A piece of magic ensured that we mustered two wins within the space of the week to at least brighten the mood temporarily ahead of transfer deadline day tomorrow.
The most impressive thing for me though was the performance. Although the first half was tepid and devoid of any real attacking intent, our possession wasn’t bad and Fulham rarely got a sniff. However when our key players took to the field in the second period we looked more threatening, more urgent and in the end we could and perhaps should have won by more than one goal.
Our problems are in attack. Papiss Cisse and Shola Ameobi need things created for them and if they don’t get that their contribution is minimal. I actually sympathise with them, especially when you see what happened in the first half where they were left isolated for the most part and on the odd occasion that they weren’t the supply line got a bit greedy and tried something fancy instead of keeping things simple.
In truth the second period started off in much the same vein as the first ended, with Fulham rarely threatening and United lacking bite, but the introduction of Yohan Cabaye, Yoan Gouffran and Loic Remy seemed to tip the balance in our favour and gave Fulham more to worry about.
Hatem’s goal was fantastic and Robbie Stockdale in the Fulham goal couldn’t do a thing about it. It sums Ben Arfa up perfectly. An afternoon spent frustrating everyone by trying too much or by making poor decisions was topped off with that goal which gave us the three points. You can watch it again below.
Papiss Cisse hit the crossbar, Cabaye forced a save from Stockdale who then denied Cisse at the second attempt and Gouffran missed a couple of chances but in the end the one goal was enough for United.
We now have two weeks off as the international break kicks in and when we return we have games away at Aston Villa and at home to Hull to contend with. First off though we need to see what kind of squad we have left to utilise once the window closes. I suspect it won’t be too different to the one we have now and certainly won’t be added to but I may be wrong.
That’s for tomorrow though. For now, take a bow Hatem!
P.S; Just a couple of stats for you following on from the game yesterday.
– Hatem Ben Arfa has scored in all three of his appearance against Fulham.
– No team has played fewer long balls this season than……. Newcastle United!
Axel @447 couldn’t agree more. Let’s hope Remy has a good lawyer or we really are up sh*t creek without a paddle
Geordie Deb(Quote)
…sorry, was just watching the spider on my staircase (inside a matchbox, with a rounded-rectangle window carved out of it) doing season 2, episode 21 of Cagney and Lacey. Bloody good show anyway. 😎
Rodzilla(Quote)
Honestly ,pards has thick skin ,if I were him I would be walking out on the club about now.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Very odd way to run a club. Didn’t Joe say judge him at the end of the window? Ok Joe, judgment day has come. You’re a complete ******** as we already knew Joe. Hide your face for the rest of the season.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
…and it cost me **** all. Result. 😎
Rodzilla(Quote)
Not to change the subject with so much going on tonight 😉 but they just showed Portishead’s Glastonberry set on the TV 😯 Unbelievable band
MDS(Quote)
Who was your favourite Rodz, Cagney or Lacey? It’s agony for me when I try to decide.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
looking forwards to pardooms bullshit propaganda
Probably be no comment from the club for the next 10 days or so
total and utter shambolic joke.
You couldn’t make it up.
Will someone please remind me what the jokers job description is.
Director of fuckall.
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
I think i’ll be physically sick when Pards starts making excuses. he’s better off saying fak all..
mark(Quote)
MDS ,they are brilliant.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Did Pardew not say he’d be upset if we didn’t get another attacker in as he felt we needed extra attacking threat?
How does this work when your manager says something like that and then nothing happens?
Will Kinnear give another interview again after this?
funkyjesus(Quote)
@MDS
I saw Portishead at the mayfair yrs ago. well I heard them 😆
if you like them check out Alpha (who I saw at Glasto.) a bit similar just not as deep..
mark(Quote)
When our injuries kick in and they will ,I don’t wanna hear a peep about it as an excuse for poor form from Pards ,not unless he throws a hissy about lack of signings tomorrow anyway.
