Lush Vlad

Yep. I get he wants experience. But Steven Taylor, FFS?! I thought Lascelles was solid, if unspectacular, when he had to come into the team. Seems to lead and organise well, plus he wins everything in the air. Dropping him for that fist pumping disaster zone, was a terrible decision.

Yeah same here. I would welcome going down if it meant a full-scale clear-out of board room with Rafa remaining at the helm re-building the squad, academy, etc and bringing us back up. If he does stay on when we go down, he's going to be a legend to me. Steady on! Whilst I would love that to happen and it would be great to see Benitez taking on the challenge of getting us promoted. We'd still need to actually be successful and bounce back. What if he stays and we finish in the bottom half of the league? Rafa. You legend

That's the 'U WOT M8?!' lion

The relegation release clause always sounded like it was mutual. I'm sure they mentioned when he signed, that either party can choose to activate the clause. Rafa can walk, or the club can get rid of him for free. That would just be the worst. Rafa says he was actually keen to stay and the club decide he's too expensive and wants too much power. I think if we're being honest with ourselves. Both the club and Benitez, will be happy to go a different direction, when we're relegated.

Not really. A lot of teams use it. It's just how they actually implement it and how rigid it is. If it's like how Pardew and McClaren often set us up, then yes, I would say it is pretty boring. But don't Spurs play the same formation? I'd hardly call them negative and boring.

So they've given the Lion dodgy old paws, that make him look like a product of inbreeding. Plus big old clown feet. How have they managed to make it worse?!

still think the likes of townsend, mitrovic etc will p*ss it down there I'm not sure Townsend will stay tbh. Assuming he has no relegation clause, I can't see many people willing to stump, say 10m, to get him off us. Not many will want him, even fewer will be willing to pay for him and there's no certainty that he would be desperate to leave. A few weeks ago he was playing with the young uns remember. I think he'd stay, just based on his well publicised good attitude. He's no premier league top 6 player but he'd be a cut above anyone currently plying their trade in the Championship. If we can keep them we can make a good backbone out of Mbemba, Dummett, Shelvey, Townsend, Aarons, Perez and Mitrovic. It's a big ask to get them all to stay but they would all be very good in that league. Agreed. As I am now resigned to going down (I think most fans are). I'm already trying to look for the positives for next season. If we can get those guys to stay. I think we'd have a good chance of coming straight back up.

Tell you what, you can accept it and other people can hope for the very slim chance of escape and talk about the chances of that happening, hows that? You should change your name to tetchy, TBH. Of course I'm not saying people should stop debating it. A lot of the football threads would be a bit dead, if we didn't. I just find it a bit odd. It's going to be more painful for those that are foolishly clinging on and have some hope that we'll get out of it. When we're quite clearly fucked. But feel free to crack on and be positive. I'll sit over here with my empty glass.

I'm not sure why people are debating what would be better, a Norwich or a Palace win? Just accept it. We're down. The squad appear to have downed tools. We've won how many games in the last 10? Now we need to win, what? 5 out of 7?

Serbian Warlord Saving the best, until last

I think it'll be a comfortable home win. Where we'll be dominated in all phases, but it'll only end up 2-0.

Well said, Ndegwa

That's Degs/ndegwa, from on here. Lovely lad, bit on the racist side for a black man But I agree with him regularly, when it comes to football.

s***. I'd more or less resigned myself to life in the championship but now you've reminded me that we won't get much tv coverage as a result of going down. I know Sky have got MNF back, so there will be less opportunities to be shown. But if it's anything like the last time we went down, we'll be on TV all the time. You just obviously won't get much joy with the 3pm kick offs. Being on less, will probably be a good thing, mind. I can finally rid myself of this club and fully lose interest, until the day Ashley leaves/dies.

It's natural to want to come along if you've travelled so far but at least you've pre-warned him that it isn't going to be good. I'm more worried about the state of my well being, not his. At least he'll get kind of excited, seeing the stadium and taking in his first home game. I'm just going to be sat there in disgust. As I'm missing the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, to watch us get relegated by Pardew

TBF to triggs. He did clarify his point and say no pressure from the opposition.

For me though, it's where do you draw the line. Mitrovic's header against Norwich took a massive deflection. He scored against Spurs, when he was basically just stood on the line from a corner and bundled it in. A lot of goals are about luck, or just a lucky break of the ball. So why are they fine by you, but a penalty makes no odds? I've always found the 'penalties aren't real goals' argument, a bit of a strange one.

Is it him wanting to split up Janmaat and Sissoko? Who do leave us dreadfully exposed, with how attacking they both are. Or is it because he wants us to be more compact and have guys naturally drifting infield? I don't get it, though. Whilst Rafa is clearly a very good manager and it was hardly like we were putting in great performances, with Sissoko on the right and someone else, possibly a lefty, on the left. It doesn't make a lot of sense, to me. Especially when you consider his comments about getting service and crosses in for Mitrovic. Either way, despite their flaws. You're spot on about our right side. We used to actually cause problems and create, as it was the only place we created chances from.

No pressure when taking a penalty? What absolute drivel Whilst it should be extremely easy, for a pro to score from there. There are a multitiude of factors to consider and if anything, are far more pressured than a quick snapshot or a one on one, where you just instinctively hit it.

Tap ins show that a striker can get into the positions to score easy goals, it's one of the most important things for a striker to get into a position to score tap ins. Penalties are just a free chance to score from 12 yards and nothing at all to do with how good a striker is Yeah, penalties have a 100% success rate and have nothing to do with any kind of skill, composure or technical ability Yes because I said those things. It's a free shot under no pressure with just a goalkeeper to beat from 12 yards. It's a shot that will never be replicated in actual gameplay and doesn't reflect how good a striker someone is But tap ins, are fine? Because they always show good movement or that he can get into a good position? What about deflected shots, that were on target, take them away as well? It's not always the case. But good, composed penalty takers, are often good finishers or prolific scorers. I don't see why they should be discounted from goal totals.

Tap ins show that a striker can get into the positions to score easy goals, it's one of the most important things for a striker to get into a position to score tap ins. Penalties are just a free chance to score from 12 yards and nothing at all to do with how good a striker is Yeah, penalties have a 100% success rate and have nothing to do with any kind of skill, composure or technical ability

Take 50 odd off of Shearer. Not real goals. Take away tap ins from a yard, as well.

Why ? I forgot to mention, he's an NUFC fan and I doubt he'll be coming over again anytime soon. I did warn him when he was looking at booking his trip. That there was a high chance of us being down by the end of April

Yeah, it's fairly appalling. Was a nice 8 or 9 days though. Was thinking this. It's unreal how little time this lasted. I'd stopped caring, Rafa came, I was re-energised. Gone already. Same. Having to go to the Palace and Villa games, is going to be really painful. My mate is over from the US and obviously wants to get to a couple of games. Probably be gone by the time we play Pardew and then back to Villa Park in May, to watch another NUFC team, destined for the Championship. Oh joy.

If we're going to appoint some uninspiring, boring British manager. Then I hope we go for someone like Monk, who could end up being a good manager. Not some perennial mediocre/shit manager, like Steve Bruce.