Papa Lazaru

I honestly thought he was a lot better last week - he did do a lot right but maybe it was just my nervous expectation at what would happen at 1-0 that made me notice things he got away with more than I should. I do know what you mean that maybe he had a couple of close shaves, because he did have 1 or 2 where they might have snatched it off him and i think he did lose one by taking a risk, but he looks the part to me, controlled the game for us in a way Smith could never dream of but unfortunately we just didn't use our possesion. I think Sorensen probably had about 1 save to make all match which is far worse than our performance against Blackpool, which wasn't great!

I agree about Routledge, i do like him but he has been shit of late. Got to be Gutierrez and Ben Arfa next. This guys a clown if he was even remotely serious with that comment....Tiote looks quality! Stumbled around if pressured and was lucky to get away with a few loose balls. lack of actual tackles - didn't see much quality tbh. He did look good last week so I hope it was an off day - which it has to be said applies to Barton compared with last well as well. Have to say i seem to have been watching a completely different player to you. Tiote was everywhere, stoppign there attacks and whenever he got the ball he used it and got us moving, he looked a top aquisition to me. And it was quite clear once him and Ben Arfa were off we lost the plot. With them we have control of possesion and were knocking it about, unfortunately in their half we created jack shit, but we did keep the ball! Once they were both gone we were seriously struggling. Unless he was injured i have no idea what Hughton was doing with Ben Arfa, yes he wasn't storming it, but he was moving it round simply and accurately and there was always the chance he'd pull something out. And simply put Perch looks every bit the player Forest fans all said wasn't good enough even for the championship, he is way out of his depth. Before his goal he'd twice fucked up leading to them getting chances in the box which hit the woodwork/were missed. I reckon he must have been with the Pakistan cricketers and had a bet on Stoke because when they didn't take advantage of his gifts he thought fuck it, i'll do it myself and burried the header. So far he's achieved 5 yellows, a pen against Wolves he got away with and the winner for stoke today, Raylor is looking like a world beater now!

Watching goals on sunday and Ginola is on confirming the belief that in France Ben Arfa is seen as the most talented player of his generation and saying he is the next one in line from Zidane if he has the right attitude and does what's required to get there. Also Ginola as usual when i see him interviewed is talking about how much he loves the city and people up here and he's a funny guy as well, comes across really well and unlike english footballers is clearly intelligent. And he did his geordie accent as well!

With your political leanings this could be quite a disturbing sentence

I think the Blackpool result will ensure we're ready and fired up for the winnable home matches for a good while if they've learned the lesson, and even though we were a bit poor against Blackpool on another day we'd have won easy enough as we still had ample chances to score. So i'm going for a win by a couple of goals, with Ben Arfa being the star again.

He is way out of his depth, though on the "goal" i'll say he was looking the other way as he expected the ball to be getting kicked into the Liverpool half so that one was arguably the linesman's call as much as his. But the mackems should have had a pen and there was the Gerrad yellow card. The gerrard one sums up prem refs though, gutless and in the pocket of the "big four" because he saw it, he knows the rules and that its a straight red, but because its england's stevie g at anfield it become a yellow, its cheating plain and simple. And Hansen defending gerrard was as absolutely cringewrothy, he just made himself look a complete prick.

I wonder if there has ever been a prem team that relies so heavilly on one man than the Mackems. Without Bent they may as well just not turn up, they'd be down without question. The guy is a machine, scoring at least 1 in 2 every season in poor teams and his treatment by England has been shocking. Apart from a couple by Gyan this season and an own goal i think Bent has pretty much scored every goal for them. Read somewhere that the Mackems haven't won a game in over a year when he hasn't scored, they'd be screwed without him for sure Yeah i saw that. The guy is just for some reason ignored by England managers, or chucked in very briefly in friendlies and then dumped again. He's the English striker who scores the most goals and he does it in poor teams, he doesn't get the number of chances the likes of Rooney get on a plate from manu. I think he's overlooked firstly because of who he's playing for and secondly i remember some pundit saying its because he doesn't stand out or catch the eye. Ie. he's quick enough, but not lightning fast, he's not a target man in the air type and he's no flair player so people forget about him, but his goals are more than enough for me, he should walk into the England team.

