Dressing room rift or merely a population shift?

Posted on October 11th, 2013 | 99 Comments |

Mathieu Debuchy.
Debuchy: Rift? What rift?
What is it with Newcastle? First there is the Cabaye debacle and then there are constant mutterings about a rift in the dressing room. One of the French contingent, Mathieu Debuchy denied any rift of course, saying:

“It’s true that in the dressing room we talk a lot in French. We have a big group of French players. But we avoid always staying together, and we aim to speak in English with the other foreign players and the English ones. But it’s good. There are no issues.

“We have a big group of French players. But we avoid always staying together, and we aim to speak in English with the other foreign players and the English ones. But it’s good. There are no issues.”

Besides thinking that Pardew had put a stop to that sort of thing, this strikes me as odd. It is normal to want to speak to people with whom you’re fluent. If I went to a party that consisted of 11 Mandarin-speakers and Alan Pardew, I’m afraid I’d have to speak to Pardew. I don’t think I’d enjoy that party very much.

This would not mean I had a rift with the Mandarin speakers, merely that I can’t get to the finer points of conversation with them. If fact, I couldn’t even get to “hello.”

Wanting a decent conversation in your native language is not an indication of a rift. A rift is nothing to do with language or nationality. It’s nothing to do with who you choose to talk to or for whatever reason. A rift is something you feel in the air.

Of course there may or may not be a rift in the Newcastle dressing room anyway. The press love a rift of course and they can whip up a load of tosh about one in no time.

The need to deny it bothers me a bit more, but who knows?

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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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99 Responses

  2. Wen the majority of players are French speakers, some of whom may have but a basic understanding of English, it’s natural for them to speak French in order to be exact.
    Or for that matter to simply converse.
    I understand Pardew has insisted that the language of the side has to be English and to a degree I concur.
    However I wonder if he in fact like Taylor he has made any attempt to learn a bit of French, which no doubt could be of use, doubt it.
    As for any rift’s between francophone and English speakers, it’s inevitable considering the balance.

  3. On the recent rumor of possibly putting in a bid for Micah Richards.
    Good player, wouldn’t come cheap, but having both he and Debuchy competing for the RB spot would strengthen the side.
    But our need is a big physical CD, could he possibly be converted to that role, as he is like Santon and Debuchy, known for his attacking play.

  5. Who asked him the question about the rift? I mean, who brought it up?

    There must be something to it if he denied it twice (above). I am not criticizing, I am just showing you that I do read the articles.

    Worky, Hugh was on the other day. But it is nice to see something that doesn’t mention Wonga. Urr, spoke too soon, I just noticed the shirt :)

  6. People come and people go, some are missed others easily forgotten.
    Some contribute, others criticize and some do both.
    You are as current as your last rant.

  7. I don’t know how others feel about these weekends when either cup games or international games, supersede the regular league games.
    But I find I have less time for most international games and certainly the current English cup series are nothing but a distraction.
    Few clubs field full strength sides for cup games, draw your own conclusions there.
    When at one time the FA Cup was on par if not bigger than winning a league title.
    Certainly friendly International games should be something abandoned, as there is little interest.
    Even the world cup has lost it’s original interest, as has the European championships.
    A case of too much football.
    On the other hand the recent criticism’s of the EPL and it’s sixty percent foreign players is nonsense.
    If one thinks about it, thirty percent is a decent figure for English players.
    Considering they are both the wealthiest league in the world and a natural attraction for both foreign managers and players.
    The league is what it is and any attempt to restrict imported players can only result in a poorer quality league.
    Does anyone really care where the players come from, as long as they are the best available, resulting in sides that win silverware.
    Some of the PL and old first division sides had players from other countries that were great fan favorites, I don’t have to mention their names, you know them all.
    My point is don’t mess with some egalitarian concept, that has the EPL consisting of an English majority, because it will also result in it becoming a lesser league, talentwise and is that what we want ?

