Stottie

Provided Rafa stays and Ashley continues to support him, we will be a FAR more attractive proposition than all PL clubs bar the Top 6....stability will be the key, but if top players are sure that this will continue they will want to play for both NUFC and Rafa..he has won more than any current PL manager and we are capable of filling a 75,000 stadium if we start doing well. Remember how we signed really good players under KK when we had just escaped from relegation to the Third div 2 years previously... we can do that again but ONLY if we show ambition and continuity...we would blow the likes of Leicester and Southamptom away quite frankly. If we have the Sissoko money and Rafa as the draw, it wouldn't be deluded to try for someone like Morgan Schneiderlin, who would seem a good foil for Shelvey and a great screen if there is a good chance of Lascelles/Clark being kept next season. Maybe paper talk, but he's being linked with West Brom and Everton. They're fine clubs, but aren't exactly a ticket to Europe or the French national side. When we were in the PL, we had the 8th? highest revenue. We wouldn't be the typical just-promoted club.

They've not conceded (or scored) many away from home. Steven Fletcher as well, so not exactly looking forward to this one.

24 games to go. Another 41 points needed to hit 90. 1.7 points a game is 3rd/4th playoff place form, and about 0.5 points a game below what we've been managing so far. Reading and Huddersfield have such poor goal difference that the kind of upturn in form needed to catch us is unlikely. If anything, it suggests they are lucky to have as many points as they do. On form, the best of the chasing pack is Derby.

I reckon he might have brought the inevitable a bit closer by his backhanded dig about the owners not understanding football after that revival win against Southampton. I bet it didn't go down well.

fwiw, Tim Sherwood started Harry Kane for several PL games in a row at the end of the season before Poch came. My memory is a bit fuzzy but I remember seeing an article saying that it has become harder for young footballers to break into teams due increasingly complex tactical requirements, even for attacking players. It might be possible to partly combat this by taking a holistic approach and getting the junior teams playing to the same tactical model as the first team, but young players may not have developed the football intelligence for this to be a valuable exercise.

Probably best for all concerned that he goes in January for a token sum.

More great entertainment than great football, but that's fairly typical for the PL.

roflcopter for Boruc!

I didn't see it, but I hope they mentioned that they are above Man U because of goals scored.

Nah, it would have been a penalty for them.

Quality from Rafa. Praised the lads for sticking at it with everything going against them.

Only seen the red decisions, but Shelvey one is given by the lino from the reaction, there is no way he could have seen it through three players. It might be a red for retaliation, but it's never a penalty. Dummett one is very harsh because the same player again is playing for it. Since he's playing for it rather than trying to score, its a very questionable "goalscoring opportunity".

Stating the obvious and crying over split milk, but it would have been Rafa vs. Mou. I think Rafa has the upper hand in cup competitions. With us in the Championship, it would have been pitched as a huge banana skin for Man U with all the pressure on them. A must win to avoid ridicule. Had we somehow got through, Rafa vs. Liverpool for the final. The perfect script. One up against ten men. What a waste.

Horrible horrible stories, and the only silver lining is that it is good that it's finally coming to the surface. My heart goes out to the victims. I suppose it's also better that the ignorant opinions of certain people can be out so that they can be challenged.

All too predictable I'm afraid, from his past performances. He should have stopped the Huddlestone penalty too.

What a waste. Losing from one up against ten men. Very very poor.

I didn't see the interview but assuming there wasn't one, a question about how Shelvey played might have a decent wind up.

In their record points total (106 point) year of 2005-06, Reading were promoted on March 25 according to the wiki for that season. It mightn't be the record, but you'd imagine that it wouldn't be far off. In their case, it was twenty points ahead of third with six games to play. It's only so late because of the ol' mathematical certainty. They were obviously up much earlier than that. They were 20 points ahead of third on Boxing Day, with fourth also twenty behind but with a game in hand The table for March 25 that season can be seen here. Play around with the date to see how they pulled away. After 17 games like us now, they weren't even top. http://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/league-championship/2005-2006/table/2006-03-25

Great win. Didn't get out of second gear. 40 points! Eight straight wins! Sixth away clean sheet out of nine played! Gayle now halfway to 25 for the season.

Arsenal-like goal. Well played!

Thank ferk for that. HT

Aye, maybe elbow out as self-defence saved him. Looked a pen to me though.

Hope we can see our lead out to HT. We've been a bit shaky in a number of games around this time.

Colback as Xabi Alonso! 1-0!

Gayle unlucky! Another well-worked set piece.