Lush Vlad

Exactly. I'm not saying I would walk if I were in his shoes. It's not like he should be expected to, either. But it doesn't mean the useless twat should be getting sympathy.

Super Size, even.

Looking at his record with us. He must have a pretty good opinion of himself

yep. No way. If he's unwilling to walk away despite being totally inept at his job then keep him where is, doing what he's paid to do until he's relieved. Exactly. The club have acted like cunts. But McClaren knew what he was getting himself in for and he has been out of his depth for a long while. He must know the job is beyond him? KK walked when we treated him like shit. He also walked from England, knowing full well he wasn't up to it. He didn't hang around for a big payoff. Yet he was labelled a bottler by some and McClaren has all and sundry feeling sorry for him? He got a massive compensation package from the England job, as well. So he's got previous. He doesn't deserve any sympathy IMO. I mean, he seems like a decent enough guy. But the man is a shit manager, who has been terrible for us and he's already extremely rich. I bet it's really hard for the poor bloke. Here he is hanging about like a bad smell and being treated like shit. He hasn't got any dignity or morals, to even stand up to the club or say anything in the press. He's just sitting around waiting for another payoff. I don't despise him in the same way I do Pardew. Or think he's as much of a helmet as Carver. But I still don't particularly like how he's acting. The club are a mess from top to bottom. So McClaren fits in quite well.

I hope they have basically already agreed on everything. Otherwise, I think that could be a very short meeting!

I know Balague talks some shit. But isn't he friendly with Rafa? I know he's a Liverpool fan and used to always talk positively about him.

It's been like this since Monday. I've been constantly checking and refreshing various websites. Mainly in the hope we sacked McClaren. Since there has been a chance of Rafa, I've not been able to concentrate at all. Just to make matters even worse/better. NFL free agency has just started. So I'm constantly reading up on that, as well.

Pako Ayestarán at Liverpool (but he and Rafa then fell out and he left with Sammy Lee becoming assistant) http://www.offthepost.info/wp-content/uploads/roy-sammy-500x315.jpg

Just to warn you. I'm sure the small print says, you get your winnings back as free bets and they expire at midnight on Tuesday 15th. I think you have to use the bets on Cheltenham, as well. Still a good offer, as you'll have some money to burn on the day's races. But it put me off even bothering. As I don't really bet on the jumps.

Interested? Positive discussions with intermediaries? For fuck sake. Do we plan on speaking to the man himself and offering him a contract?

Could you imagine any of our directors standing up to Benitez? Personally, I can't. Which is one of the reasons why, I still refuse to believe we'll get him.

Pretty grim that we're making the best managerial appointment since Sir Bobby and we might still go down and lose him. If we get Rafa. We suddenly have a reasonable chance of survival. Interested to see if Ashley actually changes the way we operate. Or whether it will be a mess, the same was it was with Keegan.

Are they just massively cunting him off. In the hope that he'll walk and not bother with his compensation? Honestly, we have to be the worst run club in the league.

This. It's a complete farce. I mentioned that I had heard similar on Talksport, this morning. Are we one of the only clubs that do this? "Preparing a bid." "Planning talks." "Sounding out." Etc. Everything takes forever. Just get it done, FFS.

What's the % of penalties scored? I'd imagine it's higher than the % of one on ones, or 'clear goal scoring opportunities'. How you define each 1 on 1 and chance, is a bit of a tricky one, of course. But I've always found the red card, pen and then a ban, a bit harsh. I just think running at full tilt towards the goal, with a keeper rushing out and a defender coming back towards you. Is usually going to be a lot harder to score than a pen. So you haven't really robbed them of a goal scoring opportunity. If it's outside the box, fair enough. As obviously the chance of scoring from a free kick that is 20-30 yards from goal, is significantly lower.

Didn't he go to Southampton and QPR, mid-season? Both were relegated.

Didn't he fuck it up at Southampton and all?

I tend to agree. But there is an outside chance, that Ashley is looking at the current set up, and realising it's not working. I don't mean success. As it's obvious he doesn't care about that. But Charnley and Carr, are not exactly getting him a decent return. If they keep appointing people that will potentially get us relegated and they keep signing players, with no re-sale value and end up costing us money. Perhaps there will be a slight change somewhere, or a compromise with a prospective new manager/head coach. Although I doubt it. Just trying to look at it from another angle.

That would take us to a new low. A manager/head coach, that has proven to be utter shit for us. Who so far, is proving to be one of our worst manager's, in the modern era. A guy who's team looked to have downed tools and stopped playing for him. Would be kept on as a coach? Nah. I'm not having that. That's too illogical, even for Charnley & Co. Isn't it? ISN'T IT?..............

I heard that fat twat Porky Parry on Talksport, this morning. They were doing the paper review. It sounds as if everywhere is reporting that Benitez is our top target and that he's supposedly interested. Another article made it seem like we haven't even spoken to him and we're trying to gauge his interest, through a third party This club has stooped to new levels of incompetence. Should have got rid of the manager about a month ago. Instead, he's a dead man walking, still trying to coach a team that have given up on him. It's taken us four days to decide whether or not we're going to 'sound someone out.' Basically, if we haven't spoken to him. There is no chance he's coming. We won't offer enough money for a start and I think it will be the same as when Vieira supposedly spoke to us. It will take Rafa about 5 minutes, to realise we're an absolute shambles. If he doesn't already, of course. I think we'll either stick with McClaren, or we get some absolute shithouse journeyman in. Or just a complete c***, like Sherwood.

The page is an absolute mess. But this one made me chuckle

He lied to the club. Yet the club knew what he had been up to and still played him. Still trying to shift the blame.

Fuck this club. I think I'm done. Really looking forward to the derby now... Might just come up for the weekend and not bother with the game.

You would have thought they'd just have Cathro and Simpson in temporary, like. McClaren probably knows he's 90% gone. Yet he's still turning up to take training?! Trying to work with a load of players, who have clearly given up on him! As for securing a replacement. You would have thought they would have sounded out Moyes, Rodgers, Pearson and any other fucker daft enough to come here. But it is starting to seem more and more, like Charnley never had any intention of sacking him, so the useless prick hasn't even done that! Now, at the last minute. They're scratching around, trying to see if they can get anyone in for the last 10 games. I'm not sure why I'm surprised. Ashley, Charnley and co, are inept tossers and they have proven this time and again. But I actually thought they would have been lining up a potential replacement, for quite a while. You know, seeing as we've been in a relegation scrap all season. The same as when Pardew quickly took over from Hughton. I thought we might have had someone waiting in the wings. Obviously not.

It seems quite obvious that they want him to go. The media are saying it's as good as done, almost our entire fan base want him out. Yet they still have him turning up to take training and still haven't pulled the trigger. FFS. I half expect them to just stay quiet and ignore everything. Then just wheel him out for the pre-match presser at the weekend and act like nothing has happened.