ElDiablo

Cabaye is battling depression, Colo has family issues and wants to be back in Argentina, and Ben Arfa is happy but crocked. Which of those things does a new manager change? I really don't know if anyone of those things are true. What I do know is Cabaye was sold a lie and has been misused since he signed and has looked increasingly unhappy, this has coincided with the abysmal management of Pardew and our subsequent downturn in form. It's not difficult to see the pattern. Cabaye especially has played within himself for the best part of his spell at the club due to Pardew's tactics, if I was him I'd want to leave and I can't blame him if he goes if Pardew remains in charge.

Not to mention the players seem to have given up on him. If he stays I really can't see Cabaye or Coloccini staying, possibly add Ben Arfa to that too. All logical signs point to bringing someone new in.

I think this just perfectly encapsulates the downgrade in expectation Ashley has sought to cultivate. We shouldn't be as accepting of this situation, it's the owner's responsibility to improve the club in every possible way, including making the money available for situations like this, even if it comes from his personal wealth. That's what comes with committing to buying a football club. Football clubs aren't traditional businesses.

Sinclair, Austin, Ince, Lallana and Arouna Kone are all ones I'd like with English league experience, which is something I think we badly lack.

Unfortunately we know how bad we are better than anyone else, and how unlikely it is Pardew will come up with a gameplan to turn it round.

Teams/fans will want to see us go down instead of Wigan, no doubt about it. Wouldn't be surprised if West Ham/QPR come out motivated with the incentive of trying to relegate us. I'm already mentally preparing for the drop now. I suggest everyone else does the same!

0-0

We need to be positive, close down collectively all over the pitch, then give the ball to this man. http://img.bleacherreport.net/img/images/photos/002/204/828/hi-res-156835941_crop_exact.jpg?w=650&h=440&q=75

The players have given up on him, that must be the straw that breaks the camel's back. You can't justify another 3 games of that shite.

I literally just feel nothing, he should have gone ages ago and it's just plain bizarre he's still here.

Rename it to Pards please. Bit more jovial.

Didn't you say the same about Cleverley? Probably. I do like Cleverley. His problem is he hasn't developed physically and therefore still doesn't grab games by the scruff of the neck. He seems a lot more conservative with his risk taking and passing when I see him for Man Utd too. He was really creative and scored quite a few for Watford. Chalobah looks a lot better physically and probably will find it easier to step up.

Hesitant to say it, but Chalobah is exactly the type of player England need. Give him a couple of years and he could be immense.

That KUMB article is tragic.

Aylesbury Estate

I like it.

Ben Arfa's got to start on the left, Gouff in the middle. Campbell should get significant minutes, too.

You'd get teams letting others beat them and shit because they'd rather face this team in the play offs, if they'd already qualified for the play offs. brings in all that unnecessary politics.

Where is the total fairness, though? Where were City or Chelsea before their billionaires? I agree with that point, but it just isn't enough to justify completely revolutionising the league format because a few clubs have had investment pumped in to them. It also takes the magic of winning away slightly. The prestige between 3rd and 6th is massive now, that would get taken away totally and it wouldn't be an achievement to finish ahead of anyone else in the play offs any longer. Our 5th place last season will go down as a good season in our history, if we'd only qualified for the play offs and lost it loses something for me.

I like the idea in isolation, but I just wouldn't swap total fairness for entertainment.

"lua lua"

He's asked to do far too much in this system, he's got to be the one getting up for headers from punted balls, running the channels, linking up when it's played into feet, and get on the end of things in the box. Unless you're Didier Drogba circa 2004-2010 then you're not going to achieve that. Needs players in, around and past him. How often does Sissoko run past him anymore, compared to when he first joined?

I cannot wait until this time next month. Season over, exams over, summer on the horizon. Everything is totally atm.

We can't seem to do the basics which is the most worrying thing, the amount of times we lose the ball as the first touch is shit, or the pass it slightly astray is unbelievable.

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