Hughesy

This guy.. what a keeper.

Knock for Pogba? Pulled up pretty quick.

Yeah, Conn's pretty well known for exactly this kind of stuff. He's pretty reliable.

Think it's just that, out of the top sides, I feel we are best suited to cope with Man Utd's style of play. I can easily see us being torn apart by a Liverpool, Spurs, Man City style team, in a way that I can't see Man Utd doing (while being fully aware that they handed us one of our heaviest defeats this season already). Even in the reverse fixture, I actually thought we played ok and gave them a few problems. And I also watched a Slimani goals compilation. That was enough for wild optimism.

No idea why I feel optimistic about this game. Just got a nagging sense we might get something.

Thought he was absolutely fine today against supposedly one of the league's better wingers.

Hopefully Davie Selke. Not that we would get him, but I for one would be honored to "fall for it" for one day. Maybe him - but I assume it will be some out of favour striker somewhere. No-one sensible would sell one of their first choice strikers at this stage..

Latest Douglas article says he's been told we have interest in a striker in Germany. He seemed sceptical...

Please just do the deal. Pay the money.

I suppose people (certainly me) was hoping for a striker more in the mold of Rafa signing Torres or Higuain. Not in terms of ability or price obvs but their style of play and what they can bring to the team, an upgrade on Gayle. So a Sturridge or maybe King or something. Instead it looks like we're getting an upgrade on the Mitro/Joselu role. Joselu can have games where he plays that role well and brings others into play, if this lad can do that consistently and bury the chances Joselu misses when they come his way then that's fine, especially if Rafa decides to add some more pace in behind now with the addition of Ken Kenedy. In Rafa we trust. Agree with this really - slightly underwhelmed by Jorgensen (or indeed anyone of his ilk). I thought it wouldn't be unrealistic to set our sights on someone with a slightly better reputation with a decent goal scoring record in a better league. Ultimately the wages we pay should be high enough to attract most players outside the PL and the obvious clubs, so we shouldn't necessarily be limiting ourselves to a player like Jorgensen. But maybe we just can't/aren't willing to compete in that market anymore and this is the best we can hope for. I totally appreciate I'm basing my knowledge off a combination of twitter, various football management games and world soccer etc, but I would much rather we took a punt on someone like Luan for €18m (https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/liverpool-categorically-not-talks-sign-14195085) than Jorgensen, but we've got to trust Rafa.

Seems to weigh in with a few assists as well as goals, but no idea how good he is.

Nicolai Jorgensen according to Dutch paper.

A bit strange to say that Rafa will have no excuses if we get three players in before the end of the window. One of these players is Kenedy - who, good as he might be, is unlikely to turn our season. And it might have been helpful to have had these players in the door in the summer rather than with a third of the season left.

Premier League experience is such a weird one - do you have Premier League experience if you've shown that you are distinctly average in the Premier League? Seems a bit pointless to buy Deeney, for example, when at the age of 29 he's only scored 25 PL goals in 89 matches.

Probably wouldn't beat Hill City either.

What a goal.

Hazard. More of that please.

Still think we should be in for Sturridge. I know Inter are interested but he isn't going to start ahead of Icardi and they are only have Serie A to compete in. If he's serious about getting in the England team, then he needs to play and he's head and shoulder above our other strikers.

It wasn't. The journalist reporting that HBA rated Robertson, but added the bit in about Alex Bruce himself.

Yeah - if we've only got £6m, we might as well just go and loan Sturridge and/or Batshuayi.

That is spectacular. Attention to detail is inspiring.

Slightly different perspective on Beardsley in the Guardian - https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/jan/10/peter-beardsley-newcastle-united-gardening-leave-investigation

Clear handball as well by Olsson (I think) in the build up to the Norwich winner.

I think the fact that there are currently so many other teams in it still is a massive advantage over the previous relegation season. Arguably even Everton aren't safe yet (although highly unlikely to go down). Win against Swansea or Burnley and we are in a great position.

Anyone ever had a go on Football Index? Heard it advertised on a few football podcasts now and it appears to be a stockmarket to 'invest' in footballers.