clintdempsey

I feel sorry for the silver fox, I really do. He looks and sounds like a broken man in the interviews. He was an integral reason why we had such a fine season last year, and has earned the chance to turn this into something good. Granted, he's been let down by those above. But right now he's got every right to feel let down by his players as well. We simply aren't turning up for the battle, and haven't the whole season, aside from when we went to Sunderland. Something is very wrong in the dressing room, and try as we like no one of us can fathom what. I can't for the life of me believe that this is how Pardew wants us to play. We're stuck in a bad rut at the moment, and we need something, anything to get us out of it. Be it a flukey win at Stoke on wednesday or a managerial casualty. However, the players are IMO as much to blame for this situation as Pardew. For the sake of stability let's hope he can get us out of this mess. I'm having trouble trusting the man to turn this around right now, but at the same time I'd like to think that he's got that special something to get us out of this mess that he, the players and the men above have got us in to. As for tactics, I couldn't give a flying fuck what formation he'll use on wednesday, I couldn't give a flying fuck how we play. We badly need a win, not to kick start the season, but perhaps saving it from being a total disaster. Hopefully most of us can get behind Pardew and the team and rise once again. If the bad results and our bad play continues a couple of more weeks however, I'm all for a change. Even when calmed down.

http://yfrog.com/scaled/landing/737/8mtgh.jpg Fuckin hell. Simpson and dad...

Best three minutes of the season so far. Easily pleased me.

I still think our team (or starting 11 at least) is good enough to have a good crack at 5th. But I'd say that anything from 7th and up would be good.

The first I've seen of him today but for a few minutes in the earlier friendlies. Looks really composed and as a lot of people have said; His movement is strikingly similar to Tiote's. Looks like a really good prospect IMO.

Today's more like turning up at 1.45 to watch the warm-up but furiously having to rip off a blindfold to be able to watch it. I'm still blindfolded btw.

http://www.extra-gtfc.co.uk/acatalog/Home%20Shirt%20lassood%20%20-%20%20re-sized.png Not really.

Elliot; Tavernier, Perch, Williamson, Taylor; Obertan, Gosling, Abeid, Amalfitano; Vuckic, Sammy Ameobi Substitutes: Harper, Simpson, Santon, Bigirimana, Jonas, Shola, Ba

I don't think Carr said anything about the Euro's tbh. Normally (when there's no EC our WC during the summer) they don't watch any targets in their respective leagues after April due to tiredness was the way I interpreted it.

Very much a Giggs, that was a few years ago and Nke bought them. Nike are trying to offload them.

Just saw the posts regarding managers' win %. Take away our European games under Souness and he's left with a win percentage of 35,8%. Seems to be more in line with the reality of his tenure IMO.

From tomorrow's match programme:

With the same conversion rate as he has at Newcastle applied to the number of shots Messi has had in the Primera and CL Cissé would have scored 102 goals this season.

Cissé has 13 goals in 34 shots. 38,2% conversion rate. Decent.

Looks like it.

Aye, I was listening to Absolute Radio and they had some live thing going on, somebody said they bumped into him upstairs (I think they said he was talking to a page 3 model although I was half asleep). Smooth. I'm sure somewhere reported he was to have detailed discussions with MA/DL this week about recruitment. Maybe he was in London for that? Is Pardew still married? Yep, Swedish wife and all. http://wooller.co.uk/sites/wooller/gallery/10520/dee_pardew_8433.jpg

Almost. He's born in Roubaix, approximately 5 km from the Belgian border. Close enough.

€8 on: Man Utd @ 1.44 Real Madrid @ 1.61 Fiorentina @ 1.57 Schalke @ 2.15 €6 on: Man Utd @ 1.44 Arsenal @ 1.40 Man City @ 1.25 Montpellier @ 2.37 Inter @ 1.61 Juventus @ 1.36 Napoli @ 1.44 Athletic Bilbao @ 2.37 Valencia @ 1.44 Bayer Leverkusen @ 1.36 Hannover 96 @ 2.30 €3 on: Helsingborg @ 2.20 Genk @ 1.66 Anderlecht @ 2.37 Rennes @ 1.40 PSV @ 1.57 Feyenoord @ 2.00 Ajax @ 2.00 Roma @ 1.85 Legia Warszawa @ 1.40 Dynamo Moskva @ 1.36 Partizan Belgrad @ 1.80 FC Sion @ 1.90 Ross County @ 1.80 Sparta Prag @ 1.61

11 pts I think.

It's a really, really boring game but you know what? We're in the lead, and we're 5th as it stands. 5th! I'd take another half of this without a doubt. Swansea are so slow in possession as well, it's not like they're tiring us out.

I somewhat agree with parts of this. They will probably stabilise as a midtable PL team for a couple of years. Yes, they are a very good passing side and yes they keep the ball very well most of the time. What they really do lack however is penetration. They really do play most of their stuff in their own half and a couple of yards into the opposition's half. I much prefer our style play the last couple of games tbh. Maybe I'm old fashioned but I tend to enjoy teams that actually make things happen most of the time and try to attack with purpose. At times you need to keep the ball to keep your opponents at bay but a gameplan which brings your team the 2nd lowest shots on goal in the league is by no means anything to strive for IMO. Anyways, for a team with their squad and their goals they've done really well most of the time. It's just that they are a bit boring.

Pretty sure its just as high with Taylor in the side. Colo out!!! Nah, only 57% with Tayls.

Except that French dude who all of a sudden appeared in Newcastle back in August 2010?

Nowt wrong with that. Sometimes you just have to take your hat off and say fair play. It was the best individual performance from an opposing player I've seen at SJP since Scholes in the 2-6. Hmm dunno like. Perhaps it was just the timing of it. To me it signalled the apparent threat of our oncoming relegation and i'm sure MA came out and said something on that day too, i can't really remember though "What price for a Top 6 finish?" or something like that wasn't it?

Yep, it was a nasty knock to the side of the head. He looked completely lost for a second, eyes just went blank.