Dr Venkman

They will finish above us. You certainly have a lot of faith in Pardew. Answers on a postcard please for which of their players would get in our starting 11 side. I wouldn't even take Fat Sam back to replace Pardew. Carroll, Downing, Diame, Allardyce

Looks pretty good That's a horrible side. I like diame however. Horrible? They're all effective other then Downing. Jonas is effective if you need him to run all day. I said the side looked 'pretty good' for fucks sake.

Looks pretty good That's a horrible side. I like diame however. Horrible? They're all effective other then Downing.

Looks pretty good

We have a new DOF and still transfers are slow and excuse ridden. The one man that should in my opinion is MA that should be getting the stick for it. I by no means think pards is the man for the job by a long shot. But what it seems to me is pards is essentially tmaking excuses for his bosses mishaps. Shoot the messenger springs to mind Love stuff like this

Could well be why he's talking about it so much.

What's he said?

Interesting to have your perspective on it, given the counter argument used is that every manager does it. In the last few years do you remember a spurs manager using an excuse as good as training ground spies?

Of course it'll 'go better'. We won't look like a team at any point though, we'll magic our way to 13th.

I don't remember choosing to be negative about anything ever

Although I reserve the right to defend myself once people start suggesting I'm enjoying how terrible we are.

Yeah, not loads but a few. There were a fair few idiots in attendance mind, a fight nearly broke out behind me because one lad was annoyed at someone for criticising Shola too much I'm approaching a tipping point with our fans.

People booed him?

Yep, it's the cream of the crop so far. So well conceived and executed.

The analysis is great like but it boils down to him being shite. Boring, uninspiring, negative, static, dreary, ineffective shite. Should have been sacked over 200 days ago.

Like the last 2.5 seasons. But this season will be different

On a serious note can we not post imagined excuses? Lessens the impact of the genuine ones.

Let me de-mystify it for you, he wants him in the first 11 every week.

Local journo's have as well, i have not been able to watch any games to call their bluff though. Today will be the proof in the pudding. Look at the lineup, we'll be shite

Lads, it's fine man. It's still only pre-season and the players have been talking about us playing better football.

I love You've Been Framed.

Is that Sammy with the shit fake accent? I dislike him more every day.

Hansen: 'ahhh, banter'

I think he's being kept on because he's done everything asked of him. We're still in the premier league, he's praised Ashley, talked up other teams and talked down NUFC.

Thats a good point. I think it's easy to forget too. Look at laudrup kicking off six or seven weeks ago about players, they've since signed 5? Would never happen here. That's why we will never get a top manager under Ashley. It's just the same basic principle as last summer - and pretty much everything to do with the club these days - Ashley thinks he knows better than everyone else involved in football. Last summer we'd just finished 5th; there was no need to invest as we'd obviously be able to repeat it by default. This summer we've just finished 16th; there's no need to invest as we'll obviously be able to do much better by default. He and the odious people he employs to do his dirty work think they will win every gamble they make. Will we be better? Probably, it's hard to imagine us being as bad or worse. Is simply being better than 16th good enough for NUFC? Absolutely not. For me, there's been a big realisation this summer especially that Ashley is happy for us to simply exists, for the club to run itself. There is no ambition to succeed or achieve anything in particular. So in the meantime, we have to hope the players and manager can produce a decent cup run or a some decent results in the league. Pretty fucking sad really. I think that realisation came last summer tbf.