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Suarez missing and patchy home form means we have to have a go. They'll be looking for a reaction after the Blackburn result and may have Gerrard available to start which will lift the fans, though they might not want to start him with a big game against Man City coming 4 days later. They may decide to give him the extra days and target that game for a comeback. Let's hope so. I'd like to see Santon come back in but I don't see it happening. Ben Arfa has to start up front and I think he will after the Bolton game. Best had a very poor match. 4-5-1 wouldn't be a bad shout, Ben Arfa to replace Obertan out wide and a midfield 3 of Tiote, Cabaye and Vuckic/Gosling. But I reckon he'll see that as too many changes all at once and I don't think he fancies Ben Arfa out wide as he'll leave Simpson exposed. I reckon we'll go 4-4-2 again but with Ben Arfa playing off Ba. Tiote and Cabaye to play deep and protect the back four and Ben Arfa to come deep for the ball and try to link up with Ba or the wingers when he gets it. We need to get the balance right here. Have a nasty feeling Carroll and Enrique will both put in a big game but hopefully in Ba and Ben Arfa we'll have a strikeforce to cause problems. Tiote and Cabaye are key for us, on their day they are capable of dominating the midfield but they were poor for large spells of the game at Bolton and Tiote wasn't at his best against West Brom either. Expecting much more from them here.

You suspect the club thought they could gamble through the whole season with 3 centre-backs and when that gamble fell apart, so did the bid for Maiga. We will now buy a defender instead with the Maiga money. This has generally been how Ashley operates. Any injury for Ba after the ACN would show what a silly gamble it is, too. We need a striker and a defender. We may have bodies but Lovenkrands and Ameobi will never be prolific, and Best is looking the same way. Ben Arfa may come good as a second striker but he'll always be more of a provider and a link up man than a goal poacher. The decision not to bring a striker in will prove very costly unless we are very lucky with injuries. As far as Pardew is concerned, he's probably been told to decide between a striker and a defender. If that is the case then you would have to go with a defender after the goals we gave away in recent weeks. But truth be told, we need both because we are very over-reliant on Ba. It does look very convenient for Ashley that the Maiga deal fell through on medical grounds just as we urgently need a defender too.

Can't really knock the lad for putting a ball into a dangerous area and Ba scoring off it! He could have played the ball earlier but there's always the chance it'll be blocked by the full back. And to play it earlier would be to put the ball in at a different angle. It's hard to whip it in with pace and get a good curl on the ball. If you fancy yourself to get closer to the byline and still put the ball in then it's going to be harder to defend than a cross from deep where the defender has everything in front of him as does the keeper. The closer you get to the byline, the more defenders are worried about the cut-back as well as the ball across the 6 yard box and that gives strikers options and terrifies defenders. So I can't knock him for wanting to get closer to the byline and putting a ball in. If he keeps doing that we'll get goals. Overall he was very hit and miss and until the assist I thought he'd had a poor game like most of the team. He was an outlet with his pace, always looked for the ball and was very involved in the game but was wasteful. Seems stupid to try and put down his one contribution to the match though, simply because he didn't put it on a plate or give Ba an easy tap in. I'm sure Ba isn't complaining about the delivery. Obertan's gonna continue to frustrate and divide fans' opinions but I don't think he's a player to give up on yet. He's young and learning the game. I remember when many of our fans slated Milner repeatedly for getting to the byline and not putting the ball in, instead he preferred to skin his man again and again and show off and the attacks broke down. He was a constant source of frustration and divided fans. It was a genuine problem in Milner's game for a couple of seasons and it took him a long time to learn the game and play his best football. When he began to play to his strengths and play for the team he ended up at Man City. In time I think Obertan will get better, this is his first real run of games in the Premier League. He's a completely different player to Milner but you get my point, some players need time to see their potential and fans write them off very early. I remember when people questioned Bale's ability too.

