Happy Face

I think that's why Pardew did better in the league after a Europa game. No time to fill their heads with shite. They just went an played their game more.

Sounds like a Mark and Lard version of We Were Promised Jetpacks.

I have now

I've seen 2 of them once in 6 years....still feel guilty if I don't send summat, so it's more for my peace of mind than for their enjoyment.

Actual numbers... When Ben Arfa plays most of the game NUFC Average Shots on Target - 5.36 Opponents Average shots on Target - 6.04 When Ben Arfa doesn't play most of the game NUFC Average Shots on Target - 7.25 Opponents Average shots on Target - 6.54 I thought defensively we would be exposing Krul much more, but apparently not. He has slightly less work to do when Ben Arfa plays than when he doesn't. One on the nose for those who argue he's a liability for us. All bollocks though obviously

I was talking bollocks anyway, wrong column This must be how Reinhart and Rogoff felt.

On average we concede more shots on target than we manage ourselves when Ben Arfa plays most of the game. We achieve over 5 more shots on target than than the opposition on average when Ben Arfa doesn't play (or plays short spans <45 minutes).

I'm a godfather 3 times over. Its a Bastard come Christmas. I'm going to start knocking requests back.

ODB's birthday tomorrow. Cheers, added to pocket for a read later.

Interesting statty write up in the Mag on Ben Arfa this week... This bit is particularly telling... http://www.themag.co.uk/the-mag-articles/statistical-analysis-of-hatem-ben-arfa-first-name-on-team-sheet/

I agree with all that.....but of the teams that spent or didn't, or had injury woes or not, or had harder games after Europa or not, Pardew's drop off from his qualifying season to the next was worse than ANY other manager has suffered, by a long way....and that's despite his record in games after a europa fixture being BETTER than his record in games without one. There's not many teams that over perform to the extent we did in 11/12 though. Last year Swansea qualified in 9th so if they finish 16th it won't be viewed as such a disastrous showing comparatively. Spurs won't drop off to any great degree because they've spent all the Bale money. Pardew has been a victim of his own success there, no doubt, but Everton, Villa and Fulham are the ones you can compare with us, clubs that finished 5th to 7th and didn't really invest to push on. They all fell off the pace the next year, but none of them anywhere close to the extent we did.

Don't follow how your narrow analysis of cherry picked games this year is more valid than the over arching trend of past seasons.

The question he was asked was "Honesty and hard work you talk about, from your players, how pleased were you to see that from them?" So he was chomping at the bit to twist a question towards it. 1:54 http://www1.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/9019590/pardew:-krul-one-of-the-best?

Thought Pardew had said Spurs were feeling the effects of Europa...but can't find any quotes. Anyone got them? I'm giving the poor lad massive stick when I've not even heard what he had to say....on Stevie's word, and he's full of poetic license

He was saying before the man City game we weren't expecting anything from it. But it's not a case of ripping into his players in any way. He has this bee in his bonnet about proving to everyone that he wasn't at fault for last season...so after winning 2 on the bounce against top quality opposition like Chelsea and Spurs, rather than praise the players and reiterate what we are capable of if we work together and think big, he belittles the team and the opposition by harking back to his old Europa woes, suggesting AVB and Laudrup are suffering like he did last year. It's small time pissy shit that he should leave to others to defend him on.

Other lesser managers take their lead from him, was the point. It's not about tactical nuance or massive experience. It's basic. You build your players up, not scare them from qualifying for Europe again.

I think everyone accepts there is an impact from playing a dozen or so more games, of all the added travel, of the reduced preparation time for each game. But Pardew is the only one who tells his players they will be tired, that he doesn't expect them to embrace the extra games...because that's what you've worked your whole life towards...playing football at the top....in European competition. You can see references to the effect of Europe in the comments from Bobby in the .com reports Stevie links to, but it's always to build the players up, rather than to lower expectations on them. AVB and Laudrup make the same sounds Robson did. Pardew is in a field of one amongst football men being all pissy about the Europa. He takes his lead on that from Mike Ashley, who doesn't see the return/benefit from being in that competition. Spot on Sir Berb.

I only count 14 european games at your link [/editor]

I did this before... http://www.toontastic.net/board/topic/34250-happy-faces-numbers/page-2#entry1201820

Cloughy wasn't a shit manager, but he couldn't break the player power at Leeds either. The manager has to have total control of his players. When the club back players over the manager it's a downward spiral. Even a respected man like Robson was weakened by Shepherd refusing to get in line with him over Shearer.

To be fair I have picked the worst examples of mundanity I could. There's tactical analysis of players, games, teams, seasons and other managers that many will find interesting. Not seen that blog though. Link? I'm reading Craig Bellamy's book now. I've never been fussed on football books before but got these sent to me for free as PDFs and they're perfect for work avoidance.

Quote of the day - " I can't believe I wore an SS uniform on Remembrance Sunday."

Those were apron strings tied to her feet as she tried to save gorgeous George

Looks to me like we've improved at both ends, not just in bringing in Remy. I think what we had previously was a lot of championship standard players peppered with some that could cut it in the top flight. In January we added a third of a team that are capable of playing in this league...but as well as getting up to the pace of the game in England they had bank accounts, housing, kids schools and all that to cope with. 10 months later they're hopefully settling into both the league and their homes and we see the benefit, there's still mistakes happening, but the solid performances are starting to outnumber them & the teamwork seems to be approaching 11/12 standard.

There seems to me a disparity between our expectations of Newcastle (8th most expensive squad/wages in the league mean we should walk over anyone with a lesser squad) and those of the better teams in the league (Pardew is too defeatist against them, he only plays for tight margins and sets us up far too deep, paying them too much respect...we rely on luck to win these games). We have to accept that teams like Hull and Sunderland will upset us while we also look to upset the likes of Tottenham. Most teams leading by one at half time at WHL are going to be put under pressure as the demands are that Spurs win their home games against lesser opposition, even more than that demand is made at SJP. Another quote from Fergie, not a funny one this time, about the year they won the European Cup, and had to weather the storm in the semi against Barcelona... It's important to appreciate a good performance stealing victory from superior opposition, rather than dismissing it as a lucky one.