LucaAltieri

That's not the worst idea you've ever had. It's not a good idea, I'm just saying it's not the worst you've ever had.

An Italian DoF is a terrible idea. The annual transfer carousel over there is ridiculous. Higher turnover than Tesco checkout workers.

Danny Simpson.

This theory will go down well. 7 years ago Good to see Pards' scouting is up to date.

Only 36! That's 18 in MLS years.

Yeah, but no fucker wants to go to Florida. That's the problem.

Titus Bramble without all the (alleged) rape.

Miguel Piñero - a close personal friend of the football elite, evidently.

As if we'll take the cups seriously. We haven't in 5 years of Ashley. Cups are for the kids to get a run out before for their move up to the first team... as they should be.

I would have said I think they'll be aiming for a Champions League win over the Premier League, but then Di Matteo... so...

Can't sit through the video? I've sat twenty feet from the plank. He's a little less irritating in the flesh.

Can see the Mackems signing him tbh.

We'll finish top ten next season under Pardew. Calling it now.

My seat was behind a huge concrete block last time i went, could only see 25% of the pitch(thankfully as it turned out) Horrible stadium Did we get mauled by the tigers?

Been on the ketamine?

Fair point. But... last season he was decent. The football was decent too. I know this season has been awful but none of us know which way next season would go under Pardew. We can't know. Since we can't know what kind of football we'll have until we're playing it, the only stuff that matters are the external factors like stability and relationships in the club. Of course you can know. I know Brendan Rodgers won't play a negative long ball game next season, I know Pulis will play that. I know Arsene Wenger will still be one of the best managers in the country, I know Alex McLeish won't be. You're talking as if football is won and lost purely and simply on the basis of chance and we should stick with Pardew because we have a 50% chance of heads. Of course you can know these things. Based on what he's done for us so far it IS 50/50. We've had a season we were happy with and a season we weren't happy with. Who knows what we're getting next season?

Fair point. But... last season he was decent. The football was decent too. I know this season has been awful but none of us know which way next season would go under Pardew. We can't know. Since we can't know what kind of football we'll have until we're playing it, the only stuff that matters are the external factors like stability and relationships in the club. Considering Pardew's history with clubs when they start going do i'd say we do.... Southampton, West Ham and Reading, once they went south he couldn't do anything to prevent the slide. Besides what makes you think things will magically change? we will still have technically gifted players suited to a passing game and we will still see a long ball game but without the organisation and set piece prowess of a Pulis or Allardyce team. What you are doing is basically just throwing another season away, nothing will change Pardew's history proves as much. I don't think we're doing too much differently as it is. Pardew has always favored keeping it tight and squeezing out the opposition. We're doing the same thing but we have a number of other issues to cope with that we didn't last season. Losing, and not replacing, Ba. Injuries, too thin a squad, and too many players still trying to settle in. They've all hampered us. Next season the new arrivals will be more settled, in the main. Having fewer games will mean less stress on our top players and a chance to recover physically and mentally. Pardew is talking about bringing in more strikers. We're not suddenly going to turn into Barcelona, Pardew is still going to keep it tight first and foremost, but with fit players, a less packed calendar, and the possibility of reinforcements up front, I'm optimistic of us proving more of a threat to teams and picking up wins. When you win you gain confidence, and players filled with confidence play better football. Pardew isn't dictating every kick. When a player beats his man and drives into the box instead of passing it square, that's not because Pardew coached him to do that, it's because the player had the confidence to do it. We just need a run of games to get it together. I'm confident.

The football was decent at times last season but he ditched what worked for us as soon as he could. The football was also shit at times last season. Agreed. But there were some pretty tasty high points.

Fair point. But... last season he was decent. The football was decent too. I know this season has been awful but none of us know which way next season would go under Pardew. We can't know. Since we can't know what kind of football we'll have until we're playing it, the only stuff that matters are the external factors like stability and relationships in the club.

Cabaye is battling depression, Colo has family issues and wants to be back in Argentina, and Ben Arfa is happy but crocked. Which of those things does a new manager change?

You're talking short term. I'm not.

The Shepherd solution. Great. I'd say sacking a manager that under performed without thought to stability was more the "Shepherd solution."

Totally the same thing and not at all offensive to anyone.

I remember having the same type of arguments with people on here when we got relegated. It wasn't about our manager so much as about how the club was being run. I argued that in principle Ashley was on the right path but the execution was flawed, but he was learning from his mistakes and getting better. Then too, I was shouted down about how obviously bad it was, how he was actively destroying the club, and that it was only going to get worse. We bounced back to the premier league, we've made some terrific signings under Ashley's transfer policy, we shot back into Europe again after having been out of those competitions for years, and for a brief moment there we were all happy again. He made another error in not recruiting well enough ahead of a longer season with European commitments, and mid-way through the season he appears to have learned his lesson again. All this applies to the Pardew situation too. It's easy to have a shit spell and start screaming to "get the fucker oot. Not good enough." But sometimes it takes a steady nerve to just stick with it, allow people to make their mistakes and learn from them, and improve in the long run. I don't think Pardew is a world beater or a tactical genius. But under our current setup our options are limited. Not many people want to work with Ashley and co. In terms of the harmony we've had recently between manager and board, I think Pardew has fit in well. At times we've played good football, at times we've played bad football. Sometimes it has been elegant, some times it has been shit. This last season, mostly shit. But they all know that too. Throwing it all out and starting again with unknown variables isn't the answer. The answer is to keep our heads again, keep on course, let's see where it takes us. We can always take action later if it all turns to shit.

Another manager wouldn't need a bag of cash, the squad is already there. Your point about there not "being a queue of top class managers" is simply silly hyperbole and not any sort of reasoned argument. It doesn't even mean anything. Of course it does. Sacking a manager with a so/so record is fine, but only if you've got someone better to replace him with. If you replace him with someone else with a so/so record you've gained nothing but you've disrupted the squad, and paid a bucket load of severance & agent fees. Nobody wins there.