The Fish

What are you hoping to discover?

Krul's got the tools to be a better 'keeper than Elliott and I've said before, Krul's more likely to make the "how the fuck did he do that?!" save, but he needs to cut out silly mistakes. Elliott is solid but unspectacular, but sometimes, that's what you need.

Jesus

If I were to use predictions as a window into the predictor's psyche; I'd send a white van round for CT and put KCG on suicide watch.

Which cocksnot gargling fuckpig didn't put abuse in the title?

What's this now?

That's worse than some of mine!

The few highlights I've seen of the game show him to be quite panicky, but I suppose they're never going to show highlights of a 'keeper calmly collecting/dealing with a cross. Good result on the whole and it puts the Away-day hoodoo in a box for a bit. A lot of twitter seems to be worried that we faded in the second half, but was that the case or did Rafa settle for a 1-0 win? Certainly the comments about working on counter-attacks suggests we sat back once we'd got the lead. Hayden was quality again, by all accounts. 7 Interceptions in another competent display from the young lad. Ritchie is getting praise too and has been after every game. Diame is still growing in confidence and fitness (Hull's preseason couldn't have helped). Lascelles was very good and Gayle is up to 4 in 4. New signings had a good game I'd expect a lot of changes for the Cheltenham game. Mitrovic and Perez to start, Shelvey, Janmaat, Hanley and Dummett too? Looking forward to see who comes in

Mackems confirm signing of Pienaar on a 1yr deal. Just how broke are they?

Bigi and Vuckic?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/noahs-ark-climate-change-fact-irish-mp-danny-healy-rae-bible-science-a7198711.html

Nah, they're getting £350m a week because we voted Brexit.

de Jong set to have a medical with PSV that Sebastien Haller link isn't going away. Utrecht quoted as saying "If there is a offer at the asking price, there is a chance he will go." Which is a nothing quote really.. Sorry about that. Just concentrate on the de Jong sentence up there

Roughly the same shot accuracy as every other striker on the books and wasn't far behind the likes of Costa, Sanchez and Aguero. Is it possible that he appears more profligate because the missed opportunities meant more?

Best manager they've had in ages and they could lose some of their best players from last year (Yedlin, M'Vila, Kone, Kaboul) and go down. As we apparently suffered a "RAFAgation" I wonder ... would we be allowed to call it a .... deMOYESlition?

They convinced Kone to stay in the end, didn't they? I wonder if Kaboul's departure will have Kone reconsidering that decision?

He's not like.

He'll do all right there, but they've lost quite a few good players and there's apparently discord in the dressing room, something to do with Jedinak. Benteke might get a few goals, but if the bad start continues they could be bang in trouble.

Simple shit like this fosters a better relationship with the fans. Is our club actually becoming a normal club again? Is that all down to Rafa?

Whoscored.com says Their left back Joe Bryan has been receiving praise and Kodija is a decent forward at this level as well. Dunno if it benefits us that they favour their left flank as all of our good work comes down our right. It's a worry that they're apparently good on set pieces as we are categorically not. Stick with a winning team or shuffle the pack? I'd guess we'll drop Clark for Lascelles or Hanley. Hayden, Shelvey, Gayle and Ritchie will all surely keep their place, Rafa likes big Vurn, so I'd imagine he'll be in the squad somewhere?

I'm drawing my conclusions from stats and from watching him play though, and simply stating "he is/isn't a good player" shouldn't wash and if Contrary proved that Mitrovic was the most wasteful of our strikers, or spent little time in the box, or whatever I'd accept it more readily than just a one line "Rafa has him sussed" with or without a winky face. My assessment of his play and of his potential is born out by the stats, CT's is based on gut feeling. And it's a position that is incredibly difficult to disprove, if Mitrovic gets 20 goals this year "well sure, but can he do it in the Premier League?", gets 15 in the Prem "well sure, but can he do it consistently", "well how many of those goals were penalties", how many were tap ins, how many were ... I'm saying there's a good player and a player who's good enough to lead the line in the Championship, and then I'm backing up that declaration with salient statistics and anecdotal assessment. CT isn't playing by the same rules and it's infuriating As you say Mitrovic was taking up the right positions, and making a nuisance of himself, he was also linking up play nicely and holding the ball up. He wasn't the most accurate of finishers in the team, but he wasn't half as bad as CT is intimating. He was of benefit when we needed to release pressure and when we needed to push forward. A season in a league where he can get a way with a bit more should ease him towards a season in the Premier League where he'd need to control it further. He's definitely good enough to lead the line for Newcastle United in the Championship.

You seem to think that a 20yr old player who scored 9 goals (and got 4 assists) for a shit team in his debut season in the English Premier League isn't good enough to lead the line in the Championship. Dwight Gayle who's never managed that many goals in any of his 3 seasons in the Top Flight has already scored 3 times in this league. Shola Ameobi managed 10 in 18 in the Championship and only managed to equal Mitrovic's tally in the top flight once. Andy Carroll managed 17 in 39 in the Championship and once managed 11 goals in the Premier League.

Dummett isn't even a leftback. Stat's are irrefutable though; Mitrovic had a decent season but CT doesn't like him regardless.

Like Ben Arfa did?