Raconteur

I wonder how big Mike Ashley's shit-eating grin was when he confirmed that booking.

More likely the dark day against Liverpool when Shay Given was MOTM in a 5-1 thrashing.

Out of everything, it's Odins betrayal that still hurts the most. Surely one of the worst fuckups in forum history. Massive "What the fuck were you thinking" moment for the lad.

This - classic Bruce - in that stupid low voice of his If there was a market, this one would be odds on

I know a lot of people are saying they want us to lose and get relegated in order to get rid of Ashley, and I can see the logic, but I find it very hard. When you meet friends from outside the area you end up feeling ashamed of your own club. It was on hold while Rafa was here because you could convince them he was turning things round. But Bruce...my God it's fucking embarrassing. You end up avoiding the topic of football altogether. Not just locals - I’ve started at a new school where all the kids want to talk about what football team I support. “Newcastle. I don’t want to talk about it.” They jeer when the Toon lose and don’t understand when I say I’m glad we lost. Doesn’t help that I’ve got a wallpaper on my work computer of Rafa and Jamaal, always up on the screen for the kids to mock. Probably should change that...

Did True Geordie ever interview Rafa? We might have two girls on staff, but no cups around here since 1969.

Given The Ashes are on, why hasn’t someone made the very obvious response: Rafa had the runs on the board. Meanwhile Brewcie has precisely nothing. He brings nothing, he offers nothing and he’ll leave nothing.

He’s been (deservedly) savage on Bruce - surely close to being worthy of his own thread if he keeps it up

Hopefully Redfearn and Dawson refuse the hot seat, along with every other manager - eventually Matt Ritchie and Jamaal Lascelles take over as co-player-managers.

How much faith did it look like they had in the second half? Remember every break in play when Rafa would chew the ear off his lieutenants? Watching Steve Bruce watching Isaac Hayden slurping on water made me wonder how much Wor Isaac was enjoying training now, without a clue as to what he should be doing?

I put this in the Bruce thread, but I think it's worth noting the sheer cluelessness of the words that tumble out of his mouth. Utter charlatan who blurts out whatever worthless, hypocritical, contradictory nonsense is troubling his mind.

Bruce: you have to apply yourself better than what we did today. Also Bruce: I can't question the desire. Nobody was not trying. Bruce: We will look at things on Monday Also Bruce: Come in for training on Sunday, boys

Well, Stevie did want Big AC to mentor the lad, didn't he? No doubt they'll be playing Xbox in the rehab room, swapping stories of nights on the tear

Fuck off Steve. Dropping Longstaff Also those quotes about not being afforded the patience that Rafa got sound like he’s already hoping for a pay off. Longstaff was poor in the first game tbh. Maybe this means ASM and Almiron both to start? ASM is out (well, “doubtful” according to the Beeb), so we can look forward to Joelinton and Almiron being isolated while Hayden, Shelvey and Ki behind.or else he dropped Longstaff to shoehorn Ritchie into centre-midfield.

Yup, cannot see a scenario where Bruce isn’t the manager as we prepare for the 2020/21 Championship

I feel, Hughesy, that your opinion might be a little biased Doesn’t make him wrong though. I like Dummett more than most, but Aaron Hughes was a superior centre half and fullback.

I think in that team, in that league, he could easily score 30 and get as many assists. Not Ronaldo numbers, but he can be huge in that side.

Or when ASM goes for a triple pike into it, just for the lols, and clean misses it.

All well and good, but Brewcie’s Boys go up against some of that “shit” this weekend and are likely to get spanked

Am eagerly looking forward to his follow up of Rafa’s piece, which no doubt crossed his desk for suggestions...

Bruce tends to do well for a year or so and then it goes downhill. He kept Birmingham and Hull up the table before taking them down and Sunderland going the same way when he was sacked. Yeah, nah, not on that showing.

Surely Ashley is going to stick with his new mate Brewcie as the SS NUFC sinks into the hopefully terminal depths of the Championship? Surely in hiring the man, Ashley accepts the possibility or even likelihood of relegation?

I read Rafa’s reference to the 24yo thing as meaning he knew well in advance Mike Ashley would never sign Rondon. Joelinton was what Ashley was spending his £40m on, not Rondon and the change on facilities. At that point, anything the club offered Rafa was “not serious”. Hope of a takeover was his second option (!), or getting another job Gotta say I found Cronky’s read a bit different than mine, but there are a million reasons both NUFC and Rafa spoke obliquely about the future during the season.

Loved Rafa’s eloquent savagery, especially the threat of more to come come - what can Ashley have said that’s worse than the already-public “paint the walls” and “no player didn’t sign because of facilities” quotes?

I’d put him between Carver and McClaren rather the lofty height of Pardewball. I wasn’t ready for the players being so clueless as to what they were supposed to do. Free fall is a real possibility.