oldtype

I reserve the right to be f***ing biased. He's also arguably been Man United's second best attacking player this season. Out of a possible 1440 minutes this season, he's played for a total of 685. He's scored four goals and has one assist. On what planet does that put him anywhere near the Team of the (Half) Season? Been starting regularly since October, single handedly won them four points against Wolves and Arsenal, four goals makes him their third leading scorer behind Berbatov(inconsistent) and Nani (their first best attacking player.) 685 minutes means that he has a goal ratio of roughly 171 minutes per goal, which is somewhere around Kevin Nolan levels of efficiency. That's not even taking into account his contribution to general play which is supposed to be his primary quality, not his finishing. For the most part he's been the glue that holds together a very disjointed ManU attack this season. People would be raving about him if he was some dashing Brazilian instead of a skinny looking Korean kid. And yes, I'm biased. But it's not any more biased than anyone else putting Tiote or Enrique in the team.

Ah yes, you even played sibierski upfront didn't you? Sib was alreet like. He wasn't the best player in the world but he surprised a few people with some of his performances. I'd certainly have Sibierski 4 years ago over Ameobi today.

Oh, anything's arguable when you're around.

If we flog Taylor and bring Wheater in that's pretty much like for like. Remember how us and Boro fans used to compare the two back in our relegation season. Looking back, it was all a bit pointless wasn't it?

I reserve the right to be fucking biased. He's also arguably been Man United's second best attacking player this season.

Hart Hutton Vidic Scharner Enrique Nani Nasri Van Der Vaart Park Carroll Tevez

f***ing hell, sorry Scrooge As if it was at all believable anyway. Thought you'd only just come back from a ban? Didn't realise people had a sense of humour transplant while I was gone. A club statement in the middle of the night ffs You don't fucking joke about the club being sold. It's like joking to your terminally ill grandmother that they've just discovered a cure to cancer.

must..not...feel..hope

At the end of the day he's a third (fourth?) choice center-back who wants more money. Those usually don't last long.

Well, that's one relegation spot settled

What if Nolan gets 40 goals? I'll s*** in a bowl and eat it. Come on Kevin, only 32 more to go!

The defender version of Shola Ameobi imo. Just a big wad of unfulfilled potential.

Back then I didn't even think relegation was a possibility for Newcastle United so I never felt in danger. In retrospect I think there was every chance that he could have taken us down.

There is a God.

Fair enough. I think my general point is valid though - that the decision took some courage and that they haven't hidden themselves away from the reaction. It's an unusual type of decision in that normally owners only make a change when things start to go wrong. They very rarely back themselves to bring in someone new pro-actively. So many of Ashley's decisions have been reactive to events around him. Even bringing in Keegan - which was the only remotely pro-active one - had a whiff of panic about it and pleasing others rather than backing his own beliefs. In the current wave of criticism, all his decisions tend to be lumped together, but in this one he's really put his neck on the line and stamped his own judgement on the situation. It's a gamble, but I suspect that, in his thinking, putting Hughton in charge long-term was also a gamble. He now feels that, if he's going to lose, it'd be better to lose having backed himself rather than going with the flow. The only problem I have with that assessment is the choice of Hughton's replacement. What on earth does Pardew have going by his past experiences -- especially in the transfer market -- that Hughton didn't, or couldn't have achieved himself? It's about faith, and they seemed to either, a) have none in Hughton, for whatever reason, or b) there were other reasons which we'll probably never know regarding his sacking. I'm just trying to see the logic in Pardew's appointment, as if Ashley really wanted a proven, experienced, even world-class manager, he could've appointed one. Giving Pardew a five and a half year deal is a little presumptuous, and requires a lot more faith than the amount the players and fans already had in Hughton. I don't know the answer to that, but my guess is that Ashley had long-standing doubts about Hughton's ability to be sufficiently tough with the players, which is the usual issue when a coach becomes manager. I'd felt that Hughton had answered those doubts, but maybe one or two things were going on that we don't know about. Chris's last minute decision to wear a suit and look the part may have been in response to that, I don't know. As I said, a change of manager normally happens when the existing one is judged a failure, and maybe that's why the dominant question is 'What did Hughton do wrong?' Maybe of more importance is that fact that Ashley was going to have to offer a long-term contract to a manager, recruit a new assistant and probably spend more money in January. It was crunch time, and he decided he wanted to make his own choice, rather than deal with Hughton, who is the product of circumstances. In that sense, it may have been more a positive judgement of Pardew, as much as a negative judgement of Hughton. Pardew comes across as confident and intelligent, and his early record was good. He ran into boardroom problems at Southampton and West Ham, and Charlton is the only real blot in his copy book. Even then, he was taking over a club in decline. He's also keen and motivated to get his career back on track, so I can see why Ashley might seem him as the best bet from all the available candidates. It certainly isn't a impulse choice. What he's gambled on is Pardew being able to overcome the inevitable reaction, on and off the pitch, to Hughton's sacking, which Ashley's unpopularity has magnified. He needs a bit of luck, and on Saturday, he got it. Torres had that chance to put Liverpool ahead, and normally with him, it goes bang into the bottom corner, no problems. In this case, it hit Krul on the legs. On such moments can futures depend. Or maybe Ashley is just a control freak who didn't like the fact that Hughton was starting to disagree with him and invented an excuse to replace him with one of Llambias' gambling buddies who was desperate to get into football and would accept any terms and conditions to do so. I suppose we'll never now.

That's retarded but surely it's not worth a suspension. A retroactive suspension for that matter. ...Oh who am I kidding. Bye Joey, see you in the new year.

There's a reason they've only got three wins all season and barely scored a goal a game. They've been very poor and we should be looking to take three points here.

Sometimes I wonder how good he'd be if somebody along the line taught him how to control a ball. Well, that and the offside rule.

I've never seen us lose away from home. (12 games IIRC) 27 games. 19 wins, 8 draws My away record is 6 games. 3 wins, 1 draw, 2 defeats. Not as impressive I've never seen us win (or even draw) live. Ever. Overall 1 goal scored, 6 conceded.

Would actually be a bit frightening if hughton got the west ham job and started up a poaching operation for our best players.

Side by side with good 'ol Shola his first touch looks like Berbatov's.

I beg your pardon!? Let's just keep it at piss, OK? We should be charitable and offer him jizz as a possible substitute. All of us?

Should send a video of his goals to Obafemi Martins with a note written "that's what a no.9 is you money-grabbing, injury-faking fuck."

I beg your pardon!? Let's just keep it at piss, OK? We should be charitable and offer him jizz as a possible substitute.

He'll be fine when he goes back to filling in for the odd game. Just can't play every week anymore. Nothing to worry about. Willicini is back next week.