  8. Worky

    You replied that to my rant on the establishing a European super league, that their already existed a method of deciding the best side in Europe.
    It being the European Championship.
    The difference is obvious, a super league would for the most part consist of Europe’s best sides, eliminating those ridicules games with no hope sides that play endless games against other no hope sides, that no one has any interest in watching (too much football)
    Face it the same dozen or so clubs end up competing against each other each year, it’s almost predictable.
    When was it that an unranked side last won the Championship and what are the odds on it happening this year ?
    My point do you want to see two sides from leagues that equate to the second or third tier of English football play meaningless games against one another, because they topped their particular league, I doubt it .

  9. Chuck, I think everyone’s watching the England game. :-)

    As for people losing interest in the World Cup, at least half of the planet, in every single country of the world watched at least some of the last one in South Africa.

  10. Chuck: you should watch some of the South American games. I watched a rerun of Colombia and Uraguay on BEIN sports yesterday. It was end to end – Suarez, Cavani, Falcao. And then there is Argentina and Brasil.

    See if you have BEIN because they show the Spanish and Italian leagues as well. They even have shows called Barca and Real Madrid TV.

  11. Chuck @8: last unheralded team was probably Porto? Last “bad” team to win it – Liverpool :)

  15. Worky: this is a massive contrast to the South American qualifiers I have been watching. I cant remember the last time I actually enjoyed an England game. Even when we win we make really hard work of it.

    Part of me wants us not to qualify so that we don’t have to put up with all the hype. Warren Barton predicted England to win the last world cup – with a straight face.

    Joey Barton’s comments are more entertaining than this game so far.

  16. More England stuff. Warren Barton just expressed his frustration at Townsend cutting inside and being too narrow. This was from Football365 this morning, before the match:

    “Heads Up

    There is some Grade-A nonsense from Paul Hayward in the Daily Telegraph, who writes that Roy Hodgson must pick Andros Townsend against Montenegro as a ‘symbolic pick’. Because of course a must-win World Cup qualifier is exactly the right time for a ‘symbolic pick’.

    Mediawatch can only assume that Hayward has never actually seen Townsend play as he writes: ‘Townsend is in form, quick, confident and plays with his head up, unlike so many recent England fliers, who have sprinted up cul-de-sacs or hit the first defender with their crosses.’

    Had he seen Townsend play, he would have been watching an infuriating winger whose one, ineffective trick is to cut inside and twat the ball quite hard towards the goal. In six Premier League games this season, he has had a remarkable 26 shots without scoring a single goal. He has also, rather neatly, attempted 26 crosses; four have reached a teammate.

    No goals, no assists, but at least he’s had his head up whilst failing to score or create any goals.

    And Townsend only knew to keep his head up when he was told by Andre Villas-Boas this summer…

    “In pre-season he sat down with me and went through what I needed to do to improve,” he said. “I’m now putting my head up and watching more for the run of the attacker before crossing the ball. This is something I have really worked hard on with the boss.”

    Six Premier League games after learning this amazing new tactic and he ‘must’ start.”

  18. At least Davide Santon is a defender, but he certainly seems to have the same (one) trick (pony) as Townsend.

  21. Hugh! Welcome back! We’ve been missing you. I’m an ex-Somerset man myself – Norton St. Philp with The George Inn, the oldest continuously licensed pub in Britain (the world?)

  22. Engerland vs Montenegro FFS and didn’t they either draw or get beaten by a country with a population of less than an eighth of Londons.
    And some people want to have more English players in the PL.
    FFS they would be better off to import some Montenegrans.

  23. If there is a rift in the dressing room, Why don’t the players push Pardew into it?
    He will hopefully get stuck in the black hole, And no one will have to listen to his s***e anymore!

  24. Was watching the Irish, playing the Krouts, observing the German fans with their flag waving stolid attitude, leopards don’t change their spots.
    Three zip!

  25. chuck says:
    October 11, 2013 at 9:36 pm

    “Engerland vs Montenegro FFS and didn’t they either draw or get beaten by a country with a population of less than an eighth of Londons.”

    They do have a very good football team for their size though, Chuck. They’re in the twenties in the FIFA rankings and they beat Ukraine.

  26. Somerset eh !
    Anyone remember the old tv commercial with the west country accented guy, who lilted Coats come up from Somerset, where the cider apples grow.
    I suspect they were also the same people who manufactured scrumpie.

