Parky

Intriguing gesture and adds a bit of spice to the last game. Will have 0 impact on transfers which have been v good and shrewd for a while now.

Still think he'd develop a bit further up the food chain with good coaching. Has a bit of pace and a bit of bite...The rest can be developed..pitch sense and positioning and so on...

The Poyet suspension is intriguing.

Gonner sell cabaye, tiote, sissoko and colo and buy nolan and barton back. Can see Cabaye going back to France or Arsenal.

HF has always been a top poster...But there is a kind of geekiness I would have shot John Lennon side to him..

It's uncanny. Nearly everything in there is a carbon copy of what we say...

Pards has got big bits of strange skin. Hoofballitis??

Pards should wear the jeps on the touchline would improve the French players no end just with their sheer makeover styleeee...

IMO there's a difference between shrewd and bright. Not doing due dilligence and hiring Wise and Pards isn't bright by a long shot. he was lucky with the share offer of his company and the then sudden financial crisis which let him buy the shares back cheap and so on...luck. Downing that pint and trying to stand with the supporters and buying drinks says to me he has a nero complex and we all know how that ended up. I think he's a gambler - but you don't build up a a business empire from nothing without being shrewd/bright or whatever word you want to use. I certainly don't underestimate him. But he needs to show me something more and I don't see it right now...I always get the feeling he regrets getting into football club ownership and doesn't really want much to do with it as long as it isn't costing him money anymore and there is a chance of a good return somewhere down the road.

IMO there's a difference between shrewd and bright. Not doing due dilligence and hiring Wise and Pards isn't bright by a long shot. he was lucky with the share offer of his company and the then sudden financial crisis which let him buy the shares back cheap and so on...luck. Downing that pint and trying to stand with the supporters and buying drinks says to me he has a nero complex and we all know how that ended up. Buying good players (brands) on the cheap with an eye to selling them on is basically his sportswear business model in all but name. Holding out for 35m for Carroll (effectively 3 seasons CL money) shows he is aggressive and has balls, but I'm yet to see a really clever move by him...Unless of course he goes out and gets a Tier One manager in the summer..Then all bets are off.

Ashley got lucky he isn't that bright...He's more penny pinching shrewd barrowboy type. Football isn't a standard business and paring down costs and watching the finances will only get a club so far (stability and so on...)..To really grow a club takes vision and someone who is really wanting to learn this unique business model...Not sure Ashley is that enamoured with owning a club as he tried to sell it for a couple of years running lest we forget...Still think he's in it for the short to medium term..

Not at all like NUFC. Newly promoted NUFC...with Danny Simpson and Danny Guthrie....."The Force!!" Getafe had never once finished as low as they did under Laudrup in any season since they had been promoted. Lost your way a bit here bro...Laudrup is clearly miles better than Pardew..A born winner...Learning the ropes in Spain isn't the same as comparing him to Pards who's been a manager now for nearly 14years.

The French can't defend you only have to look at the debacle of the maginot line.

Andy Carroll will be here in the summer nailed on.

'Bad blood'.

He worries about losing games too much...If that makes sense...We're historically used to attack being the first line of defence..ie we've been spoilt in the recent past. He likes to keep it tight and protect the full backs..This is pretty much the oldskool thinking that has taken root in his head..As you rightly say we have the staff for a decent 433 now especially with Sissoko and Hatem. I really think we need to get rid of Guti. Worries too much hasn't worked though has it Parky. 67 goals conceded is ridiculous for such a defensive and cautious coach. Worrying never works. Football starts and ends with confidence.

He worries about losing games too much...If that makes sense...We're historically used to attack being the first line of defence..ie we've been spoilt in the recent past. He likes to keep it tight and protect the full backs..This is pretty much the oldskool thinking that has taken root in his head..As you rightly say we have the staff for a decent 433 now especially with Sissoko and Hatem. I really think we need to get rid of Guti.

This is frustrating me too The quality of the long ball doesn't f***ing matter! People are instinctively trying to break it down into 'hopeful' and 'targetted'....Broadly agree that the where raw stats are concerned the intention isn't so important. Sides like Spurs play a lot more long ball than people realise but most of those are bourne from postive posession and 'choices' at key moments of play. Ours generally are more of the 'hopeful' variety is the majority feeling. This ties in with Pards style of play which is the maj gripe...WBA I'd say are pretty much a long ball team as are Norwich but they do enough of the other stuff so that it doesn't look so bad or desperate - style wise. I think it's that long ball that you are talking about which pisses us fans off. It's the long ball to Cisse who will never ever win a header against a stronger central defender. It's not hard to see that our long balls are just like you said hopeful passing. ...and the main reason for that and something we've discussed for 2 yrs is Pards refusal to continue with a 433 (so someone can drop off and come short to recycle play). 1 in 5 of our passes are made by a central forward placed midfielder with a 36% accuracy, 1 in 5 of those are to a wide forward player and 40% result in open attacking play in the front 3rd of the pitch. Only Arsenal and Chelsea have better percentages than this, therefore you're wrong and Pardew is just misunderstood. You got a link?

This is frustrating me too The quality of the long ball doesn't f***ing matter! People are instinctively trying to break it down into 'hopeful' and 'targetted'....Broadly agree that the where raw stats are concerned the intention isn't so important. Sides like Spurs play a lot more long ball than people realise but most of those are bourne from postive posession and 'choices' at key moments of play. Ours generally are more of the 'hopeful' variety is the majority feeling. This ties in with Pards style of play which is the maj gripe...WBA I'd say are pretty much a long ball team as are Norwich but they do enough of the other stuff so that it doesn't look so bad or desperate - style wise. I think it's that long ball that you are talking about which pisses us fans off. It's the long ball to Cisse who will never ever win a header against a stronger central defender. It's not hard to see that our long balls are just like you said hopeful passing. ...and the main reason for that and something we've discussed for 2 yrs is Pards refusal to continue with a 433 (so someone can drop off and come short to recycle play).

This is frustrating me too The quality of the long ball doesn't fucking matter! People are instinctively trying to break it down into 'hopeful' and 'targetted'....Broadly agree that the where raw stats are concerned the intention isn't so important. Sides like Spurs play a lot more long ball than people realise but most of those are bourne from postive posession and 'choices' at key moments of play. Ours generally are more of the 'hopeful' variety is the majority feeling. This ties in with Pards style of play which is the maj gripe...WBA I'd say are pretty much a long ball team as are Norwich but they do enough of the other stuff so that it doesn't look so bad or desperate - style wise.

And here's the rub...Pards loves his stats and averages.

The day the graphs landed.

This mode of debate is too 'new fangled'.

Photoshopped!!