Eddy Chibas

To add further context, I would apply the term 'grafter' to Clarence Acuna (whom i overlooked before) as a compliment given to his effective workrate/defensive contribution. I cannot give the same plaudit in any way, shape, or form to Colback.

So constantly chasing shadows and committing niggly fouls in dangerous positions has become the 'new' grafting in some (or many) supporters' eyes. The Age of Ashley, which has methodically dampened expectations, in full bloom here. What did it used to mean like, standing still? Fellas like Speed (converted to a DM role under Robson), Batty, Hamman, Lee and Parker's respective workrates from a defensive standpoint were backed-up by physical attributes and more importantly positional awareness. I'd call it effective grafting, defensively - and that level of play is deserving of the term. Congrats goes out to Colback (Ashley's Bargain Basement Gooooordeee) for lulling folks into thinking that his contribution has any merit, when they praise his 'grafting' style of play. Colback has pulled off the ultimate fraud job. So basically you're saying he grafts but not effectively because he has no positional sense and ability. Which is basically what I said and you were disagreeing with? I'm not the one who chucked a 'liking the graft' (component of Colback's game) caveat in my post in the first place, before saying his shortcomings devalue his contribution. I don't think he demonstrates the character/courage which is befitting of that label either. In my opinion he's either effective, at being that workmanlike defensive grafter, or simply a footballer who flatters to deceive by running around alot - there's no room for the caveat mentioned.

So constantly chasing shadows and committing niggly fouls in dangerous positions has become the 'new' grafting in some (or many) supporters' eyes. The Age of Ashley, which has methodically dampened expectations, in full bloom here. What did it used to mean like, standing still? Fellas like Speed (converted to a DM role under Robson), Batty, Hamman, Lee and Parker's respective workrates from a defensive standpoint were backed-up by physical attributes and more importantly positional awareness. I'd call it effective grafting, defensively - and that level of play is deserving of the term. Congrats goes out to Colback (Ashley's Bargain Basement Gooooordeee) for lulling folks into thinking that his contribution has any merit, when they praise his 'grafting' style of play. Colback has pulled off the ultimate fraud job.

So constantly chasing shadows and committing niggly fouls in dangerous positions has become the 'new' grafting in some (or many) supporters' eyes. The Age of Ashley, which has methodically dampened expectations, in full bloom here.

A solid PL campaign under his belt (and some further development to his game) and SportsDirect United should have a nice sale & profit on it's hands. Be interesting to see if Rafa, at the next club he manages beyond this season, looks to acquire Yedlin.

SD running outdated system software, with an unpatched/insecure portal = wouldn't be another example of Wor Mike's penny pinching would it? I hope this leaves SD/Ashley vulnerable, potentially, to a class action lawsuit (by it's employees whose personal data has been pinched).

Melb City are affiliated with Man City - Man City's 'sister' club of sorts in Oceania/Australia. Part of this arrangement involves Man City bringing players to England & providing them experience in a European club set-up, and they are also in pole position to pick up Melb City's top prospects first.

Well done Captain Hindsight. Well, the board weren't armed with a crystal ball and weren't able to foresee the ACL injury he suffered during the Euros (?) after he signed for us. That injury was the beginning of the end for him imho. All the same, the board backed it's manager when Souness slid the note across Shepherd's desk (with Owen's name written on it) - none of the sort penny pinching & fraudulent underbidding for players as demonstrated by the current bunch. Cheers Pards. Priebus & Bannon (Two weapons grade fuckwits) would both be proud of your spindoctoring of a poo sandwich situation into that of a "Youz are f***ing alarmists, it's a black truffle delight" defense of a morally bankrupt, ambitionless regime. Keep ignoring ten years of Ashley's NUFC/SportsDirect United (where there's smoke ..... you know what they say) and carry on munching down that sandwich. Yum Yum....... grace us all, and sell to us how nice poo seeds taste like. And don't spit it out when things really hit the fan, again. Swallow down every last mouthful - you get what you deserve.

Well done Captain Hindsight. Well, the board weren't armed with a crystal ball and weren't able to foresee the ACL injury he suffered during the Euros (?) after he signed for us. That injury was the beginning of the end for him imho. All the same, the board backed it's manager when Souness slid the note across Shepherd's desk (with Owen's name written on it) - none of the sort penny pinching & fraudulent underbidding for players as demonstrated by the current bunch.

Hi Michael (as in Murray). What's the texture of your fave in-law's butthole like today?

He was likely lied to, like Keegan, in other words. Don't be daft. Ian W said that it wasn't clear he'd been let down a few hours ago. Some f***ing short memories here in respect of our shithouse of an owner. Aye..... ten years of Ashley ownership, and heads are still buried in the sand.

