Taking the Papiss? Cissé called back to Africa this month.

Posted on February 16th, 2012 | 72 Comments |

Papiss Cisse and Demba Ba.
One's gannin', one's stayin'.
Just as the last of our African players (Cheick Tiote) was returning from the recent Africa Cup of Nations finals, there was news that Papiss Cissé will have to pack his bags for Africa once more.

Cissé, though not his fellow “Lion of Teranga,” Demba Ba, has been selected for to play for Senegal in a friendly against South Africa at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium on Wednesday, February 29th. This will come in the middle of Newcastle United’s next game, with Wolves on the 25th February, and the Sunday Mackem battle on the 4th of March in what could be an exhausting week for the Senegalese hitman. South Africa will also be the venue for the next Africa Cup of Nations, which will be held next year too as in future, the competition will be held in odd years rather than even ones.

As mentioned above, Demba Ba has not been selected, and has faced some criticism for tweeting about missing club football at Newcastle United as he trained with Senegal. The offending tweets being:

“I miss st james park :( ”

and:

“Last game today! Gonna try to finish it better than we started. And come back enjoy the EPL”

It has also been speculated that some players have been left out as retribution for Senegal’s dismal performance in the Cup of Nations, where they lost every game 1-2 and fell at the first hurdle. From what I saw of Senegal’s games, it seemed as if it was mostly the fault of their manager, the now sacked Amara Traore and his insistence on trying to defend with a suicidally high line, but I digress…

Getting back to the main thrust of this story, the South Africa friendly is just one game for two countries. But as mentioned above, it comes so swiftly on the back of a major continental competition, which will now be held two years in a row right in the middle of the season. It is arguable that these African internationals are starting to become a real liabilty for the careers of the numerous African players who are playing in major leagues around the world, but especially in Europe. On top of that, this further friendly fixture for two African nation’s so soon after hardly helps.

The CAF (Confederation of African Football) have cited diverse climate conditions on the continent of Africa as a reason for not holding the Cup of Nations in the summer like other continental competitions for international sides. However, in equatorial countries such as Gabon and Equitorial Guinea where the last finals were held, the temperature is more or less the same all year round. Although Equitorial Guinea’s rainy season runs from April to October / November, Gabon’s runs from January to June. There are also similar variations throughout the continent so that’s about as clear as mud.

One thing CAF do not seem to have explained is why the next ACoN is being held in 2013 rather than 2015, but it wouldn’t be surprising if it affected some club’s decisionmaking as to whether they will invest huge sums in African players when they know that they will be missing on International duty even more than they are already, and arranging meaningless friendlies such as the one between South Africa and Senegal so soon after will hardly help.

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72 Responses

  1. I know this thread is about Cisse but couldnt help posting

    “120 years of History at St James Park crowbarred off the wall. That Fatman is a truly class geezer” :)

    Thank god I never said “he’s doing a good job” :(

  2. AndyMac says:
    February 16, 2012 at 6:41 pm

    “Thank god I never said “he’s doing a good job”

    He’s done a masterful job Andy, but then again, Geordies are so easy to fool nowadays. Some of us still think there’s gannin’ to be another sponsor coming in to actually pay for the privilege of desecrating the stadium at way over the market rate.

    Incidentally, did you notice how they’ve waited for the gap in fixtures once again to let us all calm down a bit before the next game? Like Fat Freddy, he thinks that Geordies are mugs, and the saddest thing of all is they’re right.

  3. Yo WT £10m for naming rights according to Del Liarse. So that should have paid for a new Centre Back but…….oh wait we’re not getting £10m from Sports Direct are we ? :(

  4. “All this was inspired by the principle – which is quite true within itself – that in the big lie there is always a certain force of credibility; because the broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily; and thus in the primitive simplicity of their minds they more readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie, since they themselves often tell small lies in little matters but would be ashamed to resort to large-scale falsehoods. It would never come into their heads to fabricate colossal untruths, and they would not believe that others could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously. Even though the facts which prove this to be so may be brought clearly to their minds, they will still doubt and waver and will continue to think that there may be some other explanation. For the grossly impudent lie always leaves traces behind it, even after it has been nailed down, a fact which is known to all expert liars in this world and to all who conspire together in the art of lying.”

    Adolf Hitler – Mein Kampf.

  5. Is Fatman, the product of Hitler and Eva Braun’s final spatterings (later collected in a test tube by American scientists) in the bunker in Berlin ?

