John P

This is brilliant. 'Striker search called off'

Would hate for us to play a high line with Bellamy up top. Remember the west brom game?

well, this is the crux isn't it, the real bone of contention? Which positions would you say we desperately need to fill in the squad? I'm sure most of us on here would come up with the same two first. it depends what our objectives are, that's the point i'm making..... Ah, I see. The point I was sort of making though was that surely every team looks to progress to the next level, whatever that is for each club. For us, I would say we are a comfortable mid-table / upper mid-table team, with the next step being top 6. Unfortunately progress usually means some sort of investment, which I don't think we will be getting. If we aren't looking to progress, what's the point in turning up?

well, this is the crux isn't it, the real bone of contention? Which positions would you say we desperately need to fill in the squad? I'm sure most of us on here would come up with the same two first.

funny, this came in just as i was about to post the following: why can't people get their heads around the fact that we'll never get the right balance with any board? we never did with hall/shepherd (there was always a position that needed strengthening), ashley is just unpalatable and under much more scrutiny than they were back then imo 'cause he's clearly an utter c***, and southern no-one else outside the current top six or whatever is spending shitloads of money and we have no right to either tbh, except for a couple of big sales that raked in some cash...in spite of those sales we're having our best season for ages if we sign a striker we expect a CB, and vice versa, if we get both we start asking where the RB is and then the RW we need...and so on...it's a natural fan thing, everything is a game of FM to some biggest criticism i have at the moment with any of this is loven, shola, smith etc. are still on the books...extended contract for shola no less...that's where it the s*** is clogging up the fan for me For me the balance would be spending the money on positions we need and no more, which by no means is too much to ask. If we had a striker and centre back and we'd actually shown ambition by filling the gaping holes in our squad then I would be over the bloody moon, I wouldn't care about right wing and right back because we have acceptable players to play in those positions. I know that we can't fill every position in one transfer window, but we need to fill the ones that are obvious to everyone. It's been obvious even before the Carroll sale that we needed a striker - this still hasn't been addressed. We've needed a centre back since the start of last summer - that wasn't addressed and left us with Perch and Simpson as cover. Unlike other teams we are apparently in a sound financial position, surely it's not asking too much to spend £6m or £7m on someone?

Jesus christ, just seen this news. It's becoming more and more apparent that we will get absolutely nowhere with this board in charge (if it wasn't blatantly obvious before). They will always be happy with comfortably staying in this division whilst breaking even or making a small profit. As others have said, we have the spine of an excellent team, but this board will never ever spend the money required to push us on to the next level. The frustrating thing is that we're not even talking massive amounts of money, but it seems that spending £6m on a striker AND a defender is too much for us. It's also obvious from Pardew's recent comments that as soon as a decent bid comes in for one of our players he'll be gone, leading to more wheeling and dealing to replace him and a constant cycle that results in us going nowhere. Do they really want us to believe that we've had 18months to identify strikers, and all they came up with was Maiga or no-one? So during the African Nations we'll be left with Best, Shola or Lovenkrands up top? Fuck me. Oh well, better to wait until the summer then when we'll no doubt be fed other excuses. It also makes me wonder about Maiga failing his medical. The reason - I have numerous reasons to distrust the board, and no reason whatsoever to believe a single fucking word they tell us.

His pathetic pirouette and the subsequent touch of a rapist in injury time were the highlights of the match for me

Vorm Jones Kompany Enrique Nani Ben Arfa Silva Bale Sturridge Adebayor Van Persie Can I still join the NO league?

So as far as I can gather: Suarez found guilty of using racist language towards Evra. FA give out 8 game ban. Liverpool say they will support the player (who himself admitted using the 'n' word (or the Spanish version of it)). Liverpool players wear pathetic Suarez shirts in support of him, Dalglish rolls out the cringeworthy 'lets's make sure he never walks alone' garbage and kicks up a fuss. All this for a player who has admitted using the n word to another player. Am I missing something here?

Has he ever played on the right?

