David Kelly

More massively ridiculous tbh. Everton have only really got Lukaku who's much of a goal scorer there. Kone has done nothing there and didn't score much at Wigan. Naismith is shite and Miralles is more of a winger. Villa - Benteke is quality but even Villa fans done rate Weimann. Agbonglahor is very hit and miss and Bent looks finished. Stoke - They have some very average players. Croch is about finished, Walters is fucking awful as is Jermome. Odemwinge is nothing special. Briame Diouf is anyones guess after what he did over here in the past and Kirkic is on the back of several very poor seasons. Arnautovic is the only one I'd want. Hull - Long looks like he's on his way. Jelavic has had a similar career path to Cisse but without being forced to play on the wing. Sagbo and Aluko have done nothing in the league. West Ham - Carroll has a long way to go to prove he's not a crock. Vaz Te is shite as is Cole. Zarate has looked decent in the past but it's a while since he's done anything in Europe and Valencia is unproven. Southampton - Jay Rodriguez is canny but massively overrated. I know nothing about this Pelle. Palace - All shite tbh. Swansea - Bony is quality and I'm sure we'd all definitely take him. Feelings were very mixed about the potential of Gomis coming here so I can't see why we'd be desperate for him now. Emnes is gash. West Brom - Ideye is unproven. Anichibie is shite. Berahino is a prospect. QPR - Remy is obvious quality but Zamora is god awful and Austin is unproven. Tramps - Altidore and Graham are awful. Fletcher is decent but seems injury prone and Wickham still has a lot to prove despite his late run last season. We have got three strikers (I'm including SDJ in this because it seems that's pretty much where he'll be played) who are unproven in the league and one who's had a shocking run. No that's not something we should be massively excited about but there looks like there's potential there. I'm sure we'd all take Lukaku, Bony, Benteke and Remy and if we had any of them we'd be pretty optimistic about our chances. But I can't say there's any strike forces in any of those teams that I'm envious of.

I think Sandro and Dembele are pretty proven although I'm not sure where either would fit into our team currently. I wouldn't be bothered about the rest of them.

I just took it that @@nufcfans is a fucking imbecile tbh. Same as those calling for Kemen!

I have the feeling SDJ will be very important to how well Riviere and Chucky do. If he does well then I think Riviere might do well also. Looks like they're going to have to because after Pardew's latest comments I don't think we'll sign another striker.

Given that he's up at the top end of the age bracket that we want I don't doubt we'd sell him if the right offer came in (I suspect around £10m) but it would be a massive mistake. Before he came how long were we crying out for a defensive midfielder and at his best, he's been easily as good as any I've seen here. He would do a decent job for Arsenal but I think (hope) he's a bit limited with the ball for Wenger to go for him (and I don't doubt after being linked with Khedira and Bender, Arsenal fans wouldn't be too impressed with signing him). He'd definitely be a massive miss for us as there's no way Anita, Colback or Abeid could do his job for us. I'd hoped when he first came, that Bigi would be the man to eventually fill the position but he's dropped right off the radar in the last 12 months.

We shouldn't be saying we're setting ourselves a target of 48 points though should we. Safety is a minimum that shouldn't even need to be mentioned. Our target should be winning the league, it doesn't matter that we aren't going to realistically be able to achieve that target. We should aim for the highest posible.

It's fucking ludicrous really. I am begining to think that Pardew's sole purpose for being here is to lower our expectations.

SDJ has got a good record against Citeh. I would imagine both him and the clown who manages us know this and will both be desperate for him to play. I also think coco sees him as critical to how he wants us to play this season so he'll give him every chance to make it.

I wonder if he even knows where 48 points would leave us in the league (historically). I saw someone earlier (may have been Happy Face either on here or on twitter) post that it would have us finish between 9th and 13th. Surely after his supposed target last season (which we limped to at the end of the season) was 10th, 48 points isn't giving himself much breathing space for that let alone any improvement.

My post was with my tongue firmly in my cheek (although it's largely true). We used to get a take out occasionally where I used to work but it's never really been somewhere I've been too much. I live near the Silverlink and I've been to the one there once since they opened it. I agree I'd much rather go for a proper meal than there.

