Baggio

According to this the catering deal was worth £38 million in turnover over 5 years, so £7.6 million a year roughly. http://www.citmagazine.com/news/863297/Newcastle-United-FC-signs-Sodexo-Prestige/

We're meeting with the agent of Virgil Van Dijk in the next month or so, apparently the general director of Groningen has confirmed it. http://www.elfvoetbal.nl/nieuws/173261_newcastle-united-wil-zich-versterken-met-van-dijk

The odd mistake about players but all in all a good read. Does anyone know what the expected income was for catering before we contracted it out?

Ignoring the fact that Chelsea don't currently have a manager, are not guaranteed CL football next season and spending £90m on players without having a huge clear out would be the equivalent of them sticking 2 fingers up to the financial fair play rules...Chelsea need more creativity and replacements for the likes of Drogba, Malouda and Lampard, not a holding man or a goalkeeper.

The 'Fat Sam for England' chants when we were getting battered by Liverpool were the highlight of his time at the club for me.

Like I said in the match thread, it looks like a case of square pegs in round holes as he doesn't have the personnel to play the formation that accommodates Ben Arfa.

"It was a strange game because Norwich had a good grip on it, especially in possession, but we always looked like we were going to get goals," Pardew told nufcTV following the final whistle. "But we couldn't do what we did against Wolves and give them a way back. In the second half we made sure that they didn't come back - we sacrificed a couple of flair players, which is something I don't really like to do. "We are a bit nervous at the minute, confidence isn't high, we are not on all cylinders - I think that was evident. But the job for that squad was to win, and we managed to do it."

That's how I see it, same could be said about Simpson's contract as I think he will end up a squad player next season too if he stays. I like Guthrie and I think he's done well this season, however we've got him, Gosling, Vuckic and Abeid fighting for 3rd choice and I'd much rather lose Guthrie and Gosling and attempt to bring in better to give more competition to Tiote and Cabaye.

I think he's quite average and I wouldn't have put my house on him keeping up the form he showed in the first dozen games over the whole season. We need a new centre back this summer for sure.

Contrary to the opinion that the quality of players have got us where we are in spite of Pardew, I think it's the opposite and he's now struggling to get the best out of some very average players that find their way into our starting 11 every week compared to earlier in the season. Sitting 6th with the likes of Williamson, Simpson, Guthrie, Best and both Taylors getting plenty of game time this season is a credit to how well he's done because that lot are mid table players at best.

My N-O chums? What are you on about? Are you not concerned at all by the way we've been playing since the Fulham game? I certainly am. Our form has dropped no doubt about it, personally I think the pace of the league is catching up with the likes of Cabaye, in fact I'd say a lot of players are running out of steam and we need a second wind from somewhere. Saying that in the 7 league games since Fulham we've won 3, drew 2 and lost away to Arsenal and Spurs so perhaps it's not all bad.

My favourite is the one about the quality of players getting us where we are in spite of Pardew. It doesn't matter how awful a manager you are you're not going to stop a team consisting of Simpson, Williamson, Ryan Taylor and co breaking the 50 point mark, no matter how you try you can't hold those guys back.

Of course not, neither are your N-O chums. What we need is a manager that has us dominating most games for 90 minutes and playing like Swansea. Job done.

With the chances we created the game should have been over by half time, second half we looked nervous and probably had the games against Wolves and Arsenal where we've dripped points in the second half on our minds. I think our biggest problem is we're using some players like square pegs in round holes to accommodate Ben Arfa into the side, if he is going to he here next season then we need to bring new players in to make it work. 9 games left and 9 points off our season total for 03/04 when we came 5th.

I don't see a situation where he would sell the club without the debt going as part of the package. The results are promising, it looks like the overdraft with Barclays has all but gone too so all we owe is what we owe Ashley and he seems happy to leave it. We've also got plenty of room for growth in areas too so it's a case of keeping costs under control and continuing to move forward.

Credit to the medical staff at WHL that acted so swiftly.

I can remember us entering the intertoto under Souness despite finishing 13th I think.

ALAN Pardew is ready to add a left-back to his summer shopping list after Holland defender Erik Pieters re-emerged as a Newcastle United target. Europe-chasing United have performed superbly this season, but The Journal understands the club are braced for another summer of change at St James’ Park, with Pardew keenly aware key areas require strengthening. Newcastle have secured the future of the core of their team, but fringe men Dan Gosling and Danny Guthrie could both leave – while Peter Løvenkrands and Alan Smith will not be offered new contracts. It is in defence where Pardew wants to make changes, though, with left-back targets now being considered. Davide Santon has impressed with his ability, attacking threat and versatility since signing from Inter Milan, but he is a work inprogress defensively and there is debate over whether he might be best served by switching to the right of defence. The Journal understands Santon is being considered for a long-term future in the right-back role if the club cannot come to an agreement with Danny Simpson – who is yet to sign a new contract. They have a long-standing interest in the versatile Pieters, who is Holland’s first choice left-back and would be keen to join Newcastle – who have secured the long-term future of his international team-mate Tim Krul. He can play in the centre of defence or at left-back and while he would not come cheap – United might expect to pay upwards of £5million for the defender – he fits the bill for a Newcastletarget. The PSV star has just recovered from a four-month lay-off which effectively ruled out Newcastle stepping up their interest in January. http://www.journallive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2012/03/16/erik-pieters-re-emerges-as-newcastle-united-target-61634-30548782/

So he's acting like a martyr and threatening to leave despite being banned anyway, but he's prepared to come back only when he's not banned? Oh and he's prepared to carry on his repetitive shite on in PM if anyone is interested? That's nice of him

It wouldn't be so bad if he was able to debate his point but he had no interest in that, he had his stock replies ready and quite often they had nothing to do with the point you made. I wonder how many had him on the ignore list in the end?

Not bothered.

You usually find that stats drop off over a longer period, for example Carroll was more prolific for us in the Premiership in10/11 than Sheared was over him whole career, a completely pointless stat of course but there it is. Where as Carroll's league record at Liverpool is worse than Shola's record here, another pointless stat to add to the thread.

CHISORA LOSES FIGHT LICENCE Dereck Chisora has had his licence withdrawn by the British Boxing Board of Control following his behaviour in Munich last month, according to his promoter Frank Warren. The Londoner was involved in a number of controversial incidents before and after his WBC heavyweight title challenge against Vitali Klitschko, slapping his opponent at the weigh-in, spitting water at Klitschko's brother Wladimir and brawling with British rival David Haye following the points defeat. Chisora was called before the Board in Cardiff today and Warren revealed he has had his licence taken away indefinitely. "His licence got withdrawn and what will happen now is we'll consider whether to appeal the decision," Warren said. http://www.sportingl...ra.html&BID=543

Personally I think you're reading too much into things, I'd probably word it similar that we don't have the quality to bring off the bench when we need it but that doesn't mean I think we should stick with the current starting 11 and only improve the bench too.

30 players either played or made the bench in 2004/5. You're on about [possibly] embarking on a similar campaign with a lot less than that.Factor in HF's post about players out of contract and its lunacy to suggest we should be getting rid of as many. As I've said, I fear for us if we qualify, because Ashley,Llambias and no doubt Pardew think the same way as you. How many of them over 10 appearances? Or is it like this season when we've often rotated between Vuckic, Abeid, Perch and Gosling as to who came off the bench with at least one of the other staying on there? Our squad back then only had 5 strikers, 4 after Bellamy went out on loan and 5 is a good enough number, we've currently got 7 on the books which is just a drain.