Wallace

Don't most managers prefer to manage a club rather than their country anyway. They supposedly miss the day to day involvement and see international management as something for the future when they are much older and more experienced. Anyway, I think Pardew still needs to show he is the real deal. He needs to show that we are not a one season wonder and that he can achieve some sort of success in Europe (he only had limited experience in Europe with West Ham). At some of his other clubs, he has started well and then struggled so I think he still has a lot to prove before being considered for England manager other than just being the current flavour of the month.

A friend told me that Quinn going was down to O'Neill a few weeks ago. They had heard it from a close family member who does work at Sunderland occasionally.

Another popular misconception is that we have suffered no long-term injuries this season!! What about our second best central defender? Marveaux? Tiote and Guthrie out for a few weeks at a time. Ben Arfa missing the first few weeks of the season. Topping the injury list just a few weeks ago. And then losing Ba and Tiote for the ACoN.

I remember a French journalist saying that he played in the Frank Lampard role when he scored all the goals but that the following season, he was playing further back in a more defensive role and that was the reason he had scored a lot less goals that season.

I thought the games coming up were only tough for us and not the opposition.

I think it will be a real problem for Chelsea too because of FFP. I read somewhere that they lost something like £68m last year and that was with £45m CL money. Also, they desperately need to buy a load of new players this Summer as well and they still have to appoint a new manager. Without CL, that may be more difficult and if they just throw even more money at it then it causes even more problems with FFP (unless they find a loophole).

The way we are playing now is how I imagined we were going to play when we signed all those players from France in the summer, which is why it was so frustrating to see us playing long ball with Obertan starting ahead of Ben Arfa for the first half of the season. As it turns out I have to hold my hands up and say Pardew has got it right with Hatem. Not only is he now playing fantastic football, he's also clearly playing with a team ethic which will add millions to his value. If Pards did all this with the end in mind then he's a football genius. Full credit anyway, the football we are playing now is superb. Pardew talked about changing our style of play into a more fluid style during the close season and Cabaye also talked about it when he signed. I think not getting the extra striker he wanted combined with Ben Arfa getting another bad injury in pre-season meant that he had to re-think things. It is good to see it happening now though as I felt our style of play had been somewhat of an anti-climax after all the pre-season talk.

They seems happy enough for us to get into the Champions League as they think it will ensure their CL qualification next season. They think Spurs and Chelsea would be weakened with no CL football and we have no chance of getting anywhere near next season!!

I think a lot of clubs will be reviewing their whole transfer policy after our success this year.

If the club are seriously trying to sell the naming rights then what is the point of the council replacing the signage around the city if it is only for the short-term anyway.

Thought the only reason we sold Carroll was because he put in a transfer request and not because it was too good an offer to turn down

