Happy Face

...yet there they are. CT likes to look at the league as a snapshot in time and base his entire opinion on that. The whole direction of the club and the management of the squad is crystalised for him by the current standings on any day. That's why this time last year he wanted the manager sacked and was disgusted with goings on. But now, for him, we're back to being on the edge (the edge) the edge (the edge) the edge (the edge) the edge....of glory. All this despite there being no shift whatsoever in the financial approach of the owner and the inhibitions we all know that places on further improvements. I've no doubt Southampton have peaked, much like we have. CT thinks we haven't though.

...1 place above Southampton who have a wage bill half the size of ours, a stadium 3/5ths the size and a history not fit to be mentioned in the same breath.

Anyone under the misguided impression Newcastle are currently a club with ambition should look no further than Shola Ameobi's appearance record. He's made more appearances in each of the last 2 years than in any season over the previous decade. Indefensible.

Ben Arfa is currently on course for having one of the best years of his career. Think what we're getting is his "top form".

You have to bow to sir mix-a-lot on that.

Bah, hope he perks up soon. Does he not get sick of Ricky Villa hanging about?

Done http://www.newcastle-online.org/nufcforum/index.php/topic,94790.new.html#new

do they only base it on a current season? We've dropped 11 points and 18 points in the last couple of seasons having scored first and look like we're on the way to hitting the average of that again.

If my auntie had a cock she'd be my uncle. Is that the saying?

Mrmojorisin http://www.newcastle-online.org/nufcforum/index.php/topic,93975.msg4648632.html#msg4648632

So you are saying Ashley should expect to be occupying a CL spot on a seasonal spend of £0? That's a reasonable level for us to be optimistic of advancing further?

Me too. Lad on NO paid out our bet this week - He gave me 4-1 that Swansea would not finish 5 points behind us.

Ashley has learned a lot of lessons which he deserves credit for. Last January we were coming off the back of an atrocious set of results staring at the relegation places with very little that looked like turning it around. Ashley sanctioned a further £10m+ of spending on top of re-investing the £7m we got for Ba. We saw an immediate upturn in performances and results and scraped to safety. That's in stark contrast to the year we were relegated when he took a hammer to the squad and was more interested in a £20m quick buck from the sales of Milner, Nzogbia and Given. There is a glass ceiling hampering our rise that there has to be a desire to break through though, if improvements are to continue. We've been in this position once before (11/12) and were given cause for optimism in the January by the signing of Cisse which suggested we might be willing to start investing the higher sums required to galvanise a squad chasing Europe, however the following summer was poor and exemplified the height of ambition within the club. That's been reiterated this season with our lack of summer investment, our lack of interest in the cups, and our constant complaints about what a hindrance it is to do well enough to get into Europe.

Like I said, it doesn't seem to me to be about Santon at the moment. Half the time he leaves Santon on. He's just giving Haidara/Dummet a run out in just about every game. Whether we're cruising to a 5-1 win against Stoke or a goal down to Arsenal. There's no consideration of how a game is going at all, he just wants to look at those other lads.

Pretty. It wasn't in the show. Which was well worth a watch...apart from the bits where Robson Green was talking.

What makes you think he's learned any lessons? You sound a lot like you did at the end of 11/12 right now. In 12/13 you laid all the blame with Pardew and wanted him sacked. All of a sudden we're on the brink of greatness again and your ill-founded optimism for Ashley doing what it takes to push on seems to have returned without any foundation.

What mistake do you think was made after 11/12 that led to the problems in 12/13 CT?

He probably would. Not sure we, as a team, would have kept clean sheets against the likes of Man U, Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs though.

Aye. Mentioned it in another thread. Robbie Fowler was the other guest on Football Focus that day too Everyone seemed suitably embarrassed by the whole predicament but came out with all the PC soundbites you would expect of anyone that wants to remain on the BBC gravy train.

In 2008/09 £12.7bn of means-tested benefits and £5bn of tax credits went unclaimed. The ENTIRE disability benefit bill is £12.5 billion. By and large people are either too proud or too ill-informed to claim what they are entitled to. What remains unclaimed far outweighs what is claimed and as long as that remains true then surely the net profit can be seen as justification for avoiding savage cuts to ensure the small minority don't get their dodgy extra few quid.

I wasn't offended at all. I saw the advert for Paxman's new show yesterday and was thinking what a reverential WW1 filled year it is going to be. Was just surprised by the line being taken which challenged my assumption.

Comparison of how we picked up points with 2 years back when we finished 5th. Need to beat both Norwich and Sunderland to keep up. If we do, then we'll have surpassed last years point total just as the transfer window closes.

It's been out a while and I know there's lots of listeners on here already, but I only got caught up with the most recent Hardcore History - Blueprint for Armageddon - last week.... http://www.dancarlin.com//disp.php/hharchive/Show-50---Blueprint-for-Armageddon-I/First%20World%20War-World%20War%20One-Great%20War Brilliant 3 hour podcast starting from the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and discussing the build up to war, the gathering of forces, the failure of diplomacy and the initial incursions into neutral land with comparisons back to the Napoleonic wars, Alexander the great and the Roman empire to show how unpresented the size of the conflict was going to be. Looking forward to the subsequent shows that take you through the war itself.

Impressed at the BBC taking the "it wasn't all that bad" approach to the centenary like. Though it's no surprise from the son of that poppyless bastard Peter. ...or is it Jon? Winter is coming anyway.

Seems a contradiction to me, the claim that Ben Arfa is only trying impress the manager, that is why he exclusively concentrates on doing his own thing? It's in stark contrast to what the manager has publicly asked of him, which is first and foremost to emulate Sissoko and Gouffran with their ethic of work for the team, and then add to that his undoubted talent.