James

Interesting connection mentioned by Branson. Last time his brand sponsored a team, they got to the Fa Cup final and Pardew played for them.

Simpson an injury doubt apparently.

So Ben Arfa had said that he preferred not to play on the wing, and Pardew is now going to challenge this.

Just a few stats on Pardew's performance as manager which for me show very conclusively that he has done a good job so far considering what he started with. League Record: P42, W15(36%), D15(36%), L12(28%), F61(1.45 a game), A57(1.36 a game), 12 Clean Sheets(28%) All Competitions (After 90 mins): P47, W16(34%), D18(38%), L13(28%), F69(1.47), A66(1.40), 12 Clean Sheets(26%) All Competitions (Final Result): P47, W18(38%), D15(32%), L14(30%), F73 (1.55), A69(1.47), 12 Clean Sheets(26%) Last 38 League Games: P38, W13 (34%), D15(39%), L10(27%), F56(1.47), A51(1.37), 11 Clean Sheets(29%) League 2011/2012 Season: P20, W9(45%), D6(30%), L5(25%), F29(1.45), A25(1.25), 7 Clean Sheets (35%)

Even with a clause can someone really be expected to meet it and get him through a medical that can sanction that fee and a contract better than we are paying. When we lose Ba it will be much less than 10m in my opinion and will be during a decline.

I do think in the long term though we should improve by looking to have a left footer on the left instead of two right footed players.

We are overdue a Mackem Derby cup tie

It is come from Karren Brady saying that he asked for a release clause at West Ham so he probably got one at Newcastle.

Remie Streete

I assume that 2 years means the 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 seasons? The rest of this season probably isn't counted as that was already paid for by Northern Rock. It's not like our shirt sponsor could expire in January 2014. Correct. So another 2.5 years stuck on much less sponsorship than our forward thinking rivals are getting. How do you know how much money is involved? You can have a general idea though given that it is the same company, who have a littered financial history, and our MD only left himself two months to sell the sponsorship.

I assume that 2 years means the 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 seasons? The rest of this season probably isn't counted as that was already paid for by Northern Rock. It's not like our shirt sponsor could expire in January 2014. Correct. So another 2.5 years stuck on much less sponsorship than our forward thinking rivals are getting.

Why not? Because we are still being sponsored by the same company, just different owners, and they aren't exactly wealthy. Also, we have tried to do in a couple of months what Spurs would spend 18 months of forward planning negotiating.

Why not? Because we are still being sponsored by the same company, just different owners, and they aren't exactly wealthy.

Can't imagine us getting much more than we were already receiving (which was already Championship level), so a big fail by the club there.

What has that man done to you to deserve your ridicule and other people's ridicule? He is a human being with feelings, probably doesn't know that the picture is on the net (thank god) and that people are laughing at him. I bet he can spell too.

Willow, You are a disgrace. As is anyone who laughed.

i reckon the fact he isn't in the team is relevant It is. 1) It could be because he isn't putting the effort in in training. 2) It could be because we don't feel he has full match fitness yet. 3) It could be that he isn't one of Pardew's favourites. 4) It could be because when he has come on Pardew doesn't feel he as been as influential as he is supposed to be. ... so that's not all there is to it, that was my point Fair enough. Coloccini has an equal amount of technical ability to Ben Arfa - people just disregard it more because he isn't the goal-scorer he's the goal saver. Tackling is a technical ability as well which people sometimes forget. I think technique is generally understand to mean ability with the ball at your feet though and Ben Arfa is better then Colo in that respect. Otherwise, last season you could have said Carroll was the most technically gifted player in the league based on his heading ability. Tackling requires technique, as does heading. Therefore the best 'technical footballer' has the best ability across most of the areas. And ability is not just about technique for me, it is also about other things like being in the right position to intercept a pass, or spotting a good pass, out running an opponent for 70 yards and still having a bit left in the tank. And even then that does not include mental attributes like determination which Jonas and Taylor have in abundance, making up for a marginal lack of ability.

I remember well the days that Michael Owen played week in week out for us.

i reckon the fact he isn't in the team is relevant He should be in the team, but I don't buy all this indispensible, our star player, build the team around him claptrap that is on here. Bit of a difference between building the team around him and not having him on the field at all, or for twenty minutes when chasing the game. Classic straw man, as Dave would say. I wouldn't build the team around Coloccini, that doesn't mean I'd have him on the fucking bench. Does he want to play on the right though? Pardew has insisted time after time that he wants a player to constantly knock on his door and say he wants to play. I am sure that if Ben Arfa asked to play on the right, and spent all week playing there in training, he'd be starting in that position instead of Sammy fucking Ameobi.

In my opinion, Ben Arfa is only the 6th best player at the club in terms of ability, and probably only 8th best when you consider factors such as work ethic and consistency. 6th best in terms of ability? Looking at ability alone he's number one. He has the best technique at the club. Nethertheless, the Shearer-Ginola anecdote applies.

i reckon the fact he isn't in the team is relevant He should be in the team, but I don't buy all this indispensible, our star player, build the team around him claptrap that is on here.

I would be much more disappointed if one of the seven players I have named left the club.

So many other players can be considered a star man in our side over Ben Arfa. The 'star man' Demba Ba who has been an unstoppable force in front of goal The 'star man' Fabriccio Coloccini who is an immovable object in defence, leads the organisation of our defence and helps the team build from the back. The 'star man' Tim Krul, whose top quality saves have made significant differences to whether we win draw or lose. The 'star man' Cheick Tiote who has broken down passing move after passing move consistently for 18 months. The 'star man' Yohan Cabaye who completely controls the passage of play in midfield. Ben Arfa has not demonstrated one star quality that should mean he is considered as a star player ahead of those five.

Yep, closely followed by Ba. Cabaye, Tiote and Krul are also better than Ben Arfa, who has to scrap it out with Jonas and Steven Taylor, who have shown themselves to be better players than him at times too.

In my opinion, Ben Arfa is only the 6th best player at the club in terms of ability, and probably only 8th best when you consider factors such as work ethic and consistency.