Andy

I didn't think he looked shagged at all. Went on a couple of good runs in the second half before he picked up a knock.

His mere presence played a big part in the goal. If their keeper knows Gayle is up front he deals with that cross far more calmly imo.

We were excellent at times that season like. Whether it was down to Pardew or the players is a different debate, but it was objectively our best season in the past decade and even the most anti-Pardew fan has to give him at least a little credit for us finishing 5th. Most people on this forum were full of praise for him during that season, it's easy to forget that given the proceeding events.

Seems like that bust up with Lascelles has completely reinvented him - perhaps highlighting the difference it makes having a captain who is willing to call out underperformers.

Really poor second half, midfield absolutely lost control of the game.

I'm no fan of him, but the penalty was absolutely soft as fuck and his blocks at the end saved the point.

Closer to home for him, and maybe the media perception of Rafa being a defensive manager and Pardew (allegedly) being an attack-minded coach holds some sway for a goalscorer fighting for his international place as well. Hard to blame any player for being tentative on joining NUFC atm though tbh, whatever his actual reasons.

Thought Diame played fine tbh, broke the play up quite well.

Should definitely have brought Murphy on like. Playing with confidence and in good form yet leaves him on the bench when we need a goal to win it, pretty baffling that.

I'd sell him tomorrow for £10m or whatever on the assumption that Rafa got that money and wages to replace him immediately. A) I can't think of a better midfielder that you'd get for £10m in the current market. B) it's a massive assumption that the money would even be reinvested at all.

Don't understand the opinions that we should get rid of him like. We aren't exactly spoiled for quality in midfield and I'd have Shelvey in the team (despite his limitations) ahead of pretty much everyone except Merino, purely on the basis that he actually looks for a pass in front of him and doesn't just play it safe. The likes of Colback, Saivet and Diame should be out the door first.

Benitez should've done a Pardew and just threw the game to keep our players fit IMO. Who wants to try to win a cup anyway? What's that got to do with my post? Lascelles going off is really shit and in hindsight, I'd rather he was not injured? Battering Luton in the first half was significantly overshadowed by the injury... Read more like you were being facetious and suggesting that battering them was irrelevant (since we obviously won't outscore any Premier League team) and that he should have played a weakened team, thus avoiding injury to first teamers. If that wasn't your angle I apologize. If it was, I think you're an idiot.

Benitez should've done a Pardew and just threw the game to keep our players fit IMO. Who wants to try to win a cup anyway?

It's sad that the criteria for playing a winger in modern football is how well he defends.

Clark was running over before Lejeune even stumbled tbf, he would've been out of position regardless.

Had to go across . Didn't at all. Absolutely terrible awareness of what was going on behind him.

having said that, it isn't unfair to say he doesn't help himself with team selections and substitutions sometimes like

Defensively really dodgy again. I don't think Lascelles is the best defender in the world by any means but we look incredibly fragile without him. Midfield have been alright, but it's important rafa gets Shelvey on before Diame fades or we'll get severely overrun.

Maybe people will just call it as they see it? He was utterly diabolical at times and has improved considerably in the two most recent games. Aye. I think the biggest concern and criticism was that he was the one we spent big on instead of a striker.

He's usually a lot better with his passing but he hoofed it so much yesterday Been like that all season tbh. Doesn't seem to have the confidence to do anything else in the top league.

As with any takeover it's a gamble. The thing is, we're in a rut and we have been for years; we all know that on his very, very best behaviour Mike Ashley would see us into the Europa League again (only for a threadbare squad to struggle the next season), and at his worst he'd relegate us again and do just about enough get us back up. And really that's the status quo; one that is as equally uninispiring as it is unsustainable. There's been no real cause for optimism for years - Rafa is set aside as being an uncharacteristically tremendous move on the club's part, but even then the structure of the club only affords him a pretty low ceiling in terms of what he can realistically achieve here. New owners could be a disaster, change isn't always good, but we're long overdue a dice roll IMO.

If we play as we did today against the poorer teams in the league we'll be fine. Defending was poor but I feel like we just missed Lascelles really; Clark and Lejeune don't compliment each other at all.

He was a little iffy today against a strike force that he won't be facing every week, and he's still new to the league. Nowt to worry about.

Playing quite well, but there's that common frustration that we're playing with more attacking fluidity and tempo against man utd than we have against some of the weaker teams this season. Still performing to our best in the wrong games, even under Benitez.

How is that statement funny? It is blatantly obvious that he should be getting a chance. He's third choice striker and the other two aren't scoring goals. Rafa is an intelligent manager but that doesn't make him immune to making wrong decisions. He also sees things that you don't see, whether on match days or on non-match days. Aye. He's definitely seeing things I don't see if he thinks Joselu is the answer. All that's genuinely relevant in football is what happens on a match day. He might be Neymar-esque in training but when he consistently hits the ball with less power than my nan on a Saturday it counts for nothing. So basically you're seeing faults in a player. The same thing can be said about Mitrovic. I'm guessing Rafa thinks that Joselu is more reliable in maintaining discipline and team cohesion - which is Rafa's first priority. Aye, but my original post was saying Mitrovic is overdue a chance, which isn't an unfair statement considering his goal record is better in the premier league than the two strikers in front of him and we've failed to score in the last couple of games. It's hard to make an argument for Joselu offering better "team cohesion" anyway when we haven't really had any cohesion in an attacking sense lately.