alexthegreat

Derp off back to the masses then, little sheep. sure signs of an internet loony and then an obviously warped manipulation of statistics. Couldn't prove the point more clearly really.

"We shall start with Pardew. His votes, in the order that we asked, were Great (3.3 %), Good (21.42 %), Average (37.33 %), Poor (21.53 %) and Awful(16.42 %)." Interesting. I'd say that tallies with the views of most of the fans I know. Although it suggests that this forum is full of warped extremists when it comes to Pardew.

Maybe the white kit isn't too flattering but I thought he looked absolutely enormous when he came on today. Almost like Bramble when he'd let himself go.

Ben Arfa Coloccini Cabaye: Barton: When he gets so much respect from the bigger names at the club, and when the lesser players improve so much, it's difficult not to pay attention and conclude he's a good man manager. I certainly can't recall much criticism from people he's worked with and no player goes elsewhere and does better. You would certainly go with the views of those who work with him day in day out, rather than a handful people who only see an hour and a half a week. I can even recall him getting slaughtered on here when he criticized Nile Ranger for being late.

Ryan Taylor? Leon Best? Mike Williamson? James Perch? Worth noting that Danny Guthrie has sank without trace since leaving Pardew's influence. In fact there is only really Routledge who stands out as having gone on to better things since leaving Pardew's Newcastle. That is some testimony to his ability to get the best from players, considering he is approaching 4 years at the club. Little wonder that so many players who have worked with Pardew speak so highly of him.

He didn't improve, he was exactly the same player Hughton paid a lot of money for when he was at Forest. He had a good spell in his limited fashion when he got the chance to play, but I saw no evidence of him improving at all. I thought he was quite quick and a good tackler when he arrived and certainly Pardew had nowt to do with that. Perch looked absolutely hopeless when he played for Hughton. There is no doubt he improved under Pardew. http://www.leazesterrace.com/newcastle-wigan-keypoints/

Agree. You never know who will make the step up and who won't. Centre backs who aren't that physical really tend to struggle with the Premier League - he was always a very risky signing and it's turned out to be a very poor call from Carr. And it's quite common to move players out wide from the centre when they're new to the league - it lets them adjust to the pace of the game but any mistakes are less likely to be costly, and it's better than not being in the team at all. Robson gave Taylor his debut at right back and he played Bassedas and Viana out wide as well. He's had 18 months and he's been a flop. Time to move on.

139 league appearances in his career at the age of 28 says it all. It makes Kieron Dyer look like a workaholic. Quite happy to spend years wallowing doing nothing "earning" premier league money, safe in the knowledge he'd signed one of our 5 year specials. His weekly wage will be very decent after signing on a free as well. Absolute bone idle bastard who has never got the stick he deserves.

Good article on the whole - not much to disagree with. Quite rare to see a local press man actually speak his mind. Must still be banned.

It was leaked to the press plenty of times that we wanted to give him a new contract in the past but he has never signed, and it certainly looks as if we dont want to offer him a deal now (unsurprisingly given his appalling attitude): 11th Jan 2014 http://www.getfootballnewsfrance.com/2014/hatem-ben-arfa-to-sit-down-for-contract-talks/ Hatem Ben Arfa to sit down for contract talks. Newcastle winger Hatem Ben Arfa will sit down for contract talks with his club next week say France Football. The midfielder has constantly been linked with other clubs over the last few years, but is now struggling to pin down a regular first team spot with Newcastle in recent weeks. Nevertheless, his talent is there for all to see and he will be a big capture for the club if he signs a new deal. This news represents a step in the right direction for Newcastle fans as currently the Frenchman’s contract is due to expire at the end of next season, meaning that Newcastle could be forced to sell him in the summer if he does not sign a new deal. We shall keep you posted about how these talks go. More undoubtedly to follow. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2284104/Newcastle-keen-sign-Hatem-Ben-Arfa-long-term-deal-Liverpool-interest.html John Drayton PUBLISHED: 10:16, 25 February 2013 Newcastle will attempt to fight off interest from Liverpool for Hatem Ben Arfa by offering their French star a new contract, according to reports. The 25-year-old has been injured for large parts of the 2012-13 season but Alan Pardew is keen to see him spend his best years at St James' Park. http://www.thejournal.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/newcastle-united-keen-re-open-hatem-5873155 10 Sep 2013 09:05 Newcastle United are ready to re-open contract talks with Hatem Ben Arfa as they bid to tie down the mercurial forward to a long-term deal Newcastle United are ready to re-open contract talks with Hatem Ben Arfa as they bid to tie down the mercurial forward to a long-term deal. United first approached Ben Arfa’s representatives back in July, but the France international wanted to concentrate on his football and getting back to full fitness after an injury-plagued season. To put another slant on it, he is quite happy waddling around putting no effort in while earning Premier League wages for another year, before leaving on a free, thereby maximising his wages in Greece / Turkey or wherever he will inevitably end up. One more contract should allow him to see out his career continuing to be a fat lazy bastard somewhere else, while still earning loads of money. On the other hand, if he heads to one of those backwaters now, he wont get paid anywhere near as much, and will miss a year of PL money.

