Benwell Lad

Latest article continues along the theme of the previous one and three sentences in particular :- "Because of decisions taken at the top of the club, it can feel like Newcastle is a haven for crisis, yet the reality is different. So many experts, so much professionalism, people getting on with it. Fine people, too".

Always been the most excitable and bipolar of fans, following what has become a boringly predictable sequence. Ecstatic pre-season, depressed by Christmas and suicidal by Easter.

It's a huge shuffle of the pack down there, revolutionary almost. Fundamentally though nothing will change at Sunderland, they remain one of English football's least attractive destinations and play in a town modern professionals would never be seen in. They will only get players with no other realistic option and have to pay way over the odds. Will be interesting to see how it all pans out but wouldn't be surprised if they turn out to be a cheaper version of 'Arry's QPR team.

Yup. That tattoo man, a genuine It reminded me of Paolo's inky version of his own personal hero up his back. However on Googling it I realised I was wrong, he doesn't have a tattoo of fascist mass-murdering icon Benito Mussolini. He has two. Nice one sunderland, way to pick your idols.

10 new signings seems to be too little. 8 already and couple of more close. He really is getting a whole new starting XI in this window. Gonna end up as a massive disaster. The shite they're signing this close season certainly have more exotic sounding names than the shite they've bought in recent close seasons but aren't they really the type of players you'd expect Middlesbrough or Watford to be buying ?

Or that both clubs/managers have clearly let it be known they want rid. Which is slightly different to Cabaye. It has to be said in defence of Pardew that despite his faults, it now seems that whatever he does/doesn't do ; says/doesn't say, will just be twisted into a negative connotation, no matter how ludicrous, used as a stick to beat him with and assumed to be fact by the like minded.

It was only a mystery too them because we said it was personal. That wasn't good enough for the press who wanted Colo to tell the whole world what his private problems were. Can't stand the press, they are horrible hounding wankers who love to try and bring this club down at any given opportunity. Us against the world attitude. I like it Completely agree. No idea why Bird's got his knickers in a twist, I doubt Pardew was objecting to the literal reporting of the story... more the speculation about the private reasons etc. ..... about the only sensible thing JFK has ever said when he described him........

It's normally when someone throws this weary old statement in that debating becomes pointless.

?? really? I'm just speaking for myself but I'm not too keen on someone representing NUFC calling our players by incorrect names, spouting blatant lies concerning his career, and insulting the entire fan base by proclaiming he is "smarter than us". I don't particularly find it funny Don't know where to start really, but here goes :- a) you must have missed the part where I called him a "knacker" - that was regarding incorrect names etc. b) no one finds it funny - hence why I find accentuated indignation more amusing. c) we've had far worse "representing NUFC" over the years in the boardroom, on the pitch and in the stands. It's nowt new. d) please continue to express your indignation if it makes you feel better.

Good news. I wonder what he's referring to here? Good if he's prepared to try new things though, we certainly need to. Set piece routines and not sitting on fragile leads would do for starters.

Joe's been a bit of a knacker but there's a lot of myth padding out a few facts in the press ramblings. He had a right go at them last time (many would say they deserved it) and they're now grinding their axe. Still think the accentuated indignation of some fans is funnier than anything JFK has done so far.

Course we can. Looks like they're losing their 3 best players - which for us would be the rough equivalent of losing Krul, Colo and Ben Arfa. They've got a nut job fascist from the 4th division dismantling their playing staff while effectively all we've done is appoint Joe FuKinnear as a director. I know which I'd find funnier.

Makes sense. The Independent article is just another made up piece, I doubt Ashley has put any value on his "asset" recently although the whole world pretty much knows what he's owed. If he did put a price on it I'm sure future TV revenues would be carefully considered. If he does sell it will most likely be to a global player. Would that ultimately be a good thing for NUFC ? Who knows ?

