Kanj

A classic, long, but good HTT Post. Good shout about WHU - a wet dream for AP to have Nolan and Carroll to play the long-ball, knock-down tactic.

Bumping this b/c we absolutely need this mercenary bastard to get us some goals again and make us look a decent footballing team.

I know right.

Also, I'm well aware Sports Direct has gained massively because of us - but all of his stupid decisions he's made in other areas - that EXACT cash he would have put into Newcastle United would have had us in the top 5-6 consistently and pushing for CL with market share all over the world --- and Sports Direct and Mike Ashley would have made a ton more money because of it and he'd probably have sold us off for a hefty profit.

The really depressing question is, what about after Ashley sells up? Not following? I have hope that anybody who bought this club wouldn't be as awful as Mike Ashley? I just mean there as many questions as answers about who might come next, and what they might be able to achieve with the club. It's not easy or cheap to get us into the elite again. Ian, man. I'm going to try and say this 1 time to you - if your fear is that 'the next guy' is worse than Ashley, so just settle with Ashley as you know what he's capable of - you really need a deep, hard re-think man. That is some absolutely unambitious/defeatist thinking...I just hope its a biproduct of what Ashley's regime has done to you over the years my friend; which hopefully, can be fixed the day he sells up (if it ever happens). Generally speaking, takeovers in recent years are on the majority more "average" versus the money-rich City, or pretty f***ing ambitious Liverpool etc. and of course not as bad as Tan and Venkys. I think you're missing the point a bit. It's not about what I want or have ambition for. I want NUFC to be the best club in the world. It's about how I assess the situation, what football has become, and what is likely to happen. I don't understand why that needs to be explained all the time. Thanks for the talking to though, I appreciate it. If you want Newcastle United to be the best club in the world, you surely know by now that Mike Ashley would never do that for us. You obviously are aware of how he's dragging a once proud club with proud supporters through the mud. So surely, you'd want that to change? Hasn't evidence shown there are more "average" buyers out there than your Mike Ashley, Venkys or Tan? I've got a pretty strong understanding of the sport business. What Mike Ashley is doing is generally the exception to the norm. Most people who buy sporting clubs have a general plan, most people don't muck about a club from left to right. Most people just want to compete. Most people don't get into the business of sport to try and peddle their MAIN businesses unless they want their MAIN business to be a vehicle to which they can gain massive amounts of market share and profits. If Mike Ashley was your standard exploitative owner, he would have made calculated gambles on "his plan" to make Newcastle United better and more global, and then in turn, Sports Direct would be everywhere and people all over the world would go on loving Newcastle United for its beautiful football and its wonderful players and the whole psychology around his brand would be positive. So no man, I'm not missing the point.

Wins won't paper over a thing imo.

I'm not saying for 1 second that is the ideal midfield for me. I'm still a firm believer that Tiote has to play now that Cabaye is gone to have any bit of bite in the middle of the park and we need a creative player in the middle. The best we have is Sylvain and he's permabenched.

If we play a 3 man midfield, and we want Anita in there - then you need Anita - Tiote - Sissoko in a flat 3. or with Tiote dropping deepest. None of this #10 role for Sissoko.

Did they project that on the side of the stadium on their own accord?

So any midfielders that don't go to ground and just body people off the ball. Dembele for instance is great at it. I wonder if anyone has given him any pointers to try and do that more often, and put himself in position to do so. I wonder if anyone has told him anything remotely useful since he came in. When he looked his best earlier in the season, he was getting himself in front of the man and bodying' the man off the ball. It should be simple for any coach to see. A guy with that much strength and pace, should never be going to ground - he should be winning these battles by using his ridiculous upper body strength (who did he shoulder earlier this season? That bounced right off him?) and getting possession of the ball and BREAKING forward at pace. He's a box to box CM next to a physical holding midfielder every day of the week. He played great for Toulousse b/c he had Capoue doing all the dirty work for him. He should do very well with Tiote doing a similar role for him.

