Chris_R

I can understand people being unhappy about the situation, but now that the proposal is out there, and the club is committed to it, do you want it to succeed or to fail? That's the real question now. It strikes me that the likely consequences of failure would be instability and uncertainty. I want it to fail, indeed fail spectacularly, so that any business associated with the club (including Sports Direct) is hit extremely hard financially as a result. This will mean the only option is to rename the stadium back to St James' Park, or for the business associated with it to suffer massive and continuing losses. How realistic that proposal is I'm not sure, but that's what I'd like to see happen in an ideal world. I don't see why this would create financial instability. If it's another company, they've already paid up hence no problem. They'll just not renew their deal at the end when they realise it's been a catastrophe and resultingly there'll be no other sponsors taking it up. On the other hand if it's still in the name of Sports Direct and Ashley starts haemoragging money then the only thing he needs to do to stop it is to change the name back, something that can be done just as quickly as changing it from St Jame's Park in the first place. Problem immediately solved, financial instability avoided.

In what world do you live where a stadium name change correlates to the success of a football club? You already know the answer to that, don't you? If the club increases its income and it spends the money wisely, you increase the chances of success on the field. Look, forgetting the distastefulness of renaming the stadium, they haven't even managed to spend the Carroll money yet. They're not short of cash, they're fucking rolling in it at the moment. Suggesting that they need more money to not spend on top of the money they're already not spending is hardly going to do anything to increase our chances of success on the pitch.

I've not read the whole thread, but here's my 2p worth: I'll not be lauching any protests or shouting at the players or ruining the atmosphere inside, but I'll quietly make sure that I never spend another single penny inside a Sports Direct shop as long as the club is called something other than St James' Park. And on top of that, if they sell the rights on and call it after another company then I shall avoid giving that company a single penny for as long as that deal lasts as well. I'd suggest that everyone considers doing likewise. Vote with your wallets, it's all this greedy cunt will understand. Shouting won't work, protesting won't work, hit the fucker in the pocket and make sure that any company that takes over the rights KNOWS that they'll be hit in the pocket as well, it'll act as a nice deterrent. I'm sure that between all of us we can take more than £10m profit each year from Sports Direct, the touted sum that this bell-end is trying to raise by selling the name, thus making it a loss-making venture for him. It's the only language he understands, profit and loss. Let's make it a loss for him.

Have no bad feeling towards him, but he's a terrible footballer and I'll be pleased when he's off the wage bill. Really not getting the hate though. We offered him a ridiculous contract, he signed it. Where's the problem? Those saying "He should leave and get half the money so he can play football every week" are being incredibly idealistic. I'd respect him massively if he did do that, but he's not obligated to and I can't blame him for staying and seeing out his contract. I'd do exactly what he's doing, and I reckon the majority would too.

Agree the first picture is awesome. Is there a higher res version anywhere?

Marveaux looks streets ahead of Obertan in terms of talent. Obertan's just another Pancrate IMO. Fast and direct, but little else. Young enough that he can improve though. Needs to learn some ball skills and get his head up a bit more then he could be a terrific little player.* The phrase "Terrific little player" appears here with kind permission of Mr H. Redknapp, ©1990-2011. All rights reserved.

I thought his pace looked decent tbh. Hard to judge, but when he got going a couple of times he was really shifting. It'll take time to get match sharpness back, but he's fit now so pace will either be there or will never be.

Can't disagree that Cabaye is so good he's worth 2 players.

Felt far more confident with Marveaux on the ball than I ever have with Obertan anywhere near it. The very epitome of a headles chicken. Mellon-heed just runs at players, not past them or round them and ends up getting simply disposessed nearly every time. If he does get past his man, his end product makes Jonas look like Pele. About as much vision as Stevie Wonder. Still, good win. Happy with 3 points no matter how they come. Lovely lay off by Marveaux, lovely goal too. Ben Arfa looks like he's not lost any pace either which is good but his general play was rusty even though he was trying to do the right things. It'll come.

I think you're missing the point of a breakaway. Anyway, I think this has come to the fore because of the Sky court case. The next Sky TV deal will be nowhere near as big as the last one if this ruling is upheld as the value of their product has been potentially decimated. Hence Liverpool are looking to sell their own rights. Can see their logic, but that doesn't detract from them being a massive bunch of cunts.

No, that was because our manager was a dribbling spastic.

We seem to have gelled OK.

Well, that was utterly shit. 4th place papers over what are massive cracks in our performances. We can't continue to be this lucky for much longer, if we don't improve, we're going to get found out very quickly.

would you be happy if Simpson was our RB for the next 5 years? wouldn't mind him being a squad player over next 5 years tbh But I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm still hoping he'll turn into a great RB.... Fair enough, but I've been hoping for what's now just more than a decade that Ameobi turns into a great centre forward. But it's just not going to happen.

Lovely goal from Sturridge. Even if the sunderland player got the last touch.

Jonas and Coloccini out, some shit Championship tripe in to replace them. We'll fuck about endlessly for a striker and then end up with nobody. Smith will still be here though. Even Febreeze couldn't shift his stink.

This really. Utterly unacceptable. Useless cunts.

Jermain Defoe, £5m. Thank fuck when it fails.

Fucking ridiculous if we sell Carroll for £35m in January, then after over 8 months of planning the best we can do is Federico fucking Macheda on a bloody loan. The entire lot of them want shot with shit. Hopeless cunts.

Baffled by the ratings some are giving out. If Lovenkrands did enough to get a 6, surely that means he had an above average game? Average out of 10 is a 5, you know? 2 or a 3 would be nearer the mark. Did nothing at all, was well below average. No way should anyone be giving him a 6, or even a 5. For me it's nearer this: Krul: 7 - Did some very good stuff, but fluffed his positioning for the goal. Overall, very impressive though. Ryan Taylor: 5 - Torrid first 30 mins, recovered to do OK and didn't look too bad. Steven Taylor: 7 - Very good game. Did well. Coloccini: 6 - Decent, another good game. Simpson: 5 - Crap tackle for the foul in the buildup to the goal marred anotherwise decent enough performance. Jonas: 5 - Had an alright game, but he never really ran at his man or looked especially threatening on more than a handful of occasions. Cabaye: 7 - Pick of the midfield, looked composed and classy. Tiote: 4 - Ran round a lot and kicked people. Tidy passing though, but passes lacked penetration. Obertan: 4 - Not impressing me massively yet. Looks like he's got pace, but not sure he knows how to use it. Very rarely managed to beat his man and often looked like he didn't know how he was even going to try to. Best: 7 - More I see of him, the more I like him. Definitely our best (haha) striker at the moment Lovenkrands: 2 - Forgot he was playing. Shouldn't in future get another chance to be that anonymous ever again. Subs: Ba: 6 - Looked tidy and did far more in 30 minutes than Lovenkrands did in 60. Vuckic: Not on long enough for a rating but looked promising. Hope he gets more pitch time. Smith: 1 - Despite his best efforts, we clung on.

Can't get out of our own half. Just got nothing in midfield.

Raylor down, no defenders on the bench. :/

Fucking Lovenkrands.

SAMEOBI!!!!!!!! What a strike.

Gervinho dives to try and cheat his way to a penalty, barton hauls him to his feet, slaps barton who dives to get gervinho sent off. Beautiful irony IMO.