The Fish

"Can everyone please manage their predictions? What's that? My prediction? 6-2 obvs."

That's surely just Rafa not thinking Gamez is up to speed yet? The little I've seen he looks classy, but not yet ready for Championship football. With Benitez all but confirming that Lazaar is going to start in the cup on Tuesday i'd not be surprised if Gamez plays against Wolves, but saying that Clark and Dummett are doing ok at this level, so why rock the boat?

Depends how it was sold to him, if Rafa has told him he "needs" his character and leadership on and off the pitch, but his game time may be limited because of the rigors of the league, I'd believe a 30yr old left back would be ok with that. Especially if the reports of his character are true?

About fucking time it did.

re: Gamez, I was wondering if he was bought for the dressing room, rather than the pitch?

He might grow out of it naturally, I know I wasn't that popular until I hit high school, University before I learnt how to manage my own stuff. It's obvious that he needs to get into an environment that supports his academic side, but gets him used to playing nice with other kids, to put it plainly. Be that a better school where the teachers have more time to spend with each student, or a hobby like martial arts or sports. Trouble is, his parents are more likely to take him to a Dungeons and Dragons game than give up their Sunday afternoon to take him to junior football. She needs to talk to someone, 100%. I've tried to have that chat with her, and used my own experience as evidence that it can work, but it didn't go down too well. Possibly because I was the one giving the advice and I'm a bit of a dick...

Aye, the dad is still around but he's not very good at being a Dad by all accounts. He was due to go to the Panto with my nephew and he genuinely asked the little'un who he wanted to go with. Nephew obviously chose the parent that he actually has a relationship with, so the Dad shrugged and went off to the pub with his mates instead. Mind you, she's prone to martyr herself, so I reckon they argue a fair bit. I know she used to argue with me a lot when I was still around. Really sensitive, highly critical (or herself and others) and a lightning quick anger. My parents try and help the best they can, but they're late 60s and he's about 5, there's only so much they can manage. Not to reignite an old argument but I think the little laddy would really benefit from a grammar school education because the schools in the area aren't great.

Handy, because Shelvey looks like one and Mitrovic acts like one.

I'm curious as to what/how smb thinks he assists?

My little nephew is often bullied at school apparently. He's pretty advanced academically, socially awkward, but much bigger than most of the kids in his year and has a really quick temper. Him and my sister have been hauled in front of the primary school headteacher because he's reacted to something and hurt someone. He gets his temper from my sister and it's no surprise to me that he's struggling to make friends or learn how to be part of a group. He's got so much anger, it's genuinely disturbing. My lass has said already said that she doesn't want him anywhere near any kids we have. I really want to help more, but I rarely see him and whenever I do I'm too much of a stranger. I've suggested that she takes him to mediation session and enrolls him into a martial arts course or a sports team so he learns his strength and when/how to use it, but she says that he prefers reading and playing inside. Keep expecting him to start singing "I don't like Mondays"

off of Football 365

The punching thing is just the continental fashion, I'm not sure it can/will be coached out of him given he's been doing it presumably from childhood. Does De Gea catch stuff now? I've no idea. Don't the clean sheets as much to the comparative quality of our defenders and their attacks? I don't remember him making too many top class saves so far.

TIPICAL DELEWDED MAG!1! AM FEWMIN

Kone has signed a new deal, but will that be enough to keep him there if Everton revisit their interest later in the season? Khazri looks out of favour and Kirchoff can only last 60 minutes by the looks of things. Can't imagine what will happen if Defoe attracts the attentions of someone like Everton, Palace or Stoke around January. A midtable side looking to strengthen their options up front with a reliable experienced pro. Could sunderland convince him to stay? I can't imagine Moyes' football will get Defoe's pace racing and for all his faults, Allardyce knew to make sure Defoe felt he was the focus of the team. If our players start getting attention, I fancy us to be able to fend off all but the biggest of clubs. I can't see Ritchie swapping Newcastle and Rafa for West Brom and Pulis, but I can see Kone swapping sunderland and Moyes for Boro and Karanka.

