Absolute mug. Sacked by Christmas.

Enrages me when EPL Clubs start with like 2 English players.

o/

Even Wenger doesn't have that many French players...

Newcastle squad is good, i still think the management ruined their last season.

Pardew secretly wants all them French kisses, that's probably why he keeps signing them Frenchies

LOL, Pardew's a special screw. I remember so well when Newcastle faced Benfica in the Europa League quarters, and Pardew said on a press conference before the game that Benfica would finish somewhere between eight and tenth in the EPL.

After Newcastle were eliminated on aggregate 4-2, he said Benfica would finish in the top four. I guess the part of his brain which promotes contradictions is way to big.

^LOL.
off topic but benfica would challenge for top 4 in my opinion.

Well he claims top teams. Newcastle hasn't been a top team in years. Besides the fact the "French Revolution" is a recent thing. Not back in 2006. I'm guessing he got tired of losing with home talent and decided to use other methods. Change is a good thing in most cases.

@Don: In the EPL now? I doubt it. But I could see them finishing 5th, 6th or 7th. But it is your opinion, so its okay.

As for Pardew, he is a horrible person that doesn't do well in man management and he is a twat but I think people are taking away his skill as a manager. He is the one who got them to 5th place and only 1 point away from 4th. We're just going to have to wait and see what's up in Newcastle's future. They're going down a really darkhole rught now though with the likes of Mike Ashley and Joe Kinnear.

^ That season where he got them 5th... a lot of good teams were in the decline, where they not?

Certainly Arsenal and Chelsea weren't having their best season but Everton and Tottenham were and they nearly beat both of them to the top 4 spot.

@Don: I agree.

@V: I could personally see Benfica finishing behind only United, City and Chelsea. I'm confident they would give Spurs, Arsenal and Liverpool a fight for the 4th, and win. They've got some really good depth in their squad, and so far they've kept important players such as Garay, Matic, Gaitán, Salvio, Cardozo and more.

While I do see Benfica having a great starting team, I don't think they have the greatest depth. When I compare their subs to Tottenham for example, you can see the quality difference between the too. It's sort of like Dortmund's squad during the 2011/12 season when they had only a few good subs. Speaking of Benfica, they have a gorgeous home kit.

That's where I think you're wrong. Their depth is much better this season than last, by signing for instance four incredible Serbian talents (two of them were among Eredivisie's best players last season). At striker position they've got three classy ones in Cardozo, Lima and Rodrigo. At midfield - Matic, Gaitán, Salvio, Pérez, Gomes.

I'm aware and find it completely understandable that you've got more knowledge about Spurs and their players than Benfica. I try to watch them both every round myself, and I think Benfica would do a pretty damn good job in the EPL. But as you say, we've got our opinions.

About their kit, I think it's a nice one, but I like the ones they were supposed to have better:

Don't forget that Benfica gave Chelsea a run for their money in the EL final. They should've and would've won if their finishing wasn't so terrible.

^^ If they had better forwards, their finishing wouldn't have been so terrible. :p

Also, remember the point about Starting XI vs Squad Depth.

@Dyn: Exactly.

@Lod: True, but Benfica showed they can cope with clubs like Chelsea in important games, even by playing better football and creating more chances. Read above regarding your point on Starting XI vs Squad Depth.

@Golden: I'm not arguing against Benfica being a good team. I might need some convincing about these 4 Serbians, mind you, but I quite like Benfica as a club. :)

I don't think they'd finish above Spurs and Arsenal though, over the course of a season. Cup finals are one thing; a long slog against solid defenses all year would take its toll. Especially if the finishing is an issue.

Either way, I was just responding to Dynast's point about the EL final, where he seemed to indicate that Benfica 'should have won', when I think that's pretty easy to dispute.

@Lodatz

Well, I think that they have a brilliant forward in Cardozo. They just were a bit unlucky. And remember that if Benfica were in the PL, they'd be earning more money, which would give them the funds to buy better FW's as well.

And I think that Arsenal cannot beat Benfica. They just aren't good enough. Spurs and Benfica are just about level though. The likes of Porto, Spurs, Benfica, Atletico, Schalke, Galatasaray are all just about equal strength (based on last season).