Never liked any of his films (Insomnia, Awakenings & Good Will Hunting aside) but remember seeing a stand up show of his years ago that I was suprised to find that I quite enjoyed. But it's still sad to hear this. Everyone who knew him seemed to think a lot of him. RIP

Nandos is canny fast food. The problem is, it's not particularly fast and it's expensive for what it is. But if you're not short of cash, have time to spare and fancy fast food type fare rather going to a proper restaurant, it's better than the likes of KFC.

The suggestion seems to be that we have to do a press confernce per league rules so if thats the case then they won't miss out on the chance to askk any more difficult questions. Whether they get answered is would be the issue I suppose. If Pardew will only take questions from the Sun who are our media partner then I wouldn't expect any difficult ones to be asked.

I see the Chronicle has Tiote possibly being sold on. No quotes or anything anywhere near concrete (especially with talk of Manchester) but imo he'd be a massive miss if he was sold.

They can still re hash whatever bullshit Pardew comes out with to MOTD or Sky. What's in the papers or on television is rarely any different is it? And it may well be that under premier league rules he has to give a press conference anyway. They can still do match reports (they aren't banned from the ground but even if they were they could see pretty much every match on television one way or the other). They'll still most likely have their sources to give them bits of inside information on transfers/injuries/falling outs. Ryder still suggests he has. All they're really likely to lose is the ability to talk to club staff for official confirmation on things or to do shite filler articles. I just dont' see the issue.

I'd be surprised if the national press loses interest tbh. When are Sunderland or Boro ever on the back pages of the nationals? No one outside of Wearside and Teesside have any more interest in them than they do in Leceister or Wigan. To most of the country they are completely irelevant. This isn't me saying that we're something special or up there with the Manchester clubs, Chelsea, Arsenal or Liverpool in the wider football worlds conciousness but we're a hell of a lot more significant than them. Significant enough that on far too many occasions we've been on the front pages never mind the back. We are known around the football world (for things that maybe history now but we are still known) whereas many football fans in France/Spain/Italy/Germany will know very little about Sunderland and a lot won't have even heard of Boro (in the same way as my dad had never heard of the team where Marveaux has went on loan. Tbh I know very little about them and I watch my fair share of european football). It might be because we are a soap opera of a club rather than because we win anything but the interest is definitely there. And not getting soundbites from Pardew or the players will make very little differnce to that as far as I can see.

Do you not think it's more likely that those journalists that aren't getting privaledged access will be more free to criticise the club? Of course it won't be particularly helpful if the national press go too far the other way, but for me the local press has been a lot more representitive of the fans since theyve been on the outside. Of course I say this as someone who buys no papers local or otherwise.

Are there supposed to be new cards being issued for this season? I thought I'd read that it was just the ones from last season (if you already were a season ticket holder). My dads had a new one come through but I've not had anything.

I can't say this bothers me much at all. In fact not hearing Pardew spout his shite is something of a bonus. It does seem like a pr own goal to get the press against you but compared to a lot of what the fat cunt has done this seems pretty insignificant.

Cafe 21 was good yesterday. First time I've had hake since some dodgy meals in spain years ago and it was something of a revelation. The Vermont was the top pick of the week though.

How strong a team did Sociedad have out today?

I really enjoyed blackfriars when I went during the last restaurant week. I think it got a mixed response from our group (no one thought it was bad like) depending on what was ordered. The pork belly was amazing though.

You don't need to be afraid at all. It was very nice, although I admit it was my desire to try a fondant spud that made me pick that.

Scallops with black pudding bonbons followed by sea bass with fondant potatoe and braised lettuce. 7 of us went and had few different things and everyone was equally impressed.

They're right about Ryder but they seem to think he represents our fanbase just because there's a few people leave comments on his articles (although most of the comments I've seen are people telling him he's a fucking idiot). According to them, one piss poor article by him means we're all shitting ourselves. It really does make you wonder what goes on in their heads.