No need to cancel the hosting contract lads, I'm sure the Palace fans will be wanting it soon enough. http://sackpardew.com/

Well wipe my brow and call me Nancy, it's Pards to Palace, Pulis to Brazil 1970, Tiny Tim to no where and no one to Newcastle!

Despite giving City another good game at the Etihad, we once again ended up with precious little reward for our efforts. They had too much quality in too many positions and deserved to win, but (and I know it’s a big but) had we picked up pesky Frank Lampard at the decisive moment, who knows what might have happened.

Thrills and spills everywhere I turn, back to back home 0-0s with Sunderland and Palace! Eleven goals in twenty games is a jaw dropping statistic however you try and slice it and the thing is, harmlessly mediocre though I generally regard as these days, we're actually on a trajectory to oblivion if we keep this up. Positives: Okore's becoming a fast favourite of mine, Sanchez is 90% class/10% liability while none other than Cieran Clark is having a glorious, surprising run of good form. I'm pleased as punch for the lad.

 

Had a bit of a giggle at the outraged fans of a subsidiary/tax write off franchise that haven't even kicked a ball yet moping about Totally Frank staying on at City 'til the end of the 'EPL' season. Presumably Stevie G. will do the exact same thing to sneak a championship medal onto his C.V. next year while Liverpool linger in the shadows, quietly weeping to themselves whilst publicly declaring that they're fine with it.

I hear Steven Gerrard's birthday falls on the same day as the FA Cup final this year. What a cracking send off it would be if someone could get him a ticket to see it.

 

Also, the single greatest piece of commentary ever was delivered during last night's coverage of Everton and West Ham, with Michael Owen referring to a player's face as "the facial part of the head".

Another extraordinarily poor showing at home, even by our own currently lousy standards. Our most effective player in the first half was the plastic bag swirling aimlessly about the middle of the pitch, although Gomez could do a lot worse than to study footage of it and incorporate its positional sense into his own game.

 

I can't see us getting anything at Spurs next week, which makes Burnley at home all the more massive.

Was the appearance of Plastico Baggio an homage to former Mackems great Beachy Ball's heroics against the same side a few years back? 

 

Presumably the sight of Heaps O'Excrement in the Villa starting XI today was an homage to Paul Lambert's love of Shetland Ponies.  <_<

So I actually live in a world where an article entitled "Joey Barton - how Sanchez has won me over" can exist sans irony. Next week, "Titus Bramble - okay, Bobby Moore could play a bit"?! 

Again, Ronaldo is the World best player  (though to be honest he didn't amaze me this year as he did last year).
Loaf is the World best Coach. Well deserved.
 

Congratulations to Ronaldo and to Nadine Kessler for scooping this year's Ballon d'Or prizes, although I wonder if it can still be considered a good week when being voted the world's best footballer is bookended by splitting from Irina Shayk and being outperformed by El Nino at the Bernabeu.

Swapping Altidore for Defoe. Even if we only get a year out of him, that's nifty business. Might actually start scoring a few now, although there's the small matter of keeping them out at the other end to think about as well.

Sigh. You bring in a proven finisher like Defoe and suddenly, like magic, all your chances start falling to crapkickers like Fletcher and Graham instead.

Defoe started the game but was goalless when he was substituted after 75 minutes, ending his record of scoring on his first appearance for every club he has played for.

 

 

 

Jon Stead played a blinder against Chelsea today. A decade too late but you can't have everything, can you?

Arsene Wenger is eventually going to have "I almost signed him" engraved onto his tombstone at this rate. 

Jon Stead played a blinder against Chelsea today. A decade too late but you can't have everything, can you?

 

I'd have taken him at Villa before yesterday, now I'd take the team being built around him. 

I'd have taken him at Villa before yesterday, now I'd take the team being built around him.

 

My shock and awe continues, as apparently he's somehow still only 31.

 

I was in attendance when Stead scored one of his two goals (the other was a consolation in a 3-1 defeat at Roots Hall) for Sunderland, in a game which rather fittingly took place on April Fools' Day. Also witnessed Jozy Altidore scoring against Chelsea last year. All I need now is for Danny Graham to get one and I can retire!

Remember when Wilfried Bony moved to Man City? Or when Swansea landed Kyle Naughton? Those really are the biggest stories of the transfer window so far.
 
Anyone see the Steven Defour thing during Liege/Anderlecht at the weekend? Absolute madness.

Remember when Wilfried Bony moved to Man City? Or when Swansea landed Kyle Naughton? Those really are the biggest stories of the transfer window so far.

 

Erm, Carles Gil would like a word! A goal of the season contender on home debut!

What a boring transfer window. I hope the summer window will be better than this.