Love the bit that says "and there have been calls for a boycott of the pre-season friendly with SC Braga" Should be the most successful boycoutt yet considering hardly any fucker would be going anyway.

Shame that the press have it in for Joe (understandably) and that NUFC supporters only associate him with being at the club during one of the darkest periods in our recent history. He's actually a reasonable communicator when not ranting, hard as nails (something we lack in our playing management), and has a wealth of playing and managerial experience. He'd probably make a decent DOF somewhere.

So it looks like their three best players from last season are leaving and the club captain may well follow. The American owner sacks the club legend who is chairman and installs himself, before appointing a nutcase and self confessed fascist as manager. We appoint a DOF who people have heard of (unfortunately), Derek Llambias resigns and we're supposed to be the club in crisis. I think we just enjoy having a crisis more than they do.

What a load of drivel. Yet another baying lynch mob producing a ridiculously one sided statement in the heat of the moment, but without a single constructive or realistic suggestion of how the club moves forward post-Ashley. They may remind themselves that the last time they screamed for Ashley to sell up he tried to oblige but no one wanted it save for some crackpot scheme involving fans pension funds. Not Shearer, not Keegan, in fact no one. Staring into the bottom of pint glasses in the Labour Club grumbling to each other about how badly they feel done to is not going to change anything. A substantial and credible offer may do so.

Yessss !! Just when people think it's all bad at the moment comes this joyful news.

See how it pans out, but I have heard from a reasonable "sauce" that it was Dekka who appointed JFK without consulting the owner and not the other way round, which confounds most previous posts. It's feasible. As MD you hire and fire and don't have to consult shareholders (or owner in this case) to do so. Make sense ? Nah, but probably about as much sense as anything else does. Find it very hard to believe that Llambias could hire anyone without Ashley's agreement. And then why would he resign? Not that anything else is believable either, like you say. Yup, but that is why MD's are paid enormous salaries to run companies. You would however think in this case he'd have consulted the owner. However it still makes as much sense, if not more, than anything else has over the last few days. It's wrong, mate. That's not what happened. Not really surprised. Do you know what DID happen ?

See how it pans out, but I have heard from a reasonable "sauce" that it was Dekka who appointed JFK without consulting the owner and not the other way round, which confounds most previous posts. It's feasible. As MD you hire and fire and don't have to consult shareholders (or owner in this case) to do so. Make sense ? Nah, but probably about as much sense as anything else does. Find it very hard to believe that Llambias could hire anyone without Ashley's agreement. And then why would he resign? Not that anything else is believable either, like you say. Yup, but that is why MD's are paid enormous salaries to run companies. You would however think in this case he'd have consulted the owner. However it still makes as much sense, if not more, than anything else has over the last few days.

See how it pans out, but I have heard from a reasonable "sauce" that it was Dekka who appointed JFK without consulting the owner and not the other way round, which confounds most previous posts. It's feasible. As MD you hire and fire and don't have to consult shareholders (or owner in this case) to do so. Make sense ? Nah, but probably about as much sense as anything else does.

It's just so bloody predictable. Looks like we have to play all the other teams in the league home and away yet again. Bastards!

Strange just how "newsworthy" this club is. For example when Niall Quinn, who was a club legend and idolised in Sunderland went it barely raised a mention outside the NE. At other clubs the same, it's hardly mentioned when directors come and go. However a broadly unpopular managing director leaves Newcastle and it has just become Sky News' main breaking story with Fat Eamonn making an urgent plea for the usual drama queens, charvers and rent-a-quotes to get in touch asking Newcastle fans to contact them "if you think your club is falling apart"

Heard the same they've had to give loads of tickets away. Pretty much standard for the SoS really, but if the rock concerts aren't now filling the place then NUFC are the only show on the planet that fills the place anymore. Mind it was rumoured they even had to dish out freebies to fill the derby game last season. Joke club.

Could be combined with a NO "I'm taking the moral high ground" thread.