PaddockLad

He doesn't want to move until he's done his 5 years in Holland so he can play for the national team. which will tick over in august Fair enough, didnt know that. The point still stands though, invest in a centre back in January and we wouldve given ourselves an even better chance of getting into the champions league. Give Pardew the tools to do the job. And as I said, you may well have got the money back with interest if we got through the qualifier. The standard has gone down a bit in the champions league iyam, that Marseille side were ordinary this season and they got to the quarter finals. What does that stage bring in in finance?....

It was sold as "we're just doing it temporarily so potential sponsors can envisage how it would look and sound".....now am a sparky to trade, what I know about marketing can be written on a grain of sand. But even I dont need an example of how it will look and sound, I have just about enough grey matter to work it out for myself. He's pulling our collective pissers about this. But thats ok because of our strong finish to the season and very likely european qualification? not in my book its not. Llambias said he wants to maximise revenue streams, except where his boss's company is concerend. If Sports Direct were paying the going rate then it would piss me off but I'd just about accept it. This is just lies on top of lies.

People were also predicting Sports Direct would be plastered across our shirts without getting paid for it too when Northern Rock cancelled the deal, however as we've seen money talks and now Virgin have the deal instead. If a good offer comes in they will take it, I'm pretty sure of that. Looks like Virgin have taken over as shirt sponsors from Northern Rock, just as they have bought out the NR name from the government and rebranded it as Virgin Money. Northern Rock weren't stadium sponsors so how much has actually changed apart from a much redeuced fee payable by Virgin for the priveligde? We'll see what the summer brings, but we'll be called the Sports Direct Arena next season iyam, and thats just the way Mike likes it. I know I sound churlish after the season we've had and I dont actually lie awake at night thinking about shit like this but it is important. No other major club which hasnt moved lock, stock and barrel to another stadium has done this. Its funny, I was a t my mate's 40th on Saturday night and his old man was there who was stadium manager at St Mary's whilst Pardew was manager at Southampton. He says he quite liked the bloke, but he was fuckin hard to work for. The word he used was perfectionist, which I really like the sound of. I know everything cant be perfect in life in general, it doesnt work like that. But these fuckers lie as easily as breathing and thats just not good enough.

He's charging no interest on the loans man. I know the free advertising sticks in the throat, but it probably evens out. Yeah fair one, but what happens when he comes to sell the club?....I know that would be an issue for any owner that has gone down the road he has, but the club isnt worth the money Ashley has put into it.There is a residual debt hanging around the club which he doesnt need to service the interest on so it suits him down to the ground. Llambias has said its about maximising any revenue stream possible, and theyre just not doing it. Were Virgin offered shirt and ground like he claimed a sponsor would be? Impossible to know but theyre lying through their fuckin teeth on this....again...

No amnesty until Sports Direct pay something for the advertising at the ground. He's still a cunt.

Theres a school of thought that Moyes may get the manu job when Fergie goes.....with them having to be a bit more canny in the transfer market nowadays I can see how he'd be a good choice tbh. I always thought hed be a bit too negative for their fans' sense of how the game should be played (bit like Hodgson at Anfield) but I think theyd have to lump that nowadays. He'd be good for Spurs too no doubt. Where would that leave Everton? like Sheffield Wednesday? or worse? I think the FA will try to appoint Redknapp for this summer only after the end of the season, but he's highly likely to have said yes or no already. And as they havent moved for anyone else I think its a yes. So Moyes may well be at Everton a season or two yet.

But since I joined Newcastle, I have rediscovered the feeling I had when I was a young boy and when I played on the pitches at the bottom of the street”. Sure sign he's off to PSG that like

Dont reckon theyre going to approach him. I bet old Psycho is gutted he took the Olympic job. So It looks like Hodgson now. At least expectations wont be high. Chelsea looked strong there. Barca will demolish them over 2 legs though.

I think thats the generally accepted amount that the'd be on if we finished 4th and got through the qualiifer. Which is huge compared with what the EL brings in. Which is probably why Spurs seemingly couldnt be arsed with it this season. The financial return doesnt outweigh the disruption to the season.

Don't agree with somebody so the toys come out?...I bet you're a fuckin dream to work beside. As for calling those involved at Hillsborough "corpse robbers" as you did this week, I think that just about sums you up mate. Don't hurry back.

