Darth Crooks

Tbh I agree with anyone who states that the club was run badly and in the wrong vein; and I have strong conviction in that was one the biggest factors in our relegation. However, the handling of Keegan, the name change bollocks and the way Ashley and Llambias (in particular) conduct themselves does not suggest to me as postitve and pragmatic a plan as you suggest they have for this club.

The way the name change was handled smacks of disregard for the fans and best for the football/club side of things; and cheap promotion of his own interests.

Yes; but only to an extent and when appropriate. I find it hard to believe that the majority of the Caroll money has been spent to the degree that's its had a truly effective impact. I don't see how you can set your sights at top ten, finish comfortably in the top 6 and not see that as a platform to invest. Not by daft amounts and stupid contracts a la Shepherd but just by showing a more assertive stance on transfer activity.

Piffling over 500,000-1 million over Mariappa and Debuchy in the last couple of windows for instance, could've arguably cost us valuable squad strength. I think everone understands the merits of a more austere model than those before but let's not pretend he's regularly keeping the squad in the ost healthy of positions as best he can. He's a businessman (of acumen) who has seen value in owning a football club financially and being as frugal as he can.

AC can fuck. right. off. Haven't even got their own stadium. Small timers.

He's crap; probably not as crap as some make out but he has definite crapness.

Be plenty happy with that bar Magic Mike

This and also the Robbie Williams Candy song for Cisse a few pages ago are both absolute belters. Matt Debuchy. Came from France in January Matt Debuchy At a reasonable fee Matt Debuchy Goes round Yohan's for his tea Matt Debuchy Matt Debuchy

How is that in any way better? made things simple in the sense that we had shit, heartless players who were past it and the writing was on the wall and had been for some time. Contrast that to the current setup where we have a decent crop of professional and talented players but as a club have knackered a clear opportunity to push on. I didnt expect top five again but we had a real plarform for success and it makes it more frustrating than the relegatiom season imo. made things simple the sense that i knew we were shit with older and past it mercenary players

It's going to have to be some pendulum swing paradigm shift if he's going to change his frankly idiotic ways for the better. I'd love to say I'll give him to end of the season but I haven't been this wound up about the club in a while. At least when we were relegated we were on a pretty predictable trajectory in the years before.

The excuses and pussyfooting around cheating.

It's become increasingly apparent that last season was down to the brilliance of the individual talents that we DO have; Cisse, Ben Arfa, Krul, Colo, Cabaye an on form Tiote. Plus the work of less gifted grafters such as Jonas and Perch of help. It was hard to ignore the criticisms made of that season as many had similar worries about tactics; but the negatives were less ugly to face because of this individual brilliance. Without these players Pardew has shown very little to me that he has the pedigree that many touted he had last season. Yes; he can quite legitimately blame the owners and lack of investment, he can also blame injuries to an extent. But to make the errors he has done of the past few weeks and absolve himself on any responsibility at any opportunity, whilst making the same stubborn and mind-numbing mistakes in inexcuseable. I want things to change badly and drastically and I just can't see it under both this clown and the uber-clowns above him.

He is risen...

Bar the odd blip, Villa are moving forward, albeit slowly. We're stagnant at press.

I've seen this said a few times, but it's easier for them to stick with what they know. They play a style of football suited to their players at their level. Much easier to stick with what they know against a struggling team, where half of the team they were facing had probably started half a dozen games each all season. That's not a bad attribute either. They pressed and were positive which is not something exclusive to that level. I know what your saying in terms of approach in different leagues bu they had a hunger and a drive to press and hurt us going falling. All our approach achieved was let them by playing one forward away at Brighton and making cloggers like El-Habd look like Puyol passing it around at leisure. Pathetic stuff.

Right, enough is enough....

1 forward against Brighton. Fearful tactics no matter what you think of the importance of the game and competition. He's done this in consectutive seasons now during the highs as well as the doldrums; its indicative of the negative way he plays. I'm fucking sick of it. Always an excuse. He may be using young players to force the higher powers' hands and to an extent have his hands tied with but given the decisions he has made recently I'm reluctant to credit him with such albeit it desperate, forward thinking. People can quote shots and attempts stats to extent but its clear from the languid and insipid displays that the way we set out stinks. I knew we would lose yesterday and it wasn't wholly down to lack of options. Long term, this clown needs the boot. Short term we're stuck in catch 22 because of the toxic mix we have with our beloved owners.

Here comes Ronnie...

It's such a shame Saylor turns to bolsa wood every quarter moon.

That smile, "WHAT HAVE I DONE"-starwars esque (third movie when anakin makes the move to become a sith). http://www.gifcrap.com/g2data/albums/Celebrities/Arnold%20Schwarzenegger%20smiling%20awkwardly.gif

http://i49.tinypic.com/2zxqjpt.png

The excuses trotted out by some that we had to put Shola in there due to the way we'd prepared for the game in advance is f***ing idiotic. There were 3 spare days between the Arsenal and Everton games, and i imagine one was just resting after a hectic schedule. So that's two full days of training. And Ba met with f***ing Chelsea the day after the Arsenal match for christ's sake so if Pardew's honestly preparing to use him during this game the man is off his rocker. What's more, if he's looking to play 4-3-3 - guess what - we already have a perfect tailor made replacement ready who can play down the middle in that formation and score shedloads - his name is Papiss Cisse. He's played that role many, many times - the idea that he can't due to lacking preparation is nuts. Remember when he signed? Newly returned from ACON, and Pardew put Best in the starting lineup (lol), he got injured, Cisse came on with no preparation, looked the dog's bollocks and scored. On top of that, while Shola has his uses as an impact sub, he's good for 25 minutes tops in a game - starting him and keeping him on til the end is madness. The only slight glimmer of sense i can see to it is that he was brought in to cope with Everton's aerial prowess - in which case you've just picked your main striker as, let's face it, a goddamn defender, while keeping your best striker - one who has wished to play centrally all season - stuck out in purgatory on the wing. And if we're led to believe this horseshit theory about Ba intending to play that role - he was also planning to use him as a battering ram, another mis-use of his talents to go along with how he's wasted others or turned them into crap this season. It's another one of those Souness-esque moments for me and there's been too many recently. Fuck me. More eloquent and spot on than anything I could drum up in my posts. ...and boom goes the dynamite.

As long as he doesn't desperately try to blast balls past/through players, treat the ball like its going to rape him and can put his foot on the ball with his head up; looking to play a sensible pass, then I forsee a vast improvement. Let pards moan at him for not putting his foot in and running faster.

Couldn't manage his own sock drawer let alone England this prick. Am I of the understanding that most people are open to the idea of sacking him but are crippled with fear at the prospect of what we'll get? Just shows what a state this club is in when a toxic element is tolereated to this degree in fear of a draconian owners actions.