merlin

We are probably as high as we are going to be - we have 2 difficult PL games coming up, plus an FA Cup tie against a side who may have a new manager so none will be easy and the likelihood of suspensions/injuries is high. Very few expect us to remain as top 6 contenders unless we strengthen in a major way during January and that is unlikely. If we lose Cabaye, we could struggle even to get into 8th place unless he is satisfactorily replaced.... 8th IF we get some forward power AND keep Cabaye...below that otherwise. Don't forget, we played Arsenal when they were without 2 of their best players and Liverpool will have a goal-crazy Suarez when we next play them...we got thumped at City and at Everton and both could beat us again at SJP so any crowing about our performances v top sides should wait until all the fixtures have been played.

Exactly - people who are happy with the club ought to remember those stats.... Think how they would read if we had people with real ambition running the place...and if SJH's plan for the new stadium hadn't been over-ruled by that fat, brainless idiot, Prescott.

This game illustrated why we are going to be also-rans again. They were slightly better on the ball, more composed all round and were without Podolski and Ozil ; imagine how we would have performed without Cabaye and Tiote..... We made a great effort and as BG says, we had the best player on the pitch in Debuchy who was superb yesterday. Unfortunately, they were better in most other positions and had far too much nous for us - the fact that Wenger was prepared to concede as much ground in the final 20 mins(through his subs)showed that he was confident they could keep us out because we had reverted to bringing on Shola and lumping the ball long in desperation. HBA showed why he will always be a player who divides supporters...those who like flashes of brilliance and entertainment will always want him in the side and those who want a player who thinks more about what his team-mates are doing will find him totally frustrating. The greatest players, such as Cruyff, could beat a man AND set up chances for their team-mates as well as looking good on the eye. We were, as everyone knew, lacking up front and unless decent money is spent, this failing is going to cost us over the season. Krul had a poor game by his standards and he is currently using up all the credits from his display against Spurs. I thought he should have been better positioned for their goal and it was hardly coming at him from a hidden position or at Warp factor 9. He looked shaky on other occasions too and his kicking was mediocre although Seczeny nearly stole the show there with his brainless clearance that hit Remy and almost rebounded into goal. Overall, a brave effort but not enough REAL chances created and this will remain the case unless and until we get reinforcements up front - we face a couple of difficult games too, with WBA away and Man C at SJP soon. City will surely be more difficult opponents than Arsenal were yesterday too, and WBA have shown they can score goals....Anelka just loves playing against us..!

This is true Dave - I have stood many times at a packed SJP/Gallowgate/Leazes End and never once did I feel in danger, even during the Fairs Cup Final in 1969 when we could sway down several terraces after a goal was scored. Hillsborough should not have been used to wipe out standing and why should the views of one club - Liverpool - be allowed to dictate to the rest of football? I have my own views about what happened there and isn't it interesting that Liverpool afficionados, like the BBC etc, never mention their fans' part in the debacle v Juventus in 1985 which was 4 years prior to Hillsborough...? If that had been NUFC fans, we'd never have heard the last of it - some in the media still drag up the pitch invasion v Forest during the FA Cup tie in 1974 even though nobody was seriously injured, as a club to beat NUFC fans with... Unfortunately, the world is now run for the benefit of Human Rights Lawyers and those who make a living chasing ambulances to sign up damages claimants so they clubs are unlikely to want standing areas returned, just in case..... I broadly agree, but you're being a bit paranoid about the 1974 pitch invasion . I think that very few, if any, younger non-Newcastle United fans will have heard of it, whereas many will know about Heysel. Not that there isn't a solid pro-Liverpool bias in the media in general. It's sad that even someone as long-standing a supporter as Dave can say that he hasn't stood at St James' Park. We're heading towards a time when two whole generations will be able to say that, and I think it's a real pity. It was a completely different experience, and I feel incredibly lucky to have experienced it. We should be able to do so again. The 1974 pitch invasion at SJP was even mentioned in David Peace's recent book, 'Red or Dead' about Bill Shankly's time at Liverpool and his life afterwards; despite the writer surely having some knowledge about both Heysel and Hillsborough, he still mentioned this and even stated that one of the Forest players was injured, which is exaggeration to say the least. The insinuation was clearly that NUFC had no right to be in the Semis because had the 'invasion' not happened, they would have lost to Forest - it may be true, it may not but he still saw fit to bring it up..

