It has been another positive week on Tyneside as United cruised to a 3-0 win over relegation rivals Southampton at St.James’; a win that will hopefully be crucial in staying up. The chronic lack of investment is well documented under the Mike Ashley tenure but the last two windows in particular have been hard to take. We all know Rafa is a world class manager and another way he is proving it at the moment is his ability to coach and improve players. With the lack of investment this is just as well but for a few players’ form, Rafa deserves great credit.
Jamaal Lascelles
The Toon skipper has continued to improve miraculously since arriving on Tyneside from Nottingham Forest. After a solid showing in the back end of the last Premier League, campaign, his current form is all the more impressive considering difficulties he had in the Championship last year. He often looked shaky and cumbersome on the ball last year but has been a rock this term. His outstanding leadership has created a real unity between the players, manager and fans and our goals conceded almost doubles when he doesn’t play.
Still just 24, he is only going to get better and working alongside some of Bentiez’ character can only enhance his fame further. On current form he should be in the England shake up soon.
Paul Dummett
After missing a large chunk of early season through injury, Dummett is arguably playing the best football of his career right now. The Southampton game seemed like a real breakthrough for him, it was the first time I have heard fans signing his name and although not always easy on the eye, fans recognise how a key part of a solid backline.
His positioning seems to have improved massively under Rafa, where he used to get caught on the diagonal ball too much or not close a winger down enough to stop a cross coming in. He will never be an attacking threat like the likes of Danny Rose but he is a good character, is improving and left back now doesn’t seem as big as a weak spot as we first thought at the start of the campaign.
Mo Diame
Perhaps the most remarkable transformation has been in Diame, who since the turn of the year has been a different player. Rafa now lets him thrive in a deeper role in the middle of the field after a very disappointing stint in the number 10 role last year.
I think we all questioned his inclusion in the team, myself included, this season as Diame struggled badly. Merino has went off the boil but take nothing away from Diame, he has turned his season round and has a great partnership now with Shelvey. His transformation is another that Rafa should be pleased with.
DeAndre Yedlin
Perhaps not quite as clear as the other three but under the radar Yedlin has gradually improved under Rafa. In and out the team last year and often dropped for Anita, he has steadily improved his defensive skills which do still remain a concern in his game. With us being predominantly hard to beat, he may not have the licence to go forward and use his pace as much as he likes but he certainly reads the game better this season. After all, he has been a regular in a defence that now has conceded less goal than Arsenal this season as well know we lack firepower, his improvement has been important to the team.
Who do you think has stepped up this season?
The first three have clearly improved. Yedlin is not worthy of the fourth pick. He has pace but lacks the size to compete with top forwards for the ball. We need a better RB than him.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Have we won anything yet? Mike won’t leave until we do.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
nice to see you back on mate.its been a while.thought you maybe won the lotto ans went to enjoy the good life 😆 😆
icedog(Quote)
Stuart79
March 13, 2018 at 16:10
Also see that Chelsea have said they want £15m for Kenedy. I can’t believe that’s right. I’d pay £20m for him no problem.
Agreed.
Shamrock(Quote)
I think Dummett was always decent and said so, along with Sham I think. Rafa has probably improved him but I said the other day that he received criticism for what he was not, a wingback, rather than praise for what he is, a good defender.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Thauvin is now supposedly worth 75 million so 15 million is cheap now, the new 5 million? I have watched him quite a few times and he has been brilliant. But in a pretty **** league. Did, we give up on him too early? We should have had a buyback or sell on clause.
I doubt if he would have made it here. He always looked uphappy and I bet his lass was missing the South of France. Hell, if I was making a couple of million a year I would miss the South of France.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Yeah I have mate, but Sharpy is the biggest torch bearer for Dummett.
He is a solid player.
Shamrock(Quote)
Nah. He was a wimp. The standard IN France is rubbish and the stadiums are half empty. I don’t rate him for any decent league.
