themanupstairs

So it's just me then who thinks that Tiote is developing a dangerous habit of doing the famed Scottie Pirouette far too often these days? He's done it a few times in the last couple of games when he had enough space to drive with it forward. I guess it might have something to do with the huge gap between midfield and attack we're complaining about.

And in the end, I don't have a problem with Ashley using the club to boost revenues from his SD brand(s), so long as he keeps the club's profits within it and continues to improve it. Buying a football club is about the prestige and the challenge and not about making money. I shudder to think what would've happened to us had a hedge fund bought us as was rumored back in 05/06.

Same thing for me when i watched the wolves match 2nd time round - thought he was very poor on the initial showing but 2nd time round i appreciated that he did have quite a good game. suppose it's that he's doing a lot of work without fuss rather than being full of eye-catching moments. His work off the ball, whether it's in our possession or not, is top top class. He is almost constantly moving, giving players options, or closing down the ball and/or opposition runners. He won't provide us with many hollywood moments, but when it comes to the donkey work he is absolutely top class, no doubt in my mind.

Ameobi announces his retirement Mackems: :dance: Sammy Ameobi comes on as a sub in the Tyne-Wear derby 2013 Mackems: :scared: Mr. and Mrs. Ameobi: :troll:

Doesn't need a big fuckoff SUV to prove his manhood. What a guy

We're top 6, they're fighting for their lives. We should have never set up to "nullify" them. In hindsight, and a week or so later I find it absolutely preposterous the way Pardew set us up on the day. When we got the 2 goals in as early as we did, we should have changed the game plan, and gone for 7 or 8 instead of "containing" the danger posed by the opposition. Goal difference, pre-derby boost, plus the fact that Wolves are an atrocity at the back... it's an afterthought I know, but i'm fucking livid Cisse could have bagged 5 that game.

A 4 lines post from Crumpy! Agreed 100%. Not sure if anyone watched the way Fulham dismantled Wolves yesterday. The way they delivered the ball to Pogrebnyak is exactly the way we should be getting it to Cisse. They tore through Wolves like a hot knife through butter.

any way to make MON's mouth rumble a la Tiote?

I'd hazard a guess that good football would do just that.

What bothers me about Pardew the most isn't the long ball tactics, or his handling of Ben Arfa. There are points for and against those arguments, and we can be here all day hashing them out. What I find most irritating, if not worrying, is what I perceive as a lack of sincerity in the way he addresses the media and the fans. He has the look of a used car salesman/dodgy chancer. A shiny gold incisor wouldn't look out of place in his gob. He is ineloquent, and often does not use proper English when speaking to the press, and for some reason it grinds on my nuts, and makes him sound out of his depth. Maybe all that is trivial, but what I'm trying to say is that I don't have a good gut feeling about this guy in the long term. Absolutely no denying the great job he's done taking over mid-season last year, and making us a solid outfit. But he talks big, as if he thinks he can lead us onto bigger things, and for some reason when he does that it sits a little uneasy with me.

Tbh, I think the wrong decision was appointing him. It was all a bit flavour of the month. He'd attracted a lot of attention as a really talented, up and coming manager, but it looks like this appointment was the wrong one for him at this stage in his career. In fact, it would have been tough on anyone. There's a streak of amateurism about Abramovic's decisions. Guardiola would be another one. His judgement came off spectacularly well with Mourinho and I wonder if that gave Abramovic too much faith in himself. The fact that he had worked under Mourinho at Chelsea previously, and knew the club, was certainly in his favor. Don't think he was a "flavor of the month" appointment, as he wasn't unknown to Abramovich. I think it was wrong to appoint him and expect instant success. It was the right appointment if they were to give him charge of the entire rebuilding process. It all came down to a personality clash between him and the dressing room. He'll go on to bigger and better things than Chelsea in the future imo.

Wasn't as bad as is being made out. An unsung hero's performance imo in the 2nd half. Turboshit the first. Kept pressing and harrying, moved it quickly and attacked the ball ferociously a few times. You could tell he wasn't on his game (or didn't have the space to play it), but his heart was fully in it.

Not disagreeing. But if you make this sort of move as the Chelsea hierarchy, you must be doing it knowing that it may not necessarily be overnight success. When you've paid that sort of money to get him out of his contract at Porto, surely you're thinking long-term? Bananas

Despicable tosspot of a club. Why hire someone like him if you're not going to give him time? It's not like they're languishing down the bottom! This player power shit is ruining football. Hope they completely fizzle out and finish 9th or summat.

About 3 minutes after the final whistle went, i found it fitting that my phone reminded me that it was time to check my heart rate. Fuck me what a relief!

Take a bow son! Take a fucking bow! Thank the lord for Mr. & Mrs. Ameobi

How this lad has not yet been unleashed on this league is beyond me. Can understand it slightly if he's kept on the bench in games where we want to keep it tight. At home however, and against the less spectacular teams (home or away) he should be playing every single time. Wonderful talent. Wish he'd scored the winner.

Can't decide whether i'm like this Or this

Beatez Les Peuples de Mackem

Love reading your posts man. Always make me feel like everything will be ok

Woke up this morning thinking it was Sunday. Took all of 5 seconds to realize it was not and relax. We best beat these spackems to a pulp or our season could fade into oblivion. Officially shitting it since the afternoon games ended.

Nice to read an article that's actually interesting for once, without all the cliches. Really starting to warm to this lad, and one really hopes we can use his technical ability in a way that allows him to have more impact on games. Certainly does look like a special talent.

Can't under estimate four more years of captain Colo continuity. Brilliant news

Absolutely wonderful news. IMO this signing is bigger news than Coloccini's - by a hair's diameter - but still.