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I have to agree with Leazes here, that is plainly not true. When Bellamy first arrived he was a nothing player who'd just flopped at Coventry, he'd only managed 4 caps for Wales and most thought we paid over the odds at the time. Martins on the other hand has managed to score 1 in 3 at a far bigger club than we're ever likely to be, got an average of 1 in 2 in the CL, 7 in 6 in the UEFA cup and 11 in 13 for his country. For someone who likes to spout about facts so much LM I hope you enjoy these, do you think the Bellamy we signed then is better than Shevchenko now? after all he hasn't settled in yet and with your poor knowledge of football outside of this country I doubt you've ever heard of him. BTW are you still backing Roeder? I've asked you several times over on N-O yet you seem to be avoiding the question. To be fair to Baggio I thought he was talking about their respective reputations they bought to the club rather than what they did when they arrived here. It's a fairish point. But I'd love an answer from LM on the last point, but he seems to have gone very quiet. Bellamy was playing alongside far better players, particularly Alan Shearer. Many dunderheeds praise Bellamy for 'getting us to 4th blah blah blah' and forget the inflence of the fella next to him. However, the fella next to him provided far more in that equation for me. 70 goals for shearer in 3 seasons together suggests that they complemented each other well. It would be madness to discount Bellamys influence on that as well as to suggest that the 130 odd goals Shearer scored at Newcastle meant he hadnt done it before. Personally I thnk the comparison is unfair. Martins clearly has talent but how we manage it is another matter. He certainly came with a far better repuation. Bellamys performance for Coventry against Newcastle was appalling and many felt we had thrown money away. Certainly people were astonished at the price we paid for him. Martins needs better players around him. He isnt a player to run the channels like Bellamy but his instinct appears to shoot at the earliest opportunity. Maybe he needs more time. I suspect that is the case.

N-O has some very funny poster(s) on there. Northern Monkey. That kid has some issues. The latest installment on it is just funny. Therapy needed I suspect.

Ozomatli - Not what you asked for but god fun music from LA Rifles album is very good. Dirty Pretty Things is good as is the Babyshambles album but they arent what you like. Get a copy of the Ordinary boys doing all the things she said by tatu cos thats very good. Bought lots of other stuff but its just ok: Fratellis is Ok in places but nowt new Kasabian is ok but gets on my wick and cant understand why bought it. Cribs/Subways are good but thats old now Go Team. Best album heard for a while but its 2005 New Razorlight one is shite Never played that Editors album cos its so totally inferior to either Interpol album. It gets on me wick aswell. Get yourself some Love, Byrds, Gram Parsons, Gene Clark, Redskins and Spizz Energi and you wont go far wrong. Still like the Coral though. They write very clever little songs. Jeff Buckley album is tripe so wont recommend that but the lass he shagged (Elizabeth Fraser) had a great voice so the Cocteau Twins would be good. Tell you what is very very good though - Ambulance Ltd. Like them a lot. Dears album is pretty good too.

Better than Robert against Tottenham by any chance? Its hard to describe how good Ginola was that night.If you saw Chrissy Waddle against Man City in 1983/84 then that was close (for a winger). Robert against Tottenham is a very poor comparison to either of those two. Those performances were light years ahead of anything Robert managed (or was capable of managing). Seriously. Ginola had to be seen live to be believed that night. You could smell Neil Cox shitting himself anytime Ginola got near him. Unbelievable. The 5 yards that Alex mentions was something I doubt anyone who saw it will forget. It was the ultimate take the piss episode on a football field. Maybe Gazza against Steve Williams at Highbury was close but still nowhere near. And yet for such an amazing player he didn't score or achieve much really, odd that. Comparisons with Robert are one thing, but you are making him sound like an all time great which he wasn't. Making him sound like a talented player Renton. I dont think I have used the word great at all in terms of his contribution to Newcastle United. Of course it depends what achievement is really doesnt it? He achieved two 2nd places in the Premiership with us. He played in a very successful team in our terms. I guess we could argue that Alan Shearer didnt achieve much either really, did he? Is that odd too? Everyones favourite Welsh hunchback has won precisely nowt in his footballing career. What does that prove? Ginola wasnt a great for us but he was undoubtedly one of the most talented players ever to play in Black and White. Probably in the top 5 I have seen. Gazza, Waddle, PB, Shearer and him possessed more talent than any of the others I have seen. He was certainly the catalyst in 1996 in that teams were shit scared of him and Les (and PB). Erratic certainly but this nonsense of more end product from LR is to ignore footballs fundamentals. Newcastle did it everytime we played against him and benefited from it when he was here - teams had to double up on him. He could do it all and he often did. Teams were shit scared of him. Other days he was a lazy twat but he still had the ability to make something happen. I liked Laurent Robert but he really wasnt ever more than a good footballer. Its like trying to compare someone like Craig Bellamy with Peter Beardsley. They really are that far apart in terms of quality. Like i say, unless you saw those first 4 or 5 months of Ginola then you really wouldnt understand why people are giggling at the mere thought of presenting a comparison with Laurent Robert.

