Dr Gloom

what's everyone reckon our team's going to look like for the big kick off? at the minute it could be: ---------------shay solano---rozenhal---ramage----n'zogbia geremi---dyer----butt---------milner ---------viduka---martins not very encouraging is it?

would be a gamble but sounds like the sort of player big sam turned into a success at bolton so you never know. not too many people had head of ben haim either

one centre back, one right back and a left back is the minimum required defenisvely. i also think we need two or three midfielders to bolster our numbers. preferably one creative player, one holding player and someone that could play on either flank would be a bonus. so mr ashley, please forget about the problems at sports direct for the moment and invest some of your billions in the following: baines campbell beye makalele deco simao thank you. as you can see, we don't ask for much.

morons

you don't say?

with duff, barton and owen all injured just three weeks before our trip to bolton, dyer possibly off to west ham and no top class players incoming, suddenly i'm not at all looking forward to the new season. it would be nice if we started the season well for once. a typical newcastle start sets the tone for another season of underachivement. we need at least three first team players signed before the start of the season - we don't want to leave it until the last miniyte like we did in the shepherd days by spending way over the odds on someone like luque or having to panic buy another sibierksi. the takeover optimism seems to be draining. does anyone fancy our chances for the season ahead under big sam and big mike, or is another season of mediocrity and 'consolidation' beckoning?

that's been the same line trotted out for years now. we always seem to make excuses before the season even kicks off....transitional year etc. a good manager and a few good additions and we should be challenging at the right half of the table. i just worry when you see so many teams around us spending big and i hope ashley gets his money out before the last week of the window, unlike his predicesor

you need players in your squad (especially strikers) that while not guranteed starters will always fight for the cause and fight for their place. shola fits the bill. you can't have four strikers that all expect to start every game. shola is good coming off the bench, can make things happen and deserves to start a few games this season if he can keep up his pre-op form. i always thought he'd do well for us after shearer retired as they never really worked as a front two and i felt for him that he picked up his worst injury the season after shearer called it a day. i hope he proves a few of us wrong next season. this could his best (and, sadly, final) chance with us.

would have been worth a punt if only for the novelty name

aye. after a decent start our transfer window dealings have stalled. i think we need at least three more signings that are better than what we already have. most of our buys so far have been decent additions to the squad but we haven't really added players that are definitely going to take us to the next level.

Stephenson a little floater in there, and Thomas is there....YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH That was fuckin great. Well done Brian Moore. Mate, you're a breath of fresh air. Truly I mean that. Especially on here, 95% of toon fans on the net, fall in to the following categories - clueless, boring (most), know fuck all about the toon, know fuck all about football. You have restored my faith in the fact that there's a toon fan on the net, who actually graphically remembers the time before Keegan. I'm not getting at young cunts, who weren't old enough, but lets be honest compared to the past, the crack, the knowledge, the fuckin ideology of supporting the toon, it's fucked up. Thank you for restoring my faith in the fact that not everyone is a wank. sut up man

Not sure Shola always does that tttt. Neither are that sort of player though. i think he always shows commitment. his languid style probably disguises how hard he can work for the team. viduka certainly isn't the sort to go chasing lost causes.

as long as owen stays i can't see us going for anything but a 4-4-2

at least shola will put in a decent shift every week. it remians to be seen whether viduka's workrate is up to it.

he might to better at blues where he'll be the main man. looks the sort that sulks if he's rotated with other strikers. £6m does seem steep mind. did spurs even pay that for him?

it's funny how much is still made of out 'atmopshere' at home games despite it being pretty much non-existent for at least 5 or 6 years now.

like dyer, the stick he gets is largely overblown. i reckon he could link up well with owen or martins. he was one of our best players before his op, despite carrying an injury.

spot on. it's just a shame he's always crocked.

And you call Viduka a lazy fat ozzie You truly have a fucked up valuation of a player worth to a team don't you Dan? when dyer is fit he is an asset to the team. i don't think his ability comes into his question; it's his injury history that lets him down. viduka seems to me the kind of player that only turns up when he fancies it. hope i'm wrong like because he's got loads of talent when he does turn up. plus he's as fat as all offside.

don't sell. we'll miss his pace and ability to run with the ball if he goes. he's worth keeping even if he only plays half the games in a season

i'm guessing owen might see out his contract as captain, then if we haven't progressed under sam he'll probably fuck off to a bigger club on a freebie

i agree but i thought the same about reading last year

he's not really anything tbh is he? Has he been tried as defensive midfielder? Or in the Falklands war? next viana?

he's not really anything tbh is he?

six? Oba Owen Shola Luque Viduka Carroll luque? reckon he'll get many games this season as a striker like?