Rafa To Drop Diame And Set Up 4-4-2 Tonight Versus Norwich

We need a win this evening against Norwich. A loss would see us stuck way back in 9th and already chasing at this stage of the season. For me Rafa has to ditch the disappointing Diame and go with 2 strikers.

Who that is I'm not too fussed. Any combination of Gayle/Mitro/Perez/Murphy will do, as whichever he chooses will be a lot better then Diame 'in the hole'. He's a waste of space in there.

We lack goals from open play this season. A staggering a mouth have come via set pieces which was unheard of in the Pardew years. Even our goal at Villa was an own goal.

We routed QPR for 6 however within that we had a blatant deflection, a wonder strike and then set piece rebounds. We have start creating chances, like at Villa, but converting them.

I'd pick Murphy up top this evening with either Gayle or Perez. The Irishman deserves a chance and could end up being our first choice striker if he plays well and gets a goal or two. The others are just not consistent enough.


This is my team for Norwich if everyone is fit, there's doubts over Yedlin.

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Official: Allardyce Sacked As England Manager! To Be Replaced By Eddie Howe?

Update on the below!!: BIG SAM HAS BEEN SACKED!

The silence from The FA is deafening right now. No backing of Big Sham. No defence. Not even a 'calm the air' statement. Nothing.

Such silence usually means one thing. He's a goner!

How can he not be? He has brought himself into disrepute with The FA beyond repair. Advising total

strangers on how to get around FA rules to make a quick buck? How stupid do you have to be?

His knowledge, passion and ease of which to advise about the subject makes the assumption he has took part in such schemes himself is obvious. Practice what you preach.

The FA were moronic in hiring Big Sham in the first place for footballing reasons, never mind off the pitch issues. How does Allardyce football fit into the new England DNA? Quick answer, it doesn't.

Someone who does however is Eddie Howe. If ever there was a poster boy for the FA it's the Bournemouth boss. I live down here and have experienced his rise first hand. It has been meteoric. All of which done in a style any organisation would be proud of.

He is the definition of squeaky clean and if you were to have a look over the England DNA, it reads as if it was created by a strand of Eddie Howe's own chromosomes. Football wise and character wise.

Sam's a dead man walking. If you're prepared to get stung before you've even took your first training session, what else is/was he capable of when he actually got his feet under the table?! Staggering.

His lack of any respect for previous manager Roy Hodgson is also embarrassing for the FA. I've been coaching for a bit and all we are told about is the FA 'Respect' campaign. How does Big Sham fit into this?!

You would have no such trouble with Howe. You would have a football team to be proud of with Howe. You would have the perfect poster boy for the future of English football and coaches.

If you offered Eddie the job...he couldn't turn it down.

Brought to you by TheGingerPirlo.com

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If Rafa Does Listen To Fans: Drop Sels, Dummett & Diame Immediately!

There's word around town that Rafa does like input from fans and listens to fanzine and a like with what they would do with the team. He has even invited such folk into the training ground and had long discussions talking to them about the team. Well if he is looking for input, then here's some that needs to be actioned ASAP. You need to drop Matt Sels, Paul Dummett & Mo Diame immediately.

Sels was at fault (again) for the Villa equaliser Saturday night as he flapped at a corner and did nothing to stop the ball squeezing in at his near post, to help us throw away 2 points. How we managed to not kill this game off well before the game drifted into the last 15 mins where Villa suddenly woke up, is a mystery and total disgrace.

Dummett has been embarrassing at times this season. I still can't get over someone taking him using theie back at Fulham, first game of the season. Their BACK for crying out loud. His positional sense is all over the place.

Some say he played well at Villa. No, he played well by his own standards. Compare his performance to DeAndre Yedlin and they're in a different league. The young America  is clearly Premier League, our local hero is clearly not.

As for Diame. We look to have got rid of Sissoko and brought in his half brother. What the hell is this man doing in the team week in, week out, home or away? He literally couldn't his a barn door from 6 yards.

Dwight Gayle wasted a one on one that he should have buried, but at least the keeper made a save. Diame was 6 yards out and blazed the easiest chance he will have all season closet to the corner flag.

He's also lazy. I mentioned Sissoko as Diame is looking more like Moussa every time he plays. Is that what Mo is short for? Of all the players mentioned above, he's the one that needs dropping the most.

We have Mitro and Perez on the sidelines where as Murphy can't even get in the squad. The Irishman was very impressive in the EFL cup game last week and deserves a run in the team. He's the one striker we have that knows this division.

Sels has deleted his Twitter account due to ridiculous abuse, I feel for him but that doesn't change the
fact he offers no confidence whatsoever. Can't afford sentiment when promotion is at stake.

Dummett has surely shown Rafa he just ain't good enough. Especially when we have Lazaar waiting for his chance to shine. Even Ciaran Clark is a better option then Dummett. Sick if the sight of his hesitant first touch, just not quite there crossing, off target shooting & non existent positioning. Just get out.

Diame is done. Over.  Get a striker up top with Gayle and let's go for teams more. We have the quality to beat every team, so let's not lose anymore points by being negative or defensive minded. It's unnecessary.

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Matz Sels Deletes Twitter Account Due To Abuse From Newcastle Fans

Some blame him for the last minute equaliser that cost United 2 points against an awful Aston Villa team. Which is a series of questionable display by the new Newcastle No.1. In such some have had no problem tweeting their views towards him, which has resulted in him having enough and removing himself from social media.

