Away Toon

Because Lukaku is bigger, faster, stronger and much better in the air.

I think he'll probably be back and HBA will go the other way, and who could blame him.

I don't think many people think Pardew is going to get sacked not even if we go down. The owners public display of faith by giving him and the others 8 year contracts illustrates that unfortunately.

Yeah West Ham are playing some nice stuff.

Wigan definitely the better team so far. Nice to watch as well.

Watching Wigan playing against City and they do play some lovely one touch all movement football. Martinez with better players would do very well I reckon.

Unfortunately unless we get relegated and even then it wouldn't be certain, we are stuck with the twat. More percentage underwhelming football, while our better more technical players scramble to leave. HBA and Cabaye to start.

There is nothing wrong with a 442 as long as you have two wingers who are preferably fast, can cross the ball and drop back and cover the fullbacks. It will work against most of the league but not against the good teams as the midfield gets overran and you never get the ball.

When the Rats refuse to sell him for the pittance we will offer, the back up plan will be somebody big, clumsy and pretty useless, and probably from Stoke. Crouch, Jones etc take your pick. Alternatively Pardew can fuck off to Stoke, hopefully in the Championship, a club that deserve him and that he deserves. And no we don't want the Welsh windbag in part exchange.

That last Gibson free kick was right out of the Pardew school of bright ideas

It's a good game, Everton have been very positive.

Distin is everything that Colo isn't, he's fast, strong and good in the air, and thats plenty enough for a CH.

I'm not sure that Everton have better players individually than we do, but they are so far ahead in the way they play and compete, that Pardew should be ashamed. Mind you we know he's shameless or he would have resigned after the mackem shambles on Sunday.

Amazing that Distin is still a better CH than anyone we have.

Lee Clark seems to be doing a good enough job at a team with absolutely no money at all.

Jesus what a thoroughly depressing day. Pardew should fall on his sword after that.

Great post, Merlin, sums it up perfectly. Unfortunately I don't think Ashley has the balls or the knowledge to replace him ,though I hope I'm wrong

There is nothing wrong with the idea that we should have home grown players playing for us, preferably Geordies, preferably English if possible. One of the few teams that people can genuinely look up to are the two Basque teams who essentially sign local players whenever possible. Most of Barcelona's squad came through their academy. We have a team essentially of highly paid mercenary's as do most teams in the premiership, it's no surprise that most of them have no idea of what it means to lose to Sunderland.

At no point did I suggest that Taylor played well, he didn't, but I bet he's as miserable as fuck now. He knows how much this game means as does Shola, who was shit too. Sunderland have three players that might get in our team and one of them is a Spurs player, and yet we were just hammered at home. Something is very wrong.

I lived in France for over 10 years and am well aware of their general characteristics. They like life, the good bits, and are not very good at dealing with the challenging aspects, stoic and determined they are not. Do you think if Barton, Nolan and Carroll had been playing today we would have rolled over like that? I don't.

Losing at home to the mackems 3-0 should be an automatic sacking offence for any NUFC manager especially this one at the tail end of such a terrible season. I'm sure that Taylor is hurting tonight, but Pardew and the rest of the players they would never understand what it feels like to lose like this to Sunderland. That a team with the majority of the starting eleven being French, should roll over and play dead is no great surprise though, the French have been doing it for centuries.

The first half was atrocious, and we were lucky they weren't a couple of goals up. It was just negative, awful and the atmosphere from what was a fantastic crowd was lost. Once we decided to attack with HBA and Marveaux anything looked possible. Anita should have gone to RB to replace Simpson as he's an excellent attacking fullback at the same time. Has Pardew ever started HBA and Marveaux together? I don't think so and he's not likely to. Get this negative minded percentage playing dinosaur out of my club please.

They had more possession, more shots at goal and despite the fact they didn't need to, they tried to win the game more than we did. We have the players to attack teams but virtually never do. Expect more of this on Sunday.

Does anyone actually think Pardew would start HBA and Marveaux together? In your dreams.

Sissoko will never make it as a Centre Half