We need to play it along the ground and move the ball much quicker. Not taking three touches to control before a safe backwards pass. We need someone who will move into space, pick up the ball and drive at defenders, someone with skill on the ball to open up space for a shot, win free kicks or feed some half decent service to Ba. Why is Ben Arfa on the bench??? It may be the same lineup as the win over Stoke but the football isn't. It's desperate stuff. We have a more talented side out there and we need to show it. Get Ben Arfa and Vuckic on and move the ball quickly, this lot are there for the taking.

Ba's off the ball movement is class, he plays the line very well and I think he feeds best off the kind of through ball he got from Vuckic in the last game rather than scraps and knock-downs. It's pointless looking at games away in Manchester and saying Ben Arfa/Ba can't work. There'll be games where Best or Shola will give us more such as against Stoke but I think Ben Arfa and Ba can be a very dangerous pairing if they're given a run of games. A couple of appearances against Man City and Man Utd is hardly a fair crack of the whip. I'd rather play Ba/Ben Arfa in these winnable games and go for the first goal rather than going for workrate and then bringing flair off the bench when we fall behind or fail to get a goal. It seems a bit negative to be playing Best at home to West Brom with Ben Arfa sat on the bench. I might understand the logic of that in a physical contest against Stoke or a game where we need all hands on deck against Man City. Against Swansea or West Brom at home you get your dangerous players at them and you bring Shola or Best off the bench to help defend a lead. It makes little sense and makes me wonder if something has happened behind the scenes. With Ba off to Africa soon now more than ever is the time to give Ben Arfa his chance because if we don't get him firing and don't sign a striker we'll be in trouble.

Exciting debut from him. I think people are being a bit harsh on him. I'm a big Tiote fan but Tiote was poor, no excuses. We know what Tiote is capable of but he didn't perform and it's very unfair to blame that on Vuckic who had two excellent shots on goal from distance and almost fed a perfect through ball to Ba. I wasn't at the game so maybe I missed all this disappearing that he did. We didn't get mugged on the counter because of Vuckic, we played poorly as a team but I thought he showed moments of class and obvious potential. Vuckic needs games. If Gosling, Guthrie and Cabaye are all ahead of him in the pecking order, then why not send him out on a month's loan to the Championship when they're all fit? He'll get more used to the English game and it's worked well for us a few times in the past with players cutting their teeth at a lower level (Krul, Carroll, Bernard).

It's not a bad policy if the money is reinvested. But rebuilding the team every year on a tight budget is risky business. We essentially "got away with it" with Andy Carroll, but if you take key players out of your team and replace them with free transfers it won't always end well. Generally speaking, successful teams are those who keep hold of their better players. You look at Newcastle squads since Bobby Robson and there has been very little continuity in any area of the field. You would hope that by giving his manager a long term contract Ashley was looking to change that but the departures of Enrique, Barton, Nolan and Carroll suggest we will be rebuilding yet again next summer.

I'll be more surprised if there isn't a big name departure in January. The club is performing better than expected and Ashley has a history of complacency and flirting with danger by leaving the squad weak. I still believe his ultimate aim is survival in the Premier League and making a profit by player sales through smart acquisitions. You look at signings like Cabaye, Ba and Marveaux and you can see they were done with one eye on resale value, hopefully at a profit. I hope I'm wrong but Ashley drops these bombshells from time to time whenever there is a bit of stability at the club. The time to judge will be February 1st but even our manager is saying he's worried by the window and that says it all.

True that but I think we've punched above our weight by signing well from the foreign leagues. Ba was a gamble I guess the bigger clubs were not prepared to take. He had a prolific record with West Ham but over just a handful of games so lacked the domestic pedigree, not to mention major doubts over his injury record. Generally signing a player prolific in the Premier League won't be cheap at all so for clubs like us we have to look to Europe, go for young English strikers or pay massive amounts for the likes of Darren Bent which Ashley is clearly reluctant to do. Unless this is a smokescreen then we've been watching this lad for absolutely ages and if it's the same scouts who recommended Cabaye, Tiote and Ba then I trust their judgement. It just leaves you wondering what future Ben Arfa has here because we're not exactly a club who stockpile expensive signings.

