Mattoon

I have faith that McClaren will set us up and expect us to play football unlike hi predecessors, however I question the players moral if we go behind or come under the cosh at any point. I just hope yesterday has convinced them well enough we have enough in the tank to outscore such a dire team.

This is what worries me about Sunderland, FS will be looking to exploit that with his favourite hit-it-high tactic. They'll be looking for set pieces around the box.

If it gets Colback off the pitch I'm all up for giving him some game time to at least give him a chance to find his old form back, if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. But he has the potential to be decent, Colback never has. I can see Anita being the player that has to make way though, unfortunately.

Probably this but I hope we smash them, like really smash them to exorcise what's left of the Pardew era.

10 threads out of 30 on their front page and we're the obsessed ones? There are some decent level headed posters on there but shit a brick most of them are proper cock wombles like.

Totally disagree with his comments by the way, of course you have to build a team, you have to have an idea of how you want to play and build a team from available English "talent". Either way he'd fail miserably and it would be amazing to watch!

More of a disease than a curse, but I get your point. Maybe it's my advancing years, maybe it's 4 years of Pardew, I don't know but I have no sympathy for him. He knew what he was getting into, he knew what our regime were like and the legacy of mistreatment that had been left by Pardew and Carver. He was out of work and saw an opportunity to stay in the money, he was told from the start how things were going to be (no commanding cb) and he took it on and stayed here. It's his choice as to whether he remains here or not and given the circumstances I would expect him to walk very soon, I wouldn't blame him, quite the opposite, but I don't feel sorry for him. Unless Ashley breaks off everything from the top, Charney, Carr, McClaren, nothing will change. Do I believe he will do that? I'd be shocked, but if he wants a semi-successful club he has no option, hell if he wants to stay in this league his time is running swiftly out! The answer is clear, restructure or piss off, it's about to get ugly again.

Totally agree, just think it's been blown into something it's not. Need to batten down the hatches and shout a rallying cry, that looks like the white flag is already half mast.

Tbf the author of the piece has suggested losing Krul will cost us 20 points, all he's said is that Krul will earn us 20 points, that's not to suggest his understudy will win us 0 just not as many. A story has been made out of context. Not that I think he's any less cracked up than most believe.

No brainer Valdes or Blobby? NUFC go for the more pounds for your pounds option every time.

Whilst I agree with this, the premier league is full of clubs I absolutely loath. If we were a decent ran club it'd be nice to see us get one over on a few constantly, instead of the other way round. Have to agree with this, sick of getting turned over by dross, winning the league is way out of our grasp but regularly beating Crystal Phallus and the Mackems would make the season more enjoyable again

I think it's fair to say it's a catch 22 by definition, nothings going to happen either way, it's a frustrating scenario that makes us feel powerless about something we love. Do we go down and risk falling so far behind, being labelled a yoyo team and losing what little pride we have left on the notion Ashley could sell up? Or do we languish in the bottom third of the league, losing all hope and memories of battling in Europe, still losing our last remaining pride and being cannon fodder for an increasing number of "top half" teams because "we can't compete"? The ideal scenario is that someone with a vision and some football nous comes in and utilises our resources in the right way and has us competing again, without the need for relegation. The only true positive we can have of going down is the possibility of actually winning some football matches again and seeing Ashley's pocket/ego take a hit. I also think it's the only way to unite the fans against him. However I don't think the long term outcome of that would benefit the club. Getting rid of Ashley is one thing, finding a buyer is another.

... I don't even.... I can't???

I've been offered a very contagious flesh-eating disease. I declined. Given the choice, it'd be Necrotizing fasciitis every time!

http://thetwounfortunates.com/football-cities-newcastle-upon-tyne/ A long read, but good article.

The Keegan fiasco is a moot point to be fair, as even when he was here the buying was done without his knowledge, it's always been Ashley's plan to control all costs.

