Beren

Pardew will make a mockery of your inside-the-box thinking in the season to come. The omission of Danny Simpson at LB? http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ8llCeVsTpgu7_3Yc--_HOkROsJW_7XmW2HdmNdcZzQpXN6yMs5w

Bahaha

If there's a World Cup on, I'm pretty sure there will be! Planning on going to Brazil 2014, myself. Hope I can get tickets.

Fucking Cafu!

Man, I love Shola. He destroys Sunderland.

We'll have to sell Tiote and Ben Arfa to renew any of the bairn's contracts.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14354462.stm

I'd consider having Gosling in for Marveaux at this point, for a bit more steel.

Yup, the softest penalty ever given Causing Arsenal aerial bother isn't too difficult, thankfully. Hopefully Williamson can do it again.. and not be part of a defence that ships four, first

Taylor's goal threat is really impressive. He has a real knack for attacking the ball in the opposition area - in the same way as other goalscoring centrebacks (e.g Huth). Not to be underestimated. In a way, I'd quite like him in the side against Arsenal just because they're such a disaster aerially. On the oooother hand... he's prone to become an incredibly expensive liability at any given second, and you'll question how he ever got anywhere near the first team. Bit of a ticking time bomb defensively. I'll go for Williamson, the better defender - and hope the midfield/strikers take care of the goals. Maybe Williamson might even get a few!

Brilliant, again

Thought I'd give this a bump after our pre-season friendlies, see if anyone's first XI has changed based on the outings we've seen. Still haven't seen enough of Marveaux, or any of Cabaye for us, but Gosling, Tavernier and Vuckic have certainly impressed/progressed. For once, I'd imagine there be a lot of discrepant opinions on the forum over what our first eleven should be - which is rather unusual as generally everyone is usually in agreement. Key issues: 1. 4-3-3/4-5-1 or 4-4-2 2. Taylocini or Willicini 3. Assuming Tiote, Cabaye and Ben Arfa are all starters - which, and how many, of Barton, Jonas and Marveaux ought to start? 4. Krul or FF or Harper

Brilliant

Peter Ndlovu or Dion Dublin

Story has all the credibility of Fifa. As Midds said, non-starter.

Having kept the powder so notoriously dry over the summer, I would think most fans would blame Mike Ashley should we lose our first two.

See your point oldtype, but he hasn't done too shabbily in the handful of competitive outings he's had - and generally in reserve-strength sides. Providing he is doing the business in training, I'd be happy to see him compete more robustly for a back-up CM spot ahead of Smith/Guthrie if he is deserving of it. Hopefully Pardew (or whoever is picking the team) won't be afraid to take to take risks if he is outperforming his peers. In any case, good to hear some hunger, appetite and confidence.

POTD.

The cross I bear.

Immediately after the Carroll sale, I seem to recall posters regarded as pessimists for thinking our replacement striker would cost £10-15m maximum. And on the lighter side, an RTG poster thinks Enrique should go to the mackems instead

I was thinking more along the lines of him signing the contract, or handing in a transfer request, you know, the way things should be done. He's stooped to Ashley's levels and people are buying it purely down to their hatred of the board. Where has this reverence of the sanctity of professionalism in football come from? Any, more pertinently, why can Ashley lie and cheat, but Enrique has to suffer in silence before releasing a few discrete words in his memoirs aged 40. If he can change his situation now by going public, why wouldn't he? The whole, "I'll wait until we're safe" thing, even after the "no capital outlay, bring players through the ranks to sell, etc" not ring any bells? He knew when he made that remark what Ashley was like, yet still played us for fools himself. It was the middle of the season, what would you have had him say? Honestly. I've got a completely open mind. Tell me what he should have said. "I'll help the club survive in the Premier League, but ultimately I want to play for Spain and in the Champions League." Would many fans have blamed him (or the club) for this? Given the stick he got for the second half of the season for people merely suspecting he wanted to move elsewhere - I think the answer is a resounding yes.

I was thinking more along the lines of him signing the contract, or handing in a transfer request, you know, the way things should be done. He's stooped to Ashley's levels and people are buying it purely down to their hatred of the board. Where has this reverence of the sanctity of professionalism in football come from? Any, more pertinently, why can Ashley lie and cheat, but Enrique has to suffer in silence before releasing a few discrete words in his memoirs aged 40. If he can change his situation now by going public, why wouldn't he? The whole, "I'll wait until we're safe" thing, even after the "no capital outlay, bring players through the ranks to sell, etc" not ring any bells? He knew when he made that remark what Ashley was like, yet still played us for fools himself. It was the middle of the season, what would you have had him say? Honestly. I've got a completely open mind. Tell me what he should have said.

I was thinking more along the lines of him signing the contract, or handing in a transfer request, you know, the way things should be done. He's stooped to Ashley's levels and people are buying it purely down to their hatred of the board. Where has this reverence of the sanctity of professionalism in football come from? Any, more pertinently, why can Ashley lie and cheat, but Enrique has to suffer in silence before releasing a few discrete words in his memoirs aged 40. If he can change his situation now by going public, why wouldn't he?

But neither to the people defending them, they just assume the worst because it's Ashley. Which give his past actions is a very reasonable stance. There are none so blind...