themanupstairs

who's done that like? A few around here, a few around me as well.

It's not about Pardew! Yes he is an odious character who's full of himself, and by most accounts isn't too special a football manager. My gripe isn't with him. My gripe is with the decision making and planning process that led to the identification of Pardew as a serious candidate (serious enough to have been mentioned since October), the sacking of Hughton, and the release of such a ridiculous statement from the club. Alan Pardew is not welcome here because that decision making and planning process is not welcome here. Ashley's way of doing business (if this is it) is not welcome here. The lot of them can f*** off. Including those who babble on about supporting this sorry excuse of an appointment.

Anal Warped none the less. Has Anal W. Raped been done?

Bizarro world, twilight zone &c. Nothing as bizarre as slaughtering the bloke before he's even earned the right to be slaughtered. And yes, I like most have grave reservations but - give him a f***ing chance. He has already earned the negativity by default when he accepted to negotiate and agree a contract behind Hughton's back. Shows you what kind of people Pardew and Ashley are. f*** the lot of them. This time, Pardew is guilty until proven innocent. He will have to earn the support.

This bit is interesting. The manager is the most important person at a club, but shouldn't be the most powerful. The owner(s) should be the most powerful person at any club, and rightly so. However, how much authority you delegate to the manager and in our case where we have a GM style chairman in DL, should give way to creating the right balance to run a football club effectively and in a "footballing" way. I don't see this happening with Ashley unfortunately, no matter how good his intentions may be.

Also, this sort of plan eliminates the important required factor of longevity. That, and basically consistency, in football, are crucial to building success from the bottom up. If the manager is on his toes all the time, the players will be as well, causing all sorts of upheavals. With this method, if we're comparing to the retail world, you will have a higher staff turnover rate, and lower staff retention. In football terms, that is a motherfucking recipe for disaster!!

Totally agree here!! If this really is the plan, then Hughton was the perfect fit!! i'm all FOR any attempts to change the way the modern game is run. I'm all FOR changing the trajectory of where football is headed to, and injecting it with a fat dose of common sense and bringing it back down to earth. But the hypocrisy in this case is so blatant, assuming it's all true, that it boggles the mind trying to think where and when and WHO is going to lap this plan up and genuinely lead us in the right direction.

So this incompetent runt is still in the running? fuck me what a shambles. Already heard from so many mates that if we go backwards with this next appointment, that will be it for them until MA is gone. I think this time it will be serious and we will see attendances drop drastically.

both can fuck off For the record, I wouldn't mind Martinez

Nolan's house? Oh Hughton's you mean?

Why won't he last? Mike Ashley quite clearly does not give a f*** what we think or what we do. He doesn't care if we attend games or not, he doesn't care if we protest and he certainly won't give a s*** if we get on the back of Alan Pardew. This is his club remember, not ours No it isn't his to destroy. If this club will be destroyed, we the fans will do it before we allow the cunt to bring it down. Mark my words, if Ashley appoints Pardew, it will be the end of him. He will be forced to sell as I don't see the fans shutting up about this one.

As far as I am concerned, Alan Pardew is NOT welcome at this club in any capacity. He will NOT have any backing from me personally, and I will have a forum agenda against him even if he turns out to be decent.

For me this is far far worse than the KK debacle. Atrocious decision by the powers that be. Thank you Chris Hughton for the dignity and humility and more importantly, for giving us something to shout about, both last season and this. You're a star.

This I agree with tbh. Shame as he showed some real potential in the past. It's the mental side of the game that fails him imo and nothing else.

Terrible performance from a player who doesn't look like he can perform at this level as a squad member. On current form he is not good enough to start ahead of Barton and Tiote, and therefore should be moved on. HOWEVER......some of you lot on here should get a fucking life. Some of the comments being made are downright disgusting. Only dickheads would wish injury on anyone, especially one of our own players.

He needs to play more often in order to do so. But yes, I agree totally

It's true, but if it's one thing that absolutely boils my piss personally in football, it's all the diving about. An absolutely disgusting habit which I f***ing hate to see in our own players. Obviously I'm realistic enough to understand how ubiquitous it is, and if a decision were to go for us due to one of ours diving, I'd be happy to take it. Just wish it weren't this bad.

That could be alright I suppose for blatant cases such as today's where the ref and linesmen clearly weren't fooled by that idiotic dive. I think it can be a subjective decision made by the ref the same as decisions about intent, time-wasting and deliberate handball, etc... It's one thing for the game to change through evolution and it's another when it can change due to protection given to cheating (or rather, lack of persecution thereof) If Drogba's dive today was so obvious, why wasn't he booked? The referee is too s*** scared to make such a decision. I reckon Mariner thought about it then decided to let the game flow with it being so early in the game. Whatever it was, it was the wrong decision to let it go, simply because of how obvious it was!

"Taking one for the team" would be alright imo as long as neither player gets hurt. Since that can't be guaranteed obviously, it's again another form of protected cheating, and could be considered unsportsmanlike. It is still a physical sport, but if it got any more physical might as well to change it's name to rugby or something.

That could be alright I suppose for blatant cases such as today's where the ref and linesmen clearly weren't fooled by that idiotic dive. I think it can be a subjective decision made by the ref the same as decisions about intent, time-wasting and deliberate handball, etc... It's one thing for the game to change through evolution and it's another when it can change due to protection given to cheating (or rather, lack of persecution thereof)

is a cunt of the absolute highest order.

Guthrie was pretty decent. Played some nice one-touch football in the first half. and made one or two telling tackles

how come I can hear the Chelsea fans far more than I can hear ours?

in all honesty, i'm sick and tired of seeing that big nose twat and hearing the rubbish he comes out with. wouldn't be too upset if he left the league for good.