Beren

Nadal at 4/7 is surprising.

Keep at it - you'll get a pity laugh eventually. Knowing that you read every single one, and it bothered you enough to post that, is better than anything I could ever have hoped to achieve. Totally worth it. My money was on Taylor. [^pity laugh because no one else did]

This implied mock dialogue between the club and Pardew is the one thing that annoys me about this (having begrudgingly acknowledged he isn't going anywhere, really) - as though there were ever any speck of hope that he could be sacked, face any repercussions for his abysmal performance, or as though he weren't every bit as integrated into the Ashley regime as Llambias himself.

Pardew bingo! http://i.imgur.com/2PyUlO7.jpg Will more than likely be more entertaining than the football

Not entertaining, affordable. Might as well have said 'budget football'. Please. As a football owner Ashley's an unambitious loser and it's reflected on each of the last 6 seasons. http://cdn.ebaumsworld.com/mediaFiles/picture/730195/83283128.gif :lol:

"#Stability" :lol:

Just the "one bad season" quotes from DL above all else, I'm not sure they'd stand for another campaign that looks likely to go the same way. Depends how they quantify bad season. After this season, it's feasible they could plausibly view 'genuine stability' (ie. midtable mediocrity) as a good season.

Why do folk think he'll be sacked at Christmas? If he could survive getting us as low as he did this season, I don't see much hope for him getting the bullet if we're languishing in 14th-ish by Christmas, for example.

Sadly though, just because Benitez wants, doesn't mean Benitez gets...

The exposure he got in that Chelsea game has distorted the view of many I think. It was a fairly fucking electric home debut mind you. Half expected him to finish the game with People's Elbow on JT.

4, 3, 2, 1...

It sounds strange but i do think the team we were able to field out last year has better quality on average. Tiote, Cabaye and Colo were incredible last season, Ba, Cisse and HBA just cannot stop scoring goals, and Krul were having a career year as well. Most of them were free from injuries and always available for league matches. For fairness, I'd like to point out in the season you've picked Shola got almost double the game time than he did this season, Sammy got more minutes, we had three centre-backs for the entire season (a touch more serious than Jonas having to play LB after two recognised left-backs in Santon and Haidara were unavailable I think you'll agree), we had to field Simpson-Perch as a CB pairing on one occasion (which, again trumps your 'Simpson as CB'offering) and we didn't have Debuchy, Sissoko, Haidara, MYM and Gouffran for half a season, or Anita for a full season. Oh, and fucking Obertan got over three times as much game time. Leon Best was good I grant you, but he wasn't that good. This is our strongest squad in a good while. Not perfect, but not even a a fifth as bad as some will have you believe*. We're not Chelsea/Man Citeh, and we've never in my lifetime (even under SBR/Keegan) had like-for-like replacements all over the park. It's very easy to pick the odd game and say "oh but Dabizaz had to play right-back that game" in emergency situations - emergency situations will happen every season - the trick is to not be so catastrophically shit a manager, that your team isn't ready to adapt to new personnel, because your team will have an ethos and a strategy which isn't centred on individual performances bailing the team out. Pardew has a fantastic squad - even this season with injuries/absentees. His complete failure to impose any kind of style on the team last season during our very fortuitous, largely injury-free season is the reason why we couldn't rotate players even if we did have cover all over the pitch. That's why he is a contender for shittest manager we've had. * - I don't think Ashley will remove Pardew in time for this to be fully repudiated as it ought to be, sadly

When was the last time that wasn't the case though?

Do you ever read things and take it in? I said "With the squad he's got to hand he is easily the worst." Pointless trying to converse with some on here. Zero by name, ZERO UP TOP obviously Easily the worst? With a squad that we were even forced to play the likes of Sammy and Shane last Christmas? Simpson as center back cover? Jonas as left back? And the all mighty Ameobi as our only cover for Cisse? With only Obertan as our real winger? With 3 french imports who are thrown to the fire without any time for settling down and adjust to the league? Are you serious? Out of interest which squad in recent times is better than the one we have?

Reckon the regime probably still want him back to placate fans/keep money coming in, but Liverpool won't sell back to the sellers at a £20m loss Doubt they'll be willing to cough up another £15m, anyway. Not on one player with the wages he'll expect/want. He's probably better suited for the horrible football we play than Cisse, I'll give him that.

Best news from the club in ages tbh Gimmick and all that, but happy to see the signage go. 1 down, 800,000,000 to go

If we could, who would you rather NUFC get this summer: Lukaku or Bentekkers?

Who the hell calculates those kinds of things?!? RAWK.

Beat Wigan.

Really enjoy when Cabaye scores - they tend to be class goals and the team seem to really like celebrating with him. Popular dude.

Was going to do an end of season report card, but it'd be too depressing (eg. Papiss Cisse - Effort A, Attainment C etc) This is better/funnier.

Has to be I reckon, ridiculous technique Agree. Probably POTS too

Demba Ba vs Reading

Mm.

Mulumbu's red card. GOTS.