Obertan is hit and miss but he's had some good games this season. I'm hoping he'll eventually become another Enrique, Coloccini or Gutierrez who gets slated by the idiots for ages and then finds his feet and becomes a fan favourite. The raw attributes are there, pace, stamina, tricks but he lacks the final ball, much like Gutierrez for a long time. I'd give Ben Arfa a run out wide against the weaker teams who will sit back, but other than HBA I don't see anyone else who can play there. HBA seems to have been earmarked for a number 10 role so for the time being if he's fit Obertan will play. I think Gutierrez doing so much of Ryan Taylor's defensive work has been a problem, I agree. Wingers will often find space when the team quickly switches flank. We need Gutierrez higher up the pitch with Santon behind him overlapping the odd time. If they're stifled down that flank they can cut the ball back to the likes of Cabaye who can quickly switch play to Obertan in acres of space. This isn't going to happen when Gutierrez is reluctant to get to the by-line because his orders are to man-mark and be cautious. I think there's more to come from Obertan, I certainly haven't given up hope yet. But I do agree with those who say his final ball and weak passes are frustrating. Like the previously mentioned players who many slated in their first season, I hope he will find his feet. If you compare Enrique, Colo and Gutierrez to the players they were in their first season, it shows how much confidence and a run in the team can do.

Makes you wonder what future HBA has here? He hasn't been given a shot on either wing and hasn't had a run up front either. Have we given up on him already? I'd welcome an in-form forward who is quick, skillful and can play off Ba but it seems strange not to give HBA a run first. Ben Arfa may not have a goalscoring record but he is capable of providing the bullets and pulling defenders out of position while Ba will clearly be our top scorer. We've only seen them play together against the biggest sides when we were up against it, such as away to Man U and Man City, probably the two hardest fixtures all season. It seems we've scouted Maiga for ages and are still keen which is a good sign that we know what we're buying and have done our homework. Let's hope that if he does sign he has the same kind of impact Ba, Cabaye, and Tiote have had. But sadly it does nothing for us over the ACN which will be the most crucial period of our season. All in all it seems strange timing but if the club see this as a bargain we can't pass up then why not? Our scouting network has unearthed some gems in recent times and let's face it if you want a prolific scorer from the Premier League you'll pay five or even ten times more.

Perhaps. But what's going to happen is he's going to be thrown into the team amid a defensive crisis, with no match practice all season and expected to hit the ground running. Let's hope he does but we have been here before with foreign imports. The idea of easing someone into the team is that they get minutes on the pitch. Ben Arfa has been eased in, Sammy Ameobi at a similar age to Santon is getting chances here and there. It doesn't look like Santon will be afforded the same chance to acclimatise.

Pardew has got most of his decisions right this season when it comes to team selection to win games and keeping competition for places. But it's a little bit ridiculous that the club paid 5M - a major sum under this regime - for a full back to replace Jose Enrique and 14 games into the season he's still awaiting his debut and barely gets off the bench. Ryan Taylor hasn't been that good. Taylor has done an admirable job in a position that's not on his natural side, but it's obviously no permanent solution. It would have been wrong for Santon to walk into the team given Taylor's early season form,and Pardew wasn't keen on changing a successful back four. But 14 games in he's barely seen any action at all and awaits his debut week in week out. We've leaked 7 goals in 3 games albeit to top sides, and Taylor has looked very uncomfortable in that position. I'm a bit tired of the debate about Santon's best position because Taylor clearly isn't a left back so it's a moot point.