I'm not sure we did, I think our only intention this window was to not spend a penny. aye. Like every other window we've let go by, we never had any intention of signing anyone. When we want to sign people we don't seem to have much bother doing so, signings are made with very little media attention usually, and sometimes 5-6 on the belt. This is about the 10th deadline day where we've 'bid' for someone only for it to fail. The conference calls revelation which emerged during Keegangate still hits a nerve (where Ashley would effectively sabotage & scupper a deal..... "Whats X club want?" "This amount" "Offer Y amount and stick to it, the bid will fail). Insert Ashley & Charnley into the current conversation bubble.

2m saved, on top of shifting Tiote's wages (as well as scoring a minimal fee?). Deadline Day Ashleynomics in full effect again.

The owner's reluctance to finance a squad with enough depth to compete on multiple fronts percolates through to the management side imho. Pardew used to tow the party line because Pardz was a company man and a lapdog. Rafa is astute enough to realize on the back of nearly four weeks of transfer window inactivity (combined with a busy schedule) that we don't have the strength in numbers maintain a two headed challenge, and as such he"s shoehorned into a position to prioritize. Also he may have vision & ambition but he's also a career manager. If Rafa has figured these clowns out by now (you cannot trust Ashley, as stated by Keegan) then promotion at a mismanaged zombie club, where there's a disconnect between his ambition & Ashley's objectives, looks far better on his resume than a brave FA Cup run only to fall short in the play-offs.

Great result for an owner who has never desired to & spent the money required to assemble a squad capable of mounting a sustained challenge in multiple competitions. It's either 'premiership survival/17th' or 'promotion push', and the cups/convuluted fixture list are a poisonous distraction. I think Ashley shit himself during the Europa League season (under Pardew) when we qualified for the later stages and crashed down the table, and had to wait until the last month to re-secure SportsDirectUnited's seat on the EPL gravy train. Anti-competitive it may be, at least they were brazenly honest about it and a laughing stock when Charnley stated that the cup runs were not a priority. Somebody else (in the thread) hinted that it comes from the top. I'll go along with this. I can handle the likes of Liverpool/Arsenal/Chelsea et al using the earlier rounds as a platform to blood their cracking youth teams on larger stages, before they unleash the big guns in the later rounds. Sometimes it backfires on them, but their youth & fringe players (as well as their youth academy set-ups.... apparently our domedtic scouting network is of the bare bones level) leave ours in the dust. On the other hand when we do it (in a tricky fixture away from home) it comes across as being blatantly anti-competitive, because of the talent drop-off which is so dramatic when you hit the fringe of our first XI, and our U21s.

Going by our recent form splutter, during Shelvey's absence, I don't trust this team lumbered with a Colback fueled midfield (minus Shelvey, if injured) to maintain the gap between 2nd and the play-off spots. I'd much prefer to see McCarthy or Delph through the door, in preference to Townsend or the bloke from Swansea.

Nail in Benitez' coffin should arrive (who can blame the bloke if/when he walks) when the club start deliberately underbidding for the manager's top targets, as they did during Keegan's tenureship. Prefer to take Keegan's word ("Ashley can't be trusted") over those who are dismissing this story.

This goes back some time but imho the bloke punched his ticket, mentally, when the dream move to Spurs failed to materialize.

Hopefully the Murphy twins find an escape hatch in January before The King (if he was to find his way there) has an extended opportunity to apply his magic touch to the unfinished articles. Irrespective of who this prick manages, even a rival club for that matter, I can't stand watching this fraud destroy promising talent.

My exact feelings also.

Provided Rafa stays and Ashley continues to support him, we will be a FAR more attractive proposition than all PL clubs bar the Top 6....stability will be the key, but if top players are sure that this will continue they will want to play for both NUFC and Rafa..he has won more than any current PL manager and we are capable of filling a 75,000 stadium if we start doing well. Remember how we signed really good players under KK when we had just escaped from relegation to the Third div 2 years previously... we can do that again but ONLY if we show ambition and continuity...we would blow the likes of Leicester and Southamptom away quite frankly. If we have the Sissoko moneyand Rafa as the draw, it wouldn't be deluded to try for someone like Morgan Schneiderlin, who would seem a good foil for Shelvey and a great screen if there is a good chance of Lascelles/Clark being kept next season. Maybe paper talk, but he's being linked with West Brom and Everton. They're fine clubs, but aren't exactly a ticket to Europe or the French national side. When we were in the PL, we had the 8th? highest revenue. We wouldn't be the typical just-promoted club. Which is sweet fuck-all to be honest, given that Spurs (or any potential 3rd party, if he is sold on) are paying the fee in installments over 5 years. The 'Sissoko Money' due to the structure of the deal doesn't provide Rafa with massive punching power in the market at all this Summer - pisstake of a deal, and the fee accrued from the sale doesn't exactly represent a grand pot of gold waiting for Rafa at the end of the rainbow (promotion).

Team Ashley (with Pardz' help - constantly talking us down) reduced the club's status significantly though, in comparison to pre-2006, so I think Fergie's jab has a touch of merit.

Oh, I agree - if you're referring to Palace's fans. ..... but that Walk of Shame shows Pardew in all his glory (cowardice). Pure entertainment.