KIMTOON(Quote)
G2 All I can say is I knew we wouldn’t sign anybody today. Really disappointed to tell you the truth. Joe’s done sod all. Just cause we got a win doesn’t mean we don’t need strengthening. Cisse better bloody pull his socks up.
stem(Quote)
If Pards hasn’t got the kahunas to speak out tomorrow he can stuff his injury excuses up his *** hole .
KIMTOON(Quote)
Alan Pardew made it perfectly clear that he’d be disappointed if we didnt sign another CF – someone to challenge the first team was his words.
I hope the bloke is fuming right now. I hope he is truely disgusted with MA and JFK. I hope that he doesn’t come out tomorrow and defend their inability to improve our squad.
The only hope I have is that Ashley is on the verge of telling us that he’s going to sell the club!!.
Shane Long now going to Hull – where the **** are we man FFS.
JFK has been given his chance with me now like as has MA. The pair will be sat in the boardroom opening another bottle of red and watching SSN pissing themselves laughing at those stupid Geordie bastards who put any ounce of faith in us. Fucking cockney pieces of ****!.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Agreed Kim 😉 Cheers Mark. Been a fan for a long time but have never seen them live. One of the more underrated bands of the last 20 years. Rare band where even their new stuff sounds as good as the old stuff.
MDS(Quote)
I hate to say it but Liverpool have done very well in this window. They show real ambition. We lie about it and pretend to have ambition then do nothing.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
nice alpha tune http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcjqdHzI-sM
mark(Quote)
Stem ,we can’t make Cisse the scape goat ,he’s probably as gutted as we are . It’s abundantly clear now why Cabaye wanted out ,no ambition what so ever.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Kim that’s the plan I think.
Ashley cant sell the club until he has got rid of Pardoom.
But pardoom wont just walk. He has thicker skin than fat ash gave him credit for.
The **** rests firmly with the fat controller and his drunken *** buddy
Pardoom is as much a victim as we are.
Shame he hasn’t got the balls to say owt publicly
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Pardew only has 1 injury prone player and what if he goes to prison for rape ? This club is an embarrassment at times, really not happy. Joe and Ashley embarrassment, disgrace to the club
stem(Quote)
Spot on STEM @464. I’m sickened really but what can any of us do mate? No Wonga shirt for me though.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
8 min Kinnear, pull your finger out ❗
Andymag(Quote)
Wow. A good day for Liverpool
MDS(Quote)
G2 me neither ,I will never buy a shirt with that ***** on it ,.we have sunk to new depths under this ****.
KIMTOON(Quote)
who can blame any player who wants out of this shambles. Cabaye was promised the world by Pards when he signed..
shocking lack of ambition.
mark(Quote)
did arsenal get Ozil ?
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
My humble pie has gone in the bin Joe you ****
KIMTOON(Quote)
Can anyone explain to me how Everton have had a bid for McCarthey accepted, get a medical done and get a contract signed in 9 mins?
Stuart79(Quote)
lol cant believe I’m still checking Newsnow 😳
mark(Quote)
I can’t understand the mackems getting Borini on loan but selling Sessegnon to the baggies, makes them weaker than they were in my opinion, Borini has done nowt and is too slow for the Prem. At least they have an owner that backs the manager though. (Lets hope Di Canio has them in a relegation scrap lol)
DJG(Quote)
BB,yes
KIMTOON(Quote)
BB- Yep….42M. Great player
MDS(Quote)
I know genuinely believe we might soon be sold. Ashley has kept his favourite player Cabaye at the club cus he wants him to stay but has lost interest and once a buyer pays of his loan (the tv revenue paid off most of it) and what he believes the club is worth (150m), he’ll sell. As someone mentioned earlier he might then take over Rangers as he can own a massive club and yet not spend much on them and the fans would accept it.
Andymag(Quote)
Big Mike and Joe K have a deal lined up that will blow your socks off in the last minute, just wait. 😆
DJG(Quote)
I don’t just blame Cisse but I really would love nothing more to see him scoring again Kim. All the players we been linked with and nothing. I feel cheated and swindled by Ashley and Kinnear. Gomis, Bent etc and nothing. They could of told us they weren’t signing anyone else, instead of getting our hopes up.
stem(Quote)
Pardew has been done up like a kipper here. Couple of injuries, bad results follow, manager sacked and JFK comes in. Dear oh dear.
