J7

We can't just keep letting players go because they're not first choice players. This constant one in one out is shit. Or two out one in in the attacking positions.

Oh for arguments sake Remy... 10m transfer fee plus 30K a week over 5 years... you do the maths. As for uninsurable... how the f*** do you know that? Forgot to say we may actually get someone committed to the cause As for the uninsurable part, why would we get him on an incentivised contract based on appearances if there wasn't something amiss Committed to the cause? The man has giving nothing but his all every time he has played for us. He's as committed to us as anyone. If only the club were as committed to him we wouldn't even be having this debate because I strongly believe he'd rather stay here than leave. He's not daft though, he knows he's worth far more than what he's currently on. The club are daft though because they obviously don't and this is why we are on the verge of losing our top goalscorer and key player. God knows what it will cost to replace him, no doubt a lot more than it would cost to keep him Oh, and there is no way there isn't some kind of insurance policy for Ba in place, regardless of his so-called dodgy knee. He did, after all, pass a medical.... Ok let's look at it like this... This is a man who kicked up a fuss last season because Cisse was getting all of the plaudits. If he'd have stayed on the left (which would have been best for the TEAM) he would never have got a move to Chelsea based on his goal return at the end of last season from that position. As an individual player he is undoubtably talented but as a team player and human being he is all that's wrong with modern football. f*** him, f*** his agents and I hope he fails miserably What fuss? He has never publicly complained. Our stupid rent a gob manager is the one that told the whole world Ba was unhappy not playing centrally and even if he was unhappy, who can blame him, he scores goals there. I'll tell you what is wrong with modern football... people like Mike Ashley and numpties like you who f***ing hang out of his arse. All I know is my club is losing its top goalscorer, its number one striker, the best centre-forward I've seen here since Shearer, at January, while we are only 2 f***ing points off bottom. And all because we don't think he's worth circa 80K a week. If he isn't, who the f*** is? Is Del Boy gonna score the goals to keep us up? How about Pardew? Or the man himself Mike Ashley? Demba Ba is worth what it is believed he wants, circa 80K a week. Anyway, his gain and whoever gets him, wor loss. He would have been away if we'd offered him that anyway, not that we should have. He's there to make money for himself and his agents. One big move after the other. We wouldn't have had him without the clause so its silly to cry about it now. This was always going to happen.

Will be delighted with that but obviously we need more. Delighted? We'd be a Cisse knock away from relegation contenders. I think we'd have strengthened our squad significantly. Hardly. We would have improved at right back, and hopefully centre back, but we'd still be lacking in numbers. We've got a tiny squad as it is, and you'd be delighted to only improve it by one number. For me, we need two strikers now Ba has left. We needed one with him here anyway. Don't get me wrong, I would be surprised in good way if what Scott Wilson says is true, only because my expectations are so low and the club do everything to drain hope away from us.

Ashley is the man that employs him tbf.

As others may have said, we blew our chance in the summer. Far easier to attract players when you've had a good season, difficult now. It maybe years before we have another season like last. We've just wasted our chance. And it's all very well Llambais and Ashley wanting us to be profitable, but I don't see any effort there to improve our turnover. More important seems to be pushing Sports Direct and Ashley's businesses as opposed to building the club with decent commercial partners. Our turnover used to be good in comparison with other Prem Clubs, now it's pretty poor. The tacky image the club has persued has limited good commercial deals and stopped us being able to plough more money into the playing squad. It's depressing stuff.

I would love for him to come out with something smart (he is good at it), but it won't help anyone. It's a pity Ferguson's gonna have the last word on this whole thing. It's not a pity. Pardew has riled him. All he needs to do now is sit back with a smug grin on his face.

Hes a better manager that fuckin Pardew, thats for sure. Not as good of a bullshitter unfortunately, but a better manager.

It would be Kinnear again, or Martin mad dog Allen.

Usually I would say sack him, but I dread to think who the replacement would be so we're in a no win situation.

We'll very likely win with a weakened team playing. Southampton next week is infinitely more important and should be the immediate priority. Embarrassing from you to call it a meaningless match. We need to win something, and this is the best chance of doing it. Far from meaningless. Play the first team, the strongest team. They need practice and a confidence boost.

7 of the 12 games at home too.

Didn't think Marveaux did too bad when he came on tbh.

