James

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.

Form isn't as good as it was before getting called "The Dreamboat" in my opinion.

Wouldn't producing like 15/20 small shows cost more than producing one big show? Having moved around the country, I know that there are much less regions than that, probably about 10. Still need the same number of commentators, cameras for each match. No studio, get the local BBC sport presenter to do some basic introductions live from one of the regional stadiums, or from the local new desk, at the same time as doing his normal BBC job. If that does cost slightly more, the programme is more appealing, and lowers that £ per viewer value that is more influential than actual cost.

They should do what ITV used to do with a weekly regional show on a Sunday, then put all regional shows on Iplayer for those fans not in region.

Villa tried to fine him and Dunne over £200,000 last season for his behaviour but the PFA wouldn't sanction the figure as it is above the permitted level.

Mentions of Andy Carroll and Enrique, and how Enrique has improved at Liverpool probably. I'd say 75% will be about Liverpool.

Don't see how that's relevant but aye, I can't see this one being legit. Because he is a bad apple, doesn't take care of himself, causes problems in the dressing room, is disliked by team mates. There are a lot of things wrong with him. He is the sort of player that should be avoided at all costs, a player the old pre-relegation Newcastle would have signed.

Huge history of drink problems and one of those blamed for the dressing room split and bullying at Villa last year. No thanks.

You have really become this forum's biggest WUM

I don't see any of that, first and foremost I want our defenders to defend, if they give us something in addition then that's a bonus. A huge strength of our team is that we attack and defend as a team. Defensively, organisation is key, and of what I have seen, a Perchless team can defend. Conversely, is Taylor worse than Griffin or O'Brien? However offensively we are pretty one dimensional at the moment, i.e. Ba (although to be fair there are many dimensions to his play). Therefore having defenders such as Coloccini and Taylor who both make a huge offensive contribution is invaluable.