Marveaux is a good footballer with a good eye for a defence splitting pass...his creation of goal chances is very good when compared to his appearances. The problem is that he is a bit one-paced and doesn't relish the cut and thrust of PL football so Pardew would naturally be reluctant to play him, especially in games against physical sides. Obertan has pace, but no football brain....of the two, I would prefer to have Marveaux who could be used as a late sub in games where we are winning to hold the ball and possibly create chances on the break where the opposition are pushing for an equalizer and stretched. You can say that Obertan's pace is also useful in that situation, but it is almost a certainty that he would fail to pick out a colleague at the end of his run..he would be trying to beat another defender. Neither are a good fit in the first team at present because we rely heavily on Remy's pace and Gouffran's work ethic to get results and neither Marveaux or Obertan are as useful.

You can't make a statement, that Stoke were Clearly the better side before the sendings off, based on just watching highlights. I watched the whole game and they were not, it was a nothing game which they were edging with a great goal, outside of that they created nothing of any worth, as did we, just a few long shots from either team. Possession was even and territory probably belonged to us on a whole for that period. There was quite enough of the first half shown to come to the conclusion I did...they even passed the ball better than we did for large parts of the first half.....everyone has their own view of things but in the main, I stick by what I said in this case.

Some people can't or won't see past the result for some reason, it we don't get beat we've done enough. The whole ethos of the club is dumbing down expectations - even if we went 8 games without winning, people would still point at the run we are on now and hold the view that its all we can expect....sadly unless we get a change of owner or attitude at the top, that IS all we can expect. Most fans will view a Top 10 finish as a 'good season'.

Having watched a recorded highlights of the game, it is clear that we were a bit fortunate to get such a big win but Stoke DID cause their own downfall. Stupid petty offences leading to sending-offs are the players' own faults. However, they were clearly the better side before that and we looked as if we missed Tiote badly. Sissoko had a poor game and he was guilty of the worst decision of the day when he delayed passing the ball on the edge of their area when Remy was clean in on goal had he done so. Instead, Sissoko chose to take the HBA route and try to beat 2 players, which he failed at miserably. Definite pen for challenge on Remy(shirt pull, why don't more refs punish these?)but a shocking miss by Remy. This could have been costly but Remy is too good a player to let his game be affected by that and he duly redeemed himself with an equaliser but he got lucky with the deflection too. Williamson definitely handled before the goal but its touch and go whether you class it as ball to hand or the reverse which is why no FK was awarded. Once Stoke lost 2 players, there was only going to be one winner and they began to give up after we went in front. Any sense of grievance they had was cancelled out by the non awarding of a pen when Cabaye was clearly pushed off the ball in their area and the challenge on Haidara was also worthy of punishment more severe than that meted out so they couldn't really complain. We may still have won had they not got players dismissed but it would have been tough. We cannot rely on such generosity from Lady Luck when we play Arsenal and there is NO ref in the PL that would penalize them as severely as Stoke were punished. We need to hit the ground running against Arsenal or our successful run will come to a certain halt. Positives in this game..? Remy once again proving that his pace worries defences, another composed performance by Cabaye capped by an excellent goal, a fine subs appearance from Haidara(going to be a good player, adds balance to the side by using his left foot)and HBA showing that IF he has enough room, he causes teams big problems...but we knew that anyway and Arsenal will NOT be as generous.... Great result for the fans at Christmas and keeps us in a much better position than we expected to be in at this stage.

Just because you can see the grass doesn't necessarily mean the whole ball is over. exactly, it just means the ball is off the ground. if its the pic i saw it proved nothing, and i suspect the ball was slightly on the line. I've watched replays several times and its hard to say but if I had to gamble, I would have put money on NOT all of the ball being out of play which means play continues and the goal correctly stands. I have watched old film of our Cup Final win against Arsenal in the 1930s and the ball definitely WAS out before(I think it was)Allen crossed it for a goal to us.

