Altamullan Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 Fuck me, the amount of worry racing around these threads is bordering on delusional. 'Very likely', 'almost certainly', 'quite likely', appended to a load of speculative: we're doomed, Cashley is meddling again, Rafa is bound to leave and other random hypothetical threats. I get it. Ashley has history. We've all to some degree been traumatised (I don't use the word lightly) by what he has done to our club. Stay in the moment folks. Cross bridges when we come to them. Just because it has been, doesn't mean it is, or it will be. We're having a pretty damn good season, not a walkover but was never likely to be. Rafa has inferred he will only sign players who improve us. He has said on a couple of occasions January is difficult. I doubt he personally will be happy to overpay for anybody, especially as 'the project' is on track. Why not try and stay in the moment and enjoy it? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
STM Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 Why would he stay till the summer then leave as opposed to go now? Because, he is a football person and he cares about how he spends his life, what he does with his life, and he intends to get us promoted. Then, if the rumours of the recent Ashley involvement in transfers policy are true (as seems worryingly likely) then he will be off . . . straight away. So he's quite happy to be a patsy in the short term ? He's not the man I thought he was then, He is the man I thought he was. Read what I wrote again. Rafa has standards of life, unlike some other football managers, one in particular who just "upped and left us" . . twice. Seriously, stop it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robster Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 unlike some other football managers, one in particular who just "upped and left us" . . twice. Oh dear Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkie Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 I wonder just what the hell the problem is with the Townsend deal? Loan fee? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
UncleBingo Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 I'm predicting rivers of tears tomorrow night. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hanshithispantz Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 I'd be surprised if it came down to anything more than Mike trying to knock an extra few quid off whatever they want. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hanshithispantz Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 I'm predicting rivers of tears tomorrow night. Lot of tears that mind mate, quite a prediction. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nufc4eva Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 I just think it's a shit window tbh, we should have bought extra centre mid in Summer and probably a winger. They are right to go for a level of quality rather than stop gap players now and that may mean we miss out Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest reefatoon Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 I think you always need to bring a signing in during these windows. It always gives everyone a bit of a boost, and always leaves things a little flat if nothing happens. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebellious Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 Anyone think that players that would improve us may want higher wages than what we are paying most of our first team players at present and we don`t want to risk the dressing room harmony we have at the moment ? I think its all to down to the fact there are probably only one or two players out there that would improve us without taking the piss on wages. Also I think some players we are interested in may not want to take the risk, because we are not in a position of dead certs to go up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianovthetoon Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 We need to take a step back here like. So we're not in the Premier League, so it's going to be difficult to attract players of the calibre we will covet once promoted. It's hard to see who we could bring in who wouldn't want big money over and above what we can currently afford. Clubs don't want to loan out players who they might need when they are trying to get the odd extra million or so in TV money by finishing 14th. It's very much a sellers market. I'm also in no doubt that when we go up Rafa will be given what the club can realistically afford to give him. Rafa may be ambitious but he will also be pragmatic. He won't be expecting Chelsea levels of investment - for now. There will be a plan to be a near top half team next year with year on year improvement. He will also have cast iron assurances in writing I'm in no doubt. If Ashley reneges on these it will cost him just as much to let him leave. I have a feeling he's learned a lesson and he's been given a chance to keep the fans off his back for good. Let's just enjoy the rest of the season, hopefully go up and reevaluate where we are when pre season comes around again. I think people have to realise we aren't a premier league club. At the moment at least Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEMTEX Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 We'll need some luck to be a Premier League club in 6 months time if we don't strengthen our squad. Anything happens to Shelvey and we're fucked. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmojorisin75 Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 mental to think there's either not a loan available that's better than the likes of colback/gouffran or more mental to think that we probably won't pay loan fees for them Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianovthetoon Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 If we win our game in hand there will once again be a 9 point essentially 10 point gap between us and third place. We beat the team currently occupying 3rd spot 4-1 and comfortably beat the team in 4th away from home. From 18 games remaining those teams have to get better results than us in 4 games to get above us. I just can't see it as long as we keep our focus. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SEMTEX Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 We also lost at home to 5th, 6th and 23rd. All teams involved will lose some games, including ourselves. Some teams will go on good runs of form. Our form right now is something like 6th or 7th in the league. If it continues as such, we won't finish in the top 2. If anything happens to Shelvey, we're screwed. We need to push on, but we're clearly not arsed about doing so. It's a very dangerous game. As it stands, I imagine we'll finish 2nd, but I'd be much happier if we strengthened and fought for 1st. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leazes_End_Mag Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 If we sign Townsend, i'd be fully confident of us winning the league. If we sign nobody and Shelvey and/or Gayle get injured/banned then i'd have serious doubts about us finishing top 2. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoot Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 We need to take a step back here like. So we're not in the Premier League, so it's going to be difficult to attract players of the calibre we will covet once promoted. It's hard to see who we could bring in who wouldn't want big money over and above what we can currently afford. Clubs don't want to loan out players who they might need when they are trying to get the odd extra million or so in TV money by finishing 14th. It's very much a sellers market. I'm also in no doubt that when we go up Rafa will be given what the club can realistically afford to give him. Rafa may be ambitious but he will also be pragmatic. He won't be expecting Chelsea levels of investment - for now. There will be a plan to be a near top half team next year with year on year improvement. He will also have cast iron assurances in writing I'm in no doubt. If Ashley reneges on these it will cost him just as much to let him leave. I have a feeling he's learned a lesson and he's been given a chance to keep the fans off his back for good. The bit in bold gives me a bit comfort t be honest. It was widely reported in the summer just before we got Rafa permanently that he was getting assurances written into his contract. I doubt he would have signed if he hadn't. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
UncleBingo Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 Just spoken to my man when I was picking the kids up, tried to get some info out of him.....pretty much backs up what the papers have been saying. There won't be any money spent tomorrow. Townsend is wanted by Rafa and wants to come back, but the stumbling block is Mbemba who doesn't want to go to Palace apparently. Unlikely to happen were his words. With regards Ashley, he has had discussions with Rafa/Charnley about not spending anymore money, and his reasoning was that the club had the best/highest paid manager/squad in the division so need to get on with it. Benitez wanted a couple of new faces in but had to agree with him, and there is no major issue there. For now. Benitez really disappointed with the contributions of Colback, Perez and Mitrovic among others. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRon Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 Just spoken to my man when I was picking the kids up, tried to get some info out of him.....pretty much backs up what the papers have been saying. There won't be any money spent tomorrow. Townsend is wanted by Rafa and wants to come back, but the stumbling block is Mbemba who doesn't want to go to Palace apparently. Unlikely to happen were his words. With regards Ashley, he has had discussions with Rafa/Charnley about not spending anymore money, and his reasoning was that the club had the best/highest paid manager/squad in the division so need to get on with it. Benitez wanted a couple of new faces in but had to agree with him, and there is no major issue there. For now. Benitez really disappointed with the contributions of Colback, Perez and Mitrovic among others. I'll bet he's disappointed. Everyone assumed they'd be fine in the championship, but other than Perez I'm not that surprised. Colback can be dominated by any midfielder who can run basically, and Mitrovic might be big and hard, but there's plenty of big hard defenders in this division. You need more than that to raise yourself above the competition. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NG32 Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 Just spoken to my man when I was picking the kids up, tried to get some info out of him.....pretty much backs up what the papers have been saying. There won't be any money spent tomorrow. Townsend is wanted by Rafa and wants to come back, but the stumbling block is Mbemba who doesn't want to go to Palace apparently. Unlikely to happen were his words. With regards Ashley, he has had discussions with Rafa/Charnley about not spending anymore money, and his reasoning was that the club had the best/highest paid manager/squad in the division so need to get on with it. Benitez wanted a couple of new faces in but had to agree with him, and there is no major issue there. For now. Benitez really disappointed with the contributions of Colback, Perez and Mitrovic among others. Colback, Perez and Mitrovic haven't really stepped up to the plate. Tho I do still feel there are decent players inside Perez and Mitrovic. Colback I would get rid of asap. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRon Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 Perez has the ability to have walked this league. Really disappointing he hasn't shown up in a lot of games. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
xLiaaamx Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 Yet he keeps giving Colback games. Go figure. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Spaceman Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 Yet he keeps giving Colback games. Go figure. Colback was nowhere to be seen for the Rotherham game. It isn't too unrealistic to think that the penny may have only just dropped. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyeDubbleYoo Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 If we sign Townsend, i'd be fully confident of us winning the league. If we sign nobody and Shelvey and/or Gayle get injured/banned then i'd have serious doubts about us finishing top 2. Haven't they both just been injured/banned? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaKa Posted January 30, 2017 Share Posted January 30, 2017 Well if Mbemba stays I hope we at least give him a crack at the midfield position. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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