Shamrock(Quote)
Looking back at Carr’s picks he didn’t do too bad and there were a couple that he recommended where Fatty underbid by a couple of million. Lacazette and Aubamayang. My knock on him was that he really didn’t do any scouting because he just took the word of that talent Agency in France, Mondial. Although true, that was probably a bit harsh because they did have most of the good young French players on their books and the prices were reasonable.
Carr’s problem was we had **** Managers and he was responsible for at least one of them – Schteve.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
We are sort of screwed in the scouting department if Rafa leaves. There is that new chief scout with little experience, Nixon? Apart from that it seems that it is all down to Rafa’s database and contacts.
We would definitely need a Director of Football as well as a Manager of Rafa leaves.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Yep the first three I would agree with, Yedlin I’m still unsure about but there is some improvement defensively of late. I liked Anita, was sad to see him leave us.
kimtoon(Quote)
With Pards being sacked again soon, did the full story ever come out about how we ended up with him and sacked Hughton? I saw Ashley was not happy with player power and that makes sense given his labour practices at SD. But I also saw he wanted someone to take us to the next level. Pards??? Even back then his record was **** and he was on the dole.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
ERIC i remember when Pardew was at the toon early on there was talk he was up for the England job so Ashley gave him a seven yr contract just shows how many dummys there is in footy
icedog(Quote)
Spurs have a really good team (for now) but file this one under be careful what you wish for. I saw a letter yesterday saying their season ticket at Wembley that was 800 was going up to 1,400 at the new stadium. That’s a bit steep. I am sure even Tottenham has been gentrified since I was there 30 years ago but this is rape.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/mar/13/tottenham-fans-ticket-price-increase-new-stadium
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Ice: haven’t seen much of his main cheerleader recently – Troy Stavers. He was wrong about every single thing he said so I am not surprised.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Always thought Dummy would make a good C/HH
Icedog(Quote)
I am hoping and believing we will stay up and add some quality in the summer. Then we can press on and go for upper mid-table and another PL cash windfall to take further steps towards being a Rafa Benitez side. It would also be helpful if some of our rivals fcked up. Well, I have just read that moneybags Everton are trying and are looking at Jack Wilshere. Hopefully, they will keep Allardyce as well.
Wilshere has looked OK on his return but is so unbelievably overhyped. When things go against his team he is a red card waiting to happen if it wasn’t for him being England’s great white hope/hype before Harry Kane took on that mantle. Now Wilshere runs around making a couple of nice one-twos per match but mainly fouling and diving. He thinks he’s a number 10 but what he does is clog that space up for Ozil. When Wilshere is out of the team, Arsenal play much better. I really hope Everton sign him because then they will have 5 number 10s and none of them are any good. Oh, and he is soooo slow.
There is no way they will break into the top 6 and we can catch them next year if we stay up.
And Man U. What a joke that was tonight. After all of the praise Mourinho received over the last 3 games that was a mess for a team that has spent 300 million in 2 years. Remember they had a last minute winner against Palace and were very lucky against Liverpool. He played Big Fat Sam tactics.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
“It would not be much of a universe if it wasn’t home to the people you love.”
RIP Stephen Hawking, you kicked motor neurone disease ****.
kimtoon(Quote)
Man utd are never gonna be the force they were, Sir Alex and his teams have their place in history as do the great Liverpool teams but times are changing, lots of big fish in the pond now.
I can see the PL and all the mad money imploding before long, it surely cannot be sustainable the rate things are going. Ticket prices are pricing the working class out of the game, wouldn’t surprise me if a lot of fans become disillusioned with the PL in the near future and gravitate towards the lower leagues.
The money paid for average players and their enormous salaries cannot be sustained without killing the game eventually imo.
kimtoon(Quote)
KIM Spurs are putting up season tickets from £800 to £1300 to help pay for their new ground who the hell can afford that sort of money when you want to take your kids to the game ect,
i thought clubs payed for a new ground not the poor bloody fans ffs
icedog(Quote)
Ice: I said the same thing earlier because I had read a letter from a Spurs fan to Football365. He said he had actually got the renewal notice for his season ticket that was 800 at Wembley and it would be 1,350 at the new ground for the same viewing angle.
