AlanSkÃrare

This has been Ashley's target all along: A stadium full of consumption-zombies.

He has improved significantly since Rafa decided to play him differently, finding space between midfield and defence rather than isolating his full-back. Still can't shoot so very little comes of it, but he's probably our best threat after Rondon right now.

He'll feel to much responsibility for everyone around him and everyone who cares to leave mid-season, but his most loving gesture at this point would be let the club rot in the hands of Ashley , face relegation and speak out on what is going on for real. Unfortunately, I don't think that will be enough to save anything of what's left. Tonight felt sort of critical for many reasons. This fixture last season gave everything a lift, there was so much about Rafa's Newcastle that you just felt something would have to give, things could actually change for the better while he was willing to fight for that idea that this club has become to so many. Today it was just resignation, to Ashley, to the current atmosphere of not meaning anything to anyone, just being a bi-product of modern football turning up to get beat, a black hole dressed up like a football club, filled with non-belief and without any chance of ever changing for the better or come to life again. The problem is that even beyond Rafa, anger seems to be fading into nothing, it's evident in the language used by many on here and other platforms. Even the people who used to rage against Ashley at times like this are not bothered anymore, there's nothing to yell about. I guess it's been going on for too long, and the overriding feeling now is that Ashley has won it, it's over. He's dragged the people who manage to see him, and his complete murder of this football club for what it is, through so many long and tiresome periods of conflict that there isn't any energy left. I count myself to that segment of supporters, I do not even feel any real worry about Rafa leaving. It's infuriating to think what he could have done at NUFC had he been given the freedom to work, but that's more often than not being reduced to something vague in the background, my dominant feeling towards the club now is just apathy. I remember being really sad about finding myself in that state when I thought about NUFC a few years back. Now it just feels like normal.

Not only last year. It's Barry Moat ten years later.

All this playing out in public is really weird, again.

This is classic. Tension building towards the end of the season, a few questions that needs answering: And then everything goes quiet. There basically hasn't been a word or sign of life from the club in a month now.

Pellegrini basically the only one, if it isn't Ancelotti, which it won't be. It'll be Rafa.

Sounds like it's happening. Beyond belief, even by Ashley's standards.

Systematically and tactically we were on point again without reaping the rewards. He's being let down by the individual quality of his players. No question about that. We'd have far more points on board with actual Premier League players.

It's almost as if he wants Rafa to walk - even Pardew/Mclaren got more backing than Rafa and that was before the huge TV deals. No, the whole model is based on spending as little as possible while preserving a chance of staying up. He wants us to be in the Premier League to expose the global audience to Sports Direct. Staying up requires a squad that’s good enough to do it even though the manager is well out of his depth, or a manager that’s so competent he might make it anyway. Ashley has always gambled on this. On a couple of occasions (Jan 13’, Summer 15’ and Jan 16’) , he’s conceded that the shit manager he’s hired isn’t good enough and needs backing to be in with a chance. It failed in 2016. With Rafa, that’s never been the case, he knows he’s good enough to maybe make it happen with this lot, so he’ll take his chances. Since his Sports Direct-serving model really kicked into gear in 2010 when Pardew was hand picked to lead the deconstruction of the football club, this logic has only been defied once: In January 2012, when he thought he had a chance of showcasing SD to even larger audiences in the Champions League. Hence his (widely reported) fury when it didn’t come off despite signing Cissé.

Same here. That's because this is all completely pointless. It isn't football. It's like following McDonald's or any other company that you don't give a fuck about.

What the fuck is going on?

Unbelievable. Probably Pardew being a better salesman than Charnley.

He's a wrestler with a decent strike. We should sign good players instead.

Didn’t the initial statement say Ashley was willing to accept payment in installments?

It's unbearable now.

Taking Shelvey off instead of Diamé was baffling. No Shelvey means a considerable reduction of our chances of winning the game.

Absolutely no reason for Staveley and her people to inform anyone of the purpose of this company. I'd not read anything into what they're leaking in terms of the purpose now.

Journalists revealing their sources is a crime in Sweden, protecting them a vital aspect of the system News corps work within. Guess it’s the same everywhere. Fans asking journalists to reveal their sources is a weird misunderstanding stemming from forums.

Thing with Ayoze is he'll most often put in a very honest shift, even when he isn't technically at it. Today he showed up in both respects, and when he does he's very, very useful for our overall attacking play. Superb performance. Well played.

It didn't? https://www.nufc.co.uk/news/latest-news/statement-from-st-james-holdings-limited

We need triple that to be safe. If Rafa ups his game we should be fine, though.

The obvious way out is the West Ham job when it becomes available. I think they're waiting to sack Bilic until Rafa gives them the green light.

He's got a fucking billion people all over the world staring at his Sports Direct signs for free every weekend. The idea that he's not enjoying this is very strange.

There is obvious logic? Ashley has a manager that can keep us up without investment. Why invest? If he loses him, he'll invest in January when he's hired Alex McLeish. They're just two different versions of his model.