Mattoon

Amazing scenes here

It was the easiest fixture on the calendar for the best part of thirty years before Pards got involved. Seems like a lifetime ago thanks to a string of incompetents. With Rafa in charge we're the best prepared we've been for years and we should win this but I'm still nervous as fuck! If Rafa can't get these fuckers to do it then no one can.

I just hope that the fans aren't nervous at the ground and it emenates to the players. Should be one of the easier games of the season but never is.

We beat the Mackems and we face them next with another 2 weeks training with Rafa we could be 2 points clear with a game in hand on them. The glass is always half way full.

Jesus. I see the similarities.

This is what I thought, Carver and McClaren can ask for it until they're blue in the face but if what we're seeing on the pitch is soul destroying it just drains the atmosphere. Rafa just being there will create a wall of sound, if we do the business on the pitch then it will be deafening. No need to ask Rafa, just do what you do and we'll do what we do!

I could see signs of a change after 3 days. Same. I remember looking at the screen v Leicester and at one point our defence and midfield were so beautifully organised it was incredible. They were tight and the movement was night and day compared to the last few years. He's had another week to drill them, it's going to be fine.

Cheer up for f***s sakes. We've got Rafa Benitez and at the end of the day we're playing one of the worst teams in the league. One of the worst teams but they're still above us. Not only that but they've beat us 6 times in a row, albeit heavily paedo assisted so they don't really count for much. I think Rafa is a great manager but he can't physically go on the pitch and score the goals Mitrovic should be scoring or head away the crosses Taylor should be clearing. I suppose we'll find out in just over 72 hours. Didn't we beat them 5 in a row before they started getting the better of us? That counted for nothing in the 6th game so what is stopping us from turning it around again? All good things come to an end, maybe it's time for us to get on top again. Us having a team full of cowards who fold at the first sign of having to roll their sleeves up and battle is the main thing stopping us. We still have a core of players here who have failed to turn up time and time again against these. I hope they prove me wrong but I doubt it. Self preservation or did your mam throw your happy pills away?

Great idea, we're struggling for goals - let's drop our top scorer. I don't see how you could make a very strong argument if he was dropped TBH, he's been poor for ages. I don't think he was poor against Leicester. Who'd you drop him for? Siem De Jong His first game at home under Benitez, I think it's worth starting him, if he disappears then yes by all means hook him off. Everyone should get a clean slate under a new manager (bar Gouffran, Obertan et al)

I agree with this to an extent but I also think we find it hard to break teams down that defend deep, hopefully Shelvey can be the one to find that killer pass though. Our best game came when a shoddy defence tried to take us on by attacking freely, we tore Norwich apart that game.

We're well overdue giving them a good spanking too, I just hope it all falls into place on Sunday. I guess this is the time to see if Rafa can turn our fortunes around, I think that's why everyone is so nervous, not only is it a derby, it's the major tuning point of a hideous season and if it doesn't turn for us its going to be a massive uphill struggle.

IF we do beat them it will be all the sweeter to watch the bed wetting melt down on there. I don't ever remember being that cocksure of a win, even in our halcyon days, derby's aren't always won by the form team.

Posted about this in the match thread, every other thread on Ready To Groom is Newcastle related right now, it's obsessive. They're convincing themselves it's gonna be a walkover for them too. To quote Benitez "When they are talking and talking and talking before the game it means they are worried. Maybe they're afraid?"

So now they're asking the lad the controls the speakers at St James' to play the magnificent 7 tune "WHEN they win". They really think it's nailed on. I'm as nervous as shit but it's certainly not foregone.

Wow! Now if that comes off, Rafa and an £80m transfer fund for next season? Don't you dare get relegated you bunch of fucktards!!

Genuinely nervous about this, not least because I actually care about the result now. Seriously think if we can get an early goal, confidence will rise and we might see a few.

He won't, unlike our past array of astute tactical managers he saw it wasn't working and made the early change.

I don't think Palace are safe yet either, we just need to concentrate on getting ourselves on a run of results though, but there's definitely more teams still in it than the 4 at the bottom.

Sunday won't be blood and thunder, not with Allardyce in charge. They'll defend deep and Rafa's not going to throw caution to the wind either. It will be a tight niggly game but we should be able to impose our game on them. They certainly won't close us down as effectively as Leicester did last night. I can't really remember the last time is was blood and thunder? the last few certainly haven't been. I said it in the match thread, but absolutely cannot play "blood and thunder" I don't want to see us revert to that it'll play right into their hands. Play our game, stay cool and don't let them impose their game on us. We could do with a ref that's not going to let them kick the shit out of us because that'll be their tactic.

The only time we struggle in this match I'd when we allow ourselves to get dragged into their game. Rafa will have a plan and if we stick to it and play our own game I have no doubt (barring a dodgy refereeing decision) we can win this.

We still have a game in hand on Norwich and we still have to play them both. The next two games will make or break the season, yes we're 19th and struggling but the Benitez factor adds to our chances iyam. Sunday is massive, biggest game we've played since 2009 and biggest derby since THAT playoff. I still think we can do this, I notice a lot of negativity creeping in since the Leicester game last night but most of us said we'd take a narrow loss with improved performance and that's what we got. Yes it was disappointing not getting anything from the match after the way it played out but Leicester are a good side this year and they'll do that to better teams than us. The plan was always consolidate and progress, last night was consolidation, Sunday HAS to be progress, I still have faith in this squad under Benitez and I'm at a 6 right now, we've got a massive chance to put some daylight between us and the other 2 in the next 2 matches, we're only 1 point behind not 3 or 6 although some people seem to feel that way. I'll review my score after Sunday, but right now there's no need for us to panic, in Rafa we trust.

I'm not sure where all the negativity is coming from, try watching back any of McClarens away games and watch tonight's game back again to see the massive strides we've made already. We still have a game in hand on Norwich and the Mackem game can be a huge turning point for us. Rafa has breathed a new lease of life into these players in a very short space of time and he has another week to make even more of an impact. IF we lose the derby then by all means start to panic.

We have better players and a better manager than Sunderland and we have home soil advantage, they have the psychological advantage and that has been used to full effect against weak minded management. Benitez needs to get the players right in the head most of all going into this game. We need belief and confidence.

Opposite here, I spent pretty much all of the second half stood up and swearing at the TV, like the olden days. Yep, same. Thirded. I actually shouted at the screen. I remember the good old days where I could break shit in anger, perhaps I will be there once more with Benitez I'm with Sempuki. Still dead inside. Rafa caused some stirring but today cold reality bit hard, and 10 games is too much to ask from the man. I hope I'm wrong. I don't think it is, we're not cut adrift, it's only 1 point and the teams just above us are absolute dog shit, we just need a win against Sunderland and then to at least match theirs and Norwich's results. Going off today's performance I really think we can do it. Had their been daylight between us and safety I might agree.

Definite penalty and definitely offside in the build up to their goal, it's those things that happen when you're down on your luck though, just not got to let it effect us and if we'd have scored one of our guilt-edged chances then it would have been inconsequential anyway. 100% deserved the draw, but happy enough it was an inspiring display and a rugged determination not to let our heads dropped. Indefinitely better than any McClaren away performance.