stozo

Don't think it's a case of Carroll over Cisse at all. Man U played the season with 4 good strikers, Man City played with 3 so the idea that it's Cisse OR Carroll is bonkers. If we can get him for £10m I'd be very much in favour of us signing Carroll. He offers something that we don't have at the moment and if he can rekindle the form he showed when he was here before then it would be a fantastic deal.

Good news.

The argument against keeping Pardew seems to be 'what if he does badly and there is nobody else available?'. But what happens if we bring in Jol and we're 17th come Christmas? There are no certainties in any of this. I'm content in giving Pardew a chance. If he fails then fair enough but I think every manager deserves one bad season. Two bad seasons and he's got to go.

@pkelso 16m Expect #Uefa to confirm tomorrow that from 2015-16 Europa League winners qualify for Champions League. Could be 5 teams from one country Interesting. Gives teams a reason to compete in the Europa League.

Pure muscle. @Sammy_Ameobi 4m Just compared and as if Shola has less body fat % than me! Madness!!!

I still think the Di Canio thing will all end in tears for Sunderland but I've got respect for him taking the stance he is taking.

If this set piece makes a reappearance next season I think I'll lose the will to live.

Pretty sure that offcially the Man City goal was counted as being from a corner, despite it being second phase.

Nice gesture but let's be realistic. If we win today we could finish 10th, if we lose we could finish 17th. That's about a £3.5m difference in prize money is it not? So not entirely altruistic.

Tavernier? I'll be stunned if Tavernier makes. He's 21 (22 in October), his only consistent games have been in League 1 and he's looked ropey whenever he's played for our first team (If I remember correctly that Epstein lad from Atromitos ripped him to bits for about 20 mins in that game).

Have to say revisited this thread today after a few days away and it's much improved. A lot more sensible (and evidence based) discussion about where we've gone wrong rather than generic 'Pardew is crap'. Particularly love the player heat maps showing how poor our shape has been for a lot of the season.

Swansea away was the last game I thought we played well in, before the slump. We didn't create much and ultimately lost to a fucking wank goal but that was up there with the best performances this season imo. Cool, here you are: http://i.imgur.com/x6yPhu1.jpg So essentially shows we've improved since the new signings came in. At least that bodes well for next season.

Serves to highlight my theory that we were very lucky last season and a bit unlucky this season. I think the last two seasons we've been a 50-55 point team that has had two very contrasting seasons.

This. Have to say I'd be tempted to play Simpson. Can't afford to get caught on the counter attack and while Simpson won't offer much going forward he'll probably close of that flank better than Debuchy. This is what Pardew has done to us. To be fair this is what tomorrow's game has done to us. Don't give a shit how we play tomorrow, just want to win and then move on from this season. And what about the game on Sunday? Massive fail on my part.

This. Have to say I'd be tempted to play Simpson. Can't afford to get caught on the counter attack and while Simpson won't offer much going forward he'll probably close of that flank better than Debuchy. This is what Pardew has done to us. To be fair this is what tomorrow's game has done to us. Don't give a shit how we play tomorrow, just want to win and then move on from this season.

This. Have to say I'd be tempted to play Simpson. Can't afford to get caught on the counter attack and while Simpson won't offer much going forward he'll probably close of that flank better than Debuchy.

Think Pardew's had a shit season and questions need to be answered but just to play devil's advocate... http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Football/Pix/pictures/2011/11/5/1320519253730/Ta-Ra-Fergie-banner-007.jpg

Can't wait for Sunday after last night. Makes it our biggest game of the season. Just hope the team delivers and we can get 3 points.

As above if we finish in the bottom three we deserve to go down. That said we'd be in far less trouble now if Wigan's last minute winner against us had been rightly disallowed...

The 1 on 1. Cleared off the line but that needs to be put away. At the end on the day he gave Collins a chance of clearing it which shouldn't have existed.

Defensively did well today but didn't offer enough going forward. Well up for having a go at Pardew but our attacking players need to be getting it in the neck as well. Cabaye's allegedly a £20m midfielder but showed nothing for long periods today. Gouffran needs to be burying that open goal and that's the second away game in a row where Cisse's blown a huge chance. I do dearly love HBA but apart from some mazy runs that didn't amount to much he offered little today.

So much wrong with his performance today.

Unbelievable response considering what's happened so far this season. We are where we are because we haven't drawn enough away games like that. Very happy with us closing a game out away from home like that. Fuck off. We're where we are because he doesn't aim to win games. There's trying to win games and then there's reckless. Under pressure in the second half away from home against a top half team do you (a) go for the win and risk getting caught on the counter attack or (b) settle for a point which may actually keep you up at the end of the season. Think it's especially sensible to take approach (b) given that we got tore apart on the break by Sunderland last week.

Unbelievable response considering what's happened so far this season. We are where we are because we haven't drawn enough away games like that. Very happy with us closing a game out away from home like that.

Difference between him being a very good striker compared to being a world class striker demonstrated today. He's got to bury chances like that. Cost us 2 points.