  27. WORKY

    Yeah I know, but is that an excuse!
    My super, that’s the guy who takes care of the building, is a former Jugoslav.
    Who contends that Yugoslavia could have been a dominant side in both Europe and in the world cup.
    But politics were the prime consideration under the Tito regime, holding a shaky group of Balkan entities together.
    With each area given a certain allotted numbers to fill the national side.
    One of the reasons why we should be scouting the area, instead of France, as they come cheaper from there, which should arouse the interest of our cheap-ass owner.

  29. Worky @ 9 #

    The South African World cup was possibly the most boring ever.
    I don’t know how you come to the conclusion that half the world watched it, or why they would have wanted too ?
    At present there is far too little choice of watching your particular choice of games.
    IMO we should have the choice of watching any given game,
    All of the EPL clubs have facilities that can broadcast games in real time, in which case why are we at the mercy of broadcasters who deign to show us their choice of games.
    The not too distant future , if not already available will consist of clubs who sell there games through the internet, which in turn can be broadcast through a wireless system onto their tv screen.
    It may in fact cause problems and reduce the tv networks control of the situation, but could reduce costs to the individual and increase the earnings of those clubs selling their games.

  30. chuck says:
    October 12, 2013 at 5:37 am

    “Worky @ 9 #

    The South African World cup was possibly the most boring ever.
    I don’t know how you come to the conclusion that half the world watched it, or why they would have wanted too ?”

    They compile viewing figures around the world and I remember stuff, Chuck.

    http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/tv/01/47/32/73/2010fifaworldcupsouthafricatvaudiencereport.pdf

    I would agree with your concierge that the Balkan area is indeed a hotbed for football. They like it, they are good at it and Montenegro have a better team than their very small size size would suggest. As for saying that Yugoslavia would have dominated the World Cup and European Championships if Tito blah blah… If they didn’t have their little disagreement in the 90s blah blah… that’s a hell of a stretch.

  31. chuck says:
    October 11, 2013 at 9:43 pm

    “Was watching the Irish, playing the Krouts, observing the German fans with their flag waving stolid attitude, leopards don’t change their spots.”

    It’s you Yank sports fans who sound like you’re holding some kind of Nuremburg rally nowadays if that’s what you’re getting at with all your friggin’ stars and stripes and all that “USA! USA! USA!” business as the rest of the world rolls it’s eyes. :-)

  32. Worky: don’t put me in with the Yanks, please. I support Engerland in the most negative way possible.

    Jack is the savior of us all, although he has done nowt yet. But Stevie G and Fat Frank will be only 47 by the time the world cup comes around. They’ve never had a good game together so that’ll work.

    John Terry for manager. That insurrection he had in South Arfrica was the perfect preparation for Brasil.

  33. GS (and Yanks on here), it’s just Professor Chucklebutty. You know as well as I do that he really takes the biscuit with some of the ridiculous things he says. A Yank having a go at Germans for flag waving :lol:

  34. So, this is incredible. There are Polish builders knocking down my back stairs/porch. They work from 7 until 5 and work non-stop. Sawing, building, hammering – putting in a shift.

    They take 45 minutes for lunch to call their family in England and a couple of plumbers there. And then start up again.

  35. Chuck @28: I posted that from Football365, I didn’t write it. Mainly because I couldn’t give a toss about Spurs and Andros Townsend. I just thought it was funny what they said about him.

  36. Me mam sent me a tea cup/mug that says: “Geordie born and Bred”. My girlfriend asked what it meant.

    I just said “it’s complicated”.

  38. A counter argument against all this 30 % English players business. How many of the other top national teams have got a squad which exclusively play in the top tier of their own football league?

    I’m guessing not many, but I do seem to remember Spain playing a team of just Real and Barcelona players with maybe one from Althletico.

  39. Toon, Micah Richards is a right back who also plays in the middle as well. Would you swap him for Debuchy right now? He’s 5’11” as well which isn’t that bad. Franco Baresi was only 5’9″ and a bit so don’t always go by height.

