toontenacity

Not having Steven Gerrard shouts for a second. Admittedly he has been called one of the premier league era greats...but only because he is.

In all seriousness this would, theoretically at least, look plausible. It would allow both Santon and Debuchy to attack more regularly, whilst also allowing HBA and Sissoko to be central where they are more influential. This is Pardew though- tactical experimentation?

Really worried Pardew might start him on Sunday, judging by the quotes in the Echo this morning. It's a disgrace that Cisse is moved out of position to make space for bloody Shola

http://www.saintsweb.co.uk/showthread.php?43247-Newcastle-Build-up/page5 Really want to beat them, especially after some of these comments. They seem to really underestimate us, reckon we played poorly last night, and -understandably- believe they're terrific

Simply have to keep pressing. If we sit back, we will concede without a shadow of a doubt. Perch in particular will not stand up to a 45 min examination by Mata and co.

Newcastle striker’s gift to children demonstrates that he wears the burden of responsibility lightly in his favoured No 9 jersey, finds George Caulkin They say his shirt can be a heavy one, but Papiss Demba Cissé was proving otherwise; his arms were full of them. Newcastle United’s No 9 was doling out new playing kit at Grainger Park Boys’ Club and, in return, was collecting shy grins from a team of 11-year-olds on whom the transfer window had inflicted collateral damage. Cissé, whose name adorns the sleeves, had paid for the strips. It was deadline day in Scotswood and a wind that could freeze blood was whipping off the Tyne. Inside the club house there was warmth of two kinds; heat pulsing from the gym and boxing ring and pleasure counteracting the chill. Cissé’s presence had brought a happy conclusion to a small, sad story and, at the end of a decent week for Alan Pardew’s team, there was symbolism in the air. Things had not been so cheerful for either set of players in early January, when Chelsea met the £7.5 million release clause in Demba Ba’s contract and the striker left St James’ Park. For Newcastle, whose results had been poor, it began a three-punch combination — Fabricio Coloccini’s discontent, Loïc Rémy’s signing for Queens Park Rangers after a long pursuit — and it left them tottering. At Grainger Park, there was dismay, too. Through the Barclays Premier League and Newcastle’s Foundation they had received a set of their distinctive green shirts, worth £500, and Ba had sponsored them, although he had never got around to making the presentation. The children were deflated; who wants to play in a defector’s honour? Cissé heard about it and stepped in. Some distance separates Pakao, Senegal, from Newcastle’s West End, but there is unity in hardship and football, and the moment was important to Grainger Park, financially and psychologically. Staffed by volunteers, they have provided a community hub in an area of deprivation since 1928, running 13 teams for more than 200 young people. It costs £10,000 a year for the club to survive. “We’ve got nothing,” Nicola McCabe, the club secretary, said. “Most kids struggle to pay their £2-a-week subs. But we would never stop a child from playing football if they can’t afford it.” There was an echo in Cissé’s response to the evening. “I came from nowhere,” he said. “If people want to wear a shirt with my name on it, it makes me very proud.” Placed together, nothing and nowhere made something. The positivity is catching. Ba returns to St James’ Park today and might not recognise it, because although his former club remain in difficulty, they have uplift. Five French signings have bulked out a skinny squad, Coloccini’s commitment to stay has energised the club, and a 2-1 victory away to Aston Villa, where Newcastle’s relegation was confirmed in 2009, was enormous. Cissé, who scored at Villa Park on Tuesday, is reunited with prominence. His £9 million arrival from Freiburg 13 months ago brought a glut of goals, including a brace of astonishing quality in a 2-0 win away to Chelsea, but this season has been a struggle, for him and his club. When Ba, an international team-mate, was there, Cissé was often stationed wide, but he is back in the middle and relishing it. The No 9 again. Ba was never a badge-kisser, but the eagerness to exploit his escape clause loomed over Newcastle and it grated; there is a contrast in personality with Cissé. “The relationship between the Newcastle supporters and myself is like a love story,” Cissé said. “They love me and I love them back. I’ve never had a relationship like this before. “I’ve always been happy to wear the Newcastle shirt and particularly the number I carry. I know it’s special. So I’m very happy to be here, even though this season hasn’t been as good as we would like. Even in the difficult times, the wonderful people have been with me. I want them to know I’ll work for them, that I won’t let them down. I want to see them smile.” Cissé’s first 12 league appearances for Newcastle were accompanied by 13 goals; at the start of this season there were seven barren matches in the Premier League. “It was very difficult, certainly compared to last season, when everything I touched became gold,” he said. “You go through these patches as a striker and perhaps I wasn’t in my most natural position, but Demba was scoring for us and I certainly didn’t complain. “I wanted to be there, to bring what I could to the team. But now Demba has gone and I’m in my best position and I want to get down to it, to score as many goals as I can. We’ve got a massive match this weekend and Demba is coming back, but that’s not important. I just want us to win.” The result against Villa soothed tension and with Moussa Sissoko, Yoan Gouffran, Mathieu Debuchy and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa involved, restored a sense of possibility. “It was the words and pictures the manager used in the hotel before the match that really motivated us,” Cissé said. “He played a video of the last time Newcastle were relegated, of that terrible day at Villa. The only thing he said afterwards was, ‘That isn’t going to happen this time. It starts now. We have to fight.’ He told our signings, ‘The moment you pull on that shirt you’re no longer a new player, you’re a Newcastle player, so you give 100 per cent, like the rest.’ He was brilliant. “The club has done a fantastic job bringing in these players. They’ve shown they can step up and play in the Premier League, but Villa was just the start. I want to help them settle, to get used to the division and the surroundings, as I was helped when I arrived.” Cissé’s English is progressing nicely, but for the sake of fluency our interview is conducted in French and the 27-year-old summons a neat description to encapsulate the mind-addling maelstrom of North East life. “When I talk about Newcastle and football in Newcastle, it’s quite hallucinating,” he said. “The majority of the people I know back home in Senegal have never been to Europe, so I take my iPad and show them photographs and videos of my goals, the people, the way they chant my name, the craziness, the city. I also want to give them hope that one day they can do something similar as well, if they want to.” The message of aspiration applies in Pakao as it does in Scotswood. “I come from the southern part of Senegal, where life is hard for young people,” Cissé said. “There’s no work. My background was very tough and that’s why I’m happy to do things like this. At home, I try to help out in a similar way. “I’ve recently bought an ambulance and I’m going to send that to a hospital. And football is a big thing, so I’m using my own funds to construct a football school. I hope it will help the kids and has a knock-on effect for their families, because life can be very difficult. I’ve called the training centre Pakao Foot, after the region I’m from. It’s really important we carry our name with pride.” Whatever language they converse in, pride and responsibility is all Newcastle fans ask of their players, although more of the exquisite goals Cissé mustered at Stamford Bridge last May would be acceptable. “I’ll never forget that match and even yesterday someone asked me how I scored those goals,” he said. “All I can say is that I’m an attacker and sometimes I chance my arm. I tried twice and it worked. “For the second goal, the famous one, I remember Shola Ameobi knocked the ball down with his chest, I controlled it, shot and just saw it go in. It made me very happy.” Cissé had brought his happiness to Grainger Park and wanted to share it.