As I've said before - every team needs a player like Gouffran who is prepared to run his guts out for the majority of the game. He's not in the same class, but he is a bit like KK was in his early days, never a naturally talented player but made up for it by his unstinting effort and many of his goals came as a result of that as do many of Gouffran's. Our defence would have been in far more trouble down the left if Gouffran wasn't helping Santon out by tracking back so often. Never going to be in the Cabaye or Remy class for talent but will always be the type of unsung player teams need.

This is true Dave - I have stood many times at a packed SJP/Gallowgate/Leazes End and never once did I feel in danger, even during the Fairs Cup Final in 1969 when we could sway down several terraces after a goal was scored. Hillsborough should not have been used to wipe out standing and why should the views of one club - Liverpool - be allowed to dictate to the rest of football? I have my own views about what happened there and isn't it interesting that Liverpool afficionados, like the BBC etc, never mention their fans' part in the debacle v Juventus in 1985 which was 4 years prior to Hillsborough...? If that had been NUFC fans, we'd never have heard the last of it - some in the media still drag up the pitch invasion v Forest during the FA Cup tie in 1974 even though nobody was seriously injured, as a club to beat NUFC fans with... Unfortunately, the world is now run for the benefit of Human Rights Lawyers and those who make a living chasing ambulances to sign up damages claimants so they clubs are unlikely to want standing areas returned, just in case.....

Always liked the look of this boy - when he was in the side last night, he was always looking to attack them and he has a purposeful way of coming into the play as if he really means it. Adds better balance to the side than Santon because he can cross with his left foot...Santon nearly always checks back and switches to his right, or cuts in...so predictable. Haidara needs games, but Sunday is going to be tough no matter who is in the side....

They have too much quality for us, mostly in m/f and up front.....Ozil and Podolski will be a particular danger as will Walcott. Our m/f needs to play out of its skin, esp Tiote and Anita, if we are to keep them quiet. Remy's pace will trouble them on the break but if both teams play to capacity, we will lose. I never predict results and anything can happen in football but hard to see us getting anything out of this - a narrow loss after a good display would be acceptable but a tonking would be bad for morale, both on and off the field.

Merry Christmas everyone, have a great one. To you too, Dave and to everyone else.

Agree with this - had the club showed more ambition and intention to press on after the 5th place, he would be happy as long as we were in the mix for CL football. We aren't, won't be, so he will leave.

You mean we can actually win games and not rely on Remy's goals like previously suggested? No that's forbidden talk, we only win matches because of Remy's goals On a serious note though, you're right the fact basically our main goalscorer is now in a poor spell but we are still winning. You can't imagine Remy not popping up with a goal or two sooner or later. If his form doesn't pick up, we've got options in Ben Arfa/Cisse to come in, that's the positive thing about this current squad, we've got good options who can all play different roles in different formations but not lose rhythm. We've had a great start, but I still think we look a bit powder puff up front. Either Cisse needs to be in the first team and scoring goals or we could do with another striker to take the load off Remy. With the start we've had, January could be a great time to bring one in to push on rather than making signings to stay clear of the relegation zone like last season. Yes - the lack of a decent second striker or target man is what is going to let us down. A couple of good signings would see us definitely challenging for Top 6 but if we don't get them and lose Cabaye, anywhere between 12th and 9th is likely and worse if we get a bad run of injuries to key players.

Showing what an outstanding RB he is and why Lille held out so long for a decent fee. We should have paid it and maybe we wouldn't have been so poor last season... Certainly a contender for the best RB in the PL at the moment and the best all round RB we have had since, probably, Irving Nattrass in the 70s. Yes, we had Venison, Barton etc under KK but this boy has more to his all round game than either of them..unlucky not to have a few goals by now and its only a matter of time.His defensive work has been superb during the past few games and he looks twice the player he did in his early days at the club.

