PaddockLad

Pardew impresses me more and more. It looks like he's found a solution to the issues with HBA, and that has improved the team overall. That's the sign of a good manager for me, problem solving, not plugging away with the same thing that plainly doesn't work in the way a few managers we've had in the past have done (morning Sam, how's life at West Hahaham?) I think Pardew has improved a few players at the club this season, even seemingly Perch and Williamson.

Don't know if this has been posted already but I just noticed the Chelsea game at Stamford Bridge has been rearranged for Wed 2nd May.....the day I get the Eurostar to Paris for a short break. Not on the tv as spurs v bolton is already scheduled for that night. Bastard

If Carragher plays I think we'll win. But it looks like Agger will be back according to the papers.Thing is, him and Skrtl are a good partnership but not top quality and if Cisse, Ba and Ben Arfa click like they did last week then theyll have to go some to beat us. I think someone has already said that outside of the mackem games this season that this has turned out to be our biggest game, season defining if you like. I'd agree with that, fuckin desperate for us to win it. Cant make it up either so its a pub stuffed with plastic scousers, deep joy....

He can't possibly drop Ben Arfa after last week can he? West Brom was by far and away our best performance in a long time, it looked like we'd found a system that worked. I take your point about the CB pairing and needing to crowd out the midfield a bit more but Tiote is back. I really hope Pardew doesn't revert back to the the hopeless 442 hoofball that was so painfully ineffective under the false pretense that he is protecting the CBs. Liverpool will have a field day down our right flank if he does that whilst Ba and Cisse will get isolated again by the massive gap between midfield and attack. Anyone with the slightest bit of common sense can see that 433 with HBA is the way forward, especially against a poor Liverpool side at home. Then again, Pardew is fucking terrible, so I won't be surprised if I see a tame 442 surrendering to a shit team at home. Again.

The Miners were well paid as were the Shipyard workers. I've seen a couple of ex-workmates working in Morrison's and ASDA. They'll be on at least half the annual salary they were getting when I worked with them a few years ago at another well known Tyneside employer that is no longer there, (Tyne Brewery). Maybe the Miners and the rest of the poor fuckers losing their jobs in the manufacturing industry knew what jobs were left were at a minimum wage level or below as the minimum wage didn't exist then. Not everyone is cut out or indeed wanted to go to 'Uni' or get on their bikes and leave their hometown. And this is where Stevie's "service economy" falls down. We dont make anything, so theres few or no apprenticeships on offer to school leavers that used to take 1000s of kids and give them a trade. The best they can hope for is one of these poxy "MacJobs" or a piss take work-fare scheme. No wonder they dont want to work if thats whats on offer. Not everyone is driven enough to be a high acheiver. There was once a need for Indians as well as chiefs. But when kids do do well, show ambition as well as intelligence and get to uni and get a degree, whats out there for them on graduation in 2012? the same "Macjobs" the kids that left school at 16 are vying for. Pitiful state of affairs. And much of it can be traced back to Thatcher iyam.

The last 2 away games have gone to members mate. So has Swansea. Theyre talking shite tbh.

Dont go in till whatever they do is over, not good PR to disrespect the dead,whoever they are. I take your point though, she was a fuckin cow. I actually think in some ways the present lot are worse though. The cuts are far beyond what she attempted. The diffeence is they haven't got a manufacuring side to the publlic sector to destroy anymore. Miners and Steel workers make more noise than lollipop ladies and office admins.

Pardew told Ashley that we'd get 6th with Cisse. Maybe they were happy with that, and didnt want to push too hard for a European place, maybe assuming that we wouldnt get into Europe by finishing outside the top 5? Wouldnt surprise me.

If Chelsea and Everton are still involved in cup competitions in late April/early May then they'll field understrength teams against us. Big if like, and as mentioned we've got to beat Liverpool without Colo on Sunday first.

Dunno. Am a bit ambivalent about Europe next season. Id love it, but if it went badly it could be painful in the league. Anyway the way Liverpool are playing Everton are odds on. But Liverpool will raise their game for it mind, they always fuckin do....

