Stoke v Newcastle: Pardew hands all plaudits to the team

Posted on November 1st, 2011 | 84 Comments |

Stoke v Newcastle 2011 - Demba Ba hat-trick sees magpies win.
Plenty to be happy about
Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew gives all the kudos to the team for yesterday’s win at Stoke whilst Tony Pulis is somewhat less generous.

Yesterday’s game could arguably be seen as our biggest test of the season so far and we passed it with flying colours. Alan Pardew, however, refuses to take much credit for the win and instead prefers to praise the players. Pardew said:

The players have to take great credit. You can have a game-plan of what you want to do but by the same token, players have got to be brave enough to see it out. And we showed some bravery. Absolutely brilliant, some of our players tonight.

You’ve got to be brave, and we were brave at their throw-ins. We left two up and that caused them some problems on the break a couple of times.

Sometimes you’ve got to change the emphasis of a game and we did that well – in the second half, not so well and that’s why we came under pressure.

Having said that, it was a soft penalty that they got, I thought. But at least the ref was consistent because we got a soft one too!

Yes, if I’d been the ref neither of those would have been penalties but at least Mike Dean evened things up in that respect. Tony Pulis wasn’t in a mood to give us too much credit after the game though, instead preferring to claim that Stoke contributed to our goals and that they just had an unlucky night. Pulis said:

It was disappointing – the goals we conceded were very poor goals. Newcastle did not play through us, we contributed to the three goals.

When get this week out of way will have played 21 games and in the first 10-15 minutes one or two players looked a little slow out of the blocks.

It is the first time we have lost at home and I can honestly say certain things went against us, we have to take it on the chin and dust ourselves down.

Well, whatever. I think we were worthy of the win. It was a great all-round team effort and we managed to defend well against Stoke’s ‘one trick pony’ of the long throw-ins and I thought they lacked for a ‘plan B’ once we’d nullified that. Although if their pitch was any smaller it could be used as a tennis court.

There’s still a long way to go but taking all three points at the Britannia Stadium is an accomplishment that many of the top clubs fail to achieve, so I think we have good reason to celebrate.

Let’s hope that same fight is there on the weekend against Everton. If it is then I’d be inclined to think we can take another three points before we come up against City, United and Chelsea, which will be another huge test of the resolve of our team.

But so far so good eh?

NUFCBlog Author: Hugh de Payen I'm a baby-boomer of the punk rock persuasion, currently exiled in Somerset for crimes committed in a previous life where locals keep trying to poison me with something called 'scrumpy'. Hates sprouts, coat-hangers, Cilla Black, ornaments, Steven Seagull movies and 50 Cent (he's not worth 10). Hugh de Payen has written 634 articles on this blog.

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84 Responses

  1. Brilliant!!!! Did u guys see the frustration on Stoke players faces everyitime Simmo ask for a towel to dry the Ball!!!! I couldn’t stop laughing….. Well done Newcastle!!!! HWTL

  2. A good result against a team that are hard to beat at home. you have to give the team credit, very few teams seem to be able to defend this ‘one trick pony’ caper, but we did.
    On the way to work this morning (in Belfast) it was great to see so many Newcastle shirts on view!
    Hopefully a good performance against the toffees will set us up for our top of the table clashes.
    HWTL

  3. Ba Ba Demba, can you score a goal?
    Yes Sir! Yes Sir! Three at a stroll,
    One against Blackburn,
    One against Stoke,
    Want one against the Mackem twats,
    but they’re a fkn joke.

  4. Think the kids song “I am the music man” and then the chorus
    “Pi-a, pi-a, pi-an-o”

    And now think
    “Demba Demba Demba Ba”
    “Demba Ba Demba Ba”
    “Demba Demba Demba Ba”
    “Demba Ba Demba Ba”

  5. BelfastToon@5…your song gets my second vote so far…but mine is the best…based on the old Supermac song… ;-) ;-)

  6. Belfast – the kids song “I am the music man” – you don’t seem to know the porno rugby version then?

  7. For what it’s worth, I rate that Obertan chappie. He’s doing okay, IMHO.

    On that note, I should point out that I am quietly (as in a rare interview kind of way) building towards a “late surge” and post-christmas, you should all fear my prediliction for coming from behind.

