merlin

In the 70s we reached 2 Cup Finals, one where we froze on the day and, had we played anything like we were capable of, would have had a good chance of winning the FAC. The LCF in 76 was unfortunate because we had many players suffering from a flu virus which was a national epidemic at the time and I am convinced that if we had been at full strength we would have beaten City....we had a board that at least paid lip-service to winning things and did sign some good - occasionally great - players...think Tony Green, Supermac, Terry Mac etc. We played some great football at times but the board never came up with enough money to finish off the side. The board were never going to make NUFC a really top club but we always had excitement. Ashley is better in only ONE way...he has kept the club debt-free by lending it money..in every other way he is worse. He has ZERO ambition for the club, NEVER signs really top players because he refuses to compete at the wage and fee level(even for players the top clubs miss)and sells our best players without replacing them adequately. He is even more proprietorial about the club as HIS possession than the Seymour, McKeag, Westwood etc families were. We always had SOME hope that we would win something in the 70s but we have NO hope of winning anything under the Ashley regime and also, despite Ashley's lip-service payment to developing our own talent, the players coming from the reserves/Junior at present are poor.In the 70s we had Alan Kennedy and Irving Nattrass come through the ranks to be top players and Gazza emerged in the 80s. The 80s were a moderate decade for us despite KK signing in 82 and getting promoted in 84. The board refused to back Cox in the transfer market after promotion and he left. Jack Charlton took over but it was never going to work as he distrusted Beardsley as a player and played long ball football, finally leaving after some pre-season game fan abuse. McFaul was weak and despite keeping us up until 88/89 when the Magpie Group campaign started, we were relegated at the end of that season. We knew after Beardsley went that the board were never going to give us a top club but we know that even more so now under Ashley. Both deserve FAIL but Ashley is creating this via malevolence.

Well apparently we are going to freeze the assets of rich Russian's in the UK so pretty soon Ashley will be pissing all over Abramovich. Er - no...there is NO way we are going to 'freeze' Russian assets; I think you'll find that Frau Merkel, pin-up of all UK major politicians, will have something to say about that - Russia could turn off Europe's gas in retaliation and that's the last thing Germany wants. As for Ashley pi--ing all over Abramovitch..dream on because NUFC won't see any of it.

Agreed - Van Basten was terrific, that goal against England in the Euros(or was it the WC?) and the fantastic strike against Russia in the 88 Final showed just what he could do. If he hadn't picked up that bad ankle injury(which eventually ended his career) he would have been one of the all time great CFs...absolute class. Kluivert wasn't far behind him at his peak but went to seed badly and was a mere shadow of the player he had been when he arrived at SJP.

Yep - that's basically it..

He's an international class RB and it is now showing every week. Def one of the best players in the side an his pull-back for the first goal was superb...Sissoko could hardly have missed. Another who will be sadly missed if he decides to leave next summer.

Great win over a poor side - Hull were not as dangerous as they had been at SJP and we took full advantage. Anita was brilliant, popping up all over the field to help out and set up attacks. Always thought he would eventually make himself a mainstay of the side...any decent team needs a player like him(and Gouffran, who always gives 100%)to provide support for the rest of the side - wouldn't mind betting that Anita gets to be captain at some stage because he leads by example and got a deserved goal. He was highly rated by de Boer at Ajax and you can see why. Great first goal from Sissoko, created by a good move on the right with Debuchy providing a cross which said 'top corner please' and Sissoko obliged. Credit for the goal must initially go to Krul because he made 2 instinctive stops just before the move to prevent Hull scoring. Remy was sharp enough to cash in on a bad back pass(Shola, Cisse and even de Jong wouldn't have been quick enough) to put us 2 up before the break and we will badly miss Remy's pace when and if he leaves. de Jong was always good on the ball and made some great lay-offs ; he and Remy would be a good pairing but we have to enjoy it while both players are still at SJP. Needless to say, much of the reporting will focus on the Pardew fiasco but that has been discussed on another thread and even though Gosling made it look as if he had just had a vasectomy, he was involved in another goal. Glad for him but he is NOT Pl class. We were fortunate that Hull committed suicide with that back pass which Remy put away because it took the wind right out of their sails and it was a comfortable win in the end. Ashley's wet dream of top 10 respectability whilst spending nowt beckons.

Since when was Remy in charge of the team and required to set an example to that team as well as being a person who rightly reflects the responsible position as manager that Pardew has..? Its obvious you are a Pardew fan but this is ridiculous.

If there had been any intention of firing Pardew, the club have had plenty of ammunition before this latest fiasco - not even Fergie, despite all his ranting and raving on the touchline, stooped to something like this but after the terrible results in the second half of last season(Liverpool, Man C, Mackems at SJP and scraping away from relegation on the last day, despite millions being spent in January added to FAC surrenders)if Ashley had any intention of sacking him he would have gone last summer. No, he suits their purpose, dumbs down the fans and is cheap - he may go in summer but I wouldn't put my house on it... Championship level manager at best and his desperation is now showing.

The waffle coming from these paid talking heads has about as much credibility as a promise from the EU that next year's accounts will pass audit..

As long as they keep turning up then that is true...why would you want to be paying for this guy's free advertising at SJP and getting conned into the bargain..?

but John Anderson says all is well and you are ungrateful.......... Stuff Anderson - what does he know..? Was a second rate, clumsy fullback, Championship level at best and I WASN'T grateful to see him in a B&W shirt either..!