Better than Robert against Tottenham by any chance? Its hard to describe how good Ginola was that night.If you saw Chrissy Waddle against Man City in 1983/84 then that was close (for a winger). Robert against Tottenham is a very poor comparison to either of those two. Those performances were light years ahead of anything Robert managed (or was capable of managing). Seriously. Ginola had to be seen live to be believed that night. You could smell Neil Cox shitting himself anytime Ginola got near him. Unbelievable. The 5 yards that Alex mentions was something I doubt anyone who saw it will forget. It was the ultimate take the piss episode on a football field. Maybe Gazza against Steve Williams at Highbury was close but still nowhere near.

Pfff. If Robert scored and created more than Ginola (both similar, attacking players) in a worse team, how is he a worse player? Btw, I mean for us, what either did at other clubs is irrelevant, as that introduces even more confounding variables. Ginola would run games for 90 minutes at his best and he would have two players marking him a lot of the time. There's more to football than pure stats. Ginola had it all and his humiliation of Neil Cox is one of SJPs greatest moments but he never EVER ran for more than 10 minutes never mind 90. Brilliant footballer and its amusing to see people attempt to compare Robert with Ginola and Bellamy with Beardsley. Bellamy and Robert were good players. The other two were on an altogether different level.

Assuming you play a tele. Wouldnt get a stack for a start. Wouldnt get a Marshall either for that matter. Nice Tele through a Mesa DC50 or Fender Silverface will do a far better job The Fender Blues Junior/Fender Hot Rod Deluxe are very good too. If you can afford it then track down a Mesa Mk4 Anyway the answer to your question is that you could but check impedance before you do. The heads and cabs are designed together so there is that to consider. Make sure that they have Celestions. Much better sound. I like Marshalls to be honest.. I play a Les Paul, a tele a strat and an Sg. got a bass too... At the moment i play a Fender Blues Juniour nice but not loud enough. Plus when ever a mobile goes near it switched on iit goes mad apparently that means the valves need changing Checked youre amp??? I have played a Blues Junior to 600 people and beyond that you need it mic'd anyway. Its far too loud for an acoustic drummer which benchmarks the whole PA process really. Most amps will get pissed off with mobiles but check your pickups as well. Marshalls are OK but unless its the Bluesbreaker or 18 watter (basically handwired) I am not keen at all. Anyway, check the impedance on the other issue. Ring Marshall if youre unsure. They are usually helpful. Les Paul and Marshall go together so depends what youre after.

Ta for your help. Much appreciated.

Assuming you play a tele. Wouldnt get a stack for a start. Wouldnt get a Marshall either for that matter. Nice Tele through a Mesa DC50 or Fender Silverface will do a far better job The Fender Blues Junior/Fender Hot Rod Deluxe are very good too. If you can afford it then track down a Mesa Mk4 Anyway the answer to your question is that you could but check impedance before you do. The heads and cabs are designed together so there is that to consider. Make sure that they have Celestions. Much better sound.

Been asked by a group of lasses to recommend some bars on the quayside. They are from Yorkshire but the 6 of them are going out on the piss. Anyway, I havent lived up there for 10 years and as soon as i get to the quayside i just go to the offshore, red house and then cooperage. Certain the cooperage isnt their cup of tea. Suspect this lot will want a club or two and have asked me to make sure they avoid gays bars They are all about 26 If you could recommend any bars I am sure the lasses will be very grateful. Also, can you say where things are too please. Ta. If there are any others in town that you recommend then that would be good too! I just realised I never venture from the same bars.

I stood outside Roker Park for the Bowie gig. He came out with the immortal words "Hello Newcastle"

I'll see your Manchester 1989/90 and raise you a Blackpool 1989. Pretty much anywhere in 89/90 would do me tbh. Yep, thats the one. Went to see the Charlatans instead

vastly over-rated Nirvana at the Riverside I was there for that and didnt notice them. Just another support band. King Kurt were better.