I wonder if there has ever been a prem team that relies so heavilly on one man than the Mackems. Without Bent they may as well just not turn up, they'd be down without question. The guy is a machine, scoring at least 1 in 2 every season in poor teams and his treatment by England has been shocking. Apart from a couple by Gyan this season and an own goal i think Bent has pretty much scored every goal for them.

And me please!

I think from the interviews with him and his actions in coming over to Newcastle and practically striking to join us over other teams, (and the quote from him dismissing any possibility that he'd have considered Everton), that's he was pretty happy to come to us. I'm not saying down the line if a Manu or Chelsea came knocking that he'd definitely stay but i don't think he's just here with the intenion already to move on soon. He seems the sort of player who will be loved by our fans and will really appreciate that and produce his best here IMO, and so my bigger worry is Ashley having the sense to get him bought properly as soon as possible regardless of 25 games played.

I'd go with Krul, keepers can play plenty of games in a week, they don't need a rest like outfield players and if anything another game under his belt would be a good thing. Then i'd chuck in Raylor, Sol, Kadar and probably one of the kids Smith, Jonas and shove Ranger out wide again and Vukic, wouldn't be risking Ben Arfa or Tiote Up front Shola and Lovenkrands

I know he's got his problems but what a depressing cunt he is. He always has and always will be a complete and utter tool, but being talented at a sport is usally enough to excuse you in this country and still have all the fans up your backside. He's acting just like the Ashley Cole's of this world, while people have no money and are worried about losing their livelyhoods he's unwilling to pot a black ball because £4000 is such a disgrace to offer him for sticking some balls in a pocket, he's a prick.

Barry Horne One of the 'Dogs of War'. Who were the others? John Ebbrell was one. God yeah, Joe Royal was destroying football with that shower long before Allardyce came to the prem! I remember the game at St James' where Everton had 3 sent off, they whinged but it should have been 5 or 6 they were an absolute disgrace to the game of football that night. But i can't remember who the rest of the shower of shit were that played in that "football" team as Ebbrell was the only other name i could think of!

Barry Horne

Barton is showing what i thought he would, that he's a good player, when he isn't injured pre-season, suspended for ages or just out of jail! This is the first time we've seen him with a full pre-season under his belt and a run of games following that, although i saw a quote from Hughton somewhere that he's carrying a bit of an injury even now and still playing well. He'd done my head in for most of his time here but i always said when fit, available and after a proper pre-season, we'd see what he's made of and so far so good. You can't fault him this season really, against manu he was one of the few midfielders who tried to maike soemthing happen, it just didn't come off, but he was comfortably better than Smith or Nolan off Carroll. Against Villa he was impressive and started the whole win off, and at Wolves he not only played well but kept his head when most people would have smashed Henry's face in for him. Blackpool he was poor first half, ok second but his set pieces remained impressive which they have been every game. And by the sounds of it he was immense against Everton, long may it continue.

I think we can take a wild guess.... I don't know in his case. I'm not saying he'd drop down to a fraction of what he's on, but i think he may be one of the few players out there who'd rather be playing on less money than sitting about doing nowt. I hope he is, because he shouldn't be getting any more games for us unless we're really stretched. I think the line traditionally used is "going to stay and battle for my place...." We'll see. £6m and £60k a week for a "striker" who hasn't scored a single goal has to be our worst ever signing pound for pound..... He's probably up there finacially speaking, but the Luques and Marcelino's of the world are far worse! I actually like the guy in terms of he gives it 100% every match and probably did along with Nolan and Harper help Hughton restore order, fight and morale to this club. But the problem was always going to be that he is not capable enough for the prem and whilst i admire his wholehearted attitude and committment that doesn't mean you dive in and concede stupid freekicks and penalties, as we'll see whan we watch Tiote show how to play the DM role properly.

