um pahars

Quite agree CB Fry. The only people who may be suggesting Pardew isn't the man for the job are the same people who were saying he wasn't the man back on 17th July. Football fans reflecting on and having a moan about performances, results and progress doesn't automatically translate into a concerted Pardew Out campaign. Football would be a rather sterile pastime if you take the passion, reaction and debate out of it.

Does he mention that Matthew Harding was also interested at the time??? Think I will have to pop out to Waterstones tomorrow.

I think the quote was alledged to have been something like "you could live like a king back home on what we're paying you". And then of course when Matty was still playing Hassan got his mega wonga move after playing off Ipswich and Villa. I'm sure the figure quoted was £30k a week at Villa on a three year deal!!!!!!!!!! Something like a £5m+ contract all in.

And maybe David Howells as well!!!!!!! And when Tiss was at the end of his career I'm sure his wages were eclipsed by Beattie, Bridge, Davies etc. Then again I'm sure some of those who played for us in the top flight before the Premiership was established would have been even worse off (at one point Rod Wallace and others were on YTS money!!!!!). Le Tiss not being motivated by money made me think if that great Danny Kelly tribute when Matty finally hung up his boots. http://henotbusybeingbornisbusydying.blogspot.com/2007/10/in-broken-french.html

£4k!!! but I'm sure Matty will also say there's more to life than money. I imagine he probably got close to double that over the length of the contract with appearance monies, bonuses and signing on and other contract payments, but still chicken feed compared to the salaries some are earning now (and were probably earning back then as well). No wonder he said he didn't have the cash to bail us out in the summer!!!!

Someone put something up here before about that, but can't remember, so spill the beans. I'm going for £5k.

Toomer, I think you know the answer to that question;)

I would wager a bet that this season's average will be better than last years (certainly up until the point when Lowe and co got the boot), which considering the delay in sorting out season tickets along with being relegated etc etc etc tells a rather different story than some loons are suggesting.

I agree in that the legacy left behind by the discredited Lowe regime and its Revolutionary Coaching Set Up still haunts us. The 10 point handicap, youth players affected by a baptism of fire and being blooded too early, a culture of failure, the disruption of this pre season, the general malaise and disruptions caused by a Revolutionary Coaching Set Up fighting each other, interference from outside the Revolutionary Coaching Set Up etc etc etc will all make AP's job that much harder. I haven't seen any games so far this season, but have to say 2 points from 12 isn't great, but when put in the context of what AP inherited then I think 4 games is way too early to be judging him.

I quite agree and my beef was with the small minority who were getting a tad hysterical about our impending doom and the few weirdo's on here trying to make out that everyone is in uproar and out for Pardew's blood. There's nothing wrong with expecting us to win every game (particularly at home) and having a moan if we don't. As I said in my post I don't see any contradiction in having realistic expectations, yet at the same time wanting us to win every game and having a little moan if we don't.

He wouldn't know which one of his pseudonyms to put down as the author;). Then again, maybe he could write a chapter under each of his many guises. He's our very own Jayne Ann Krentz:D

As much as I thought SCW could bring something to the party (although not our party at that point in time), I think a comparison with a man of Arnesen's experience (particularly with regards his experience in Holland and his success there) is somewhat pushing it. I saw the potential benefits in regards sports psychology, mental & physical preparation and administration, certainly not the spotting and grooming of younger talent.

Oh do you mean like posting a reasonable post (in a vain attempt at establishing some credcibility), only to throw in a touch of vitriol/antagonism in the last paragraph, or in a subsequent post??? This fella's octo-polar disorder now means we have more than one character in each thread and sometimes more than one character in each post:rolleyes:.

But I don't think pure points is a fair way to judge how "rubbish" we are, after all it's pretty tough playing against United, Liverpool, Arsenal et al in the top flight. I did an analysis of Leauge position over the last 10, 20, 30 & 40 years a while back as someone had descrbed us as cannon fodder. Here's the results: Starting from the 2004 season (i.e. the one before we got relegated) and going backwards our average league position has been: 10 years to 1995 = 13th 20 years to 1985 = 13th 30 years to 1975 = 14th 40 years to 1965 = 15th I don't think anyone has ever claimed us to be up there with the big boys regularly fighting for trophies, but over the last 40 years to be 15th out of 92 in the footballing pyramid is a pretty good record. Going back 40 years to 1965 would probably cover the vast majority of those who come on this board, but even going back to late 1950's, we're probably still in the top 20.