Wonder if the Mackems have picked up on this article yet http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2130953/Newcastle-Sunderland-face-battle-hold-best-players.html Newcastle and Sunderland face battle to keep hold of their best players By Colin Young PUBLISHED: 12:03, 17 April 2012 | UPDATED: 13:31, 17 April 2012 Fans of Newcastle and Sunderland may well have examined the PFA player of the year nominations and wonder what some of their players had to do to warrant inclusion. Hopefully their fellow professionals will redeem themselves when the teams of the year are announced as the senior and young player awards have been whittled down to just six and no one can really argue the final names. It is a shame however that Demba Ba has not sustained his unstoppable path to goals since his return from African Cup of Nations which would have propelled him into the top six (just don't ask me at whose expense). The free signing was the striker of the first half of the season, and totally unplayable. Since the introduction of Papiss Cisse, Ba has failed to find the net with such regularity, and the spark seems to have gone from his game. The enforced rest of the last ten days can only have helped him. In the younger section, Tim Krul is unfortunate that Joe Hart stands before him, but he must be the reserve choice. Like Ba, the Dutch keeper has been linked with Chelsea, and he has rightly received attention from such clubs in need of young, reliable, footballing shot-stoppers. He ticks all the boxes but with a European return in touching distance, Krul has plenty incentive to stay on Tyneside. Sunderland supporters would look at Stephane Sessegnon as their outstanding talent and one of the few players who would not look out of place in the top six, and in the company of the PFA's top six. One of the priorities of the summer will be to ensure Sunderland keep their magician but sadly Martin O' Neill must have realised he is some way from offering European competition as an incentive to stick around. Sessegnon, arguably the most exciting footballer Sunderland has ever seen, was not exactly renowned for loyalty at his French clubs, and Paris St Germain, and the many benefits a return there would bring, are sniffing around. Among others. But Sessgenon has thrived under O'Neill, and although rumours of homesickness persist, he does like the adoration of the Wearside public. O'Neill will be prepared to work his own magic to keep him, even if selling Sessegnon would bring financial rewards, and the inevitability of reshaping his team. None of the three above will make the PFA team, but they have made a difference up here, and along with Fabricio Coloccini, Cheik Tiote, Yohann Cabaye, Hatem Ben Arfa, Seb Larsson and James McClean have given the opposition plenty to think about every week, even if they were overlooked when the voting slips were handed out. And they will all be key to next season, and the next steps for the two clubs, one which has virtually qualified for Europe unexpectedly, and one which can still only dream of such things. A reality that hurts. You need look no further than the Barclays Premier League's own categories for their best moments in Premier League history vote to work out where Sunderland stand in comparison to their rivals. I know that the very suggestion that Newcastle have had better players, achieved more, entertained more, imprinted their name on the minds of the whole nation, and beyond, and 20 years on, still have the edge over Sunderland must make me a Geordie. But last week I was accused of being a Mackem, the week before that a Smoggie, so I can live with that. And the votes don't lie. Do they? I was hoping to finish this week's column with a recommendation to all fans from the North East to back the public vote for the best moments and players of the last two decades of the Premier League. And then I looked through all the categories. And sadly those of a red and white persuasion will only be able to back Craig Gordon for the save of the last 20 years (which it possibly was). They could vote for Shay Given's save in the 2002 Wear-Tyne derby but that seems unlikely. The Premier League has created shortlists for 11 categories, five of which will be determined by a public vote and six by a panel. The public will be able to vote for Goal of the 20 Seasons, Match of the 20 Seasons, Save of the 20 Seasons, and Celebration of the 20 Seasons. And looking through the lists there are plenty of names and moments for fans up here to support. So here's a guide to backing the North East (well ok Newcastle) and putting it firmly on the Premier League map. Goal of the 20 Seasons Alan Shearer – Newcastle United v Everton – 01/12/2002 (2002/03) Match of the 20 Seasons Liverpool 4-3 Newcastle United – 03/04/1996(1995/96) Newcastle United 5-0 Manchester United – 20/10/1996 (1996/97) Save of the 20 Seasons Shay Given – Sunderland v Newcastle United – 24/02/2002 (2001/02) Craig Gordon – Sunderland v Bolton Wanderers – 18/12/2010 (2010/11) Goal Celebration of the 20 Seasons Temuri Ketsbaia – Newcastle United v Bolton Wanderers – 17/01/1998 (1997/98) Lomana Lua Lua – Newcastle United – Multiple occasions Alan Shearer – Newcastle United – Multiple occasions FANTASY TEAM OF THE 20 SEASONS Goalkeepers: Shay Given Right Backs: Warren Barton, Stephen Carr Left Back: Stuart Pearce (even if it is unlikely to be for his Newcastle spell) Centre Back: Steve Bruce (er . . . ) Right Midfielder: Steve Stone (never played up here but he is a Geordie) Left Midfielders: David Ginola Forwards: Andrew Cole, Alan Shearer

Out of curiosity, how are we fixed for homegrown players. Most of the outgoing players last year were English (excluding Jose) and the rumoured outgoing players this Summer are mostly English or homegrown (Krul, Guthrie, Simpson, Ranger, Smith, Harper, Donaldson, Kadar). I am not sure how many youngsters will be left from the reserves that can be added to the squad as U21s? Are we going to have to buy English/homegrown players to fulfil the quota?

:lol: Love this 'headstart' craic, latest in a long line of hilarious mackem excuses. bless them man, they genuinely believe they'd currently be sitting in the top 4 had MON been in charge since August. They forget that O'Neill normally has his players burnt out by February and his teams then fade away for the rest of the season.

Swap deal with Messi? (Nah, I'd rather have Ben Arfa) Messi and Ben Arfa in the same team would be rather amusing.

I thought that Beardsley was the one that was reporting back to the board on Hughton which was why Hughton was so reluctant to have him as his assistant and why the players also had no time for him. Hughton also said in an interview said that it was Keegan who phoned him and offered him the job but then of course Hughton may have been presented to Keegan as an option by the board and one that he was happy to go along with. I cannot imagine Hughton keeping an eye on Keegan and reporting back to the board because he does not seem that kind of a guy. Beardsley has come out with a lot of nonsense at talk-ins and I usually dismiss most of what he says. However, he does do a lot of good things and always has a lot of time for people. One more than one occasion, I have seen him stop and chat to people for ages in supermarkets and other such places.

Good shout actually. Still , there is that thing in my mind he originally turned us down for Wigan. f***ing Wigan. Aye but in fairness to the lad we were offering more money and he wanted to go somewhere he knew he was guarenteed first team football so he could develop better as a player. Can only respect him for that like. We refused to match the wages he wanted. Honestly? I can't imagine Wigan EVER being able to offer more money than us, no matter how tight we are for wages! Aye. This was straight from the mouth of Llambias. At the time the story was that Moses wanted to sign for us but we wouldn't pay Palace the extra 500k that Wigan were willing to pay. He was sold when they went into administration.

I live in the area and admit i don't like mid week home games as they're a pain after being at work all day etc but for us to drop 20K off our normal league gate for a competition that we've strived all year the year before to enter is bit much. We don't drop 20K for mid week league games. That's because of the season ticket holders. When everyone has to buy tickets for cup games, people are more selective.

