AyeDubbleYoo

Does seem like we could have managed it better, but if Pieters ends up arriving before the end of the window it won't be a total disaster. We'll see.

We're not going down this season. And I'm not dismissing the August games. I think we can get a win at Sunderland with or without a left-back. I'm p*ssed off it's taking us so long to sign a left-back but some of the reactions are bordering ridiculous. Hull City, September 2008. No way we were going down that season, absurd. There was also the added 'JFK' factor, which couldn't helped team/squad morale, through the autumn/winter months. Not to mention our entire squad playing like they were on Ketamine for most of the season.

I agree we've made a mess of the LB situation, but would they not have been slated if they'd sold Enrique cheap to Liverpool to get it done quickly?

At least we haven't sold him, wise until we're absolutely sure that Krul is our long-term No1 and Alnwick is good enough to come through as well.

Baba, as usual you're talking absolute sense. The way people analyse and dissect every tweet, press link and comment is borderline mental.

how may points did you get? 63 Basically all my defenders got clean sheets (Krul, Clichy, Richards, Bosingwa), Young scored in midfield and I had Rooney and Aguero up front. Carroll's goal should never have been ruled out either TBH, so I was robbed!

'Meet our new left-back from Lyon, welcome Ally. Daniel Sturridge will be with us later on too after the formalities have been completed.Oh and we have just been taken over by a competent owner and as a result I have just resigned and will now manage the toilets in Mike's casino.' I would be in favour of that!

Yep, obviously we absolutely must sign a LB, if we don't that will be indefensible. Think we will get someone though, we have to.

Totally agree, but at the same time it was a panic reaction to try to defend something which seemed inexplicable to most fans, I can see why it was said.

There's no point me getting into this debate again, sorry for starting it. I just don't think the minutiae of what the manager says to the media should be taken as some sort of gospel truth and then ripped apart when it doesn't happen. Fair enough people think that Pardew should stand up to the regime more, and criticise them in public, that's fair comment.

Erm, that's not my attitude.

In what way? 'Andy Carrol will not be sold'. Lying pricks. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/7409863.stm http://straightalkingooners.wordpress.com/2011/04/29/wenger-fabregas-not-leaving-arsenal-in-the-summer/ http://www.channelstv.com/global/news_details.php?cat=Sports&nid=25568 The fact that anyone thinks Pardew is in anyway more dishonest than any football manager beggars belief TBH, I can't understand why people think it. I guess it's just something to have a go at him for because he represents the regime, even though he's doing a decent job.

What should he say like?

Brilliant post, some people need to get a bit of perspective. Aye, our signings have been cheapish but we've still got plenty of quality in the team.

This made me laugh. Don't know why. Will probably end up at Fulham/Villa or something When players say that they usually end up somewhere distinctly average. At least when they're leaving Newcastle.

Fair comment, I'll just be happy when we sign someone, the timing of it is less of a worry. Obviously I would rather have them in ASAP. It's true that they have had ages to prepare for Enrique leaving.

Or they're pursuing a number of targets to make sure they get someone. People would go mental if we concentrated on one left back, it fell through and we were left with nobody.

It isn't the last week of the window.

That's a massive assumption based on absolutely no credible evidence. FFS, we have enough to worry about without making stuff up.

Had an immense week this week, ended up 900th in the telegraph league. Probably the highest I'll ever get!

I think there's a fair amount of incompetence mixed in with the naivete. That's not to say that the transfer market isn't a complex place but you need to have someone who knows what they are doing fronting the negotiations. I really doubt that Llambias is up to it if the deal is not straightforward. When you add in the other stuff you hear such as the logistics of the US tour and the strange story about the bonuses it all points in one direction. Ashley could solve quite a few problems if he binned Del and brought in a proper chief executive who knows how to work the transfer market and how to run a football club. Seems to me like Del does know how to work the transfer market, at least in the way that Ashley wants him to. He plays hard ball and looks for bargains, he's probably doing his job well in Ashley's eyes.

There are too many real problems at NUFC to start complaining about stuff that hasn't happened.

It better just be a loan.

Keefaz, what sample size of games are you using for these graphs?