On the Eve of the new Season...

[lagas]

more speculation on why Qatar got the 2022 world cup...

"Bin Hammam (president of the asian confederation) is a close confidant of the FIFA president. He also happens to be from Qatar. Hammam has spoken in the past about the need for reform at FIFA and wanted to limit presidency terms to two four-year stints only in contrast to the Mugabe-style stranglehold Blatter currently holds on power in Zurich. But the AFC chief has been reticent on the matter of late.

"Could there be a link between his decision to quieten down and follow the status quo and the ExCo's decision to award his confederation, and indeed, his nation the 2022 World Cup? FIFA is as much about glad-handing and back-slapping as it is about the administration of football. Bin Hammam will be obliged to leave his AFC post after a final four-year term, by which time he is expected to succeed Blatter".

http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/3520/world-cup-20182022-host-decision/2010/12/03/2243759/why-russia-and-qatar-won-the-rights-to-host-the-2018-and

[godsshoeshine]

mike ashley is just unbelieveable

[brennser]

total and utter insanity - no manager in the world could have gotten that squad higher than 11th at this stage of the season

one of the tru nice guys in the sport gets shafted

[godsshoeshine]

agreed. i really like CH

this has been rumored for weeks on the net, though. unfortunately the same rumor had joe kinnear coming back in

i'm ready to vomit

[brennser]

again, why oh why oh why would you sack him for Kinnear 

second half of the season could be rough

[godsshoeshine]

the statement said they wanted someone with more prem experience

as far as joke in ear (if that is indeed true), its newcastle united. take the dumbest scenario you can possibly think of with your manager and that's mike ashley's likely direction

[Frank Gallagher]

Maybe Ashley prefers championship football over the premiership - enter Kinnear!!

[godsshoeshine]

we do a lot of winning down there

[brennser]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/dec/06/chris-hughton-newcastle-united-stupid-decision

url says it all

[godsshoeshine]

if the southern media hates it, i may have to change my stance

[Frank Gallagher]

Looks like the magpies are getting a dutchman for christmas.......

[godsshoeshine]

i dont believe the jol rumors. his appointment makes too much sense

[brennser]

the one part about the Jol thing I don't understand is that I figured himself and Hughton must be pretty good friends based on their time at Spurs, no?

Moneys a heck of a cure all, but do you really think Jol would be that motivated to go to a club that shafted his former No. 2 so badly?

[godsshoeshine]

they worked together, but jol didnt exactly hire hughton. he'd been at spurs forever

and again, i dont believe it. lots of people saying pardew

[Frank Gallagher]

Toon - Welcome back to the Championship!!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/n/newcastle_united/9267960.stm

Can someone please explain to me what Pardew brings to the table that Hughton didn't, other than maybe getting West Ham and Southampton relegated?