Not seen much of Kadar but it's clear they don't particularly rate him. Whatever happens, Santon needs games and with two defenders out you have to wonder why we signed him if he can't start in this one. I think it'll be Simpson and Perch with Santon at right back. I see him going with experience/calibre and a player who's been getting regular PL games over an inexperienced player thrown in from the reserves, so I expect Simpson to move inside and Kadar on the bench. We'll most likely play a bit deeper to avoid balls in behind but that invites the long ball against our short defenders. Perch and Simpson have pace so we may be better off holding a high line as we did against Stoke. I do see Ameobi starting to defend set pieces and try to hold the ball up. That'll mean Ben Arfa dropped or moved wide right in place of Obertan. It's still a very winnable game but the midfield have a big job both in keeping possession and getting behind the ball quickly when Norwich win possession.

Dropping Ryan Taylor after one bad game wouldn't do his confidence any good but he's going to drop him eventually. I think we all know that Santon was bought as a first team player and sooner or later that's what he'll be, and hopefully a good one. Point is he's going to drop Taylor or Simpson sooner or later anyway. This probably isn't a good game to make your starting debut but I think he needs Santon in the side soon. He needs games. The home game against Chelsea might be a good time, unless Taylor has a solid game at Old Trafford.

Tough one to call for Pardew. Rely on our defensive resilience and go to pack the midfield and frustrate them. It might work and we grind out a 0-0 with City players and manager whining afterwards that only one team came to play. Or we'll get done by an early goal and the whole gameplan falls apart. If we go behind I think it'll be very hard to get back into the game. Or do we surprise them and come to play. They have an excellent midfield but ours isn't bad either and if we can more than match them for workrate, we might get the breaks. In Ben Arfa we have a player who can create something and in Ba a striker with the movement and finishing to take rare chances. If we do nick a goal, we can always pack the midfield and defend our lead. Whatever we do, they're going to be a massive threat on the ball. Personally I would do the latter and look to keep hold of the ball when we can, while working harder than them when we lose it. Two strikers up front would give us more chance to keep the ball in their half. If we play with one up front they will bring the defence forward and have us on the back foot most of the game. I don't fancy us to survive a 90 minute onslaught. The other big question is Ben Arfa or Best. In Ben Arfa you have a potential matchwinner, in Best you have greater workrate and better hold-up play. Ben Arfa will look to link midfield into attack by dropping into deeper areas, while Best will look to link the midfield by holding the ball up for attacking players to arrive. I realise this contradicts what I said about workrate being key, but I reckon Ben Arfa will be fired up for this one and I'd have more faith in us getting a result with him on if I'm honest.

I agree the article gives too much weight to small factors when success on the field is what attracts sponsorship far more than anything else. Your Man Utd example is a good one, the sponsors won't worry too much about PR disasters if the club is flying high in the league and their brand is assosciated. However don't you think that a club that was recently relegated and has seen minimal investment in players over recent seasons would be viewed cautiously by sponsors looking to ally their brand with a "successful" club? Man Utd are a consistent success story, but even if we do finish high up the table this year, it may still be viewed as a one-off season. As the article rightly points out, changing a stadium name is a long-term investment and I just don't see sponsors committing to that on the back of 1 successful season. I think the author has used bad examples but I think his point remains that sponsors will look at the bigger picture and will likely look beyond the results of one season, especially when the club sold its star players just this summer and may well do so again. If the club isn't viewed as ambitious then one successful season may not be enough to attract investors to a long term investment. As you say, their investment is a gamble on the success of the club and their brand being associated with it. Anyone who has followed Newcastle over recent years will know the club has an erratic owner and has hardly been the most ambitious in the transfer market. That's where we differ from Man Utd who are a much safer investment. I also believe that by already changing the stadium name the club has weakened the impact of another stadium name change happening a year down the line. Fans, the media and everybody else will think "here we go again, they've changed the bloody name". For a sponsor looking to get a bang for their buck I think it was the wrong decision to rename the stadium temporarily, and that's what makes me suspicious of the real motives behind it. If the club does secure a deal Ashley will have an extra revenue stream and if it doesn't, his company gets free advertising. For him it's win-win but I don't believe the club will see increased investment either way. After all that's gone on I think we'd be stupid to believe Llambias' promises of new players. Without any proven, tangible benefits for the club they're never going to sell a stadium name change to the fans.