80 quid a game.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
They will fill it up with Jonny come lateleys and plastics. But their children cannot buy a house there anymore so the whole place has changed. My brother lives in Thailand and I met his brother in law who had lived in North London all his life until 3 years ago. Big Spurs fan, in fact all he wore the whole time was Spurs shirts (he was not sartorially gifted). Anyway, he owned a 3 bed terraced house and sold it for a million plus, moved to the North of Scotland and are basically retired apart from a few part time odds and ends at 50.
Good for them, but what about the Spurs fans who want to stay and go to the games?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
What is it with Mourinho picking **** teams for ManU? Fellaini? Bloke’s useless. Lingard? Sometimes OK but when Pogba and Mata are benched it’s just plain weird. They were dreadful last night.
£15-20m for Kenedy fine with me.
georgio(Quote)
ERIC thats so true about London.as a hobby i used to travel around buying and breeding parrots and had a pal in London that a bit of a rundown 3 bedroom semi council house which he bought for £15 thou in 1990,he has just sold it for £1.2 mil just bloody unreal but good luck to him.the worlds gone mad
icedog(Quote)
Crazy money to live in London now, and it’s **** too.
kimtoon(Quote)
I saw mate, bloody damned if I would pay that.
kimtoon(Quote)
i hate it mate,used drive through once a month its a dump.wouldnt live there for a gold pig
icedog(Quote)
Nor me mate, Love where I live and can think of loads of parts of uk I would go live before that place, it’s soulless .
kimtoon(Quote)
yes i lived there for six months i quite liked it,went to a club there with Eric the Animals lead singer.the girls were very nice but maybe thats because i was with Eric 🙁
icedog(Quote)
Just read woodman saved 3 pens last night in penalty shootout win for aberdeen
Toonfan(Quote)
aye mate theres vid of them on news now page
icedog(Quote)
😀 Didn’t you say you were in Fishponds ? That’s Rovers territory that Ice, South Bristol is better where I am 😉
kimtoon(Quote)
Mark Hughes for Southampton. Strange decision but I think he will give them a decent kick start but they have a terrible run in.
Personally think WBA, Stoke and Palace will go down.
Stuart79(Quote)
yes thats where i lived for my sins,trust you to live in the posh end 😆 😆
icedog(Quote)
Blimey Messi does not mess about.
Shamrock(Quote)
Poor goalkeeping though.
Shamrock(Quote)
I wish mate.
kimtoon(Quote)
Courtois let them down tonight.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Can I get a job as a football manager?
1. Pards.
2. Mark Hughes!
3. Ugly John is still coaching. 6th in the fcking Cyprus League.
4. Big Fat Sam. I don’t care if he keeps Everton in the PL with a budget of 250 million in 18 months his football is unwatchable *****.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Moyes!
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Coleman.
How are they so bad?
Southgate?
England will not get out of the group in Russia. Yes, that is a prediction Troysta.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Southgate is England Manager FFS.
Mr. Roy before. FFS.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
We sort of think you are ***** Mark Hughes, but why not have a go ‘coz we are going down anyway! We employed Pardew once so it cannot be that bad. But have you seen West Brom? He hired Ugly John as well. There must be good people that he could have hired on 300k a year to coach and not his failed ****-up?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Alreet then John.
Maybe that is the wrong accent.
I fink we should do this Jonny:
Hoof it to Williamson from every free kick. That’s it. Never works, but try again.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
BOTH GET PAID AT WBA?!
Can you believe it?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I actually thought it might work because of the dead cat bounce for 4 games. But, Troy !!!!!!!!!!!!
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Good week:
Pards and Ugly John get a reprieve.
Mourinho blames his players again.
21 days without football.
Mark Hughes gets another job (where’s “Arry?)
