Lush Vlad

Yeah. Sorry, I should have been clearer. Makes a change from the majority of NUFC teams I’ve watched in my lifetime. I think most of the time, the application and desire has been there under Rafa and the players have bought into his philosophy, for sure.

I thought he was fairly wasteful and regularly made the wrong decision. But in our current squad, he’s really important. As he likes to get on the ball, pops up all over the pitch and he is strong on the ball going forward, as well as helping out defensively. I like him. I just think his languid style sometimes goes against him with fans, myself included.

Nobody played badly, really. I thought Perez was his usual frustrating self, along with Kenedy. Something great, followed up with the wrong decision or losing the ball. I’m not really a fan of Ritchie and Dubravka looked a bit shaky. But you can’t really fault the effort and commitment from this team. Which makes a refreshing change! Yedlin, Ki, Diame and the three centre backs. Wow. Tactics were spot on. Couldn’t quite believe how shit and direct Burnley were. So the set up worked to perfection to combat this. 4-1 or 4-2 would have been a fair reflection. This has ended up reading a bit negative. Which wasn’t my inention

Such a frustrating footballer. Seems to lack confidence at times, regularly taking too long to shoot or he’ll strike the ball tamely, lacking any conviction. Works hard and has good feet. But he is just another in a long line of players that isn’t good enough/is too inconsistent. I’m sure Mike will spend in January, though......

Dennis Rommedahl.

No idea but I bet they don't score from corners. :lol:

Behind him, but losing faith ever so slightly. So somewhere between the top two options, I guess. By that, I don’t think we would get anyone better and I 100% want him to stay and for a long time, hopefully. But even allowing for the shit budget. I’m not sure on some of his signings, the reluctance to use ‘expensive’ players (by our standards, at least) and the way he has handled certain players who have been moved on. I also feel the tactics seem even more cautious this year. Cardiff and Leicester were shambolic and I don’t pin that all on the players being not good enough. Are they that bad that we should struggle to a 0-0 with Cardiff and get played off the park at home by Leicester? I have no issue with how we set up against the better sides. But it feels like we’re getting stuck in a rut and not even having a go. Pretty ugly to watch. Ultimately, we’re in this position because of our cunt of an owner. But I don’t think that should mean players and the manager should be exempt from minor gripes.

A passiontate debate about who is NUFC’s worst striker of all time. What a time to be alive

I have no idea. Funnily enough I wasn’y expecting to represent Poland at international level any time soon Just trying to explain to Tubes how it’s not necessarily as black and white as that.

I can kind of see that point. But I think it is a pretty personal choice and also I would imagine a selfish one for many, as it is a chance to play international football. For example, my Grandad is Polish. I’ve only been to Poland once, but I do feel a tie to the country somehow and I always cheer for them when they’re playing. Against England would be strange, mind. I absolutely adored the bloke and found his war memoirs and stories he used to tell fascinating. So I guess what I’m saying is, I’ll happily accept a call-up to the Polish national team to play alongside Lewandowski

I didn't think they had much of a go against us or Arsenal, which is the 2 games I've seen of them? They scored and created chances from Arsenal's inability to defend and bullied them at set pieces. Spent the rest of the game with some of the players getting involved in some sort of misguided high press and defenders just fucking up all over the place, whilst looking like they were trying to play a bit deeper? Looked a mess, to me. I can't believe how shit they look. They were obviously favourites for the drop coming into the season. But they are all over the place at the back and their squad is just so uninspiring. Can't say I'd be arsed if they go down. Never been a fan of Colin Wanker.

Should have done this, really. I'm missing the game on Saturday evening and I'm actually glad. Can't remember the last time I missed a game when it was possible to watch it. Even looking forward to the international break for a change.

