SuperFlat

Think Rafa may have lost patience with his lack of confidence in his own fitness. It's pretty ruthless, but if he can't be relied upon when he's physically fit, then I don't have an issue with him being replaced. Fuck knows with who though.

BLOW IT ALL ON HENNESSEY.

I'd be concerned for his heart if he was to keep that level of effort up every week. MOTM for me, without a doubt.

Like the Perez of old today. The ball for Mitro was a peach.

Ritchie's mammoth sprint from their box to ours, to close down a break down our right, resulting in them having to pass it back to the keeper. Unbelievable graft. Had to pretend to be injured so he could have a sit down to recover.

Important not to get too carried away this early on, mind. He's young, playing in his third game in the league and looking every inch the part. However, he's bound to be inconsistent over the course of the season. Hopefully he's bought himself a bit of leeway today, as I think the knives were out a bit with some after last week. Lovely player to watch.

Pure Benitez football today, like. Compact, organised, committed, full of energy and clinical with our chances. Happy to surrender possession where they can't hurt us, then disposess and punish them with ours. Properly enjoyed it, and the performance couldn't have come at a better time. That was with a makeshift defence, missing our 'main' striker and supposed best player. Hopefully those getting restless can appreciate better what he's trying to do with this team. We won't be playing like that every week, but it would have been more often if he'd have been allowed to sign better players. Anyway, three goals, a clean sheet and three points. Let's see what next week brings.

Embargoes and all that, but why the fuck does this stuff have to come out so late?! Lost count of the number of times I've gone to sleep pissed off over the last ten years. Tomorrow could very well be his last game in charge of us judging by those quotes. Going to be a very strange atmosphere, and I'll be waiting for the drawn out exit from the pitch while clapping all four sides of the ground. Fuck knows where we go from here.

...

Aye.

Today, and the start in general, has been alarming. We look as if we lack the confidence and quality to pose a threat in this league. However, it'll do us no good whatsoever to shit the bed at this early stage. Rafa has continually pleaded with the fans to stay behind the team, and that's what we need to do. We'll be up against it for the majority of the season, but I do trust Rafa to be able to make enough out of this team to survive.

Have to feel his hairline might scupper any potential move.

Nope.

Best to be sickened ahead of time, just in case.

I'll ignore the fact Rafa will never do that for a second and ask who would be the wing backs? we literally don't have the bodies atm with Yedlin's injury. To be fair, we played a fair portion of the second half in that formation on Sunday. Did we? tbh i spent the entire second half in a state of frustration so i didn't notice. Aye, when Merino came on, with Ritchie and Manquillo as the wingbacks. Our best spell of the game, really.

I'll ignore the fact Rafa will never do that for a second and ask who would be the wing backs? we literally don't have the bodies atm with Yedlin's injury. To be fair, we played a fair portion of the second half in that formation on Sunday.

Cool.

Absolutely.

Beyond moronic, that. Doubly disappointing because I thought this was going to be his season.

Gamez to step in? Can't see much benefit in Clark playing there for a few games. Lascelles looked very shaky when he came on, but at least Mbemba did well.

Ahh, I've missed that feeling of abject deflation when you realise a game is gone in an instant. So glad football is back.

In fairness, I don't think it has much to do with Charnley. He's always appeared onside with Rafa, and he performed admirably last summer. It'll be this Barnes c*** that's asserting Ashley's influence in all this. or agents thinking "drag it out a little, see what else comes up" I don't think so. Can't imagine Rafa being this open and vocal if it was all down to agent games. He's been vocal about not getting what he wanted. He's also been vocal in the larger piece about "Lee". I'm not sure it's the club his frustrated with and this would have been a perfect opportunity to send more coded messages that Ashley's line was my quite as it seemed. I've read that differently then. His issue, to me, is with the way 'the club' was conducting business. No such issue existed last summer. He's specifically said that our approach to transfer business wasn't what he'd been promised, so I think it's safe to say that this beef is with the club.

Wagner upgrading to Premier League geps, the try hard melt.

In fairness, I don't think it has much to do with Charnley. He's always appeared onside with Rafa, and he performed admirably last summer. It'll be this Barnes c*** that's asserting Ashley's influence in all this. or agents thinking "drag it out a little, see what else comes up" I don't think so. Can't imagine Rafa being this open and vocal if it was all down to agent games.

In fairness, I don't think it has much to do with Charnley. He's always appeared onside with Rafa, and he performed admirably last summer. It'll be this Barnes cunt that's asserting Ashley's influence in all this.