Saw Belly a few times. pretty good. Would have liked to have seen the Redskins a few more times. Saw the Smiths a few times but missed Carlisle gig cos dad wouldnt let me go!!!

My Dad is a musical embarrassment. We passed the City Hall once on the way to the match and turned round to my mam and said 'we saw a "turn" on in there didnt we?' Beatles, Roy Orbison, Gerry and the Pisstakers et al..... He really doesnt understand music at all. Anyway, another good gig was the Wonderstuff and Darling buds at Riverside for 2 nights sometime in the late 80s. Fugazi and Gaye Bikers were also good around the same time. Smiths at Mayfair were excellent though.

I agree with that. After years of puting up with shep and realising there are worse about I dont trust him to accept the decisions of someone in that position.We have had financial fellas walk out in dodgy circumstances and I am certain that anyone in that position would be undermined. Shep isnt the worst but enough is enough. He is the chairman equivalent of Titus.

Man Utd are millions of fans further down the line - quite literally. I live in Yorkshire and a lot of my mtes are Salford/Sale lads who recognise the infux of daytrippers but the majority of their fans are still Manc based (and surrounding area which is bigger population wise than the north east by some distance). We would fill stadiums a lot easier than Chelsea simply because our fan base has always been big but theirs never has been. Old Trafford has always been the fullest stadium in terms of consistency for years. They didnt actually win much at all from the early seventies to late 80s but still managed to pile the fans in. In those days there wasnt such a 'daytripper' culture either. Still a few mind. We can outdo most but Man Utd. Liverpools support is less stable. In fact shite at times.

Milner is one paced and it aint quick

It was one of my "things to do before I die"....only 3 left and I can shoot off If I had to see REM before i could shoot off it my arms would be half the size. each to their own mate...each to their own Seen then a few times and they are very god live. Saw them at City Hall the night Arsenal won the league (1989) and at tiffanys a few years earlier. Prefer the stuff like Document to later stuff.

It was one of my "things to do before I die"....only 3 left and I can shoot off If I had to see REM before i could shoot off it my arms would be half the size.

It might be diverse but to be honest it is mostly still shite in a mockney accent. one or two decent songs in a career from alburn. Saw him as well at Rollercoaster tour with My Bloody Valentine and Dinosaur Jr Pretty good too.

Oasis at Maine Road. I imagine you'll want to delete your post now tbh. Coldplay were alreet when I saw them too. I wish I'd gone to the one at the COM Stadium last year to be honest, that would have been ace. Nah. Maine Road tbh. At their peak! Only saw Oasis once and that was at the Riverside - got short changed really for obvious reasons Best gig is hard to say .. Smiths at Mayfair, Redskins and Bunnymen at York Racecourse, Cult were very good at Tiffanys before they went all rocky. Probably the best is the Bhundu Boys at Riverside. Just a very good night alround and Guinness and whisky all night.