the squad had the look of relegation certainties a week ago. This completed business (along with the reported intent to add a few more faces) shows we are serious with our stated aim of finishing in the top 10 every year and getting all the players on the cheap from France and Holland. I'm still looking forward to seeing new players though - signing exciting attackers hasnt happened much under Ashley. Jonas, BenArfa, and Cisse are the only forward players I can think of whose arrival caused any excitement. Ba slipped under the radar a bit iirc. I suppose you could say Xisco. Loan deals for Remy and DeJong shouldn't count for a club our size. It's really not been much to go on over the last 7 years.

If he leaves along with Debuchy then these will be the only Premier League goalscorers from last season who are still on the books: Gouffran 6 Ben Arfa 3 Cisse 2 Anita 1 Dummett 1 Taylor 1

A real club didn't put up with him pissing his talent away: 5 years later and he hasn't changed at all. Overall he's done very little for us in his 4 years here as well. However, given the state we are in he's still a relative bright spot and I hope he doesn't leave any time soon. He doesnt deserve some of the hero worship on here though.

Slightly pointless comparison which doesn't really tell you anything you didn't know, and also doesn't take account of a number of things: Fees paid for current squad (minus Debuchy): Krul 0 Elliot 0.5 Santon £5.5m Coloccini £10m Williamson £1.5m Good £0.5m Taylor £1.3m Taylor 0 Streete 0 Mbwia £8.5m Haidera £2m Dummett £0 Colback £0 Tiote £3m Sissoko £1m Anita £6.2m Bigirimana £0.5m Ameobi £0 Vuckic £0 Obertan £3.5m BenArfa £5.5m Marveaux £0 Jonas £0? Ferguson £0 Perez £1.5m Gouffran £1.5m Cisse £10m Armstrong 0 Campbell 0 Approx £63m Fees paid for the squad who played in 96-97: Srnicek £0.35m Hislop £1.5m Barton £4m Howey 0 Peacock £2.7m Albert £2.6m Watson 0 Beresford £0.65m Elliott 0 Gillespie £1m Batty £3.75m Crawford 0 Lee £0.75m Clark 0 Ginola £2.5m Shearer £15m Ferdinand £6m Beardsley £1.5m Asprilla £7.5m Kitson £2.5m Approx £52m I do wonder if anyone ever told Ashley how much money Sir John Hall made out of NUFC with a totally different approach (for 5 years at least).

8 weeks until the season starts (10 until the window closes). We have maybe 5 Premier League standard forwards and midfielders. At the back Mike Williamson has established himself as our best centre half. I think only Debuchy and possibly Krul would get a game at a top 6 club. We desperately need proven Premier League quality to start arriving now. If the plan is to sign about 4 unproven players from abroad on the cheap and hope that's enough (and you have to suspect that is exactly what the plan is) then I really think we could be going down this season.

Jenas was class when 2-0 up at home and nowhere to be seen when we were up against it in away games. Colback is meant to be far more consistent. Jenas wouldn't be much use in the sort of season I am expecting.