Felt awful watching this. Not quite at Pardew/Carver levels of wanting us to lose But it is just so hard to get really emotionally invested whilst Ashley is here and it's like Groundhog Day. The whole club has been stuck on loop for a while. Didn't cheer when we scored, didn't feel particularly annoyed when they did. Then I just got that usual empty feeling after the final whistle and started to get pissed off. What's the point, though? Nothing is going to change, so why get so fucked off when the inevitable happens? Hard to analyse the game. We were really negative and depressingly slow at everything we did. Longstaff looks like he might be an alright player, Fernandez seems a good defender. As for the rest of them and the tactics, it was pretty uninspiring. Welcome to Ashley's NUFC.

Everything was shit last night, so it seems harsh to single him out. The tactics, the players being shit scared to try anything, the slow one paced nature of the team. The lot, basically. All that said, Atsu seemed to be the worst of the lot. To follow up one of the worst sub apps in recent NUFC memory against Spurs, he turns in that performance? He just isn't very good or up to playing at a high level. Which you can say about most of the squad, I suppose.

He’s gone full blown Ramsay. The blonde hair, the frowning. He even gets angry like him I often feel he flatters to deceive and his lack of pace is a hinderance to the team. But he was incredible today. Pretty much a flawless performance.

Not too many gripes. Yedlin was poor defensively, but was his usual mad bastad self going forward. Hope he is ok, but it didn’t look good. Diame went from arguably our worst player to our best. Joselu actually played ok. Atsu was awful and it seemed a strange decision. Disappointed we didn’t quite get the rub of the green. But was a pretty decent performance, I thought.

Guessing March (late) Did we ever find out what the op was for? Did he rupture his ACL?

From my extensive 5 minutes of scouting, I love the fact that he seems to be genuinely two footed. Makes a refreshing change to see a player willing to shift it onto their 'weaker' foot to fashion a chance or to go early on either side to make sure they get a shot off. I mean, everywhere says he is right footed? But seemed to score more off his left, yet neither looked particularly unnatural for him. Also seemed to steal a lot of goals from other people and very nearly miss some tap ins

He'd certainly take my breath away, if we signed him. WALKING ON THE MOOOOOON!

http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/incredulous.gif "Support the team and not the regime." Definitely one for the football pet hates thread. Awful, awful saying. By law, you should be kicked in the grundle if you ever utter this nonsense.

How? Look at the way all the teams around us and the newly promoted teams are going about their business. We haven't actually improved on a single position from last season, even with these players incoming. Rondon - Mitro : very little comparison between the 2, for the money and potential I'd rather Mitro Muto - Gayle : a 1 in 3 striker in Germany, looks handy but ultimately doesn't score many... very Gayle-esque by the sounds of it. Schar - Mbemba : complete sideways step It's a complete fucking joke. We're pathetic. Whilst I agree with your closing line and am disgusted with the transfer window, yet again. Rafa won't/wouldn't play 2 of the 3 and Gayle is just nowhere near good enough to play as the lone forward. So the only slight positive I can take, is at least Rafa is getting his players in, that might actually feature. Albeit 6th/7th choice or worse on his list. Clutching at straws? 100% I am but I'm trying to find the small flakes of gold, buried amongst the copious amounts of dung.

Nervous as fuck already.

Sorry, but no. Lejeune is capable of hitting flat 50 yard passes almost as well as Shelvey, only he doesn't have to do it as often because Jonjo is usually the one making those passes. Lejeune's passing is streets ahead of any other defender at the Toon (or in the England squad, for that matter). I may be wrong, but I think he is saying that all Lascelles needs is composure on the ball to be a complete centre back? Not that composues iis all Lejeune has?

Everyone going on about Livermore nicking a taxi and getting done for coke. I'm more concerned by the fact he is yet another typical English centre mid and he is utter shite. That's more worrying regarding his selection, than the fact he's been a bit of a naughty boy in the past. Guessing he won't go, either. But the fact he was getting in the squad ahead of Shelvey is a joke.

Overheard walking out of Wembley last week “Ah well as for Perez. He needs the death penalty! A few goals of late, but he’s still awful.” I’m not his biggest fan, he flatters to deceive and I actually think with his talent, should contribute more. All that said, I thought the death penalty seemed a bit harsh