Hanshithispantz

He needs to lay off the White Ace, this cunt. I think we're a "God just wasn't on our side today" from a full house on the Pards Bingo.

I accept that

Green STreet is utter shit. I did enjoy Football Factory mind, which probably makes me a massive bastard.

Even ignoring playing styles Gomez and Lewandowski are worldclass strikers, saying "look at them, now look at Suarez (who won't be at Liverpool next season), Aguero and Robin van Percy!" is completely idiotic. They're better strikers than Cisse, yes, and that's why we cannot get them. It's like saying we should upgrade Cabaye because Andres Iniesta is better than him.

Nah I wasn't really.

First time Taylor's hit 30 games in a season (all competitions) since 2007-2008. Should give it to him just for that. I was talking about Ryan Taylor.

I'd give it to Taylor, partly because he has actually been pretty good for the most part and partly because he would be bizzin'. It would make the guy's life. EDIT: It was blatantly Ba like, but obviously that won't happen

Why would anyone want that mentality back man? It wasn't just that we were spending, we were spunking money away for the sake of it. I'd quite happily see us spend £40m under Ashley mind as I trust this set-up to reap the rewards from it.

... is food for thought. I'm guessing you mean this in a "This is just us, it'll be the same if we get rid of Pards" kind of way? The shape of the club is one of the best it's ever been in, the owner in spite of being an apparently sadistic bellend has actually done wonders with us, a very good manager is the final piece of the puzzle that we need imo (maybe a new coaching staff too). In the past when we've limped over the line the whole club has been surrounded with turmoil, there's none of that now, everything is strangely calm. Personally I think this unreserved praise for Ashley/criticism for Pardew angle is a bit off. It can't be denied that the books look better than have in a while (yippee) but when you look at what Ashley's actually implemented since he's been here the two stand outs for me are sensible spending and advertising for his company (which he's entitled to do). I don't necessarily think that he just spends the bare minimum (as I used to think) otherwise I don't think we'd have seen new long contracts for Tiote/Krul or recruitment of Sissoko/MYM etc who must be on decent wages even though they were brought in for relatively cheap, but I still feel his priority is SD and always will be. Ashley has backed a great scout and well done to him for that, but lets not forget that Pardew is their man and he was specifically brought in to be their mouthpiece as well as the guy who picks the 11 on a Saturday. They want a 'stable' set up in the club so they can do what they want, when they want, footballing success is not the priority (I said all of this when Pardew was appointed and I still believe it). The reduction in expectation exercise that Pardew is always on comes right from the top. The club may be in the best financial shape it's been in for some time, but the ambition to do well on the pitch is arguably the lowest it's been in 25 years. I wouldn't really praise Ashley too highly myself like, he's undoubtedly improved from a few years ago but he still has his obvious faults and as you say his main priority probably is his sports empire. He has however got the club in an almost unprecedented state of calm despite our ridiculous season, and has the club running in a way that if managed correctly shouldbe a force in the league, the only thing that is hindering us (providing we continue to invest into the squad the same way we have over the past year and a half) is our ability to get our players functioning together on the pitch imo. Obviously that comes down to Ashley and whether or not he has the will and ability to get rid of Pardew and replace him with someone better suited to the cause. I'm still not sure he'd go for the right man but I would certainly take the gamble.

Guthrie ran the show away to Stoke last season, the sort of game people like to see Tiote play in. Ialso remember Guthrie about two or three seasons back single handedly losing us a game at West Brom, after that game I never wanted to see that guy in a NUFC shirt again. People have very short and selective memories when the argument suits them to. f***ing hell man that's irony personified. Exactly the f***ing point, lol. Fair enough

Guthrie ran the show away to Stoke last season, the sort of game people like to see Tiote play in. Ialso remember Guthrie about two or three seasons back single handedly losing us a game at West Brom, after that game I never wanted to see that guy in a NUFC shirt again. People have very short and selective memories when the argument suits them to. fucking hell man that's irony personified.

... is food for thought. I'm guessing you mean this in a "This is just us, it'll be the same if we get rid of Pards" kind of way? The shape of the club is one of the best it's ever been in, the owner in spite of being an apparently sadistic bellend has actually done wonders with us, a very good manager is the final piece of the puzzle that we need imo (maybe a new coaching staff too). In the past when we've limped over the line the whole club has been surrounded with turmoil, there's none of that now, everything is strangely calm.

I'm just saying there's no way you can say a our outgoing players would have performed to the same quality this season as they have in the past, especially when they weren't exactly tearing up trees in the first place. I think Guthrie's presence in the squad may have benefited us, aye, but I don't know if he would have done a better job than Anita, Perch & Tiote. The entire team hasn't looked right.

You mean like what Tiote used to do, only better?

Yeah, although I do agree that Guthrie would have had his uses I don't know what the fuck anyone would be expecting from him in this years side? He would more than likely be as shit, if not worse as/than the rest of them.

http://i3.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/010/334/U-WOT-M8.jpg Gladly I don't even think Pardew is THAT cowardly, christ.

Aye he basically said that along with something else about him being our Essien. I don't want to lay all of blame for Tiote's form on Pardew mind but it hardly reads well.

Currently having an ongoing discussion with a bloke at work about this. He reckons all of his mates are all coming round to my way of thinking and all want him out after previously being behind him. He can't understand it and his only defence of Pardew seems to consist of "well the next bloke they hire may be worse". That's it. His only remaining reason for not pulling the trigger is that the replacement may be worse. Mentally ill tbh. Most of my mates on Facebook seem to want to keep him like, not sure why. London-based ones don't though. Not sure what the craic is here. Aye, I have a canny few who not only want to keep him but keep on prattling on about everyone else being fickle. I have to bite my tongue (or just, err, not type) as I really cannot be fucked with Facebook arguments so just let them get on with it. Ironically they're loudest right after one of Pardew's rare victories and have been pretty quiet since the mackem thrashing.

It's genuinely frightening to think about that. No doubt we'd be alongside Wigan at the most imo.

He'd be in Europe as well remember.

I'm only kidding around, I just imagine that's how everyone bets?

TIKI TAKA IS DEAD - LONG LIVE THE PING! Very good

Fucking hell man Dinho you must be some kind of magical betting Ghandi, looking at bets from a football point of view.

I think it is this time, can't see Bayern conceding 4, Nou Camp or not. Far too well set up. They were beaten 2-0 at home to Arsenal not long back. Obviously you would expect Munich to win it from here but I imagine Barcelona will be a new animal when they know they have to come out and score 4.

Anyway tie isn't "all but over" like that divvi declared at the end. Difficult task but it's hardly out of Barca's capabilities at the New Camp.