What if we'd paid the asking price for this Douglas gadge? We could looking at an extra 10million big ones to off set the outlay.

All I'm saying is next season will be a lot tougher than this one. I'm actually really looking forward to seeing who comes and goes and how Pardew will set about his first European campaign. But looking at how other clubs have faired in the league who have also had to play in the EL in the last few years doesn't fill me with too much hope. Qualifying for it then not being able to give it a decent bash and throwing in the towel is utterly pointless too. I just don't think the squad will be strong enough. Where would we be in the league now if we'd bought a quality centre back in January? 4th might well be ours for the taking. Its this attitude that makes me a bit dispondant about what might be coming up for us. Ok, no one takes the piss out of big Mike, but at what cost to the squad. There was a lot of stick for him on here for that on Feb 1st or do people's memories only go back as far as HBA's goal last Monday?

Give fans 5-6 hours drinking in a pub before the game (FA cup semi final,sponsored by Budweiser) and they won't really give a fuck about anything. Pretty predictable really. The fans are twats, no doubt, but the FA let tv companies dictate kick off times so they've got to accept some responsibility for that unpleasant episode.

What makes YOU say THAT CabayeAye?

That fucker should be ashamed of himself. Good player as well. He did it against us at Villa Park last season too.

I'm certainly not suggesting a return to buying players who can't get a game at champions league clubs, I understand and largely agree with the clubs policy on transfers. As we stand now its impossible not to. I also however feel we also need a bit of a reality check. Selling your best players is a tricky policy to sell to supporters. After the events of the last 18months its a lot easier to sell it to supporters of NUFC than virtually any other set in the country. We'll see. I just don't think the financial rewards of the Europa league are enough to compensate what the extra games may do to the league campaign. Coupled with some very important players being likely to leave, for me its going to be difficult to build on this seasons acheivements.

I'm not sad, far from it. I'm just pointing out that if we're now all on board Mike's happy bus then I don't think there's too much room for criticism next season should it not go as well as this one.

Selling Carroll was a huge gamble....we were nowhere near safe and all we had was Best and Shola. It was also one that's paid off handsomely, but I think Krul, Tiote and Ba will all be sold this summer. This is the world we now inhabit at NUFC. Get them in cheap, sell them on for millions. Fair play, this season has been great but there's no point feeling in any way perplexed or resentful when perhaps 3 of our best players leave. This is where we are and what we do as a club. Lets see how selling that many players and bedding in their replacements plans out with 8 extra games before Christmas.

Not really my cup of tea, but him and his brothers wrote brilliant pop songs. He appeared on one of the talent shows a few years back and tried to teach some of the kids how to write songs. It was great to watch.

Good article that, leaves one question ....whos the Guardian's secret footballer?......

Two huge ego's, match made in heaven. Cruyff is brilliant, he's in that long line of Dutch football figures who really don't give a fuck what they say and who they say it to. Which of coure will go down well with Dalglish

The core of their current squad were in that "relegation battle" ( a couple of months near the bottom) as was mentioned yesterday. Bale wasnt in a winning spurs team for 40 odd games or something. Hes been in a few since then. And its Mike Ashley we're dealing with here. If the centre half we needed in January had been bought where would we be now in the league? Not much different as its only since West Brom have we seen a real upturn in our form, and Colo has been missing for 2 of those games. Thats been down pretty much to Cisse and Ben Arfa, and we're not going to have players of that standard in every posistion.

We were in the San Siro 10 years ago with Dabizas,O'Brien and Hughes. None of them disgraced themselves in that campaign. Bellamy and Shearer did in the home game v Inter mind and they were two of our better players, to say the least. So we had to go to Bayer Leverkusen in the next game with Shola and Lualua up front where we won 2 nil and they both scored. We're not going to have 11 top quality players in the first choice team, we never have had and neither has virtually any fucker else in any other side in the history of the game. Forget it.

Good read that, David Conn is one of the best journo's out there. FTAO Cabayaye:

If I were Guthrie, I'd be asking myself why have 2 Argentinian international players re signed and may well finish their top level careers with us?...he's been offered 25k a week to play a significant part in a squad that plays in front of 50k+ every fortnight. I cant think of another club where a player of his ability going to get an offer like that. A lot depends on what his agent is whispering in his ear, but hes a silly fucker if he doesn't sign iyam.