    I fully expect my thusly under-performing predictions as detailed here – https://nufcblog.org/prediction-competition/current-table/ to produce a late, but steady stream of results that will place me in the top three, if not Europe.

    As ever, I expect a damp patch (don’t we all lads?) around Xmas, but thereafter I am hopeful that my somewhat random estimations of match results will begin to convert into points.

    And what do points mean?

    Correct.

    This, the first season in the upper as it were, echelons, I’d be happy with a Top Ten slot, but as my guesstimated scores gel, I feel that a Top Three is not to be dismissed.

    The only blot on the horizon is the January window, I’ve never been good in the cold and defenestration is not my favourite pastime, however I’ll stick with this formination for now as I have no Plan B, apart from “The Defamation of Strickland Banks”.

    Hope this helps.

  8. Loving it. Watched the game with one NUFC and several SCFC supporters, they were genuinely shocked. Just hope mark lawrenson keeps predicting us to lose on the BBC website. Good job chaps.

  9. Gutierrez was different class last night, Thought Guthrie was superb, and Cabaye showede he’s capable of doing a ‘Tiote’ when needed, breaking things up and constantly after their midfielders.
    If this Madiga fella is any good, Best will be out of the team as his movement is shocking. He seems to react, whereas Ba anticipates. If we can hold our nerve till January, we could be doing great things if Ba gets a good partner.

  10. I think Pardue deserves heaps of praise, in terms of both the tactics last night and bringing together a fantastic team spirit

    Miles better than last year and long may it continue

  11. I am here to help, Supermac, whether I do or not is moot.

    Look upon me as a ‘Jeux sans Frontiere’ of the Prediction League: totally nob, but a good reason to pay for a TV Licence.

    You get Eddie Waring thrown in as well, not the best of speakers of English but a giver of rare interviews.

    Which we all want.

    Let’s not forget Hulking Stan Rovers, and “Up and under”.

    Mark my words, come season-end you’ll be begging for it.

    Like a book, you’ll not want to put it doon (faux Geordie there, y’ken).

  12. I loved the bit of commentary from yesterday evening

    “The ticking time bomb (Demba Ba’s knee) has exploded in Stoke’s faces!”

    That would be a messy business.

  13. Daily Fail gave Gutierrez a 6/10 which was the joint lowest score for any Newcastle player (Simpson and Guthrie also got a 6).

    I swear they just randomly make up their marks out of 10 on those things.

  14. Kilgore_D_Sprout – come season-end it might not be just yer book that’ll want putting doon!
    Baffles me, but there again so does me tax return that I’ve just done – unless you’re sending a random group of coded messages like the BBC sent to the resitance?

  15. Just a quick word on sami’s abusive messages – anyone in black & white stripes is our hero son. Stand tall and be a credit to your race – the human race!

  16. Supermac says:
    November 1, 2011 at 3:24 pm

    “Baffles me”

    Supermac, I know your old enough to remember “It’s a Knockout”, Eddie Waring and his “Hulking Stan Rovers” and “Up and unders” really. ;-)

    My favourite was Dickie Davies and the wresting on ITV. It was even weirder than the American wrestling shite you get nowadays. Masambula the African witchdoctor and Kendo Nagasaki were my favourites. I was only a bairn at the time, but I think everyone was on some very strange medication back in those days. Kilgore still is according to Hugh, and it shows. :-)

  17. sirjasontoon says:
    November 1, 2011 at 4:10 pm

    “Pardew for England on talksport right now!”

    I was just listening to it SJT. I divven’t knaa why the **** I am though. It really is the home of complete drivel.

  18. workyticket says:

    “I was just listening to it SJT. I divven’t knaa why the **** I am though. It really is the home of complete drivel”

    Which is why its Dysphemistically known as Talkshite :)

  19. Yeah it is a bit toss…I reckon if pardew keeps us winning he will be a contender and cost less than half that say redknapp would wanting in wages.

  20. Mind you WT maybe we’re going to have to change our opinion of the silver haired one if this carries on ?

    Perhaps a period of unemployment has given him the opportunity to reinvent himself and maybe he’s learned a few lessons from his days at the Boleyn ? Namely not taking all the glory for himself and remembering its players who win matches ?

