John P

I'm pretty sure I read an article where it described how Rafa likes his lone striker to be mobile and able to run in behind (Torres at Liverpool) so Gayle would fit into that.

https://audioboom.com/boos/4733689-ep-16-the-alderman-s-toffee?t=0 Bob Mortimer on his podcast doing a song 'about Steve McClaren' from 31:20 on that link

Tbf he's a bit better than competent. Probably one of the top half dozen managers in World football. I was more trying to make the point that our previous ones were incompetent.

Amazing what having a competent manager can do.

I like how he responds to the question about teams seeing us as the big scalp in the Championship this season, in his interview in the transfer rumours thread. Says he's used to it after managing Liverpool, Chelsea, Napoli, Real and discusses how we might have to approach it tactically with teams sitting a bit deeper. If Pardew was here it would be all 'it's going to be difficult because everyone wants to beat us, we have to fight and battle etc etc.' Tactics wouldn't come into it. Such a relief that we have this guy in charge now.

Not for me, Clive.

'Rooney can't quite bring it under his spell.' Fucking Clive Tyldesley.

Would love him to end up at West Brom

Nothing he said goes against that. I find it weird but who else would take them? Rooney? Dier? Highlights a lack of quality in that squad. Like someone mentioned he's no Beckham at that anyway. I'm sure Lallana could put a decent corner in. He's also not an aerial threat so would seem a good choice to me.

He's from Stoke. Going from Hanley to Burslem is like having an exotic adventure to a Potter. A relative of mine used to live in Hanley. Utterly grim place.

Lee Dixon was just going through some of the great French players in 98 - 'Petit, Vieira, Le Blanc.'

So pretty much everyone who has played in a 5 a side league in the north east in the last few years has been playing on a substantially better surface than the Newcastle United first team. Absolutely bonkers.

Finally, some interesting news to debate in this thread.

Except for the ones I agreed with of course. I love how saying Tom Cleverley was good for us equates to him being world class. f*** off. I just found it weird that someone would use the words very good and class when talking about Tom Cleverley and Ashley Young. That's all. That's what made Fergie so good. These players were average and he made them into world beaters. Hi Roberto.

Looks like Borini has been given a good hiding.

Nice cherry-picking. You've overpaid on a ton of players the last few years, plenty of them not even getting in your team. http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/manchester-united/alletransfers/verein/985 Look at the f***ing state of some of that, man. Who are you talking about exactly? Bebe, Falcao and maybe Jones but injury is at fault there. Suppose you could say Bastian as well but again, injury. A lot of people say about Depay but he's 22 and played over 40 times in his first season. So aye. What? Oh yes, the definitive way to judge how good a signing was... Or just see that IP said they don't get in the team. Anything else? I think IP's main point was that you've bought a lot of shite in the last few years. £24m on Fellaini, £27m on Herrera, £15m on Rojo, £6m loan fee plus god knows how much on wages for Falcao, £56m on Di Maria, £26m on Schneiderlin, £25.5m on Depay (could turn out to be a good player but certainly didn't show much last season). Even £37m on Martial, good player that he is, is obscenely overpriced. I think IP has a point.

Nice cherry-picking. You've overpaid on a ton of players the last few years, plenty of them not even getting in your team. http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/manchester-united/alletransfers/verein/985 Look at the f***ing state of some of that, man. Who are you talking about exactly? Bebe, Falcao and maybe Jones but injury is at fault there. Suppose you could say Bastian as well but again, injury. A lot of people say about Depay but he's 22 and played over 40 times in his first season. So aye. What? Oh yes, the definitive way to judge how good a signing was...

People need to stop with this though. It's silly. I think people are fed up of hearing him commenting on wanting a move away, which has gone on for over 2 year now Exactly. It does piss people off when you're contantly moaning about moving to a bigger and better club when your own form is partly responsible for the poor results of your current team. Once or twice maybe, but he seems to be doing it every time he goes away on international duty.

I wish I'd never asked.

Trying to think of some nano football related puns but I'm struggling. Anyone?

It just beggars belief. http://www.true-faith.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Lastsupper.jpg Gets me every time, this pic If Andy Woodman was food, he would definitely be egg and beans, so it's quite fitting in a way.

He'd be the best defender in the championship by an absolute mile

More Mitrovic hate going on in here as well then. He scored 9, yes he missed some good chances and could have scored more but it was his first season as a 21 year old in a new country, he was playing for a shit team, he scored in some big games towards the end of the season (Norwich away, Sunderland at home) and showed more heart and character than the majority of the squad. He got sent off twice - he's young and you've got to hope he'll learn. Fucking ridiculous the stick he is getting to be honest, he's the least of our problems.

Saw him in Hana Hana about 7 years ago stirring his drink with his chopsticks. Hated him ever since. Bye.