Wullie

People forget that for the previous 40 years, first Liverpool then Man United had every major trophy on a string. I've never known the domestic cups be as winnable/contestable as they have been over the last five years. That's because the top clubs don't give a shit about them anymore. There's no incentive to. Even if that were true, which it's not, your point is what exactly? Of course it is. What incentives are there for the likes of City or Chelsea to win the cups, outside of bragging rights? They're going to qualify for the CL anyway, the payout for winning the cups is a pittance, and they risk injury/fatigue to their top performers by playing them in extra matches. And as a result, they play weakened squads. Which makes the cups more contestable for everyone else. Didn't look that way to me in the Carling Cup final. City's players were absolutely ecstatic.

People forget that for the previous 40 years, first Liverpool then Man United had every major trophy on a string. I've never known the domestic cups be as winnable/contestable as they have been over the last five years. That's because the top clubs don't give a shit about them anymore. There's no incentive to. Even if that were true, which it's not, your point is what exactly?

How were Arsenal an "entitlement club"? What does that even mean?

People forget that for the previous 40 years, first Liverpool then Man United had every major trophy on a string. I've never known the domestic cups be as winnable/contestable as they have been over the last five years.

This. IMO I think there's a larger structural issue here in that all but a select few teams have become unable to compete Presumably this includes Wigan, Hull, Swansea, Bradford and sunderland given that they've all contested (or are about to contest, for you pedants) a major cup final within the last two seasons. Under the modern regime, 99% of the teams in the football league have a punter's chance at making a cup finals once every century or so while 1% dominate 100% of the league title and the vast majority of cups. That's not competition. "The vast majority of cups" There's two, and Wigan Athletic and Swansea City were the holders of those going into this season. The season before, Cardiff City competed in a final. The year before that, Birmingham City and Stoke City. The year before, Aston Villa and Portsmouth. The facts are that more clubs throughout the league structure than ever before are competing for the two major cups, clubs who have never previously won anything in their entire history (like Swansea, Wigan and possibly Hull) are winning things and that this year, a team that finished 7th the previous season came in the top 2. The last time that happened was in 1992-93. To watch what Liverpool have done and yet try to claim that the whole thing, including cups, is a closed shop is absolutely ridiculous. Going by your numbers, no football club as a whole can win the title, since there are only 92 clubs in the Football League and only 1% can win the league or the "vast majority of cups." This ridiculous hyperbole adds nothing to the discussion. It's simply defeatist nonsense, the type of which Mike Ashley craves hearing from Newcastle supporters.

This. IMO I think there's a larger structural issue here in that all but a select few teams have become unable to compete Presumably this includes Wigan, Hull, Swansea, Bradford and sunderland given that they've all contested (or are about to contest, for you pedants) a major cup final within the last two seasons.

Football's all about false hope and heartbreak. That's infinitely preferable to this.

:lol:

Shows unbelievable stupidity even by Ashley's standards since that target was achieved almost entirely on the back of the performances of two players who won't be here to do it again. Even the manager himself admits he can't make do without them.

If the fan forum thing is tonight then he's definitely not going anywhere, they'd have done it already. Fucking Christ.

Just because he's a goalkeeper doesn't mean he's not affected by the crippling culture of "that'll do, but don't go getting any better ffs" that the club is riddled with. The players have very little reason to bother their arse. The solution to that is absolutely not just to sell the players.

Agreed.

Most fans will start next season again blinded by the new names and inevitable PR generated from the shit houses in charge of the club. It'll be like the last 24 months didn't happen. Yup. And now that a mid-table finish has now become somehow acceptable, it'll be a case of "see? Pardew deserved another chance, he's doing a good job" if we're 9th.

God almighty.

Relegation is a ludicrous notion in fairness. He's made it perfectly clear that we'll be fine when Cabaye is available again.

I think if we'd finished 11th, we might have kept Remy (unfinished business) but having managed 10th, what else is there for him to achieve? Can see him retiring tbh, go out on a high.

Michael Martin backpedaling on Pardew off the back of a decent first half in a game we lost.

Proper fucking mental how utterly obsessed with money the bloke is. Won't save him when his heart packs in and someone hangs a Hatem Ben Arfa banner on his tombstone, the fat cunt.

I agree. An NUFC in any division trying their collective best will always trump an NUFC actively attempting to tread water in the top flight.

Why ? Think it was something to do with what our fans were singing. Had a look on red and white kop and they were foaming, the usual 'hope Ashley stays and they fall down the leagues and die forever etc'. Did i hear " blue moon " at one point second half Jesus. We've become so small time.

http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/shola-ameobi-talentspotter#FvsV2dAY8CVU10ya.99 Spotted James Milner's one of these at the bottom of the page. Some of the answers. TV programmes Friends and The Office. I enjoy comedies. I like laughing, it's a laugh isn't it? Hobbies Golf, Playstation and I enjoy walking my dog. He’s a Canaan Hound, originally from Israel. He’s only six months old but he’s massive, so he takes me for a walk. His name’s Zizzi. J-Lo or Beyonce? Neither, I prefer my girlfriend Any tattoos? No, and I’ve definitely got no plans to get any. I'm now convinced the boring milner page is actually him Brilliant.

Absolutely appalling.

Not unless we get beat again tonight.

Two years running.