Newcastle v West Ham

[Happy Face 29]

I wasnt. I spent ages yesterday morning deciding whether to go or not

 

It's still like watching Ajax 1995 compared to someof the dross under Roeder/Souness/Allardyce man.

[Christmas Tree 4725]

It wasnt as good as you claimed last season and its not as bad (overall, the performances are awful) this season.

 

Its is though

 

Exactly a year ago we we were Third in the table with 25 points.

 

Today we are Tength with 14 points.

 

Being 11 points worse off after only 11 games is an absolute chasm man.

Edited November 12, 2012 by Christmas Tree

[Park Life 71]

http://www.themag.co...stly-for-nufc/?

 

Posted 8 minutes ago. Clearly just read what I wrote half an hour ago.

 

If there isn't activity in Jan this is going to go code red.

[Park Life 71]

It's still like watching Ajax 1995 compared to someof the dross under Roeder/Souness/Allardyce man.

 

Wouldn't inc Roeder in that. He oversaw some spells of decent football iirc.

[Park Life 71]

Beren one of my fav football posters. Good yet depressing read:

 

The petulance probably relates to being a bit sick of football in its present state. It's really quite s*** if you think about it. The trophy-winning club is all but a closed shop with a buy-in deposit which prices out all but the insanely wealthy. Below that you have a new emerging tier of owners such as our own who will sell the values and traditions of the game down the river to keep financially healthy (rightly or wrongly, I don't care to comment upon at this moment). The players are bigger arseholes than ever before. The fans are a commodity of the enterprise, treated like dollar signs, rather than the driving force and lifeblood of the game.

 

It's weird - because I laughed my tits off when I read a post on RTG the other day which was essentially: "football is crap anyway, at least I have my family" - which is equivalent to "I'm taking my ball home".

 

Embarrassingly though (and it is that), I feel similar today. I also remember laughing at Sunderland's seventh place finishes as being the acme of their wildest possible dreams. In the last decade, and for the foreseeable future - are we/will we be significantly different? Probably not as different as we'd like to think IMO.

 

Looking at it in financial terms, Pardew's (overly) frequent pressers about the football we play ("fast brand of front-foot football" "fans on the edge of their seats" etc) is not altogether too different from misleading the stakeholders (the fans) of a business. It's very intentional on his part too. This is demonstrable be repeated calls to keep the stadium full.

 

He lied to Yohan Cabaye about what type of football we'd look to play too. His pursuit of Carroll seems to suggest we're looking to exert additional resources towards an aim (Sam Allardyce football) which is not in line with the aims of stakeholders who invest their money, time and considerably more towards at least - at least - a genuine INTENTION to progress the club towards winning trophies with good football.

 

All the while, Pardew continues to act as Ashley's man on the ground - the buffer - with the responsibilities of being an affable character, unpartisan towards the board and keeping the crowd revenue coming in of course. Pardew's latest discharge of said duties through a post-match interview completely lacking in integrity and honesty. I would find it quite shameful if I thought he cared a jot for the club. I like him less than ever. Would genuinely prefer Harry Redknapp was in charge. They're both c***s to me, who talk about other teams players and generally don't know when to shut the f*** up, but at least one of them can coach a team to play attractive football. And it isn't our man. Won't happen but still, worth mentioning.

 

Anyway. Quarter of the way through the season, and this result tees us up nicely to finish in a vastly underwhelming 10th or thereabouts as I predicted at the beginning of the season. Smug is me. Beyond that lies the sale of Hatem Ben Arfa et al, and the fall away from our 2011/12 apex. It'll be a whole new set of players and a good few years before we're back to such heights again. In a way, I envy Aston Villa.. at least they've hit the nadir of their cycle and are now on the way back up again. We've got a lot of downhill left.

 

* - hope I feel less bitter about it all in the morning, but this is a forum for venting so a big pre-emptive 'go f*** yourself' to the forum assholes It was a long journey back so this all stewed quite noxiously until I reached my keyboard."

