Shays Given Tim Flowers

I predict a replay.

This coverage is doing no favours for my hangover. At least I have a sixty piece prawn platter in the oven.

Hope he learns something this season.

The thing is Mike is worth 1.7 BILLION and thus has the means to spend large, no doubt about that. Of course he doesn't for some reason (which under Shephard we're inclined to agree with) but the problem is he doesn't even spend small as the Debuchy deal proved, we nearly lost a first team international because he didn't want to pay over 5 million. That is just ludicrous, the money is there, he just would rather us get relegated because I believe he actively hates the club.

If that was true we wouldn't have signed anyone (or anyone who was any good) in the past couple of years. Progress may be slow with transfers and the haggling approach may well be to our detriment, but the side is getting there. Do you think our trophy cabinet would be any fuller had we signed Debuchy in the summer? Do you think the only reason we have turned out such turgid mediocre football all season, and lost 7 of the last 9 is because of Danny Simpson?

The first XI assembled under him here is very good. If he could get a decent manager in I think I would be pretty happy with how things are going (all the ridiculousness of the past aside). In fact with a good manager I think we would have everything that a non-super rich club could hope to have in terms of the premier league.

Trouble is he won't get a good manager in any time soon and if he does it will probably involve an immense slice of luck. I think this undermines any real claims that can me made of the summer representing a missed opportunity for 'kicking on' up the league. I'm not saying we shouldn't have bought defenders, we should have done but what's the rush really. We haven't won anything since 1969 and that wouldn't have changed with Mike Williamson being demoted to 4th choice centre back and Danny Simpson being made second choice right back.

For me the real shame is that for all the talk of a long term plan the youth side of things seems to be a shambles. The coaching structure seems incredibly ad hoc and there is no tangible footballing blue-print running through the lower levels.

Just remembered Cabaye getting suspended in this game last year. The match was just classic Newcastle at their awful inevitable best. That suspension just topped things off nicely. Think we will win this.

Why did he not square it to Cisse was our chance to grab a point.

 

He's got no left foot to make that square pass.

He can make passes with his left easily. Crossing is another matter but I have seen him use his left to pass instinctively. Far more likely that he thought he was going to score.

If he did actually throw Santon under the bus publicly, he's a worse manager and a worse human being than I had thought him to be. Way to ruin a young player's self-esteem, confidence and faith in his position.

And its his Birthday.

As it stands, i'd only want Pardew out of here if i knew we were going to make strides to buy another manager. Preferably somebody from the continent. I don't know who, but i can't think of any managers in this league we'd pay off.

 

 

Pardew out would probably mean Kinnear in, and I'm not even joking.

This is exactly it. Ashley's Rolodex of managers has so far turned up Kinnear and Pardew. They are hardly likely to inspire many potential appointments as things stand. Let alone the fact that the guy any new manager was replacing had been given the security of an 8 year contract. 

Hoping for some turn in fortune when Saylor, Ben Arfa and Cabaye are back in the team around end of march.

 

Krul

Debuchy-Taylor-Coloccini-Santon

Anita-Tiote-Cabaye

Ben Arfa-Marveaux

Cisse

 

That´s a f***ing impressive team, miles better than the one that got relegated.

The only thing thats too good to go down is my Mother.

Just don't know what Pardew has on Ashley. Any other manager at any other club would be sacked for results like this.

 

At the end of the day, if we stay up - it's all cushty to Ashley. I get the feeling that any real success is nothing more than a bonus.

 

Our team has no fight and is going down with a whimper yet his job still doesn't seem in danger at all.

 

Thing is, we're not in the relegation zone as it stands and Ashley won't be even tempted to make a change until we are.

08/09 may have persuaded him otherwise as we slumped badly second half of the season, that coupled with the new TV deal and I think he will at least be considering it.

First they came for Simpson and then Obertan, but I did not speak out because I wasn't Simpson or Obertan.

Then they came for Williamson, because I wasn't Williamson I said nothing.

Then they came for Gutierrez and Ameobi, but I did not speak out because I wasn't Gutierrez or Ameobi.

Then they came for me. And there was no one left to speak for me.

Thank fuck we have some time to sort this out. Fuck me I feel sick. Horrible stuff. Knee jerk perhaps but this season has been fucking terrible to watch. Just awful.

£5 if someone can draw an accurate diagram of our current formation.

http://www.stockphotopro.com/photo-thumbs-2/stockphotopro_219663MKQ_no_title.jpg

done.

Pardew is a fucking idiot. Seriously. Some of the best players we have had in recent memory serving up this crap. Simply not good enough. His arrogance is reminding me of Fat Sam. The way so many of us can see whats wrong but he just carries on regardless. Needs a fucking bollocking from the board.

At least we are good at overturning deficits.

Just me who thought Ameobi was decent? You're causing us problems every time the ball's in our box, especially in the air.

 

Shola is only judged on his mistakes, not on his overall contribution. I'm surprised you don't know that yet.

aye, and the fact he is the second weakest player out there. He can be having a decent game and still not bring very much to the table.

Just me who thought Ameobi was decent? You're causing us problems every time the ball's in our box, especially in the air.

we're under the cosh for a lot of that half and he offers very little in that respect.

Ameobi can hold the ball up well. So can anyone who uses their body properly. Other than that he offers nothing. It's a tired point but really he's the Mike Williamson of strikers.

this season. 

this club 

Anita and Marveaux are very good footballers. Can tell they learned their trade abroad.

Perch seems to have a decent brain on him. Has recognised the footballers around him want the ball on the deck and has been looking to keep it down most of the time.

Marveaux has been a big part of our recent goal scoring IMO. Shouldn't be a make weight.

I'm sure plenty of clubs can afford him, even with the additional expenses he probably would ordinarily represent reasonable value. Its just whether people want to invest in the footballing equivalent of the bus from speed.

 

 

Lets hope he blows up playing for someone else

 

 

Don't start this man, we got enough s*** for those Mido chants.

 

I was referring to his knee exploding and the speed reference

I'm sure plenty of clubs can afford him, even with the additional expenses he probably would ordinarily represent reasonable value. Its just whether people want to invest in the footballing equivalent of the bus from speed.