ExiledGeordie

Yeah I agree, that's the team I think Pardew will send out though, not necessarily what I'd like to see.

I can see Marveaux coming on as an impact sub as opposed to playing from the start after all those minutes in the league cup thursday night and given he's only just come back/got going. Will probably be: (assuming Shola's out with a knock) Krul Simpson Taylor(s) Colo Taylor® Obertan Cabaye Tiote Jonas Best Ba

All very worrying this. I don't expect him to be the saviour of the team but he's clearly a highly talented lad who can offer us something very different and it's a great shame he's been unjured for this long.

Any latest news on Hatem? I see the title of the thread has him back for the Wolves game. I guess Spurs on the 16th two weeks later may be more realistic given the usual set backs.

"The board" will have seen Ryan Taylor's performances and deemed him as an ideal replacement.

Fair point, ok consistently solid then? lol Get what your saying though.

at the Llambias quote

Yeah all this bollocks about him being a legend ffs. Robert Lee is a legend in my eyes not someone whose living off the back of one excellent season for us after a series of seasons doing nothing and getting involved with the law. I'm actually pretty glad that the Barton roadshow has left town in many ways, bored of it. That said he's done the job for us and we are now weakened even more with his departure which is frustrating/annoying. Some people need to move on from this though.

Technically very good, quick feet, and has an eye for a quality ball. Defo like the look of him. I like the idea of Marveaux linking up with Cabaye, Obertan, Ben Arfa etc.

All seems a bit tragic really that he's going to end up at QPR. His character issues on the pitch/twitter carry on his ruined chances of going to "one of the bigger" clubs thats for certain. I love watching him play for NUFC but he's a total self publicist with his twitter carry on creating constant drama and often find myself thinking "just shut up and get on with playing football". That said I like the way he'll come on the radio and talk to pundits, fans alike. I don't however like the way he's positioned himself as some kind of club legend when in fact if you break it down most of his career here has been spent on the injury bench, in jail or general controversy. Certainly a proper mixed bag of a player.

You have to give Pardew credit for some stuff like last saturday and some of the stuff he says comes across 100% genuine but then he goes back into club/Ashley/Llambias mouthpiece propoganda and totally mugs himself off.

Smith is obviously going to start after the comments I've just heard from his press conference this morning on sky sports news. Worryingly Pards has been saying "how much stronger our squad is compared to last year"

I was about to self destruct when I first read those "Pards" quotes!

Just a left back

For some stupid, bazarre reason I'm confident of us signing a left back despite all this brinkmanship. I'm not at all confident of us signing another striker though.

Obertan is an unkown entity them as well as us. Has the pace to hurt them, just hope he rises to the occasion as he's the closest thing we've got to Ben Arfa and someone to really put defenders on the back foot.

There's big pressure on Pardew in terms of the result and the lack of signings etc but the pressure is on Sunderland far more really. They've signed loads of players, they're the ones desperate to give us a drubbing after the 5-1. If it doesn't pan out the way they want you can imagine the players and fans getting really nervous because when all is said and done they'll never have a better opportunity to beat us.

Supporting NUFC under this regime is so fucking tedious

Ash & Derek making a mug out of Pardew at the moment and Pardew mugging himself off with his endless drivel about players being signed. Double mugging off efforts

If we go into the derby without a recognised left back it will be nothing short of criminal. Lets just wait and see I guess but it was pretty clear to everyone that Enrique was off so if we're scraping around for options at this stage or even later and haggling for a cheap price unwilling to spend any money to plug the gap then it just shows what a farce the people are who are running the show (as said a million times).

WHen he needlessley lost the ball at halfway taking on players then went down "injured" a la his goal line antics is a perfect example of his flawes. I think he looked good though, lean and fast and worked very well with Colo.

Are there any recent updates on Ben Arfa's status? I see on physio room they have October 1st.

Think he handled himself perfectly especially given he was confront by "Mr Angry" lol. I just hope if he does stay he can stay in last season's mould where he just got his head down and played really well. We don't need this twitter/phone in carry on week in week out.

Otter, I'm a grimly realistic fan depressed with the Ashley regim but calm down it's the first game of the season man, lol

I'll do a war dance if we don't have a new left back signed for next weekend!!!!!!!!!!