NoU

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/25521267 Very interesting for me that Pardew didn't want him to take the penalty. Even if he didn't know Cabaye is our free-kick take, he should have known that he himself wasn't. Stupid that, and I hope Pardew gave him a talking to, and is only saying it was his fault to protect him.

I cant stand Hughes as nothing is ever his or his teams fault but all he did was kick the ball back on the pitch. That really was all he did as shown on Soccer Extra this morning. His sending off was a joke and ridiculous and shows just how precious 4th officials can be. I feel so wrong sticking up for him. There was already a ball on the pitch though, so he was just being a cunt. Not according to Kamara this morning, ah well then, hang the cunt. They came back to it after the break and Kamara apologised as he didn't realise. Didn't he leave the box as well to kick the ball onto the pitch? It's easy to feel sorry for stoke after everything went against them in 5 minutes, but they really have noone else to blame than themselves. They should actually consider them lucky for getting away with only 2 penalties, 5-1 and two red cards. It sounds absurd though.

I agree with this actually. We can't really afford HBA on the wing against the best attacking side in the league. Still he has to play though. Haidara or MYM on leftback is also understandable. Really hard team to decide though and I trust in whatever AP decides.

Was thinking this yesterday. Despite the shit thrown at Pardew, he is quite possibly the third best manager some of us have had in our life times. Sounds a bit of a bonkers thought. Nevertheless, it's a valid one, unless of course you're inclined to give more of the credit to Ashley for investing in a squad he can't fail with. I agree with this. Have done really well under Mr. trying-to-buy-our-own-player and Cashley. Any other decent manager would have walked a long time ago (and rightly so tbh), so there really isn't any other way than to support Pardew and the team. If we ever get another owner, we can discuss him then.

I thought he really Hatem at that last chance.

Don't think anyone will read too much into a victory now, no matter the size. Stoke have absolutely nothing to lose.

Ben Arfa will have so much fun in the second half. Will be like watching him play in a good team.

I think the opposing team has as little an idea as us fans have, of which direction pardew is going to go, which is quite a big advantage. Credit to him for getting the team to play well in very different styles of football. Still nervous as hell for this match though. Really think we can destroy them though, but I also hink it can be 3-0 either way tbh.

one + remy. With noone leaving sounds perfect. Maybe a youngster or two for width, would be nice.

Thought he did very well today. Playing against a very good side, we were the better team and should have won. A draw is irritating, but not a bad result, all things considered.

Ben Arfa, Giroud, Van Persie © and Benteke goals. Assists for Giroud, Ben Arfa and Jenkinson. Clean sheet for De Gea. It should bring me up to at least 3rd in the N-O league. Now I only need Nolan and Ivanovic to bang in a few

When do the substitutions go through and how do I see that they have (other than by calculating my points)?

Looking alright for now. My 'Sturrigde instead of van Persie'-bet payed off, I'm quite pleased with that one. Up to number 2 in this league and I'm only getting started.

Personally dont buy this bringing signings forward to January, purely because they should have been done the summer before. It was patently clear we needed players then and the neglect shown imo was shocking. By bringing them forward to January, they club are effectively admitting they had no intention of recruiting for a whole season excluding Anita, which is criminal when you think about it. I'd rather we get the right players at the wrong time, than the wrong players at the right time.

Agreed. WE WANT KEEGAN BACK!

The only two that comes close to hate for me is Kinnear and Ashley, with Kinnear being the clear front runner. Though it is more a feeling of apathetic disappointment in their incompetence and stupidity. Ashley actually seems as if he is actually trying and means well, while Kinnear is just trying to save his shattered reputation.

I would say in a free role on the right side of a front 3. It demands alot of the rest of the team, both in terms of movement and protecting his side defensively, but it is really worth it.

I think I will just disappear and try to forget.

If things had gone a bit more against us, we could have been relegated this season. And there is two or three players from our team, that I would welcome into our team with open arms.

Then he can just come back here.

Before this season started I thought I was going to be a very hard season, especially with the very thin squad. For some reason I was thinking it would be typical us to get relegated. Then January came and the club really surprised me with actually adressing a lot of the issues of the squad, and from then on I was just looking forward to the next season. I was still very dissappointed with the liverpool and () matches and it almost took the believe away. I really do think we have a very good squad and they will benefit a lot from a pre-season together. I also think Pardew can do alright with them.

Cup

Would have been nice of him to make a couple anyway then. Naarh, he likes the drama, so he only uses his powers when it's needed.

If HBA had missed (which he didn't) he would have just made another goal, he could do what he wanted against that qpr defence.

What does the rules actually say? That the ball or the body of the keeper with the ball can't be outside the area? In regards to Elliot, he seems a very limited goalkeeper, not horrible, but not very good as well. Good enough to be number 2 though, as long as Krul doesn't get any long injuries.