Newcastle keeper Matz Selz has reportedly deleted his Twitter account due to the amount of criticism from Newcastle fans after the Aston Villa game.

I've got to say the criticism he has recieved has been way too harsh and over the top. Of all the players to blame for the dropped two points last night, Matz Sels shouldn't be at the top of everyone's list. Even Nufc.com pointed the finger at the Belgian keeper before mentioning the woeful finishing of Dwight Gayle and Mo Diame.

These two were the biggest reason why we failed to win at Villa park, throwing away some of the best chances we will make all season. Gayle, through one on one, lacked any compsure to recognise how much time he had to do what ever he wanted and fired straight at the Villa keeper. Diame somehow missed from 6 yards with the entire goal in front of him. Shocking the lair of them.

I hope Matz Sels confidence hasn't been totally destroyed by fans on Twitter and elsewhere as at the end of the day, we need him. Whether Darlow should be first choice or not, Sels is a new player and shouldn't be made to feel like he can't look at his Twitter account anymore.

Lots of fans have already tweeted how sorry they are for criticising him but the damage is already done...he won't see any apologies now.

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Newcastle Have Signed A New No.7 And He Will Be A Revelation

The transfer window is slammed firmly shut and Newcastle Utd have themselves a new no.7. The old one was packaged and shipped off for a ridiculous over the top fee, with a new signing set to wear number 7 shirt and he couldn't be any more different to the one that's just left.

New Moroccan left back, come left winger, Achraf Lazaar is quick, skillful and full of enthusiam. Something Moussa Sissoko desperately lacked. Lazaar is also brave. This lad wont hide and wait to see if the game looks like its one he might be able to influence. He will take every game by the scruff of the neck and try to make an impact, everytime.

Lazaar will make mistakes, no doubt. However, give me a player who tries and makes mistakes then one that doesn't try and pretends to be interested. He is all left foot and will look to overlap whoever is playing left wing as much as possible, especially at home, to deliver into the box as well as look to score himself. He may even play left wing himself given how attacking he is. I cant wait to see him in a black and white shirt.

To match we have brought in a new right back to replace the despicable Daryl Janmaat in the shape of ex-mackem DeAndre Yedlin. Again he will be quick, skillful and full of enthusiam. He will also look to get forward as much as possible. The two of them could find themselves as the most forward players on the pitch and crossing to each other this season so holding midfielder Hayden will have a job to do dropping back. Saying that he likes to get forward too!

This team, or should I say completely new team as Benitez has brought in 12 new first team players, is one full of attacking threat from all over the pitch. The full backs will fly forward, the centre midfielders will drive forward and Ritchie will look to win games on his own from the right hand side. We have 4 strikers to choose from. If Rafa stick with 4-2-3-1 he will have a task in picking which one compliments the team the most. Nice problem to have. Visit the William Hill page for the football specials bets including player, manager, team and international ones.

We were all out heavy favourites to win the league before a ball was kicked, as short as 7/4 with some bookmakers, which is ridiculous given how tough the Championship is and no one really knows how a team will shape up after relegation. The first two games made a mockery of those odds as we lost to Fulham and Huddersfield. Three back to back wins has now eased the nerves with fans and players I'm sure. Then there's Rafa.

Speaking of Rafa, what a man. He is already the most popular and respected manager we have had
since Sir Bobby due to his clear understanding of the club and most of all the common sense he has shown. He knows how big this club is and can be so treats it as such. He knows the fans aren't total mugs so he treats them as such. It isn't that hard of a job to have it's just others over the past 12 years have made a pigs ear of it. Mainly down to my first point. They just didn't understand or 'get' what Newcastle Utd is. Rafa does.

Even now you hear 'experts' like Graeme Souness completely spew tired lazy cliches at Sky Sports viewers about how the fans are a drain on the club with too high expectations. Pure nonsense. You hear Big Sam preach how Newcastle think they're a big club but they simply aren't. We think we're as big as we are, nothing more. Why would we? With all the trophies we've won? These men have both managed Newcastle (unsuccessfully) since Sir Bob and even many years later prove they never got it and still don't get it. Idiots pair of 'em.

If you ask 10 fans to pick there current best XI you might get a few that exactly match but most wont. This is due to the squads depth. It isn't just healthy with numbers, its healthy with talent. We genuinely have 2 men for each position, sometimes 3, and it wont effect the team massively. Its one of the most fascinating squads we have had for a number of years. The fact we are in the Championship says a lot to the work Rafa and Charnley have done.

The league wont be a walk in the park just because we have the players and manager in place, if only football was that easy, but we must surely be able rack up the points to finish in the top two at least given the standard of opposition, Brighton were flying and we put them to sword quite comfortably. If that's the opposition, i'll take it.

Saying this we have tough fixture coming up on paper with Derby away, Norwich, Aston Villa and QPR away so if we can get through these games with a healthy amount of points and not more than the one loss, we will kick on this year i'm sure and boss the league. As well as the cups don't forget. A 25 man first team squad gives you options with the cup games we haven't had for years so watch this space for a decent cup run.

Things are looking rosy atm and I'm happy with the signings we have made, none more so then our new no.7. I've got a feeling he is gonna be the shining light out of all of them...just my instinct.

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