  6. ziggy high worky

    did i hear someone looking for Arsenal tickets?

    what is hoosier toon looking for? where is he staying? how many tickets does he want?

    if he lets me know what he is looking for i will try to sort something out for him. but he will have to be quick. as they are down to zero points.

    i work for a local shop who supplies travel to away games if he wants to travel down from Newcastle then i can sort that for him also.

    but he will have to let me know ASAP

  7. andy mac…

    i hate to tell you but there is compelling evidence that hitler fled to argentina with his mistress, leaving his wife and a look a like dead on the bunker floor.

    since the fall of the former argentina regime people have started to come out.

    maids and butlers has stated that he lived into the 1990s, he may have father children.

    there is a skull supposed to be that of adolf hitler that the russians have possetion of, this has been prven to be a skull of a female.

    so on current evidence it is very likly that Mike Ashley is actually the child of the former world leader wannabe.

    i must admit he is a chip off the old block don’t you think.

    i wander if there is any van gough knocking around st. james park

  8. extracted from .com.

    Ruddy Marveaux-lous // Feb 16, 2012 at 7:49 PM

    It is no longer called SJP AndyMac so for the benefit of future sponsors they have to remove all remnants of SJP.

    So thats why they did it then ? :)

  10. “so on current evidence it is very likly that Mike Ashley is actually the child of the former world leader wannabe” – explains why we have no Polish players.

  11. Supermac says:

    “so on current evidence it is very likly that Mike Ashley is actually the child of the former world leader wannabe” – explains why we have no “Polish” players”

    Come on Smac we know what you mean, call a spade a spade :)

  13. @Stephen C I am coming to London from America. Don’t know if you can work with that, but I would love tickets to the Arsenal game, either Arse section or away, though much prefered away section. 2 tickets

  14. supermac.

    we do have Argentinians though.

    there is a book out about the whole thing. apparently the SS cut a deal with the CIA to let them flee in exchange for info on the biological weapons they had stored and blue prints for the jet engines they had designed.

    the book claims that hitler lived with his mistress in Argentina, they fled via u-boat to the canaries and flew over to Argentina.

    makes you wander the strong bond old maggie had with panache, if she knew anything at all.

    i wander if we could ask Argentina to have Mr. Ashley extradited for war crimes.

    or as they say in Newcastle “WOR CRIMES”

  15. Bit of a mixed bag here, what with Hitler, Ashley and Cisse being mentioned, even Fat Freddy, one wonders what kinda blog this is ?
    Not your common garden type obviously.

  16. hoosier….

    i might need a little more in for than that.

    when are you traveling? how how are you here for?

    are you in london or newcastle?

    what are you here for and how much spare time do you have?

    i can arrange a whole host of things here in the north east if you are here for pleasure but if you are here for business you wont have much time spare.

    being in the hotbed of reality i can sort you a decent hotel in newcastle should you want to explore and sort a stadium tour of ST. JAMES PARK.

    i could probably even take you around newcastle myself if you were interested. there isn’t a part of the north east i don’t know. little details i lack but i know the general directions of most places. from harry potter – Hadrian’s wall – the gateshead metro center – st.james park.

    if you are in Newcastle i can arrange travel to london with decent Newcastle fans. the travel company i work for doesn’t accept alcohol on board so is good for the placid person who doesn’t like drunken people.

    so tell me what you want to do and ill try my best to sort it.

    but one thing is certain? you need two tickets? am i correct?

  17. @Stephen C, I am traveling to London, staying there in a hostel(not sure which one, haven’t finalized that yet) for my whole trip which will be from 9th to the 16th of March, traveling to London for my Spring Break vacation from school, so completely leisure. Not planning on coming up to Newcastle at all, not sure I have the time. Would love to though, maybe for a day if cheap enough trip. I do need two tickets to the away game @Arsenal, for sure.

  18. hoosier can you pass worky your email address so he can forward my email address to you.

    i think its better we do the arranging in private, not on this blog.

    we can get the formalities sorted via email. instead of broadcasting dates and places to the world.

  19. Stephen C says:
    February 16, 2012 at 8:44 pm

    “there is a book out about the whole thing. apparently the SS cut a deal with the CIA to let them flee in exchange for info on the biological weapons they had stored and blue prints for the jet engines they had designed.”