Chelsea beat Benfica 0-1 at the REAL Stadium of Light Good win that, Terry's managerial career continues its good start..... They'll play Spurs in the FA cup semi..they beat Bolton 3-1. If Everton beat Liverpool our end of season could be easier than it looks after tonight...

Yeah I suppose if the England captain is being hauled up for racially abusing a player then that does set a bit of a precedent.

Thats pretty much what I thought....to me calling someone a name isnt a crime. But am not sure where it lies in all the "hate crime" legislation Labour brought in. I hope he appeals and it gets thrown out.

Does this come under the heading of young,"pissed" and stupid= incapable of rational thought, or is he a ridiculous bigot who deserves a month in clink? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-17515992

Thats a massively contradictory statement. Where do you think the money for Cisse came from?

That was the point I was trying to make, we could invest as wisely as Liverpool have and easily finish lower next season. Liverpool haven't had Europe to deal with and will likely finish lower than they did last season. Ho hum, never mind. Spurs finsihed 4th in 2009/10, but 5th last season when they had champions league football. They took the piss out of the Europa league this season and it will be a surprise if they dont finish in the 4 now, 5 points ahead of us and Chelsea. So we might be better finsishing 6th and staying out of the Europa if we want to progress. I'd love a european campaign but I think we'd suffer in the league. Although Liverpool have shown nothing is a given. But I get the feeling them and us are heading in opposite directions in a few different areas.....

We're selling to buy, so some will go. Other clubs know its open season on our players...pay enough and a deal will be done. We're not the only ones by any means in this situation though. FFP may save us to an extent as well... although if we're looking for top dollar we may price oursleves out of the market. Which will have a knock on effect as to what we can spend. Interesting times, but am encouraged by our recent moves in the market & re-signing off Colo etc.

Got to say, that piece is a bit premature. Away fans can sometimes be a bit dry and ironic.....from the club's site I take it?

Aye, picking on fans, hotel staff and journos is just bullying. Its needs some hulking great stage hand to fuckin beat some common sense into him. Wouldnt be good for the hand's career mind, so thats probably what saves him, power.

Are clubs like Liverpool or Chelsea likely to come in for him on what he's done this season?...I dare say that their cheerleaders in the media would say his natural home would be Arsenal, but if Wenger was going to take a chance on him theyd have been in for him when we were. Wenger wont pay huge money for him now I wouldnt have thought.

Ann Hathaway just breezed past our office in a blue jag without blacked out windows....not sure if shed been in "make up" yet but she looked tidy..theres been a huge black merc with blacked out windows yesterday and today and thats apparently Russel Crowe, although some folk nabbed him for a photo and he was, almost unbeleiveably, hugely rude to them. The phrase "no shit?!" sprang immediately to mind.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Mis%C3%A9rables_(2012_film)

One canny game doesn't make him the new Pedro....still a lot to do in my eyes. The greatest players do it 7/8 games in 10. Not a couple of good cameos and a brilliant 45mins in 7 months. I do understand there have been injury issues and he's been in and out the side. He's got the ability to be among the best players we've seen in this country. Can't decide if Pardew's "played" him as some are claiming or he's found his true place in a 4 3 3 or he was just in a good mood on Sunday. We'll see. But aye, a huge talent. If he has a good end to the season and gets in the French squad for the summer and does well in Poland/Ukraine we'll be lucky to hang on to him.

The sun is shining on the stars here in Pompey this afternoon....Just seen Hugh Jackman..... Principal photography of the film began on 8 March 2012 in France. Filming locations also include the Naval base at Portsmouth, Oxford and Pinewood Studios in England http://en.wikipedia....bles_(2012_film)

Two days before Christmas in 1995, Jocky Wilson, one of the most colourful characters ever to play darts, twice world champion and a working-class hero to millions, said farewell to the sport. On a wet Tyneside morning, he and his wife, Malvina, left their home in Wallsend with a couple of suitcases and got a bus to Kirkcaldy, Fife, where Jocky was born. Ill with diabetes and pulmonary problems, he then lived as a recluse, seeing a few friends and granting a handful of interviews. In these, he always said that he had brought most of his problems on himself. http://www.guardian....wilson-obituary

People in the media are regularly ridiculed for being fuckin tossers. For that reason, am out. I can get abuse like that at home.