Hello Mr Pot (PS weather was great)

Maybe, and I thought SCW might have been able to bring some knowledge in various areas that were transferable, but: a) It was never going to work whilst Redknapp was here. b) It diverted time, resources and money in our first season down which is your best chance of bouncing back, c) It created resentment amongst the playing and coaching staff (particularly when SCW brought in Clifford), d) There's a world of difference between bringing in transferable skills and processes and being appointed Director of Football!!!!! Just like the Revolutionary Coaching Set up last season, it was doomed to be a failure from the off.

Ahem, Redknapp was already here when the decision was made to bring in SCW. So just remind me who decided to proceed with such a ridiculous appointment given the circumstances at the time and the fact that the incumbent manager was never going to be happy with the situation? I wouldn't blame SCW, nor would I blame Redkanpp, and as you yourself ask, why did we go through with such an appointment?

And you are indeed entitled to your own opinion. But if yesterday's performance was worse than many of those games under Poortvliet last season (Doncaster, Forest, Barnsley, Watford etc etc etc) then I'm in for a shock!!!

Because: 1) You would regularly post in here telling us when you were going away for a long time (i.e. when you last went under the waves you were predicting Wotte would be our saviour and Plymouth would go down). 2) I have a good memory;) I haven't seen a game this season, but by the same token you missed some absolute stinkers last season. I lost count of the number of games that I classed as the worst I have ever seen (winning our second home league game in late February tells it's own story!!!!!!!!)

Just had a look at Charlton's attendances and was surprised that we had beaten them by quite a few thousand, despite them getting off to a flyer. Leeds only got 21,000+ yesterday, but as you say only a loon would consider us on a par with a club/city of their size. As for Norwich, well they certainly have something about them that many clubs (ourselves included) could learn from. An empathetic board who have a good relationship with their fanbase along with an intelligent ticketing process. They had already sold 17,000 season tickets for the 2009/10 season by February of this year!!!!! And interestingly their prices included a 20% discount if they were relegated to League One. So either judged on pure numbers, or as a comparison against last season under the Revolutionary Coaching Set Up or against our "peers", then only a loon would think 20,000 attendances in the Third Tier are poor.

Think yourself lucky that you didn't get to many games last season!!!!!!

Have to agree, particularly given the complete shambles on and off the pitch of last season it was always going to be a tough rebuilding process. I think a few have failed to see just how bad things were at the Club last year (that Porrtvliet interview was very sad reading) and have failed to appreciate the task ahead of us. However, I do think those that are craving immediate success are in the minority. IMHO there is a world of difference between most football fans having a moan about performances and a minority being unrealistic in their expectations. I don't think there's any contradiction in having a moan about poor performances (either by a player or the team as a whole), but at the same time being realistic with our expectations.

Have to agree 100% in that in Pardew I see/hear a similar response in respect of Pearson's honest assessments and endeavours. And IMHO I think that's what needed given our current situation. Pardew has inherited a shambles of a squad, demoralised by last year's Revolutionary Coaching Set Up, so if he's reading them the riot act and upsetting a few stars then fair play to him.

Have to agree, in that I was pleasantly surprised by the two circa 20.000 attendances (certainly surpassed the first two games of last season anyway). Despite the late release of season tickets and the poor results to date, yesterday's crowd was particularly pleasing for a Division Three team. I haven't been to a game yet, so the attendances will be up by one for the forthcoming games!!!!!

LMFAO. Of course he's a troll, always looking for the antagonistic angle;) (I see Matty is the latest stooge for his trolling). I thought Ponty confirmed it was the same person before I went away saying that 19C was afforded an amnesty after Sundance was banned. Now if it's his kids posting on here as well, then I think we need to as it would be wrong to be giving them a hard time if it's only their father who is the troll. Ponty et al, what's the form for different people using the same user name???