We're 8th but . . .

It's a strange old game init?

None of us were very confident at the start of the season, bar Pards.

And while near everyone was calling for his head 2 months ago... not so many doubtful voices to be heard for the time being. You gotta say right now, it looks like he was right... saying there was quality there and confidence was an issue and a few results going our way would make us click better.

 

Pards, Hacky Sack and me......

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Full marks for making it topical. I'll be the one with the beard and crazy hat. Is that a Tiote shot we are watching?

 

Nah.....it's Carew's penalty.

 

Pardew is doing a good job keeping his doubters at bay (myself included).

He's made some good tactical decions that have won us games this season but he's also cost us games too.

We're where we should be, we should (on paper) have beat Hull & Sunderland and lost to Chelsea & Spurs. I won't judge him properly until the end of the season now.

 

I just wish your last sentiment was adhered to en masse. The problem I always see is that we, as a club, are two bad matches, sometimes just the one, from utter disaster and board protests. The fans are too headstrong; there's no real appetite to march again asking for Ashley to leave, because we're easily appeased by the team doing well.

I always feel that the protests and volatility devalues the club; if we stayed strong and loyal to the club throughout, potential buyers might be lining up. Any anti-Ashley comments would be better re-evaluated; look at Sky, look at Abu Dhabi, look at FIFA/UEFA - the corruption, the greed is endless and it's there that all of our ambition has been dismissed. Sure, he's a bit of an idiotic owner, but 2 points from a CL spot, a spotless balance sheet and International's from GK to CF (WILLO FOR ENGLAND); I read about Guy Whittingham being sacked from luckless and hopeless Portsmouth...just cannot fathom what we're so up in fcking arms about..

 

Just the modern way though, our fanbase is not that different from others. Plenty wanted Wenger gone despite stealthly guiding them through the trials of paying for their new stadium, whilst maintaining their CL ambitions. Sunderland are chowing through managers like they are going out of fashion.

I agree it is sometimes crazy how people react to bad results, the hangover from last season early doors was a head doer. 3 full seasons (as Pards will have soon) is unheard of now. You're judged after half a season. Its crazy when you consider all the different facets of a football club. I've always thought 3 full seasons is a good time to take stock because a manager has had that time to get it how they want it, and get some consistency of approach (and therefore performance). You could argue working under the constraints and challenges of this regime, he deserves a bit longer!

Whilst I don't think protests etc are called for, I don't think there is anything wrong with wanting better from our owner or wanting a different owner though. It could be a hell of a lot worse, but lets not forget it could be a hell of a lot better too.

 

I think the main reason for that is Ashley and not Pardew. People are knee jerk (again I include myself) but a big reason for that is the lack of ambition. When we're winning people forget about the lack of ambition because it's not showing on the pitch.

However when we lose, or lose 3 or 4 on the bounce everyone knows we won't buy our way out of trouble and I don't mean spending 50/60 million. I mean 15-20 million on players we need to sustain our current form.

Ashley will only spend when he's in danger of losing money (through relegation). He won't spend to make more money (through champions league qualification) and as we all know that every bad result or bad run affects the fans much more than it should.