Benwell Lad

The fans craving a "stellar" appointment is rubbish although journalists reading some comments on here last week may have got that impression. Dalglish, Gullit, Souness and Allardyce were pretty "stellar" at the time and where does that get us - having to fork out the equivalent of a small country's GDP to pay them and their entourage off when it all went wrong. I'd far rather have a hard working manager with something to prove and a decent reputation amongst his fellow pros. Either way it can be risky but "stellar" appointments my arse !

What was it? He came tearing out of his goal when Nolan got his hat trick v the mackems. Ran the length of the pitch to join in the celebrations - great to see what it meant to him.

Loved his reaction to our 3rd goal

Looks like time's up for players in a wall defending free kicks. No more crutch holding lads, you're just gonna have to take it in the gonads like a man.

Quite a good piece, that. THe WSJ - wow. Well written article and witty - but Newcastle "insular" - whatever could have made him think that ?

Demo outside main entrance was a lot bigger than a few dozen kids at half four. Did anyone listen to Roeder on 5 Live this morning. Very impressed, not a bad word to say about the club or the fans. Clearly still bleeds black and white despite all the mental scarring he went through when he was manager. Almost as impressive as Barton's post-match interview. Whatever else you can say about him, he does understand this club and what it's about. Hope he can continue to channel all that positively. Fair do's I wasn't counting but looked like a few dozen to me and mostly kids, although there were a few standing round gawping and taking photos etc. They do benefit from great accoustics in that tunnel mind. Didn't hear Roeder's interview but you're spot on - he was an absolute top guy - he loved every minute he spent on Tyneside and was a real adopted Geordie, a very humble guy too - not unlike CH. Agree about Barton - he has to be one of the most intelligent and eloquent pros in the game, which just makes some of his outrageous past behaviour seem even wierder. You were very well informed regarding the last weeks occurences and in the absence of much info trickling down from the politburo I'd be interested to know if there is much truth in something I heard in town last night. Someone reliable told me that a squad member had told Hughton he was refusing to travel to an away game if he wasn't in the team and CH gave him his own way. Sensing indiscipline problems on top of a few poor performances, Ashley decided to act quick and that was the end for Hughton. Source told me he admires Ashley for making unpopular decisions when he feels he needs to, rather than letting something drag on and going badly wrong - just like he's done in his businesses.

But the same team was at the top of the last 8 games form table and had just brushed Villa aside 3-0 without Torres. Credit where due I think we pressed them very well and generally got our game tactics just about right, seriously reducing their effectiveness.

Ranger's introduction did change the game and was a big factor in the win but it's very easy to overlook what Shola does for the team. In this set up Shola often drops deep and picks up one of their central midfielders thereby allowing Tiote to drop off and play in front of the back four very effectively. Not eye catching but Shola does contribute quite a bit to the team despite first appearances.

Even their general obsession with us is nothing compared to the obsession they have with our crowds. 50K plus lads after a week of turmoil and for an evening game live on TV just before Christmas when your crowds have dipped into the 30Ks. Saint Niall needs to get off his magic carpet and start hawking around the pubs and clubs of Wearside again to get a few more of you interested.

Class. That's all.

Vital to our team, brings so much class to the back 4. Has to be straight back in next week preferably with Will. It has however been good to have Sol and ST to come in when we lost them both.

Great result we really pressed them and didn't allow them the freedom Villa had on Monday. Someone behind me said Krul's save from Torres could be a match winning one. Prophetic words indeed. Amazing crowd 50K plus for an evening match going out live on TV just before Christmas - if Pardew didn't know what we're about before he will now. Not much of a demo despite the hype. Nothing at the ticket office and just a few dozen kids outside the main entrance when I walked past at about 10 to 5. Looks like anyone over 16 had decided to stay in the pub instead. The usual anti-Ashley songs inside but much louder than recently and a generally great atmosphere made for a splendid evening.

12-15 months ago who'd have preferred Andy Carroll over Fernando Torres as a centre forward ?

Lots of very sad faces in the press box as AC smashed in the third - just didn't get the story they were hoping for today.

Never mind bed sheets but I'm hoping the club will be placing a sick bag on everyone's seat in case the protesters decide to have a " love in" with the scousers about their respective unpopular owners.

