Mattoon

Maybe it's that their fans measure success entirely in relation to another club. 17th is fantastic if the mags go down, get the plane banners out. 13th would be a miserable season if the mags qualify for Europe. How do you work towards to success when such a large percentage of what success is defined as is completely unrelated to how you perform on the pitch? They'll finish 20th this season and claim it a success because it's a higher position than "the mags"

I can agree that a normal managerial appointment isn't a "project" but for me our situation is different.

I say project because there is work that needs done to get this club to where every fan on here wants it to be. Still some way to go. I'd say it's a project too, because it's not just about managing a squad in the league, it's about rebuilding how a club works from top to bottom.

No. I was in the wrong thread (been drinking wine since lunchtime) - our away support is a coked up mess - see http://www.newcastle-online.org/nufcforum/index.php/topic,98264.0.html Look at me, look at me, aren't I pretentious, I drink wine, pathetic.

Relegating them by getting relegated. Cool. All part of Rafa's master plan

He's not to blame for yesterday, I don't think anyone is directly, Diame and Gayle should have scored at least 1 each and Mitrovic's dodgy flick put us under the pressure that lead to the goal, Sels could have done better with the goal and was far too flappy on crosses, but overall a lot of the team made some pretty unacceptable errors. Can't call Sels out and not other players. I'm not Sels biggest fan, but that isn't helping anyone, tosser!

That was when Rafa was just appointed and we still had Townsend, Sissoko and Wijnaldum. Since then we've replaced them with decent enough players but not really the same pedigree so it's not quite the same thing. I still think we'll win the division, but what we've got now is a good deep championship squad. Aye, I think we'll be top by Christmas with the run in we have and when fatigue and suspensions starts affecting other squads we'll still have a deep squad to choose from and that will stand us in good stead. Games like yesterday are frustrating and dent your resolve but looking at the bigger picture we're still looking strong, we'll be fine.

Finally come to realise what we've been telling them for years, we've been gifting them with survival with our 6 points a season, they're fucked without us.

This, needs more minutes and needs to play with Perez withdrawn behind him, they've had a good understanding in the past, something we're missing with this Gayle/Diame experiment.

He's been an accident waiting to happen, thought he might get better with confidence but just doesn't seem to be getting any better. Still early days? Maybe, but the signs aren't good, certainly hasn't done anything to warrant keeping Darlow out the side for me.

Sels inability to deal with aerial threats was always going to cost us at some point, he's just not progressing in that area and you've got to start question him getting in the team ahead of Darlow now. Clearly Diame and Gayle does not work, it's been our worst front line so far this season and we paid the price today with poor finishes from them both. Mitrovic and Perez have to play midweek, they deserve the chance after another woeful display. We only have ourselves to blame after today, Villa were there for the taking, so poor in the first half and with the chances we created when we were on top we should have been comfortable for the win at half time. On the balance of play a draw is probably a fair result, it's just a kick in the teeth when the first half it looked like there was only one team in it. We can't dwell on it too much, we need to get back at it and get a win midweek against Norwich, last week most of us would have taken 4 points from the 2 games, given other results this is now imperative to keep in distance of the top of the league. The next few months see us having some easy games on paper and we need to make a charge to the top of the table. It's not the end of the world but it's another setback in what's proving to be a more difficult campaign than most of us anticipated.

Wasted too many chances then tried to sit on a slender win, we gave them the confidence to come back into this when they should have been dead and buried in the first half ffs

Feeling quite nervy about this one, even though on paper we should be winning it given the current directions of the clubs.

I bet they're "seething"

Even the pink seats are beewwwwwwing

BEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!

15 seconds man!

Huddersfield down to 10 men in their match early doors.

I think it's safe to say now that Manyoo look a much more coherent side without Rooney.

I'm at work! HTL!

I've always maintained he's his own worst enemy, I've also always maintained that he needs the right manager to keep him on the right path. Some players just need that extra special attention and when they are as talented as HBA they are worth it. Stick him in a team and treat him the same as everyone else and you're never going to get the best out of him. The people that say he's a waste of space are the ones that would never see the best of him if they were managers.

Easy draw, was totally expecting Sunderland then!

Exactly what I was thinking, how many times did that charlatan survive those kind of streaks with us, but be careful what you wish for...

SSN for the draw?

Not really but a midweek derby under the floodlights wold be class. When was the last one? It wasn't the play offs was it? Bring it on. I thought we might not get an early chance to put you lot in your place what with us going up this season and you getting relegated. Here's hoping...