Hughesy

And yet with all that talent, HBA can't adhere to even the most basic rules of being a "professional" footballer. He's not Messi ffs. People should put their hatred for Pardew aside for one second and judge this lad on his consistent behaviour with a number of managers. It's a shame but that's the way it is. Any specifics on what he does or doesn't do right?

So stupid that Pardew has ruled out taking him back.

Bit unfair to write him so quick - he's shown flashes of brilliance, but it's hard to do that consistently if you aren't picked.

Can't see any reason why we don't just give him a decent run in the team and give him some momentum. He works hard off the ball and puts tackles in. The only way he is going to get used to the pace of the game is by playing.

Best player by a mile today.

Feel really sorry for him as he seems like a decent guy, but he just isn't a winger and he's getting so much abuse for being played there.

You will have the first 45 mins to drink too based on 99% of our games so far An excellent point and one that I will raise with my match-going companion. reckon i'm going to miss first half of this because of work. May be a blessing in disguise.

Interesting article on Eddie Howe - http://www.theguardian.com/football/football-league-blog/2014/dec/16/day-in-the-life-bournemouth-manager-eddie-howe

I really rate Drogba (would have loved us to have gone after him when he destroyed us in the UEFA Cup), but I can't think of anything that he could do better than Shearer to be honest.

What's weird about De Jong's ball striking ability was that I remember watching him in an away match last season (can't remember which one) and in the warm up he was hitting the ball really cleanly and pretty much scoring every time with real striker's finishes. I know a game situation is different, but I was amazed at the way he kept snatching at his shots or hitting them with such little power in the actual match.

I've never heard anyone ever imply he had 'no technique'. Not on here, but I think in general non-NUFC fans who didn't see Shearer in his prime don't regard his technique as being particularly good.

I think because Shearer didn't tend to beat men with dazzling tricks or, certainly in the latter half of his career, beat defenders for pace, people think he had no technique. The reality is that Shearer had a brilliant touch on him and a great crossing ability, together with his ability to bring others into the game - that is much a part of your technique as skinning players on the wing is. Add to that his ability to score every type of goal and you've got an absolutely world class striker.

I genuinely don't think that the best Shearer was worse than Henry. Shearer at his peak had absolutely everything in his game.

All depends on what you are comparing - obviously 'peak' Henry was better than the Shearer in the last part of his career. Blackburn/Euro 96 and early Newcastle Shearer was arguably better.

Meh - I still think he isn't that bad to be honest. Even though he's doing terribly now, I still stand by my posts.

He better play a full strength team for this game.

Would be a completely different player if there was actual movement around. It's the same as it was with HBA - our players (Perez apart) just watch him and expect to do it all himself.

Really hope he punched Pardew. He'd only be doing what right thinking people want to do.

Was pretty good today when he came on - linked up well with Perez. Hard though with no movement around him.

Always find the development, or lack thereof, of these players so fascinating. Wasn't Zamblera capped by quite a few Italian representative sides? And I seem to remember Tozer costing a million or something? And they just turn out to be utter crap.

Some people do seem pretty oblivious to the increasing importance of analytics in football.

Hasn't MYM been injured as well?

I think the hardest thing about being a manager would organising constructive training sessions each day with a view to improving players. I assume as you do coaching courses you must get ideas, but I'd probably get them playing two touch matches (of varying team sizes) on small pitches and that'd be about it. Maybe some set piece work as well...

Put on the other page an article about the Brentford manager who left a career as a broker to get into football, but he had played non-league stuff before I think.

There's absolutely no reason a nobody who plays football manager couldn't make a career out of it if he studied the game enough IMO. It's the same with anything really, if you work hard enough at it and learn the craft you can do it. But fact of the matter is you'll never get a chance based on that alone. I personally never understand the mindset that "he's played football so he knows his stuff and you didn't so you know f*** all ". Sky and BBC prove on a weekly basis that isn't the case if anything in some cases it's the complete opposite. That Secret Footballer guy/Dave Kitson is obsessed with telling people that only people who have played the game can truly understand the tactical nuances etc and that fans generally don't know anything. Which is quite frankly a load of crap, but his view nonetheless.