vicente_14

Agree, Crespo is so underrated. Remember watching him live and his movement was next level, such a great player.

He really does. Always thought Dyche was a bullsh*t merchant, spouts absolute nonsense and speaks in weird corporate style cliches, can imagine he delivers an incredible powerpoint presentation and speech!

His decision making was so much better and you could tell he was super focused in fitting into the team ethos and on top of that looked sharp, lively and a real threat, love him, needs to start.

Was born in London, Dad was a Londoner and huge Chelsea fan, Mum a geordie and Toon fan. Used to visit family and spend summer holidays with family in Walker & Byker, other kids were jetting off to Spain or somewhere warm, i was holidaying on Welbeck and Shields Road. Used to go to away games down South and was hooked. First game at St James was a friendly against Sporting Lisbon and Lee Clark ran riot, and i immediately become obsessed with him and he was my favourite player, bedroom walls were covered in the A4 posters of him from Shoot and Match magazines. My Aunt used to get the Pink sports paper on a saturday evening post-match and post it down to along with anything else Newcastle related. Still live down south, near Guildford but have been a season ticket holder for about 15 years now and get to most games home and away.

I thought that they had binned Dyche as an acceptance that they are all but relegated and want to start planning for next season without him. They want to head in a different direction and play a different way so are giving whoever comes in the chance to assess ahead of a potential rebuild.

Always thought this. Carvalho is one of the best defenders to ever grace the Premier league, had the lot, ridiculous recovery pace and acceleration, classy on the ball, great in the air despite not being a monster and the absolute king of the dark arts, so so good.

Superb player, rapid, strong, read the game well and the absolute master of the dark arts.

He rarely pushed forward to provide any width, there were several instances where he could have provided a useful outlet had he pushed on or tried to overlap but seeemd to get to halfway and stop, which meant our players looking to move the ball out towards that side had to turn back inside, slowing things down. Looks a very defensive minded full back with real limitations in an attacking sense, doesnt seem to fit the current formation or ideas, very odd signing, which sems stranger given that Manquillo towards the back end of last season and this pre-season had started to show some form and improvement.

What's the story there, btw? Same as arsenal...stadiums cost a fortune to build in London. I keep hearing people in the media saying it's difficult for Spurs to buy anyone as it's hard to improve the team. I get that it's hard to bring someone in of any great quality to be understudy to Harry Kane knowing they will not see much playing time, but they have not won anything, so surely there is plenty of room for improvement?

For the very little that it's worth, he's got one of the highest potential ratings in the world on PES. A strong, mobile, forward thinking midfielder looking at his YouTube highlights, but I think he maybe plays in more of a DM position. Defensive midfielder, who has spent much of last season being played out of position at left back.

Remember reading in the matchday programme that he had bought a farm in the North East and was loving life there, so makes sense he would return.

He used to be very highly rated/thought of, and tipped for big things. Not seen much of him since he played for FC Basel, where he did look good. Probably fair to assume he's better than Ciaran Clark.

Seems like such a West Ham signing.

Where did you order this from?

Won't be Tuchel, the new Arsenal Sporting/Technical Director and him can't stand each other, Tuchel forced him out of Dortmund. Carlo Ancelotti has been wanting a London based job for a while. Although, Wenger seems to hint at Patrick Viera being ready.

Good: Gab Marcotti James Richardson James Horncastle Andy Brassell Julien Laurens Raphael Honigstein Rory Smith Sasha Goryunov Michael Cox Henry Winter George Caulkin And warming to David Preece Realy Dislike: Jason Cundy Barry Glendenning Max Rushden Ray Houghton Michael Owen Robbie Savage

Caulkin has said we are looking at loans now. So much for breaking records!

"Whether Luiz is good enough". He'd be the best player we've had in about 15 years What? He's certainly good enough for us, more than good enough. But is he f*** anything like the best player we'd have had for the last 15 years, what a massive load of s***. Who's been better? Luiz was probably in the top ten best players in the league last season In a dominant side that walked the league aye, he's always been a classy but flawed defender. As a defender he'd be one of the best we've had for years, but the best player overall that we've had in 15 years?, nah I don't agree. I would say Colo at his best is one of the best players we've had in the last 15 years and Luiz is above that. Again, who's been better? IMO him and Coloccini are quite similar, I prefer Coloccini in his prime but I admit that might be bias. Woodgate was probably the best defender I've seen at the club in the last 15 years though . Anyway like I said we aren't talking just defenders, we've had better players on our books over the last 15 years than Luiz. That's not to say I wouldn't be very happy to see him here. Only in that they both have massive hair and are South American. I liked Coloccini, but Luiz is a different class altogether, ignore the media nonsense about playstation defending/mistakes, he's outrageously good, sometimes seems as if he's too talented to be a central defender, when he's focused he's a beast.

I watched Kenedy last night, and asked my mate, a Chelsea Season ticket holder, what is he meant to be, he was awful, seeemd to lack discipline and very unlike a Rafa player. Seems very raw so maybe Rafa can put him on the right path. Went from one extreme to the other, would hoof the ball one moment and then tried a rainbow flick in the opposition box which ended with him on the ground, a failed elastico moments later in the box, then a wild John Smith style 'have it' up in the air, odd player. Still, seems we are trying to act quickly which is positive, hopefully Kenedy rediscovers his form from his earliest Chelsea appearances when he looked a prospect.

Was encouraged by his performance, always wanted the ball, and never afraid to receive it in tight situations. The people slating him, need to understand he is a 21 year making his first full start in a new league, a league widely accepted to be the most physical and hard to compete in. It seems if a player doesn't instantly shine in their first appearance for us then they are shit, yet top-level Premier League players such as Vidic, Evra, Pires, to name a few off the top of my head took months and months to settle to the demands of the League. He clearly has real potential, loved that he always wanted the ball, and was composed and calm when he had it, and it was good to see our players were happy to give him the ball in tight spots and had trust in him. Given some time to settle into and understand the league, I think we have a real player on our hands. There was a hint of a stronger & more athletic Huga Viana about his game. Anyway, thought he looked pretty decent given the circumstances, played with a maturity beyond his years, positive and plenty to build on.

Awful. Rest In peace Cheik.

Yes, used to play from the right of three often in the Chelsea youth side.

Ok. But Spurs will pay us. Nobody else. That's not transferring moneys owed. However its financed - Spurs are paying Newcastle £30m for Moussa Sissoko. And for all the wrong Ashley, Carr and co have done, this one piece of their work is genius.

I like him, his decision making has been a bit off the last couple of games but he's still young, inexperienced and pretty raw, no better teacher than Rafa. Got a canny leap on him too, wins a fair amount of aerial battles, one yesterday he seemed to hang in the air for an age.

Decent first season. After his ridiculous sending off at Swansea, never looked like he wanted to be here. Liked him but he won't be missed.