This boy definitely has talent and I reckon he could go either way at SJP. IF he had someone like KK or Shearer coaching him(both having been top notch forwards) I reckon he could be a great acquisition as soon as he got used to the PL - he has good control, can deliver a decent pass and has enough physique to be a threat to defences. He does seem to lack a bit of pace but he could make up for this with his other attributes...still young too. Took the chance he was given very well even though disallowed and did really well in dispossessing Vlaar and setting up Remy with a gilt-edged chance. Under Pardew, though.......its anyone's guess...

Absolutely on the nail...wait until next season....

Two poor sides - they should have scored in the period they were on top after the first 15 mins. We just about deserved the points on second half effort but it wouldn't have been an injustice if we had dropped 2 points. Remy missed a sitter laid on by de Jong after he dispossessed Vlaar but was always our most dangerous player. We would be fighting relegation if Remy had not been taken on loan and we will struggle badly next season when he has gone. Likewise with Colo who always looks a class defender and who also will almost certainly be gone in summer. 50,000 there - no wonder Ashley rubs his hands and laughs at them...Stockholm syndrome writ large. This summer will be VERY interesting...!

Presumably he's not going to take it with him if and when he gets fired. We've put in a planning application to improve the clubs infrastructure and facilities, it's a good thing. That'll be the day - he will still be at SJP unless the club gets relegated next season...Oh wait..

At himself, I hope. Why should Pardew worry..? He's got the backing of such an outstanding figure of literary prowess in the unshaven Samuel to spout his propaganda..

CLEVER ...? Because he has reduced the price of his product to get poorer clients to buy it...? Its hardly rocket science but, like Quantitative Easing, it devalues what its meant to protect. In the 90s, people paid FAR more for STs, Bonds, Platinum Club etc because they knew if they didn't there were plenty who would and also, they knew the football was worth it. All Ashley is doing is ensuring there will be less and less spent on the team so he can maintain his own take.

Can't agree with you there. Samuel is a good journalist - he does write some rubbish (show me a journalist who doesn't) and can seek to be controversial for the sake of it, but some of his writing is very good. Especially on Financial Fair Play for example. I couldn't care less WHAT you think - if you think Samuel is a 'good journalist', you are part of the cultural cringe to the Southern media. He is a bloated, over-rated prat. Still, I'm sure he'll feel better knowing that you agree with him....!

Seriously, knowing what we do about the FA and seeing the things that go on there(Faria Alam anyone..!??), are you surprised that some of these clowns see Pardew as England manager..?? Remember, these are the descendants of the cretins that preferred Ron Greenwood to Brian Clough as England manager..!!!

Samuel is typical of the metropolitan media who represent everything that is wrong with the English game ; self-opinionated, over-hyped by the rest of the lousy London-based media, knows nothing about us and cares even less - as far as he is concerned, the PL begins in London and ends in Manchester with Liverpool as a sideline. He is an overpaid, under-talented shyster and sums up just what I said about the national media being happy to see us run into the ground...they have never forgiven KK and SJH for dragging us into the national spotlight and displacing clubs like Arsenal and Spurs in the 90s...they consider NUFC to be a club followed by ignorant and upstart Northerners who should be happy just to be in the PL - occasionally. He, and the likes of Barclay and Talksh--e can get stuffed. They are tat personified.

Anyone with half a brain knew that Cabaye would show his class in a good side - he is doing that now and it just highlights that we are NOT anywhere near being a good side, esp under Pardew. Good Luck to Cabaye.

Who cares..?

yep agree. Most, if not all of the phone ins I have heard recycle this same tosh. Im sure it was Paddy Barclay (sp) on talkshite the other day spouting the 'no one else could do as well as he has' line. Followed by the 'his hands are tied by MA'.... Ignoring the fact that he is complicit with and an utterly willing bondage victim of the fat ones. Not sure why his stock is so high darn sarf?? Beggars beleif that journos cant see anyone else doing better than he has though... The National media and fans of other PL clubs are happy with the set up at SJP because they know that we pose no threat to the 'established order' of the PL. The media have little interest in a successful NUFC because it would mean they had to spend more time away from their cosy metropolitan and mancunian bolt holes. The fans of clubs like Liverpool are happy because once again, they can be confident of humiliating us almost every time we play them and a comfortable 3 points beckon. Some of them will KNOW Pardew is a toss pot if they have looked at his past record but it suits them for him to remain our manager and keep us from fulfilling anything like our potential...or that of the players, most of whom have declined since coming under his management. Nobody is going to care about NUFC except the fans of the club and they are the ones who matter. I don't give a toss what smug scribblers like Barclay say on a pathetic radio show, or what other teams' fans think. They can all get stuffed.

....and he would be absolutely right if that person was Pardew...

Its quite clear that giving Pardew an 8 year contract after his sacking record at other clubs was either an act of madness(unlikely, Ashley is a prat but far from mad), something done on Llambias's prompting which caught Ashley in a gambling mood(this is the most likely) or something done because Ashley wanted to give an impression of stability to any future buyer ; this, of course, has rebounded on him big-time as many of his gambles do. There is NO way on earth that I would have given Pardew an 8 year contract ; firstly, his record tells you everything and 3 years is the absolute max he would have got and secondly, the football we played when finishing 5th was still largely poor.