ExiledGeordie

Wouldn't be at all surprised if this happens to be fair, seems the most likely of any of our big names to leave. ££££ won't be reinvested properly either though. Winner for Ashley

Awful player

Can see him going to Arsenal

We've got some good players no doubt but there's clearly areas that need to be improved on. It's not the time to start fretting yet but past experience means I won't be holding my breath that there'll be multiple genuine quality additions to the squad. There's also just too manya contradictions from Pardew in relation to player recruitment and expectation as to where the club should be looking to finish - no point listening to any of it. We desperately need some new creative options and more players who can score because we're woefully reliant on Cisse. Whether we get those players in remainds to be seen. Mind when the manager sets us up not to lose you have to wonder what difference new players will make in any case. You could bring in a new attacking midfielder and striker and while they'd add more offensive power but if they're constantly told to keep it tight for 70 mins before trying to nick one then they're not going to make a massive difference either way

Same here, I don't think we're going to make any serious progress as a squad, it'll be more of the same. I also don't have any faith in Pardew organising the team into anything with a particular style. Might just go and throw myself under a bus

What are these strengths? How does he help the team play that style? Sure he missed a lot of chances this season and was poor by his standards but as far as I could tell he played a lot of the time with his back to goal as a target man which isn't his strength. We don't have many players who get behind a defence or beat a full back to put crosses in. And Pardew doesn't set us up offensively so our general play is negative and we don't create a lot of chances as a result. Cisse's strength is thriving on crosses and hitting them first time. He scored a fair few goals like that in is first season here and as a result his all round play was more confident. That's just how I see it. To be honest this season has completely sucked the life out of me so in reality if its more of the same next season ill probably save my pennies rather than go to the match.

Cisse struggled but the team isn't exactly set up to play to his strengths. He's not a target man ffs but Pardew has him isolated so badly that he ends up having to play like one. I don't remember many games where he was running onto decent whipped in crosses to either head or hit first time along the floor. When your play is set up so as not to lose I can't ever see someone like Cisse being used to their maximum potential.

That is just awful, Jesus. I bought a retro 94/95 top but to be fair I haven't bought a shirt since god knows when.

Our brand image is hardly good though. You won't get many respectable companies wanting to sit alongside Sports Direct and Wonga. Sports Direct is hardly a pariah brand, although Wonga is definitely shaky ground. But even before Wonga signed up last season we were hardly attracting big bucks in sponsorship deals, and was probablyone of the reasons we ended up with them eventually. I think it's more to do with big companies want to be attached to clubs which are aiming for success and show ambition. With us it's still appears to be the case of survive on the cheap and take what you can above that as a bonus. Sticking with a cheap manager rather than appoint a quality one sends out that signal for sure. Sport Direct is a horrendous brand I'm afraid. It cries out 'stack em high sell em cheap'. It's a bargain basement brand, and it's been plastered all over what was once a great looking ground. The club used to have a fairly good brand image itself tbh, but the Ashley regime have changed that. Even the Puma shirts are cheap template kits with sow on badges as opposed to embroided ones. Look at the state of the club shop. Its basically a Newcastle United version of Sports Direct where everything is crammed in and its 3 t-shirts for a tenner. I haven't been in many other club shops, but I have been in Arsenal's and Chelsea's. Both are pretty classy and the items on sale are desirable and of good quality. Personally, I haven't bought one item of merchandise since the last Adidas top. The whole image of the club is wrong tbh, but what it is is all Ashley knows. His kind of marketing doesn't adapt well to a Premier League football club where you're looking to attract sponsorship and where brand image is important. Brand image isn't really that important to Sports Direct. It's hardly a wonder our commercial revenue has almost halved, and disgracefully so is now even below Sunderland's. No high end brand wants to be associated with us, and whats on the pitch is only a tiny part of it. Good post. Great post

I'm just surprised that people would really think that he'd be replaced. This is Ashley and Llambias we're talking about, he still absolutely fits in with what they want. .com has it exactly right when they point out that it's highly unlikely those two would appoint anyone of better quality. I saw Pard's has cancelled the phone in on bbc sport, now there's a surprise Must have realised what an absolute slaughtering he was going to get. One more point, I like listening to John Anderson on there but I'm surprised given he;s watched every fucking game under Pardew that he hasn't been more critical of Pardew given what he's seen.

