Belfast Boy

Is the idea to have 10 B teams? I take it thats the top ten from the previous season or is it just the richest 10 and stick with them every season? What happens if say Southampton B finish in a promotion place but Southampton get relegated?

Never mind RTG, that needs to be shown to Pardew

So are Chelsea losing the second leg at home "advantage" just because there are two Madrid teams? I can't see them just accepting that.

It will be interesting to see what level is acceptable next season in the eyes of the board. Will 10th be the aim year on year or what?

It doesnt mention what the incentives were for a top ten finish. Is it possible that Pardew's job is on the line without it and the players are wanting him gone? Nope, just wishful thinking.

Well it would take us off that difficult 46 point mark. Make things a lot easier.

The only chance of him getting sacked in the summer is to drop out the top ten. Its hard to actually want us to lose, but when it happens these days I am struggling to care. All the more reason to cheer West Ham on tonight.

So is he out of the cup final now too?

So he's confirmed out for 3 games or so. Is Elliot injured too or not?

I just dont get how the red can be rescinded because it turns out the ball was going 2" wide. Oxlaide-Chamberlain certainly didnt know that. Its like someone getting a red for scything down the last man, only for it to be rescinded when the review panel realise it was Altidore.

I completely disagree with Pardew in his treatment of Ben Arfa. If he is now saying he has to end the season well in order to be here next year then at least play him and give him a consistent chance to show what he can do with a bit of support.

Some great semis now lined up, looks like Real, Barca, Bayern and PSG/Chelsea in the last 4

Has Giggs scored yet this season?

Back in training on monday, from his own instagram

Has he been officially ruled out or are the journalists doing a great job of not asking any awkward questions again?

Is there any actual news on this injury? What is it meant to be? How long is he out for? He usually heads back to France to rehabilitate doesn't he, has he been doing any sort of training or is he in a cast of any sort?

Why should somebody who works in football fall into an exception? If I nutted somebody and went to prison I'd lose my job, why should it be different for somebody in football? Somebody who is more likely to be looked upon as a role model than I am. Obviously there are circumstances where banning orders are not appropriate. From the extreme, ie Groves v Froch hitting each other in Wembley stadium, and the likes of Remy's ban for headbutting. But at what point does that line get crossed to a normal fan who gets a banning order? They are saying Pardew falls into the "let the sport deal with it" side, what if Ashley himself attacked a fan? What about a steward assaulting another steward? What if someone like "Hendo", who was at the game purely as a fan got involved in something?

Quite the opposite, he is highlighting the unfairness in the way the two cases have been dealt with.

Its a shame that last paragraph where he tells the CI that he is posting the replies online. That will obviously curb his next reply if he makes one. You could almost feel the CI squirming in his seat as he read it.

The likes of 606 are going overboard in the hope they get newcastle fans on defending him. Id love someone to phone up and point out we wanted him out anyway.

Hopeful sacking aside, surely when a manager is sent off it should be back to the dressing room with no communication to the bench. Sitting up in the stands with an open line to someone taking his place on the touchline is hardly a punishment.

I'm hoping for Gross Misconduct. Pardew out and a way back for Ben Arfa.

Alnwick, S. Taylor, Haidara, Gosling, Marveaux, Shola Ameobi, Cisse So is the official line that Hatem and Sammy are still injured?

bench? any sign of any flair?

3-1. Apparently Baines is the only player in the premier league to take more than 10 pens and never miss. 12/12