Were the better side by a mile. Palace may have had a boost by the appointment of Pulis, but that new manager syndrome wasn't on show yesterday. We made them look what they probably are, a side destined for relegation unless massive transfer activity takes place ; they looked the worst side in the PL yesterday. Having said that, we played extremely well and - AT LAST - began to keep the ball regularly rather than humping it up the field aimlessly as before. The improvement in the side can be put down to several things ; 1.Anita getting a regular place and being a brilliant m/f link man 2.Tiote's return to form 3.Cabaye showing what a truly class player he is 4.Gouffran's unselfish running and support of Santon(without which Santon would struggle more as a defender). Every side that wants to succeed needs a player like Gouffran, not brilliantly talented but with a good engine and prepared to run his guts out - he deserved a goal and was unlucky. 5.The change in style of play to a more possession based game which obviously suits many of the newer players. 6.The players signed last January have now got to grips with the pace of the PL. Sissoko continues to be a menace on the right side of m/f and his cut-back for Cabaye's goal was perfect...once he stops trying to beat 2 men in a tight space and passes/runs for returns regularly, his strength and pace will be a real problem for teams. Strangely, 2 players who have been probably among our best this season, Remy and Krul, both had mediocre games. Remy was quiet and Krul's handling in the box for crosses/corners was way below par but bearing in mind their contribution over the season we can't complain too much. HBA made a big impact when coming on as sub and he needs to be played in a more forward role so when he does lose the ball it is not in a dangerous area for us. His control means he is an ideal sub because he can give the side a breather late in games...Shola ? Well, he won the pen... We are far from a complete side because had we had another decent striker we should have hit them for 4 at least and probably more. Unless we get one, we are always going to be vulnerable to a counter attack when playing a better side because we cannot kill games off when we are in charge. Nevertheless, a really good performance and all credit to the whole team of management and players. Lets see if we can keep this going with 2 home games to come, one of which could be against the PL leaders.

I think you'll find that people are not going to be faced with that particular dilemma...!

This - he is a direct replacement - and massive improvement - on Cleverley. They need his type of player in m/f desperately.

How many players - apart from Ba and Carroll - have we had which top clubs really want to buy..? If we had had Cabaye earlier, he would have gone earlier. He wanted to go last summer but Arsenal wouldn't meet the price. People have had another chance to see him do well this season and there will be a few clubs after him. That also applies to Remy unless we meet QPR's terms and his wages there.

This - absolutely. Over-hyped and although a good player, not a great one in my book. George Best summed him up perfectly by saying 'apart from the fact that he can't head the ball, use his left foot or beat a man by dribbling, he's not a bad player !...'

You can say that about many star players we have had over the years....we signed Terry Mac from Bury in 1972 for 25,000 and he was a hit from day 1...was sold to Liverpool in late 74. Supermac joined us from Luton in 1971 for a record 180,000, gave us 5 years and then realized he would have to move to have a chance of success. The difference is that with Macdonald & McDermott, we had won a trophy only a few years previously and when the likes of Shearer joined, it looked as if we were on the verge of great things. Cabaye would look at the stadium & our crowds and compare it to Lille and think we were a good show-room opportunity...which is all we are now.

I would prefer Pardew to have more integrity regarding the club - and his role at the club - in general, but that's not really the point. The point is, the whole club is resigned to losing him when I don't think we necessarily should be. Edit: I'd simply prefer him to not talk as though we're of standing equivalent to Wigan Athletic. Even if the owner believes we are. And that. Exactly. That being said, Cabaye might just feel his time is up on Tyneside anyway. And I think it's great that he hasn't sat and sulked - but looked more motivated than ever. It seems to be an increasingly rare thing these days. I just think the fact that he wants to leave is symptomatic of the fact the string-pullers at the club have next to no ambition. This - Cabaye will be 28 next birthday and wants some medals to show for his time in England and who can blame him for that ? Under KK and SBR we had a reasonable chance of being in the frame for that, but we are not likely to be these days. He has been an asset to the club and we will make money on him. We WILL miss him though because he is the best all round midfielder we have and it is unlikely we will sign a replacement of similar quality. This is the reality of NUFC so get used to it unless someone with massive money to invest takes over.

Actually, Brazil themselves are one of the hardest working sides in the world - yes, they are great at keeping possession, have fantastic skill on the ball and in controlling it, but have you ever watched how much running OFF the ball they do in order to create space for each other..?? No side can win anything without having a decent work rate added to their skills and the lack of off-ball movement in our side is something I've been griping about on here for seasons now. England's problem is not that of work rate - it is because they haven't any really talented players, esp in m/f.