Hhtoon

The 8 year deal was a grandiose gesture and was more for the appearance of stability than anything else after a bad few years and in Ashley's defence, who could have predicted it would be this bad? I would say Pardew would have been given another season if we ended up anywhere above 15th but this is way too grim. Ashley obviously shouldered some of the blame and tried to rectify that in Jan but the only person to blame since then is Pards. In an ideal world we would be able to change now and get a long term manager for the foreseeable, but realistically we somehow need to hang in and make the best appointment in the summer. Looking at our team and infrastructure you can't tell me that any manager from teams 7th downwards wouldn't seriously contemplate coming in. The person holding us back is Pards and I'm confident that will be rectified. Just hope it's not too late.

I so very much want this to be true. Not the knee thing, that's just cruel.

I'm not sure about this whole Ba throwing a strop about playing left of a 4-3-3. Don't get me wrong, it is possible/likely and maybe during the summer he said that if he wasn't given chances in the middle he would re-evaluate his position. But surely Pardew, after such a s*** run, could have put his arm round him and said "Dembs, look how s*** we are. Could we just have a few games trying the 4-3-3 from the end of last season? It's not your fault, it's the other players and injuries and I would really appreciate it. Wouldn't you rather be winning games?" Players must have a desire to win or else they wouldn't make it so I fail to believe that Ba wouldn't agree to that. If he did refuse then get rid. More worryingly is that Pards isn't asking.

I'm no fan of Gerrard but to be fair, the game was pretty dire and hethis a different class for them. I think him getting MOM says more about the game to be honest. As for us, typical of us when we are playing containment. No pressure on them bar the odd spell. The only players I am happy to see with the ball are Colo, Tiote and Ba. I physically wince when Obertan and Simpson get the ball under pressure.