Stuart79(Quote)
Everton £13m for Macarthy ,thought they was skint 😯
KIMTOON(Quote)
Spot on Kimtoon @476. Window closing in 2 minutes and we all scream with frustration.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Ozil is an incredible signing. He’ll end up being the signing of the summer imo.
What the hell were Chelsea/Spurs/Man City/Man Utd thinking with their signings.
In 5 years he’ll still be worth at least £25 Mill.
Arsenal to finish above Man Utd and Man City – you heard it here first 😉
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Championship here we come AGAIN.
a one way ticket this time tho
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
That’s it done and dusted then. Can’t wait for Joe and Alan’s comments.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
Stem ,I made that point early on this afto . I would have more respect if they came out when the window opened and made a statement to say they weren’t making any signings and the reasons why . But nothing not a fucking dicky bird ,the fans have been strung along and treated like mushrooms all summer ,it’s heartbreaking for the really young fans who get so upset like ,it’s fucking disgusting if you ask me.
KIMTOON(Quote)
..quick catch-up before my spider kebab is ready.
Portishead, Glory Box, Mmm, spooky theramin remanicences. Nice. 😎
Pardew, still sneezing like a horse with hayfever. 😎
Fatboy, still a fat ****.
NUFC, continued…
KTF 😯 😯
Rodzilla(Quote)
at least we retained the services of Krul, Cabaye, Barfa 🙄
Barring no injuries it might be a decent season.. and we might get Gomis on a free in Jan 😯 😛
mark(Quote)
Ahh well.
We’ve been dealt the cards – now it’s up to Pardew to play them.
We have a stronger squad than this time last year I believe.
There is no way we will suffer as many injuries as last year (even though we are still on shaky grounds)
No Europe to juggle.
I expect 52 points – which should see us comfortably top 10. I would say higher, but I think some of the teams around us have made some top signings.
Everyone else?
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
Either the management have faith our younger players will step up this year or they have something planned for January or a club sale.
I cannot understand this at all.
funkyjesus(Quote)
KIMTOON
September 2, 2013 at 22:57
Everton £13m for Macarthy ,thought they was skint 😯
I would have thought that that would definitely meant Fellani to Man U but it’s not happened. Maybe Everton will have to login to Wonga!
DJG(Quote)
Remember when KK said the regime were telling him they were bidding for players when they weren’t?
Have to say I fear we are in a relegation battle here. A couple of injuries and were fcked.
Stuart79(Quote)
G2 I really have no intrest in listening to those idiots. Joe is so full of himself about nothing. Pardew just agrees with them like a scared mouse mate.
stem(Quote)
Kinnear and Pardew it’s like Tom and Jerry.
stem(Quote)
I hope everyone on here who went off Keegan for his tribunal payoff (which if anyone had any idea about business would understand was correct that you start high then negotiate down to the right amount) will admit they were wrong and he was right all along.
He called this about two years ago.
funkyjesus(Quote)
‘Ozil on his way to Arsenal for £42.5m’.
Just shows the money was there but no-one rates Cabaye at anywhere near £20M. They are probably right to be honest, James McCarthy isn’t worth £13M after being hyped up from one decent season, I reckon we dodged a bullet there.
DJG(Quote)
Thanks for **** all Joe
Sharpy17(Quote)
Aye STEM @501. Pathetic mate. Now Pardew has a real job on his hands. Hope he’s up to it. If not we have nothing but more trouble to look forward to at the club. Talk about 3 blind mice.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
I’m off for now. Talk to you all again tomorrow. Night all.
GeordieTwo(Quote)
@FJ
I think most people knew he was right. That’s not the point though is it? Keegan was right about the board then, right now, and would be right in 5 years if they’re still here. Who cares. He should have had more fight and belief in his managerial ability and stuck by the fans that love him.
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
lol A Johnson is at Palace but its too late 😥
so we’re the only club not to spend a penny in the Prem.
