merlin

Doesn't matter if the Manor Ground was/is a bogey ground seeing as they don't play there anymore. ...which is why I said I hoped it wasn't a bogey ground NOW..!

Me too - seemed to click at our place and had a good relationship with Rafa. Made a professional decision (wrongly in my opinion) but did it in the right way and as far as I'm aware didn't twist in public. No hard feelings at all towards him and would welcome him back. This - Townsend would be a great signing if he played with as much effort and conviction as he did last season...he clearly has a good rapport with Rafa and must be fond of the club to risk any hostility from small-minded fans. Hope this happens, we need another fast winger.

We have a bad record down there - even in the promotion season of 92/93 under KK we lost 4-2...the season before, we lost 5-2 and it was Ardiles' swan song. The club fired him and appointed KK as manager a few days after this defeat so at least something came out of it ! Lets hope it is not a bogey ground now..

He'll take us up out of a loyalty he sees to the fans and then walk in the summer if they're pulling this s*** again. Pardew back. If Ashley did that, I would NEVER cross the portals of SJP again...even if they got Mourinho to take over after ANOTHER relegation battle. The club would be a joke and quite rightly the butt of every fan in the UK. If Rafa leaves because of interference, it should be total war against Ashley until he leaves.

A very possible scenario but don't rule out a return to Liverpool if Bayern are successful in prising Klopp away at the end of the season. Either way, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Rafa off at the end of the season if he is unhappy at transfer policy - nobody objects to signing young promising players but the end decision on who is signed and why should be the managers and players should be signed to BUILD a side, not so they can be sold on in a year or two's time...

Old Pards is free right now. Just saying....... Don't joke about it....apparently, Bayern Munich want Klopp and Benitez would be a ready-made replacement for him if he left Liverpool. Home on Merseyside etc., and it would be typical Ashley to re-appoint an out-of- work Pardew, partly to rub it into the fans and also because it would be cheap ; he has form with Kinnear remember...

A necessary result, esp as only Leeds won among the promotion chasers and Brighton lost although you could expect that they might at Preston...PNE are playing well and gave Arsenal a fight in the FAC ; we also struggled a fair bit at Deepdale. No TV coverage over here so won't comment on the game but the story about Ashley interfering in transfer policy once again is more important than even this win. Big trouble ahead if the Mirror story is true....

Why would the Chinese market be relevant to buying young players? The Chinese teams are all about buying 'names'. Can't see any connection at all. In Ashley's world, all our 'young prospects' are going to turn into World-beaters and will THEN be sold to the Chinese at Ronaldoesque prices...except NONE of our young signings have turned into top PL players, let alone World-beaters....

If there is even a grain of truth in this report, Rafa will def be away at the end of the season. If he gets the club promoted, his reputation will be even stronger and there will be no shortage of clubs willing to take him, both in the PL and overseas. Anyone who goes back to SJP if Rafa is forced out by Ashley's alleged transfer policy is a fool and would deserve all they get - NOTHING for their money. If this is true, Ashley is either a plant, doing the club down for his London buddies like Spurs, or even more idiotic than anyone thought he was...and that is some achievement. There will be no more tolerance of his regime by many supporters if Rafa goes....let us hope this is more press trouble-making but I don't believe they would have been so specific about it had there not been some fire behind the smoke.

We DO need to be able to come from a losing position to get points if we want to go up...also, although it seems sacrilege to even LOOK like comparing Rafa with him, I believe this was also a criticism of Pardew's teams as well so maybe some of the players in both manager's sides lack character and determination.

Players go to the team who pays them the most money. A club's stature and other characteristics, like the manager or division, are relevant factors of course, but money's the kicker. There's nothing to get depressed about, it's just the state of the game. We're not one of the mega-rich Champions League elite, like 99.9999999% of all other football clubs on the planet, that's all. I'm sure our lack of signings so far is a decision made on our terms. Money is important to many players but it isn't the be-all and end-all...if it were, Ronaldo would now be heading for China as one of their mega-rich clubs offered him mega-bucks, far and away in excess of what Real would ever pay him but he stayed at Madrid... We are not talking about players of that category - nobody is getting depressed about lack of signings but many are concerned as they can see the squad needs fresh input or promotion is far from certain and that would set us back years.