I think the realisation that we are now on the same points as Spurs will probably give them a kick up the backside. The goal difference mostly comes down to our 5-0 loss to them. Getting 5th is in our own hands as we have to play Chelsea but Spurs need to slip up for us to get 4th.

Dalglish may be a great bloke in private but when he is in front of the media, he is representing LFC and with each appearance, he is damaging their reputation further. Ferguson can be difficult but you do see him have a laugh and a joke sometimes and I don't recall him ever behaving as boorishly as Dalglish has done.

I read somewhere that it is not uncommon for a lot of players who go to the ACon to struggle on their return. Once they have adjusted to the playing conditions of the tournament, they then find it difficult to adapt back to the intensity of league football. Could be a reason although Cisse's form contradicts the above.

Carroll getting some practice in to help us get a European spot.

Supposedly the board have always regarded him as the "crown jewels" so I guess the plan is to sell him for mega money at some point. However, I do think he needs at least another season to prove that he has matured and to allow him to adjust further to the Premier League as he has still not played that many games.

http://www.journallive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2012/04/09/a-new-dawn-with-rebirth-of-magpies-star-ben-arfa-61634-30723727/ A new dawn with rebirth of Magpies star Ben Arfa • by Mark Douglas, The Journal • Apr 9 2012 BOLTON and the rest of the Premier League should beware. Hatem Ben Arfa is a changed man, as he tells chief sports writer Mark Douglas. THERE was a time when Hatem Ben Arfa would have shown a crop of waiting reporters a clean pair of heels after a performance like Friday’s. Ben Arfa had just got through an hour and a half of what might be politely termed “dirty work”. Barely able to get himself onto the ball to showcase his wonderful capacity to open up defences, you might have expected a former enfant terrible with a reputation for selfishness to be in a bit of a huff. But with a shrug of the shoulders and an apology for his lack of English – he was being modest as he seems fluent these days – he lined up to deliver a verdict of impressive maturity on Newcastle’s success. He was happy, smiling and in tune with the general mood in the dressing room. This has not always been the case, Ben Arfa’s maverick tendencies have bubbled up once or twice during his two seasons on Tyneside, but now he looks like a changed man. This is the new and improved Ben Arfa – United’s secret weapon as they push hard for a Champions League slot. “It is down to everyone working hard,” he says. “Everyone is working hard, every day in training. There’s a very good spirit in the dressing room and that is why we win.” That must be music to the ears of Alan Pardew, as well as a coaching staff who have worked over-time to get Ben Arfa on the same page as the rest of his team-mates. Hundreds of questions have been fired at Pardew about the form of Ben Arfa this season, most of which were played with a straight bat by the Newcastle boss. These days he doesn’t have to play it so conservatively, because Ben Arfa is doing his talking on the pitch. The “shift” he put in on Friday was phenomenal, and showed a real maturity on the part of the 24-year-old. He harried, chased and prompted as Swansea hogged the football – and his work-rate was a real ringing endorsement of the work that United have put in. “I’m enjoying getting a run of games at the moment and of course winning makes it better,” he said. “It’s going very well for me and hopefully we can keep it going and achieve something special. “Yes, we can make it to the Champions League now but we have to take it game by game and see where we are at the end of the season. “If we do we do and if we don’t we don’t. But the most important thing is that it’s about making sure we get into Europe, if we can get to the Champions League great but it’s important that we focus on one game at a time.” Many sighed deeply when Pardew talked back in September about the impact of Ben Arfa this season making him like a “new signing”. It was felt by a few that this was an excuse for not signing a true replacement for Andy Carroll – a sort of sop to owners who were refusing to put their hand in their pocket. For much of the first half of this season, inconsistency made him a peripheral player. But now we are witnessing the rebirth of the France maestro, and it has felt like Newcastle have benefited from an injection of Gallic ingenuity. Back before Newcastle were the new Moneyball and Graham Carr’s scouting prowess was on the national radar, there was Ben Arfa. United had already kick-started their new approach by signing Cheick Tiote but Ben Arfa provided the perfect example of the type of player Newcastle were looking to get “extra value” from. It was a risk but he has been well treated on Tyneside, and the edges to his personality have been smoothed by the affection he feels from the fans. “Wow, the supporters.... They are absolutely fantastic for me. I can’t believe they went all the way to Swansea – now we want to give them something at home too,” he said. “I am enjoying it here. I feel as if I am settled and playing well now too.” On the right of a three-pronged attack, Ben Arfa is enjoying himself alongside Papiss Demba Cissé. “He’s just brilliant. He scores a lot of goals and is very good for us. Hopefully he can continue this form until the end of the season. “He’s showing very good form and if he keeps going maybe I could say he’s the best striker I’ve played with. Demba (Ba) is amazing, he worked very hard on the left. “We have two very good strikers and that’s why we win. Having two very good strikers gives us very god confidence. We know they can score in every game, at any moment.”

It might be a season too soon but there is no guarantee that we will be in the same situation next year so we will need to seize the opportunity now. A lot of clubs have seriously underperformed this season and I am sure they will be trying to address that in the Summer.