Carra is of to Doha to see Keysie and Graysie.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Is Rob Elliot the new Steve Harper?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Pards and Ugly John:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnlIWpZSPXU
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sham – cult hero mate. Knew the boy would prove his doubters wrong in the end. Nee frills but a solid 7/10 each week
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy: So it was me an you. Good.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
sorry but i always rated him even as a C/H imo
icedog(Quote)
Good Icedog. I always respect your opinion.
You are usually right and don’t rant as much as me.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Larry Kudlow? Trickle down Thatcherite, nooooooooooo.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
It’s our RB’s I always moaned about apart from Anita who I liked .
kimtoon(Quote)
How can you pick Jack Wilshere when he is as slow as treacle, points a lot and does nowt else. Because you are Gareth Southgate.
England will not make it out of the group stage.
He didn’t pick Hart did he?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
He did pick Hart. Even David Moyes doesn’t do that unless he wants a 3-0 home loss and a riot.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Thing is he cannot even get his place at Leeds mate
Icedog(Quote)
Can someone please explain to me how on Earth Jake Livermore is in the England team and Shelvey isn’t? Also Mawson instead of Lascelles?
Has Southgate ever been to SJP or is it just jobs for the boys?
Stuart79(Quote)
Hart!!!
It is alreet though. England will win the World Cup like Troysta (remember him?) said we would win the Euros and Pards was an “average PL Manager 🙂 .
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I know, I know. I have a bee in my bonnet about Hart now. But why not? Man City reject, kicked out by Pep and Sunderland loser manager]s reserve ‘keeper.
Joe Hart for England!!!!
Eric Sykes(Quote)
He cost them the game on Sat AGAIN
Icedog(Quote)
He cost them the game on Sat AGAIN
IT will never change mate while the same click is running the FA
Icedog(Quote)
Stu – I’m over the moon mate. I was really worried they’d get called up and run the risk of injury while playing a Mickey Mouse game for England.
My hope is that Rafa can now get into their heads saying if those 2 can get a call up then you 2 can make the WC squad with some consistent performances between now and the end of the season.
Sharpy17(Quote)
On a NUFC level I agree, Sharpy. But from their point of view I’m disappointed for them as I think they’re better players than the two I mentioned and have also been playing better.
Southgate is a pathetic manager who says one thing and does another.
Stuart79(Quote)
Wholeheartedly agree Stu. But just looked at the full squad and Ashley Young, and Danny Welbeck are also in there. If they are truly in contention of making that WC squad then it’s worrying – and if they aren’t, I fail to see the point of this international break?!.
Maybe Shelvey needs more time to prove himself or his temperament. But Lascelles is only behind John Stones on that list IMO.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Add that to the fact that Lascelles is captain of a club with a lot of pressure on him, is playing well and holding together a defence that’s better than many, it beggars belief how he’s not got a call up.
Stuart79(Quote)
SHARPY Stones is not as good as people say,he’s very prone to balls played over the top,city manager has saw that and dropped him for a few games
Icedog(Quote)
beat me to it mate, was gonna make that exact point. He is very over rated imo.
I feel the same about quite a few who have been called up but it was always a bit like this with England. You have to be a bloody colossus of a player at NUFC to get a sniff at a England call up, it’s ridiculous . Having said that, it’s a meaningless friendly so, meh.
kimtoon(Quote)
Alfie Mawson or Lascelles , wow, Gareth, did you REALLY struggle over that decision ?
Doesn’t bode well for WC does it. 😳
kimtoon(Quote)
Also, no Dummett for Wales is strange too.
Ritchie made the Scotland squad though 😉
kimtoon(Quote)
The real concern is that the likes of Lascelles and Shelvey start to think that they have to move to a ‘ bigger’ club to secure an England call up in the future.
We best pray Ashley sells up to a more ambitious owner and Rafa stays or the future will be more of the same or a new rubbish manager and constant underachievement or worse.
kimtoon(Quote)
Dummett turned Wales down. The sister shagger called him up and Paul said he wanted to concentrate on NUFC.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
With a midfield of Henderson and Wilshere we are fcked anyway 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Slimani has been called up for Algeria friendly too, will they play him though ?
kimtoon(Quote)