    But they had Von Braun who designed the jet engines Stephen, the CIA were in on his defection to the US, that’s how NASA got to the moon. The Russian gadgie did better rockets though. Those Dyson vacuum cleaners are like Russian rockets in reverse. Cyclonic.

  20. worky i didnt read the book.

    i read an artical in the press about the book.

    but you get my drift, cia doing a deal for info.

    and maybe the defection was more of an offering rather than an actual defection.

    you would have to read the book to find out.

    not sure what is called though.

    you might have to read betwen the line, when did the guy defect and when did the krouts lose the war? did they see it coming and did they send him as a gift?

    many high ranking germans saw the end coming when hitler would not allow his troops in russia cold weather clothing.

    the Russian retreated knowing the cold icy winter was on its way. the Russians were will prepared with Baltic brass monkey bollock cold clothing. unfortunately the germans were not. and inevitably lost the war…….

    so hollywood must be sick to the teeth when they realize the Russians won the war.

    but on a different note do you think you could forward hoosier my email so i can help him with ticketing.

  21. “Diverse climate conditions?!

    Glad they don’t have those in N. America, S. America or Asia…

  22. chuck says:
    February 16, 2012 at 8:53 pm

    “Bit of a mixed bag here, what with Hitler, Ashley and Cisse being mentioned, even Fat Freddy, one wonders what kinda blog this is ?”

    I wouldn’t necessarily describe Hitler, Ashley and Fat Freddy as a “mixed bag” Chuck. Goebbels is still a big influence on the PR industry. After all, if you can sell genocide and global warfare, you can sell practically anything. SJP naming rights for £10 million per annum may be a step too far, though I think that’s intentional.

  24. at the top of the page you will see the word CONTACT is will take you to a contact page,

    fill in the form and it will send a message to worky who in turn can give you my email address via the email you give the contact form

  25. “Bit of a mixed bag here, what with Hitler, Ashley and Cisse” – what about Mother Teresa ? a bit fishy hideing in the jungle all those years don’t you think.

    I’m beginning to see a patern here – something to do with no match to get excited about this weekend?

  27. Stephen, Von Braun surrendered to the Yanks because he didn’t want to get caught by the Russkies, which was the last thing any sausagemuncher wanted during the war. They had his brain which was the main thing.

    Perhaps the most intriguing case though was that of the most brilliant German scientist of them all along with Einstein who’d got his arse out of Germany longsince for obvious reasons. That was Werner “Uncertainty Principle” Heisenberg. He was the German’s main Atom Bomb man, but it’s still matter debate and mystery whether he was one of the war’s great heroes, or great villains. Some including Heisenberg himself claimed that he deliberately hindered his own project, enabling his collegues on the other side to get there first with their “Manhattan Project.”

    Aye, I’ll sort out the e.mails but divven’t put any on here in case they get picked up by spam ‘bots, never put ’em on any site unless you want copious amounts of spam in your e.mail inbox!

    Aye Stephen / hoosiertoon, I’ll sort out the e.mails.

  28. Supermac says:
    February 16, 2012 at 10:20 pm

    “Bit of a mixed bag here, what with Hitler, Ashley and Cisse” – what about Mother Teresa ?”

    Supermac, as I mentioned in our discussion of “Mickey Mouse” cups won by NUFC, we did win the Mother Teresa’s Hair trophy with Chris Hughton in 2010.

  29. cheers worky.

    im trying to sort out tickets as we speak.

    lots of people aren’t going but no one has the cash.(reason for not going)

    i cant get four tickets(2×2) but they need the cash.(something i dont have)

    but at least if he wants them, and he can pay for them it will save him £75 each through a website.

    as for the nazis you can never quite trust defectors, they always have one foot in the grave and the other out.

    so it wouldnt suprise me alot of diplomacy between the camps was going on.

    a bit like gadafy duck sending one of his men to uk, we thought he was defecting but no he was on diplomatic duties for libya.

    things werent so easily recorded and reported back in ww2

  30. ok lads

    i know you are probably all around my age give or take 5-10 years (im 32)

    i remember back in the day a certain director of a great movie forgot that he promised us a sequel, he put TO BE CONTINUED at the end of his movie only to forgot he had and we spent years waiting for it to appear. a little bit like the gadget we were promised to go along with the movie.

    the movie? Back to the future!!!!

    the gadget??????? http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Mattel-Finally-Making-Real-Hoverboards-Time-Christmas-2012-29399.html

    i wander if we ask mike nicely he can stock these at his budget St. james park direct stores?