Totally agree with this, we need a squad to survive in the Premier laegue as cheap as possible and have absolutly no shame in telling people this. We are basically safe in the League and one of the only clubs to make money with no real issues about survival or major internal problems but this is the worst period of supporting Newcastle in our history for any true fan. Don't agree with this tbh. The defence is Premier League standard, although there's more than a few holes in it. We can put Colback, Sissoko, Anita, Bigirimana and Tiote in front of it - a solid set of midfielders even if they are bereft of goals and creativity. But if we start the season with the set of players we have to play in front of them at the moment then I cannot see any way we will avoid a relegation battle. This lot are as bad a set of attackers as I have ever seen on our books in the top flight: Ameobi 0 Vuckic 0 Obertan £3.5m BenArfa £5.5m Marveaux 0 Jonas 0? Ferguson 0 Perez £1.5m Gouffran £1.5m Cisse £10m Armstrong 0 Campbell 0 I haven't seen Perez play, but I think a 20 year old from the Spanish second division is unlikely to score 20 goals for us. Gouffran is ok - a premier league player. Ben Arfa is a class above but is fat, in and out of the side, and will be in the last year of his contract. The rest of them may have potential (in some cases) but currently belong in the Championship or lower. I don't really care about Colback - he might be useful he might not. Easily the only thing I'm that bothered about is which forwards come in. Ashley has spent about £21m on centre forwards since he came to the club, a pitiful amount. He has got away without investing with deals like Ba and Remy, but if he doesnt put his hand in his pocket for proven quality up front in the next 12 weeks then I'll be convinced we're going down.

the squad looks absolutely dreadful at the moment. Aside from a few youth team players with squad numbers there's the following 29 players: Krul Elliott Santon Debuchy Haidera Dummett Williamson Coloccini Mbwia Taylor Taylor Tavernier Good Jonas Vuckic Abeid Tiote Anita Marveaux Bigirimana Sammy Ferguson Sissoko BenArfa Obertan Armstrong Campbell Cisse Gouffran Around half of that lot would not look out of place in the Championship or lower, there's barely any goals or creativity from anywhere, and if Debuchy and Ben Arfa go then there's almost no quality players anywhere either. If Ashley is serious about pursuing his dream of a side that finishes in the top 10 every year then he will have to match the likes of Swansea and Southampton and buy a couple of forwards for £10m+, otherwise I cannot see any way that we will manage a top half finish.

Could well be his last ever game today (hopefully anyway). Hope our fans give him a decent send off.

Real Madrid 0-0 away to Valladolid after half an hour. No Bale and Ronaldo off injured after 9 mins. If they can't win here then Atletico can win it by beating Malaga at home at the weekend.

from vice magazine: http://www.vice.com/en_uk/print/vices-11-favourite-players-of-the-season Never seen this attributed to him anywhere else.

I posted this back in July: Football / Re: Alan Pardew « on: Thursday 4 July 2013, 12:03:59 PM » An almost groundless rumour to pass on: My dad was talking to someone from one of the local papers in the pub last night (he didn't say who) and he reckoned Pardew is on his way out with Poyet lined up as replacement. He said that Pardew has not been prepared to make an official comment on anything for 4 weeks now, which is very unlike him (he has been a bit quiet recently). Possibly the actions of a man who knows his days are numbered. According to the Sun today Poyet intends to leave whether Sunderland stay up or not, so he could well be available again, although perhaps he may now be setting his sights higher than working with someone like Ashley.

Worked very hard yesterday. He has improved recently - he's getting clean strikes at goal and is hitting the target - he's finally got the absolute basics in place. However, he still isn't showing any real composure.

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/468836/EXCLUSIVE-Juventus-line-up-bid-for-Newcastle-keeper-Tim-Krul EXCLUSIVE: Juventus line up bid for Newcastle keeper Tim Krul JUVENTUS want Newcastle United keeper Tim Krul to replace legendary Italian international Gianluigi Buffon. The Italian giants are planning for the future in the knowledge that their 36-year-old skipper and holder of 139 caps can’t go on forever. Krul is the player they have earmarked as Buffon’s eventual successor and are poised to make a £10million bid in the summer for the Dutch international.

Shame really. From March - October 2012 I genuinely thought he could go on to be one of the best players I'd seen at the club. Got that injury, and while he was on the sidelines he piled on the weight. He's been completely out of shape for most of the last 12 months now and appears to have knocked back about 3 contract offers over that time. There's just over a year on his current deal now. Disappointing, but he clearly can't be arsed.