Village Idiot

We've spent the best part of £80 million to go backwards, spending the same to go forwards would be a no brainer. Charnley, Carr and Moncur have all screwed up and put their easy jobs at risk, screwing a good manager doesn't make sense and they will know that. I'll almost guarantee our defence is sorted in the summer if we do stay up. We'll not be buying more midfielders while we can't score or keep a clean sheet. Benitez is their potential get out of jail card and they'll know it so self preservation will tell them to back the manager. I agree. Small thing though; none of NUFC's current crop of midfielders strikes me as having what Benítez looks for in a midfielder (tactical discipline, good conditioning, not afraid of the ball, and then more tactical discipline) so they'll definitely will be in the market for one or two this summer.

Cmon Dave, paste the story man your slipping [emoji14] It's not up yet, just seen the back page from tomorrow. That's higher than any La Liga manager besides Lucho and Simeone (Zidane is on less than that, for example).

Yeh, totally noticed. What a refreshing change. The talk of a winner. No relegation experience...because he's a winner. Wants 3 points in every game...because he's a winner. If we lose trying to win, then fair enough. It's the losing while not trying that has been killing me for years. And losing before we even kick-off. Mr P's favourite approach. We have a proven winner leading us! He's also zero-bullshit in his interviews, which will make a far refreshing change from the recent incumbents. Note that this is not always a positive, since he's a bit tone-deaf from time to time. Just gets better Us lot will love that. My overall impression - going from his times at Valencia and Real Madrid - is that he just doesn't give a f*** about all the media circus, manager mind games, spinning stuff... He just cares about being a manager. This makes him a very easy target sometimes (and sometimes he doesn't help himself on that regard), but as said he doesn't give a f***.

Yeh, totally noticed. What a refreshing change. The talk of a winner. No relegation experience...because he's a winner. Wants 3 points in every game...because he's a winner. If we lose trying to win, then fair enough. It's the losing while not trying that has been killing me for years. And losing before we even kick-off. Mr P's favourite approach. We have a proven winner leading us! He's also zero-bullshit in his interviews, which will make a far refreshing change from the recent incumbents. Note that this is not always a positive, since he's a bit tone-deaf from time to time.

100 pages in 3 days. How long was HBA's thread at the same point in time?

Getting a lot of coverage in Spain. During his stint at Liverpool, Liverpool became Spain's most popular English team - wonder if you'll become a name again over here if things don't go pear shaped. I was here first in any case!

Also, I'm willing to give him a pass for being Real Madrid through and through and embrace the fact NUFC now have a Spanish manager

Please don't get fucking relegated now. NOT NOW.

"A matter of hours" according to As, although they just seem to be parroting other sources and not their own.

Last update this afternoon from As (who broke the news this morning that it was nearly done) is that talks are still ongoing, and that the holdup is that apparently Benítez demands significant transfer investment since his aim is to transform NUFC into a PL top team again. Note that Balagué writes for As, so I give them some credit when reporting about Benítez. Any idea on the figures he is asking for, hopefully he is being ambitious but realistic at the same time, similar investment from our last two windows coupled with Benitez actually being a good manger would work well. No specifics, sorry. Our ITK shows start later in the evening, there should be some stuff in there (the 3 year contract thing was reported in one of those last night), but I'd take those with a grain of salt...

Last update this afternoon from As (who broke the news this morning that it was nearly done) is that talks are still ongoing, and that the holdup is that apparently Benítez demands significant transfer investment since his aim is to transform NUFC into a PL top team again. Note that Balagué writes for As, so I give them some credit when reporting about Benítez.

He's always lost all the relegation scraps he's been involved in though. 0/3 I think? But that was at the beginning of his career. That said, his record promoting teams was pretty good.

He'll be 30 by that time, still good for a couple seasons at a top level club imho. Kudos if he indeed follows through with that move.

So nothing definite happening today either, right? At least sack McClaren, this is a ridiculous situation.

Hold your gif horses lads, don't jinx this. The gods of football are a cruel lot.

Not legally changed his name to "BUY AT SPORTSDIRECT" so he can have it on the back the shirt too? Ashley is growing soft.

You are

bloody hell, is that Lee Ryder's Spanish cousin? "As" English translators are a bit lacking

http://en.as.com/en/2016/03/10/football/1457605624_659281.html

Being reported in our press now, the serious one even. Consider it done.

I don't know if it's been posted before, but one of the few things I trust Balagué in, is when he talks about Benítez:

Yeah, signing Benítez is a reason to actually look forward to next season. No chance of taking your eyes off now and accept relegation.

HiperChip is a regular nobody that just retweets stuff. Pay no heed.

"Unverifiable rumor". He says a lot of crap, but when he reports news which he could get called on, he's usually right.

Larrañaga usually doesn't tie his colors to the mast unless it's a very sure thing (or an unverifiable rumor, which is not the case here).