51 goals in the top flight by the age of 27 is evidence that he is a top striker ? Good player but he hasnt averaged 10 a season in the premiership yet. Watching him for newcastle confirmed he isnt a natural striker in the goalscoring sense. He has had one decent season in front of goal and that was it. Good player but not to be rated in the pantheon of strikers with that rate. Falling for the clubs propaganda is one thing. Condoning what the little prick did is quite another. Personally i still cant understand anyone backing him. Plenty of mugs do though. I would happily tolerate that shite from Keane or Shearer or Beardsley or Gazza cos they are leagues better as players. Letting a good but far from great player get away with that sells us short in my view. i rate our club higher than having to permit his nonsense. Yes we would be better with him in the team but there is so much more to it thatn that. It was a good article by the way. How many games in the top flight ? How many games when he was fit ? You are aware he played over 50 games for Newcastle between being injured at the SOS Feb 2002 until August 2004 with a knee which caused him pain and any knock on it oould have finished his career ? How many players do you think would do that ? And STILL be the clubs most effective forward, prolonging Shearers career by a few years ? Gazza he is not, but there are also not too many Gazzas knocking around ..... You seriously understimate his worth to Newcastle mate, proven by the money we have spent attempting to replace him, which we still have not done. So by the age of 27 50 goals in the big league is acceptable? As long as your injured? for a bloke who is apparently a great striker We could say he isnt a player who is a striker but the total is paltry. The most effective forward is the one who can score 200 goals in 10 years despite being injured for prolonged periods and us haing seen him for about 6 months in his prime. People like that are great players Bellamy is a good player. No better and no worse. Miles away from the Beardsley standard never mind Gazza. ..and that is without calling us a 'circus' and showing his love by waving another teams badge in front of us. Perhaps people were wrong when they suggested he loved the club. I certainly wouldnt have done it. Would you? who said he is a goalscorer ? Not me. He's a support striker, and a class one. If you are going to say "20 goals a season" tell me how many players score 20 goals a season, and how many teams have 2 players that do this. He was Shearers partner. It's all about team play and pattern. This is what he is. He isn't Shearer or Owen, he's an out and out goalscorers partner. He has scored a rough average of one in about 3, which is quite good but you don't measure players of that type in terms of a goalscoring statistic. Have we replaced him, or not ? And how much have we spent attempting to do it ? I don't know what your problem is with a Liverpool player kissing the badge of the club he plays for, its a shame Beardsley didn't do that instead of effectively kissing the other teams badge. And you still don't give him credit for giving everything for the club despite having an injury, and you ought to do, considering the amount of wastes of fooking space we have had over the years. It was kissing that badge uin front of out fans. Does that show love? If it had been the situation where Alan Shearer ran to the Blackburn fans at the Gallowgate celebrating then fair enough. It was very very different. For a start he wasnt the one who scored (unsurprisingly) and he didnt need to provoke them did he? You think he showed his love for the team kissing their badge in front of our fans? Tell you what, wait until he comes back to SJP and see how many show their appreciation then. He will get worse than Andy Cole who did more for this club and in my view was a better player (and getting a roar when he scored against Villa to break the record from the crowd unlike anything I have heard until Shearer broke his record ). Neither will be welcomed back. One won all sorts and carried on scoring - unfortunately he proved himself short of greatness when played alongside players like Keane and Giggs and Cantona who truly were great. I measure ability relative to what that player is capable of. He gave it all but he temperament was nowhere near right. Freddie gave him his final warning before Souness so that gives you an indication. Fred, as you note, doesnt like getting involved in team affairs. He had to get on CB's case several times. He appears to have learned a little from it but nowhere near enough. If he had then the incident he provoked at Anfield in front of the fans and Terry Mac wouldnt have occured. Both were his choice. He wasnt and never will be in the PB class, he is different to MO and AS too in terms of where he plays but even in their position all 3 are a class above in ability terms and a league apart in how they handle themselves on and off the pitch. If he had the ability of someone like Keane or Cantona (to draw parallels whith players who got away with things they shouldnt have) then I would be far more willing to forgive and forget. He is lucky to be mentioned in the same breath as all but one of the players I have mentioned. I suspect he will be injured when Liverpool arrive. We havent replaced him but many saw through him well before he left. Freddie Shpeherd for one. I still don't see what your problem is. He loved playing for Newcastle [even if he didn't its the PR thing to say and every player says it] but is now playing for the club he supported as a boy and the club he wanted to play for the most. What is wrong with that ? I don't go with the idea that fans can bait players then complain when they have a go back, that is stupid and childish and shows up the fans for being morons. Fans should accept this, you shouldn't dish it out if you can't take it back. And, I repeat, the notion that he wouldn't be forgiven if he ever came back is a no brainer. He would, it won't happen but this is an opinion based on the fact that Beardsley was, and a Newcastle player essentially lying to his own kind was forgiven. Snubbing or mocking Newcastle fans playing for Liverpool --- or a geordie lad effectively snubbing and mocking Newcastle fans and the club, while playing for Newcastle ? No contest. Whether Bellamy, or Shepherd, are odious pricks doesn't matter. Bellamy did his stuff on the pitch, more than any other player at the club. Whether you like him or not - who cares ? There are always people you don't like in life. You would probably like Andreas Andersson, but who would you prefer to play for you ? Peter Beardsley and Alan shearer if they were 15 years younger is the answer and ther eis as much chance of that happening as the liverpool badge kisser coming back.Shearer still did more to get us into the champions league that Bellamy by the way.....goals dont score themselves. Bellamy did his bit but he certainly wasnt alone. Shearer hadnt had a good partner for years til he came. However he was still rattling in the goals when fit. Dont underestimate that. Peter Beardsley will always be a significantly better player than that oik could ever be. Like comparing chalk and cheese. One came back to a round of applause every time whatever shirt he wore. I was there. the other will never get that. there is a reason for that. I will be there. You are completely unable to accept that Beardsley did such a thing, this is why you fail to recognise the vast difference to what he did in comparison to Bellamy. Basically Bellamy responded to fans giving him the bird, while Beardsleys actions shamed Newcastle United and himself, as he was a Newcastle player and snubbed his own club and everything he stood for. You also miss the point between Newcastle then and now, which is that Beardsley wanted to move because Newcastle were shit...and Shearer chose to stay because he at least thought he had a chance of winning a trophy or two, and qualifed regularly for europe to substantiate that hope into the bargain. Beardsley's actions that day, were an absolute disgrace mate. You can't gloss over it, they were inexcusable. Beardsley was a street ahead of Bellamy in every conceivable way.We all know where Beardsleys heart is though. We know where Bellamy is too - himself. You compared Bellamy to Beardsley and to be quite honest Bellamy couldnt kick his arse. If he tried to he would miss. Bellamy will rightly never go down as a great NUFC player simply becasuse he isnt good enough to. Cole wasnt either but he was better than Bellamy. Beardsley is. Answer this. Who would you have? Bellamy or Beardsley in their prime?

