Inochi

My girlfriend through school was from Biddick Hall. My Dad grew up in Whiteleas.

Aye, I think so. Posting style and content is identical.

What would you say your current womble level is? On a scale from novice, to master.

Agree almost entirely with the posts above. This whole movement to cancel season tickets has only really gathered any kind of pace on the back of the derby defeat, and the understandable emotion that generates. Watching it snowball on Twitter since then has been really quite odd. It's almost become some sort of competition - who's the best supporter? Who cares the most? Who is hurting the most? I can't help but think that if I was giving up my ticket, which I won't be (I still quite enjoy it), I'd feel really rather sad about the whole thing. I certainly wouldn't be wearing it as some kind of badge of honour, looking down on those who aren't following the ever growing crowd. The less said about the vocal, non match going, minority, the better. Only a special kind of fuckwit can feel comfortable in their own skin belittling the lifeblood of the club they support from a distance.

Because Ba got his knickers in a twist about playing on the left. He wanted guarantees that he'd play central, long before the season started, or he was off. We know how it turned out, but, at the rate he was scoring, and with Cisse looking shot, we didn't have much choice other than to keep him there.

He played about six games on the right, man. The rest were up front with Ba as a two. He'd been out of form for a while before he was switched out wide.

Yep. Makes perfect sense.

That sounds like a reasonable thing to believe. I think I need a brief explanation of how Pardew broke him, though, to be absolutely convinced.

Aye, but we must have senior people at the club - managers, directors? I can think of John Irving (incidentally, weird looking cunt), and Lee Charnley. As much as Llambias was maligned, you did get the impression that he was involved. Are we just entirely rudderless, plodding on and acting on occasional instructions from the fat man?

So, who is actually running the show. Not that ol' Joe was, like. He was in the most senior position, though.

Job done for the boy Joe, really. He's served his purpose, and is now being moved on ahead of a window where we will actually have to make signings. Can't help but be cynical. As always, I just wonder what comes next.

Nah, not here, but I meant it more as a general point. I've avoided a lot of football/social media since Saturday. So I'm only catching up now, really. Obviously the result has contributed, but I have seen a fair few comments suggesting that sacking Pardew is the 'first step' towards some kind of recovery, with the rest falling into place after that. Boggles my mind, that.

Managing to surrender the mental edge that we've held for so long over that lot, when it comes to derby games, is near enough unforgivable. That said, I don't disagree with the posts above. Yes, he's needlessly negative. Yes, when he does get it wrong, it tends to be spectacularly. But, you will never convince me that he's the current worst influence at this football club. It's not even close.

First chuckle I've had today. Honestly, what the fuck are they thinking with this shite?

Isn't a 'special bag', just a bag.

I bet they didn't, mind.

Is that not where it originated, though, with others following?

Pretty sure the last 'bids' we played out live on SSN, were those for N'Zogbia, Richardson and Ruiz. Odd that we're feeding them info on this, when we usually prefer to keep things quiet. Perhaps I'm just being overly sceptical, or paranoid. Just doesn't feel right.

Good to hear. If (when) we don't sign a Cabaye replacement, our hopes for the rest of the season basically fall on his shoulders. Hopefully, Pardew realises this, and he'll start whenever he's available. I thought he was very good last night, a bit more disciplined, and less greedy or wasteful. He still tried to take on their whole team at times, but I wouldn't want him to stop that.

Gums on gums on gums.

£16.5m rising to £20.6m, according to L'Equipe. Not exactly an exorbitant fee, for a massively important player. I wonder what the conditions of the add-ons are, as well.

Most importantly, especially in light of losing such a fine specimen of a man, who is the more physically attractive option?

Good. There best be (at least) one more to follow.

Yeah, fair enough, it is all speculation at this point. Really though, I think the writing was on the wall with this from the first rejected bid.

I'm not sure £20m is 'about right', like. In a perfect world, where players only went for their 'true' value, and there were never mitigating factors, that'd probably be his price. However, we're now in a position of relative strength, midway through the season, with the player contracted for two and a half more years. Why aren't we demanding £35m to even enter negotiations? Because, we want to sell. That's what weakens us. Cabaye knows it, and PSG know it. That should never be the case for this club.