English pub close to the big piazza with the fountains etc at the top of Via XX Settembre. A few steps down towards the old town. Sorry can't remember the name but it'll be something pretty cheesy.

Which is why the stories in the press about them rebelling is rubbish. It will surprise many on here but Pardew has a good reputation amongst professionals in the game, our squad will know what he's about. Sure the players will be upset for CH - any employee would be when a good work mate or boss is fired. They'll get on with the job in hand - one or two might consider themselves to be Hughton's men - but it's not exactly like they ran through walls for him at WBA last week when he still was their boss - is it ?

We should all step down from the Geordie moral high ground and stop pretending there's something new or sinister about talking to a potential replacement before you fire someone. Anyone with half a brain cell knows that it not only happened in this case but EVERY time a manager is speedily replaced. Pardew was naive at best and stupid at worst to pretend otherwise yesterday, but the way he was thrown to the lions during that press conference he had no chance anyway.

Rumour is that it wasn't Hughton who scouted Perch and Leon Best anyway - Graham sent his son Alan Kerr chatty man to run the rule over them.

The O poster isn't any of those things though. He only seems to appear at times of trouble and his posts usually have a macum/wum whiff to them.

http://www.readytogo.net/smb/showthread.php?t=547936

I'd love to hear Geoffrey's take on all things NUFC.

Dave should get the cheque book out and try and sign that poster for NO. We could do with a bit of quality debate amongst all the hysteria and silly threats.

Ashley's a cunt, but he's dead - no that's Ashley from Corrie, the FCB is still alive and he's a cunt. Lambiarse is an even bigger cunt - someone should brick him, oh and his wife and kids too - and let's rape his dog as well - no make Ashley rape his dog while we watch - good idea. Cockney twat. Pardew's an even bigger cunt and a backstabbing one at that - and a cockney too - someone should burn down his house - and lets rape his wife too. Yeah good idea. Hughton's a cockney cunt too - no he's not he's one of us now - oh sorry thought he was Ashley's poodle - no stupid that was before - he's the new messiah - oh well that's ok - raped by those cockney cunts he was. Lets protest - good idea - a sit down protest outside the ground - no better still a stand up protest inside the gound - good idea lets do it before the match - no better do it during the match - inside and outside the ground standing on our heads that'll really show them - that'll show the cockney twats not to mess with us. Lets force him to sell the club - good idea who to ? Don't know but as long as its not another fat cockney bastard I really don't care. Lets hope the players dont bother trying against Liverpool - that'll show them - yeah lets get beaten 50-0 it'll be great - no lets hope they score a few own goals too just to really show them, the result is irrelevant any way because we're relegated already and they're selling all the players in January - to Spurs - cockney bastards. Anyway if we don't finish in the top half it'll be because of those backstabbing cockney cunts. Let's boycott Sports Direct - no better still lets have a sit down in Sports Direct - no better still lets boycott Northern Rock and thingy Telecom - oh and Noda taxis that'll really make them sit up and take notice. Boycott the pies and the beer at the match - but I don't go to the match - well just boycott it if you do - and I'm not renewing next season - but you dont have a season ticket - yeah but what I mean is I wouldn't be renewing if I had one - oh thats ok then. Lets get the media on board - and the students too - they're really good at protesting and they'd sympathise with us - Cameron's a cockney twat too - probably goes to the same casino - and Clegg are we gonna do his dog too - yeah lets - inside or outside the ground doesn't really matter. Has someone called Talksport - nah they're lying cockney bastards - well call 5 live then - and the Chronicle and get Winter and Caulkin on twitter too - that'll show them. Has anyone contacted the Spanish air traffic controllers - they'll be on our side - yeah we could close down European aviation routes - that'll show them. What about throwing snowballs at Pardew while we're booing - nah make it rocks - better still we could get a sniper rifle into the East stand - actually I know a kid in Gateshead who's got a surface to air rocket launcher - that'll do it - that'll show the cockney batards they not welcome round here. Oh shit my head's going to explode - quick get on the pitch and do it there that'll show the cockney bastards....

In a week when hypocricy has been in plentiful supply, perhaps the worst example was watching former hero Malcolm MacDonald , shedding crocodile tears over Hughton's dismissal. That is the same Supermac who said his Arsenal team selection was like a "resignation letter" and did everything he could to fan the anti-Hughton flames. Cockney wanker.