Memphis

You can be negative about a signing with good reason while also being hopeful that those negative qualities can be improved ipon here. There was perfectly good reason to be skeptical about the Townsend signing; it was incumbent upon the lad to prove the detractors wrong and he certainly did. If you have watched Yedlin over the years, as many of us from the US have, there is ample reason to be skeptical again. And hopefully that will be proven wrong again.

4 million fee has been discussed. Not the worst punt, I guess. Not the best, either. The type of fullback/winger we've all seen. Fast as fuck, no end product. Seems to have improved defensively a little during Copa America, but still committed a foolish handball v Colombia and got a previously-mentioned stone-cold idiotic red card v Paraguay. So not the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree, then.

He really is fast, though: https://cdn.streamable.com/video/mp4-mobile/4jor.mp4

Yedlin is fast enough to get himself into good positions and shit enough to waste most of them. Not especially good defensively either. Maybe Rafa can do something with him. Not excited.

The state of some of these pundits... Pep played Clichy and Sagna almost as central midfielders against the mackems, City barely win, people lose their fucking minds about it. Then they obliterate Steuea in midweek with a complete masterclass. It's almost like Pep might know what he's doing. Same with Rafa. Relax. The guy's pretty good at his job.

To me, this is a perfect performance and result. Important to get a decisive win to get the weight off our backs, but especially to do so having dropped players who didn't really perform while also more or less experimenting with different pairings, partnerships, and roles. This is a squad win. It's going to have to be a season where we rotate quite a bit so everyone, including the players, just needs to get used to it. It was always going to be a big adjustment to the Championship for Rafa and for the team. As he and they learn how to play more effectively in the division, they'll also learn who performs best and in what specific role.

"Well, Ando, looks like we just about got away with a 12-0 victory, but we never really looked like we got hold of this one." "Scoreline really flatters us. Sure, Gayle got three hat tricks, but never really looked like playing. A bit fortunate to score the 5 before the half." "Certainly going to have to improve. Rafa's got a lot of work to do."

Now THIS is the Championship I remember. Playing like shit, winning 4-1. Sounds about right.

Ritchie's playing remarkably well having completely lost a leg

I miss the Columbus radio guy. That guy gets it.

PC Pathetic cunt

I wish this asshole had wanted to play in the Premier League when he was in the Premier League.

If losing this match is to getting rid of Colback what relegation was to getting rid of Ashley's "head coach" system, then it's worth it.

It's a little irritating that they need a kick up the arse after the first game of a new season in which everyone has gone on and on about how we're a big scalp and how it's going to be physical etc etc. Doesn't bode well for how this group has listened and prepared (or how Rafa prepared them).

Team full of Wijnaldums tonight. Tactics were far too negative for Fulham. Set up like we were at the fucking Nou Camp. The idea of playing through the fullbacks pushed up is so predictable when there's zero threat in the middle. Janmaat's crossing was pitiful. Ritchie looked dangerous but was far too easily lost out there. Missing that link player badly, and clearly Ayoze can't play that role at this level if he's going to be so weak.

The Spanish language broadcast here in the States is just fucking destroying the official. For the last 10 minutes, just constantly talking about how shit he is and how obvious the handballs were, just incredulous. We were dog shit but the ref was even worse, somehow.

Two fucking stonewall handballs. What is wrong with this guy?

Odoi is just washing Dummett over and over, ref, stop the fight

We look very, very tired. Fitness still an issue for us.

Ayoze, Anita, Colback all just awful in the first half. Why aren't Lascelles and Hanley pushing up further? Leaving Hayden to do the work of two or three in the middle, and to be fair to him, he's done well. Don't really understand the tactics so far.

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/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.