LRD

Shola 1 Mouzone 0. Managed the bowtie colours far better.

Release clause is around 19m but they are well over 100m in debt and need to sell. Resident Benfiquistas are rejoicing atm.

I'm not. I saw him f***ing do it. Back injuries can be very difficult to confirm by medical examination. It's an old trick for agents to advise players who want to leave to say they've got a back injury. How do you fake 2 broken bones though?

Reckon he might sign on with Birmingham to join up with Lee Clarke and replace Butland? He should still be decent for the Championship and won't demand much from a cash-strapped club. Hope he comes back in some capacity, maybe a Gk coach for the reserves or youth sides once he decides to hang up his gloves.

You talking about Rafa or Keegan? /HTT Despite his shortcomings, KK will always have a special place in my heart. Without his entertainers I would never have started supporting Newcastle.

Will he fit in here? He would want plenty of transfer funds, want his own way of doing things, then throw a tantrum if he doesn't get what he wants. Ashley wouldn't pay top wages for managers too.

So Wonga hasn't done anything about their promise to engage the fans regarding next season's kit then?

Using next season's TV money already. Can see other clubs buying big in the summer. Pretty much what we've been doing, isn't it? I hope not.

The Wigan goal yeah. It was something insignificant really, just a mention of it somewhere. I think most people wouldn't have caught onto it nor remembered it. No biggie anyway.

Using next season's TV money already. Can see other clubs buying big in the summer.

Ba did? What did he say/do? (Ba that is) Nothing major actually. Ba said in a post-match interview that some Muslims might find Bigirimana's goal celebrations a bit offensive.

Caught Ba bending over in prayer and kicked his arse from behind, just like what Krul did to van Persie. Ba was naturally upset after that.

Don't think Bigirimana is Muslim. I remember Ba taking some small offence to his (Christian) goal celebrations/ remarks.

Is that a nazi reference? too far? seriously though--you see something like that your conscience should pang you into action & raise the damn flag! Maybe a tad too far. I agree with the sentiment though. It's worse than just a poor piece on linesmaning if he was thinking something like: "Oh, it looks like that french guy just had his kneecap shattered, but the ref told me just to deal with offsides so I won't bother raising my flag, he'll just have to writhe around in agony for a bit." And going off the view he had of the incident, and the way he seemed to nervously look towards the ref shortly aftewards, as if waiting for a whistle, it's not an unreasonable interpretation of events. Both Halsey and Wilkes equally culpable here. Linesman had a clear view yet chose to do nothing. Halsey's view was partially blocked but he didn't even have the sense to consult his linesman after seeing the coming together and the subsequent cries and injuries of Haidara. i still remember the radio 5 documentary where they mic'd up the officials, before, during and after a game. the ref said "i want hadballs in the box, offsides and nothing else from you" whats the linesman to do? also, i may have posted this before, not sure, but i was talking to someone i know (not really a friend) who, because of his son and wanting to help out at his kids footy is taking the refereeing stuff. they had a talk in with a local (north west) premier legaue referee. he's instructed that they aren't to referee a game, more manage an event, that we the supporters want to see games of 11 v 11 more than see the rules applied. swearing at the ref is to be stamped on (they'll get marked down for it at lower levels if they let it pass) but to let it pass at higher to apply the rule of keep everyone on the pitch. It wouldn't hurt to use a bit of common sense would it? If both ref and linesman are so rigid when it comes to pre-match instructions, how different are they from those incompetent fools at the FA. Halsey has a partially-block view of the impact but he has seen the before and aftermath of it, and Wilkes has a clear view of it. It's ridiculous that both of them can't even initiate any basic communication regarding the incident. Granted the refs could be asked to manage matches like they would an event and try to keep a match flowing and players on the pitch. If minor incidents like swearing goes to pass, I can live with that. I doubt any fans will want to see a 11-on-11 if it was such a severe OTT challenge deserving of a dismissal though. Again, logic falls into play here. Refs are not asked to keep players at all costs.

It's 2013, not 1913. Players can wear specialist closting under the normal kit so they don't have to get cold. Also, Santon was injured while training in Italy where the temperature is warmer than here. We're not the only 'cold weather club' in England either.

Is that a nazi reference? too far? seriously though--you see something like that your conscience should pang you into action & raise the damn flag! Maybe a tad too far. I agree with the sentiment though. It's worse than just a poor piece on linesmaning if he was thinking something like: "Oh, it looks like that french guy just had his kneecap shattered, but the ref told me just to deal with offsides so I won't bother raising my flag, he'll just have to writhe around in agony for a bit." And going off the view he had of the incident, and the way he seemed to nervously look towards the ref shortly aftewards, as if waiting for a whistle, it's not an unreasonable interpretation of events. Both Halsey and Wilkes equally culpable here. Linesman had a clear view yet chose to do nothing. Halsey's view was partially blocked but he didn't even have the sense to consult his linesman after seeing the coming together and the subsequent cries and injuries of Haidara.

My first thought. Still remember the goalie kit with a black puma logo that received such negative feedback, they changed it to a white one on release. http://www.nufcblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/kitgk2011-2012.jpg http://www.nufc.co.uk/javaImages/ca/ab/0,,10278~10267594,00.jpg

Likely so, but I'll take a speedy recovery for Haidara over anything else.

Will be amazing if he avoids ligament injury and long-term complications. Says it all when a week back we will support a Wigan win over QPR, now it will no longer be the case.

Haidara > Tiote if that happens.

Maybe Woy thinks Taylor is a midfielder too.

The lack of action from the FA might just work to punish Wigan than had they received a standard 3-match ban. With a ban, they can move on and focus on the FA Cup and their relegation dogfight, the talk will ease on them sooner rather than later. Instead they are finding themselves under the spotlight with getting away scot-free and Whelan's trash talk. The longer media and fan pressure on them, the more it can potentially harm them. I can only hope karma works out this way.

1 goal in 7 matches for Stoke so far. On target to meet the expectations of thread poll.

I do think Martinez will leave him out for the next 3 matches against Norwich, QPR and Millwall. He will melt under the intense pressure. Will be ironic if he leaves him out though. Might as well take the 3 match ban and be done with.