    He’s a bit dear for Ashley anyway, in both his fee and wages so don’t hold your breath.

  40. Worky

    I tend to agree with the fact had it not been for politics the Yugoslav national side would have been a more potent force and there is truth in the fact it was chosen by a more political agenda than a footballing one.

    If I remember right The South African, hosting of the world cup was not considered a success, it being plagued by problems from the beginning.
    Not to mention those aggravating vuvuzela’s, there were problems with transportation, ticket scandals, crime and infrastructure problems.
    As to how many watched, it’s no more than an educated guess.

  41. Actually reading an interesting account of the forced relocation of German speaking people people from their homes in central and southern Europe
    When approximately twelve to fourteen million civilians mostly women and children, of which more than half a million died, while detained in former concentration camps, while locked on trains en route, or on arriving in Germany malnourished and homeless.
    So much for the morality of the victors.
    The name of the book is “Orderly and Humane” by RM Douglas, Yale University Press, but it’s a grim read to be digested in small amounts.
    However it certainly dispels any belief that the victors showed much more magnanimity, than the vanquished had shown to-wards their victims.

  42. Forget Micah Richards, he would cost too much, plus Ashley would never agree to his present wage level.
    What we need is a decent CD, better yet two, as Colo. will not be around forever.

  43. Two wingers and two CD.s and a RB, plus offer a contract to Remy now and we will be in decent shape.
    Apart from having a crap manager and possibly coaching staff.

  44. goodoldjimgold says:
    October 12, 2013 at 5:06 pm

    “A counter argument against all this 30 % English players business. How many of the other top national teams have got a squad which exclusively play in the top tier of their own football league?”

    Aye Jim, sorry I didn’t reply earlier me but it interested me and I wanted to look something up before I replied.

    When you look at top players in countries like Brazil, Argentina etc, most of them play in Europe. But another crucial part of the issue is that unlike them, there are NO “top” English players playing overseas.

    There’s a list on Transfermarkt and the closest are semi retired has been, Emile Heskey at Newcastle United Jets in Australia. Outside of Swansea, Cardiff and a few Scottish teams, the closest are Michael Manciennes at Hamburger and Eric Dier at Sporting Lisbon. It a really pitiful list.

    http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/en/default/auslandseinsaetze/basics.html

  45. chuck says:
    October 12, 2013 at 7:06 pm

    “Actually reading an interesting account of the forced relocation of German speaking people people from their homes in central and southern Europe
    When approximately twelve to fourteen million civilians mostly women and children, of which more than half a million died, while detained in former concentration camps, while locked on trains en route, or on arriving in Germany malnourished and homeless.
    So much for the morality of the victors.”

    Eastern Europe, Chuck, the areas that fell under Stalin.

    The sad of irony of WW2 is that the leader of the most important of the Allies, the one who one who really broke Hitler was an even bigger monster than Hitler himself. It’s a very complex subject though.

  46. Chuck says @40:

    I tend to agree with the fact had it not been for politics the Yugoslav national side would have been a more potent force and there is truth in the fact it was chosen by a more political agenda than a footballing one.

    AND IF INGERLAND WERE’NT SO SHITE THEY WOULD BE BETTER AS WELL.

  48. On the subject of Yugoslavian football, about the time when the Balkan troubles were at their worst in the early nineties, I recall that the European Cup holders were Red Star Belgrade.

    We do have our own representative from that hotbed of football, Slovenia’s Haris Vuckic.

  49. GS says:
    October 12, 2013 at 11:48 pm

    “I am playing “Muse”. I can only play one song because they are a straightforward copy of …”

    A shit Radiohead?

  51. Worky @49: Yep. I have never been able to get through the whole CD. I get to about the 4th song and want to call Thom Yorke.

  52. GS says:
    October 13, 2013 at 9:33 am

    “Worky @49: Yep. I have never been able to get through the whole CD. I get to about the 4th song and want to call Thom Yorke.”

    Well I was listening to this on vinyl earlier, GS, and 34 years after it was released, it still doesn’t like anything else.

  55. I suppose the only recent proper player was Owen Hargreves, and he was clearly England’s best player on a number of occasions.

