why wouldn't he?

I'm intrigued to see who Rafa plays centre half against Spurs. Lejuene looks a cert, will it be Lascelles or Clark? My money is on Lascelles.

I know your not suggesting we aspire to the levels of Burnley & West Brom For next year, that's exactly what we must do.

We need 3 strikers.

It's a no brainer risk, in our current position.

I think we should replace Murphy first.

We will end up having to accept lower bids, so that these (or different) clubs can afford the extra wages. We need rid ASAP.

Disagree with both of those points. A, he wasn't even our best midfielder last year (Richie), and B, if he was comfortably a top half midfielder he wouldn't have been playing for bottom half / Championship teams for the last 4 years. All that being said, I do like him when he's on form... I just think he's going to find it really hard this year. Sorry didn t realise I had to specify centre midfielder. He was our player, that's why he was playing in the championship. That's kind of the way it works. In the same way Coloccini, Enrique and Nolan (for a time) were top half premiership players last time around. Shelvey is a good player, but he does have his draw backs. He needs space, for a start, which he will get less of in the premiership.

Can't see us getting a striker from this country, unless it's a loanee. Him from Chelsea perhaps.

Last season he was one of the best midfielders in the division (only Cairney arguably was better). This season he just needs to be a top half midfielder, which he comfortably is IMO. He's a good player and that's what we need, good players. We need to bring the rest of the squad up to his and Richie's standard.

I can see Rafa having him back too.

I can't work out if it's funnier that Gibson is a mess a few days before a match or that he's slagging off his teammates in public. He's almost certainly right about them too, which makes it thrice as funny.

He's just not good enough, even if he were, he picks up too many injuries for it to matter.

The fact he's slagging off his team mates is glorious but he's bound to be kicked out the club.

Where do you start with a video like that.

Spending big brings pressure with it.. Only one of Man Utd, Man City or Chelsea can win the league. Leaving two of those teams with a taste of failure. Manager's get sacked and players move on. It's the circle of life. My point is, if I was a Spurs fan of be more than happy to keep my powder dry and let the other "big guns", cut each others throats. If Spurs spend smart they won't be far off the pack. They have already leapfrogged Arsenal and Liverpool IMO.

It's also the reason why I dont think we will get relegated. I do worry about us at home though. Last year wasn't good enough.

One day he might impress us by, i dont know, finding out who we are interested in.

We will get a couple of big defeats on the road, but only because of the gulf between us and ,say, City. Even Rafa can't do much about that. We wont be going to Stoke and Swansea and giving limp performances. We will work hard, even if it means only getting a point. Can't wait to see us go away from home and sit back with a smile knowing it's Rafa's bread and butter. At home we have work to do mind, we still need to learn how to take teams apart. Ironically, it might be easier this year as less teams will park the bus at SJP. We won't get as much respect as last year.

Oh good. I thought we were finished for the summer.

I'm happy with the formation, it will pick up plenty of points on the road.

Again, very naive to suggests it's only about the money. I hope he leaves, just like 75% of the Brazilians who voted on a online poll. Why? Because it's the World Cup next year and he needs to lead a team week in week out as preparation for it and stop playing second/third fiddle as he's the star of the national team. Of course it's about the money Don't buy this being the main man for a second. Even if it was true, what a fucking fanny he'd be for thinking like that. Me neither, it's a load of bollocks. Poor Neymar.

For me, he's changed what it means to be NUFC, for the better too. In the past, even when we were decent, we had a habit of making statement signings and mindless attacking football, without thinking about the overall picture. Rafa has made NUFC about teamwork, honesty, hunger, hard work but most of all, smart football. No more going away from home to be on the end of a hiding because we can't be arsed to think about tactics. No more arrogant twats using us as a stepping stone. No more fan debates about the merits of the manager. No more pandering to the owner and his minions. No more feeble excuses from the dugout. For once, we can lose a game of football knowing that the manager will be hurting as much as us, and even better, knows exactly how to fix the problem. Rafa

The main thing with goalkeepers is that they don't make silly mistakes. I can handle my keepers not making world class saves but when they drop clangers or flap around at corners it's unforgivable.