Why so many wanting Martinez? Sure his talk about 'philosophy' and his emphasis on passing is appealing, but he hasn't managed to establish wigan as a safe premier league team. His relegation exploits might be useful short term I suppose, but he wouldn't be my choice on a permanent basis. Regardless of Wigan'a considerable limitations, he hasn't done anything there to suggest he could get us challenging regularly for Europe in a few years time.

Wow the table looks utterly frightening now, with Villa wining it becomes clear we are well and truly in deep shit. If we lose to Villa next week- who conveniently seem to have found their form- I'm sure we'll go down

Shearer anybody?

What a woeful potential send-off for him that was. The crowd's anger at Pardew's incompetence overshadowed their support for him, which was a shame. Not that I can blame them.

Disgraceful he regularly changes the team to defend one goal leads with the majority of the game still to go

And there I was thinking this was supposed to be a buying window for us..

Kevin Gameiro linked with Liverpool in The Times today, saying he could go for £6 million. We were interested a few summers ago..anybody know how he's done at PSG and would you take him?

Sunday Times journalist on twitter says QPR have offered £9 million plus SWP for Remy..

Fenham Mag is at it again..

Sorry for the bump, but is he back for Everton? PhysioRoom saying 12th January return but we really need him against Everton IMO

Would be great to see him love on debut at Brighton next Saturday..

Nice try!

Niall Quinn just said that Ferguson's comments show his "fires and flames are still roaring". Only with ferguson does the media give actions such as these a positive spin. There simply shouldn't be any praise for what he has done

In his pre-match pressed this morning. Pardew's "criticism" was that he said he thought Dean might rue not being stricter in hindsight with Ferguson's harassing of officials. When ferguson was asked a similar question, he went mad

His comments today show what a childish disrespectful prick he is

Pardew finally playing him in his preferred position, the deep lying playmaker in a midfield three, and it seems to be paying off. Not rocket science though

Anita looking bright, few direct balls to the feet of Ba and hassling well

Bit behind, but how many of their doubtful players are playing?

So bizarre!