CaliMag

80: I don't think Pardew is thick. I think he is arrogant (not always a bad thing, in fact mandatory for a good manager). His arrogance that he can make it work with the fans and the players when in fact it is well beyond his, or just about anyone's, ability. RE: Ashley - I think he just got stuck with us. He doesn't want to sell for less than what he thinks NUFC are worth (stubborn), but I don't think he wants to keep us either.

I can see it given the ideas the Board seemingly have about running us as a child farm, the lack of self-respect Pardew may now have, and the deal they may have cooked up as a result. I can even see him never being sacked - only leaving on his own accord because he's successful enough to earn a proper job at an actual football league competitor. That's what my vote was for. Actually nothing like the Souness appointment really, though which is more gutting is debatable. At least with that one we knew we had a Board that would pull the trigger on a s*** manager who wouldn't have us competing. That's the beauty of this situation. The Board, in real terms, don't want the club to be TOO successful - that's the idea we've had introduced to the club. Hughton was too successful. He created a great team spirit, a bond between men who would fight for each other, didn't want to leave and wanted the club to do well. Meaning they wouldn't obediently f*** off when a 'decent' transfer offer came in, or ignore injustices against their fellow team members like the unenlightened teenage cannon fodder Ashley normally employs in his mass scale, pile-tatty-s***-high retail operations like SportsDirect. TOO MUCH success, TOO MUCH momentum is a danger to the security of this plan. What's desired now is players who want to use this place as a stepping stone, to put in a season or two's good performances on cheap wages before being moved on for identikits of their two year younger, 'ok for a middling team but will come good in a couple of years' selves, aided by a support cast of mercenary cloggers who don't mind a career of staying on somewhere they're hated. Battery Farm FC. This is worthy of a thread, ironically. Intersting post, but there a lot of assumptions that I would disagree with. 1. Ashley doesn't really want to own NUFC - he just wants it to be profitable enough for him to sell it and make money. He is not looking at the long term. He is only looking at getting operating costs down today (like selling high wage players and keeping the current players on low wages). 2. If we are relagated Pardew is gone. Ashley will pull the trigger on that one because he is a fickle bastard who doesn't owe Pardew anything and would just move onto the next thing (probably letting his 1st team coach taking over). 3. Pardew has't a f*cking clue what he is getting himself into. The fans will hate him from the start.... really hate him. The players we have are a collection of thin-skinned hot heads that are going to bite his head off given the chance and will feel no loyalty to him. Pardew will walk if he isn't pushed. In any case I can't see him sticking around. I am thinking he'll leave like Ruud Gullit saying: "I thought I knew how big a job managing Newcastle was. I was wrong."

I can't believe some people actually voted for the Science Fiction/Fantasy option. I just watched the video of his press conference. He came across very well... so did Souness.

This reminds me of the Souness appointment, in that everyone knows that this will not last. So put in your prediction here and then people can claim mystic meg like insight.

Its welll known that Charlton fans Hate Pardew, Its only because he is not Alan Curbishley! And here was I thinking it was because he got them relegated from Premiership, then left them dead bottom of the Championship? Many will be saying the same about us and Pardew after he is sacked: Hated because he wasn't Hughton or a Geordie.

I would really love to destroy Liverpool with Hughton's name being sung. Also I am interested to see how Pardew would react to a win. Souness at least had the class to say that our first win under him was down to SBR and he had yet to affect the team. We already know what he'd say if we lose: "A rebuilding needs to be done... blah blah... these types of transitions take time... blah blah... ... confident that a turn around will happen."

Carroll is in better form and more dedicated than any of the dross we had in the latter stages of 08/09. Tiote is a vast improvement. Defense is pretty much the same in ability. Beye was playing better than Simpson/Perch/RTaylor play now. Enrique is playing better now than he was that year. Bassong was good , but Colo has improved. Gutierrez is the same (erratic). On the right I would still rather have Barton or Routeledge (even Ranger) than Duff. We are still going down though. The form in all players will decline.... seems inevitable. I would love to be proven wrong. I suppose it is possible that the players we have this time have more strength of character than last time and we have fewer mercenaries. Like I hacve sadi in other threads it really will depend on how badly Wolves, WHam and Wigan do.

And Smith will be prepared? I think Smith will play the same (crap). Just speculating.

It will be Beardo's call. As much as I prefer Tiote he may be unprepared for what it will be like on Saturday.

That's the same line-up Hughton would have done considering Barton and Nolan are still out. I was assuming Barton was fit actually. And thinking Beardo would prefer Guthrie in the middle over him. ALso I think SHola would be given another go up front with Carroll by Hughton. Beardo has been critical of SHola in the past and i think he would put Ranger on in front of him.

Not really sure how the team is going to react to the atmosphere on Saturday and I am not sure what surprises there will be on the team sheet - I am certain there will be a couple. Beardo has strong opinions about our players that are different from Hughton's obviously. Here is my guess of what Beardo will do: Harper Simpson Campbell STaylor JoseEnrique Routeledge Tiote Guthrie Jonas Loven Carroll

Andy Carroll to be sold in order to finance some lesser (or older) striker with enough money to finance the new players wages and bring a bit more into the kitty for operating expences. We all know this is going to happen in January right?

Increadibly underrated skill in a manager especially with our mix of hot-headed/ petulent players and the football obsessed city they live in. Sure the Romans built the built the roads...

I thought this was some pathetic wind up. I am in total shock. I haven't reached the anger phase yet... give me five minutes.

9 - it now depends on how badly WHam, Wolves and Wigan do. I think we'll be battling out with Wigan now that much of the spirit will have left the dressing room.

Qatar... It will be a joy to watch teams playing in 42 degrees after spending the night in jail for posession of alcohol. happy days

Stolen from .COM I find this list to be pretty impressive personally considering 1. the amount of money he had to spend and 2. strengthening our weak areas.

Really? ... or am I being whoooshed here?

As if America hasn't suffered enough from Texas. San Francisco had its turn during the World Series now its LA's.

Steady on.

Reconsidering what I said, I think the problem with the Old Firm is that so many of their supporters aren't Glaswegians. Those f*cking ferries from NI

Same "Old Firm" shite. I feel for you TM. I have a few family connections to Rangers, but no chance would I ever support them (or Celtic). In a perfect world Glaswegians would abandon them and support teams like the buddies.

Gutted about the call up. Wanted Carroll for Scotland.

Well played.

Excellent post gggg.