  21. Andy Mac says:
    November 1, 2011 at 5:08 pm

    “Which is why its Dysphemistically known as Talkshite”

    well I’ve used some fairly long words on here before, but that may be a first for “dysphemistically” Andy.

    “Mind you WT maybe we’re going to have to change our opinion of the silver haired one if this carries on ?”

    Well if things all go tits up in the end it will be like Phil Brown, who was third with Hull at a similar stage in the season with calls for him to be the next England manager. On the other hand if we carry on gannin’ from strngth to strength, I think it will be somewhat like Istvan Kovacs at Ajax. He carried on the system started by Rinus Michels after he fecked off to Barcelona and continued to dominate the European Cup for another couple of years. :lol:

    Andy Mac says:
    November 1, 2011 at 5:08 pm

    “Perhaps a period of unemployment has given him the opportunity to reinvent himself and maybe he’s learned a few lessons from his days at the Boleyn ? Namely not taking all the glory for himself and remembering its players who win matches ?”

    He’s never actually been unemployed for that long Andy, he was maanging Charlton and Southampton. On second thoughts…

    Getting back to “Talkshite”, I still have it on for some bizarre reason and the doyen of drivel himself, Stan Collymore, is on now.

  22. worky – does Billy Two Rivers ring a bell with you?

    Stan Bloody Collymore! didn’t he score the 4th goal in the 4-3, known as the PL’s greatest ever game by some & a nail in our coffin by others.

  23. how many 4-3s have we had since then? two this season for sure, then our return to liverpool. So lost 3 won 1 of that lot!

  24. Andy Mac says:
    November 1, 2011 at 5:08 pm

    “Perhaps a period of unemployment has given him the opportunity to reinvent himself and maybe he’s learned a few lessons from his days at the Boleyn ? Namely not taking all the glory for himself and remembering its players who win matches ?”

    Same old same old…..

  25. August to December is a “period” of unemployment WT. Bearing in mind Pardwho was apparently dismissed following reports of unrest among staff at the training ground in August 2010 maybe he had an opportunity to re-evaluate his managerial style ?

    Or maybe there arent any wives worth shagging up here ?

  26. Supermac says:
    November 1, 2011 at 7:07 pm

    worky – does Billy Two Rivers ring a bell with you?”

    Oh hell aye Supermac! Because I’m such a sad get, I’ve been racking my brains trying trying to remember the nemes of all the seventies wrestlers. Johnny Kwango, Les Kellet, Jackie Pallo and so on…

    And I missed him out!

    Don’t know if you’ve ever seen it, but one of the funniest pieces of television I’ve ever seen on those “blooper” type shows was an interview with the 7ft, 40 odd stone “Giant Haystacks”, who I’m sure you remember.

    The daft interviewer said something like “why don’t you demonstrate one of your wrestling moves Mr.Haysatcks?”

    Before he’d finished the question, Haystacks picked him up right over his heed, then slammed him on the studio floor. The poor presenter was like a beetle on it’s back and gannin “Ahhhhh! Ahhhhh! Ahhhhh! The studio crew were all milling around him and trying to get medical attention, and Haystacks was just standing there looking at the presenter like he was daft, which he was really!

    Giant Haystacks vs Rasputin. He throws Rasputin out of the ring, then poleaxes the referee :-)

    http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x69h0l_giant-haystacks-vs-rasputin_sport

  27. Andy Mac says:
    November 1, 2011 at 7:13 pm

    “August to December is a “period” of unemployment WT.”

    Aye Andy, I suppose you’re right, though most mangers are out for a few months between jobs. What I can’t figure out is why Alan Curbishley has been out of the game for so long.. Now that’s what I call a “period of unemployment” for a football manager. His thing was gannin’ at the same time as Keegangate, and he’s a very good manager.

  28. Supermac says:
    November 1, 2011 at 7:12 pm

    “Has Pardew always had white hair? or did football do it to him?”

    Nearly. I think he was straberry(ish) blonde when he was playing for Crystal Palace, but seemed to by well on the way to greyness by the time he was managing them, and that was a long time ago now.

  29. Worky…do you really think, honestly though, not taking the p… that Curbishley is a good manager?

  30. Supermac says:
    November 1, 2011 at 7:07 pm

    “Stan Bloody Collymore! didn’t he score the 4th goal in the 4-3, known as the PL’s greatest ever game by some & a nail in our coffin by others.”