[Alex 35077]

Wouldn't inc Roeder in that. He oversaw some spells of decent football iirc.

Apart from the spell where he was caretaker after Souness got the hoof, the stuff under Roeder was absolutely fucking dire. Wolfy probably could've took over and the collective relief at getting rid of Souness would've carried the team to 7th.

[McFaul 35]

It's still like watching Ajax 1995 compared to someof the dross under Roeder/Souness/Allardyce man.

Not really, especially with Roeder who oversaw some cracking wins. Roeder's reign can easily be taken to pieces by statto types based on his full season, but we played many very good games that season, and we had title winning form the latter half of 05/06. The problem Roeder had was NUFC had the worst injury crisis in our history the latter half of 06/07.

[Park Life 71]

Apart from the spell where he was caretaker after Souness got the hoof, the stuff under Roeder was absolutely fucking dire. Wolfy probably could've took over and the collective relief at getting rid of Souness would've carried the team to 7th.

 

I hate defenders as managers, but the game is riddled with them.

[PaddockLad 17252]

Its is though

 

Exactly a year ago we we were Third in the table with 25 points.

 

Today we are Tength with 14 points.

 

Being 11 points worse off after only 11 games is an absolute chasm man.

 

Yeah, because we over acheived last season. That raised expectations. There are obviously problems, but ffs its nothing like the relegation season and last season gave us all a lot of hope. We're in the middle. Where we usually fuckin are.

 

 

 

It's still like watching Ajax 1995 compared to someof the dross under Roeder/Souness/Allardyce man.

 

Amen.

[Alex 35077]

Got a text from manc-mag on Thursday and while I think Pardew is limited I agreed with what MM said, i.e. it was criminal not to strengthen in the summer and even more so when you look at how the league is there for the taking this year. That's not to say the title could've been won with a couple of additions of course but a top four space was definitely achievable. Even Man Utd are very ordinary by their standards and Spurs, Liverpool and Arsenal are struggling for form. Such an opportunity missed and the a probably a massive indication of Ashley's 'ambitions'.

[Park Life 71]

It's even more galling when you realise that teams chock with average and poor players like Norwich, WBA and Wigan are playing better football than us.

[Alex 35077]

Yep.

[Park Life 71]

Got a text from manc-mag on Thursday and while I think Pardew is limited I agreed with what MM said, i.e. it was criminal not to strengthen in the summer and even more so when you look at how the league is there for the taking this year. That's not to say the title could've been won with a couple of additions of course but a top four space was definitely achievable. Even Man Utd are very ordinary by their standards and Spurs, Liverpool and Arsenal are struggling for form. Such an opportunity missed and the a probably a massive indication of Ashley's 'ambitions'.

 

The 4th spot is wide open this year. AVB I still maintain isn't a Spurs type manager and Wenger has bought badly the last couple of seasons with some leaving and wanting to leave (Walcott), poor keeper (still). Liv are in transition with no money and Everton will tail off at some point when their thin squad is exposed (around x-mas).

[McFaul 35]

Leazes would have a field day today like.

[Alex 35077]

Leazes would have a field day today like.

Thank fuck he's banned tbh.

[PaddockLad 17252]

The 4th spot is wide open this year. AVB I still maintain isn't a Spurs type manager and Wenger has bought badly the last couple of seasons with some leaving and wanting to leave (Walcott), poor keeper (still). Liv are in transition with no money and Everton will tail off at some point when their thin squad is exposed (around x-mas).

 

The same couldve been said last sasson, all sides had iffy spells then as well. Chelsea had an iffy season in the league all round, perhaps because they were concentrating on the champs league. The time to anylise us is the end of the season. I'll probably join in if theres no real changes post January. But last season should've bought Pardew some time and space to try and sort the problems out. The 8 year contract says he's likely to get some from Ashley.

[Park Life 71]

 

Leazes and Stevie

 

[PaddockLad 17252]

Leazes would have a field day today like.

