Jayson

Can play at LB or LM apparently. Seems to have done alright for them. Decent cover for us, depends what deals being put together.

What deadline day signings have we made under Ashley? Doumbia - Loan Atsu - Loan Any others?

Fair play to Swansea if they manage that, Paul Clement obviously using his contacts just in time for our game with them

Literally chest out basking in the moment The guy had probably another 5 secs to catch him, was nowhere near kicking the ball.

This. Yeah basically. Just spent all summer very aware of how hard it is to get players to go, but now obviously Gayle who apparently just told Rafa he doesn't want to go, is going to jump at the opportunity to join Fulham because we might get a good offer?

What's the chances our transfer finale is spent on wondering so much whether Gayle is going to leave that they somehow try to make fans thankful that he doesn't go on deadline day as opposed to focusing on whether we've actually bought anyone else.

As if Ox is still only 24. He'd be about a billion times better off going to somewhere like Spurs & getting coached effectively. Be more useful than Sissoko. Could also see him at Leicester if they sell Mahrez. He just needs regular football ud think. Though didn't help Wilshere much.

Agree with this. He looks like he's expecting lanzini to try to go past him but instead he actually goes for a quick lay off and lowers his head in the movement. Mitro just steamrolls through the same running line. It's a bit clumsy maybe, but it's a shoulder barge if Lanzini doesn't play the ball like that. Which is what mitro suggests after the incident.

Why did he leave palace? They weren't giving him starts, can't really say the same here

Rafa ain't going to Ok a deal with no replacement and why in the world would Gayle want to leave. All the club's being mentioned are lower division. He fights to get us up, gets in the prem, starts two games then decides he wants to stop being a prem sides main striker? Even if he were offered more money, the risk you're taking in not going up, at 27, on top of having to wait to prove yourself in the prem where the real wages will be at.

Is there any form of decent source on this, or is it all coming from him being left out + speculation? Makes no sense for us to move him on atm or him to want to leave. Let alone drop a division. Would only make sense for us if we had another top striker agreed and generally wouldn't make sense for Gayle atall but yeah.

Probably that he thought when he signed and took the number 9 shirt he'd be the main striker this season as well. 3 games in and that's anything but certain or likely. Eh. He's been main striker for two games and is supposedly Ill. We're 3 games in as keeps being mentioned.

I mean, it could just be newspaper speculation to help them sell papers

Chris notpremierleaguequality wood scores against Spurs

Joselu looked especially happy/relieved. You can tell he wants to get going, put a proper shift in yesterday as they all did.

Literally no point worrying about it. Keep giving the manager support and that's the main thing we can do. Ashley is always going to be difficult, Benitez comes across to me as someone that will take quite a few things into account when making big decisions like that. He's taken to the club quite well imo, frustration at times is a normal part of life.

How key were his contributions today? Saved us at 1-0, then put us 2-0 up. Quietly making his impact again.

Drives us on, could see he wanted a goal. Superb play for the 2nd, could've maybe done better with his own shot that was saved. But he gives you that edge. He's a leader on the pitch at times.

Superb gameplan. The pressing worked superbly, the passing was far more crisp and we had men around the ball instantly went it broke. Solid defending. Well in Rafa.

Some of the control and passing from him today. Some moments of real class in that performance, well done Mikel.

That was actually really mint

Got to say, Merino looks calmer this week. Gets us playing when he's on the ball, lovely control.

the fook

All we can do is show support as always. If anything when things aren't at their best, that's the time you can build real connection with the side & with the manager. It's easy to support people when its all going superbly. If ever there was a time to reshow our support for Rafa, belief in him & the side its now.

That is outrageous. I absolutely love that goal. The angle, in off the bar. Like Shearers v Spurs but better