51 goals in the top flight by the age of 27 is evidence that he is a top striker ? Good player but he hasnt averaged 10 a season in the premiership yet. Watching him for newcastle confirmed he isnt a natural striker in the goalscoring sense. He has had one decent season in front of goal and that was it. Good player but not to be rated in the pantheon of strikers with that rate. Falling for the clubs propaganda is one thing. Condoning what the little prick did is quite another. Personally i still cant understand anyone backing him. Plenty of mugs do though. I would happily tolerate that shite from Keane or Shearer or Beardsley or Gazza cos they are leagues better as players. Letting a good but far from great player get away with that sells us short in my view. i rate our club higher than having to permit his nonsense. Yes we would be better with him in the team but there is so much more to it thatn that. It was a good article by the way. How many games in the top flight ? How many games when he was fit ? You are aware he played over 50 games for Newcastle between being injured at the SOS Feb 2002 until August 2004 with a knee which caused him pain and any knock on it oould have finished his career ? How many players do you think would do that ? And STILL be the clubs most effective forward, prolonging Shearers career by a few years ? Gazza he is not, but there are also not too many Gazzas knocking around ..... You seriously understimate his worth to Newcastle mate, proven by the money we have spent attempting to replace him, which we still have not done. So by the age of 27 50 goals in the big league is acceptable? As long as your injured? for a bloke who is apparently a great striker We could say he isnt a player who is a striker but the total is paltry. The most effective forward is the one who can score 200 goals in 10 years despite being injured for prolonged periods and us haing seen him for about 6 months in his prime. People like that are great players Bellamy is a good player. No better and no worse. Miles away from the Beardsley standard never mind Gazza. ..and that is without calling us a 'circus' and showing his love by waving another teams badge in front of us. Perhaps people were wrong when they suggested he loved the club. I certainly wouldnt have done it. Would you? who said he is a goalscorer ? Not me. He's a support striker, and a class one. If you are going to say "20 goals a season" tell me how many players score 20 goals a season, and how many teams have 2 players that do this. He was Shearers partner. It's all about team play and pattern. This is what he is. He isn't Shearer or Owen, he's an out and out goalscorers partner. He has scored a rough average of one in about 3, which is quite good but you don't measure players of that type in terms of a goalscoring statistic. Have we replaced him, or not ? And how much have we spent attempting to do it ? I don't know what your problem is with a Liverpool player kissing the badge of the club he plays for, its a shame Beardsley didn't do that instead of effectively kissing the other teams badge. And you still don't give him credit for giving everything for the club despite having an injury, and you ought to do, considering the amount of wastes of fooking space we have had over the years. It was kissing that badge uin front of out fans. Does that show love? If it had been the situation where Alan Shearer ran to the Blackburn fans at the Gallowgate celebrating then fair enough. It was very very different. For a start he wasnt the one who scored (unsurprisingly) and he didnt need to provoke them did he? You think he showed his love for the team kissing their badge in front of our fans? Tell you what, wait until he comes back to SJP and see how many show their appreciation then. He will get worse than Andy Cole who did more for this club and in my view was a better player (and getting a roar when he scored against Villa to break the record from the crowd unlike anything I have heard until Shearer broke his record ). Neither will be welcomed back. One won all sorts and carried on scoring - unfortunately he proved himself short of greatness when played alongside players like Keane and Giggs and Cantona who truly were great. I measure ability relative to what that player is capable of. He gave it all but he temperament was nowhere near right. Freddie gave him his final warning before Souness so that gives you an indication. Fred, as you note, doesnt like getting involved in team affairs. He had to get on CB's case several times. He appears to have learned a little from it but nowhere near enough. If he had then the incident he provoked at Anfield in front of the fans and Terry Mac wouldnt have occured. Both were his choice. He wasnt and never will be in the PB class, he is different to MO and AS too in terms of where he plays but even in their position all 3 are a class above in ability terms and a league apart in how they handle themselves on and off the pitch. If he had the ability of someone like Keane or Cantona (to draw parallels whith players who got away with things they shouldnt have) then I would be far more willing to forgive and forget. He is lucky to be mentioned in the same breath as all but one of the players I have mentioned. I suspect he will be injured when Liverpool arrive. We havent replaced him but many saw through him well before he left. Freddie Shpeherd for one. I still don't see what your problem is. He loved playing for Newcastle [even if he didn't its the PR thing to say and every player says it] but is now playing for the club he supported as a boy and the club he wanted to play for the most. What is wrong with that ? I don't go with the idea that fans can bait players then complain when they have a go back, that is stupid and childish and shows up the fans for being morons. Fans should accept this, you shouldn't dish it out if you can't take it back. And, I repeat, the notion that he wouldn't be forgiven if he ever came back is a no brainer. He would, it won't happen but this is an opinion based on the fact that Beardsley was, and a Newcastle player essentially lying to his own kind was forgiven. Snubbing or mocking Newcastle fans playing for Liverpool --- or a geordie lad effectively snubbing and mocking Newcastle fans and the club, while playing for Newcastle ? No contest. Whether Bellamy, or Shepherd, are odious pricks doesn't matter. Bellamy did his stuff on the pitch, more than any other player at the club. Whether you like him or not - who cares ? There are always people you don't like in life. You would probably like Andreas Andersson, but who would you prefer to play for you ? Peter Beardsley and Alan shearer if they were 15 years younger is the answer and ther eis as much chance of that happening as the liverpool badge kisser coming back.Shearer still did more to get us into the champions league that Bellamy by the way.....goals dont score themselves. Bellamy did his bit but he certainly wasnt alone. Shearer hadnt had a good partner for years til he came. However he was still rattling in the goals when fit. Dont underestimate that. Peter Beardsley will always be a significantly better player than that oik could ever be. Like comparing chalk and cheese. One came back to a round of applause every time whatever shirt he wore. I was there. the other will never get that. there is a reason for that. I will be there.

