Gallowgate Toon

His end product has been good so far, for a winger. He impacted half of his games here with a goal or assist and his first few matches he was evidently very rusty & lacking in fitness.

It wouldn't have been anyone else

Gutted for him, he should be going.

Armstrong and Mitro with Perez in AM. Andros and Aarons as wide CMs and Saivet sitting. Let's just go for it

Payet's last season in France was pretty exceptional, like 7 goals in 38 games? not that exceptional. He never really had an exceptional year in France, which is why most media people where so surprised with how successful he's been in England. He never really had a consistent year ( or even few months tbh ) until this season. Rocking 17 assists. He's an attacking mid rather than a goalscorer and he was one of the best players in Ligue 1 last year, no doubt.

Payet's last season in France was pretty exceptional, like

If you want a wide forward, you take HBA. If you want a playmaker, you take Payet.

Totally forgot our back 4 in 12/13 when we beat Liverpool 2-0 consisted of Gutierrez, Perch, Williamson and Simpson Up against Carroll, Suarez and Bellamy, no less.

Nowt we wouldn't be saying to them were the positions reversed tbh. To a degree, yes, but I wouldn't be totally devoid of logic. Things like calling Benitez a busted flush and an 'OK' manager, man. When was the last time they ever had someone as decorated? Someone who's actually won a trophy in a major division the few years previous to their appointment?

Highest quality as in any team can beat any other on their day. It doesn't happen in La Liga as a rule. Don't get me wrong Barca and Real are amazing teams, and what Athletico have done is fantastic, but by God it's dreadful to watch most of the time. I, and the rest of the world, would rather watch the Premier League. I disagree that equates to quality; if anything, it's the other way round. I'd rather watch a Prem game but there's 2 Spanish teams in the CL final (plus count recent years' finalists and winners) and Sevilla have just won the EL again for the umpteenth/whatever time - to me, that suggests their league is of the best quality.

The best league in the world is surely that of the highest quality? Sounds like you're describing the most entertaining (which I'd say it is, in fairness).

He's an excellent manager but he's a bracket below the very top, IMO. Still, he's in that top 15/20 and that's absolutely fine by me Amazing story, really.

Their reaction to the appointment has been hilarious, tbf. Pulling up stats about McClaren's record against the teams Benitez faced and asking how many points we were behind when he first took over; despite us being in a terrible run of form when RB first got here, the time needed for his methods to kick in, 6 of those games being away fixtures when we've been dreadful away from home for years, us going unbeaten for the last 6 etc.

I agree with H. I simply cannot see this superb technique everyone talks about. Even if he puts his goolies back in he'll never make ripples in the PL. Some of his touches are absolutely outstanding, as is his close control. When he was arsed and in a great run of form, he was holding players off and dribbling through etc. I think he'll always be someone that plays within himself and never try to run games, somewhat; but if he plays for the right team for him next season he'll bag close to 15 goals, I'm sure.

Actually you are wrong, he was ever present until the end of November when he picked up a knock, the next game he was supposed to be on the bench but refused, the next game he played was against Palace where he strolled about and clearly didn't want to be there and after that was the Oxford debacle when he was pulling up his socks watching a 4th division player run past and score. Not long after that a lot of Swansea fans were celebrating, not believing the luck. I honestly thought he would help save your season as he can do it if he really tries, I wasn't so confident he would remain mentally with it past the end of the season though. I thought he'd been dropped in early November.

The Swansea improvement is also a bit unfair to cite. He hadn't been playing for them that much when they were doing poorly. Their better results came with a new manager, iirc.

His short passing is also good, like. And you can't teach the vision he has. The ball for Perez against Bournemouth being a prime example. His close-range dribbling is also good, as are his set pieces. He's poor defensively and not the most mobile (but I don't think he's as bad as being made out to be, on that front) but he's still a very decent technical footballer who will piss the Champ. With the right state of mind and in a system that suits him, he'll perform in the PL.

Ritchie?! He's looked pretty average in the PL games I've watched him.

Was pap against West Ham & Watford early doors. We aren't going to sell him because he's been pap. He had some good performances and poorer performances in the season openers, he was OK. Like most defenders of his type, the partner is very important.

I thought he started the season OK, was reasonable in that period when we actually won some games but then he went downhill. Been generally good for the final stretch, especially when paired with someone that complements him.

The styles are different but I expect Mitro to post his Jupiler League numbers in the Champ.

There's a few worth keeping and building on. We need to create a spine to this side, an identity that goes beyond this division. Will be glad to see the back of many.

Think a decent team will snap him up and he'll be great. He's just completely unsuited to being in a struggling, against-the-run-of-play side. He seemed like such a good character, never been so disappointed in a player, tbh.

He's not that strange. Cabella, Thauvin, Marveaux were all similar. Very talented but didn't relish the close quarters combat nature of English football much is how i see it. It's still a much more physical game here than it is on the continent. Some can handle it like Ben Arfa, but that can sometimes be a problem for managers with huge egos and we end up giving them away because they don't fall in line with the tit in charge. Wijnaldum seems absolutely fine with the physical side of the game, to me. He'll regularly hold off bigger players when under pressure etc. When he was in such good form around Christmas, he was pelting it around for 90 minutes too, still making lung-busting runs at the end of matches.