Minhosa

Exactly - and you've seen where the policy has got us. Relegated twice. I'd hasten a guess that Rafa thought he had a greater budget left than he actually had as Murphy was fairly early in the window from memory.

I agree that Perez has had a couple of games completely pass him by and isn't looking great but I'd have serious reservations over whether Atsu would have the positional discipline to play at 10. I'd have Merino there ahead of Atsu personally. I'd also try Shelvey there.

My gut feel is that he'll come good but I'm struggling to see the logic in investing such a large portion of our transfer budget in a player with potential when we're playing in such a demanding league in terms of 'results now'. I trust in him to work hard though especially given his affinity with the club, it would matter more to him, you'd think. On a general note, you have to say that Rafa has signed some really solid characters. He's not taken any chances with the squad morale by taking a risk on a tosser or two. Murphy, Merino, Ritchie, even Murphy last season, Yedlin etc etc etc are all good lads. I guess Lazaar was the only slight exception but I'm sure he'd have been fine if he'd had more games.

I've been going since just before KK and I can't remember a better drilled side. I rarely worry about set pieces now either. I'd have been shitting myself about those late corners Swansea had with any other previous manager.

It looked to me that he had it in for Sanches. Mikel seemed to have an eye on him, first half in particular.

Superb.

Ironically, the clueless fat cunt, sacked the closest thing to his ideal manager in pretty much his first act here. Him and Allardyce are a match made in heaven tbqh.

Our luck's so bad that if we bought a cemetry people would stop dying.

All we need now is an injury to Blob and Darlow and then we can ruin young Woodman by having to play him every week..........probably live on Sky, with the world watching him poke himself in the eye whilst deflecting a floaty corner in off our bar, half blinding himself in the process. What is it he said? 'From now on, we make our own luck.'

.

Come in Captain Ginger.

What are the odds on this guy taking out Clarke?

no please god no he is like fucking rodwell man I'd take him at this stage.

Agreed.

Must've done his confidence the world of good this week.

Wonder if there is a chance we could get Fabian Delph at last minute?

He just needs to fuck off this cunt and let us be a competitive sporting outfit again. This is fucking soul destroying.

He's very talented tbf to him, he's just utterly thick. Which a lot of young english players seem to share sadly. Utterly thick on the pitch or off it or both? He's always came across as pretty well spoken whenever I've seen him interviewed That's his middle class apprenticeship from Southampton coming through.

Hope they both lose, the cunts.

Agreed. We were desperate for a commanding, experienced GK and an improvement at both LB and Number 10. We got none of them. I'd have lost the Murphy deal for those positions above.

Whatever happened to those two croatians we were linked with about 18 months ago for big money? They were supposed to be the next big things.... Did they move anywhere?

Sounds a bit like Alberto Aqualini in that first paragraph. Was he a Rafa buy at Liverpool?

Potential for this to go tits is huge. Feels like Ashley's revenge in the making tbh.

A bit like buying a gun in exchange for all your bullets though, innit?

He'll go. An odd one this.