I agree. I've gave up on him. Yep. Me too. Got the attributes if you ignore the fact that he never uses his head. I've always hoped he would become a good player because he should be. His whole game has always been one of not using his brain, when he has concentration lapses thats what its about, he can't stay alert. When he passes the ball long too often , he is posing and can't use his brain to tell him to play short passes and vary his game, never mind the fact that the short safe pass for someone in his position is the sensible ball and the one he should play 99% of the time. His passing ability is awesome, but he should keep it for when it counts and it would be more effective if it wasn't expected. Such things are basic kids stuff. His tackle on Saturday showed his lack of brains too. Roeder is the first manager he has had who was a defender, and a captain/talking defender too, so if he can't spell it out to him then the only way he will go now is down. I've had enough. I think thats the best thing you have written. I do wonder though about Roeders comments about tiredness. Not necessarily physical but mental tiredness. His mistakes do tend to happen at later in the game although I am sure he has fucked up early in them. Not sure there is anything you can do about that. Despite his size he is still the only centre half with anything approaching decent speed. He played very well initially under Roeder and I thought he was getting somewhere. Like you say, enough is enough. One thing is certain we need to get some pace and strength in that back four. Not sure Emre helps them either - good ball player but we need some presence. Liverpool looked like bloody giants in the same way Arsenal used to. They have athletes in midfield and all can play. That Sissoko is looking a very good player and if we used the wide men properly we could do with someone imposing like him alongside Parker. Not our usual game plan but protecting that lot at the back has to be thought about. Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal with Gilberto and Vieria were never shy in using big fellas with talent. Man Utd had Keane and he was more than enough for anyone - in my view the best premiership player ever - as much as I hate to say it. We look fragile without Titus never mind with him.