My mate sent me a message on facebook earlier sounding pretty confident he was going, that it was all over twitter. I haven't heard that much though and seems nothing more than basic rumours.

Can forum members come and watch? (sorry if this has been asked already)

It really is painful isn't it. Actually its more embarrassing now to be honest.

I won't be in the slightest surprised if Pardew stays on. That comment from .com is spot on, who are they realistically going to employ instead of him that's any better? They simply aren't that bothered in terms of progression. We've stayed in the league, they have the prem money and he absolutely fits in with their system. Only if (and as expected) he totally cocks up the start of next season will they even think about replacing him. This season and especially since January really has sucked the life out of me in terms of excitement/enjoyment with the club. Utterly depressing

I'd love to know why he does this every window. Same exact speech every time too. This I agree with you on 100%. Stupid thing to say. I can't listen to him anymore, too annoying and repetitive

I sat in the Gallowgate just shaking my head in disbelief at that second half v Reading. He outdid himself that day, absolute moronic cowardly management.

Which is a common theme for a lot of our players isn't. Deflated and insipid are words to describe many of our second half performances and its all so predictable.

It's got to the point that its pointless even trying to work out why he makes the decisions he does. They just keep coming followed by the same old sound bites post match. I mean saying we lacked some punch without Shola being available, I do find it odd that so many of the journalists give him such ringing endorsements on the radio. Are they watching the same team play ffs?

First half I'd agree. Second half was mediocre personified. Yeah 1st half was alright, we had a little bit of purpose. Second half was the usual run out if steam, ideas, well everything really.

I heard Europa league and injuries and switched off That might have been beyond 2 min threshold though

That's my view as well. Yep agree with this Well you're all mental. On his day, he's unplayable. If we got rid, we'd soon regret it IMO. He's been unplayable only a handful of times in his 2 seasons here. He's a quality player. And this is the club that trusts Alan Pardew to get us out of Alan Pardew's mess, and replaced Andy Carroll with Demba Ba to then want to replace Demba Ba with Andy Carroll. I don't trust us to replace him properly, so I'd rather he didn't go. I'm not saying I want him away I just think there's a huge amount of hype around a player who doesn't live up to that hype a lot of the time. Tactics or no tactics top players enforce themselves on matches, just look at the way Colo made an impact coming back into defence. Cabaye has fantastic skill and ability but has he really done enough this season when we've needed him, I'm not sure he has. That said pretty much all our players have underperformed this season so he's not alone. Cabaye made a huge impact on his return from injury, much in the same way Colo did. Fair comment, he did initially but it tailed off too much afterwards in my opinion. Of all our players (Colo aside) he's the one I'd be least surprised to see go. I'd like to see him stay and Pardew sort that midfield out (don't all laugh at once) with Sissoko in there next to him. He needs to have more of an impact going forward, that quaterback role is f***ing nonsense. I guess I'm saying he's being misused and also needs to up his game - two way thing.

That's my view as well. Yep agree with this Well you're all mental. On his day, he's unplayable. If we got rid, we'd soon regret it IMO. He's been unplayable only a handful of times in his 2 seasons here. He's a quality player. And this is the club that trusts Alan Pardew to get us out of Alan Pardew's mess, and replaced Andy Carroll with Demba Ba to then want to replace Demba Ba with Andy Carroll. I don't trust us to replace him properly, so I'd rather he didn't go. I'm not saying I want him away I just think there's a huge amount of hype around a player who doesn't live up to that hype a lot of the time. Tactics or no tactics top players enforce themselves on matches, just look at the way Colo made an impact coming back into defence. Cabaye has fantastic skill and ability but has he really done enough this season when we've needed him, I'm not sure he has. That said pretty much all our players have underperformed this season so he's not alone.

That's my view as well. Yep agree with this

Shola's time has been and gone here, good luck to him where he goes though.