Ste

Scholes.

Rafa fucking Benetiz, man.

gonna be weird not immediately hating someone tbh There'll be no spinning it, no "he might be good", nothing like that. This guys track record is fantastic and he will be brilliant if he signs. I'm scared I'm going to wake up soon. This is so lucid. Gonna go jump in front of a bus to make me wake up so I'm sure it's a dream. I'm surprised he wants to take it on rather than go somewhere with stronger foundations. Do think it'll be a short term thing for him unless something about the club and the vision portrayed of it grabs him.

Do think the timing of it has been unfair on him. To keep him on training the team while our guys are out in public on their way to meetings when it's clear he's a dead man walking. Think he's probably a very decent coach who struggles with the side of management where you have to walk into a dressing room and command respect. Arguably his tenure as England manager and the medias treatment of him while there did a lot to damage that.

gonna be weird not immediately hating someone tbh There'll be no spinning it, no "he might be good", nothing like that. This guys track record is fantastic and he will be brilliant if he signs.

Huge respect to Benetiz if he takes this on. Really think we will hit the ground running as it isn't going to take much to put our players together into a system that works and win some games. There's enough quality there.

This would be unreal if it happens. If he did stay long term, I could see them fucking it up by breaking promises and not giving him the full control he'd deserve.. But for now, fingers crossed this is confirmed shortly.

Doubt any of the players are in the loop with this. Would be the same as if your own boss at work was under fire, no one tells the employees but you can tell something is going on.

Usually spend most of the morning there.

They really have to throw big money at a big name manager who can inspire these players immediately for instant results. Sticking with McClaren now would be beyond foolish.

"Send blue panda pop"

Should have had a second if not for a Defoe miskick.

Any normal club and he'd have been replaced by now. But we gave him a long term deal, made him a part of the board and backed him with substantial funds in January to bring in the players he fancies. The financial outlay of January alone means they have faith in him and part of the reason he has failed, in their mind, is the squad hasn't been strong enough. That has to be their thinking, given the way we splashed the cash last month in a window they have admitted in the past isn't the best to trade in. I think he is here until the end of the season with no plans to replace him even if we go into the last game in the bottom three as long as there is that mathematical chance of safety.

Can see there being a few grumbles of discontent but nothing as vitriolic as this cunt deserves.

Ideally you would bring someone like Mitrovic in with the view to rotating him and giving him the time to get used to a new league. We've thrown him right in at the deep end, so I do feel sorry for him. Confident he will come good eventually but we don't have a great deal of time. I'd persist with him and put Doumbia or Perez alongside him.

Any player that scores on Saturday will be told they have no chance of being sold until the last 18 months of their contract.

Fell out with Keegan didn't he? He mostly played centre back for us but recall he could also play centre mid. Thought he was decent for us. Seem to remember a training ground bust up being reported before he left? Wasnt it at HT of the Everton game on the final day of the season? Sure he had a bust up and was substituted never to be heard of again. Maybe something to do with Nzogbia too as well as KK? N'Zogbia sounds familiar.

Fell out with Keegan didn't he? He mostly played centre back for us but recall he could also play centre mid. Thought he was decent for us. Seem to remember a training ground bust up being reported before he left?

Former Football Manager wonderkid. He can't fail.

Watched it a few times now. There's no way you make the pass, it's not as obvious as on the still. You can see him consider it as he looks across and hesitates a moment.

They're not saving themselves a few weeks wages or trying late on so they can claim deals just miracously fell through. Divvies.

Happy New Year guys and gal.

He'll get better options than Villa but what a signing that would be for them.

He's definitely talented but not shown it enough at club level. We definitely aren't the club to get it out of him. We need players to come in, proven quality that can hit the ground running who can compliment the lesser knowns and unproven types.