Rayvin

Then I'd say you were some kind of psychic/fortune teller.

-.- They were always going to beat Swansea, they will not beat Arsenal... I hope.

Wigan winning this match is neither here nor there for us (except that it might put a fire under our arses if we're in the relegation zone). We beat QPR and we're there - Wigan won't beat Arsenal at the emirates. If we don't beat QPR then frankly we deserve to go down.

Obviously we still need to beat QPR! As everyone has rightly said, our fate depends on it. But I think the relegation decider was always supposed to be Wigan vs Villa, and I'll be watching that match on final day if the scenario I've drawn above occurs (and our game is rendered meaningless). Should be a corker!

I'm possibly overly optimistic but looking at remaining fixtures... We beat QPR and move onto 41 points. Villa lose to Chelsea who need to win for Champs League football. We're +1 point up on Villa. Wigan beat Swansea and then have to play Arsenal away (who are playing for champs league football), and lose. That means that Wigan are on 38 points on the final day, playing VIlla. If they draw, Wigan go down. If Wigan win, Villa go down, If Villa win, Wigan go down. All we have to do is beat QPR and hope that the champs league clubs keep up their end of the bargain - and given that none of them will be bolted on top 4 until the final day, they should do. As contingencies, Norwich have Man City final day, and Sunderland have Spurs.

It'll all be ok next season as long as we don't go down... A fluke win somewhere would do it. I actually fancy our chances against Liverpool, they've gone right off the boil..

I thought it was widely reported that protests were over the weekend as there was a lack of trust on behalf of the protesters that they wouldn't be set upon, kettled and probably beaten by the police. Hence the protests at the weekend.

I remember saying that she was conducting a social experiment. And that Hitler did as well. And that both were bad. Which of those points are you disagreeing with? North Korea - violent suppression of protest. UK - violent suppression of protest. You've got no fucking idea whatsoever have you? How are those two things different? Because the Telegraph told you that North Korea are really naughty whereas the miners deserved it? So there you go anyway, my two points above. Please argue that sending police up to violently suppress protests is the action of a democratic regime. If it is not, what sort of regime does it most closely resemble? I've lived in China and they write the same stuff about our violent suppressions as we do about theirs. Curious isn't it? But then they have a state owned broadcaster spewing out propaganda, and we certainly don--oh wait... On the Hitler thing, Thatcher orchestrated wholesale social change to the detriment of entire communities and social groups in order the save the economy on the assumption that they'd all be able to start listening to their inner entrepreneur and boost themselves up the social ladder, knowing that not all of them could and therefore condemning those that couldn't to social ignominy and the creation of an underclass. A social experiment. Hitler on the other hand fostered a strong sense of nationalism in order to save the German economy to the detriment of entire communities and social groups on the assumption that people should be of one race, knowing that not all of them could be, and therefore condemning them to the 'underclass' and then the horrors of the holocaust. A social experiment. DISCLAIMER: Sure, one was a lot worse than the other. Not arguing that point and nor was it insinuated. I was merely arguing that you could call both a social experiment so as to put it into some context. Just because one thing is more or less than another thing, doesn't mean there are no similarities.

I would fancied us to win this before the travesty that was last weekend. Not sure now. If last weekend was a totally isolated one off that was largely due to Benfica mid week as Pardew claimed, then sure, I see us getting something here. If last weekend was just as much as we were capable of, we're gonna lose. Jonas out or at the very least about as far from 'left back' as possible. Otherwise pretty much unchanged and hope Elliot has a blinder.

Absolutely awful news... Not even for the club (it is obviously) but for him. 2 years without playing just about, I don't know if he'll ever get it back.

that last one is amazing

1 - Sacking Pardew now would be suicide. 2 - It was just a loss to bloody Sunderland man. The more you lot talk it up, the more they're going to enjoy it. 3 - They actually have to live IN Sunderland, one of the shittest places to live, ever. You've been there right? Passing through no doubt (cos why would you be stopping), but seriously, who cares what that those bell ends think about this result. We're a bigger team than this rivalry and we should be more focused on concerns about relegation. 4 - 3-0 is a terrible result, but I bet we come back to win next weekend. Then what are we all gonna say? Pardew In/Out/Not Sure? We've got to suck it up, see the season out and see where we are. The worst day in our history as a football club, for me, was relegation. I couldn't give less of a shit about Sunderland - save that we're now back in the relegation fight and they're in it with us.

Thing is, we were playing like a side that knows itself to be much better than the other team, and they were playing like a team in a derby. Our heads not in the right place I guess, but I think we honestly expected that we'd just be too good for them. To be honest, I thought that personally.

I know what you mean, but QPR should be down by the time we play them so hopefully they won't be fighting for their lives. West Brom and Ham have nothing to play for really and Liverpool can't score. We should be ok.

This. Pardew is doubtless culpable, but frankly that team should be good enough to beat anyone.

As horrifying as this is, it's just because it's a derby. They aren't suddenly amazing and we aren't suddenly terrible (no more so than before). Suck it up and move on, we've got winnable games ahead and neither Sunderland or us is going to go down.

It's not quite that bad, have you forgotten Stoke?

This is kinda like getting beaten by a League Two team...

Fucks sake man, I thought we'd fucking conceded there! Just Cisse offside again I take it...

Probably stick Ben Arfa on now...

You're kidding...not only is our main goalkeeper going off, but we use up a sub for it. Doesn't feel like this is going to be our day...

BBC just reported that in all our history, we've never come from behind to win a Tyne Wear Derby (at home presumably)...

I think we're going to see some reds today, and in all honesty, it'll probably be for us. Taylor I'd imagine, in some last gasp attempt to stop on of their players getting away from him.

Balls to that. They can't keep up at this intensity, but that high pressing is really working for them.

Apparently the Sunderland team just got off the bus to a wall of abuse. A lot of people seem to think there's going to be violence today, I'm not sure I see it myself.