Wullie

I wouldn't take it. Over the last fews years we have went mad over the renaming of the SJP, we have went mad with being associated with Wonga. Red Bull would be stupid to even try and re-brand us. Surely since the Wimbledon/MK Dons fiasco the FA would be stupid to allow it to happen again. Yet Cardiff and Hull's horrible owners have been allowed to change the kit and the name respectively without the FA saying a word. Cardiff have changed club colours a few times haven't they?, and Hull have had tigers in their badge for years as well. Great, we can look forward to becoming the Newcastle Seahorses then. And no, Cardiff haven't.

I wouldn't take it. Over the last fews years we have went mad over the renaming of the SJP, we have went mad with being associated with Wonga. Red Bull would be stupid to even try and re-brand us. Surely since the Wimbledon/MK Dons fiasco the FA would be stupid to allow it to happen again. Yet Cardiff and Hull's horrible owners have been allowed to change the kit and the name respectively without the FA saying a word.

Give over man.

We spent less then than we did in 11/12 http://i39.tinypic.com/2r2lu3b.jpg You've missed two off that first one: Parker out, Barton in. Spend probably about the same though. 7 June 2007 when Ashley took the controlling stake in the club. Parker's sale was completed on June 6th and Barton's signing on 14th June, so by rights, Ashley could claim to have spent £6m more than I've given credit for. But you're probably right, Ashley would have been consulted before we signed anyone during hi take-over bid that began in May. IIRC it was reported at the time that he'd done exactly that, given them the go-ahead before the takeover.

Nowhere but what else can his performance be judged on other than comparisons against those in the same competition? So Pardew is better than Furguson Sorry, I thought you were talking about "beats" in terms of final league placings (although those comparisons do have their own flaws of course). Talking at cross purposes I think.

We spent less then than we did in 11/12 http://i39.tinypic.com/2r2lu3b.jpg You've missed two off that first one: Parker out, Barton in. Spend probably about the same though.

But the vast majority of fans never go to away games, so they don't get the benefit in return. They get the benefit of not having to pay extortionate train fares, hotels etc, whilst Arsenal and QPR away fans get the benefit of being able to go to half their away games on the tube.

I'm not convinced he's a PDC style cunt either though. That seems to be what we are basing our criticisms on. But the Brighton forums seem to view him quite positively, and in the two games against us, his teams seemed far more motivated than ours did under Pardew. Devils advocate but aren't the minnows always likely to be 'more up for it'? As I said earlier, Brighton could string passes together which was enough to impress me but Sunderland could appoint literally anyone (say Paolo Di Canio for example) and some will instantly be doom and gloom claiming he is a good manager/have a feeling he will be a success based on very little. I can't speak for anyone else, but I created a thread about Poyet after last season's cup defeat based purely on the qualities I saw in his side. Most of the objections in that thread were based on him being a cunt due to scoring goals against us and being associated with Dennis Wise. If you dug a little deeper fans might have discovered he was generally considered to be the brains behind Leeds success while he was there with Wise. I think you'll find he's far higher rated inside the game than either Pardew or Kinnear these days. Leeds who got relegated under Wise, is this? Wasn't that after Poyet left? Wise and Poyet arrived in October, were relegated in May. They were deducted ten points but wouldn't have had enough to stay up anyway. Poyet left the following October.

I'm not convinced he's a PDC style cunt either though. That seems to be what we are basing our criticisms on. But the Brighton forums seem to view him quite positively, and in the two games against us, his teams seemed far more motivated than ours did under Pardew. Devils advocate but aren't the minnows always likely to be 'more up for it'? As I said earlier, Brighton could string passes together which was enough to impress me but Sunderland could appoint literally anyone (say Paolo Di Canio for example) and some will instantly be doom and gloom claiming he is a good manager/have a feeling he will be a success based on very little. I can't speak for anyone else, but I created a thread about Poyet after last season's cup defeat based purely on the qualities I saw in his side. Most of the objections in that thread were based on him being a cunt due to scoring goals against us and being associated with Dennis Wise. If you dug a little deeper fans might have discovered he was generally considered to be the brains behind Leeds success while he was there with Wise. I think you'll find he's far higher rated inside the game than either Pardew or Kinnear these days. Leeds who got relegated under Wise, is this?

I'm a bit confused about this, I'm sure I read early this season that the Premier League had changed to a sale-or-return model across the board for away tickets, yet I've since read that we've still been taking up low allocations. Can anyone clarify? EDIT: Sned. This is a really good step from the club. If there's one single thing Ashley gets credit for, it's keeping the prices down, although obviously the cynic in me knows that he knows if they go up, a lot of people will walk. Although that's an area of revenue where we don't get as much money from as some other clubs, hey, we're a deprived area in comparison to the majority so that's one where it wouldn't be right to criticise the club - we're ok in that the extra capacity of the ground - compared to Spurs, Liverpool, certainly Everton and Villa - makes up some of the shortfall (for the time being at least).

