Benwell Lad

What is his song ?

Their stubborn defiance is so funny. They're like the Black Knight in Monty Python's Holy Grail.

PLBD marra.

I think we are tbh. Now that said, we're not doing it by throwing the owners cash at it (he just won't) but we are a big club and our means (even if only marginally exploited) are better than most but it will be a long process. There isn't a magic bullet solution, Spurs just spent £90 Million and they're below us, now they may very well end up above us but they fucking should do given the spend. As for the regime, couldn't care less who owns us or what they do/say, so long as we get better on the pitch and this season we are appearing to do just that. The current league table would suggest our "average" manager, which he is along with most others, is doing OK (or above average) enjoy it while it lasts. It could be a step in the right direction (the first of many hopefully) or it could be another peak before a trough, there's no scientific formula for "success". Personally I think the club is in the best shape it's been in, both on and off the pitch, for 10 years or so. I also reckon with PL safety probably assured, no other distractions and a healthy looking squad situation we'll be having a full on tilt at the FA Cup, and reasonably kind draws could see us having a good run. If only the owner would make some kind of positive statement................. Please feel free to throw this back if we put out a reserve/junior side away to Bournemouth in round 3.

1000 pages (albeit mostly drivel) AND manager of the month. What a guy!

Hardly surprising that something as blinkered as the Mag failed to notice the absolutely huge dollop of irony and tongue in cheek manner of that particular interview. No one pretends to represent the fans, while probably misrepresenting the majority of us, more than our primary fanzines right now.

Very much doubt it. After Poogate a little club like Sunderland, Stoke or Wigan is about as much as he could hope for.

Yeah, it's genuinely bizarre. I could understand if they were all ridiculous individual goals, but they haven't been. Just another example of how desperate some people seem to be to find fault in Pardew, thereby diluting and to a degree discrediting their more valid criticisms. Getting the best out of a player = one man team = bad manager. Weird.

Yes, even by the appalling standards we've become used to in the "world's best league" Dowd was awful.

Players rucking in the pre match warm up. Tinternet awash with stories of Gus walking out after rowing with DOF/scout. Public show and utterances of harmony coming up no doubt? Smoke/fire methinks.

..along with Steven Taylor and Jimmy Hill as DOF.....

Will we be having a poll any time soon to determine who has the most ape like appearance, Pooyet and Peter Reid ?

Arsenal? http://espnfc.com/stats/_/league/eng.1/english-premier-league?cc=5739 Arsenal with 5 wins in a row. We have the best winning run at the moment.

Has any other team won four consecutive PL matches this season ?

Spot on ..or that he may just be a late developer...

It just shows how fickle a lot of people in the Gallowgate corner are. I tend to agree with you on that, but there again one man's "fickle" could be another man's "open minded".

I feel much better after reading that, thanks. Aye that chant must have been grating on you.

Contrasting "Pardew" things over the weekend. Friday bumped into a bunch of fans from around England and Northern Ireland who were of the opinion that Pardew was a good manager and couldn't understand why we didn't like him. A couple used the anti-southern thing as a possible reason and without actually using the "D" word they wondered why we thought we could get a better manager than him right now? Of course I tried to explain that the majority of fans think he's an ok manager, some rate him higher than that and some don't. Saturday afternoon, unless my ears were mistaking me, I heard a long and loud "Alan Pardew's black and white army" from the Strawberry corner. Certainly not much sign of anti southern bias or delusions of courting a "bigger" manager there then.

Wish we'd been having a discussion about whether to leave out Colo or MYM on the Thursday before the macums match.

So the indignant and sanctimonious Pooyet is demanding an apology from the referee while at the same time implying that he's less likely to get one because he's a foreigner. Fine, but in a sport where cheating and conning refs has become the norm and his team expert at it, can we expect him to offer a similar apology next time one of his players cheats, or attempts to maim an opposition player and gets away with it.

Don't see how anyone can sympathise with them considering what they've got away with recently. They're a dirty team who go out to hurt opposition players, as was clearly illustrated in two of their recent matches, so if they get an occasional one given against them then it's their own fault. Their manager would be better off addressing their dirty attitude to the game rather than behaving like a demented chimpanzee.

HBA to do WBA.

We are indeed lucky to have such a hard working and honest bunch of players. Does that count as being lucky ? Not really sure what is being asked here, i haven't mentioned luck. Wouldn't say we are lucky to have a hard working group. Pardew has obviously got them playing as a team more this season and upped our work rate in games. Players then deserve credit for going out there and executing that. Sorry mate, maybe the intended irony didn't come through. I probably needed a smiley of some sort.

Always count on Bimpy when a bit of dramatic relief is needed