Tiotes Witch Doctor

Diame back in the squad is a plus, depending on which version of him we're getting, cant see him starting straight away though. Darlow Yedlin Lascelles Clark Dummett Ritchie Shelvey Hayden Gouffran Perez Murphy Can't see the team being anything other than that.

Why did we ever get rid of Hughton man

Personally think the bottom half of the premier league is absolutely dire, with solid backing in the summer we should be immediately aiming for top 10 IMO. It might seem a bit much at first but why not? A manager of Rafas experience and CV in the premier league, a decent but not great base of players to start from already, and if hes backed with the money McClaren was we should be aiming for 10th and beyond. Then again we still have to get promoted yet, still a lot of work to do.

True, but if we're "trusting Rafa" then surely we should be able to rely on him to sort this out? It's been over half the season.

A mint team...? That's already LOST 7 matches with only half a season gone and no team strengthening after we blatantly struggled when Shelvey was out..? Not my description at all - promoted sides hardly ever lose more than 5 or 6 games in a season. I agree with what you're saying to an extent, and I too am worried about automatic promotion but having said that its worth mentioning that we are currently 2 points better off now than we were after the same amount of games played in the last promotion season. It does irk me massively that there's a fairly good chance we could be into double figures for losses by the end of the season but if we make up the points with the wins how much does it really matter? It is something Rafa is yet to solve though, why do we seem incapable both mentally and tactically of coming back into a game we go 1-0 down in? We needed two new faces in, decent quality CM cover in case Shelvey is crocked, and a solid winger, and it looks like we've missed out on both, I pray it doesn't come back to bite us. P.s your previous post is bang on, and sadly exactly what I think will end up happening down the line.

0-1.

I'll always have my username to remind me of you sweet prince :'(

Would play him right mid and switch Ritchie left if we get him

One of the bairns could play instead and do a better job. He's a knacker man. They did though, and we lost 3-0 to Oxford. Aye, that's why we lost to Oxford, because Tiote wasn't playing. Not specifically that he wasn't playing, more that the youngsters people have so much faith in we're shown up by a mid table league one side.

One of the bairns could play instead and do a better job. He's a knacker man. They did though, and we lost 3-0 to Oxford.

Would be delighted with him leaving if we were bringing in another CM to replace him with, now we're even shorter in our weakest area of the pitch ffs.

They love a striker signing West Ham mind.

He won't walk now - but come end of season - promotion or not if Ashley isn't backing him he's going to walk. Rafa would have had plenty of potential targets and to not even get one player in is a poor sign of intent from Ashley. I can't believe some of you aren't worried. This.

But he was given funds and had time to find the right players in the summer just gone ( for this season at least) I'm not saying he hasn't done partly well, Clark and Gayle and Ritchie have turned out to be great signings on the whole, but we went into the season lacking, and it should have been rectified in this window but hasn't. Or seemingly hasn't unless something drastic happens tomorrow.

I'm actually a trifle more worried about our limited options and lack of quality in CM than anything else, a lengthy injury to Shelvey and I certainly wouldn't put money on us being in the top 2 come the end of the season.

Aye, if he walks it wont be now, he will see us back to the premier league then go if he does go, and sadly I can see it happening thanks to Ashley, I pray to god I'm wrong.

His name is chanted at every single game

He's utter shit. So's your face.

Hope they take him so we don't get him.

Wins headers, tends to get a lot of assists, and has decent hold up play, and the small matter of his almost a goal a game ratio under Rafa, we've bigger problems in the squad than Mitro by a long stretch.

Gayle has scored half of his tally over 4 games too, and has a similar goals to games ratio.

I don't like, I think hes realised we have issues within the team that he hasn't quite managed to sort out yet and wants his strongest players available, especially off the back of quite a poor run. His cup selection is based more on fear of not achieving automatic promotion more than anything else. If he is selecting certain weak teams in the hope of Ashley allocating transfer funds he certainly doesn't know his audience and it's the beginning of the end.

Aye, just the one.. That's alright just ignore the rest.

I'm not so sure.

A goal per 119 minutes under Rafa and an assist per 80 odd minutes too. One bad game back after injury in a game where the entire team were woeful and people are slating him again. Mental.