Ronaldo

Warnock? Crouch? Alonso? All much better than what they have now. Benitez has made a lot of baffling decisions in getting rid of players.

Of course they're not, we can barely string two passes together.

Wish this thread would fuck off.

Never got a chance here despite far, far worse being in the squad.

Smith was at walking pace by the 60th minute, what an absolute wanker.

Yeah, i'm sure he'll be rocked by a NE and Cumbria special on overseas labour.

Yes. Shame if we don't get him, would have been a good partner for Loven or Shola.

He boasts about injuring underperforming foreigners in training and arranging for Lucas Neil to be beaten up in his autobiography.

He might replace Jonas. I sincerely hope not though, and i'm a fan of Barton.

The thing is, play Butt, Nolan and Smith in the same team and you essentially aren't playing with 10 men, such is the complete lack of athleticism.

Am I the only one who thought that tackle wasn't worthy of a red card btw?

How do you explain the assists then? He's 22, you can't expect him to read the game like Andrea Pirlo.

I personally hope Nolan is the first to be sold, he'll go for a decent sum and just isn't capable of contributing in the premier league.

Or me quite honestly.

If he hadn't of gotten that pointless red card against Liverpool we probably wouldn't have been relegated last season with him in the middle. Aye we wouldn't have lost against Villa final day with him in the middle. We would have tbh. Our players looked more likely to grow wings than score in that game, or most of them under Shearer.

A few posters wrote him off from the start (almost) and lie in wait every game hoping for the lad to make a mistake, It's very sad.

We most certainly do. We'll get absolutely murdered in the premiership unless we stick to playing Smith and Nolan in the centre with Barton on the bench.

We always play 4-5-1, don't we.

Nolan is knackered, Shola is injured. Where are the goals?

Taylor and Williamson are very similar from what i've seen so far. Wouldn't like to see them together in the premiership though. Has to be one or the other with Colo.

He's got a hell of a right foot when it warms up but he's a pretty poor athlete. I'd still start him in every game though.

Instead of berating team mates everytime they choose to pick out someone else, maybe he should spend a few seconds thinking about making a different, less predictable run next time. People say he's a 'nightmare' for defenders but he really isn't, defenders are undone by clever and dynamic movement, not some idiot content to have physical battles that win no advantage for 90 minutes. Shouldn't be anywhere near the first Xl.

We've known for a long time that a striker is a priority, 4 weeks in and still 1 striker short from December is unacceptable in my book.

A good striker with good movement and we'd have won that game.