    Well there’s the solution then; we need to get that 30% figure down even further by farming all our key players out to a range of exotic leagues whilst still in their prime.

  56. Jim, without doubt, three of England’s best overseas exports played with us back in the 80s when we weren’t even in the top division.

    There was Keegan at Hamburg (though he did that before Newcastle obviously), Waddle at Marseilles and Gazza at Lazio. Keegan and Waddle were both regarded as two of the greatest platers ever at Hamburger and Marseilles respectively, and I know Waddle was once voted as Marseilles’ second greatest player ever (behind Jean-Pierre Papin).

    Hamburgers called Keegan the “mighty mouse” and Waddle was “magic Chris” to Marseilles fans, though this was partly because he was a big Paul Daniels fan! :-)

  57. Waddler was a good player.

    Underrated because of the mullet, and the fact that he looked knackered all the time. He didn’t play knackered though.

  58. Didn’t see this one coming. Pardew finally speaks his mind (such as it is)

    http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2013/10/13/alan-pardew-calls-newcastle-owner-confused-upset-and-other-unfortunate-things/

    http://www.newcastleunited-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/ashley_confused_and_upset__says_pardew_810081/index.shtml

    Just as we’re getting used to the fact that the pr|ck would have to set SJP on fire before his job would be in jeopardy, it looks like he might just have said a bit too much :)

  59. Actually he most famous and best export’s were (King)John Charles and Liam Brady, who played most of their careers in Italy.
    Oh ! what am I saying, they were Welsh and Irish.
    At present the UK’s best export is Bale, another Welshman.
    On the other hand Engerland had a recent well known export playing in France, that somewhat entertaining sociopath, “Wor Joey”, who in fact was actually a decent player.

  60. Well Pardew has confirmed something I have been claiming almost on a daily basis over the years.

    That Ashley knows little about football, but continues to apply a retailers approach to the game and cant understand why it doesn’t work.

    The slow learning curve line.

    I don’t know whether he had this line sanctioned by Ashley or not, but it sounds like he is taking a chance if not, bit patronizing to his patron like.

    And why cant we challenge the top tier clubs, we have an advantage of having a state of the art stadium, that we fill on a regular basis, though we lack a WW. brand name, due to both having won nothing in decades and through poor top management, who have no clue as to how to expand the brand name.

    Someone aught to explain to Ashley, winning sides generate more income than loosers, which we have been for generations.

    It’s really not brain surgery, instead of dealing with shyster outfits like WONGA and Puma, hire the right people to run the club on a businesslike manner, from a GM, through a DOF, to a decent manager and coaches.

    Or better yet sell the club to Red Bull, as I here they are looking for a EPL side to buy.

    They have been pretty successful with their New York franchise, mainly by spending the right amounts.

    Though Red Bull may change the stripes to red and white, sounds vaguely familiar.

  61. Worky @ 45 #

    You are right for the most part, when you state Eastern Europe, but the rest of the sentence “under Stalin”, suggests he and the then USSR were solely responsible.

    Which is far from true, The USA and UK bore as much responsibility as did those countries like Poland grabbing the right to the former polish corridor and the Czech’s grabbing the Sudetenland.

    With both then expelling ethnic Germans along with the other unfortunates like the Jews and Gypsies and others caught up in the conflict.

    The perfect situation to employ ethnic cleansing, which the removal of not only non citizens, but people who had lived there for generations.

    With the complicity of the heads of the allied governments.

    Who bear as much blame as Stalin, the easiest target, by which most western governments tend to hide behind.

    Believe it, these situations that occurred following the final defeat of Germany, are for the most part nothing to be proud of and the western allies were as complicit as any of those governments involved.

    But possibly did a better job of portraying themselves as more magnanimous than the Soviets, who had every right to extract revenge, having lost anywhere from twenty five to thirty odd million of their citizens.

    Whereas in regard to both the UK and US, it was simply a case of politics as usual.

  62. chuck says:
    October 13, 2013 at 5:57 pm

    “Actually he most famous and best export’s were (King)John Charles and Liam Brady…”.

