Wallace

I can imagine Sunderland losing to Everton - they have often struggled to follow a win with another one. However if that happened, I think they would then beat Watford. It would be interesting for a few days though especially if Norwich managed to beat Watford midweek.

That is true. Most of the information that has made people sit up and take notice this time has actually always been in the public domain but for whatever reason, it has been ignored. The focus after the Taylor report all seemed to be about developing the stadiums.

Has anyone ever questioned Pardew about Tevez and Mascherano?

And contrast that with the 7/8 years before he arrived. - Qualified for the Champions League twice - UEFA Cup Semi-Final - UEFA Cup Quarter Final - FA Cup Semi-Final (take it back a couple of years further and two FA Cup Finals) - European football most seasons - Some disappointing seasons but no real relegation battles It was always very disingenuous of Pardew to claim we were where we supposed to be in the league because our average position was bottom 10. You can always find some criteria to produce the average you want to quote.

I hope the club has noted the way that Rafa has galvanised the fans. I think it is important that the fans believe in the manager especially at a club such as this and what a difference it makes having someone you respect managing the club. I think a manager in Newcastle is a representative for our city and it is important that he is someone who carries himself with dignity and who we can respect- as well as being good at his job Also, I think attendances will hold if Rafa stays as the supporters have faith in him and that will probably contribute hugely to his salary. I can't even begin to think who they would go for if Rafa goes. But anyone like Pearson, Bruce, Pulis, Martinez will see many fans walk away as most would be against them from the start for different reasons. Also I don't think any of those would be able to rebuild the club from top to bottom so the Academy etc would just be left to rot further.

They are going to have to make decisions very quickly about the senior appointments especially if Rafa is not staying. The worry is that Ashley is very slow to replace people. I don't think we have even appointed a new Financial Director and John Irving left last year. (Don't think he ever replaced the senior financial person either at SD which has caused consternation amongst the shareholders).

I've heard previously that the changing rooms were an issue. I think we did bid for a UEFA final under FFS.

Hasn't there been suggestions that Barca need to sell one of their forwards because of financial issues? He would certainly be a cheap option to help balance the books.

If they are usually out of the relegation zone at this stage, does that mean they are usually safe at that point? In which case, it might just mean that once they are mathematically safe, they switch off - and then of course they don't bother playing until the following January when desperation once again kicks in.

Their caretaker manager has said that because of the hostility towards the players, it wasn't fair to subject the kids to that but maybe their fans would be less hostile if they were playing although they are still planning protests.

Back in the day, all clubs used to sing it. Not sure when that stopped.

Rafa will make his own decisions. He is not a player with an agent encouraging him to move so that he can get his commission. Media speculation will not influence his decision.

PFM is rattled isn't he? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3570242/Rafa-Benitez-blame-Newcastle-injuries-claims-rival-Sam-Allardyce.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

That dopey NE correspondent on talkSPORT was saying how lovely Rafa is with everyone in and outside the club. He always stops and talks to the fans waiting after games and said it was a refreshing change. It brings back memories of Keegan having that connection with the fans.

The Villa players seem to have been getting massive stick from their own supporters this season, I don't think Saturday will be any better. They are meant to be playing better away from home as the hostility at Villa Park is affecting them. I heard that a lot of the players are getting heavily abused in games.

The same thing has struck me about the difference between a quality manager and an average/poor one Benitez does not need or have the desire to promote a different reality to the wider world. For the poorer manager it is all about self-preservation and not about the club or the players but about them as they concentrate their efforts on keeping their jobs and maintaining a reputation. They constantly feel the need to say they are doing a good job and that anything positive is down to them. They can't worry about the rest of the club such as the Academy because all their focus is on the first team hence they like to play it safe and go for experienced players rather than take a risk with a youngster. I hope the club is now able to see the difference a quality manager brings.

I have been reading some of the newspaper articles put up tonight containing the post- match interview with Rafa. How refreshing it is to hear the manager giving the credit to the players rather than himself.

What a bitter deluded man. http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/sam-allardyce-grumbles-newcastles-spending-7875561?

Mark Douglas has always maintained that he wanted to come back here but the club said no. In the end, it was Pardew or PSG and he wanted to play.

Completely agree aye, but cabaye issued an apology on .co. uk afterwards, can't imagine he'd have done that if he wasn't behind it tbf. This is the club that put out a statement supporting McClaren on behalf of the players that none of them knew anything about. I can't remember if he apologised or not but it is accepted that he refused to play. However, where NUFC are concerned the one thing I am confident about is that we don't know the full story and even more so when those involved include Pardew and especially JFK.

Never really been a fan but if we stay up, he will have played a huge part.

What? Instead of Super Al?

I bet he was a bit put out about the lack of hostility towards him. He would have expected it and then the game would have been all about him and how unfairly he was treated here .. blah blah. In the end, he was nothing more than a footnote and he didn't get the attention he constantly craves.

And then when he took a corner after the penalty save, everyone was cheering and applauding him.

I see Allardyce is trying the mind games by implying Palace won't be up for the game because they will have been celebrating all week.