  31. ok lads – i know you are probably all around my age give or take 5-10 years (im 32)
    try doubling it Stephen mate !

  33. Stephen C says:
    February 16, 2012 at 11:19 pm

    “cheers worky.

    im trying to sort out tickets as we speak.”

    Could you could get me two Stephen? I can pay for ’em and get you a drink if you’ll be down there?

    I haven’t been to a Toon game for ages because of this friggin’ site, which is quite ironic really.

  34. i can give it a go worky.

    two of my coach travelers have given me their log in to the online ticket office.

    so i can defiantely purchase two.

    i think the other two have gone to bed. so at the minute i can guarantee two tickets.

    unless they have sold out in the last ten minutes

  37. Hey guys I’m need of some help. I’m popping back to the UK in April & will be in London for the chelski game. Gona get the under ground from Stepney. Is there anyone going to the game or does anyone know a good pub to go in beofore the game. Need to get a ticket to if you know a good place/website to get one? Would be Much appreciated.

  38. Stephen C says:
    February 17, 2012 at 2:38 am

    “yes worky

    ive also sent you an email also”

    I don’t think I’ve received that one Stephen. Could you please resend it?

  39. downundertoon says:
    February 17, 2012 at 3:08 am

    “Hey guys I’m need of some help. I’m popping back to the UK in April & will be in London for the chelski game. Gona get the under ground from Stepney. Is there anyone going to the game or does anyone know a good pub to go in beofore the game.”

    downundertoon, I’m from North London, but I’m no great expert of west London pubs, but I would try the King’s Road.

  41. A think wor demba1 will finish the season with significant goal difference to wor pappis. Simply put, demba1 has been hitting the net with his own abilities while cisse still looks soo raw for the bpl and i think he’ll need this season to adapt to the style of play and improve some of his worrying key attributes such as pace, passing and how to get better contact with the ball when its passed onto him. I still believe he can be a deadly striker if he adapts well. Heres hoping

  44. APISAG (IndoGeordie) says:
    February 17, 2012 at 12:52 pm

    Wahey! A comment which is vaguely on topic!

    I’ve been watching Cisse for months and I’m not so sure about your critique of some aspects his play, though of course it won’t be easy to keep up with Ba in the scoring stakes with the way he’s scoring ATM.

    Roy Cropper says:
    February 17, 2012 at 1:51 pm

    “the decorator should be decorated.”

    Aye, but he’s been arrested instead Roy. The bastads!

  45. Just read where our fabulous utility player Raylor has commented as now without the “Big Mouths” (the two ex. scousers)the dressing room is quieter and the manager is firmly in control, well god help us is all i can add.
    Who the f*ck is Raylor, a f***ing mediocrity who is lucky to have a job, got his nose firmly fixed to Pardews ass it seems (guess thats one way to get a start)
    We keep hearing the same old shit, the dressing room’s to-gether, the lads have a great team spirit, etc etc.
    What are we morons ?
    I’m sure HBA, Santon, Marveaux were just deliriously happy to be left out during the earlier part of the season.
    Plus the fact that any player could be sold, if offered enough (or does’nt accept a low ball wage offer, Simpson)
    Sure a winning side is a happier side, we know that, but to keep telling us what a happy place St. James’s Park is gets a bit annoying and less believable directly with the number of times we hear it.

  46. The African exodus ?
    Appears every two years, at a critical stage in the European Leagues, some of the top sides seasons, can be put in jeapordy by having their African stars re-called to Africa to play in what may very well be important to
    Africans, but has not that great an interest for others.
    We have the present distractions of the World Cup plus the European championships, which we manage to fit in with the least amount of disturbance to the regular season.
    In which case would it be too much to enquire as to the feasability of either using a four year period or arranging a schedule that does’nt penalise the club’s who provide the wages to these players, even as they play for their countries?
    Not a lot to ask for !

  47. chuck the old man at tope seems to have way to many votes from member of the ACN to think about increasing the cylce from 2 years to four.

    advertising rights alone will be enough to secure a shorter cycle let alone tv rights.

    why do you think they opted for a 2013 ACN instead of 2015? it would make sence to us all if the held the next one in 2015 instead of 2013. not only does that mean we will be missing players for the tournement but it also means players will be missing for qualifiers also.

    so not only will this tournement destroy next season potential but could definatly ruin any further signings coming to the club. we might have well as signe demba and cisse on part time contracts for the next two seasons.

