TRon

This is my view basically. Barton might not be effective every game but the ones in which he is will probably keep us up. If he goes, Danny Gutless will be raising the white flag to every midfielder in the division, that much must be pretty obvious by now. Let Barton play out his contract, those 18 months will be crucial in keeping us up. My worry is whether he'll be able to stomach Pardew as manager. That might force issues somewhat.

I find it equally strange that, for many people, it would apparently have been okay if Jol, Klinsmann or O'Neill were brought in. They're bigger names, but who's to say that they'd be better people for this situation? All sorts of assumptions are being made about Pardew's ability, based on very little knowledge or insight. The anger about Pardew being sounded out well in advance is also a bit misplaced. Do people seriously think that doesn't normally happen? That an owner who's unhappy about his manager never approaches anyone else before the actual sacking? This decision is a massive gamble, but one that Ashley felt he needed to take. It's normal to wait until a team is in trouble before making a change, but in this case he's decided to act now. The die is cast, and we just have to hope it works out. It depends at the end of the day whether you have trust in Ashley or Llambias' judgement on Pardew's ability. I admit I don't know that much about him other than his inability to make use of Mascherano and Tevez and penchant for sleeping with club staff wives. I wouldn't have been in any position to make the call that Pardew is the man to guide our future for the next 5 years. But the club have gone out of their way to make sure he is that man so the onus is on them and Pardew to prove that judgement was sound.

Why? Was it our decision he was sacked?

Exactly. He's planning for disaster, anything better will be a bonus.

Souness was paid a fortune and given a massive transfer budget by Shepherd. How does that compare with what Hughton achieved on a very limited budget? And started off with a squad that had just finished 5th rather than a ragtag bunch of Premier League failures. and still had the money to spend £17m on a 25 yr old Michael Owen who would have preferred to be at Liverpool.

Souness was paid a fortune and given a massive transfer budget by Shepherd. How does that compare with what Hughton achieved on a very limited budget?

I can see it given the ideas the Board seemingly have about running us as a child farm, the lack of self-respect Pardew may now have, and the deal they may have cooked up as a result. I can even see him never being sacked - only leaving on his own accord because he's successful enough to earn a proper job at an actual football league competitor. That's what my vote was for. Actually nothing like the Souness appointment really, though which is more gutting is debatable. At least with that one we knew we had a Board that would pull the trigger on a shit manager who wouldn't have us competing. That's the beauty of this situation. The Board, in real terms, don't want the club to be TOO successful - that's the idea we've had introduced to the club. Hughton was too successful. He created a great team spirit, a bond between men who would fight for each other, didn't want to leave and wanted the club to do well. Meaning they wouldn't obediently fuck off when a 'decent' transfer offer came in, or ignore injustices against their fellow team members like the unenlightened teenage cannon fodder Ashley normally employs in his mass scale, pile-tatty-shit-high retail operations like SportsDirect. TOO MUCH success, TOO MUCH momentum is a danger to the security of this plan. What's desired now is players who want to use this place as a stepping stone, to put in a season or two's good performances on cheap wages before being moved on for identikits of their two year younger, 'ok for a middling team but will come good in a couple of years' selves, aided by a support cast of mercenary cloggers who don't mind a career of staying on somewhere they're hated. Battery Farm FC. This is worthy of a thread, ironically. It is worthy of a thread. According to some circles Hughton was sacked because he refused to have Beardsley as no 2 and wanted to appoint someone from outside the club. This was basically Ashley's way of slapping down a former minion who got above his boots and appointing a similar cheap low brand alternative. Pardew is the Lonsdale sweatshirt re-invented as a manager.

Probably the way things will pan out. Ashley will probably already have stuck a few quid on it. Is there any financial benefit for Ashley in seeing us get relegated again? Unless he's got some sort of weird betting scam going (not that I'd ever believe that to be possible, I mean...it's just speculation on the back of what Martin Samuel was writing about in the Daily Mail.) He could make a few quid while taking no real risks. It could be argued that Pardew has as good a chance of keeping us up as Hughton and there's a fair bit to be made on the sidelines with shock sackings/appointments.

Probably the way things will pan out. Ashley will probably already have stuck a few quid on it.

Again...why should we get behind him when we never wanted him here in the first place? It's bad enough to sack a manager who's done nothing wrong but it would be make at least some sort of sense if it was Jol or O'Neill lined up to take over.

Fair enough I wasn't aware of Blackburn putting the blocks on it. Lots of managers do it these days though. I expected Pardew to duck it with it being a tough game against Liverpool tbh.

Its welll known that Charlton fans Hate Pardew, Its only because he is not Alan Curbishley! And here was I thinking it was because he got them relegated from Premiership, then left them dead bottom of the Championship? Many will be saying the same about us and Pardew after he is sacked: Hated because he wasn't Hughton or a Geordie. No one wanted Hughton as manager either, he had to earn that respect...and he did that in spades.

Pardew said he'd be in charge but would take advice from Pedro and Stone. Translation - I'm in charge if we win, but it's not my team/responsibility if we loose To be fair, he could have done what a lot of them do these days and watched from the stands (Souness). Pardew might be a cunt but he's not a coward.

Pardew said he'd be in charge but would take advice from Pedro and Stone.

When I first heard Pardew's name mentioned in the Hughton thread a couple of months back I gave my opinion on the arsehole back then. If he proves me and everyone else wrong then fair play. But it's not our job to support this twat who we never asked for in the first place, it's HIS job to win games and prove Ashley and cockney chums have got it right.

I'm assuming he must be capable of doing that otherwise why was he appointed? If you just wanted to narrowly avoid relegation you could just stuck with Hughton on a much shorter contract.

The wins over Arsenal, Villa and Sunderland show we have the players to win games and the spirit, even if the squad is a bit stretched when the first 11 aren't available. It then comes down to the manager whether he gets the best out of those players and thus results. Will Alan Pardew get the best out of Joey Barton for example? Or will he get punched in the face? It's a serious question as Barton has been instrumental in our best performances.

Not happy Hughton was sacked not happy he was replaced with Pardew, really want Ashley gone he must sell BUT Pardew is here nothing I/we can do about that now. I will back him I am not going to cheer for him, he has a LONG way to go before I will be happy he is here but we need to win games all we can do is hope he can help make that hasppen. I'm not going to back him. He's got a big enough opinion of his own abilities, let's see him back that up with some results, then the support will take care of itself.

I think he's probably just been taken back by the hostile environment he's walked into. He would be completely delusional if he had expected otherwise given his record. He's always struck me as delusional to be fair.

I think he's probably just been taken back by the hostile environment he's walked into.

Agree there, said so all along. Any particular reason why not? Krul has been fairly solid during a sustained run in the side. I can't see there's much justification for dropping him unless he starts making mistakes. He's had a few dodgy games recently, still learning, Harper is still no. 1. Not necessarily my opinion, but I could see Hughton restoring Harper. Personally I think Harper would have just as many dodgy games if the level Krul is performing at is considered dodgy.

Agree there, said so all along. Any particular reason why not? Krul has been fairly solid during a sustained run in the side. I can't see there's much justification for dropping him unless he starts making mistakes.

Go on, indulge me. What makes you think that? He preferred some local no-marks ahead of Tevez and Mascherano didn't he?

Pardew has all the makings of another Souness for me but he's here now and it's his job to prove his critics wrong. I won't be sitting here hoping he fails, he needs to show us what he's got and that other than talking a good game (which he doesn't really) he can actually set up a side to play good football. Good luck.

Said he respected Chris Hughton because he'd been coached by him...in which case at least get his fucking name right you tool.