I've been a Pardew Outer since midway through the second half of last season, but I've softened quite a bit towards AP since then and this season I have backed off a bit to give him some time. But now I'm beginning to feel very season 15/16ish again. They say that a definition of insanity is someone doing the same mistake over and over again. Before our first WBA match I kept thinking that AP's preseason matches and the players he selected were without the WBA match in mind at all. For me, given our terrible year last season, it was absolutely critical that we prepare a team to defeat WBA to begin putting the ghosts of last season away. Remember that match? It was pathetic. The team didn't get going until 2 matches later. Now last season's run of losses are back with us. The problem is no Jedinak or Delaney leadership to defend leads or set pieces. Did Jedinak REALLY have to be sold? These two players are vocal leaders with courage and determination. Sure, they may have needed replacing, but they have not been replaced, not their courage, leadership, determination and captaincy. This is just another error in a list of errors by Alan Pardew. You can't fault the team's committment when they fight back from 3-1 to get to 4-3, it's on-the-pitch captaincy they lack. Now, deja vu, another bad run of losses and fears of sacking the manager and relegation. It's madness. These results have dogged AP throughout his career and next year must surely be expected to be the same for different reasons. But, having said this, he may still be the best for us there is? I really don't know anymore.

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Someone like Lampard could do a lot for us, right now.

This was once a quality forum....

Or manager?