Raconteur

It must be nice for certain posters here to have perfect mental health, and to know no one else with mental health issues. "What his poor family must be going through" says Jonny Hall. From my experience, Jonny, the family lives through the anxiety of loving someone with mental illness every day and during particularly bad periods wondering when rather than if. Chemical imbalances in ones brain can impact heavily on one's actions and choices in a way that's difficult for people who have no comprehension of mental illness to understand

That can't be serious? Surely not...?

I have to say it's the opposite for me: when Souness was appointed I was thinking "No more Champions League for a while." Disappointment, knowing that it would end in tears but (foolishly) confident we could recover. Knowing Pardew is coming feels like "Hello, League One" As someone else mentioned, Ashley won't sack Pardew even if we freefall out of the Premiership AND the Championship. As bad as the relegation season was, this is much much worse, because this time we won't come straight back up, and we may end up doing the Leeds thing that everyone (outside the club) seems to wish for...

That's the long and the short of it. Reading it I could almost hear Llambias' voice as he dictated the story to the "journalist". Very poor form...

Goes along with what Golfmag said, goes along with the fact this is clearly not based on results, sounds about right. That's disheartening - as I read the article I was thinking it must be tabloid shit and that surely it can't be as bad as the Mirror painted the situation I feel like I've been smacked with a wet fish, waking up to this news totally stunned me. This is worse than getting pasted in the cricket - at least that was expected...

Is that how you came to give him a -8 PA on FM? A 4-year deal?

I'm pretty sure Melbourne Heart's marquee player is a Dutchie called Rutger Worm - who has never done anything of note... And yes, each club is allowed two players outside the salary cap. Salary caps are (unfortunately) part of Australian sporting culture, but the powers that be know that without some "quality" players the shiny new league would have attendances even worse than the pitiful numbers we manage now...

When you see it not working for 3/4s of the game surely you stop ? If you don't get the signal to change from the dugout then you keep doing it. what bollocks, you take the best option, you don't relentlessly punt it high and hope. I'm with Ste - if he has instructions to punt it long, then he has to punt it long. It's part of being in a team, and under manager's instructions. Otherwise all players might say "I know better than the gaffer" and do what they like...

True, he's got a point this time, but he's not going to win any friends by taking the piss out of the collection of arseholes called Spurs fans, is he? He's always been a wanker, but I reckon he's become worse since joining Spurs - maybe he can't hack the pressure of being at a club that pretends it's big...?

It reminds me of the story Matt le Tissier told - he was still up and coming and his new manager was going through his first team sheet with the squad. It only had ten players, and le Tiss thought he was going to miss out. But then the manager points to le Tiss and says something like "All of you pass it to him, he's going to be where he wants to be" (Forgive me, it's a half-remembered fragment of a memory) That's kind of like what we have with Nolan - ten men with clearly defined roles and tactics, plus Nolan. It worked for Southampton, it can work for us too...

As it should be - they're athletes for Christ's sake! I sometimes wonder if that might be why Mancini is having so much trouble at City - I'm sure he's come out against the boozy culture...?

Am I being dense, or is that clock showing the wrong time? Shouldn't Mickey's big hand be pointed at the 11, and his little hand close to the 1?

You don't have to have much about you to get a game in the A-League - Jeffers' team went down today to a side including Gerald Sibon, who played in the EPL with Sheffield Wednesday (which will tell you how long it's been since he was any good!)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but when the Prem went frm 22 to 20 teams didn't three go down and one come up? I remember Wolves being ripped off during that changeover season (I could be mistaken though) The point being that "fair" doesn't mean shit, really. Expediency and money - that's what counts. And if Liverpool ends up 18th, you know which way the wind will blow!

Look, that's a valid point, but Sir Bobby had a lot more respect within the game and from the supporters - Hughton a) doesn't have it in his character to go off on one like that and b) would be slaughtered by the media (and probably lose the players) if he did. Given his status, I think smiling while eating shit is the only way he can go at the moment - when he's at home he can kick the cat. I hope he knows all the things we can see, but he can only do so much with the players he has. At least, that's what I'm hoping...

Having Tavernier at right back against a PL team would be like locking a young boy in a room with Gary Glitter, they would both get raped. Worse than Charlie Zog did to Perch today? As much as my addition of young Jimmy was an exercise in hypebole, it is remarkable that no one pulled me up on it for a page and a half...?

Simpson, Saylor, Raylor, Tavernier. All better options

Yup, lineups that drop Nolan for Ranger are pie in the sky. BUT there is the question of the right hand side. Routledge has been poor, and for me, his head is on the block If Hughton picks a 4-4-2, then I think there's every chance of the Barton-Tiote-Nolan-Jonas midfield. Ronaldo goes too far when he says Hughton should be sacked for sending out Barton on the right, but his underlying point is valid and I think we should be prepared for the possibility. If it's to be 4-4-1-1, I would advocate putting Ranger on the right. I say that NOT being part of Ranger's fan club - but I think his direct running and the support he could offer coming in from the right could be a potent weapon against Wigan's backline. God knows we've gotten nothing from Routledge's crosses, and we all know Nolan will be playing, so this could be a good card to play. When you look at out squad, there really aren't many options. Barton, Guthrie and Raylor have been tried out wide, and found wanting. We have to change something, maybe this is an easier option for Hughton than dropping Nolan?

Hehe - when I read that I thought palnese was pining for the hoolie days!

There's a case in Australia from this weekend that is the exact opposite of the HBA-De Jong incident. I thought I'd reproduce it for your consideration - after all, the FFA is supposed to be bound by the same FIFA edicts as the FA... Maybe someone should forward this on to the FA with a "please explain"...? http://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/bizarre-twomatch-ban-brings-heart-ache-20101012-16hxa.html

Same

Another case of ridiculously lazy journalism - Kranjcar has already said he doesn't want to move, and he can only sign a pre-contract in January with foreign clubs!

The Journal says yes, Shearer says no. nufc.com lists DOB as 06/01/89, so 22 in January

http://www.journallive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2010/10/09/shearer-on-carroll-as-star-signs-new-contract-61634-27434880/

Astonishing!