Pulis took the job because he knew he could park the bus well, and he only had a month before the Transfer Window opened. Then he brought in Hennessey, Dann, Ledley, and Ince. Big Sam would think the same.

I appreciate Parish is trying to bring in quality, and he's done a good job for the most part. The only defenders brought in during Pard's tenure are Pape and Tomkins (and Cabaye if we call him a DM).

My view is that the sky isn't falling. Forget last season (or we have to talk about it, talk about the whole season, which had a great start, not just a horrific finish). We finished 15th. Let it go.

Last January they were constrained by Fairplay rules so they couldn't buy anyone (bar Ade on a free). This summer they did really well getting Benteke, but the other signings are all injured (feel free to say that Pard's fault). They should be able and ready to spend big in January.

If Pards gets new players (and some off the physio table) and we are in the relegation zone come February, fine, I'll be all for firing Pards and bringing in a survival specialist.

Surely the fair play rules still exist?
That being the case, unless we move players out or remove them from the squad and spunk their wages then we will struggle to be able to buy - or have I got that wrong?

I agree, what I'm saying is I would rather give Parish and Pardew the window to spend on quality, than give it to Big Sam so he can buy a bunch or re-treads.

Sam brought in Khazri for 9M (only 1 game this year), Kone for 5M (9 games this year) and Kirchhoff for cheap (5 games). I'm sure their agents gave him a nice xmas present. Not a fan of bringing in Mr. Pay- for-play.

If we are in the drop zone come February, there will be plenty of candidates to line up two banks of 5 and grind out draws. We don't need to give them millions to p*ss away. Again if we suck in January, there is plenty of evidence to indicate we won't be alone, there will be plenty of stragglers.

After Arsenal on New Years Day, we don't play a single top 6 team till Spurs on March 11. Plenty of time to right the ship when the window opens and we can replace the long term injuries.

(And if we still suck, in the summer THEN we bring in Mancini --or someone similar-- and give THEM the big budget to spend.)

Sam would be a disaster.

Least atm players want to play with us and see us, or at least saw us as a team going somewhere, Dann and Tompkins quoted as much.

Big sam would see us become West Brom part 2 and we'd all relish the prem each year no doubt, but the ambitions of playing good football and attracting named players like Cabaye in years to come will be a little more difficult I think.

I think Mancini will prove a better bet, if and when the time comes. Or Ive always thought Ex Bradford manager, now Bolton manager Phil Parkinson was destined for the prem..

..so it was Pardew who made snodgrass do his stuff and then he also made the silly ref miss the whole thing, Hull's second was very well taken and a great goal ...we were very silly only once for their third, that's an improvement in my book.