David Icke - Son of God

This, basically. There's no movement so he tries to make some space to play a killer ball.

Because that was a success

I don't see how they can be blamed for this situation at all. We wanted stability, they gave the man an 8 year contract. We wanted them to invest, they chucked over £20m at players in January and acknowledged they dropped a bollock in the summer. They appointed someone they knew as a friend as manager without a justifiable footballing reason for him to be appointed, I find that absolutely awful decision in general. It's not just that, apathy has set in across the whole club and it's stemmed from the actions of Ashley, Llambias and Mort for the last 6 years both on and off the pitch. The transfer policy has been good but it still doesn't deliver a balanced squad, we just have team the right individuals come available for cheap. We have no balance to the squad and still have to rely on Shola which is criminal in my eyes and it's not fair on him as well. Couldn't disagree more, particularly about the transfers. I certainly don't think we go out just looking to sign cheap individuals with little regard for the squad. This is the first time in many years we've had a policy which seems to be aimed towards building a team rather than just signing players almost on a whim and hoping it all clicks. Compare the processes we have in place now to what went on under Shepherd (signing Duff when we had N'Zogbia for example) and, well, there is no comparison. The criticism of the way in which Pardew was appointed seems daft IMO, simply because it's based on conjecture. Everyone knew he only got the job because he owed Ashley money. That turned out to be complete bollocks. He may have been mates with Llambias, but I doubt that was the only reason he was appointed. The board are the only stakeholder in this saga who are pretty much blameless if you ask me. Well the decision to appoint Pardew clearly seemed to be above a football decision considering the news of him signing a contract was known a month before he was actually appointed. If it was a football decision, they would had binned Hughton asap imo. That still wrangles with me badly as IMO it shows what an absolute pair of cunts Ashley and Llambias are. They appointed Pardew, they are ultimately to blame for the mess his decisions have put us this season, just like Pardew is responsible for the performances of the team. The way they handled the Hughton sacking was classless, I'll agree with that.

I don't see how they can be blamed for this situation at all. We wanted stability, they gave the man an 8 year contract. We wanted them to invest, they chucked over £20m at players in January and acknowledged they dropped a bollock in the summer. They appointed someone they knew as a friend as manager without a justifiable footballing reason for him to be appointed, I find that absolutely awful decision in general. It's not just that, apathy has set in across the whole club and it's stemmed from the actions of Ashley, Llambias and Mort for the last 6 years both on and off the pitch. The transfer policy has been good but it still doesn't deliver a balanced squad, we just have team the right individuals come available for cheap. We have no balance to the squad and still have to rely on Shola which is criminal in my eyes and it's not fair on him as well. Couldn't disagree more, particularly about the transfers. I certainly don't think we go out just looking to sign cheap individuals with little regard for the squad. This is the first time in many years we've had a policy which seems to be aimed towards building a team rather than just signing players almost on a whim and hoping it all clicks. Compare the processes we have in place now to what went on under Shepherd (signing Duff when we had N'Zogbia for example) and, well, there is no comparison. The criticism of the way in which Pardew was appointed seems daft IMO, simply because it's based on conjecture. Everyone knew he only got the job because he owed Ashley money. That turned out to be complete bollocks. He may have been mates with Llambias, but I doubt that was the only reason he was appointed. The board are the only stakeholder in this saga who are pretty much blameless if you ask me.

I don't see how they can be blamed for this situation at all. We wanted stability, they gave the man an 8 year contract. We wanted them to invest, they chucked over £20m at players in January and acknowledged they dropped a bollock in the summer.

I've been waving the flag for Ketsbaia for years.

I'm getting warmer to this idea. I really think someone like Ketsbaia could produce a much needed "rally around the flag" effect. And he has had success as a manager, though the one hang-up I have is his lack of top-level managing experience (6 games at Olympiakos, who always dominate the Greek league, doesn't really persuade me all that much). To be fair he's got Champions League experience and is managing at international level.

I need to change this fucking avatar.

Ketsbaia.

I have no expectations for today, I just hope that Wigan get beat.

Curtis Good. He played in a cup final.

West Brom were direct from the first whistle. There game plan in the first half was to launch it over our defense and hope Lukaku ran onto it.

Absolutely mental thing is that he would've been perfect in that midfield three we played at the arse end of last season alongside Tiote and Cabaye. We haven't even attempted to go down that road this year.

The local press are little bitches. Mark Douglas is on twitter tonight slating Redknapp. The twat would never say anything like that about Pardew because he needs his quotes every week. Ryder might turn on him. That's because his only redeeming feature is that he is a big fan. The rest of them care only for an easy life where Pardew feeds them nice easy lines to work with. I've just made a very similar argument in the Sunderland thread about di Canio and the lack of coverage of his politics after his 'apology'. Local football journalists need access to the club on a daily basis to file half a dozen pages of copy. To that end they'll be the very last people to criticise a manager.

I do find it wholly laughable that the Mackems were affronted when the press dare quiz his fascist leanings and they acted as if it was some sort of media conspiracy. You could fucking hear the collective groan from the local footballing press when Miliband walked away from the table because they knew they'd have to dedicate time and effort to probing his political views. It was only the cack handed way in which Sunderland handled it which kept it alive for so long. Once he said sorry, even if it was a pathetically hollow apology, the issue was dropped. All the press wanted was what they've had over the past week - a performing monkey who is going to wander into press conferences and act like Mourinho on speed. I suppose it's understandable, you're no good as a journalist if you're not getting copy, but the local football journalists have really shown themselves up here. There was a real story to be told about this man, his political leanings and association with some very dodgy folks but it wouldn't sell newspapers on Wearside.

It's becoming increasingly hard to defend him, if only because of the utter shite he's spouted since last Sunday. That said his 'management' in the last two games has been laughable. Sunderland are riding a wave but we were fucking abject and we should've won today. He needs to man up, take the criticism and find a plan B from somewhere, from anywhere, because it's increasingly beginning to look like we'll need to rely on Wigan or Villa slipping up to stay up.

I've defended him, but his quotes today have really got my back up. The criticism was "heavy handed"? We just got thumped 3-0 off our local rivals who were staring relegation in the face. A team with one of the weakest midfield's in the league played through ours time and time again. We were absolutely fucking wank. The last time I witnessed a performance that gutless we were relegated when the full time whistle went. And those comments about the Mackems. Really? How small time. He's beginning to sound like Steve Bruce.

Get out.

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4npgiHB2z1r5zuiho1_400.jpg

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6oaosRkai1qaxdql.gif

Carroll. Nailed on.

I seriously can't get over the fact some cunt punched a horse.

the term "mag stronghold" man... http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Arts/Arts_/Pictures/2008/11/05/pete460.jpg "1992 wasn't just about Kinnock losing the election, as we can see here, the influence of Keegan meant that there was a sharp swing from mackem to Mag in areas such as Durham, Consett and Washington which up until that point, had been mackem strongholds."

FYI I've done some research on that there interweb and this is the only reputable Newcastle website I can find where the majority aren't giving Pardew credit for his tactics. Basically you're all wrong'uns.

Anita hasn't covered himself in glory since he got back into the side. Tiote's still ahead of him.