Hatem Ben Arfa; ” At the end of the season we will have a discussion with the owner and the coach, if they show they have ambition then why not stay but if they have no ambition then I prefer to leave”.

This looks more than likely to be a literal word for word ‘translation’ that doesn’t exactly translate what Ba means. Leave the last word with Demba himself; “I would love to see people’s nose grow like Pinocchio when they lie”.

Phantom trophies, perhaps. Trophies that require no polish, no shelf to put them on, but trophies all the same.

We all know that the mackems judge success as finishing above Newcastle United but who should be in United’s sights as we approach the new season?

This season has been magnificent, stupendous and consistently exhilarating and there isn’t enough credit in the pubs of Tyneside to do Alan Pardew justice.

To think, they used to have this mad complicated arrangement where the club that won the league in each country went into a knockout competition and the team that won that competition was the champion of champions.

Arsene Wenger, “I wouldn’t completely rule out Newcastle nor Liverpool”.

Before the Wolves match quite clearly we were in the race for fourth, now we are not.

Then we have Obertan. I see potential in the kid (I think) but why does he not produce? Has he been watching Shola’s lethargic style and thinks that’s the way? Does he just have one of those ways of running (in a daze) that makes him look rubbish?

Alan Pardew thought we deserved a point after a decent first half and battling second. I’d totally agree because just as we hammered the mackems in the statistics, they probably just about earnt their point for a rearguard action against a better team.

A great shift put in with the exception of Obertan who was abysmal. Arsenal had possession and the majority of chances but Newcastle didn’t deserve that cruel last gasp goal. Pardew can take heart from a spirited performance and Ben Arfa deserves a run on the the right.