From where I was, it looked like a close call whether Ba or their defender had actually headed the ball when Best was called offside for Ba's disallowed goal in the first half? Anyway, very poor performance overall, the defensive line we were trying to hold against Long and Odemwingie was suicidal and they could have got in behind a few more times in the first half if the pass had been better. Tiote and Colo both looked off the pace, and the long ball tactic we've been employing in recent weeks is so infuriating. I thought Pardew wanted us to play a controlled, passing game this season? That seems to have gone out of the window. Best, Jonas or Obertan need to be dropped for Ben Arfa now. It's a shame Pardew doesn't show the same loyalty to Ben Arfa as he does to Obertan, Best and Jonas in his selection as they've all had way more chances than him and shown a lot less in my opinion.

Despite not being at his best, what has he contributed in his time on the pitch: Man City - set up great chance for Ba and hit the post himself Man Utd - set up decent chance for Ba and won the penalty Chelsea - nothing Norwich and Swansea - didn't even get on West Brom - assist for Ba All this whilst coming back from a serious injury and trying to find his form. The fact that he isn't starting at the moment instead of Obertan, Best (who has contributed very little in his last few games) and Jonas (who seems knackered and is lacking any end product) beggars belief really. He may not be at his best, but he's still creating way more than others and he's barely played. The only way he'll find his best form is by starting. Has to be given a starting place.

Just me who thought he wasn't that great? He has quality on the ball, but positionally he was all over the place for a central midfielder, tiote was almost playing centre mid by himself at times. Showed promise with his long range efforts and obviously has talent, but he shouldn't be playing centre mid, leaves us far too exposed.

As long he's not an adult using a kids ticket there'll be no bother. You trying to insinuate John P's a pedo? Just to clarify, that's not what the P stands for and my girlfriend is not a child.

Cheers for the replies, seems like it'll be fine then. Just wanted to check seeing as he's getting the train over to Newcastle for it.

No Which question are you saying no to?

Quick question - will my male friend get away with using my girlfriend's season ticket? Don't know if they actually check things like this on the turnstiles?

Is there any football you don't watch?

Still think he gets far too much stick from the crowd. People expect him to get the ball and just knock it 10yards and beat people because he has pace, but top level football doesn't work like that, full backs know how to play against pace. Obertan was no more hesitant on the ball on Saturday than Jonas was. There was one point in the second half where Jonas dummied to cross about 5 times in a row and still didn't get past his man, but there were no groans from the crowd. When Obertan got the ball, people were audibly groaning when his second touch wasn't a knock past his man, and if he'd have done what Jonas did the groans would have been ridiculous. I still think there's a good player waiting to come out in Obertan, but only if people stop getting on his back when he doesn't skin his full back every time he gets the ball.

Unbelievable player, easily the best defender I've seen play for us. Not particularly strong, tall or quick for a centre half, but the way he just snuffs out danger and deals with everything with ease at the back is incredible really. And then he has the ability on the ball to start our attacks from the back, make random surges up the left wing and get himself out of tight corners with drag backs and back heels. Brilliant again on Saturday, as he has been for pretty much every single game this season. We have to give him a new contract, get Smith out and give the extra money to Colo.

Hmmm, that is a bit picky from Simpson like. The main thing in the end is being paid which will happen so can't see what the problem is Surely that depends on exactly what the issue is, which we don't know. The 'discrepancy' might be because the contract is performance related, ie a lower basic wage with add-ons for appearances, wins, clean sheets etc. Didn't someone post on here a while back that Pardew is on a performance related contract?

How reliable is Football Italia when it comes to transfer rumours? Would hate to see Taiwo here - I got him in a drinking game during the World Cup and had to drink whenever he had the ball. The bastard took all the throw-ins, free-kicks, corners and took bloody ages over all of them. Ended up being sick. So no thanks.

Was interested to see which names we'd been linked with when I saw this thread had new posts since last night. But no, just Colocho spouting shit again.

How did he play against Blackburn in the Carling Cup. Was at left back then wasn't he?

Think this will be really tough without Colo and Taylor. If they get the ball wide into good areas and provide crosses for Holt and Morrison to attack Simpson and Perch then we really will be in trouble. Im going to go for an entertaning 2-2, think we can get at them when we have the ball. Krul Santon Simpson Perch Raylor Obertan Cabaye Guthrie/Tiote Jonas Ben Arfa Ba