Benwell Lad

I think he's a cracking appointment for them. Hate to say it but they've got a decent manager considering the alternatives that would have been available to them. There will be an initial positve effect as he bounces up and down a lot and spouts a load of blarney. He'll probably keep them up. Once the hype and euphoria settle down he'll be no better than their previous managers and will probably spend just as badly. Yesterday's man.

So pleased the appointment has been confirmed. Had a nagging doubt something might go wrong that they'd end up with someone capable of changing things for the better.

I'd feel better if I could say we were outplayed and deserved a 3 goal defeat. But we weren't, we deserved at least a point and had the refereee made the correct decision and sent Luis off after 5 minutes the whole game would have been different. We had no luck in refereeeing decisions or the game itself and played the second half with a team weaker than you'd see playing against a lower league team in the early rounds of the League cup but still took the game to them. A very disappointing result but yet another ballsy performance with some decent quality at times too. Mentions for Krul (wow),Perch,Cabaye,Guthrie,Ba and Shola.

He does jump up and down an awful lot.

What this bloke said. Some people are too confident about this. The considerable debate and uncertainty about how to set up the team without him kind of proves how important Jonas is to our team. I'm sure this will have been the primary consideration for Pardew and his staff this week.

O'Neil out. Forest cunt. FTM.

They are and that's why they are insisting on it. A kind of corporate makem windup. Most sensible organisations will continue to call it by it's real name.

I'd go further and say I'm quite excited at the prospect.

Not joking but I think wor Michael would do a better job. I've seen so many messiahtastic appointments down there, Keane, Bruce himself and of course Macemeneny - how they rejoiced and partied when he was appointed. I'm surprised the yank hasn't had the balls to make a bolder,different type of appointment, O'Neil is yesterday's man - his time at Villa proved that his bolt is well and truly shot.

Great appointment after the initial mackem and press gushing I expect it to end in very expensive tears. I'd have been much more concerned had they gone for a younger manager on the up. This appointment is in the mould of the previous ones but they don't seem to learn. Time scale for him to go from "childhood Sunderland supporter one of us" to "get out of our club you Irish bastard" approx 2-3 years. Possibly less.

I think they forget that the poor bloke who gets the job will have to spend time in Sunderland. Granted he won't live there, or even spend one second there longer than he needs to, but he will have to go there occasionally. Not an attractive proposition.

Pro footballers go to Sunderland for one of two reasons. They have no other Premiership options or they get a deal which is way over the odds.

I wouldn't laugh Ian. It's very likely he'll be plying his trade in West London next year.

Sounds like he'd be the perfect man to follow Bruce. I hope they go for someone senior like him or Hughes, who will cost a fortune, only be there for the money and probably do as bad a job as Bruce did. I'd be more concerned if they went for someone on the up like Adkins or Solskjaer. Either way whoever comes in has a huge infrastructure job to do. The way Quinn backed Bruce means his staff and ways are very deeply rooted there and some of the highly paid dross he bought will be going nowhere quick. It's going to be an interesting few months for them between now and May and if they get it wrong again the consequences could be disastrous.

When I've watched Williamson he's come across as a reliable if unspectacular defender. Probably the best type really, as opposed to someone like Enrique who was spectacular on occasions but would give away possession in dangerous positions. Seems like a canny lad as well, will be good to have him back.

Eldon Square > Sloane Sqare Osborne Road > Kings Road

As a team mate of mine said to a woman who was barracking him from the touchline during a game on Teesside quite a few years ago "why don't you take up fukking knitting ?"

As an old traditionalist I think silence is most appropriate to mourning, but have to say it sounds like the club have thought this through very considerately and come up with a dignified and appropriate tribute. Well done.

Some good goals this season but Shola's strike would get my vote for goal of the season so far. Mind Cabaye and Raylor's efforts haven't been bad either.

Chelsea are as well, Spurs are probably the 4th best team, which will likely be reflected in their final position this season. It's opinions, and like you say final positions will be the proof but I think that Spurs team today had more quality than Chelsea. Completely disagree. Chelsea are better in just about every department. A few others disagreed too, but I wonder if a few weeks later whether they still do ? Early days still, but this will be an interesting contest imo (i.e.Chelsea/Spurs). I'd imagine the bookies would have them about the same at the moment ??

That piece is one of the funniest "mackem in denial" rants ever. PS saw Wigan's second goal again - it is just so funny. In fact it would have been hilarious even if it wasn't a 93rd minute losing goal against relegation rivals. FTM.

Bruce's last 27 games W5 D6 L16 - worse than when Wilkinson had his spell there apparently. Fortunately he always seems to get a result when he's on the precipice thereby prolonging the agony. Or hilarity depending on how you view it.

The "old" Manchester United was almost universally supported throughout England when they played European fixtures and were probably most people's second favourite team. No one appeared to be jealous of their great players and success back then. Fergie has changed them to a club despised by most and who a majority wish to see beaten by any European opposition. The unsporting behaviour he has instilled in every side he had from the Keane/Beckham days and witnessed right up to last Saturday when once again they flaunt the rules, attempt to mass intimidate officials at every opportunity and display no dignity or sportsmanship whatsoever has made this happen. His knighthood makes a mockery of the honours system. Sure no one can deny what he has achieved for himself and Man U, but he has used gamesmanship and cheating at every opportunity despite having wonderful players at his disposal. He has done nothing to help the game in general or set any kind of decent example to society in general.

There were some cracking games at the weekend but that point is what makes it for me too. Heard from some Dortmund fans who were at Arsenal last week that they were penned in for 15 minutes after the game. Some lit cigarettes and were told aggressively to put them out or they'd be arrested. They must think WTF is this about compared to the atmosphere they enjoy at home. Aye I caught some of the Dortmund highlights and watched the Bayern game in a bar, both class, but the fans mixing and drinking openly on the trains, in the station and the ground with background supervision from the police was a different world to anything I've experienced. The bit I was in was 70/30 mixed as we were above the Kaiserslautern main bit but their was no animosity even when people were getting more drunk. In terms of fan experience I couldn't recommend it more + it's lush beer not Carling or some balls. It's normally St.Pauli I go to, (Ozzie mentioned he likes them in another thread) they're Bundesliga 2 right now but still every game ausverkauft and an amazing atmosphere. It's not unlike going to Newcastle as the ground is in town and surrounded by loads of good pubs. Due to their popularity I've had to get "business" tickets recently - they're extortionate (and very un-Sankt Pauli) but the food. wine and beer are superb (and unlimited) so I do my best to get my money's worth

I don't think anyone in their right mind would compare our squad to Chelsea, Man city, Man Utd or Spurs, or claim it would be good enough to cope with European as well as domestic competition. It's probably as good as any other team's squad who are not currently playing in Europe.