Kinnear can clear his desk and fak orf!
mark(Quote)
we’ve only needed a cb and striker for two years
pathetic way to run a club
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
To add to our despair Pardew will tell us tomorrow that he decided not to bring in a new striker because he was able to talk Ashley into extending Sholas contract to 2016.
sidekick(Quote)
Solano,
Aren’t people here saying Pardew should walk out of principle? That’s what Keegan did. He has backbone and wouldn’t take it up the **** from Ashley like Pardew is happy to do.
I respect people who have morals like Keegan over creeps who take the money like Pardew.
funkyjesus(Quote)
MARK September 2, 2013 at 23:14
‘so we’re the only club not to spend a penny in the Prem.
Kinnear can clear his desk and fak orf!’
Why? His mission was to come in and not let Pardew spend a penny of the loan repayment fund and it is mission successful 100%. He will get a bonus and an extended contract now. 😛
DJG(Quote)
Ian Arkley @ianarkley 8h
“@bafgomis any truth in this ? pic.twitter.com/fkIhCYdPW5”
View photo
Bafétimbi Gomis @BafGomis 2m
@ianarkley Thx for all.sorry is not 4 this year! maybe one day….i never forgot you. i’m happy to continue my adventure with my team OL
funkyjesus(Quote)
DJG I don’t know what Ashley will do next. Just when you think he can’t get any worse, he does something totally stupid.
stem(Quote)
Even Ed Harrison, the eternal optimist of the famous Newcastle club, has went on a huge rant on his site saying this is a disgrace to the club.
**** just got real, y’all.
funkyjesus(Quote)
It’s like watching a friend or relative being strangled to death supporting this club under Ashley…
Stuart79(Quote)
@FJ
Depends on how you construe your morals? I see your point. But Keegan walking sent our season spiralling. I would never turn my back on my team – no matter what **** they put me through.
Obviously Pardew isn’t staying for those reasons though eh 😉 I still think the puppet not walking is the most important thing for us. Pardew leaves and we crumble imo. I just can’t see Colo/Cabaye/Ben Arfa playing for Kinnear.
SolanosTrumpet(Quote)
FUNKYJESUS
:lol
Even Lee Ryder the *** licker of the regime turned against them this summer. 🙂
DJG(Quote)
Just in from the pub-Everton got Lukaku on loan!? Why were we ever linked with Ba if he was on offer, he would have been an immense partner for Cis imo.
Newkie(Quote)
What a load of *****! JK is full of *****! Ashley is full of *****! It seems to me as if we needed at least 4 in and replacements for those that left as well. Bringing in just Remy is bollocks!
I’ve given Kinnear the benefit of the doubt up to now. Now there is no doubt in my mind: He is a useless ******, a bad appointment and a man with no vision. tact or, well, anything. He brings nothing to the club. A complete waste of space. Ditto Ashley. A pox on them both.
I won’t be joining any fantasy train, but all that talk about lack of ambition seems just about right. I find it utterly unbelievable that they don’t see the urgency in adding a few quality players to the squad.
I still think it is a better squad than what started last season, but is no better than the one that finished it, and arguably worse. And that is a problem. The only hope now is that those that were brought in in January have learnt from their half season experience and up their game – and Pardew as well needs to be more ambitious with his game plan. Let’s hope the annual injury crisis doesn’t hit too hard.
What a load of *****!
brisvegas(Quote)
Fellani signed for 27.5 mil when he had a release clause a few weeks ago for 22 mil? And people say Pards is a muppet 😕
Newkie(Quote)
Bad day Bris? 😀
Newkie(Quote)
My greatest wish atm is that nothing was spent because there is some sort of negotiations going on about a club sale. I hope that’s what the conference in the south of france was all about. That would make more sense than them believing they didn’t need to strengthen the squad.
Sell the club and buy Rangers – that’s what Ashley should do. That’s where he will make his best profit. Just **** off out of here … and take your DoF with you.
What a load of *****!
brisvegas(Quote)
Been holding it in for a while, Newkie. Need to vent.
brisvegas(Quote)