Altamullan

Yaaaahhh!!! Bizarrely, I have missed your titbits Gallows. 'Titbits' not the orange covered... Oh never mind.

Another 13 days to 'blow'...

Ha! I was thinking he looks like a cow had just licked his heed.

I think we just need some transfer activity to talk about to stop all the over interpretation of a nothing story. A signing similar in stature to a twice ballon d'or winning 31 year old would be perfect

I think Thomas is suggesting your knight's move is stinking

I think a large proportion of our support would feel the same, only qualifier I'd add is for me it is not Rafa as such, more what he represents: manager not just coach, expertise and strong leadership, and basically he has good values. NUFC--in terms of the heritage and meaning to the region/fan base--is and should be the be all and end all. Unless it is so tarnished and enveloped by unscrupulous ownership and or management that it turns away its people (again).

Found it so disappointing, and mildly disgusting, to read of the lack of dignity afforded one of the greats in the game by one of the richest clubs in the world, best resourced FAs and seemingly most organised PFAs. Could imagine him feeling a sense of shame, in the early stages of his illness, as the discrepancy between his icon status and his current cash flow started to bite. Could just picture some job's worth telling him he'd have to buy tickets to take his grand daughter to her first game. We now have players not worthy to be on the same pitch as someone like him made for life by the time they're 25. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/nobby-stiles-manchester-united-england-pfa-fa-alzheimers-dementia-a7532336.html

Benitez is way above our station, hopefully he can be persuaded to believe the same thing Benitez does, that the potential is there to be a real force again. Totally agree. I'm not buying into this forelock-tugging, we're not worthy, low self-esteem s***. We are lucky enough to be able to afford the vast majority of players, we have a foundation for greatness and a manager with the guile and vision to get us there. Does that mean he will? (or that I'm a deluded Geordie). Of course not (and f*** off and die). But it is certain that we definitely won't achieve any meaningful progression without daring to really give it 100%. Central to this is getting the best players we can, if this means being turned down by a canny few, so what. How long does it take to write a longer list? Dare to dream and just as importantly dare to behave in a way compatible with your dreams coming true.

"Christian, you've changed man."

Great goal: lovely timing on pass and composed finish.

Just used the link above. Atmosphere has changed somewhat over the last couple of hours...

Heads gone. Feet to follow.

Close-up of Lincoln fans reveals 5 year old sitting on Dad's shoulders singing "Your support is fucking shit!" ... imagine his Mam at home:"Smacked in the morning! You're getting smacked in the morning!!"

Is he allowed to ref other teams' matches when he's not playing for Man U?

It was pretty obvious to all that they were going to struggle this season. Circumstances since have not gone their way. Hull were the other club who looked holed below the water line before they set out. Swansea have been unexpectedly dire. Of the three, SAFC look least likely to turn around their form. I quite like Moyes, (not quite reached Lawrie Mc levels of admiration yet...;-) he seems a decent man and knows what a difficult situation he finds himself in and, frankly, looks defeated. The owners have seemingly chucked in the towel. Even if Moyes and the team pop back into some decent shape/form it will be the greatest escape yet if they retain their place at the top table. Not crowing, but I really can't see them doing so and either way they need new owners pretty sharpish to have a reasonable future ahead. Presume it will be a lot easier to sell as a Prmeier League outfit, but then the reduced price if they are not maybe opens up more potential buyers who may be better for the club and the area in the longer term.

Just shows what having your own agent can do for you. Or how inexact the judgements are which determine the shape of a player's career. Makes you wonder how many get binned/give-up, who really were just never seen by the right person. Or had someone believe in them enough. Liverpool scouts not fancying Van Diyk, is a less 'final' example.

"Nothing has chanGed. We talk abOut transfers, Our scouts and agents. All that is in my heaD is signing the Best plaYErs for us.” Says it all... . Apparently, if you play the audio backwards you can hear a ghostly voice wail "Winston Churchill"

funny as ... Perhaps, mainly, as I was that kid (Y7, tbf).

Yeah...got so tired of seeing Beardsley's.

Horrible behaviour is like Sissoko's antics. Townsend was nowt like that. I'd take him back if the price is right. Obviously he's nowhere near Sissoko levels of unadulterated evil but he did do a bit of a Delph in the summer, claiming he was stopping after the relegation. It's true that his commitment on the pitch could never be questioned. You'd have Moussa back at this point Moussa can go and anally butcher himself with an aubergine, for all I care... There's a Moussaka joke in their somewhere, but I've disgusted myself too much with that imagery to think...

I get the draw of staying a Premier League player and living close to home/friends the anonymity of London etc. He wasn't here long enough to build any kind of life. I felt it was a bad decision for him professionally to go to Palace, and bad for us to lose him. He had put in some good performances with glimpses of the exceptional. I think it would have been great for Andros to have a team rely on him, for once. Whilst he's missed that boat, he would scare the s*** out of most Championship defenders and really help breakdown the 'everybody and their granny behind the ball' tactics we're regularly facing. Come back and show everyone what you can do if given the chance.

True, I wouldn't want to change ours. But have you seen the clip of the donkey/mule/hinny/horse things they've had? And the football drawn by a five year-old? Room for improvement

However many of the other first teams they would get into, they would not be facing everybody and their granny behind the ball for most of every game. It can be hard enough (watching too) when you've a bit more guile up front, and can't help thinking we may well regret not getting something 'more'. Just like 2015-16 when just about everybody was banging on about needing another centre back to bring Mbemba on. If we had got someone like Van Dijk (...I know, but that was then and it was mooted) then I genuinely think despite the failings elsewhere we would have stayed-up... Oh, suddenly dawned on me that might not have been a good thing No, regardless of the comparison above, we definitely need to get promoted. No. 10 please.

Funny. I quite like it, use of club colours and letter to form a (traditional) shield but with a modern slant. It's all about taste/preference but they've changed it a fair bit and some of their historical ones were pretty grim. https://goo.gl/images/64uvqb

You've the patience of a saint. The skin of a rhino. And the intellectual advantage of a cortex in a slime-mould debate. Not sure what you get out of it Sima, but if somebody set it as a penance, then you know some cruel fuckers. If you lost a bet, well... that'll teach you/just say no. If you are simply maintaining your right to spread light while others Stoke heat (btw my keyboard automatically capitalised Stoke there [and again], even it wants to take the piss out of 'our friends and neighbours'), then fair play to you.