    Kevin bloody Keegan! didn’t he score two goals against us in the ’74 Cup Final for the Scousers as well Supermac? That and the great 95/96 capitulation were my two greatest moments of football heartbreak, except for Cruyff and the Netherlands losing the ’74 World Cup final against the Sausagemunchers.

  31. Munich Mag says:
    November 1, 2011 at 8:14 pm

    “Worky…do you really think, honestly though, not taking the p… that Curbishley is a good manager?”

    Well he got Charlton promoted twice and into the Premier League and kept them there for many years on a relatively low budget. As soon his successor, Alan Pardew, took over, they started sliding down the divisions and were back where they started, and still are. Then when it was the other way around and he succeeded Pardew at West Ham, he rescued them from almost certain relegation in a few games. So, if you’re standards are so high and you’re trying to suggest that Curbishley is such a poor manager, then you will probably have a very low opinion of Alan Pardew? :-)

  32. CLiNT FLiCK says:
    November 1, 2011 at 8:37 pm

    Aye Clint, Supermac mentioned it earlier, but what I’m curious about is who it was, and whether they were a Toon supporter.

  33. Worky, I’m just asking if you think Curbishley is a good manager, which really has nowt to do with Pardew. You brought that equation into my innocent question.

    What has Curbishley done for you to rate him a good manager ? Pretty much nothing I would imagine. He presided over one relegation and two promotions…top notch stuff like.

    By the way, nowt to do with anything, but since you made the comparison I’ll let you in on a secret. Pardew is managing a club currently top three in one of the best leagues in europe. Curbishley is spouting gash as a expert pundit on some tele station…or maybe he’s waiting for the England job.

  34. Worky,I had a very low opinion of Pardew when he arrived at the toon. An opinion soured by a combination of Ashley’s style, and the sacking of Chris Houghton, plus knowing little about a relatively nondescript manager. Now I have changed my opinion of Pardew, since a good while if I’m honest.

    Of course he’s still not the Barca manager or Rinus Michels or whoever some of the blokes on here would like. But I know where you stand, and even in your most darkest of Pardew thoughts you must admit he and his team have raised spirits among the toon foot soldiers somewhat this year, and he should be given credit for that surely ?

  35. worky – thanks for that Giant Haystacks link, now that’s sport!
    I think the comentator was Kent Walton.
    Another name to remember – Mick McMannus.

  36. Supermac,

    Do you remember when legendary character actor, Brian Glover (the ooe who hounded Bob ‘n Terry with the football score in the Likely Lads), fought as “Leon Arris”? And Les Kellett as well? He was wrestling in his sixties when I was a bairn, and he was only tiny compared with the rest of the heavyweights. He just looked like an ordinary little old gadgie who’d ended up in the ring by mistake, but he was as hard as nails. He was the king of the “Boston Crab” amongst other things.

    Anyway, here they are grappling in 1974:

  37. Brian Glover of Kes & Alien 3 fame?

    I remember seeing auld Kendo getting de-masked in the ring as a bairn on world of sport.

    & moreso, Dickie Davis making a classic mistake when saying here come the soccer results, instead saying ‘Here’s the co cksucker results’… Hilarious as a bairn like.
    :)

  38. workey & Clint – yes, Brian Glover!
    But what about the late Sir Jim’l fix it Saville! Don’t ever recall seeing him on TV but he was a pro-wrestler pre Caroline DJ-ing and did regulat bouts for many years until the late 70s.
    If anyone knows of a video-link I’d be facinated to see it.

  39. Sorry to intrude with a football point – but I was thinking of a comparison between cockney ex-West Ham men Alan Pardew & Glen Roeder.
    I could look up the stats – but I’m sure there’s an expert out there somewhere who can do it better than me (or already has & I’ve missed it).
    Roeder was a hero for a while, got the team back up the table & into Europe – then zero & out!
    I hope Pardew doesn’t follow the same route.

  40. The end for Lovencrans? I can see his point, no point winding down your career on the bench – I’d say fair enough, wish him well & move on with a young replacement arriving.

  41. Supermac says:
    November 2, 2011 at 11:17 am

    “But what about the late Sir Jim’l fix it Saville! Don’t ever recall seeing him on TV but he was a pro-wrestler pre Caroline DJ-ing and did regulat bouts for many years until the late 70s”

    Oh aye he was Supermac!