    Worky ive resent the email.

    ive pruchased two tickets for the arsenal game and im still waiting to hoosier to get back in touch.

    he wanted to know more detials, giving £70 to a stranger doesnt seem like his cup of tea.

    the clanedar has been posted today, i left it with my parents to stick in the post on their way to shopping so hopefully you should recieve the calendar monday or tuesday.

    if any one else on here would like to contrubute to a good cuase im raising funds for the shoe box apeal. these people send shoe boxes full of items to children in poorer parts of the world at christmas.

    if anyone would like to give a poor kid a christmas gift im selling calendars of the north east to raise funds.

    just see worky for my email if any of you are interested.

  48. Stephen C says:
    February 17, 2012 at 3:49 pm

    “Worky ive resent the email.”

    I’m not getting ’em Stephen! It must be the wrong address. I’ll send you one and just paste your old message in there and give that a go.

    I’ve just had one of my Gooner mates on the phone and we’re absolutely gagging for it! (some Monday evening hot Arsenal – Toon action that is) I’ll give you the money straight away if you’ve got ’em!

  49. Is this a blog that scalps ticket’s,or a study of Hitler and Hitlerism’s,film studies,climate conditions,anyone ever watch association football?
    That may be something we could all focus on and perhaps even comment on.

  50. chuck we dont stop there

    we even debate poverty and slave labour in the philippines and laos.

    catch up chuck, if you cant rise to the ethics of the .org then bugger off to the .com or .co.uk

    us self respecting world loving people(me and worky) know where are hearts are.

  51. Stephen C says:
    February 17, 2012 at 3:49 pm

    “chuck the old man at tope seems to have way to many votes from member of the ACN to think about increasing the cylce from 2 years to four.”

    Aye but it’s not the two year thing, the Copa America is like that anyway, it’s the bang smack in the middle of a season thing. The continent of Africa does indeed have “diverse climate conditions”, very diverse. However it’s diversity means that what is a very good time of year to hold the championship in one part of Africa would make it a very poor time to to hold it in another part if you know what I mean? eg when it’s winter in the south, it’s Summer in the north, when it’s the rainy season in one part of Africa, it the dry season in another and so on… It all evens out for Africa as a whole.

  52. chuck says:
    February 17, 2012 at 4:17 pm

    “Is this a blog that scalps ticket’s,or a study of Hitler and Hitlerism’s,film studies,climate conditions,anyone ever watch association football?
    That may be something we could all focus on and perhaps even comment on.”

    All of those things and more Chuck. I did write a piece that was tenuously related to football matters, however it more or less immediately diverted into being a discussion about the latest desecration of SJP, which is understandable I suppose.

    Stephen, I’ve just sent you another e.mail.

  53. Yeah i know! just bored and rattling a few cages.
    Got so bored even went to Ed’s blog, they should really remove the rose tinted glasses, could very well be a PR arm of NUFC and who knows perhaps they are?
    As for the African exodus, i certainly would like to see the problem settled amicably, but i wonder how many players would still want to play for their country, if they were off the club payroll for that period of time.
    Perhaps a clause in their contract stating that they would’nt be paid , but in fact would not be prevented from joining their national sides, could be an incentive to come to an amicable arrangement with the national sides, which would result in no disruption with league schedules, as i see this as a growing problem, which will have to be tackled eventually.
    How about a two week winter break by all European leagues, during which the African Championships can take place.

  55. Chuck says:

    “Just read where our fabulous utility player Raylor has commented as now without the “Big Mouths” (the two ex. scousers)the dressing room is quieter and the manager is firmly in control, well god help us is all i can add.
    Who the f*ck is Raylor, a f***ing mediocrity who is lucky to have a job, got his nose firmly fixed to Pardews ass it seems (guess thats one way to get a start)”

    Jeez and I thought I was a cynical bastad :)

    Just realised that this isnt an “International” weekend off but its FA Cup weekend and we’re not in it yet again !
    Pardwho for England ASAP :lol:

  56. Stephen C says:
    February 17, 2012 at 5:41 pm

    “worky i replied to email can you tell me if you have it?”

    I’m not getting them Stephen! I’m receiving e.mail from other people, I’m receiving auto replys from “Knight Rider 3000 Industries” or whatever it is when I send you e.mails, but I’m just not receiving the ones you’re sending. Argggh!

