The Fish

Don't know how we managed to get to 58pts in 27 games, especially when we didn't even have Ameobi and Sterry. Think you're confusing "want to" with "need to" to be honest. We remain presumptive champions, we remain odds-on to go up automatically. Would Townsend have kicked us on a gear, sure. But I don't think our promotion push is scuppered without him, and it's certainly not under threat because we didn't sign Mo fucking Barrow.

Jesus, really?

@tfweeklypod has the best insight on this so far. They spoke to Rafa in December and even then Benitez emphasised how difficult the window is, and that he'd only be buying the right players. Have to say, the reaction hasn't been surprising in the least. Townsend would have been a good addition, and I believe we were working to that end. However, I don't think him staying at Palace signifies a return to the bad old days, I don't think it signifies broken promises, I don't think it spells the end for Rafa or anything else. I think it means that we tried to sign Townsend but either the deal wasn't right for us, wasn't right for Palace or wasn't right for Townsend. I think we looked at players like Barrow and McCarthy and at least one of those three things meant those transfers didn't happen. Rafa apparently wanted to buy for the Premier League, is Mo Barrow going to be Premier League ready, can't we do better than James McCarthy in the summer?

Derby, Norwich, Villa, Brighton, Huddersfield, Reading.

Wouldn't fancy Townsend and Yedlin on the same flank if we face anyone half decent.

Picturehouse cinemas let you take proper pints or glasses of wine in. It's quite nice that they trust their customers to drink responsibly and behave themselves. Getting pissed when watching a movie doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Shame there aren't more of them around the country, only really know about one outside of London, in Leeds.

Sure, why not, Michael Ricketts did.

Shan't

I think if we'd got past Oxford few would be demanding signings this window. I think there's a thing goes through people's head during a transfer window as when there's a 3 for 2 deal on soft drinks in the supermarket. I think this squad is on course for a c100pts season and will be enough to get us promoted automatically. Every squad can be improved, but if we're being quoted £35m for two Croatian lads under 20, £16m for James McCarthy and £22m for Tom Cairney, if Patrick van Aanholt moved to Palace for £14m and if Jake Livermore is "worth" £10m I'd say this window isn't the one to be buying players. As has been said, it's clearly a seller's market and while we're financially hale and healthy it behoves Rafa and the owner to keep one eye on the recruitment that will be needed in the summer. If we could secure a couple on loan, that'd be perfect, but it seems that selling clubs want permanent deals, understandably so. Playing well for a Championship club for 4 months isn't going to increase a departing player's value by much, and for senior players like McCarthy and Townsend those 4 months are 4 months off what is surely their last contract with their club. If they're getting £50k a week, will playing for Newcastle in the championship raise their selling value by £800k? I doubt it.

Agree, but, as with Hanley and Murphy, it may have been a safety net should Lascelles/Mbemba or Gayle/Mitrovic fail to perform in this league. Especially as Elliot was injured at the beginning of the season. It's an odd one, no doubt, as I've said before he'd be better off leaving Newcastle United and rebuilding his career elsewhere.

Was surely a gamble that Sels wouldn't be under that much pressure from a lower league side, we played 3 CBs so any pressure should be dealt with. As it is, his confidence must be shot. Although, there are few circumstances that he'd actually play now. Darlow is 1st choice, Elliott must be 2nd choice, so aside from an injury disaster between the sticks, I don't think he'll take the field for us in a competitive game ever again. meh.

Read somewhere that Mitrovic was the nominated penalty taker, which would certainly make sense given the line-up. Rafa said that if we progressed it would be by using the squad and the team he picked should have been enough to progress. Mind, on another day we would have been a couple of goals to the good in the 1st half. Oxford deserved their cup victory and Newcastle deserve criticism for falling to a team significantly lower down the pyramid. That said, the tantrums and bed wetting needs to stop. At the beginning of the season we all agreed that Promotion was the be all and end all, we're still on course for that. Despite that, I don't know why Rafa keeps giving Matz Sels a shot; Sels P14 W7, D3, L4 F29 A13 Wins Reading 4-1 Bristol 1-0 Brighton 2-0 Derby 2-0 QPR 6-0 Preston 6-0 Birmingham 3-1 Draws Aston Villa 1-1 Hull 1-1 (lost on penalties) Birmingham 1-1 Losses Fulham 1-0 Huddersfield 2-1 Wolves 2-0 Oxford 3-1 DARLOW P20 W16 D0 L4 F41 A14 Wins Cheltenham 2-0 Wolves 2-0 Norwich 4-3 Rotherham 1-0 Brentford 3-1 Barnsley 2-0 Ipswich 3-0 Preston 2-1 Cardiff 2-1 Leeds 2-0 Birmingham 4-0 Wigan 2-0 Burton 2-1 Forest 3-1 Brentford 2-1 Rotherham 4-0 Losses Blackburn 1-0 Forest 2-1 Sheff Wed 1-0 Blackburn 1-0

2-0 Ffs

Armstrong just scored for Barnsley

He definitely deserves criticism for missing a penalty. Have to say, it sounds like Eastwood is playing a blinder.

FFS Mitro

Penalty saved

Spurs got it back to 2-2

Sorry, I'm just exhausted seeing Mitrovic's name in complaints. The kid gets far more abuse than anyone else. More than Dummett or even Perez! I'd bring on Yedlin, Shelvey and Ritchie for Gamez, El-Mhanni and Barlaser.

The rest of them are doing brilliantly mind, That pesky Serbian ruining all their good work.

uh oh 0-1

Sounds like their 'keeper is playing well. No surprise Mitrovic isn't sharp mind, he's only played 451 minutes before today and he's coming back from injury.

Aye, but the fewer big clubs, the worse for our chances of getting a demoralising cup humiliation!