acrossthepond

1-1 full time. Positives: Gouffran looked really good (but then came off with what looked like injury), Vuckic was also promising and brilliantly saved a goal at the end, Campbell is one speedy little midget. Negatives: We are toothless in attack. We need new players desperately.

Shola scored. Striker situation sorted. simples.

This is the least friendly friendly I've ever seen.

Anyone reckon that Kinnear is so utterly clueless that he needs Harford to actually do his job for him? Kinnear was actually given the job as a sinecure (either to piss Pardew and Carr off or just as a "jobs for the lads" situation with Ashley) and now he wants someone of similar philosophy (that is to say, a relic) to come in and put in some graft?

It's an allegory, like most religious stories. The Night Journey is meant to represent that Islam followed on from Judaism (Moses) and Christianity (Jesus) like climbing the rungs of a ladder. It's easy to take the piss out of religion nowadays but you have to remember that most of it is common sense and decent morality dressed up in the trappings of mysticism in order to convince early pagan populations who had long believed in similar mystical events/things that it's real. However, Wonga's predatory lending is morally offensive no matter if you believe in God, Santa, the FSM, or nothing at all. If that's really what Cisse is taking a stand against, then I support him.

By the letter of the law, desmondTUTU is right. Loans which generate interest of any kind are forbidden in Islam. Some scholars have tried to argue that interest-bearing loans for "consumption" or usage are unacceptable because they would put the borrower in a desperate position (like Wonga loans, for example) while commercial interest-bearing loans are acceptable because the profits of the business started with the loan would enable the borrower to repay it, but as the Qur'an makes no distinction, they are very much in the minority, and in countries where the Sharia is strictly observed, the system of "Islamic banking" which does not involve interest in any way is prevalent. If Cisse is framing his objection on purely religious grounds, then I agree he doesn't really have a leg to stand on because Virgin charge interest just like Wonga. But I think there is both a moral and an ethical difference between what Virgin does and what Wonga does. I'd be all right with wearing a shirt with a bank's name on it, but not one that promotes Wonga. In my religion there is no difference between the two, but in my heart there is, and if that's the same way that Cisse feels, then I'm proud of him for taking a stand. But as I already said in my previous post, I wonder if it really is.

Because a bank and a payday loan service are equivalent, right? You can tell by the different reactions on here to the Virgin Money deal and the Wonga deal that they are not the same thing. One provides a useful service to everyone and the other preys on the poor, weak, and stupid by taking advantage of their financial predicaments.

Tough to decide where I come down on this one. For my part, I would find it incredibly uncomfortable to be asked to play in a strip that advertises alcohol, pork products, or, yes, usurious interest such as Wonga - but I can't shake the feeling that Cisse's beliefs are not what has actually prompted this dispute. He knew Wonga would be sponsoring us well in advance, and that meant having their names on our shirts. If that wouldn't work for him, he could have made arrangements to leave at the end of the season, not raised the issue two days before our pre-season tour began. The cynic in me wonders if this issue will be resolved with a nice new contract for Cisse and (perhaps) an unbranded shirt. If it's a play for more money, well, he absolutely has the club over a barrel, so he'll get what he's after.

From the BBC: The Football Association announces it has changed the retrospective action process ahead of next season. Callum McManaman's tackle on Massadio Haidara From the start of the new campaign, the governing body can decide to take action against players when match officials are not in a position to fully assess an incident. The amendment follows a tackle last season involving Wigan's Callum McManaman and Newcastle United's Massadio Haidara.

Derek fucking Lambese? The director of football? Resigned? And that's all in the first minute.

Must be a piss take. This can't be for real.

And now he'll be Carr's boss, it sounds like? "Wuzzat Graham? Where'd you say he plays? Hungry? Nah mate, I've just 'ad me tea and one or two of those eels went down a bit queasy. The next Iniesta? Well fack it man, why don't we just buy the first Iniesta? Let me dash off a fax to Barcelona mate, Mike sez there's 2 million quid in the kitty, should cover it. Thanks for your input Graham old dad!"

No, I'm not done. I cannot think of another person on this earth who is less qualified, save maybe Dennis Wise, to be our "director of football." Anyone off the street would do better. A mackem would do better. We don't need a DOF anyway, they're a load of shit and our last one helped set off a chain of disasters that led to our relegation, and we especially don't need Joe Fucking Kinnear back at this club. Do they never learn?

Jesus fucking Christ. Someone's got to be having us on?

Haway man, The Fish is a bit more literate than that.

We'd be better off keeping Pardew than bringing in an abomination like Pulis. Not even a sideways step.

He has lost a lot of the attacking spark that he used to have, and I wonder how much longer we can afford to find a place in the team for him at LW. All the same, he consistently puts in one of the hardest shifts of any player, can always be found covering, will play most any position, and loves the club. We could do worse tbh.

Good luck to him in whatever's next. I think we could've hung on to him for another season but if he wants to play first-team football, then fair play.

Bollocks we have. That second half was the same dross we've been watching all season - Pardew specialty. The only thing that made it look a little better was a few flashes of individual quality from the likes of Ben Arfa. It was a rubbish showing from us - passes to no-one, pointless tackles that concede free kicks, a completely isolated attack.

Another terrible sub in a season of them. If we wanted to add more attack we could've taken Tiote off for Marveaux and moved Jonas into the middle.

Can you tell me when he scored from that type of opportunity before? I remember him missing an even better chance against Benfica (as you also well remember.) He scored from a similar position against Arsenal away last season but he wasn't under pressure and went near post anyway.

We have created more than they have, yes, but we never look like finishing. You could tell HBA was never going to score from the shot he took on the edge of the area, and although the early cross to Cisse was a good chance, it was asking a bit much of him. Our final ball has been generally disappointing as well. It's the same old story - the chances we do create are rarely taken.

We haven't been horrible like but as usual no cutting edge when we do finally go forward. As long as Tottenham don't score, I could see this finishing 0-0. MYM is a class player, as is Gouffran.

You reckon both Tiote and HBA will be here next season?

This'll be the last we see of Tiote and Ben Arfa, I think, and possibly Cabaye (not to mention the confirmed departures of Harper and Simpson.)