Ashley17

O'Neill ffs

Brummie did broker the deal, afterall.

I'd lie like fuck if I was Pardew. Say all 3 are out. Turn up on Sunday with them all in the first 11, could be fun.

If they're safe, we're safe as we have the same points, get in.

Aye Pardew's said "we'll know by Thursday" for a few players, at least Carroll, Jonas & Shola IIRC.

He's a MOTD player. He's at the fulcrum of anything they do positive as he's their best player, but it's like being the tallest dwarf. Not really an achievement. Watch him for 90 and yes he's ok but he's not brilliant by any means.

You've barely even cracked off the lid man. And it's not even a Heinz lid, it's one of those fucking branston ones where you have to use a tin opener. That's how few beans you've spilled young man.

This is going to be open as fuck if there's no Tiote/Cattermole/Defensive midfielders. Even if we play Smith it will only make it more open due to his idiocy.

Having slept on it, it speaks volumes that I'm more bothered about the loss of Tiote for 3 games (next week mainly ) than going out the cup. We deserved to lose, I love the cup but I love being in the Premier League more, unfortunately we'll probably get 0 points from our next 3 league games now given how tough 2 of them are followed by what could be a pretty vital trip to Fulham. The performance reminded me of when we got stuffed off Birmingham in the replay a few years ago - a squad that is knackered having played so many games recently and down to the bare bones as a result. Pardew picked probably the strongest team he had available to him, Tiote aside, but we all know what happened there. I felt Nolan was walking around on empty desperately trying not to get injured before next week, Smith, Perch & Routledge were terrible and Best was even worse than he was last season, though I've a feeling the injury he was carrying going into the game was hindering him. As for bringing on Tiote, anybody who has watched us this season can see he is the key man. He keeps the ball, takes 2 or 3 out of the game and plays it to the wide men. It's not rocket science and it was clearly missing yesterday. That coupled with the lack of options from the bench meant bringing him on was likely to free up Barton, Nolan & Routledge as it usually does, only he was gone within 10 minutes for actually giving a fuck and trying to get us back in the game. It's a good tackel, in the end, but flying 3 foot through the air to do it will always look dangerous. Having said that, Kuyt did much worse to Phil Neville and actually made contact with him a few years ago, and was only booked. Urgh. There's only Coloccini & Barton who comes out of this with any credit in my eyes, Pardew has big decisions to make this week in both the transfer market and what team he picks next Sunday. If the mackems don't make any signings, neither side will have an out and out defensive midfielder in their team, which could make for an open game, which will suit them down to the ground I imagine. My main worry is that team spirit will be ripped apart by this shocking display, but this is Pardew's first real test of character.

Loven? We're shit today, humping it to the moderately sized Best against 2 big centre backs. Brilliant. Smith and Perch are gash (obviously), there's only Colo, Barton & Williamson playing. Big trouble coming 2nd half if we play the same way.

:iamatwat: You've got love comments like this. You do realise we have one the best home records in the entire country over the last 12 month don't you? When did Newcastle become Barcelona? Unbelievable confidence from you bud and comments like that generally come back to bite you on the arse. I think that's what you call tempting fate. Still, win, lose or draw today they were always going to be up for next week, should be interesting.

WHAT!?

Yeah if Sky can't show FA cup football I don't think they can have people sitting in the studio watching it.

Reckon it'll be: Krul, Perch, Kadar, Williamson, Ferguson; Routledge, Smith, Guthrie, Lovenkrands; Best, Ranger Subs: Gosling, Airey, Harper, Colo, Barton, Simpson, Xisco? That all assumes that Vuckic is injured, if he's not then him for Lovenkrands. Gosling will get 20 minutes or something.

“Outside of that it will be about the squad, and Fergie (Shane Ferguson) is the youngster in it." - Pardew, Chronicle. Also says Jonas is out, S Taylor has a hamstring and Tioite won't be risked. Shola & Carroll out, Best having a fitness test. Williamson, Ferguson, Guthrie & Ranger all likely to play. Gosling might start, late decision on him.

Get Shola on ice for the 16th, score a goal off Best's arse tonight.

It's league 2 ffs, surely the pitches don't allow for much flair?

No he didn't. RVP (1), Djourou (2) & Fabregas (3) got the bonuses.

Even better

Rodallega off! Get in!

Pen to Wigan, think it was a dive...and outside the box. Terrible decision

So Smith goes off and then Tiote gets sent off. Then what? Then we'd have tried and failed, and we'd still be 10v10 and still a chance to get something from it. Now we didn't even try and failed. Tiote didn't get sent off anyway, so I don't really see your argument. He got subbed before he could get sent off. To say he was walking a tightrope is an understatement.

So Smith goes off and then Tiote gets sent off. Then what?

You can't say that, Spurs haven't ever won 3-0!!

So because we let in 5 against Bolton we would have let 5 in against Spurs? It doesn't work that way, you mentioned 4-0 and have proven that it's irrelevant. I think we're losing sight of the point here (and yes that is largely my fault). Teams have achieved success at WHL by playing cautiously. Had we played 4-4-2, we'd be very open, we'd have Carroll and either somebody shite or a relative rookie up front - who has never started a Premiership game. Yes Spurs have never steamrollered anybody but how many have gone out and attacked them? Presumably not that many, KD or any of the Spurs fans will be able to shed more light on that I imagine. Playing an extra defensive midfielder was probably meant to nullify VDV, who was quite quiet. Unfortunately, they have quality all over the pitch, whereas we don't. Williamson could have played, sure. Would it have made a difference? Probably not. Likewise Kadar, who is good physically but lacks pace, would probably not have done any better against Lennon than Perch.