Memphis

Looks a little too much like Steven Taylor for my liking

Marcos Llorente would be excellent. Dad and granddad both Madrid players so can't imagine he'd want to go anywhere else, except maybe - maybe - on loan. Played CB, DM, and CM for Castilla. Doesn't really fill an exact need but he's very quick to react, good anticipation and really good recovery (he caught up to Ben Arfa after being initially bypassed and recovered the ball in their friendly match with PSG last week). Good eye for a pass and can play it out from the back.

Diaz is an incredible header of the ball. 27 goals for Castilla last year. 23 years old so seems like it's time for him to either break through or move on. Great leaping ability and has a strong neck to add power even when the cross isn't that strong. Again, would have to be a loan, I'd imagine. Either or both would be a coup.

I would assume he'd have stipulated that it be allowed to remain to give him an independent voice should our esteemed owner decide to pull more of our PR shenanigans.

Rafa will have seen what happened to Keegan.

http://www.rafabenitez.com/web/in/multimedia/videos/rafa-benitez-talks-in-nufc-tv/3571/

 

Sharing NUFC TV footage on his website

http://www.rafabenitez.com/web/in/multimedia/press-review/rafa-benitez-in-chronicle/3557/

He even put his exclusive Chronicle Q&A up as a PDF... ;D

Rafa laying waste to exclusive content left and right with a smile.

I think it's worth it to have been relegated if it forces this group to give Rafa everything he needs to transform the entire operation.

If he stays and professionalizes every aspect of the club, from the currently dismal youth setup, to training, to transfers -- and he will have demanded the remit to do just that -- then we could be in a position in a year's time where we are in far better shape top to bottom. If the club fucks this one up, well, that could be it for us, for a long, long time.

We have been hanging on by a thread for years. The thread finally snapped. Now what will these geniuses come up with?

The process of scrutinising what went wrong

Look in the mirror

and planning for what is to come has already begun.

This would be a first

This club is a delinquent teenager beyond saving after a decade of neglectful parenting. He's the world's best stepdad but we're too far gone. Nothing he can do now. We're about to end up in jail for a long time, I think. Deservedly so.

More disgusting behaviour by what has become a mostly disgusting club. Irrespective of your thoughts about Jonas the player, Jonas the man has always been a credit to the club and city and a terrific guy to boot. What appears to be a lack of concern from the medical staff and what was certainly an incredibly callous initial response to his diagnosis shows this regime to be the heartless bastards we all know too well. The ham-fisted PR far too late in the game made the reality of their failings all too clear.

We wonder why players stagnate here. Why would you want to play for people who treat your teammates like this? Why would you have pride in this sort of thing? Not only do we fail to show even a shred of ambition, we are cold and uncaring in the face of cancer. Of course players don't play to their standards when experiencing a work environment like that. No one would.

Not bad, actually.

Much more organization so far. Shelvey has been too far back to do much going forward. Clearly tasked to be more of a shield. Anita is a jack of no trades, master of absolutely none.

Rafa has tried to keep it simple. Longer balls to start the attacks. We have gotten it into a few dangerous positions but we look so bereft of confidence upfront.

Pressing has been pretty well deployed. Mitrovic has been good in his role, too. Wouldn't mind seeing Townsend and de Jong off the bench at the 60 minute mark.

We have largely neutralized them, though, with a truly diabolical defence. So not too bad.

Dragging them down to our level so far.

Steven Taylor. Why try to tackle when you can just fling yourself around for a desperate deflection?

At least we look like there is a plan. Smart, effective midfield pressing. Kante/Drinkwater haven't really gotten a hold of the game. That alone is crazy.

If dipshit doesn't concede a pointless free kick, we're OK.

Defence is obviously shocking.

Forgotten this feeling...

Short of Ashley selling up, this is potentially the most transformative and inspiring move the club could make.

For the first time in forever, we have a manager. In every sense of that word, it would seem. And we have a manager who WE NEED and who we've given a bunch of money to. He's not some clogger who needs us and is therefore subservient. Benitez has named his terms and we've agreed. Immediately we've changed our structure and allowed him to bring staff in. The power structure has shifted.

If we stay up, it might - MIGHT - have made all the last 7 years worthy it, if for no other reason than to hammer home without doubt that the structure is irreparably flawed. If it does lead to a change in view and ambition from the owner, then it's the best day in the last decade or more in the club's history.

His CV speaks for itself. The fact he sees us in the state we're in as a viable next step is amazing and speaks incredibly highly of his self-confidence and our draw as a big club.

I am just stunned. And excited.

I don't know if anyone could actually win with the structure and charlatans we have running this shitshow but Moyes has a better chance than most.

If we don't replace this idiot, we will go down.

We won't replace this idiot.

So we are going down.

We can't do anything right. Even when we spend money, we spend it on players who either a) aren't worth it, b) the manager won't actually play, or c) both.

This fucker played Gouffran and Riviere before Ayoze and Doumbia. You'd never believe it unless you watched it.

In the last two second halves, away at Watford and last night at Everton, Wijnaldum completed a grand total of 18 passes, only 4 of which were forward passes in the opposition's half.

In the second half of the West Ham match alone, he completed 28 passes, 8 of which were forward passes in the opposition half.

Very worrying.

In 124 Premier League away matches Steve McClaren has managed, his teams have failed to score 60 times. His Premier League teams have averaged fewer than a goal per game in away matches.

Doumbia ever play centre back?

So........

Our biggest weaknesses going into the window: lack of striking options, poor defence.

We don't buy a left back. We end up playing a young winger there out of desperation - in the first match after the transfer window. He gives up a penalty after an idiotic tackle.

We don't buy a centre back. The young one we've been forced to slot in, replacing Mbemba, plays OK but gets sent off after an idiotic mistake and a more idiotic tackle.

We don't buy a striker. The one we've got misses an absolute sitter after being brought on out of desperation.

We buy a 12 million GBP midfielder. He constantly gives it away.

We buy another 12 million GBP winger-forward-guy who hasn't played a top-flight game in months. He is totally ineffective.

The 14.5 million GBP midfielder who is fantastic at home goes 30 minutes without touching the ball.

Somehow we've managed to actually spend money yet make ourselves worse. We are a complete and utter shambles, top to bottom, owner to "head coach".

It's great that after 30 some-odd million spent in the transfer window, we're still firing in crosses to try and squeeze a solitary goal out of Mitro and Perez.

Compare this effort to that of the other teams around us and we are well and truly fucked.

It's true - Mitro's presence gives us such a better platform and puts us in better positions. But his presence also means we have the world's least composed finisher there to try to finish those chances. Real Pyrrhic tactics here.

Shola scores there

Lua Lua scores there

Leon Best scores there

Sibierski scores there