Mick

Who plays instead was what the summer transfer window was for. As for the quotes from the players, Ben Arfa was from Le Parisien and the other 2 had a go on Canal+.

If a player doesn't do what he's told you don't play them and if it wasn't down to the manager, why did Ben Arfa, Ba and Cabaye who regularly attend training think it was down to the manager?

Why do you blame Williamson for us playing long ball when 3 players think it's Pardew? If it's down to Williamson, why does Pardew do nothing about it? I'm sure you've claimed that you run or have run a business, do/did you just let anybody do what they want or do you manage them?

Two current players and one former player seems to think the manager is responsible for our "direct style" of play.

Hatem Ben Arfa - "For him, it's more crosses, a bit of a more direct style, whereas I'm more the kind of player who likes to play short passes." Demba Ba - "Fans come to see beautiful games with beautiful actions and not long balls from the goalkeeper to the striker."

Do you seriously think our players want to just hoof the ball? And, if they do, why does the manager not stop them from just hoofing it?

You got it in the end.

I find it amazing that people still support Pardew, I really do and the support for him is bordering on ignorance at this stage. Even last season when we finished 5th we had problems and I was suspicious of him but got fooled in the 2nd half of the season when he stumbled on a winning formula which actually had us playing a decent style of play. The alarm bells were ringing before we’d even kicked a ball this season when once again, the prick was going on about playing Demba Ba through the middle, even though our best football had been played with him wide left. What was obvious to most in the summer was that we needed to upgrade Simpson and Williamson and that didn’t happen so we all, or most of us knew where our problems were going to come from. We knew we’d have a central defender who was as weak as piss, we knew we would offer no threat from the right and we knew that we would be scruffy up front, again. Last season we got away with a lot because of the easy start that we had, that start had us playing against teams which we could beat and that built of a bit of confidence throughout the squad and that confidence carried us through games where we didn’t perform in yet were still able to get results from. This season, we’ve started off with a formation which most people knew wouldn’t suit the type of players that we had. We’ve started off playing a direct style of play which meant that we didn’t build up any type of in game style, we just hooped it. Hoofing it has meant that more often than not we’ve gifted the opposition the possession and we’ve paid for it. This is the football that Pardew wants and it doesn’t work. The injuries which he's now using to base his excuses around are even more worrying because they show that we've got very little coming through behind our starting 11 and that is shocking. I think it's also safe to say that the turgid shite we're serving up with our starting 11 seems to be the same shit that is being coached at other levels. None of our younger players look as if they know what to do and that's not down to them, they aren’t getting the required coaching to allow them to come into the first team without looking like aliens. If we keep him and scrape enough points to see us safe we’ll be in exactly the same position next season because that’s what he’s about. Nothing will change and we’ll be watching shit football and we’ll be watching a style of play that suits nobody but the manager. Unfortunately if we do sack him, we’re relying on two people who haven’t got a clue what is needed to replace him and that is frightening. It’s frightening but I would still give it a go in the hope that even those morons could make a right decision, even if only by luck. The way I see it is that we’re relying on luck either way, we’re relying on luck to stay up and we’re relying on luck to bring in a good manager. If we’re lucky and stay up with Pardew, we’re in for more of the same. If we’re lucky and get a good manager we’ll at least have something to look forward to in the future and that’s better than what we have now.

I'm actually lost for words.

The bit in bold isn't true.

We don't need the one we've got.

I think we do, we've got absolutely no confidence anywhere in the club. I know you're probably worried that we'll sit back but I'm more concerned about the players needing a lift, not that an early goal guarantees that.

We need an early goal.

No.

Go and get pissed, at least you'll get something out of today.

I feel sick.

Did Williamson really get the armband?

Not really but I would have more hope with a better manager with our squad than I'd have with Pardew and another couple of players to ruin.

We can't afford to give him games if we're getting nothing out of them.

I see 7 mackems have voted.

Either that or he's not.

He's like listening to Souness.

"That team is a shadow of the team we can put out" piss off Pardew.