Minhosa

I don't know that they are better but at least I would be able to have a bit of hope, I know Pardew is a poor manager. I don't know that the other two are as bad as he is and it would be worth the gamble. My first choice would be to get enough points to get through to the summer and sack him then and replace him with somebody better but that's not going to happen. Sacking him is more likely to be reactionary rather than something planned for the good of the club. Yep - makes sense. There's nobody on the market in Ashleys price range (£0) that inspires me to think we should bullet AP before this guys gets snapped up. I think AP has shot his bolt here and is a busted flush now but there's no point in replacing dross with dross. Like you, I'd prefer to wait for the right appointment.

There's an argument to say that it's easier getting £xxxm's of first team talent to play decent football when they are inherently better footballers than most of their opponents anyway, that's why they play at Chelsea and not Norwich. Yet Pardew can't get anything from our significantly better players. True but AP didn't follow on from years of work from top managers like Mourinho, Schlori etc etc. Also, Chelsea have a fairly solid group of established players who've probably got a big say in terms of culture. To a greater or lesser extent I should imagine Terry/Lampard etc pretty much train themselves, know their roles and can quickly understand what a new manager wants from them.

I'd take your hand off for Poyet or Di Matteo, at least I could regain some hope that we won't be shite by default. What makes you think they'd be 'that' much better than AP though? What have they proven elsewhere to give you that confidence? Edit - and forget about the CL victory for RDM. I had just as much to do with that as he did.

There's an argument to say that it's easier getting £xxxm's of first team talent to play decent football when they are inherently better footballers than most of their opponents anyway, that's why they play at Chelsea and not Norwich.

I suppose, another way of looking at this, is to ask yourself who would you be gutted that the Mackems appointed? Of those realistically available to both clubs, who would you be pissed off that they appointed first or ahead of us? There's nobody for me because even Poyet or RdM is a risk.

I don't see anybody who is proven to be good coming to work for JFK. It's an oxymoron. Forget it, it's not going to happen. That's why I think the most likely 'best case' is an unknown foreigner, another Ashley gamble. It's obviously more likely to be a Poyet or Di Matteo, of course, but to me that wouldn't be the best outcome.

Are there any more whispers about their new gaffer? Is it safe to presume Poyet isn't going to get it or are they letting him sort out his legal battle with Brighton first?

Would take Di Matteo asap. You see, for me, I'd prefer to take a punt of a foreign manager on the off chance they turn out to be decent. I'm not sure RDM or GP are going to take us significantly further forward. Are they capable of changing cultures? Of embedding an ethos and style throughout a side? I'm not sure they are. I'm not sure anybody that's readily available is to be honest. More capable than Pardew. Pardew has no reached his ceiling he struck the lottery when he was gifted our club. Agree that he struck gold but I really don't have any confidence that the other options out there are significantly better. It's a bit of a vicious circle this though because who, with any real talent, would align themselves to our shite ownership?

Would take Di Matteo asap. You see, for me, I'd prefer to take a punt of a foreign manager on the off chance they turn out to be decent. I'm not sure RDM or GP are going to take us significantly further forward. Are they capable of changing cultures? Of embedding an ethos and style throughout a side? I'm not sure they are. I'm not sure anybody that's readily available is to be honest.

I'd rather keep Pardew than have JFK in charge. There. I said it.

The thing with firing AP is the risk factor of who or what comes next. I think the absolute best case scenario is an untested foreign manager, which is a risk in itself. I can't see anyone with any Premiership experience or gravitas wanting to work under JFK/MA. - Worst Case = JFK - JFK Friend/Choice - Lower league unknown - Lower league known (Pardew Lite) - Ex-Player who fancies a go at management - Experienced Freebie (Poyet/RDM etc) - Best Case = Untried Foreign Manager whose achieved something elsewhere

I quite fancy Shaktar -1 @ 4/1.

Bang on. The worry is what follows. As most sensible Mackems would testify, keeping Bruce wouldn't probably served them better. They're about to be 3 managers and £xxxm further down the line and they've got fuck all to show for it. If you're MA, you have to be sure you're making the right call. Getting rid of PR Savvy AP and bringing in a new guy. The risks are fairly significant that you could be facing relegation which is the only thing we do know his view on.

Dennis Wise, Lawrie Sanchez, Mick Harford Poyet would be the obvious bet with his links to Wise, his availability, it'd be a step up, he'd not be after mega money and he's an ugly cunt who I hate.

Hughton ticked a lot of those boxes listed earlier. I should have perhaps added one further box though: - Won't get 'too close' to the players/take the playing squads side in any form of disagreement. ever. ever.

That would be completely pointless. Why would MA willingly pay AP off to appoint a guy whose job it has been to coach/drill the same playing personnel whose failure has led to the Manager being fired? Not to mention that Carver does not have the PR skills of AP. Something that MA must value pretty highly as AP is always called upon to go over and above the normal manager press conference stuff.

Vinnie Jones's movie career has taken an alarming nosedive over the last few years....

The criteria for the manager will be: - Unattached. - Happy to 'Coach' only/fit in the wider system. - Prepared to work for less of a salary than the vast majority of other managers but work on the basis of performance related pay. - Prepared to answer to JFK. - Prepared to work with Mike Ashley. We have to be very realistic when it comes to who replaces AP. "A 'total football' breeding, free flowing, attack minded, results, not money, driven, player coaching, happy to answer to any cunt and have a small transfer kitty" is the kind of appointment NUFC will be after. We're destined to fail because the working conditions render the job virtually impossible. Who, with any degree of self-respect, would want to say JFK as their boss? Who, in their right mind, would want to work at a club where you've got barely any influence? Whenever that moment comes (and I think MA will pull the trigger soon) I just can't see anybody with any pedigree being interested in the job or MA having the desire to attract them let along give them the influence they would inevitably want.

Our job is effectively a 'Head Coach' position and he'd do a better job at setting a side up than many. I agree but i still wouldn't want him. I'm not saying he'd be my choice either but he'd be ahead of many on that list, that's for sure.

Our job is effectively a 'Head Coach' position and he'd do a better job at setting a side up than many.

Too big an ego to get along with Ashley. Otherwise, very good shout.

Good article that. Did anyone see Joey Bartons (yeah......I know) tweet last night about 'giving MA an excuse get rid of Pardew'? He tweeted it whilst we were 3 down but the tone was interesting. As though it's common knowledge that MA wants rid/is looking for an excuse. The article above also suggests that MA/JFK are 'waiting for an excuse'. Strange given MA has never seemed to need an excuse. I half expected him to be gone this am. I think the only thing keeping him in a job is the sheer lack of replacements on the market.

Rudderless.

MYM is a kid and needs some direction when he's in a new league with football played at a different pace/aggression. How many Tim Howard punts did he have to deal with in Ligue 1? Ronaldo's point about Colo is spot on. It's Colo's job to lead the line, marshall his troops and take MYM under his wing. Wish the Douglas deal was completed and at least we'd have the option of protecting MYM a bit because there's a real danger here that he'll collapse under the criticism.

sissoko needs to be the one midfielder always driving forward to help out in the box, he should be constantly up and down between half way line and 18 yard box, with or without the ball. He's the one picking up anything that comes out or the extra man. He ain't doing that. He's not and I don't think he's got the legs to either. He looked absolutely fucked after an hour last night.