The Fish

We're strong away from home, they struggle against wide play and if we score early the pace we have from Atsu and Yedlin could cause them issues on the break. 3-0 I reckon

Dad put a comb in my stocking. My Dad is a dick.

Shef Wed was shit, but lets not panic. Colback, Hayden cannot be the centre if the fullbacks are Anita and Dummett. Ritchie has offered very little for a while, but I think we have to keep him in the team for the quality he can provide from set pieces. I'd go with Darlow Yedlin Lascelles Clark Dummett Ritchie Hayden Colback/Anita Atsu Mitrovic Gayle but I reckon Rafa will go with Darlow Yedlin Lascelles Clark Dummett Hayden Diame Ritchie --- Perez --- Atsu Gayle

Aim lower. Pardew is a colostomy bag flavoured mouthwash compared to Ben Arfa. HBA is not even as big an arsehole as Souness, you remember Souness don't you? ANSWER MY SIMPLE QUESTION.

Quarter past seven on Christmas Day.

They can be terrifically precious

He's definitely Premier League quality and probably top half at that. But he is 27 and we might be better off stealing some of the top young Championship players? Trading expense for the gamble, I suppose.

If we were 2nd or 3rd he's not be interested, but surely he'd be keen on (as others say) the opportunity to play under Rafa, for a big club, with a big fanbase etc. etc. It's not like he's swapping 1st team football in the top flight to join a midtable side in the 2nd tier looking to use him to get back into the chase for promotion. He'd be swapping reserve football with Man City, for first team football for the presumptive Champions. 6 months would be worth it, surely?

"It's not a mushroom, it's a penis" "Well I'm dyslexic so I can't really tell."

Had to leave China as the drivers kept going to the Wong house.

Another soldier is doing time for selling guns and GRENADES! he stole from the armed forces. Help the Heroes. but in news that may interest @Gemmill

Don't get me wrong, I think 4 is fucking bonkers. I honestly think part of it was he wanted a son and would have stopped earlier had one shown up. My Dad said over Christmas dinner one year, "He was just going to keep plugging away until he got a boy." which went down well with my older sisters Difference is, the possibility of a 5th girl is a ridiculous risk to take. Whereas my folks were blessed with my arrival after two trial runs.

Guest "No wine for me thanks I'm pregnant" Gemmill "What?! Another one of you? For fucks sake, I'm outta here, see ya later losers!"

Everyone was dogshit against Blackburn, harsh to single out Mitrovic. He has missed a few, but he's obviously still a work in progress, I think people forget just how young he is. The shit with Ritchie was silly, but to be honest I like to see strikers hungry to score goals. When we twatted Shef Wed, Paul Robinson won a penalty, I think we were already 5-0 up at the time and Shearer took the ball off him to score his 4th (?). Also, after that he continued to work hard and got his hattrick, so I don't see the harm. The rotation thing is fine, but as I've said, Gayle is in unbelievable form, 85minutes per goal is brilliant, undroppable, form. He's also held back by playing in a position that doesn't lend itself to rotation as much as, say, the wings or the centre midfield. If Mitrovic was a powerful attacking midfielder he may have been getting more of a shot. As it is, he's a big centre forward that feeds off crosses and long balls. Two routes that we're not currently using, probably because most Championship clubs have big centre halves that can gobble them up all day every day. I'm not bothered about Rafa picking Gayle ahead of him, it makes sense, and Rafa knows a fuck load more than me about football. I'm bothered about fans writing off a 22yr old in only his second season in the country. Especially when he's scoring and creating assists when he does get his opportunity and especially when there are other headcases in the side whose on field idiocy passes without comment because they're in form. Shelvey is a fucking liability (not talking about the current charge), but because he's arguably the best centre midfielder in the league, nobody calls him on it. When we equalised against Norwich, the first thing he did was to run past the norwich player calling for offside and celebrate in his face, a la Keown & Nistelrooy. In untangling himself from Lansbury in the way he did, he made the referee (or his assistant) make a decision. He's left the boot in plenty of times and already has 4 yellows.

He's done a bit, but he's got 4 daughters and obviously that surely limits where you go and what you do. More, I'm guessing, because of the logistics of travelling with 5 people of varying ages, doesn't really make sense to go to Peru with that lot in tow. Last time I spoke to him, he was taking his wife off on a big holiday. But to be honest, he's a Yorkshire lad who's happier in the pub with his mates than spending a fortune just so he can say that he has. Might seem a waste, but all his daughters have their head screwed on right and while they might have got a new Golf for their 18th instead of a bottle of Cava, they know the value of money.

Happy Birthday mate

He's only played 443 minutes this season, overwhelmingly from the bench. Only Grant Hanley in what can be considered the 1st team squad has played fewer minutes. He's scored 3, and got 2 assists in those brief appearances. That's a goal every 147.66 and an assist every 221.5. That says to me, there's a good player in there who because of circumstances (Gayle's form and the system) and doubts over his discipline isn't getting a shot. For comparison Shelvey 292 Min per Assist Ritche 271.33 Min per Assist Gayle 85.53 Min per Goal Perez 327 Min per Goal* Gouffran 348.75 Min per Goal I get that in this system and in this form, Gayle has to start, but people are genuinely wanting shot of him if we get what we paid for him. He has as many goals and assists as Perez, in less than half the time on the pitch. Madness iyam.

Uni mate of mine's dad inherited half of the family business but had no interest/acumen for it so sold his half to his brother for millions. Since then he bought a couple of restaurants and employed people to run them, to keep some kind of reliable income. He's worked in their kitchen, he's worked as a taxi-driver, a baggage handler in the Isle of Mann airport and now is self employed as a driving instructor. He just likes to keep busy and enjoys putting in a days graft. I wouldn't fancy that, but I'd definitely have a business to keep me busy.

See, Global Warming is a myth!

Come on HF, play fair.

Haven't seen that, awesomesauce. HWANEETOH Seems to be a backlash against Mitrovic on twitter which, for me, is a bit harsh for a young lad who scored last season, who's scored on his few opportunities this season and who clearly tries hard whenever he's in the shirt. Gayle deserves to start because he's banging them in, and he suits Rafa's current setup well. To write off a young lad is a bit fucking silly iyam. Looks like we've been linked with a loan deal for Ruben Loftus-Cheek http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/the-next-michael-ballack-story-12351647

Juanito, an U18s Spanish striker.

Robert Snodgrass has turned down a contract with Hull. Worth a bid in January? Fits the bill for Rafa's Newcastle in terms of endeavour and ability, too good for the Championship, probably good enough for the Premier League, addresses the weaknesses in the wide position and can play through the centre too.