Excellent article. It begs the question: is Ashley really that naive and stupid as to damage the very brand he is trying to sell? There are obviously better ways to attract sponsorship. Or is it all a smokescreen by Ashley to gain free sponsorship for Sports Direct? Let's face it, by "showcasing" his own sponsor all over the stadium he has probably deterred investors and I'd be surprised if he's stupid enough not to know that. The aim from the outset I believe was to use the "showcase" as a smokescreen - the sponsor has already been found and it is Sports Direct. If I am wrong and a company walks into this whole messy situation and pays a fortune to have its name across the stands, I still don't believe any significant money will be injected into the club as a result. It's win win for Ashley but the club has nothing to gain in my view and will sacrifice 130 years of history into the bargain. If the club was gaining something substantial from the deal, such as a new stadium or a major improvement to the current stadium it would be easier to sell the idea to fans. But the fans aren't stupid to believe that this will see increased transfer budgets, espescially just a few months after Carroll's 35M sale and similar promises of reinvestment. The team is doing well in the league but Ashley is trying to exploit that. 10 games unbeaten doesn't give you the right to change the stadium name with no tangible benefit to the club.

There are obviously better ways to go about finding a sponsor than this. This could hit attendances, shirt sales and other revenue streams in the process and if the team performs poorly as a result it will affect sponsorship further down the line, both TV deals and post-Northern Rock. So why have they gone this route? They cite Chelsea as an example that other clubs are doing it, but Chelsea have not renamed the stadium for free to 'showcase' Stamford Bridge. So we are in fact the only club doing it for free. Are they really looking for a sponsor or is it just an excuse for the club to give Sports Direct free sponsorship? Time will tell but they've chosen a strange way to go about finding sponsors and it makes you suspicious. For once I agree with Shepherd, they've already changed the name, changing it again so soon would just look tacky and it could put sponsors off. Changing the official name twice in a year? The media are unlikely to roll with that and sponsors will be aware. Similarly if the media all continue to call it St James Park that would also put sponsors off as the 'showcase' would be a failure. There is a real possibility of that happening with the entire fanbase and the city council wanting to keep the name the same. If the media continue to call it St James Park then it would actually deter sponsors. My gut feeling? I could be wrong but I suspect it's just another way for Ashley to squeeze what he can out of the club (free advertising) before he eventually finds a buyer for the club.

You're right, there are no plans to push on and there never have been. That's been evident from every transfer window since they arrived. Budget signings left, right and centre, even after the 35M sale of Carroll. Those people who believe this'll fund a new player every season are probably the same people who believed him when he said he'd invest all of the Carroll money. It's bollocks. We're looking at a decent squad now, though it's thin in some areas and we will have to ride our luck with injuries and suspensions, not to mention the African Cup of Nations robbing us of two of our best players. I'm not sure if it's the result of smart investment or luck but I think it's a bit of both. Until recent weeks we've had fewer injuries than I can remember for many seasons. Credit nevertheless goes to the scouting team and the manager but if you asked them in private I'm sure they'd say they never dreamed of a start like this. I recall Pardew sounding unhappy towards the end of the window at the lack of movement for another striker. Either way, the club will look to sell key players next summer, we all suspect it. I believe Ashley wants the club to be sustainable but he also wants to make back what he can in the time being and keeping the club in the Premierhip is his main aim - anything above I think he sees as a bonus. He wants the club sustainable because that will attract a new buyer who will buy the club at a good price. The fact he doesn't come to the games so much and doesn't seem to enjoy the whole experience, not to mention he put the club up for sale in the past, point to this. Unless of course this is all just a cynical ploy to get free advertising for Sports Direct... We just have to hope the club can compete despite the cutbacks. Amazingly this season it is working despite very modest investment and the sale of 3 star players for the best part of 50M. It's incredible we're 3rd given what happened in summer. What a crazy time to rock the boat, especially with the fixtures we have now, it's spectacularly bad timing for the team on the pitch. He's got a habit for doing this kind of thing and it won't change. The earlier he sells up the better - if he can make the club sustainable and find a decent buyer, he'll be able to walk away with some dignity which would be amazing after all that's gone on.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves. We know the first team is capable but our squad players haven't been tested. A few injuries will test our squad and that's when we could see points dropped. A lot depends on us keeping the big performers fits such as Krul, Colo, Tiote, Cabaye, Gutierrez, Ba. If Santon and Ben Arfa can get involved and up to speed it'll be a massive plus.