    Nonsense. As you actually managed point out, neither of these were English.

    Try David Beckham, KEVIN KEEGAN, Tony Woodcock, Mark Hateley, Trevor Francis, Paul Ince, David Platt, Glenn Hoddle, Chris Waddle…

  63. GS says:
    October 13, 2013 at 5:26 pm

    “Underrated because of the mullet, and the fact that he looked knackered all the time. He didn’t play knackered though.”

    He seemed to have lost that lazy-looking gait by the time he got to Marseille though, GS. He was one of the greatest playmakers in Europe at that time – but turnip Taylor wouldn’t pick him for England. The prat.

  64. Darkbroon

    You obviously don’t know much about either Brady or John Charles, perhaps before your time ?
    Or you wouldn’t embarrass yourself by insisting any of those mentioned in anyway equaled the class or longevity of Charles and Brady.

  65. chump says:
    October 13, 2013 at 7:34 pm

    “Blah”

    Did Liam Brady play one of the kids or was he the dad? Was John Charles a contemporary of Joe Stokoe[sic] by any chance (and did he play OFFENCE or DEFENCE)?

    Better check google again before answering, chump.

  66. On another subject.
    The possibility of acquiring Both Ince and Zaha during the winter window is appealing, they being genuine wingers, something we are short of at this time.
    I believe there will be an attempt to sell HBA, at present playing somewhat inconsistently.
    Which might fund some further acquisitions.
    A front three of Ince, Remy and Zaha, have some pace and skill and could develop into a formidable trio.
    I believe Obertan has seen the writing on the wall and should be outta here before the summer.
    As for Cabaye, there’s still a chance of him being sold,
    but only if Anita can improve his game.
    Marveaux has not had a lot of starts and might want away.
    But we should hang onto Sissoko and Gouffran, who can only improve.
    The present side is a bit weighted to-wards inside midfielders both attacking and defensive, its great as far as depth but we could use a more balanced side imo.
    However we must sign Remy if possible that and add at least a couple of decent defenders.

  67. Dark broon

    Everyone who knows anything about football knows that Charles was a centerforward and Brady played in midfield.
    And yeah I saw both Joe Stokoe, who imo was not a great player, being replaced by Jimmy Scoular, uh! Who ?
    They played in the same era, an era that included both the Welsh sides, he also had a brother Mel, who though he played for Wales, was not the player John was.
    Beloved and worshipped by the Italian fans and known as the gentle giant.

  68. chuck says:
    October 13, 2013 at 8:08 pm

    Everyone who knows anything about football knows that Charles was a centerforward and Brady played in midfield.
    And yeah I saw both Joe Stokoe, who imo was not a great player, being replaced by Jimmy Scoular, uh! Who ?”

    Chuck, John Charles did play mostly at the front but one of the many remarkable things about him was that he was a world class forward AND a world class defender too. From what I’ve seen of him, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone who could head the ball better than him either. As I’m sure you know, a soggy leather ball back in those days would weigh a ton as well!

    As for Liam Brady and John Charles playing most of their careers overseas, I think Brady played about three years in Italy and Charles around five. Brady spent most of his time playing for Arsenal and Charles for Leeds United.

  69. workyticket says:
    October 13, 2013 at 8:22 pm

    “John Charles did play mostly at the front but one of the many remarkable things about him was that he was a world class forward AND a world class defender too.”

    Everyone who knows anything about football knows that, Worky!

  70. Chuck says:

    “The perfect situation to employ ethnic cleansing, which the removal of not only non citizens, but people who had lived there for generations.

    With the complicity of the heads of the allied governments.”

    Alreet, then. You “gonna” give me another fckin’ lecture an’ all?

  72. Pardew is more or less saying the same things, In an interview with Goals on Sunday, On Sky Sports.

  73. chuck says:
    October 13, 2013 at 8:08 pm

    “Everyone who knows anything about football knows that Charles was a centerforward and Brady played in midfield.
    And yeah I saw both Joe Stokoe, who imo was not a great player, being replaced by Jimmy Scoular, uh! Who ?”

