Beren

Went to a club with ambition, can't blame him. Massive shame and massive loss. Bye Jose. Great full back.

Aye its like a bird dumping you as she wants to be single, lo and behold shes with another bloke straight away. Not even a little bit :lol:

As an FYI - Can't be bothered to do a proper list, so going off FF, these are the fourth choice strikers at other Prem clubs (assuming he is behind the three Bs of Ba, Best and Ben Arfa here) Arsenal - Vela Villa - Delfouneso Blackburn - Rochina Bolton - None listed Chelsea - Sturridge Everton - Gueye Fulham - None listed Liverpool - N'Gog Citeh - Balotelli Man Utd - Welbeck Norwich - Morison QPR - Mackie Stoke - None listed Mackems - Dong-Jon Wi Swansea - Moore Spurs - Keane WBA - Miller Wigan - None listed Wolves - Vokes

Edit: And, as you can clearly see, he divides opinion. Which is what football is about. He is football. Greater than Pele.

Short memories. I guarantee that half of the "Good news/alright backup/stop overreacting!" brigade will be calling him worse than s*** the next time he plays and puts in a Shola performance. Bit supercilious, that, JH. As Ian W said, Shola is a known quantity. Aye, so why are people happy?! Takes cracking penalties for a start. Scores regularly against our rivals. Provides an aerial threat to opponents and team mates alike. () Provides quality entertainment. Probably more than anyone else at the club. His finishing is deceptively decent too. He is committed to the club, has a rapport and connection with the area, is highly affable, and despite the hyperbolic criticism vented at him and how ready people are to start on a twenty minute tirade at his first misplaced pass every game... he actually does a reasonable job when called upon. Popular among the players, too. Doesn't get in trouble with the police/press (which, admittedly, should be a given - but clearly isn't with our squad). Never setting the world alight, but for a club of our standing with owners who aren't in a hurry to take us places very quickly, he is a good back-up striker.

Short memories. I guarantee that half of the "Good news/alright backup/stop overreacting!" brigade will be calling him worse than shit the next time he plays and puts in a Shola performance. Bit supercilious, that, JH. As Ian W said, Shola is a known quantity.

Class news. Ashley got something right.

this. he's the only nufc player who's had me close to tears on numerous occasions, i just cant watch him anymore man

Aw fuck off man. [/@ no one in particular]

as usual. Incidentally, why is Pardew not facing the same scorn Jose did for speaking about the contract situation to the media? He is such a douche and comes across as a useless waste of space football puppet at times, and then he comes out and says things like this that makes me think "Wow, he kind of knows what he's doing". cunt. Doesn't mean a thing. Pardew is clearly a smart chap - so being able to vocalise such lofty footballing ambition isn't difficult, or meaningful, for that matter. Intelligent way of placating a deeply underwhelming summer by shining a massive spotlight onto Cabaye. By expanding the scope of what Cabaye's purchase is intended to achieve, he's tried to reduce the perceived problems the squad has (ie no cover left back, possibly no left back by the end of the window, poor striking options up front, only three tested centre backs etc)

I don't think "second season syndrome" is possible with us IMO. I've always thought of second season syndrome to imply a sense of a new team being "sussed out" as it were, and for teams the next year round to negate the threats which worked last time out largely due to how unprepared the opposition were for them and how fresh they were... ...and as far as our goalscoring threats go - well, we don't have any from last year! So, while we may struggle, maybe even scrap, I would never call it second season syndrome. I would call it "we're shite, this year" That being said, I think we'll be okay.

We need more central midfielders and goalkeepers. At least 2 more in each position.

Surprised (but not so surprised) how few of you have included Barton in your elevens. Because you don't think Pardew (read: Ashley) is likely to play him or because you just don't want him in?

Thanks for the write up - interesting read.

Just saw this. No Joey Barton after all the lofty quotes he's made this week? What a joke.

Krul Taylor Williamson Colo Enrique Barton Tiote Vuckic Cabaye Jonas Best

Starting eleven?

Swimmingly.

Don't quite see how this saga makes those people idiots, tbh. Edit: Got me.

When Hell freezes over... or washes out...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/newcastle-united/8682707/Newcastle-manager-Alan-Pardew-left-bruised-by-nightmare-pre-season.html "I want that to happen – I'm making it very, very clear to Derek and Mike that we need one or two boys in this door, now. I mean now." This bit, at the end. I can't believe it is a real quote http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSrbimFONwxdQni4bLW3pzagk-O5QXXLekpycn9qlGIRr17AXNQ STAT MEANS NOW :lol:

As I alluded to, maybe I'm missing a sanguine prefix before my username Nut, but I struggle to share your optimism! Not because I think we don't have some cracking players, and some exceptionally promising youths... but because I don't think I can really get excited about Newcastle again with Ashley at the helm - perhaps because on some level, I was naive enough to get excited by the core Hughton had put together leading up to Christmas last year! I really did think even if we built gradually on what we had, we would be pushing for Europe within a season or so. Now, we are left with thoughts of what might have been.

The way Ashley runs the club, he's exactly what we need though (if that makes sense). It's no good a manager coming in wanting to stamp his authority because he'll not last five-minutes. Our best bet short-term at least unless we get taken over if this as they are. The day Pardew leaves under Ashley is the day we well and truly are fucked imo, because at least he came in knowing what to expect. Nobody better than Pardew would in these circumstances. Good post I can't disagree with any of that Nut. I hope he does a good job on the coaching side of things - he's done reasonably well so far IMO. At the same time though, I am not so quick to separate out Pardew from the regime that everyone loathes precisely because he did know what to expect. It's all about if and when Ashley goes - it's all a bit depressing until then!

I was "just following orders/relaying what I was told" is a terrible excuse. His complicity in being a doormat/tool of Ashley's, IMO, is all compounded by that first quote of his.