LoveItIfWeBeatU

Mike Ashley doing well can't be bad for us: - http://www.sundaysun.co.uk/news/north-east-news/2012/04/22/sports-direct-to-turn-up-the-heat-on-rival-jjb-79310-30810652/

Not only did he score, he almost scored a second with a near identical header! The keeper pulled off a good save.

I think the team are desperate for Ba to score and keep passing to him when they should take it on themselves.

He got a standing ovation from the SJP crowd when he went off today.

That's if they even show it. They've got a nasty habit of not showing disallowed goals.

Pards is bringing it back: -

I liked his celebration after his second goal. He ran to the corner and did a few 'give me 10' (i.e. high fives with both hands) with the fans.

He always seems to walk down to the Gallowgate at the end of every game and claps the fans.

Like I said, I can understand the logic, from a man management point of view. Usually though, it's the players who aren't at the top of their game who get subbed off, not those who are on fire. My point was to play Cisse through the middle with Ba and Ben Arfa off him. Ba will score when he scores.

I can see how it is good man management but when we are so successful with Cisse through the middle we should keep him there. I can also see the logic in taking Cisse off when the game looks won. It is slightly annoying though when I'm sat in SJP hoping for more goals and we take off our current in form striker. From memory, Ba scored most of his goals when we played 4-4-2 with Best alongside him.

Ba played well but I thought it was sentimental from Pardew to take Cisse off and leave Ba on. We tend to rotate Cisse and Ba as to which one is playing through the middle during the game. Ba seemed to play through the middle all the time after Cisse scored. Ba's next goal will come when it comes. We shouldn't try to force it. He's not a charity case.

Is "Black & White Membership" the same thing as the "Official Club Membership" you get with your season ticket? If so, do I have to register for it or am I registered automatically when I get my season ticket? http://www.nufc.co.uk/page/Members/Benefits http://www.nufc.co.uk/page/Members/ClubMembers?WT.mc_id=Mem_MPU_Mainsite http://tickets.nufc.co.uk/events.aspx?section=mem&utm_source=NUFC&utm_medium=signup&utm_campaign=benefits

Which club has fans who sing positive songs about their club's owner? I can't think of any. The fact that NUFC fans haven't sung negative songs about Mike Ashley for a while now show that relations have thawed. Personally I'm happy to stick with the 'devil' we know. He made a lot of mistakes in his first years of his ownership but, in the main, things are going really well now.

It's not much of a challenge for Forster to move permanently to Celtic. Celtic will probably win the title at a canter until Rangers sort themselves out which will take years. Maybe he likes it there or maybe he's desperate to win the Scottish Cup? If the £2m deal with NUFC is in place and it's just waiting on Forster agreeing a deal with Celtic why is he dragging his heels? Is he waiting for a better offer? I wonder if any other clubs have expressed an interest in him?

Sigurdsson has great stats for a midfielder. Anyone know how he went from being the Hoffenheim fans player of the season to only 7 appearances before being loaned out the following season? I just wonder if Ashley would sanction paying £8m for him. The players we tend to buy are 'good value' with room to increase in value. Would Sigurdsson get much better than being an £8m player? He'd probably need to be a full on superstar to increase in value from £8m, especially with FIFA financial fair play on the way and clubs probably not spending as much. Players like e.g. *Hoilett or Tranquillo Barnetta (available on free transfers - Hoilett subject to tribunal decided fee) are cheaper alternatives who would seem to be more in keeping with current NUFC transfer policy. *I know Hoilett and Barnetta don't play the same role as Sigurdsson. They are just a couple of examples of players whose contracts end in the Summer. We don't often end up getting players we are linked with in the papers. A lot of our signings come out of the blue.

I'd be surprised if NUFC spent £8m on Sigurdsson (or any other midfielder). He's had a good half season in the Premier League. What's his previous record like in the other leagues he's played in? Why did Hoffenheim loan him out? Was he not getting a game for them? Besides, I'm sure I read recently that Hoffenheim didn't want to sell him.

there has to be a proper term for this sort of thing, claiming one thing when it's them then changing their view when it's someone else, for example.... don't dominate games but win a few and go on a good run (us early season)--lucky bastards, them doing exactly the same under the marty party--genius of a manager. cisse is just what they need, great signing--he signs for us--he's crap, won't adjust and they've dodged a bullet. europe would be fantastic.... we get there...tin pot competition against albanians that will lead to relegation. may I nominate ' a mackemism', example of usage, your lass saying "you want to take me up the hoop but wont let me use a strap on to do the same to you, bit of a mackemism that isn't it ?" Reminds me of 'Munsened' from 'Kingpin'.

It is considering the players vote for it in February. Based on that you'd have expected Ba to make the list at least.

Don't forget we tried to sign Moses in January 2010 but Crystal Palace turned down our offer. Wigan were willing to pay what Crystal Palace wanted. We bought Best instead. http://www.journallive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2010/01/29/magpies-bid-for-victor-moses-turned-down-by-palace-61634-25710929/

Wigan seem to approach the Premier League season in the same way Ivan Drago approached his fight with Apollo Creed in 'Rocky IV'. See from 5.15 for the start of the season and then 6.02 is when Roberto Martinez commands Wigan to start winning: -

I said this last week and I'll say it again. Terry is playing with cracked ribs. Why don't the opposition 'legally' give him a rough time?

If there's a doubt you wouldn't give a goal. It would seem this ref thinks "if in doubt give the goal".

Hopefully Barcelona won't annihilate Chelsea in the first leg. We don't want Chelsea to treat the second leg as a dead rubber.

It was against Everton.

I'm not sure we do. What happened when we lost to Partizan Belgrade? We got to the semi-finals of the Waffa that year man! You do drop in if you lose the qualifier. I couldn't remember. Anyway, it's good to know for sure.