AyeDubbleYoo

Agree too, discussion of player wages is mental for the most part.

I thought we weren't paying Ireland until he plays?

We'll have a dilemma if he plays three or four good games before the end of the season. In a way I hope he doesn't play at all, so we won't have to take a risk on him permanently.

Yep, that'll make Arsenal look good as Barca will absolutely murder them.

There's no way they were robbed man, for one thing the referee missed at least two penalties they should have had. They defended bravely, but last-ditch defending for 90 minutes is never going to get you through. It isn't a game plan either.

Footballers' twitter accounts.

Barca are amazing like, I might just give up watching all other sport and only follow them. 30% possession and 0 shots for Arsenal, that's the reason they're going out. That and Nicklas Bendtner's ridiculous feet.

The BBC should refuse to allow Mike Phelan on the TV anyway IMO, if Fergie is going to boycott them they should shut Man Utd out completely. Also, they should definitely submit an official complaint over this, it's about time that Fergie got slapped down a peg or two.

I think Cronky was just exploring the possibilities anyway.

They're like those two old men on the muppet show.

I thought Barton was probably back?

But how do you account for all the games we've won so far Bob?

It has to be Ferguson, we can't mess about with the team as much as we did against Everton.

True, although that kind of makes the original claim even more ridiculous, since then it would mean that Pardew was lying to Taylor just so Ashley could subsequently sell him for more money. Which IMO is even more out there. Aye, I'll give you that one. I think Pardew just came in and thought 'Steven Taylor, the Geordies love him and he'll definitely be better than that Will Michaelson', which is even more disturbing... Well that's possible, I think Taylor is actually thought of as quite good amongst people who don't have to watch him play. In any case, a new manager is entitled to try out different players.

Bon anniversaire Hatem, mon ami. Probably spelled that all wrong, but he gets the idea.

Jamie Carragher is anything but smooth.

True, although that kind of makes the original claim even more ridiculous, since then it would mean that Pardew was lying to Taylor just so Ashley could subsequently sell him for more money. Which IMO is even more out there.

Ranger hasn't achieved anything yet, I rate him but it's disappointing to hear that he's not knuckling down and giving everything to succeed.

True, he didn't say the guarantee was actually written into the contract, but the effect is the same.

I mentioned the "guaranteed start" because someone else said they thought that was how Pardew got Taylor to sign a new deal. I didn't invent the idea just to say it was unlikely, I was responding to the proposal that it existed.

I'm not saying Pardew will never play Taylor ahead of anyone else, I'm just saying that it won't be because he has contractually guaranteed him a starting place.

Lamps played a blinder for me last night.

he's responsible for bringing tiote on in the cup I know. He's not the only manager who decides he really fancies winning a cup game after already picking his reserves though. Ancelotti lost about 3 players doing that against us.

There's no way that has happened. why is there no way that has happened? IMO it's too far fetched. There's no way Pardew would guarantee Taylor a start, it wouldn't fit in with the way the club is being run at all.

Agree with Punk and Roger, any manager can only work with the players he has and can't be responsible for their errors. We've looked good for the majority of the time under Pards, we could well be a few points better off than we are. Any time Tiote is missing we will struggle, we just don't have anyone else who can even pretend to protect the back 4.