  57. i’ve tried my other email address.

    if you are getting my auto response email you should there for be betting my personal emails.

    have you received any emails i have sent from the Stephen account?

    ive just sent you an email from my other account.

    have you checked your junk mail folder?

  59. ok well once ive sorted your tickets out ill try paying my quarterly hosting fee.

    they sent me in invoice the other day.

    i normally wait until 3rd reminder.

    i cant confirm that your tickets are paid £71.50 including card fee.

    i also got an email and payment from hoosier

    so apart from delivery to the correct address, everything is sorted.

  60. Just browsing previous threads and found

    “Derek L says:

    To those saying Spurs was a one off :

    4-2 loss against Norwich
    3-2 loss against West Brom
    5-2 loss against Fulham
    1-0 loss against Brighton

    All teams that we should be beating. Plus, we have been really lucky on numerous occasions. A competent manager would have us even higher up the table if they had had the same amount of luck as Pardew”

    Soz Derek L if I’d seen that earlier I would have given you “Poster of the Year” award even though its still February :)

    It kinda goes with my “we would have to be truly shitey to be anything less than 7th” theory even with the silver haired sycophant in charge.

    Squad is as good as we’ve had for at least ten years, BPL is about as weak as it could be in ten years and Pardwho’s in charge :(

  61. Derek L didn’t we have an argument a while ago where you categorically confessed your love for Parwho and co?

    seems like a different song you are now singing me thinks????

    again…… i told you so…… again

  62. Stephen C says:
    February 17, 2012 at 6:40 pm

    “i cant confirm that your tickets are paid £71.50 including card fee.

    i also got an email and payment from hoosier

    so apart from delivery to the correct address, everything is sorted.”

    Stephen, I didn’t quite understand that bit, is everything sorted for both of us, or just for hoosiertoon?

    I’m gannin’ to send you an e.mail in a while then I can get payment sorted for you. Cheers Stephen!

  63. sorry worky.

    it was meant to read CAN

    everything is sorted, i have both receipts, what i was meaning is ive done everything i can do from my end. the only thing i cant do is delivery them to myself.

    i have to wait for NUFC to do that for me. the only problem i could have is the tickets going to the season ticket holders house instead, and then it will be a case of picking them up.

  64. its been one of those days worky.

    i’ve had that much to do and that much to sort i’m just catching up now.

    im still only about 50% done.

    but such is life.

    at least you can start to plan for Arsenal, im looking forward to meeting you my friend.

    i will be good to know who is behind the blog.

    is chuck down there with you?

    i might have a spare ticket but i wont know until i actually get mine until i find out.

  65. has the internet gone down on blogsville? no posts since 20:30? has to be something ive missed.

  66. morning Stephen – yes it’s been quiet – probably a combination of a matchless weekend (getting sick of them) and an exceptional series of responses to UNT111’s excellent blog the other day.

    I’m still considering the good points made & rethinking my position regarding criticising Pardew & formations versus his success & league position – shows what a good set of bloggers we have on here that a confident big head like me has to rethink his opinions.

    Long may it last!

    still 6th – far better than I’d hoped for

    bring on the wolves – 3-0

    HWTL

  68. Should anyone still wish to see a match at St James Park they could pop down to see an Exeter City home match !

  69. Stephen C says:
    February 18, 2012 at 5:43 am

    “has the internet gone down on blogsville? no posts since 20:30? has to be something ive missed.”

    Well in this little corner of “blogsville,” I’m on strike.

  71. Supermac says:
    February 18, 2012 at 6:55 pm

    “5under1and just gone 2-0 up – not good for our euro hopes”

    But with your new found optimism about Alan Pardew’s tactics, how about the recent poor form of their opponents, Arsenal, as well as Chelski and Liverpool too?

    Hughton drew with Chelsea with his Championship side. I divven’t think he’s lost since he got Europe off his back, which is another factor we’d have to think about if we did make it.

    Stephen! Stephen! come in Stephen!

  72. worky says : “with your new found optimism about Alan Pardew’s tactics” – not quite – but I’m “still considering the good points made & rethinking my position”
    – in other words I thought he was rubbish & know some of his games were rubbish,
    but I accept that his results putting us 6th in mid-feb is an achievement and that if he can keep it up till the end of the season then good luck to him
    – but it’s not the way I’d prefer us to play.