OTF

Shola! 1-0

Let's hope we get the shutout here guys, if we can hold on until they bring their close out pitcher on we should we in with a chance - provided their special team does a poor job on the kick returns of course.

Spidermag!

Is this guy intentionally trying to be annoying?

Not a bad side really. Gosling given a chance in central midfield should be interesting. Cabaye in for him, Barton in for Marveaux, Simpson in for Tavernier, and HBA for Shola and that's probably our strongest side (ok, so 4 changes out of 11 is quite a few).

That's a misnomer, Everton in particular pay good wages to their key players, it's how they've managed to keep them. They know it's better value overall to keep known quality than it is to chance it on the market. Not very exciting for their fans, but that stability in their side has been key to their relative consistency in the league.

What's the chance that Demba Ba is on more than Enrique (and in turn more than the offer he has 'on the table')? If it was the case what would people think of that? Try to justify it from any perspective except the owners (the justification for the owner is obvious).

Depends on your classification of World Class, for me I don't think Enrique would be out of place in any national side. He's not the perfect player, and there's certainly avenue for improvement. If he goes to a better side I think he will improve provided his hamstring issues don't begin to plague him. He's at the age now where he should be getting a lot smarter as a player, playing with generally smarter* players will speed that along. * - Football smarts.

I agree, but relatively speaking it's a drop in the ocean.

Me too. Fouls all the time, complains about it an in general is just incredibly awkward. He's a pretty decent player who developed late in his career but having him in your side is conducive to ugly long ball play.

Enrique doesn't strike me as the type of fullback who is desperate to play as a winger. Whatever Enrique is on (it won't be 50K) he deserves more to stay here. He's a genuinely world class defender who got stuck in when we were relegated and helped drag us back up. If you don't pay decent wages you just cannot compete. Fantastic players necessitate fantastic wages, not pretend 'fantastic' ones.

No doubt

Where has the 50K a week figure for Enrique come from? I know we were much more liberal with wages when he was signed, but he was a relatively unproven young defender coming from the Spanish league where wages are a fair bit lower (particularly outside of the top two teams). I'd say it would be a figure closer to 40K.

Interesting how Pardew has scaled back the 'fantastic contract' to now just a 'good offer'.

It's very worrying. Having Enrique out there really makes a huge difference to the way we play. He's a very viable option for playing the ball out from the back, and when he's there he brings the best out of Jonas. Even against Orlando Enrique coming on gave us a spark that was completely devoid in the first half. If they bring in a Simpson standard fullback then our defense will have to resort to hoofing the ball up the pitch taking the likes of Jonas, Cabaye, Barton and HBA out of the game. Our target men options aren't exactly fantastic either, so a lot of the times those hoofs will result in turning over possession and having to defend which of course the new left back won't be as good at. If there are no offers coming in for Enrique for the sake of the team the club should keep him until at least January and line up a replacement of note. Whether he goes now, in January or for nothing next summer we need a replacement left back. The whole sell before you buy doesn't apply here because it's a virtual certainty that he'll be going within the year. Giving a new fullback that time to settle wouldn't be a good idea in terms of performance on the pitch, though Ashley won't want to fund the extra wages whilst still paying Enrique and watching his market value fall as his free availability looms. IMO over the course of one season the value of Enrique in the side would exceed 8M - taking into account the final league position and the entertainment value of the team. Of course Ashley will be keen to bring someone in on a lower wage because he'll fancy the chances of our league position being there or thereabouts regardless and will want to cash in on Enrique. Again though, if we were a properly run club there would have been an improved offer made to Enrique after promotion was confirmed. The team morale was at a high and the lure of being back in the top league could have been enough with some loyalty and commitment shown through increased wages which were deserved.

Peas in a pod - money over integrity.

I have no doubt that the lies would be around the club continually talking up their plans and ambition all the while their actions speak otherwise. Now we're continually finding out from sources in the club that the lies and misleading is at all levels and not just to the media and supporters. We've seen a string of young players leave because of ambition while the club talks about bringing in or bringing though young talent. Milner, N'Zogbia, Bassong, Carroll and Enrique next. At the same time more experienced players with a strong connection to the club, the fans or the players have departed - Given, Duff and Nolan. Chez is right that this is something we knew was coming, but this is still another artifact in the museum of management fuckups that is the Mike Ashley Newcastle United era. A properly run club would have had Enrique signed to a better deal after promotion was cliched.

Behind all the Enrique talk this from Barton adds to the concern. Having no intention of staying says all you need to know about the owner and the current state of the club.

WUM or moron, take your pick. If the club can come out and make statements about what they have done to 'try' to keep Enrique then he's entitled to come out and comment on then from his perspective. Truth is the club won't have given him an improved offer despite insinuating that they have, though doubt there is some sort of cursory offer 'on the table'. They want to sell him, and making it look like they want him (ala Carroll) is something that has worked in driving prices up in the past. Enrique has got nothing to lose. The club has been a shambles since he arrived here, with ambition that has clearly moved backwards over the same time. There can be no disputing this. Worst case for the club is that he stays and plays out the season here then leaves for nothing next summer. That's no problem for Enrique as it will increase the interest in him and could result in higher wages at a more ambitious club. The club could try to devalue him by not playing him, but paying 40K a week to your best player to have them not play is idiotic when it will clearly impact upon the performance of the team - so I expect that's what we could see happen.

If the club can come out to the media and claim one thing about a new contract then that opens it up for Jose to comment on it himself. It's not like we're hearing anything new. The club have been proven as liars so many times.

Ridiculous that Barton and Cabaye aren't involved in these matches because of piss-weak planning. They're going to be two of our key creative sources this season, along with HBA assuming he doesn't get snapped every time he plays. No surprise that this midfield didn't create much. Better off playing Abeid from the sounds of it.

That or knock it out for their throw in.. either way. At least him and Jonas have got decent tans for once.

Silence is the same in every language. Jose will tear them up.

Something creepy about cheerleaders without high tempo music. Something even more creepy about teenage girls...these three on now seem to be going forever. Hooray for that guy and his wife taking up some screen time.

Has a place in Orlando apparently.