Memphis

Cisse looked like he was carrying a slight knock when he came off...grimaced a bit as he came to the touchline.

ANOTHER great chance for them. Sort it the fuck out or it will be 2-2 quickly. This is a shocking performance.

The issue is that they've had the vast majority of the play and the possession for the last 40 minutes or so, allowing them that chance. We've lacked urgency and quality despite playing a team winless in 9, in the bottom 3, and without a permanent manager. THAT is the problem.

Deflected goal, probably deserved. We're so stupid, letting them play like we did.

Ba is back on and looks to be OK.

Looked innocuous, too. Wasn't a serious challenge or anything, Ba just left his leg in and looked like he twisted it a bit. He limped off.

First goal came from Cabaye pressure on Christophe Berra - Berra gave it away, Cabaye crossed it to Cisse, ball cleared, then put back in the box and Cisse deflected the ball (which has been touched by a Wolves defender) into the top left corner over a Wolves player standing at the post. Second goal was a Jonas rocket. Cross cleared poorly by a Wolves player, ball falls to Jonas, he takes a touch then blasts a laserbeam into the upper left corner, rising all the way. Overall, we've looked pretty poor. Don't seem all that interested in doing anything except letting Wolves play in front of us, then hoofing it long and letting our very mobile and impressive strikers try to make something happen. Very comfortable though.

Just so thankful we've got a fantastic pair of strikers. They've done really well with the absolute shit they've been given. So clear we have no threat on the right side, so everything goes to the left and gets rather easily broken down. Would be incredible if we had a right side at all. Raylor and Simpson are both poor.

Hard to be so unimpressed with a controlled, relatively easy 2-0 scoreline at this point, but we've managed it. Have played no football to speak of, very fortunate our opponents carry little threat.

How anyone can begrudge Pardew's style of play or anything else when we're sitting 5th in the table, one point off 4th, with 14 games left is beyond me. We have been remarkably resilient this season - look at the teams we've put out there from time to time and still won games. We are not fragile. We've won at some truly diabolical grounds this year, like Stoke and Blackburn, playing ugly but effective football. The results are brilliant. We won a match with Danny Guthrie, James Perch, and Ryan Taylor starting in midfield. Who on earth would have expected that? Pardew's clearly an excellent man manager and a pretty solid tactician. Like every manager, Wenger, AVB, Fergie, and Mancini included, he's made tactical errors and personnel blunders. He's also made halftime adjustments on more than one occasion that have won us points. He wants to forge a strong squad. That's why he bigs up squad players all the time. He wants to instill a work ethic into every player, rightly or wrongly, and is demanding the same out of HBA. I think we could capably handle a flair player like Hatem when we have Tiote/Cabaye in the starting XI and hardworking forwards running off him. But since we haven't had that, solidity is more valued. I can understand that even if I don't fully agree. He has earned the right not to be second-guessed all the time. There are areas in which he needs to improve but he has exceeded my expectations to a mind-boggling degree.

He's like a skinny, Senegalese, goalscoring Kris Boyd.

Hope we'll be a bit better after the break, the two substitutions meant that we always had a makeshift feel in the play. Dembas look dangerous, link-up is already starting to show at times - very promising there. But I have to say Keane has been superb for them, dropping into space and just setting up opportunity after opportunity. We've not looked good at all in defence. Also - Jonas...I love Jonas but his habit of receiving the ball, letting three Villa defenders come near him, then losing it led to the last goal and has cost us time and time again. He has got to pass the ball more quickly.

This x1000 Because Pardew can't see him as a winger in an orthodox 4-4-2, he's often used as the makeweight sub or makeweight non-starter in the XI. It highlights his mistakes more than others. Simpson has made mistake after mistake but since he's the only trusted RB, he simply has to play. Raylor, too, but because he's "versatile" and can cross, his shocking games get overlooked by Pards. Pardew's yet to believe in HBA to that degree. Hopefully he will see the value when there is genuine mobility upfront.

I cannot believe that. Shola was disgraceful, tactics were disgraceful, win was troll-tastic. Still, 5th. Holy shit.

FRESH FUCKING LEGS

LOLBERTAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

Perfect use of Obertan here. "Fresh legs" in the 89th.

Goal attempts - Blackburn 23 - 7 Newcastle

LOLven

Yeah. Krul shoudl be everywhere. Shoudl be scoring the goals and should defende and be between the posts. He was poor on the cross prior to the Formica miss, been poor in decision making several times. Kicking has been typically bad. I like Krul but you have to be honest.

Lucky again. Krul made a great penalty save and has been really poor ever since.

Typical - Guthrie plays a nice ball to best in their third, Best can do nothing but dribble into the corner as not a single teammate was anywhere near him in support.

For those merely listening and not watching, I can assure you it is every bit as bad as it sounds.

Modeste is OK at the buildup play but he is incredibly poor at actually finishing. He's fucking Pele compared with Sherlaaaa mind.

Fucking brilliant effort by Shola. Only missed by 20 yards.