Odear

Aye Saivet started in the first pre season game. think he could well be used a bit this season. Colback will get his fair share too, unless Benitez does actually want Lucas, that will tell more what he thinks of Colback than anything. If Aarons stays fit he'll be hard to leave out, do we have him on a long term contract now?

Pardewed.

Bring him in as backup and let him force his way into the team. I think the current duo have potential and it would be shitty to just shelve that. Rafa certainly doesn't mess about though.

Lucas is or at least was a very important cog in their machine when they were doing well a few years ago. Screams of a Nicky Butt type signing tbh, same age to if I remember correctly. C Trust in Rafa but my own personal opinion, if he's coming here as a captain, that will set Lascelles back a bit.. who I think is the long term option as opposed to the short term fix.

So fee agreed on just idle speculation?

I'm not saying we don't need cover, that's exactly what we need but we don't need to be signing someone who will be expecting to play every game. Like the sweaty from Blackburn. And we don't just have 2, Dummett can play there, in fact it's probably his better position. So we need 1 more in to do us. Also, what about the lads in the reserves/u21's? They have to play at some point too and i'd rather they cut their teeth this season when the pressure will be off slightly. But yes, 1 CB in will do i think.

We do need to get one CB in, but it's only urgent if anything happens to Mbemba or Jamaal, we have this season to really see what the kid is made of, i'm suspecting it's stern stuff. Anyone being brought in will just be for cover so i don't see why we need to be paying mad money on average players, unless he doesn't fully trust Mbemba. Also his comments may just be to keep the current players on their toes. We will be bringing someone in but would be surprised if it's someone who will play regularly.

hahaha RTG Defoe Had a dream last night that he was interested in leaving the lads. Actually spoke to him in the dream and he said he loves the club but doesn't know what's going on, with the manager situation etc. Make of this what you will but it doesn't look great either way Has to be a windup, shirley

Really grim for supporting your country though isn't it.. like how the fuck can you get behind him? Or Pardew for that matter.. mind you, there has pretty much always been some sort of con man (of the British ones) in the job ever since Sir Bobby. (and Keegan had the decency to admit he wasn't up to it) Sven and Capello came for the big wages but could do nothing with the limited talent. But think of it.. Woy, Shteve, Terry Stringfellow, Mystic Twoddle. Collectively how much wages were spent on that lot? It's mad really how such fuckwits can make a really good living in this game.

Aye, think i'll give that one a miss. He did well for us over that season until Cisse arrived

He looks away in fairness but would be happy to give him a second chance if he didn't sulk and cause bad vibes.

Can't believe it's been two years already.

Gini's body language says he's most definitely away in the next week or so. Still, the lads did go over (albeit slowly) to congratulate him.

If John Carver ever tried that the only thing signed would be a restraining order.

Next Saturday should be a decent cluel against Bohs' as to which players might be staying, or squad numbers etc.. 15 euro tickets, I think I may go.

Ok so the players with questions over them. Krul, Sissoko and Janmaat definitely off. The fee for Sissoko will pretty much even out what we've spent on other players which may negate the need to sell Wijnaldum, and if Benitez can get him on board for the season, he could be a force for us. Gouffran is a grafter which Benitez likes, if he can follow instructions, he'll keep his squad place. Shelvey will ultimately be shipped on but not until January perhaps. Unless Benitez can find a use for him that doesn't fuck the rest of the team up. De Jong could be anything really, it's been make or break for him for a long time now. There's definitely an intelligent player in there, hopefully the new medical staff can keep him in ok shape. Tiote will be kept unless this Hayden kid is being seen as the new defensive option. For what it's worth, I think a lot of the improvement in the team was complimented by Tiote being in there too, his age is going against him now though so very much a short term solution. Crazy how Armstrong doesn't seem to be getting a chance after tearing it up last season, but then.. we don't actually know that yet. The froggies.. very costly mistakes.. these loans will drag on until their contracts are up. Mitrovic will stay, become the top boy. This season will be good for him. Vuckic, it's his final year? I'm more disappointed with him that any other of our players.. just hasn't fulfilled the potential and always seems to get injured just as he was about to get a chance. Such a shame. Riviere will be away, some French club will be daft enough to pay something for him. Anita will be kept on, he's a useful man to have in a squad. Toney.. i'm interested in this kid.. he could be very decent given a decent run in the side, but perhaps it won't happen for him now that Gayle is here. Have I missed any?

He'll come in useful against the Ronnie Corbett XI

He does look a bit like Kanye West..

From his blog on club structure. "Something that should not be forgotten is the analysis of the Academy. Incorporating local players always gives more affinity with the club and sensibly reduces costs. In Italy and Spain the organisation depends on the ‘sporting director’ and the Coach has little input in to it. Nevertheless, in England it can be the case, as happened at Liverpool in my last year, that the Manager has control over the youth system and can follow a style of play in all age groups and with more continuity. Barcelona’s model is popular right now. There is no better or more evident example. If there are no players at youth level in the club who have the requisite ability, you have to resort to the transfer market. The ‘sporting director’ or the Manager has to manage a transfer Budget, and on top of that, take players’ wages in to account. A good scouting system is necessary and essential, although not infallible, and the money available in both cases will affect the market you can access. The income from selling and net spend are more important for the Manager than the Coach. The former tries to consider the future of the club and win at the same time. The latter, the way football is going, only tries to win and cost has less importance."

Thauvin will go for about 12 if we're lucky. But to be honest, it's all out of Ashley's pocket so i don't really care about what the club loses.

I like him already.

All great careers end in failure of some kind. It's staggering though that they would go to such lengths to essentially save what amounts to about 4 months salary for him. Football must be the thickest profession.

Well give the guy a bit of a break, that sort of upheaval can be traumatic.. even if you're a millionaire footballer. I didn't know he had his kids taken away from him like that. I always thought the lot of them just got sick of the cold winters. It would explain his inconsistent and then consistent bad form to a degree, also being Pardewed.. and every other piece of drama the club has made for itself I have mixed feelings about the player. On his day, easily the classiest defender we've had in the modern era along with Woodgate and Albert. Sadly those days were far less than the Sideshow Bob moments, gutless turning of the back when shots were coming in and accepting the role of club captain when he really wasn't the best choice. But, he gave 8 years of his life to this club, regardless of anything else and i wish him luck for his swansong back home.

To be honest, I've seen enough of his feeble attempts at tracking back. It's not just one or two positions in a team that have to do it so the case for just moving him into the no.10 position doesn't fill me with hope. Far more interested in seeing De Jong finally get a run in the team in that role.

Could Pardew not take this cunt off our hands? Am really struggling to see how he'll fit into Rafa's plans.. unless there's a huge improvement in all areas of his game over the pre season.