Re: Football Season 2015/2016
 

Apparently some of the players had made plans and didn't come in, showing commitment to the cause or what

Re: Football Season 2015/2016
 

As long as it was 8 of the first team midfielders we need off our books :D

Hopefully the release or termination of some of these players comes quickly in the summer. 13-14 Midfielders 1 left back, 1 right back, 1 decent CB and 3 rubbish ones.

Even though it's great news for us to have Benitez, one has to question the way McClaren was left dangling on to threads and surrounded by yes men that signed everyone they want in a lopsided recruitment policy. His line ups and tactics were pretty dire and ultimately caused this fate but It's unacceptable to see 'Wonder Scout' Graham Carr going about his day like none of it was his fault.

Re: Football Season 2015/2016
 

He's planning to jump ship before he has even started.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/35794144

Re: Football Season 2015/2016
 

No surprise as most top managers would probably have that clause in their contract.

Re: Football Season 2015/2016
 

That was a given. He's happy to stick out 3 years and get paid an incredible amount for a club in such a predicament but naturally both himself and the club would like to insure themselves against this. I'd rather him be honest about what could still happen rather than be a yes man and a liar. Far too many of those have passed through our gates.

If Benitez keeps Newcastle up and gets the free role he was promised I can only see good things. This hopefully is the turning point in the Ashley era in which Newcastle United provide the football the fans deserve, the stadium warrants and brings back the one thing fans have missed the most.. Effort. If we go down, at least we can go down trying under Benitez. Simple fact is it's up to Rafa to turn a bunch of expensive foreign talent into a team and build even further onto that. without being big headed, this is a lineup that should be nowhere near the bottom of the table individually but as a team it's been well deserved.

Re: Football Season 2015/2016
 

Benitez is an underrated manager in this country IMO. Newcastle have done well to get him.

Re: Football Season 2015/2016
 

He's a very unrewarded manager sometimes, He's done rubbish things in places as have most but I feel like he did a great job at salvaging what was left of Chelsea's season and got nothing but crap throughout. Liverpool and Valencia naturally speak for themselves and Real Madrid sack anyone and their dog.

I'd like to reiterate and not be as fickle as other Newcastle United fans though. Steve McClaren is a genuinely nice bloke, his tactics may have indeed been pretty awful alongside his questionable line up choices and player positions. It simply didn't work and it cost him but to solely blame this man for what has unfolded this season is wrong. It's partially his fault but once again supposed wonder scout and chief of nothing (Graham Carr and Lee Charnley) have escaped any form of wrongdoing yet again for the mess left for Benitez and his backroom to fix.

McClaren never got the opportunity Benitez had, he forever had people in the back sticking their two cents into what should have been solely his business. He got expensive signings he never asked for, only to then be sacked in the manner he was. It was absolutely despicable by Lee Charnley, say what you want about Mike Ashley but up until he flew in, they really had no idea what the left hand was doing.. and only after Mike came was McClaren dismissed.

To shorten it, Pardew and McClaren were both given the same treatment that saw Kevin Keegan famously walk out of the club years back.

---------- Post added at 20:23 ---------- Previous post was at 20:01 ----------

Diego Costa is looking at his first monumental ban in English football and will undoubtedly miss the rest of the season if the FA are consistent. There is no way they can punish Suarez the way they did and allow this to slip. Absolutely disgraceful, it's as clear as day he tried or did bite Gareth Barry, only Barry knows but it's right there in HD for all to see. Regardless, a bite or attempted bite, the head, the clashing with the ref. Get this bloke off the pitch.

Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comm...card_incident/ Hit play at the top source.

Re: Football Season 2015/2016
 

That exactly how l see it as well.

Re: Football Season 2015/2016
 

Looked to me as though he was trying to give Barry a love bite, more of a suck than a bite but if you look closely at Costas' face he realises he his in deep s**t.

Re: Football Season 2015/2016
 

The man is a idiot and the sooner the new broom comes in and sells him the better.

Re: Football Season 2015/2016
 

I'd go along with that if we can get anything near what we paid for him. Our pre-season starts today lol. All we have left is a collapse v Leicester last game of the season to help them win the league, if they ain't already by then....

Re: Football Season 2015/2016
 

Oh dear Arsene Wenger has really got himself into a pickle now.:D

Re: Football Season 2015/2016
 

And it might need more then that today to save LVG as things are worsening by the minute.:D

Re: Football Season 2015/2016
 

Very good free kick but Payet shouldn't have been on the pitch to take it

Re: Football Season 2015/2016
 

Correct, Atkinson is a pretty useless and 'unfit' ref.;)

A draw just about a fair result, neither side played well enough to take the win.

A considerable number of West Ham fans had infiltrated the block of seats in the stand I was in.

It kicked off a bit at half time when they where discovered but the stewards got on top of it quickly.

However one moronic West Ham fan, who until they scored had kept his head down proceeded to run up the steps waving his arms in the air. He was swiftly helped back down by several burly United fans and then ejected by the stewards. It was quite funny when United equalised to look around and spot the other West Ham fans with their heads in their hands. :D