    I met Bob Stokoe when I was a bairn and Sunderland won the FA cup. He was a really nice old gadgie, so nice you could forgive him for becoming a Mackem legend and winning a bloody trophy for them. His statue outside the Stadium of Blight is terrible though. They’ve made him look like a dirty old man.

    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Stokoe_statue.jpg

  74. Worky @73:

    1. it is “Stadium of Shite”.

    2. Where are all the people at Roker Park?

    3. 1 point from 7 games, ha. And ha again.

  75. About me @74: is it in the middle of a f@ckin desert or something? You would think there would be one person there when Sky are taking the photo.

    As I have said before, I have never been to Sunderland except to see the Pantomime at the Empire. Or was it the football?

  76. GS says:
    October 14, 2013 at 12:32 am

    “1. it is “Stadium of Shite”.

    Stadium of plight, stadium of fright… Whatever’s disrespectful and rhymes with “light” will do the job.

  79. Imngine what it would be like on here if we only had one point :) Chuck would be having kittens and AndyMac would be having 12 dozen kittens (if he came on , that is).

  82. As I said. I used google translate and typed in the word “Sunderland”.

    It came back with – Stadium of Shite.

    There was a footnote saying they didn’t want to discredit their mother tongue by having anything to say, ever, about that shithole. And certainly not comparing it to the real Estadio da Luz.

    I looked it up on Google Translate again :)

  83. I am drinking Ouzo. I try to stay away from the Amstel. It makes me really angry and argumentative.

  84. Worky

    Yes it’s also well known that John Charles could play equally well as a center half, but seldom played there.
    Though his brother Mel played as a center half.

    Dark broon, that’s a position from before your time, when shirt numbers corresponded with the positions played and ended with the number eleven like.

    As for Charles he spent around six years mainly playing for Juventus but returned to play for Roma after a brief spell in the first division.
    Brady played around six seasons or more for at least four Italian sides.
    At least half their careers.

    Joe Harvey shared the right half role with Ted Robledo, the brother of George Robledo who played either center forward or in tandem with Millburn, much like Les Ferdinand and Shearer, which was somewhat radical at that time.

    He was a lot better than Millburn in the air, the others were Walker on right wing, my particular hero Bobby Mitchell on the left wing and either Ernie Taylor, Foulkes or George Hannah as the inside right.

    If my memory serves me right.

  85. Chuck: so at one time NUFC were actually progressive in their thinking. Shocking, considering we were hoofers last year.

    There are signs that Pardew is changing his spots to save his skin, so to speak.

  86. Will youse guys ever grow up with the Sunderland thing, it’s like reading something twelve year olds reaching puberty and wanting to sound tough would say.
    So please stop embarrassing yourselves.

    GS you are confusing Merde with Mierda, same shit though!

  87. Getting close to Christmas, expect the same touting that was given by Pardew in regard to Cabaye, only this time don’t be surprised to hear he would hate to lose the brilliant HBA, every week.
    Apparently he now believes there are too many French players and not enough Engerlanders.
    He may be becoming paranoid, “I know there talking bout me” perhaps he should join Taylor at French Classes.

  88. Unless you are from Newcastle it is hard to get the Mackem thing.

    I was at a Comedy club in London and I asked a Mackem barman where he was from. He said Newcastle, when he was actually a Mackem. My accent has softened a lot after living away from Newcastle for 32 years so he didn’t know I was a Geordie.

    Dirty, Mackem scum can’t even own up to their own identity.

  90. And we are not trying to be internet warriors or hard lads Chuck. No Mackems are reading this, so who is there to upset?

  91. Pards the gobshite says:

    “He tried to force the move. It happens at other clubs. We had some words. I told him my opinion.

    “The most important thing, when you get through that process, is coming out the other side”

    or, over the line?

  92. He’s in The Chronicle this morning, Goading Poyet, Saying he doesn’t understand the derby game.
    Right you are Alan, In the same way Di Canio didn’t know anything about it, But put a team out away from home, With more passion and verve, And turned you over, Without too much fuss!

    That was only his second game in charge, Pardew should have a cistern fitted to his head ffs!