The days of NUFC being a top draw for players are well and truly over, at least for the foreseeable future. Once KK got us promoted, lots of players wanted to join us and that continued throughout the 90s and a few years after because SBR eventually took over. Once players saw what happened with KK after Ashley took over and then the shambles of relegation they began to be wary and we only wanted to sign players who were below a certain age or foreign...usually French. We got lucky with Cabaye and at first, Tiote but when we failed to strengthen the squad properly after finishing 5th, we began to acquire the reputation of being cheapskates and unambitious...this has carried over to today's transfer window and top players - whether they be in the PL or Champ lge are not necessarily going to be in a rush to join us. Our lack of success in the past few years is going to raise red flags with decent foreign players too and in my view we will not be a magnet for decent players until we get promoted...even with Rafa at the helm - unless we pay stupid fees. If moderate players like Cleverley want to sign for the likes of Watford above us, it highlights the problem we face. We may make a signing or two, we may not, but Knockaert staying at Brighton is no surprise really. They have at least as good a chance of promotion, are playing better and he doesn't have to move.

This is also true...Derby are in with a chance of catching promotion chasing sides so unless they don't rate Ince as highly as others do, they will hang on.

This is spot-on...we looked short of creativity from the first game at Fulham and this has been proven by home results against teams who compete hard and play defensively...I always thought it would be a big ask to get the players we need in this window, clubs do not want to part at this time of year.

Having 48 countries in the WC Finals is ridiculous - it dilutes the strength and appeal of the competition and Brian Glanville, formerly of the Times for many years, even thought it was crazy when it went to 32.

In 92/93 KK was able to sign both Andy Cole and Sellars in the period AFTER what is now the Jan transfer window was closed and BOTH made a significant impact on our run-in from beating Tranmere on 28 Feb to the end of the season. Rafa will NOT be able to do that and unless we get the players that are clearly necessary to create and convert real chances in the Jan window, our promotion is not in any way certain...would you be happy to continue the season with the current side and no improvements...?

You can't say that Brighton have been lucky - they have deserved their results and are a team with a better mind-set and more experience of fighting to get out of this league than are Newcastle. We were only unlucky at Forest - the rest of the results were deserved because we cannot break down teams that park the bus and compete. How much of Brighton have you watched this season just out of interest? Consensus from their own supporters seems to be that they were very fortunate yesterday and in the reverse fixture. http://www.northstandchat.com/showthread.php?346755-An-apology-to-Fulham How did we do at Preston, for example ?...lucky to win. We also had our backs to the wall at Elland Road for a period in the second half.. We never looked like scoring at Fulham or against Sheff Weds... We have had just as much 'luck' as Brighton and its results that count - near misses mean nothing. Were you watching the club in 1996...?

A good summary, HTT and I agree with most of it. As I have said before, the problem is that if we were in the PL, we could afford to wait until Rafa's methods bring success and nobody would have a problem with that. We are NOT in the PL as you know and it is imperative that we go up this season or Rafa will be gone...I am sure of it. We will then be back to square 1 as a new manager will come in and change everything again...players sold, players bought, playing style altered and on we go.... That is why everyone who is expressing concerns is doing so - they know that it would be doubtful that Rafa would stay for another Champ season if he was being pursued by other big clubs at a higher level and Ashley would be very tempted to accept a compensation payment of, say, 25m to allow Rafa to leave ; although I don't think they would be his first choice West Ham would almost certainly cough it up if they stay up.... That is why we need to avoid losing any more games - we have lost 7 already and that is allowing other clubs to challenge us seriously for automatic promotion. IF we could guarantee promotion nobody would mind HOW Rafa achieved it but many of us have seen at first hand how NUFC are specialists in extracting failure from the jaws of success and we don't want a repeat of that this season. Your basic assessment and the fact that most fans do trust the manager is spot on though.

If it wasn't for the ACN you would almost certainly get your wish....

This - it all HAS to work this season or he will be off.

Don't care about the FAC this season - promotion is everything. Lose 1-0 and I will be happy.

You MIGHT be relieved about it - but HAPPY..? Not for me, I would be relieved if we go up automatically but not happy because I want NUFC to be WINNERS...only clubs with a winning mentality are successful. Bill Shankly once said there were two clubs in Liverpool - Liverpool and L'Pool Reserves.. a joke but you can see what he meant. Also, we cannot keep saying it was just 'one of those days'....we have had SEVEN of those days so far and 4 over the last month - you cannot blame people for being concerned.

Why is Brighton's form 'ridiculous'..? Was Man U's ridiculous when they were TWELVE points behind us in Feb and managed to overhaul us to the point that the last day's fixtures were virtually meaningless..? Brighton are top because they deserve to be...they have found a winning formula and can come from behind to get points which we clearly cannot.

Maybe - but he is right about the repercussions if we fail to go up....losing Rafa would be a more than even bet...

You can't say that Brighton have been lucky - they have deserved their results and are a team with a better mind-set and more experience of fighting to get out of this league than are Newcastle. We were only unlucky at Forest - the rest of the results were deserved because we cannot break down teams that park the bus and compete.