Lush Vlad

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.

Playing Gini in a midfield 2 - I actually wanted to see this, but can see why some didn't. He hasn't played there for us for a long time. Some of his subs (that in hindsight, worked well) Moving Sissoko to left back. I'm not saying they have all been shit and I haven't agreed with them all. I was merely commenting on, some head scratching decisions. Which is what my Liverpool supporting mates, told me to expect.

I can't see him and Mitro both starting. Isn't Rafa a defensive minded manager, who favours the 4-2-3-1? I don't think he's going to throw caution to the wind, away at Southampton. I wish he would, mind. As we've got fuck all to lose now and whatever we have been doing all season, certainly isn't working.

Only seen the goals from Saturday. Can't bring myself to watch extended highlights. From what I have read and heard, plus what I have seen from his first two games. I think we're far too cautious and slow to start. It's as if we're just trying to keep it tight and nick a goal, without really bothering with attacking. Yet we always concede first and then have to change our game plan and start making subs, quite early on. He's tinkered with the team a fair bit, already. Which is understandable, as he's been chucked in near the end of the season and nobody really knows what our 'best' team is. But from what some of my mate's have said about him, about him infuriating some fans and making head scratching decisions, seems to be ringing true. Starting Taylor over Lascelles and Cisse over Mitrovic, seemed a bit odd, to me. In Rafa's defence, he's come in far too late and he's got fuck all to work. Even less than McClaren, when you consider injuries. I also like how his in game changes and subs, actually seem to have an impact on the game. It's just too little too late. The writing was on the wall a long time ago.

It aint over til it's over. But, yeah. It's over. DOON.

There shouldn't be many players that beat him for speed on the outside. Whether or not he is switched on enough, to show players the line and ease them off it, is another matter.

Always used to love Stoichkov :'( what a prick. I always feel a bit hypocritical about getting on my high horse, when I see stuff like this. When the conditions we keep animals in and the way they are slaughtered, is far from ideal. But I just don't get hunting for 'sport'.