  93. GS says:
    October 14, 2013 at 6:51 am

    “Chuck: so at one time NUFC were actually progressive in their thinking. Shocking, considering we were hoofers last year.”

    Well I wasn’t there like Grandpa Chuck, but my understanding was that Robledo was an inside left who just happened to score a hell of alot of goals. He was definitely right when he said he was very good with his heed, even though he wasn’t a big gadgie at all (about 5’9″).

    Apparently, the time when Newcastle United really were a highly innovative side was during their greatest period under their greatest captain, Colin Veitch, in the 1900s.

    Veitch was a brilliant polymath and one of the greatest men ever to pull on a Newcastle United shirt. He was one of the greatest footballers and tacticians of his time amongst other things like writing and politics. At a time when football tactics were very primitive, Veitch’s Newcastle United were noted for their innovative, passing style of play.

    Incidentally on the subject of John Charles again, another thing about him from what I’ve seen is that he was one of the best headers of the ball there’s ever been. He was giant AND he had absolutely perfect technique so he was virtually unbeatable.

  94. Worky

    Yes ! as I stated he wore the No.10 shirt (G. Robledo) , but played a similar role with Millburn, similar to that played by Les Ferdinand with Shearer.

    Not the normal fetch and carry role assigned to inside forwards at the time (playmaker/defensive)

    The lineup was 2-3-5, but not really, more like 3-2-2-3,
    where the center half played closer to the full backs, with two defensive halfbacks, then two playmaking inside forwards, supporting two traditional wingers and a center forward.
    If one thinks about it the main difference in to-days lineups is the fact we now employ an additional center half and employ the full backs in an attacking role.
    Well in general!
    To-days lineups under certain managers can be fluid and certain sides can alter their tactics under the guidance of the manager to suit the game, not only at half time, but any time, unlike Pardews sides who either go into a shell following half time, or get outplayed, by the opposition’s tactical changes.

    I’m curious what brought on Pardew’s rant about his patron, skating on thin ice IMO, certainly according to most media stories.
    On the other hand perhaps he and Ashley (with the march approaching) have agreed on some PR deal, to absolve Ashley from any conscious blame.
    Look for the conspiracy.

    GS
    If getting somewhere on the NUFC sight was part of my agenda, would I have written half of my rants.
    And I am old enough to have experienced a St. James’ Park that was unsegregated, wher no one hated any other side in the league.
    Where friendly banter was the norm, even with Sunderland fans and immature name calling and violence was never contemplated.
    Where did it all go wrong, i’ll tell you with dumbasses like you, immature sheep, trying to sound tough and be a real supporter, actually you are in fact afraid to voice any thing positive about Sunderland in case you may be thought, as one of them, jerk!

    Gotta go lunch date, later.

  95. Chuck says to me:

    “Where did it all go wrong, i’ll tell you with dumbasses like you, immature sheep, trying to sound tough and be a real supporter, actually you are in fact afraid to voice any thing positive about Sunderland in case you may be thought, as one of them, jerk!”

    Chuck man, life is too short to get that worked up.

    I went to see NUFC most weeks when I was 10. I had a teacher and his wife drive me because me Dad worked away and me Mam wouldn’t let me go alone. They went to the East Stand and I went to the Leazes. I have never been in a fight at a football game in my life.

    It is just a bit of fun about Mackems, but you take everything so seriously, like you are trying to prove a point ALL THE F2CKIN’ TIME. Lighten up man.

  96. chuff says:
    October 14, 2013 at 6:52 am

    “Will youse guys ever grow up with the Sunderland thing…blah”.

    Perhaps when you stop referring to Germans as ‘Krauts’ (or even ‘krouts’ – WTF?) people might not p|ss themselves laughing at your pompous hypocrisy.

    Anyway, mind your own business. Go watch a rounders game or whatever it is you people do.

  99. Tell me how to ‘goole’ something, chump, and I’ll give it a go.

    Maybe if you’d ‘gooled’ it in the first place, you wouldn’t have made an @rse of yourself yet again. I mean, JOE Stokoe, FFS!

    You know as much about NUFC as I do about the Washington Foreskins, you old fraud.