Hatem Ben Arfa

[Dave]

feels like a slow motion train wreck to me all this.

 

Great analogy.

[Mike]

Reminds me of the Knicks over the last decade. The team was so shit they'd just lash out at the press anytime they printed something that made the organization look bad.

 

We are the Knicks. So many comparisons.

 

You wish you were that maliciously shit. NUFC just seems like a bunch of people doing their individual job with no regard to how they should work as a whole. Rudderless ship with an immaculately clean deck or some shit.

[Guest bimpy474]

God were so sensitive, Its like were on our period.

[David Icke - Son of God]

I think people get a bit too upset about these statements. Over the past few years we have taken a really strong line with journalists who publish stuff like this (TalkSport got an absolute bollocking in the summer for suggesting Pardew and Llambias had fallen out, for example), it seems to have been club policy since Kinnear/the relegation season.

 

There probably is a case for radio silence during times like these but a combative stance is better IMO. Newspapers don't want to get sued, they don't want to get their access taken away etc. and this type of reaction, while it may be a bit embarrassing to us, will have sports editors thinking twice before they give a throw away article the go ahead. Let's not forget the HBA story was a back page splash (on the NE edition at least) on the biggest selling daily newspaper in the UK. If it's not true, and it certainly read like a piece of speculative bullshit, the club have every right to make the country aware that's the case. You never know, it might even help create a siege mentality.

[quayside]

God were so sensitive, Its like were on our period.

 

We are. You got a problem with that?

[midds]

Commenting on it officially implies we give the piece credence.

 

 

We should have left it alone completely. Schoolboy error to even acknowledge it tbh.

[BeloEmre]

I think people get a bit too upset about these statements. Over the past few years we have taken a really strong line with journalists who publish stuff like this (TalkSport got an absolute bollocking in the summer for suggesting Pardew and Llambias had fallen out, for example), it seems to have been club policy since Kinnear/the relegation season.

 

There probably is a case for radio silence during times like these but a combative stance is better IMO. Newspapers don't want to get sued, they don't want to get their access taken away etc. and this type of reaction, while it may be a bit embarrassing to us, will have sports editors thinking twice before they give a throw away article the go ahead. Let's not forget the HBA story was a back page splash (on the NE edition at least) on the biggest selling daily newspaper in the UK. If it's not true, and it certainly read like a piece of speculative bullshit, the club have every right to make the country aware that's the case. You never know, it might even help create a siege mentality.

[Guest bimpy474]

God were so sensitive, Its like were on our period.

 

We are. You got a problem with that?

 

[Guest icemanblue]

I think people get a bit too upset about these statements. Over the past few years we have taken a really strong line with journalists who publish stuff like this (TalkSport got an absolute bollocking in the summer for suggesting Pardew and Llambias had fallen out, for example), it seems to have been club policy since Kinnear/the relegation season.

 

There probably is a case for radio silence during times like these but a combative stance is better IMO. Newspapers don't want to get sued, they don't want to get their access taken away etc. and this type of reaction, while it may be a bit embarrassing to us, will have sports editors thinking twice before they give a throw away article the go ahead. Let's not forget the HBA story was a back page splash (on the NE edition at least) on the biggest selling daily newspaper in the UK. If it's not true, and it certainly read like a piece of speculative bullshit, the club have every right to make the country aware that's the case. You never know, it might even help create a siege mentality.

 

[littlelunchbox]

all this commotion is bringing me back to the old days of circus act freddie and halls.

 

good times.

[Guest icemanblue]

all this commotion is bringing me back to the old days of circus act freddie and halls.

 

good times.

 

That's the turps, mate.

[Ashley17]

Flagrant is definitely Dekka's word of the week

[Si]

I have no problem with NUFC suing the press for lying.

 

Me neither.  And still, they don't need to release a f***ing official statement on their website.

 

They kind of do if they are.

[Mole_Toonfan]

Personally i like the idea of Ashley sitting there reading his paper, monocle dropping in to his brandy in outrage at a shit story. "GET ME DEREK!"

[Ishmael]

I have no problem with NUFC suing the press for lying.

 

Me neither.  And still, they don't need to release a f***ing official statement on their website.

 

They kind of do if they are.

 

Really?

[Si]

There's not many companies that would let someone call them a cunt and not take action.

[Skeletor]

Personally i like the idea of Ashley sitting there reading his paper, monocle dropping in to his brandy in outrage at a shit story. "GET ME DEREK!"

 

[Ishmael]

There's not many companies that would let someone call them a cunt and not take action.

 

Not when it's so utterly small time

[Scotty66]

It's always nice to see a tiny 5cm x 5cm column titled "an apology" though. 

 

 

[David Icke - Son of God]

There's not many companies that would let someone call them a cunt and not take action.

 

Not when it's so utterly small time

 

It's a shot across the bows. I think you can legitimately argue we've been a soft touch in recent years, we've let these stories slide which is why we're always good for copy "in a crisis". Not anymore by the looks of things.

[Benwell Lad]

There's not many companies that would let someone call them a cunt and not take action.

 

Not when it's so utterly small time

 

It's a shot across the bows. I think you can legitimately argue we've been a soft touch in recent years, we've let these stories slide which is why we're always good for copy "in a crisis". Not anymore by the looks of things.

 

We've been a soft touch from top to bottom for years. About time we started letting those who treat us as such know that we'll counter them full on.

[Wallace]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/may/02/alan-pardew-rift-newcastle-french-english

 

"Nonetheless Pardew revealed that Hatem Ben Arfa – still struggling with a suspect hamstring – was "very angry" about a "completely fabricated, intelligence insulting" report that he was in talks with Tottenham."

[Ketsbaia]

May as well sue that French website too - hey, this is easy!

[Wullie]

The chairman wishes to make it clear that Alan Shearer has never said to him that he would knock seven bells out of anyone.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

There's not many companies that would let someone call them a cunt and not take action.

 

Not when it's so utterly small time

 

It's a shot across the bows. I think you can legitimately argue we've been a soft touch in recent years, we've let these stories slide which is why we're always good for copy "in a crisis". Not anymore by the looks of things.

 

We've been a soft touch from top to bottom for years. About time we started letting those who treat us as such know that we'll counter them full on.

 

I think it's also a symptom of the fact that Ashley/Llambias are trying to impose standards and practices from outside the football world onto the club, and not so ready to accept things that other people might consider normal in the game.