Happy Face

New year is just around the corner

It's what the predictor said though

The long balls stand to reason really. Last season Half of our defenders were comfortable enough on the ball to play it out to midfield on the ground most of the time. With the loss of Enrique that's down to 25% so you're gonna see more donkey work unless/until some quality is brought in.

If the front line and midfield are improved, it's only slightly. The back line is severley weakened by the loss of Enrique though. Not watched any championship football, but the reports I've heard about Nolan have been glowing.

I gave a null vote as I think it's too close to call.

Ignoring what's been spent or recouped, just in terms of the squad. Between the last game of last season and the first game of this, the changes have been... In Demba Ba Sylvain Marveaux Yohan Cabaye Mehdi Abeid Gabriel Obertan Out Patrick Mclaughlin Kevin Nolan Ben Tozer Daniel Leadbitter Fraser Forster Wayne Routledge Jose Enrique

Added. If it's not in this thread chances are i won't add it to the OP. It is. Bottom of page nine # Alright Smartarse

Ayatollah Hermione 04/07/11 - If Sunderland beat us at the SOL this year, I'll get that new awful home top with Ameobi 23 on the back of it. We won one nil Chez 07/06/11 - We'll have a better playing staff at the start of next season. I'll let others be the judge... Out: Nolan, Routledge In: Cabaye, Ba, Marveaux, Obertan CleeToonFan 05/06/11 - We will beat Sunderland twice next season without letting in a single goal On target McFaul 21/06/11 - Argentina will win every game they play in the Copa America in 90 minutes. They won 1 out of 4. Knocked out in the QF. 21/06/11 - Mackems will beat us at SOS in August. We won one nil StoneColdStephenIreland 16/08/11 - sign no players before the upcoming Mackem game None signed

Added. If it's not in this thread chances are i won't add it to the OP.

We had more posession (51%), twice as many shots on target (10) and almost a third of the fouls. Any claim they dominated or that we're dirty is pie in the sky...based on those first 20 miutes where they had no product in the end.

Certainly an experience. Wouldn't go so far as to call it good, the prologue was the best bit. But it reminded me of Audition.....which is similarly slow growing before a horrific end. I was agape. Wacky would love it. Loads of tits and fanny. Meenzer as well because there's a bit of cock too. Once they get onto the explicit genital mutilation though, it's not quite as erotic

Surprised to see Plan B was nominated for a couple *gets coat*

My mackem tormentor in chief from last week has just shame-faced admitted that they are indeed still nowt more than lower midtable shite despite the millions spent this summer...he also said that theyve only won 2 from the last 19 games! Doubtfires out of a job in two games if this continues...dont know if the stat is right or not or who they play next, the inbred cunt wasnt hanging about for a wider debate :-D Our work Mackem has been saying Bruce will have to go. 2 games in man...and one of them they got a point away to big spending title contenders Liverpool

Not sure what he changed The teabags. The Mackems just burnt out after half an hour. We spent all that time just hoofing it back to them, they'd play it to our box then have a poor shot from range. There were no worries after that opening third though, they were exasperrated they hadn't made anything of their domination, we could keep it on the ground a little bit and retain posession more...which led to them losing their heads and diving in all over the shop. Nowt to do with a Pardew change IMO. If anything, Shola (who had a canny game) was left on too long. Not sure how often he's managed 90 minutes in the last few seasons.

It'd be a hollow fucking gesture to play some daft song now after the torture we've given him. Until he's won by by 5 then he should remain shame faced....which won't be dificult given how red his massive boat is at the best of times.

To be fair, it's daft to compare what Pardew says the situation is and what Keegan says it was like, cos they worked under totally different structures.

Obertan should not be underestimed though, he could be a Nani type of player given he has a manager who dares to experiment with the team. I quite like what he shows in his games for ManU, seems very skilled http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FLsaPilQVg, along with Ben Arfa and Marveaux we certainly have the potential to be seriously magic on the midfield Not writing him off at all. He's a young lad...I realise he might have played a couple of low key Champions League games, but I think in terms of experience, the derby might have been a bit much for him to come out of the traps flying.

I went to school with him. Lived in Wallsend all his life, and lived 3 doors down from me. This photo was put up in the changing rooms at school for years. He still gets it brought up to this day, the poor cunt. quality tale. One thing that struck me about Ba when he came on on Saturday was how much he looks like Bubba off Forrest Gump. He narf does. I'd like to see Pards go back to 4 4 2 on Saturday though, and attack Fulham we can beat them, if we do it's probably our best start to a Premiership season for ten years. 1995 - 9 points from the first 3 games. Never managed more than 6 since. Stat-tacular.

Added, but not sure I've understood. That's not really going out on a limb is it? We'd only scored 27 by christmas last season...and that was with Carroll and Nolan in the team.

Thought Krul done well, there was the canny one he tipped over the bar, but it was straight at him and you'd expect it. The best was the shot were he dived to his left and most would have turned it round the post but he had geet strong hands and pushed it out wide to Jonas - who proceeded to concede a free-kick right by the corner flag, but still. Jonas had a good game to be fair to him though. Thought Obertan was wank. Totally absent first half. One of the lad's talked him up saying he was creating space off the ball, but I never saw any of that on the TV. Happy to be corrected. Saw a bit more of the ball second half, but nowt effective. Lot happier with the solid show from Cabaye.

Was saying to the mackem at work on Friday a good result against them could be the worst thing for us....in terms of long term squad strength.

Not sure a Sunday, 1pm kick-off against Fulham is the game to try and galvanize the support. Good luck to him though.

Bloody brilliant. Couldn't ave hoped for more.

I'd compare us more to Barcelona. We buy and sell players...as do they.

He wouldn't win pop factor, that's for sure. Not Dark Yet is a superb vocal performance though. No-one complains about howlin' wolf being a bit gruff.