Hughesy

Bramble was criticised because he was crap.

Get it now..

Still struggling to understand why anyone thinks it was Pardew's choice not to buy anyone in January??? It really beggars belief.

As long as we don't go near the slow Spurs songs. Abysmal.

Impact sub at the moment, but not writing him off by any stretch yet.

I dunno, you've been quite restrained in this thread. He he.

Absolute legend. One of the best NUFC players of the last 20 years in my opinion.

He's a sublime finisher overall. The penalty against Sunderland was brilliant - one of the best i've seen, and that's after years of watching Shearer take them. He's not. Doing something very well 1/4 times, very poorly 2/4 times and intermediately well 1/4 times makes you "below average", which would be a fitting description of Shola in nearly all aspects of football other than aerial ability and physical strength. I'm not someone who normally laughs, but that Shola video a page or two back really caught me. It was brilliant. You sound fun. ;-)

who is tugging Ronaldo off??

I wish we didn't sing it.

Could you let me know what proven premier league talent is going to come to us that will help us kick on?

Were you there on Saturday? Genuine question, because if you were, I'd love to know which Taylor you were watching. The goal was only one of the many many times he was caught out at fullback. But he isn't a full-back. Solano, Duff and Pancrate have had games at full-back for us in recent years and were better than Taylor's showing against Everton. You would argue that playing CB and moving to RB is perhaps easier a transition than moving between full-back and winger, as Simpson showcased nicely for us at the weekend. Ffs - he had a bad game. In the past he's had some pretty good games out at RB and indeed LB when he first started playing. That didn't make him a great defender, no more than a bad game on Saturday makes him a crap defender.

It is when you run passed Arteta (by a good 10 yards) then back off like he is taking a freekick and the ref is telling you to move. I agree - that was utterly bizarre. That can't be justified by any amount of stills.

Were you there on Saturday? Genuine question, because if you were, I'd love to know which Taylor you were watching. The goal was only one of the many many times he was caught out at fullback. I was there. I didn't think Taylor played well by any stretch of the imagination. But as per the analysis above, you can see exactly why Taylor had to do what he did.

I do always find it amusing that backing off is always regarded as bad defending. Not quite as cut and dried as that.

Pretty much nailed on analysis. The Taylor hate on here is ridiculous.

Don't think many clubs outside the top 6 would turn their nose up at Taylor as back up to be honest.

Have a feeling we would be further down the table with Hughton.

Make him sleep in the changing rooms.

Pardews quotes regardin the transfer, notice the bits in bold. I seemed to remember that it was Pardew who had asked Carroll to put his request in writing, it appears that he was in agreement with Ashley and Llambias on that one. Before the "New contract in October" is used. Tiote signed a contract in August and a new one in February. I have no problem with that, it's double standards to do it for him yet refuse to do the same for Carroll. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/newcastle-united/8295742/Andy-Carroll-was-not-forced-to-leave-Newcastle-says-Alan-Pardew-who-also-questions-players-motives.html We turned down a big offer, and they came back with a second big offer, Pardew said. We were having a discussion about what we were going to do with that offer when Andy requested to see me. I went to see Andy, and face to face we had a conversation about him wanting a new contract, even though he signed on in October, and (he said) if he didnt get that contract, he wanted go. I asked him what he wanted, and I went to the board. We had a discussion about what the ramifications would be for the whole club. We took the view, with him signing a contract in October, that this would cause us all sorts of problems. We decided that we needed the conversation confirmed, and he put in a transfer request, which he did. He spoke to his agent, and between them they put the request in. We decided with the size of the offer, and what it meant to us, that we would accept. That's your 'evidence' for suggesting that Pardew decided to sell Carroll? What even makes you think that he had any kind of say in the matter?? You honestly think if Pardew had said that Carroll shouldn't leave, Ashley wouldn't have sold him? How deluded are you?

Nobody said he had final say on selling Carroll, Pardew said that he told Carroll to put a request in writing, he didn't tell him he couldn't leave. He didn't have the power to tell him not to leave - so what's your point? Do you think Pardew received an offer from Liverpool and then decided to accept it? Seriously... what are you talking about???

You think Pardew is the first manager to be promised money and didn't get it? Or that a player would be sold against his wishes? Still doesn't really explain how anyone could hold him responsible..

Why does he talk almost every day like he has any influence over matters then? Outright lying? He talks about asking Ashley for money to buy players (banging his door down) and he spoke about Ashley telling him Carroll would stay. Not really sure how it is his fault that in the end he received no money or that Carroll was sold. What's he meant to do? Go and nick the money and hope Ashley doesn't catch him? Hide Carroll somewhere so he can't be found?

How can anyone hold Pardew responsible for the sale of Carroll or the fact we didn't bring any players in? What an utterly bizarre and illogical idea.

I actually think if Pardew wanted to play Simpson and Taylor at RM and RB, I would have switched them round. First, breaking up a back four is never a great idea and ended up having 2 players out of position instead of 1. But secondly, I actually think that Taylor would make a better RM than Simpson. I think Taylor has better technique than Simpson and arguably has a better cross on him. Oddly, I think his dribbling skills are better (certainly in a rampaging, unstoppable force of nature style).