Sir Toon

Michael Martin from True Faith: You've seen the new surfer to go on display on Monday but there's another as well. Get there early to see it @gallowgateflags #NUFC

Im sure I read somewhere that there is a surprise flag as well. That'll probably be a Rafa one.

In respect of Beasant, it was a record between English clubs at the time if I remember rightly and in that case you can only measure it with the record of today which I think is £12m but im probably wrong.

Thinking like the way the regime do then we can forget about the likes of Benteke and id agree in this case. A minimum £20m transfer fee and a 5 or 6 year contract at a minimum of £80k a week on an average player is just daft. You'd then be talking of a minimum £40m outlay on what would more than likely be a gamble on us targetting 17th and above. Realistically I remember saying somewhere that we'd target Hart or at least have stories of us wanting him by January just gone. I also expect us to concentrate on the usual model at getting players on the cheap with hidden release clauses not to mention players on their way back or having recovered from injury. If promoted I reckon the first season back will be quite strict for Rafa but if he achieves the bullet points of Ashley's targets for the season then he'll be allowed a bit of leeway the season after as long as he sticks to the wage structure. Realistically our biggest target this Summer is to keep Rafa again.

No less jumping the gun than the 'promotionometer' thread to be fair but aside from toys being hoyed oot the pram, keep on keeping on. *Goes off to check the book on how not to be a hypocritical contradictor.

Blame Sky, they started it.........

Some calm needs to be instilled here. Yes Norwich have picked up and yes I thought myself that they'd be up in the promotion stakes but their recent upturn in form needs further analysis. Amidst this improvement in points gained, theyve had a favourable run of fixtures with 4 of the last 7 games at home. This being their 5th of the calender year. They haven't faced anyone at the top with Derby being the closest you can get to challenging for anything and they lost to Rotherham away last month. Their wins have came against teams of the calibre of Wolves, Cardiff and Birmingham so they're expected of a relegated premier league team at the least. If we are as professional as we've been away all season then Delia will be kicking off again.

Breaking a Rafa rule by posting this early and not taking one game at a time but I feel that I may as well jump on the bandwagon as Sky are early plugging this game and have been for the past couple of days. That 6-0 aside, they always seem to do alright up here and their lot will see a result over us as an equivalent to the mackems when they get something off us in that it sweeps all other issues under their carpets for a bit. Dare not predict a result but a negative one for them will end their season and get Broocey's record collection sent back to the loft for another season.

one game at a time. one game......... As this is next, we owe these for the many fortunate results they've had at carrow road. Our luck must surely be due to change.

Sounds like Rafa wrote this article tbh I thought along the same lines. If Ashley can play media games then why cant Rafa in order to get what he wants in the Summer here. Sounds like propaganda fuelled by Rafa's side for once.

Ive been impressed with Clark since his first game here amidst the backdrop of Villa fans not giving a shit. Most said they'd have given him away and even drove him here themselves but in an organised defence with clear game plans, he's a contender for player of the season. He's already won the unsung one for me.

If some got a 'like' for every song sung at the match then we'd have the best atmosphere in the World. The likes of mobiles have ruined it as it distracts attention. A daft idea I know but if the club had some sort of contraption that monitored crowd noise (and displayed the decibel level and time above certain levels) then money off tickets and other incentives could be offered if the atmosphere was a certain level and above for a minimum amount of time of something like 30 minutes out of the 90. I'll repeat, it's a daft idea but it worked in my head.

Of course correct but if you look at it the other way, you would save on the 7 or 8 wasted months of paying to watch a potential Roberto Di Matteo or washed up fossil led NUFC battle to win the financial champions cup of 17th place and above* *That's if we go up.

Get one of them massive ones made to pass round from the Gallowgate/Milburn corner, all the way round the East stand to the Leazes/Milburn corner and then back again. Could really do with a flag/singing section in the Leazes as well to bump things up a notch or two.

Ashley is making a mint out of us and has been from near enough day one. For starters, If he was interested in us being successful then our income would have been maximised instead of as much as he can get away with being diverted elsewhere. Things like stadium sponsorship and club merchandise. There's also the small issue of attaching pretend debt to the club accounts to the tune of £129m and the soon to be added £33m no doubt. All done to put bidders off and allow his exploits free reign. This is also a reason why Rafa and any ambitious type will never have any sort of full control here because once they know the true picture of diverting or missed income opportunity, they'll be on it like a shot.

The interview to watch is the pre Birmingham FA Cup replay one as it answers everything in its own cryptic way.

This really needs used to resurrect the 'image of the week' thread

Rafa shouting that there's a shark to catch whilst McClaren and co try to catch their tadpoles.

Absolute rubbish mate things have settled down lately because it looked like things have been going in the right direction It has been bad and is getting worse. There has been the odd moment where the atmosphere has been canny like the last 2 minutes of the Norwich game but more often than not, even when winning, a fair few are more interested in getting a flyer for the half time beer/food queue or after 75 minutes when that earlier bus seems a good idea. Compared to when i first started going in the late 70's, early 80's, it's an absolute disgrace. It's befitting of the Ashley tenureship.

There will be no real protests in the ground because a fair percentage of the old stock (passionate fans who want the club to be the best it can be) has been replaced by new versions that suit the hidden agenda (zombie-like phone clickers who react on tap to minutes worth of grief patronisation). We may be lucky to get a 'Shhhh' or the odd 'tut' mind.

Quite a bit of irony really. 72 year old Carr whispering sweet nothings into Mike's ear about signings over the age of 25 not being cost effective. The potential loss of Rafa and what could have been an elevating return to the better half of the premier league as well as European football, not to mention the world class links he has could lose the club tens if not hundreds of millions of pounds of income in the long term. Can see it now in 15 years time when Carr's in the dementia home and Ashley's calling in with his monthly copy of Razzle, bragging over making a few quid off Joe Blogg's son. Mugs man. Obviously something profitable will be going on behind the hidden scenes to not realise the footballing potential.

Wonder what odds you can get on Rafa saying this sentence in his press thing today? 'As always, im just focused on training and coaching my team'

The truthful thing about these stories is that they're damaging in so many ways but there hasn't been any denials. When that Shit Direct documentary aired the other year, a statement couldn't come quick enough on the official website which had nothing to do with the football side of the club in reality. Ashley doesn't want a successful football club and just wants to spend enough to get him in place to cream the most amount of money every year. The best place to get that is not competing but being around 12th - 17th in the premier league with a 'manager' that wont question the lack of ambition. To compete in the premier league takes hundreds of millions to get up the top, maybe more over time and then a continual freshening up of the team to a tune of tens of millions a season not to mention a higher wage bill. With that comes a higher expectation from the fans (paying customer) instead of what he wants in lowered expectation and being thankful for the bowls of stodge served up every now and then. Time is the only thing that will change things here, nothing else but by then most of us will have run out of it.

Still gets me blood boiling to this day. Get him on a Jezza Kyle lie detector test. Lying bastard.

Not just the Star. A few papers are saying that Rafa is on the brink. Easy stuff to print considering we've all had our say on things.