Nowhere but what else can his performance be judged on other than comparisons against those in the same competition?

Paul Lambert and Nigel Adkins both went from League One to the Premier League in the space of one season. It's really not that much of an achievement to come into the Championship and "be competitive", the margins below the Premier League are much greater. Think of the managers who have actually gotten teams out of the Championship during the same time period: Warnock, Holloway, McDermott, Adkins, Bruce. In the few years preceding that it's been Brown, Dowie, McCarthy, Boothroyd. These are the blokes who have outdone him and he's been in that division a few years now, enough time for a proper crack at promotion and not got near it. Maybe he'll prove a good Premier League manager but his reputation is built on absolutely fuck all.

And I didn't have to open my upstairs window to talk to Peter Crouch. I didn't know that jokes had to be factually accurate.

Stormfront ffs.

The first. It's clearly a derogatory remark, aimed at a person of a different skin colour. Certainly a superiority element on SJH part. I'm assuming you think it's an okay comment then? dont get that. That he thinks it's okay to make a remark based on a massively exaggerated version of someone's skin colour. It's derogatory, and usually derogatory remarks come from a position of perceived superiority He's basically saying "Les Ferdinand is black". The only way that's "derogatory" is if you (not him) perceive being black as a bad thing. "Les Ferdinand is really black, couldn't see him in front of the cooker" "Peter Crouch is really tall, he came to the door before and I had to open the upstairs window to talk to him" To me there's no difference in intent between those two shit jokes. I agree that I wouldn't tell the former on the radio.

The first. It's clearly a derogatory remark, aimed at a person of a different skin colour. Certainly a superiority element on SJH part. I'm assuming you think it's an okay comment then? I've already said it was a daft thing to say but how is it derogatory?

And as Dave says, as old as tea.

1. The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others. 2. Discrimination or prejudice based on race Which of these dictionary definitions does that comment fit into?

Yep. Funny how if you get a team out of the Championship then go back down, your name becomes mud whilst someone like Poyet who has languished in Championship mid-table for a few years now (one play off semi, hmm great) has had a growing reputation. If he hadn't played for Chelsea and Spurs, nobody would be in the slightest bit interested in him.

I agree tbh. Bloody daft thing to say in the current climate but not racist.

Very harsh on Holloway. Once again he's got a team out of the Championship that had absolutely no right to do so, not to mention having to lose his best player by far. Absolute disgrace if they sack him after he's made them financially secure for years to come.

That doesn't, I take it, factor in the inherited value of their respective squads? Or, more relevantly, their current market value? Of course. We should expect to be above them because of that. But how many clubs above us have a less valuable squad? Just Hull and Southampton? Genuine question; in your view, is Graham Carr a help or a hindrance to Alan Pardew? I think Graeme Carr's brilliance has been over-hyped. A few of his signings have grown in value, but none more than the likes of Michu or Benteke. Have any of his signings been consistent enough? Have any other clubs come in with breathtaking offers for them? Cabaye attracted some interest to be a bench warmer at Arsenal. No doubt though, he has identified players good enough for this league at prices lower than other clubs have been going out and spending, which I think Pardew should be very grateful for. If only there was some senior figure, in charge of and accountable for the playing staff. Whose remit it would be to get the very best out of the players at his disposal in exchange for handsome remuneration.

That doesn't, I take it, factor in the inherited value of their respective squads? Or, more relevantly, their current market value? Of course. We should expect to be above them because of that. But how many clubs above us have a less valuable squad? Just Hull and Southampton? Genuine question; in your view, is Graham Carr a help or a hindrance to Alan Pardew? I think Graeme Carr's brilliance has been over-hyped. A few of his signings have grown in value, but none more than the likes of Michu or Benteke. Have any of his signings been consistent enough? Have any other clubs come in with breathtaking offers for them? Cabaye attracted some interest to be a bench warmer at Arsenal. No doubt though, he has identified players good enough for this league at prices lower than other clubs have been going out and spending, which I think Pardew should be very grateful for. Pardew makes players worse. Very unfair to point the finger at Carr for buying players with extremely good pedigree that the manager is then unable to get the best out of.

It wouldn't cost a lot to hire a good football manager who isn't in the job on a depressingly long deal because he's his mate. That would translate into extra league positions very cheaply. Well that's the whole debate isn't it? Who would we get, how much would it cost, how much would the improvement really be? Finding a manager equipped to bring us long term success is what we should demand, but not expect from the toad in charge. That's quite a difficult thing to do, as it should be in top level sport. Finding a better manager than Alan Pardew? The man was still on the way down to his natural level after being sacked by Saints. You could literally put a pin in the Championship table and come up trumps if that's all you're after. It would be so so easy.

Personally it's a risk I'd be more then willing to take. If there's any chance that a managerial change will stop almost anyone in the top half being able to fuck us up the arse whenever they feel like it, or to actually start beating the mackems again instead of letting them come to SJP and take the piss out of us then bring it on