Nah it's because he's a c***. I couldn't give a s*** where he was from. If the likes of Robbie Elliot, Steve Watson or Lee Clark played for us as long as this wankstain has I guarantee they wouldn't be hated. All very true points.

This better the devil you know s*** is like the worst. It's awful man. I don't disagree with you. It's a complete fallacy. I mean, what is manifestly more depressing than this? I'd gamble, rather than stick every time Aye, you get nowhere in life without gambling, absolutely nowhere. I can't fathom a mindset where people sit about worried with the possibility of the next guy being worse than Mike Ashley. You know, the same guy who has taken the soul out of our once proud club.

This better the devil you know shit is like the worst. It's awful man.

The really depressing question is, what about after Ashley sells up? Not following? I have hope that anybody who bought this club wouldn't be as awful as Mike Ashley? I just mean there as many questions as answers about who might come next, and what they might be able to achieve with the club. It's not easy or cheap to get us into the elite again. Ian, man. I'm going to try and say this 1 time to you - if your fear is that 'the next guy' is worse than Ashley, so just settle with Ashley as you know what he's capable of - you really need a deep, hard re-think man. That is some absolutely unambitious/defeatist thinking...I just hope its a biproduct of what Ashley's regime has done to you over the years my friend; which hopefully, can be fixed the day he sells up (if it ever happens). Generally speaking, takeovers in recent years are on the majority more "average" versus the money-rich City, or pretty fucking ambitious Liverpool etc. and of course not as bad as Tan and Venkys.

Powerful CM. He's not a defensive mid - he can't tackle very well at all. His best bet is to body and muscle someone off the ball by getting into the 1 v 1 duel and standing his opponent up. Any time he tries to go for a clean tackle he's usually beaten or, worse, putting in a U-14 slide tackle.

Both Cisse and Ben Arfa looked clueless in that moment, I'd slag both of them for that. Extra % to Cisse for his passes always being on a different planet to his teammates and generally fucking up passes to begin with.

The really depressing question is, what about after Ashley sells up? Not following? I have hope that anybody who bought this club wouldn't be as awful as Mike Ashley?

Yeah - been posted earlier man. Italy have #1, Arsenal have #2, and it looks like Botofogo have #3 with the design removed out. I assume we'll get Italy's #1 template with black & white stripes. We've been getting their "top" template since joining Puma and I imagine it to be the same this year. Their more prestigious clubs usually get the same template - I thought Arsenal would have gotten the same but the one #2 template looks tailor made for them.

He'd have looked wonderful during our good run tbh. He needs a Remy or Gouffran playing off him or near him versus the 1 paced Cisse. Remy's movement is intelligent and I could see De Jong's general play being exactly what Loic needs.

Selling Cabaye, not replacing him. Getting destroyed in the derby, then again at Chelsea, then again last night. They broke me when we didn't replace the man, and each result thereafter has been a pissing on the damage type thing. I'm registering random anger/apathy about this club and I see no way forward, ever, until Mike Ashley sells up. What he's doing to the city, the supporters (near and far), and what I refer to as the true club, not Mike and his cronies who run it, really hurts me. Badly.

Gorgeous kit

The back 4 needs re-doing for the rest of the season. Debuchy - Willio - MYM - Dummett/Santon/Haidara or if Colo is back: Debuchy - Willo - Colo - MYM

That's captaincy. Not justifying this..but he was chuckling with Lloris and Capoue, French national team / former club mates of his. I was annoyed he was chuckling after too, but...I was annoyed about everything as well.

in the Keegan days, a player like Cabaye would be blessed to play for a club like us. Hell, even during Sir Bobby Robson's tenure. Today, we're a stepping stone. Sickening.

We've won in the cup without him. In the league this season, we beat Fulham without him starting - however the only goal was after he came on. Last league win without him was December 2012 vs QPR (1-0 Shola). Jesus Christ. That's scary.