2-0 Whoscored says They've only beaten Birmingham City and Cambridge United, they've dropped points to Barnsley, Burton, Huddersfield and Ipswich. Should be a fairly straightforward win, but this is still Newcastle, despite Rafa's influence, there still flows an undercurrent of insanity and chaos.

Kone, Kirchoff, Khazri, Ndong, off the top of my head. No, they're not great, but they'd definitely not fancy a season (or longer) in the Championship.

Eight games in (and I know we haven't had the game time to properly assess them; Yedlin, Lazaar, Gamez, Murphy.) what are your thougths on the new boys? For me Atsu looks tricksy, but selfish. I'd not be surprised if he was another LuaLua type. All fart nee shite. Clark is Paul Dummett. Not that there's anything wrong with that in this league. Diame is powerful, clever on the ball, and committed. Everything Sissoko should have been. Needs more game time and needs the players around him to get used to what he can add to the team. Gamez, in the brief glimpses of him I've caught, looks classy but needs to quickly get up to Championship speed. Gayle, I'm worried he'll get frustrated with the rotations, but when he's on the pitch we've a goal threat. He's working hard across their back line to disrupt and annoy the defenders and he's picking up nice little pockets of space. Love to see him, Mitro and Perez on the pitch at the same time though. Hanley looks exactly what I thought he'd be, a big old Championship bruiser. Likely to give away a penalty or two, but unlikely to give up much ground to the big lumps that Championship sides favour up front. Hayden is a very promising player. Definitely one I'd want to keep hold of when we go up. Last game he started stretching his play a bit, and joined Shelvey in trying to find the runs of the fullbacks with searching balls. Lazaar hasn't featured yet. Murphy hasn't featured yet. Ritchie is a gem. Lovely control, quick feet, a variety of quality final balls and (that apparently rarest of commodities for a left winger) heart. He'll be so important for us this season and for next too. Sels is taking time to settle, but with each clean sheet he grows in confidence and assurance. I wish he'd catch a ball, but that's not the continental way I suppose. Not sure which of our 'keepers I'd have as 1st choice if they're all fit and at the club now. Yedlin, hasn't played much but has unbelievable pace, seems to be enjoying his time at Newcastle too. Only being kept out of the side by Vurnon Anita which brings me onto my next question for you; Which old players have been Rafa'd?

Which of the old lads have been successfully de-Pardewed and most benefited from the Rafalution?

Aside from the promoted sides, it is hard to look at any Premier League side and see a sure-fire 3 points going to the mackems. It could be that's down to my bias, but there can't be many teams that fear entertaining them. Boro, Burnley and Hull must surely identify sunderland as fixture that they can get a precious win? Were we ever seen as whipping boys? They'll be reading this and calling us deluded and arrogant and all the rest of it, but honestly, scraping survival every season is embarrassing for a club of their fanbase and history. We've been relegated, sure, but as someone said on twitter, We'll be back and when we are, our aim won't be to secure safety in the final couple of fixtures. Honestly think they'd do well to go down, clear out all the shit (might take a while) and make root and branch changes across the organisation and come back with an identity that isn't the "turd that refuses to flush".

Well, most of us...

Git.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premier_League_records_and_statistics#All-time_Premier_League_table If you copy that into a spreadsheet and filter out teams who've not been in the Premier League for 10 seasons or more you'll see Sunderland and West Brom at the bottom of the pack. And when you stack that performance against their spend... http://www.transferleague.co.uk/premier-league-1992-to-date/transfer-league-tables/premier-league-table-1992-to-date Makes me think, they give us shit for "delusion" but our ambition means that survival isn't enough for us and we protest (sometimes in embarrassing ways) and strive to affect change. They meekly renew their season tickets, rock up in their thousands, and fuck off when their team is capitulating once more. There seems no anger towards the way their club is mismanaged, their seems no desire to progress? Are they afraid to appear too demanding?

They're misunderstanding the question. It's not which teams were particularly shit in one season, it's which club has been most guilty of stinking out the Premier League.