Paully

Our recent form Last 10 FAC Third Round ties: 2016/17 Birmingham City (a) drew 1-1 2015/16 Watford (a) lost 0-1 2014/15 Leicester City (a) lost 0-1 2013/14 Cardiff City (h) lost 1-2 2012/13 Brighton and Hove Albion (a) lost 0-2 2011/12 Blackburn Rovers (h) won 2-1 2010/11 Stevenage (a) lost 1-3 2009/10 Plymouth Argyle (a) drew 0-0 2008/09 Hull City (a) drew 0-0 2007/08 Stoke City (a) drew 0-0

.com advent calendar; http://www.nufc.com/advent2017/advent2017.html#1

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/rafa-benitez-feels-the-strain-of-newcastles-deficiencies-29thmg9gl?shareToken=2de55f2390dd8e9ae26c3ed585351bd9 Rafa Benítez feels the strain of Newcastle’s deficiencies George Caulkin, Northern Sports Correspondent December 4 2017, 12:01am, The Times Benítez has repeatedly switched personnel and tactics as he struggles to find a formula that works Rafa Benítez was not in an expansive mood, but defeat is the enemy of chit-chat. Newcastle United have lost five of their past six matches and won only once since mid-September. A team that was revelling in overachievement two months ago is now hunkering down into a familiar sense of restlessness. Would January be a big month for Newcastle, Benítez was asked after his team’s loss at Stamford Bridge. “I have no idea,” the Spaniard said. Really? He did not know? “I have no idea,” he said. Because of the drawn-out uncertainty over the club’s prospective takeover? “I have no idea,” Benítez said. Conversation, meet brick wall. Newcastle are about where they should be in the Premier League, but their route to 14th place has been deflating. Momentum, whether good or ill, can be fierce on Tyneside, and the encouragement of those consecutive early-season victories over West Ham United, Swansea City and Stoke City, bolstered when Mike Ashley declared his intent to sell the club, has dissipated. The agitation that Benítez felt during a long summer of missed opportunities in the transfer market had only been buried, not banished; he always suspected results would turn. “We knew from day one that we will be in the bottom half of the league,” the manager said. “It’s not a surprise to anyone.” Newcastle left themselves short, particularly up front, where Benítez scrabbled to bring in Joselu from Stoke for £5 million. It was never enough, not when there is no luxury of a go-to player; if any component of the team dips below its maximum, they will lose. They can carry not a scrap of excess flesh. That was how it was at Chelsea. Newcastle grasped the lead through Dwight Gayle, but their energy was undermined by three defensive mistakes. They are not good enough to be anything other than 100 per cent. “Yes,” Benítez said. “That is very clear.” Newcastle are again in limbo. If Amanda Staveley (or any other bidder), fails to buy the club, there will be more austerity next month. If she succeeds — and Ashley’s muddled ownership, the division and incompetence, has long since run its course — Benítez will have a chance to regroup. Longer term, he is more likely to stay. That tension is bubbling back, but in the meantime Newcastle need points from successive home games against Leicester City and Everton. “We can’t keep saying we are still OK in the table,” Ayoze Pérez said. “This is the moment to turn things around.” Benítez constantly switches his personnel and tactics — there were five at the back at Chelsea — groping for a formula. Is he learning about his players during this difficult run? “Yeah, we know a lot about our team,” Benítez said. “But at the same time we know about the other teams and still we can’t stop them.” In its own way, that was pretty brutal.

Liverpool, Everton, Leicester - 9/2 PP enhanced

Bore off man! Two away matches for us as well! 'Honestly, it is very difficult to think this is a coincidence,' fumed Conte. 'Once it can happen. Twice it can happen. Then you start to be perplexed. The Qarabag situation was incredible. And I must be honest, it has happened again. Newcastle played on Tuesday, we played on Wednesday and now we play on Saturday at 12.30”

Wow! Idiotic, deluded fat-headed clown! Sam Allardyce: Let’s put it this way. If you look at my track record why wouldn’t I be here irrespective of Marco Silva? I have every respect for MS and I’m not criticising MS, but Marco Silva’s track record has got no comparison whatsoever with mine because he got Hull relegated

Ha ha embarrassing that! “Erm referee, we are waiting on you”!