    R.I.P. Jimmy Saville

    Now then Guys and Gals, that was Sho-waddy-waddy!

    I always found that one hard to believe though as he was such a mummy’s boy.

    Gannin’ back to Billy Two Rivers, I xan’t remember for certain if I actually saw him grappling back in the old days, but I definitely read about him somewhere later. He’s a proper Indian chief and in his seventies now I think.

    Here’s a video of him talking about the wine he makes. He calls it “panty remover”. Dorty auld goat!

    “Roeder was a hero for a while, got the team back up the table & into Europe – then zero & out!
    I hope Pardew doesn’t follow the same route.”

    I may a vaguely similar point about Phil Brown at Hull not so long back. He was third with them in late October in the season we got relegated and there were calls of Brown for England. He was only one point above us in seventeeth at the end of the season. I’m sure that won’t won’t happen to the Magpies though as the team is much stronger. Unless, of course, one of those “only in Newcastle” things happens!

    More on the Lovenkrands thing later…

  42. CLiNT FLiCK says:
    November 2, 2011 at 9:32 am

    “Brian Glover of Kes & Alien 3 fame?”

    Aye, of course! Didn’t you watch the video Clint? That voice is unmistakable.

  43. Clinton at @56 if you are going to be bobby Carlton can I be Big Daddy?
    Easy, easy, easy, easy, easy.
    and the same applies for the games against man city and man u.

    I can’t see any reason why we can’t beet them both.
    I personaly think it will be easier to defend against stoke.
    4-5-1 or 4-1-4-1.

    Easy, easy, easy, easy, easy.

  44. stephen c says:
    November 2, 2011 at 1:59 pm

    “Clinton at @56 if you are going to be bobby Carlton can I be Big Daddy?”

    You want to be Micky Quinn Stephen?

  45. CLiNT FLiCK says:
    November 2, 2011 at 3:22 pm

    “worky,

    your honour mate (one in the can, as it were)!”

    Cheers Clint! I’ll get on with that one in a minute.

  46. Here’s a little Demba Ba song for you…

    To the tune of Hawaii 5-O… Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba Baaaaa.
    ;)

  47. Some strange commenting here to-day, apparently a few confused minds, possibly due to self medication.
    Heres one for the wrestling crowd @ the old St. James Hall,
    “Dirty Jackie Pie” everyones villan, “The Farmer” there was also a masked wrestler, an Indian Chief and even “Masambula”, great craic !

    So Workey
    Munchen says should’nt we give Pardew some credit for lifting the spirits of the toon foot soldiers ?

    Lovenkrands ?
    Sell by date time !

    We should go after Jr. Hoilett, yeah another midfielder i know, but a talented one and a free agent.
    Seems as if Liam Ridgewell is also on the radar, not Bobby Moore but a big tough defender, strength in depth.
    Looks like Miaga’s a done deal @ a reported six mill.
    Lot to be said for cheapness !
    Doubt if we will see Peiters, too bad, good player.
    Thing is in comparison to our present company in the upper echelon, we are a relatively small squad, unless one counts the deadwood and kids.

  48. Not much ‘deadwood’ any more though, hey chuck?
    & some of the bairns are getting ensconced slowly.

  49. Hoilett does look canny though & i wouldn’t turn me nose up at the ex-mackem ridgewell either.

  50. Chuck says:
    November 2, 2011 at 4:04 pm

    “Some strange commenting here to-day, apparently a few confused minds, possibly due to self medication.”

    Chuckles, in my own case, that is most certainly true!

    Used to love the wrestling as a bairn. As I mentioned earlier, somehow, it managed to just as bizarre, and even tackier than the wrestling over on your side of the pond, which I think you’ll agree was quite an achievement!

    It was taken off the telly after one wrestler, I know his name but I’m too senile to remember it right now, spilled the beans and said that some of it, (shock, horror) was actually rigged!!! :lol:

  51. Yeah, actually wrassling as some here refer to it, was a fairly light form of entertainment in the US, much like the stuff that happened during the early years @ St. James Hall.

    Used to watch it with my pre teen son during the mid eighties, with characters such as Hulk Hogan and others, great craic, but everyone was aware it was for the most part(even the kids) harmless.