If Tiote and Cabaye are fit then f*ck it, let's go 4-4-2 and have a go. We've got nothing to lose really, and we have to go there in the belief that we can get at least a draw. If they are both out then we've got problems and we'll probably just pack the midfield. I don't see us keeping a clean sheet but if we can get the first goal anything can happen. They've got a big Champions League game against Napoli 3 days later and more of their players will be involved in internationals than us too. We need our big players in for this one.

It's a bit early to be writing him off. Ba will be off to the African Nations and so will Maiga if we sign him, which will give Ben Arfa a good run of games to impress. Bear in mind there is a lot of fixture congestion around christmas and new year which forces teams to rotate. Best has done well but I don't fancy him to score a bucketload this season. If Ba's goals dry up the spotlight will be on Best to contribute either by giving him better service or banging them in himself. In a team like ours which is winning games based on discipline and workrate among other factors, Best will give you more workrate and always look to play the more simple ball than a player like Ben Arfa who has more ability but will likely lose the ball more often trying to create chances. In the current setup Best is in the team on merit but if our goals dry up and teams figure out how to keep us from scoring there'll be strong calls to bring Ben Arfa in. It's a matter of time before we hit such a spell. I don't think it'll be too long before he gets his chance. My main worry is it looks like he has lost a yard of pace and perhaps some confidence too. He needs the games but with some tough fixtures coming up I think Pardew will go for Best's workrate and so far reliable partnership with Ba over Ben Arfa. Let's hope he takes his chance when he gets it because when both are on form we know who we'd rather have in the team.

To be honest I'd rather they keep playing us down than hyped us up ridiculously as top 4 or title challengers. The players seem to have a point to prove and are enjoying playing in a tight-knit team that works for each other with no real stars or prima donnas. Would we really want the media going on about the likes of Cabaye, Tiote, Coloccini and Ba the way they have about Spurs players like Scott Parker? It would just put more pressure on us and increase the chances of these players moving on (though chances are Ashley will cash in next summer anyway). The only thing that is annoying is you know they will revel in it if we lose away to Man City or Man Utd, and espescially if we lose heavily. As has been pointed out, Man Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Spurs have all lost heavily this season, it doesn't mean they're not strong sides. I hope we will give these teams a game but our fans are being realistic that we must beat the teams outside of the top 6 or 7 places and if we keep doing that we can finish pretty high up the league. We have to keep doing what we're doing and if we take a beating in Manchester then so be it. The Everton game is just as big as either Manchester fixture, you don't get extra points for winning at Old Trafford. Ultimately injuries and the African Cup of Nations will have the biggest say on our season.

Glad Pardew says he'll approach the game differently to last season, lessons have been learned hopefully. We have the players to put them on the back foot so we should concentrate on playing our own game and make their big defenders look clumsy with quick passing and movement. Ben Arfa and Ba will make the runs it's a case of service. Besides all this talk of their big players, scoring headers isn't just about being big and hard it's also about movement. Get in behind their defence and we'll do damage, cross from deep and they'll just defend it all day long. It's key we get our wide players into the game, let's hope Obertan's final ball improves this time around. When we lose possession it's important we don't sit deep because this'll suit Stoke who'll happily launch balls 'into the mixer'. Hold a high line and make them play football. With that sort of game we could get on top of the midfield battle. Really hoping Tiote makes it, he's arguably our best player.