Rafa thread 4853836! The usual bitter plebs all over it! https://www.readytogo.net/smb/threads/how-long-can-rafa-last.1405980/

Win the group; 2R - Mon July 2 - 7pm QF - Fri July 6 - 7pm SF - Tues July 10 - 7pm F - Sun July 15 - 4pm Runner up; 2R - Tues July 3 - 7pm QF - Sat July 7 - 3pm SF - Weds July 11 - 7pm F - Sun July 15 - 4pm (I think!)

:lol: "When I left Newcastle, people still came up, some geordie fans, saying: ‘We’re disappointed you got the sack’. I didn’t get the sack, I left, and when I did leave we were ninth”

One thing for certain is Rafa will be massively up for this after how their wanker fans went on when he was appointed there especially after he won them a trophy! 0-2!

Fuck me - did anyone just hear him on SSN?! It’s incredible the amount of bull-shit this wanker spouts!

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/nov/30/gianfranco-zola-maradona-asprilla-chelsea-west-ham-manager It is tempting to wonder how certain former team-mates of his might have engaged with social media had it been available during their playing days. What might we have seen from a young Diego Maradona, with whom Zola won a Serie A title at Napoli? Faustino Asprilla’s Twitter account is raucous enough even in retirement. Who was the wilder of that pair? Zola has no hesitation. “Tino by miles. Tino was another league. But always in a nice way. Not that Maradona was in a bad way. But Tino was really, really, a constant search for trouble. Good trouble.”

Good read! Graham Taylor spoke of World Cup failure and Gazza in his final weeks http://dailym.ai/2BAbORx

Link? Quotes? http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42035411 Scroll down for his interview. "Congratulations to our players, our fans, they support the team. But congratulations as well for the fans of Newcastle. Fantastic, what I saw. At 0-2, 0-3, they support always the team, very very good. I think they are a good example for everyone." He was massively praising us pre-match too! The Mackems will be FEWWWWIN!

Just had a look on the SMB and a win at Burton and a bad run for us has brought the bitter mob back out in force! Threads on the first two pages; Two Rafa specials (20 pages so far) WBA vs Barca of the North (23 pages so far) Mag at work Mags singing about Amanda Staveley Manquillo Yedlin Praising Merson as he predicted a loss for us last night Return of the Mags Utter ball-bags!

Reports that it’s £6 million pound a year wages for Hippo Heed :lol: :lol:

First words on that link - FUCK ME! “He's not the most exciting appointment ever but he does at least play reasonably attacking football, takes the FA cup seriously, and is capable of doing well in the league”

Rafa Benitez under pressure? NUFC are struggling but that's crazy talk http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/newcastle-united-plenty-problems-rafa-13962537#ICID=ios_ChronicleNewsApp_AppShare_Click_Other

0-2 Ritchie, Gayle

Off what was said at the Rafa talk-in at Nine Bar and the True Faith night when the local journos were present, the fat wanker completely messed Rafa about both in January and in the summer. Deals for Townsend, Loftus Cheek on loan and another in January who I can't recall were all done only to be pulled and there were numerous examples in the summer from what was said (Abraham, plus another "elite forward" who wanted to come, Reina plus others). This takeover simply has to go through or else we are well and truly screwed..................howay Amanda!

"Our reality is if you want to buy a striker that scores 20 goals every year then you have to pay £40m. "An average striker is £15m, £20m, or £25m. If he kicks the ball forward it's £15m, if he scores it's £25m. We didn't do that and that's it. (NB: Joselu cost £5m). "We need to know who we are, and where we are. It can be worse if we start questioning everything, the reality is the reality. "You can lose against the top teams, we have to compete against Huddersfield, Brighton, or Burnley, but we couldn't sign players that they signed. We couldn't pay the wages that they paid, so that is what we have. "I can tell you a couple of players in each team that maybe we could have signed, but we couldn't pay the wages, or we couldn't pay the transfer fee, or whatever. "That is a message for our fans - so stick together. We have to support our team, we have to support our players, so stick together." "The top six teams are the higher wages - the top six are the top six in wage bills. The fans have to realise that it could be worse." "We will be better in the second half of the season. We aim for 20 points in the first half of the season, so if we win some games in between, that will make things easier. "A message for our fans - stick together. You see what we have and the players are giving everything. They can manage if we stay calm. "We have to support our team; to support our players. If they make the worst mistake in football history, we stick together." "What is our target? To stay in the Premier League. Nobody said it would be easy. I have confidence. Sometimes you will win, sometimes you will lose."

Not a happy chappy; https://www.facebook.com/chroniclenufc/videos/1780365401976085/