Any manager worth his salt wouldn't take over until Xmas, that way if they're propping up the league you can't be expected to do anything and reputation stays intact. Take over now and you'll be expected to climb out of it, but with that bunch of mercinaries and has beens you'd be lucky.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-34178412 Sports Direct site 'called ambulances dozens of times' 5 October 2015 From the sectionDerby Image copyrightPAImage captionSports Direct is one of Europe's largest sports retailers Ambulances were called out to the headquarters of one of Europe's largest sports retailers 76 times in two years, a BBC investigation found. Many of the calls, for workers at Sports Direct's complex at Shirebrook, in Derbyshire, were for "life-threatening" illnesses. Former workers said some staff were "too scared" to take sick leave because they feared losing their jobs. Sports Direct said it aimed to provide safe working conditions for all. 'Working under fear' A total of 76 ambulances or paramedic cars were dispatched to the distribution centre's post code between January 2013 and December 2014, with 36 cases classed as "life-threatening", including chest pains, breathing problems, convulsions and strokes. A further seven calls for ambulances were made but cancelled. The figures, which came from a Freedom of Information request made by the BBC's Inside Out team to East Midlands Ambulance Service, also revealed the service received three calls about women having pregnancy difficulties, including one who gave birth in toilets at the site. The details have since been passed to the Health and Safety Executive which has said it will examine the data. Of the 999 calls, six were about car accidents on a road or car park next to the centre, one was for a dog bite and at least two were for a store on the site. Image captionThe list of calls includes 36 cases classed as "life-threatening" It is not clear exactly how many of these calls were for the thousands of agency workers on site. One of the cases involved 52-year-old Guntars Zarins, who suffered a stroke in the warehouse canteen. His daughter Liga Zarina-Shaw said Mr Zarins had gone to work with flu symptoms because he was too frightened to take time off. Image captionLiga Zarina-Shaw says her father was too scared to take "one day sick" The family does not blame Sports Direct or the agency which employed him for his stroke but Ms Zarina-Shaw said her father was worried about his job. "He [was] even scared to take one day sick," she said. Image captionGuntars Zarins has been left paralysed following his stroke "Now I know why, because what is happening there is not normal," she added. Mr Zarins was paralysed down his right side but has since had another stroke and has returned to hospital. Ms Zarina-Shaw said workers were worried about a "six strikes" policy used by an agency that supplies staff to Sports Direct. A document produced by one of the agencies states: "Any person who exceeds six strikes within a rolling six-month period will have their assignment at Sports Direct ended." Recruitment agency's six-strike policy Workers can receive a strike for a range of "offences" including: Period of reported sicknessExcessive chattingExcessive or long toilet breaksUsing a mobile phone in the warehouse The document adds agencies can end an assignment "at any time without reason, notice or liability". Unite said it had been told that last year there were about 3,000 agency workers at the Shirebrook headquarters of Sports Direct, which was founded by billionaire Mike Ashley. Sports Direct has also reported accidents in its warehouse have doubled in the past financial year. The firm put the rise in accidents down to on-site building work, which has resulted in "increased footfall and decreased workspace". Image copyrightPAImage captionSports Direct was founded by the billionaire Mike Ashley According to council figures, there were 38 accidents reported across 2013 and 2014, including a fractured neck, when somebody was struck by a moving object, a crushed hand from moving machinery and back and head injuries. At the firm's annual meeting, Keith Hellawell, the chairman, told shareholders he was satisfied the company complied with health and safety regulations and any concerns were investigated immediately. The firm has previously been criticised as"Dickensian" in its employment practices. Image copyrightAlex Britton/PA WiresImage captionUnions say working conditions at the site seem "Dickensian" In a statement, Sports Direct said: "Sports Direct aims to provide working conditions in compliance with applicable employment and health and safety legislation and seeks to provide safe working conditions for all staff working in our warehouse." Adding: "We have a good working relationship with our local environmental health officer and we work together to maintain and improve the safety of our working conditions." The firm added that there were only 24 calls directly to its warehouse during the period covered by the Freedom of Information request. The BBC was also told it was incorrect to suggest workers went to work poorly because of the strike system and that agency staff should not fear losing their jobs if they called in sick. Inside Out is broadcast on BBC One East Midlands at 19:30 on Monday 5 October and nationwide for 30 days thereafter on the iPlayer.

Plus I think the whole "Ashley is our saviour" financial revisionism and fear of becoming the next Leeds along with TV interviews talking of a brighter future and learning from mistakes every 2 - 3 years has got a lot fooled. A statement of intent keeps the sheep happy for another year or two. Sacking McClaren is the short term fix, getting in an established leader of a club is intent, not another has-been coach. He'll keep lying, applying what appears to be fixes with hopes of a new dawn and people will keep lapping it up. I admit I for one had a glimmer of hope after Pardew left and was even willing to give it time under McClaren against my better judgement, but it's clear that it's all about keeping the gravy train a-rolling and the sheep sedated. It'll be a long time until our fans turn en mass and even then I can see he'll still have staunch supporters.

The problem being the dampening of expectations, the sheep now firmly believe we reside in our expected/belonged place. The media lambast anyone who expects more and have painted us as having unrealistic expectations leaving a lot of us scared to speak up for fear of fitting into their stereotype. Ashley has done a bang up job of slapping us down and keeping us there.

The problem is all the damage he did in striking fear into our players and picking them for being shite has left a nasty stench and the fact that the downward spiral has continued and he left mid-freefall makes it look from the outside that we were doing better under him. Truth being we would be in this predicament no matter who we had.

I'd fucking love it if they get Pardew!

I concur we'd have grabbed a raggy win somewhere or put out a dog turd display at home for a few more draws. That doesn't mean I'd rather we were still in that position. I'm glad we are where we are, I would have taken us improving under McClaren and playing better football but I'll also accept being worse but not in a groundhog day of perpetuating loathing of everything at the club. Strangely even though worse in a twisted way it feels better because the man that made me hate football is gone and the fat fucker is closer to selling up.

You're probably right to be fair, we never had a contingency plan for Pardew when he was dragging us through the bowls of disgusting football so I doubt we have any idea now. I don't think it matters now who comes in the damage was done way before McClaren and won't be sorted any time soon.

At least he's trying to do something in a game where Pardew would have rolled over for the mancs to tickle his belly. Great first half performance, the problem being we still look fragile as fook, as soon as one goal goes in we crumble instead of remaining calm and trying to play like we had up to that point. Fwiw I voted sack him, he's way out of his depth but even if we get relegated with McClaren I'd still prefer it to treading water lower-mid table with Pardew. Fuck it all to death until Ashley goes, light the touch paper and watch the fucker burn.