loonyTOON

Pardew confirms Ben Arfa will NOT start on Sunday.

Dribbling at the thought of the pair of them, along with Debuchy and Tiote available for Sunday. Plus Gouffran back in too. First selection headache in a long time!

So would I in an ideal world. But the fact is, neither defend. So you take Anita and Bigi out from the first half, and all that running and defensive work they did. Likelihood is they would have scored. That was the one thing Pardew recognised, for both fans and players, if they scored first, we were done.

That's the point right there! The whole point was to get to that point where Ben Arfa and Marveaux were running at them with fresh legs.

Would you rather he started Ben Arfa and Marveaux and run the risk of being pummelled 3-4 nil?

In the first half anyway

Wasn't about offering more, it was about containment.

Thing is, had it worked and we got that last goal, everyone would be praising Pards as a tactical genius! Bloke can't win. Took a risk with impact subs and it nearly came off. Don't blame him for trying.

I think Pardew's tactics were spot on tonight, can't fault him one bit, He was totally right in saying if we tried to play a high tempo from the off, they would have crucified us! I would hate to be a player after 60 mins and feeling tired, to see Ben Arfa and Marveaux coming on. Not sure if it was mentioned, but I noticed they turned the clocks off at SJP at half time, and they came back on after we scored. Asked my mate after, and Pardew asked that to happen. Canny that - personally I've not heard of any other manager doing something like that. End of the day, I thought we should have put them to the sword tonight, 20 minutes to go and needing 1 more goal. But wasn't to be. Good effort and let's hope everyone is available to drum the Mackems on Sunday.

Has to be Perch and Mbiwa at centre-back surely. Or possibly Dan Gosling? ANYONE but Williamson. If Williamson starts, I really cannot see us keeping a clean sheet

BBC iPlayer - but it will be available 48 hours after it was shown on Sunday

He made a few Arfa-esque mazy runs against Fulham, and looks like he's learning when to switch the pace on. He's getting better through the run in the side.

Hope there's some canny banners on Sunday from our lot! "Send the Fascists in the same direction as Sunderland - DOWN!"

Sick looking player, just what we need on the left side of the pitch. Someone get a message to Lee Ryder about the 'rumour' doing the mills about Newcastle interested in signing him. Hoping then that he quizzes Pardew on it, who then wants to know who this player is. All we need to do is somehow get the name to Carr.....

Just look at how he's performed when asked of. Now add in the fact he's 19 years old. He's a real gem for the future of this club.

New match day song me thinks.

Possibly the Ashley stuff but there's only one united. I do talk a load of shite most the time.

I'm originally from N Yorkshire but living in Aberdeen at the mo. sometimes I get grief from Geordies up here (on rigs) for supporting the Toon. Funny thing is, I'm a bigger fan of the Toon that they will ever be. I might not be from the city, but my old man got me supporting them as back as I can remember, and loved them ever since. I bleed black 'n white and will follow the team through everything!

Roughly what time do the Mackems get escorted into ground?

I might actually get through a game without changing my boxers!

Can you imagine if our the majority, if not all our big players were fit for an entire season!

Where's this happening like?

.co.uk saying tickets are sold out and the team are going to be backed by a "full house". Did L7 go on sale and sell out?!

No wonder he says it's good when he scores - he goes home after and gets treats from:

What a strike! I hate to say it but I'd quite happily go and snap him up in the summer if he becomes a free agent as QPR drop down. The snub in January could be a MASSIVE bargaining chip for wages etc. If he did snub a verbal agreement with us, then he's a wank. But a talented wank!