Tiresias

was literally about to post exactly this

Excuses being made for Pardew I see "with injuries it's getting hard for Pardew to even put out a team"

I do think some managers get a lot of stick for everything wrong at clubs, often, it's a case of bad fit. Often you have a club who are a shambles internally right through, like Sunderland and us until Benitez. You either succeeded (in terms of staying in the job nothing else) here like Pardew did by sucking up to the owner to excuse the lack of results and infectious lack of ambition, or you tried to change things, which I think McClaren probably tried a bit with the right intentions but had nowhere near the leverage Benitez had (and not would he ever have been as good at it), but I do remember them bringing in Cathro at the time and trying to make it look like a clean sweep. Same with players, you get a bunch of toxic players, and there is way too much player power clearly, and they want a manager out the club is going to underperform. Some managers need control of everything, others need a full set of coaches etc and a hands on chief executive and are best just handling the matches on the day. It's why sometimes the old bitterness of managers not being given enough time is both true, but frustrating for fans at clubs because clearly managers aren't always the right fit and no amount of games will change that. Sometimes patience is of course needed. As for Moyes at Sunderland? Probably right fit in the long term, think he suits underdog team more than Man U ever, but he won't get the support in terms of transfers from the owners and he's too honest to pretend to be happy about it so I can't see him lasting much longer if things carry on as they are. I think maybe rather than waiting for a rescue job like Sunderland he needed to take a pay cut and go take on a project at a championship team and take them up, like Benitez clearly saw the opportunity to do with us. (He is not as good as Benitez mind, he's clearly one of those fairly average premier league managers like Mark Hughes who given the backing will deliver you 8th, Man U has scuppered him in many ways) I enjoy laughing at Sunderland so I hope he can't lift them any further, but I think he'll get them safe then walk when he gets no transfer budget. The mackems will try sending him flowers and stuff to get him to stay again

Liverpool fan at work isn't so fond of him actually, said was great obviously for a while but started thinking himself bigger than the club and doing things like forcing Alonso out and trying to replace him with Gareth Barry.

I love the batshit rivalries though, geographic proximity rivalries are at the end of the day just as petty usually and just a bit dull

Good for them, gap to 3rd is what matters and of all the clubs glad it's them keeping up with us

They'll stay up they always do, just do enough and then no need to make any improvement on any level and continue to haunt the league with their shit footy

Winning 2-1 away? Benitez out!

I think the vardy tackle was a red, was off the ground two footed out of control, not the worst perhaps but been clear for ages that you can't do that.

Get in

To be fair Vardy gets his christmas holiday he's probably chuffed

ffs

Possible bad agent advise but the responsibility falls on him. Said at time, if a player would prefer to play for pardew than benitez then glad to get rid. He clearly has no desire to settle down anywhere btu keep chasing imaginary greener grass elsewhere. I could maybe understand it in a year with euros or world cup at end in the hope he could get an (probably undiserved all in all) england place. I'd probably have him back, seems foolish rather than greedy or anything.

Aye I lived there January 2014 to February 2015. Anyone getting the train down, both the Devonshire Arms and the Cooper's Tavern are both great pubs just round the corner from the station with a decent ale selection. The guy that runs - or at least did run - the Burton Bridge Inn on the other side of town is from Tynemouth anarl. Coopers Tavern was ace, great pub

Mate (another toon fan) lived there for a few years, been to a few of their matches when they were in League 2. Got a soft spot for them and the town which smells permanently of beer.

Getting slightly excited that this is all timing up for him to make a glorious return to West Ham

Not the prettiest but a professionally ground out away victory, which still feels a strange sentence to be typing

Did you know he broke his leg in a cup final?

Perez on for Gayle, agree save him for weekend

obviously nowhere near over ffs

When the manager actually makes the change you want rather than subbing on a leftback

Should not have got away with that, that side needs fixing

Worried now, need another goal to settle us down

Well done Lascalles for being absolutely done but managing to get back in time still

bad luck Shelvey