LV

Agreed. What an absolute horror-show.

They're all hoping to get that first few months he had with us. Still think he's got it in him somewhere.

Sometimes I wish I didn't remember what it was like being a Newcastle fan in the mid to late 1990's. I need an Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind-style memory wipe just so I can be happy with this current state of affairs.

Sammy's had a good game but he looks knackered now.

Bench him

He'll be back on it again like

Goal now pls

Great ball Ben arfa

Who's the co-commentator? Is it an ex-ref?

I feel........ nothing. This is what they (Ashley, Kinnear, Pardew) have done to me.

Joey Barton (on BT Sport) has just questioned Pardew's negative tactics on getting dumped out of the cup by Stevenage a couple of years back. Reckons that his switch from 2 up front in the first half (when we were 1-0) up to only 1 man up front in the second half cost us the game (they beat us 2-1). He specifically mentioned Pardew as being culpable. Not saying that Barton is any kind of tactical genius himself mind and he probably is still bitter about being sold but just thought it was an interesting comment from a former Pardew player.

Yes he is. His legs have gone by 65 minutes even when he doesn't particularly exert himself and you seldom see him passing the ball in the final third if there's a possibility to shoot. Which is why Mourinho wants nowt to do with him. Hell of a player in some respects but he's someone to put in the team to feed off scraps and play as an individual up top. Can't remember Ba like that for us like. He could be greedy in terms of shots at goal and not passing when he should but in general he worked hard for the team and linked up play well in the main. He got greedier the more isolated he become which was a common theme under Pardew towards the end of games, losing or winning. I agree about feeding of scraps and playing as an individual, he was very good at that but he showed he could function in a, well, a functioning side, even when not scoring. His (Ba's) best games arguably came when he wasn't played up top on his own as Ronaldo suggests, but in a 4-4-2 besides such luminaries as Shola and Best. Agree with this like. Ba was great at getting on the end of knockdowns and flick-ons.

£5 on Sunderland (v Man U)/ Borini wincast at 19-1. Don't hate me, I just fancy those odds!

Today's tactics: 1. Attempt to contain West Ham's wall of optimism and top quality offensive play. 2. Go 1-0 down 3. Take game to West Ham and equalise. 4. Sit back and settle for draw.

Not according to Jonas. Why would he need to lie?

Great servant to this club. Fantastic work-rate but sadly little end product. The sort of person I would love to have around in the workplace given his banter. Definitely did not deserve to be chucked out of the club without an explanation. It's not that hard to tell someone that they have been valued for the contribution they have made over the years but that the manager feels there are better options at the club now and that it would be better for the player to move on to somewhere where they will get a game. Certainly feels like a contract clause issue and a diktat from above to me.

He's probably on nowt. Uncle Mike just gives him somewhere to go in the daytime so he can play with the phone. Which isn't actually plugged in.

That Italian 19yr old who just put 4 past AC Milan would do. Co-owned by Juve. Carlton Cole it is then.

That Italian 19yr old who just put 4 past AC Milan would do.

Wouldn't call him average but yeah, his passing is a bit shite at times.

Still refuse to believe he's a bad player, I just think there's just not something right with him this season - probably a hangover from the refusal to wear Wonga thing. I also don't think he really works in our current formation/ethos. He's a poacher and doesn't really carve out his own chances. He needs to latch onto early crosses, flick-ons and through balls and then to shoot before he has a chance to think but we haven't really got wide men who cross in the team at the moment. I was a real fan of his but it's probably time to get rid given he's not fitting in. Still think he'll do well in the right team though.

We're dropping away from the top 8 pretty rapidly. Gutted at that result.

er...

We're going to score, I can sense it.

Jesus tittyfucking christ, I thought we'd scored there.