Hughesy

I'd rather have a prime Solano than Ben Arfa..

Spot on from Oldtype - the brainless and baseless stereotyping of Pardew as some sort of managerial Neanderthal who can't cope with 'flair' players is becoming a bit too regular now. I do sometimes wonder if some posters on here support Ben Arfa or NUFC. For what it's worth - I want Ben Arfa to be playing ahead of Obertan.

Lower tier was brilliant yesterday. The Ba song is brilliant for getting everyone singing.

We don't even play 'hoofball'.

on win % it goes like this win % Keegan (92-97) 54.9 Robson 46.6 Roeder 45.8 Souness 44.8 Pardew 39.2 Dalglish 38.4 Hughton 36.8 * Gullit 34.6 Allardyce 33.3 Keegan (2008) 28.5 Kinnear 22.2 Hughton's win % including all competitive games in 10/11 season is 59.3% Hughton record in 10/11 Season (all comps) P 19 W 7 D 4 L 8 Isn't points per game a far more accurate indicator? I am never quite sure why people are always using win ratio.

Spot on. It's sad that a wonderful season is going to be slightly overshadowed by this debate. Every time he isn't picked there is an over reaction. I really, really like the lad, he is an immense talent but as you say it's getting very dull now. Can't agree more.

He isn't bad but it is clear and has been clear for some time that Taylor is much better CB.

I'd prefer Shepherd to Ashley because he understood football and had ambition even if it was more often than not misguided. The Souness era was disasterous for this club but nowhere near as disasterous as the Ashley era has been. The only things Shepherd understood were eating pies and taking money out of the club.

A balanced Shola view. Amazing stuff around here.

Not seen much that Shola has done wrong yet in all seriousness. I know people love to have a go and he gives ppl plenty of opportunities to do so, but at least wait until he does something bad.

Good header by Shola.

The only good thing about Robbie Savage is that he isn't quite as bad as Jason Roberts on 606.

What hit and hope is do with Pardew?

Bit over the top - he's clearly done a very good job at Spurs, but I wouldn't say the rest of his CV is outstanding.

Bloody irritating - wish they would announce these in advance - if only so you can plan your travel and weekends a bit better. Arsenal probably works out ok for me, but getting up for the Liverpool and Sunderland games is now much harder.

An accurate analysis.

That's just embarrassing.

Agree. Shola was poor - but pumping the ball up to him as a lone striker against Hangeland is brainless.

The balls (10+ in the first half alone) were played to him at chest height for a reason; when they go to his feet the ball ends up out of play. Actually most of the time the ball was played to his feet, he didn't have any options on. Movement around him was bad.

Undoubtedly poor today, but would have helped if he'd had more than 5 balls played anywhere near him for 90 mins. Most of the balls up to him were abysmal.

I posted this in a previous thread on the subject - but you do hear comments at away matches still. Guy behind me at Portsmouth a few years ago was hurling all sorts of racist abuse at Lua-Lua.

I'll never get the whole 'stigma' around asking the ref if something is worthy of a yellow or red card. Quite frankly, I couldn't care less if someone asks for a red card or not. It's like the massive stigma against diving, but it being ok and 'part and parcel' of the game to clatter someone into the advertising hoardings with a reckless challenge.

I never quite understand this desperation to get a pint at half time - but fair enough I suppose if that's what people want/need to do.

I could give you plenty of championship and league 1 strikers who can hold up the ball decently. Go on then. Then also tell me how many of them have scored goals in the Premiership and how their goalscoring record compares to Shola's in the Championship. Jon Parkin, Jason Scotland, Marvin Emnes etc How many premiership goals? I'd bet they get more than 4 a season which Shola averages (he average's 3.9 a season currently). Shola has been the luckiest footballer to have ever played in the premiership as I can bet 90% of other teams would have gotten rid and he'd be playing in lower championship which is his level. That list completely invalidates any point you had. The point you made in the first was cringeworthy anycase. Eh? That I said that holding the ball is a skill? Or asking you to actually back up your wild assertions about League 1 and Championship strikers being better than Ameobi with actual names? And then watching you flounder around and name Jon Parkin et al?

I could give you plenty of championship and league 1 strikers who can hold up the ball decently. Go on then. Then also tell me how many of them have scored goals in the Premiership and how their goalscoring record compares to Shola's in the Championship. Jon Parkin, Jason Scotland, Marvin Emnes etc How many premiership goals? I'd bet they get more than 4 a season which Shola averages (he average's 3.9 a season currently). Shola has been the luckiest footballer to have ever played in the premiership as I can bet 90% of other teams would have gotten rid and he'd be playing in lower championship which is his level. That list completely invalidates any point you had.