Do you think you will be able to hang onto Krul, Colocinni, Tiote and Ba if they keep up this form? Will Ashley see a quick buck (and probably lots of it) or will he look to build around them (as he should). Pardew has more than proved he can operate at this level so far. Has he won you all round now as well?
Cestriamackem Nobody can turn down astronomical fees. Even my beloved United had to accept an £80m bid because Ronaldo wanted to go to Real Madrid. Both North East teams have proved they can't hang on to their big players when 'bigger' clubs come knocking. It's part of football, and it's how you deal with the aftermath that gets you back on your feet. Sunderland haven't recovered from losing Bent whereas I think we can all see Newcastle are in a far better position AFTER shipping out their 'big players'. Let's not forget, with the financial fair play rules coming in buyers will have to be much more shrewd in the market, and your club won't be able to sustain it's current policy of buying ageing players on big wages to paper over the cracks. Like it or not, in terms of structure, policy and strategy, Newcastle are a billion miles ahead of not just Sunderland but most of the Premier League.
We're a selling club, as are most these days. Even teams like Arsenal and Liverpool can't keep a player if his head is turned by someone opening a briefcase full of £50 notes. Hanging onto them would be the logical option, and I'd hate to see us have a strong season only to see us having to replace five or six good players for the next campaign, thus sitting there not having a clue what to expect. As for Pardew, he's won me over. For me, there's a list of managers that nobody wants but pop up everytime a team needs a new one. Hoddle, Venables, Curbishley, Taylor etc. Pardew was on that list, and I couldn't have been less inspired when he got the job. But considering he'd not long been sacked by Southampton in League One, part of his job was proving he could do it, which he has done.
Terry Hardheed Why dont you just come out and admit to being a mag not a Man Utd fan. Your patter stinks.
Pardew usually does pretty well at first when he joins a club. To keep the NUFC bandwagon rolling though, he'll need cash at some stage and that will be the acid test of Ashley's current motivation. You can only do so much by good man-management and a stream of good, but inexpensive buys. That's Moyes' trouble at Everton, although he's been doing a fantastic job for years.
To be fair to Cest, Terry Hardacres neutral views don't come across as being neutral. And as far as no club being unable to turn down big offers, is quite wrong. Often clubs do turn down the offers, but if the player then hands in a transfer request etc, what else is a club meant to do?
Just read through all his comments. Overall it seems his comments on NUFC outweigh his comments on MUFC. And of those, he doesn't have a single bad word to say, quite the opposite in fact. It doesn't add up for him to be neutral.
Believe me Cestriamackem I'm a United fan right to the core. I live in the city of Manchester (check my IP) and more to the point, when Newcastle come to play us at Old Trafford, I will take much gratification from a win. They do look good, in contrast to people's pre-season expectations and I will heap praise on them as I feel necessary (which has obviously wound you up). The bottom line is, I'm a bit arrogant in terms of football, even with Newcastle's current form, although I said I'm not looking forward to having to play them, I can't see past a United win. When I make comparative comments between your sets of players, it's only offering my neutral point of view. It obviously doesn't count as a general neutral point of view though. My only gripe with Sunderland is that muppet Quinn who was in charge up until recently, in that the guy is ill-equipped to get involved at boardroom level, which he has proved. I could not stomach the way he held his own fans responsible for the demise of your good fortunes last season, the guy is a coward and a complete joke. There you have it, but I also think Llambias is a joke, as too is Comolli, Dalglish, John Henry, Peter Kenyon, Ian Holloway, Rafa Benitez, Kevin Keegan, The Glazers and many more... You can accuse me of being a Newcastle fan if you like. I like the way they're going along at the minute and the way they've risen from the ashes and like it or not, most United fans have some kind of interest in Newcastle, negative or positive stemming from when they were challenging us for trophies in the 90's.
squirty_bertie I have an office full of United and City fans I can have banter with, the reason I hardly participate on the MUFC forum on here is that it's flooded with boring crap from the bindippers, not to mention your two forums are the most active probably on this site. I wasn't aware that only fans of your own club and their nearest rivals were allowed on your boards. I'll take my business elsewhere if you're gonna cry about it.
The mags have played poor performing teams bar Spurs, how much more luck will they get, the push in the back, that nearly happens every game but this ref decides that is a foul!. Each team i have seen them play (apart from QPR) are poor at defending, they moan when a decision goes against. They are doing a Hull and Blackpool at the moment, but they are getting to the ball faster and good at defending and i will give them credit for that.
I have always found that the vast majority of Mags on here come across as utter tossers. However, I've come to the conclusion that it is mainly because that a lot of them are bairns, and the more mature ones among them tend to be a lot more amiable.
Terry- its not your participation I deplore. Rather, its your opinions. I can't remember seeing a single comment from you that didn't seem to have either a pro Newcastle or anti Sunderland agenda woven through a Man U loom. As a neutral you don't come across as being 'that neutral'.
My gaffer is a lifelong Manc (red) and if always takes the piss out of your 2nd club. They were never and are not serious contenders for utd. They were a 5 minute wonder and all true Mancs think that way. Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool are the only altar they hold that high. Maybe city now as well. You're a mag who follows utd. It's so ****ing obvious chum.
If a bigger club comes in and offered mega bucks of course we would sell, it's the way football works now. Pardew has won me round, he has us 3rd in the league and still unbeaten, will it last, no we wont be 3rd or unbeaten at the end of the season, but a the present time I'm loving it.
