AyeDubbleYoo

Yup same here. It's kind of ridiculous for blokes in their thirties like me to still have young lads as footballing heroes but Carroll certainly fitted that category. Strong as an ox home grown centre forward playing number 9 for Newcastle, it doesnt get too much better. People liken the sale to Gazza but I think its worse, at least we had a few years out of Gazza. Carroll had one half season performing out of his skin at the top level and he was off. Absolutely gut wrenching seeming him performing so well for Liverpool (of all clubs, it had to be those twats). His sale has a firm place in my "10 worst days as a NUFC fan". Absolutely the same, still gutted about it now. Everything in that article I pretty much felt, including the weird happiness seeing him score for Liverpool.

The good thing is that he has more than enough time to turn around his attitude and make a great career for himself. I just hope he's not 25 and playing in League 2 before he realises.

I live in London and I'm not sure I can justify £50 for the Chelsea game. Need at least one more game this season though, hopsefully one that Ben Arfa features in.

Well maybe, but it hasn't been a sudden cut off, it just gets less and less affordable to more and more people gradually.

I don't care whether it's an arm around the shoulder or a slap round the chops, I just hope he realises what he needs to do.

Football has a history of being a working class sport that ordinary people can afford to attend, that's what makes it unique in the "entertainment" business.

You might have hit the nail on the head there Baba, as usual. I think it's always difficult for a striker to get confidence at first, playing in short cameos here and there. Especially if the first few chances don't go in for you. Hopefully he'll learn the humility to allow him to get his head down, work, and accept help from coaches and senior players.

Not sure there's any real reason behind his laziness, he's just a laid back character. Hope he realises before it's too late that he needs to work hard. He's not talented enough to succeed without it.

Truth, still one of my favourite ever players.

£21m for Shaun Wright-Phillips, that makes Andy Carroll looked like a freaking bargain. Not that many bad signings there really though, Del Horno and Boulahrouz were both decent players IMO. Shevchenko a pretty large flop, but presumably he was a Abramovich signing like Torres.

I think it's a huge indictment of your attitude that you're writing off a promising-looking youngster after only a handful of appearances alongside Peter Lovenkrands. (Everyone in Spain isn't Barcelona BTW) I'm not writing him off. This is England, is it not? So you don't think he'll make it, he's not a talent but you're not writing him off? I don't think anyone thinks Ranger is the English Messi, but he has a chance to be a good player if he knuckles down a bit (which it seems he isn't I admit).

I think it's a huge indictment of your attitude that you're writing off a promising-looking youngster after only a handful of appearances alongside Peter Lovenkrands. (Everyone in Spain isn't Barcelona BTW)

What Hughton has in his favour is a brilliant promotion from the Championship and some great progress in terms of team spirit. Time will tell whether Pardew will achieve anything decent with us, I hope he does but the discussion is a bit pointless at this stage of his reign.

I think it's more likely that in 20 years time very few people will remember Kevin Nolan or Chris Hughton. They've done a bit for us, but they're not exactly legends.

It's supply and demand, but with the demand artificially high because football fans aren't really customers. Therefore (as we know) they can be shafted from all angles before they'll even consider not going to the match.

But you quoted a set of statistics that showed they have almost identical records. You might be right about the morale aspect, time will tell. I think the signs are good that Pardew has managed to maintain the team spirit though. It was certainly a potential opportunity cost, though hopefully it hasn't come to pass.

You might say that Pards had a worse set of players to choose from as well I suppose. Not that I care about comparing them, I liked Hughton and I'm hoping Pardew does well in the future.

I'd like to see him at Man Utd, TBH. If they're going to win the league every year it would be much less annoying than Ferguson doing it.

Not based on those stats.

Nice!

Couldn't give a f*** about the answer, because it's worthless. Even if he preferred Hughton as manager, he wouldn't say so. AS JH said, why he couldn't he just say that he respected them both or that they are both good in their own ways? You think Pardew gonna drop him for saying that? Or maybe he just believes what he said??? Heresy!!

Nah its not you & Colocho prove this. Think that was about my fifth post in 250+ pages.

TBH I would rather not have a thread on here about Sunderland, I hardly give them a second thought. But then it is easy just not to read or post in it.

I've basically gone from hating him to loving him. Amazing. Same here.

Apparently those £87 tickets cost £75 this season. Outrageous either way like, obviously.