    To days wrestling is both boring and has gone to the dark side, where it was once tongue in cheek and light, with the hero eventually coming out on top, following what appeared like a defeat in the hands of the proverbial villain.
    To-days wrestlers like comic book heroes, as i mentioned have gone to the darkside, with intimidation and viciousness as their standards, not something one would want to expose impressionable children too.

  52. Chucky@65, thanks for the acknowledgement buddy. Even you are basking in the glory of the great run by the Toon, and long may it continue.

    Worky…it’s normal for him to give me the rubber ear when I have him cornered… ;-)

    Curbishley for England…

  53. Munich Mag says:
    November 2, 2011 at 6:28 pm

    “Worky…it’s normal for him to give me the rubber ear when I have him cornered…”

    Give it a rest man Munich!

    He probably just thinks that the better part of valour is discretion with some people. ;-)

  54. chuck – “Doubt if we will see Peiters, too bad, good player” – where did you see this, mate

  55. this is the last I saw – Newcastle remain keen on PSV Eindhoven defender Erik Pieters
    Submitted by tribalfootball.com on Mon, 10/31/2011 – 07:11

  56. WORKEY
    Apologise for sicking Munchen on you, i have a mean streak and just could’nt resist it, sorry !

    As for the music, could be used as a method of torture, by playing it consistently over and over, dont matter which one.
    The jackets are forgivable, but not the music.
    Gotta say, i find Capt.Kirk, who does a lotta commercials here to be quite funny and entertaining, but agree he shouldda given music a miss.

    SUPERGUY

    Errmmm ! Pieters, no i’m only surmising, if we go for Jr.Hoilett, Liam Ridgewell and Miaga, it’s unlikely we will also spend on a not cheap FB, Pieters.

    Hell we have been linked with a youngster in Argentina and a Swiss player Derdiok ?
    Obviously they are not all on the way.
    Though i have been wrong before (I think)

  57. “He probably just thinks that the better part of valour is discretion with some people. ;-)”……

    Worky and Chucky…as usual when you cannot offer a decent argument resort to inane twaddle and personal abuse……par for the course.

    Worky, I just asked you a simple question and you didn’t have the decency to answer me.

  58. Munich Mag says:
    November 2, 2011 at 8:41 pm

    “”He probably just thinks that the better part of valour is discretion with some people. ;-)”……

    Worky and Chucky…as usual when you cannot offer a decent argument resort to inane twaddle and personal abuse……par for the course”

    I would hardly describe Shakespeare as “inane twaddle” Munich.

  59. Newcastle are looking really good this year and after what they and the fans have been through it’s well deserved… Keep aiming high guys.

  60. Dear Workey and your Brazilian Garrincha mate with the long weapon who you tend to drool over…

    WORKEY
    Apologise for sicking Munchen on you…..

    You mean that “Shakespeare” workey ?

    That’s the inane twaddle and personal abuse I’m talking about you fool.

  61. Munich Mag says:
    November 3, 2011 at 8:10 pm

    “You mean that “Shakespeare” workey ?”

    No Munich, I mean William Shakespeare’s Falstaff in Henry IV.

    “The better part of valour is discretion”

    Often corrupted now to:

    “Discretion is the better part of valour”

    I think most people can see for themselves who’s being personal and abusive.

  62. Yes Worky, quote from Wikipedia as much as you like. Congratulations. It still all sounds like a horde of nonesense to be honest, I’m not sure what it has to do with anything at all, but preen your ego as you wish.

    Your crony Chucky was being abusive.

    I would really like you to show a post in which I was abusive. I think you might be along time searching, cos it doesn’t happen.

  63. Munich Mag says:
    November 3, 2011 at 8:57 pm

    “Yes Worky, quote from Wikipedia as much as you like. Congratulations.”

    Munich, I don’t need Wikipedia, I have the Alexander text of Shakespeare’s complete works on my bookshelves and I’ve both read and seen Shakespeare performed many times, including Henry IV (I’d recommend it). The small part I quoted above has also become a well known idiom too.

    Just because someone is a Geordie, it doesn’t mean they can’t be educated or cultured. ;-)

  64. Worky…settle down man. Being a Geordie in itself makes you cultured, knowing owt about Shakespear is just you looking for extra brownie points.. ;-)