 

Why? its like we've never been beaten by a shite side at home before during a run of poor results

 

Perspective is needed. I felt more like knee jerking after the Brighton and Fulham away games last season tbh.

[Happy Face 29]

Not really, especially with Roeder who oversaw some cracking wins. Roeder's reign can easily be taken to pieces by statto types based on his full season, but we played many very good games that season, and we had title winning form the latter half of 05/06. The problem Roeder had was NUFC had the worst injury crisis in our history the latter half of 06/07.

 

I was one of the last on here to turn against Roeder.

 

"some of"

[ewerk 30598]

When you're sending Shola on at half-time to turn the game round you know you have weaknesses in the squad.

 

He seemed incapable of taking a ball down on his chest without knocking it ten feet away from himself but that's nothing new.

[Alex 35077]

The same couldve been said last sasson, all sides had iffy spells then as well. Chelsea had an iffy season in the league all round, perhaps because they were concentrating on the champs league. The time to anylise us is the end of the season. I'll probably join in if theres no real changes post January. But last season should've bought Pardew some time and space to try and sort the problems out. The 8 year contract says he's likely to get some from Ashley.

It should've earned him more squad investment too. That's why I'm loath to criticise him. Any manager is going to face similar problems.

Edited November 12, 2012 by Alex

[PaddockLad 17252]

It should've earned him more squad investment too. That's why I'm loath to criticise him. Any manager is going to to fact similar problems.

 

But the investment/transfer system that got last seasons results is still the system we have today. One thing we're going to need in Ashley's brave new world where we may get seasons like 2010/11 is a hell of a lot of paticence. We're not going to get the players we need when we need them with Ashley, anyone who has let this slip from their mind is serously misreading him and the club's situation. And as it was good enough last season, I dont get why people who showered the regime with praise 6 months ago are having nervous breakdowns this morning. Nothings changed.

[McFaul 35]

When you're sending Shola on at half-time to turn the game round you know you have weaknesses in the squad.

 

He seemed incapable of taking a ball down on his chest without knocking it ten feet away from himself but that's nothing new.

The squad is the problem

 

 

1 GK Tim Krul

2 DF Fabricio Coloccini (captain)

3 DF Davide Santon

4 MF Yohan Cabaye

5 DF Danny Simpson

6 DF Mike Williamson

8 MF Vurnon Anita

9 FW Papiss Cissé

10 MF Hatem Ben Arfa

14 DF James Perch

15 MF Dan Gosling

16 DF Ryan Taylor

17 MF Romain Amalfitano

18 MF Jonás Gutiérrez (vice-captain)

19 FW Demba Ba

20 MF Gaël Bigirimana

21 GK Rob Elliot

22 MF Sylvain Marveaux

23 FW Shola Ameobi

24 MF Cheick Tioté

25 MF Gabriel Obertan

27 DF Steven Taylor

28 FW Sammy Ameobi

29 MF Haris Vučkić

30 FW Nile Ranger

31 DF Shane Ferguson

32 FW Xisco

33 DF Curtis Good

34 DF James Tavernier

37 GK Steve Harper

39 MF Mehdi Abeid

42 GK Jak Alnwick

 

Red: Do one

Orange: Pipe Up or do one

Yellow: Jury out but there's hope

Blue: Hopefully here for the long term

 

This shows how weak our supposedly strong squad is imo.

[Park Life 71]

Not sure if Anita will ever hack it in the rough and tumble of a PL midfield battle. (Looked more promising at RB).

 

In a mf 3 it's maybe a different matter. The Dutch league is a million miles from the legions of big healthy predatory black men lose in our top division.

Edited November 12, 2012 by Park Life

[Christmas Tree 4725]

Yeah, because we over acheived last season. That raised expectations. There are obviously problems, but ffs its nothing like the relegation season and last season gave us all a lot of hope. We're in the middle. Where we usually fuckin are.

 

Amen.

 

Well each to their own I guess but biblical luck against Everton and West Brom are masking over where we probably should be. Current form tables confirm it.