AyeDubbleYoo

Aye, obviously all this chat has to be with the caveat that we don't really know how he's doing behind the scenes and how his comeback is being managed.

Quite a lot of people at work have those giant SD mugs. Have to constantly resist the urge to smash them up.

Sensible words from Pards in general, Obertan is still pretty inexperienced and will hopefully learn the balance of going outside and cutting in. I hope Pardew isn't just telling him to go wide less though, because as people have said he does it very rarely at the moment.

Even if he didn't score against City, I thought his game very, very promising, in a different role than he had at Goodison. He just needs the same run of games (and confidence from Pardew) given to Obertan Agree, we probably do expect to much but he is capable of delivering most of it. He just needs a bit of patience from the management IMO.

I think a lot of wingers hit and hope TBH. As long as they get it into dangerous areas I don't really have a problem with that.

Tend to agree, we'll almost certainly end up with Sports Direct. The effect on shirt sales will be catastrophic I would think.

Thanks for this, I now have a white supremacist forum in my work internet history.

The West Ham fans I've spoken to really like him as well. Even my Sunderland mate said he was a good manager when he joined.

Geremi is at least 52 like.

Bracing myself to explode with jizz.

He's right though! I think

People definitely expect Obertan to use his pace much more than is ever feasible in an actual football game. And they would rip into him if he kept making runs and losing the ball. Sometimes our fans can be a double-edged sword, and Obertan is the target for that at the moment. He hasn't been brilliant yet, but he has ability and intelligence and I don't mind seeing him played (given our other options especially). I think now we have Santon in at FB, Jonas should attack more, and with the two on the wings the team should be nicely balanced.

You can add Santon to that list. Because of these players presence - bar Obertan (retrospectively, I admit) - and the game project (submited to Cabaye by Pardew) at the start of the season, I hoped to see a more ambitious Pardew in term of game scheme. Look at the difference between Santon and Simpson/Raylor in their respective relaunch from the back. I saw the italian full back always searching to come out with proper passes, avoiding losing possession with long balls ... I think he has decided to delay big changes until later, because we have had such a good start. In some ways it has been difficult for him to be winning games without the likes of HBA and Santon, he hasn't had a clear reason to change the team. Upsetting the balance of a winning team can be a scary thing. He seems to have moved Santon in now, and I hope he will do the same with Ben Arfa soon.

I don't think you can write off Pardew's entire philosophy just because he thought Shola winning a high ball might be a way to beat Swansea. We've signed HBA, Marveaux, Obertan, Cabaye, not players you buy if you're recreating Stoke.

I think sometimes he overthinks things a bit... he's an intelligent lad but sometimes intelligent people don't make the best footballers. He needs to operate more on instinct.

At the moment I would just drop Best. He doesn't deserve it really, but the overall effect would be to make us more dangerous IMO.

Think Pards definitely made a mistake not bringing on HBA, but it's easy for a fan to say that. Hope he gives him a decent run against WBA, then he does well enough to be kept in the team.

Tend to agree, some players are just special enough to be given a chance in actual games. FWIW I think he will come good, if he gets enough 30 minute slots he'll do something brilliant soon enough.

I can't describe my anger at posts like this.

I was thinking this as well, might work. Modric and Parker esque.

I get that a direct line would exist between the club's PR and the press, that's what PR people are for after all. But I don't understand why NCJ would be so scared of upsetting the club. What do they get from the club anyway, that they couldn't find out/make up anyway?

You really should tell the local press about these objectives, if you haven't already. Sure they would love to expose them, and fans would love to know about them.

Don't think there's any chance of trouble at SJP, most people can hardly muster enough enthusiasm to sing.

Well he didn't sign, so people would easily work out the reason.

This 'Newcastle are going through a slump' thing is massively overplayed. Aye, we haven't won for a while, but three of those games were against the best teams in the country and the other one was without any defenders.