If spending hadn't been cut

[Irish villain]

Newcastle are who we should be looking to replicate. It's possible to be challenging for a Champions League place without spending shedloads of money.

That day in 2009 when we relegated them I doubt many of us thought we'd ever be thinking that little over two years later.

[Concrete John]

Newcastle are who we should be looking to replicate. It's possible to be challenging for a Champions League place without spending shedloads of money.

That day in 2009 when we relegated them I doubt many of us thought we'd ever be thinking that little over two years later.

They've had one good half season.  Lets wait a little, longer before we completely convert to the gospel of the Tyne.

[N'ZMAV]

Especially if someone would have said Pardew and Mike Ashley would be running the show...

[N'ZMAV]

Newcastle are who we should be looking to replicate. It's possible to be challenging for a Champions League place without spending shedloads of money.

That day in 2009 when we relegated them I doubt many of us thought we'd ever be thinking that little over two years later.

They've had one good half season.  Lets wait a little, longer before we completely convert to the gospel of the Tyne.

I tend to agree with this, they have some players in their side who are in good form, but aren't necessarily top players, I'm thinking of Ryan Taylor, Mike Williamson and Danny Guthrie.

[TimTheVillain]

Newcastle are who we should be looking to replicate. It's possible to be challenging for a Champions League place without spending shedloads of money.

Agree, what's our scouting like ?

It appears to be either a) non existent or b) unable to spot those bargains we need.

[Mister E]

I tend to agree with this, they have some players in their side who are in good form, but aren't necessarily top players, I'm thinking of Ryan Taylor, Mike Williamson and Danny Guthrie.

You're right that it might be too early to judge it (although were are now well into the season) but the fact is that Pardew has welded together a useful operating unit of players from a squad that wants to play for him. He has removed the potential troublemakers (Carroll, Barton) and he has bought well and without fanfare. Guthrie, Taylor, Ben Arfa et al all play a useful part in affairs when Tiote and Cabaye are not available.

Signing Ba's Senagalese strike partner was clever work too.

Hats off - so far, Pardew has defied all my prejudice about him. And shown others the way.

PS - reading that through, the first paragraph describes what GHou was apparently going to do for us over last summer ...

[N'ZMAV]

Pardew's done well. Proved a lot of people wrong.

[Surrey Villain]

Pardew's done well. Proved a lot of people wrong.

He's been allowed to spend the money he got for Carroll.  McLeish hasn't had that sort of money.

[Dave]

Last summer Pardew spent about the same in total as McLeish spent on N'Zogbia alone.

If you then add in the money he's spent on Cisse, it works out that they have spent about the same since McLeish took over.