No point rating the players because the performance comes from Pardew and his shocking tactics. Ben Arfa tries to break free of them and can look good, but unless one of our players produces a moment of brilliance off their own back, we're fucked. Starting Sammy was a ridiculous decision. No where near ready, and might never be. He should have been sent out on loan and given a run of games in the Championship or League One to test him, rather than experimenting in the Prem. Ferguson as well, so one dimensional. If not their faults though, that's the standard they're at. A combination of lack of investment and terrible tactics has totally wasted last seasons progress. So so predictable its frustrating.

There wasn't much option but to piss against a wall or in the street on the way to the game tbh.

Me bottom right with my back to camera in the black top.

I had no idea how to find my seat, so hung off a barrier for the first half and stood on stairs for the second. Not sure if it was the bad organisation or the state I was in though. As for the toilets, didn't really think about it. Better than some of the Scottish lower league toilets anyway. ha

I spent more on the Wednesday night than the Thursday mainly because of the price of the pints. On the Thursday we had a couple pints from De Pub or whatever it was called, then just went and bought cans and a bottle of Jaegar. Ended up spending about 10euro after the first couple pints an still got hammered. Anyone else go to that Bombay takeaway round the corner from that little square? Worst bait I have ever tasted!

Was that the 'magpie ranger' guy from Sam Jacks? Not sure how he didn't fall out. People were shouting "jump, jump, jump" Desperate to be centre of attention the lad. Loved that little square though. Some laugh!

Sounds like our train as ours is from Berwick at 12.40

Heading off on the train at half 12. Cannot wait!

That's one of the only matches that springs to mind for me too. Weirdly for me as well, I've always been used to being just like one of the lads when I go to football, and that was the only time in recent history I can remember the lads all sort of moving around me to keep me safer in the centre. It didn't help that someone nearby had been hit and was bleeding, and the police point blank refused to offer any assistance. I was in the home end at Sunderland once and felt ok, but it was quite a few years back and I think tbh I didn't really consider what the consequences could have been. Wouldn't be in a hurry to do it again, having seen a bit more of the rivalry since then. The only other time I can remember really thinking "oh s***" was an away game at Birmingham when I was on my own and the group I'd been chatting to on the coach picked completely the wrong pub. It almost kicked right off but thankfully we managed to avoid major trouble. I was only about 18 or 19 then and would've promptly s*** a brick if the group I'd been with hadn't been so swift in getting out. At the match itself: generally always feel very safe. I forgot about a derby I went to in the Mackem end actually. My Mackem mate got me an another toon fan mate a ticket in the home end. Was right next to away end and it went mental when Dabizas scored. Was probably young enough at 17 for Berwick base mackems not to notice us and know who we were if they were close in the stand. But we did get the Mackem bus there and back. All the way back I was shitting it, think folk started to suss us out. Kept getting asked my first Sunderland memory an stuff. Made up some bollocks about Terry Butcher and Phil Gray. Was chuffed when we eventually got home. Was also funny listening to mackems, "would never say this in front of a mag, but I've been to Northampton in Dvision 3, and were fuckin shit!" I just stared out the window trying to keep myself from laughing or getting lynched.

Oh and once at Arbroath when I was about 16, it was a promotion game and fans were all over the pitch at the end. A policeman was trying to escort us away and i called him a biased cunt for some stupid reason. He threw me to the floor and thought I was going to get trampled on. My own fault really. ha

Only time ive felt 'unsafe' at a Newcastle game was Boro in the Championship. Didn't know where the police were leading us after the game, followed under the arch at the station an they all turned with their battons out. Shit myself! ha. The packed platform when the train is coming in doesn't exactly feel safe either tbf. But other than that only at Scottish games. Once went to Motherwell-Rangers before getting the plane to Zante and me an my mates were forced out of our seats by hooligans because of our English accents. Obviously thought we were Rangers fans. They were basically talking amongst themselves with threats to us and getting more and more lads to come and squeeze us out of the area. Just moved in the end as it wasn't worth the hassle. Other times were two fights watching Berwick. Clydebank fans charged through the fence once and there was a ruck at the back of the terrace next to me. Didn't really bother me and thought it was quite funny, but it wasn't really safe with Weegies going around looking for anyone to punch. A couple of times at Cowdenbeath fights have broken out too. Last one the game was stopped until the fights ended. My mate got smacked and knocked into me and we ended up rolling down the terrace. hahaha. A few times coins have been flying about all over the place too when anyone could have been hit, Arbroath and Stranraer mainly. Just made the games a bit more interesting tbh, but wasn't safe.

Will probably be all over MOTD2 for the country to laugh at.

Were these media whore cunts not aware we've already had a game since the 'name change'.