JFK had to make a point when he was elected saying he wouldn't look to the Vatican or his faith when making decisions. I'd liked to have asked Ruth Kelly and others to make the same pledge in the UK - something I think she would have failed on. Ruth Kelly had to be sacked the day she was asked the question about having a problem with gay people (when her job included issues on minorities) because of her mental opus dai beliefs and she wouldn't deny it. Then again wasn't it her who didn't get kicked out the government for releasing loads of paedophiles either, they just can't help themselves favouring child molesters.

He was telling the political leaders to make decisions based on his antiquated load of bollocks as well wasn't he, if they ever do they want sacking on the spot. I remember a while back there was some vote in the commons and there was a bishop telling the catholic politicians (on all sides) to vote with their religious conscience (it was either a scientific advance or the abortion time limit i think) and if any of them did i'd have them out of a job in a second. I don't ever want the country having decisions made based on some 2000 year old novel, they're paid to do what's best for the country and nothing more.

I think we can take a wild guess.... I don't know in his case. I'm not saying he'd drop down to a fraction of what he's on, but i think he may be one of the few players out there who'd rather be playing on less money than sitting about doing nowt. I hope he is, because he shouldn't be getting any more games for us unless we're really stretched.

Its not so much he thinks its the middle ages, its that he wants it to be once more, well preferably the dark ages. He wants all of us to be incapable of reading or writing so we have the church decide everything and control the poplulous whilst having all the wealth as well. Keep the minorities, gays and women etc down where he thinks they belong and make sure science, thinking and independent thought are kept from progressing at all. And allow priests to molest whoever they want, whenever they want!

I estimate the Ashley mistakes at around 40m (mainly relegation 25-30m and settlements for KK and fat Sam and his crew). Wages at the hight water mark were 68% of income. Not totally club destroying but getting there. I'm guessing it's around 50-55% for now (till we get rid of Smith and argualbly Guti or Collo both rumoured to be on 60-70k bracket). Next summer will be the time for the next rationalisation is my guess. Move Guti on. Dunno what Smith's on but he's not worth it. He'd be my top priority to sell (in the summer) if his wages are exorbitant. He's about to turn 30, and still has the best part of 2 seasons to run on his contract. He's on a fair whack, one of the Fat Sam mad signings (rumoured to be 60-65k). Bet Tiote is on 30k. Smith should be gone in January never mind end of season. I reckon he still has enough standing in the game as a player (wrongly) for there to be the odd manager who'd take him, so accept a token fee for him and get his wages of our back and his immobile legs off the pitch! The only problem (assuming Hughton would consider selling) is whether he's the type of player who'd rather sit and not play on a fortune or drop his wages somewhat to get regular games elsewhere.

Is Campbell ready for that kind of physical battering though? I know he'd prefer that than trying to keep up with an Agbonlahor or whomever, but still, bit of a baptism of fire for his first game, isn't it? fwiw I'd fancy Enrique to pocket Pennant (if he plays), but I'd worry about Etherington on their left. As an aside, will Perch's ban be in effect? Was thinking that watching their game against West Ham. He'll give Perch/Taylor a hard game for sure. Jones is destined to be a pain in the arse as well. Hoping he picks up a knock against Fulham if I'm honest. I think he's a real danger. It depends as he's one of those players who is unplayable one match then disappears for 2 or 3, of course this being Newcastle we'll get his unplayable match, so i'd be happy for him to be out injured.

As it stands i don't know whether we'd qualify for emergency keepr or not. Krul could still be deemed a young inexperienced keeper based on his handful of appearances so we could argue we have no frontline keeper at the moment. But i think it most likely Hughton will back Krul as no.1 whether he can get somebody or not and in the worst case scenario that Krul got injured or suspended we'd definitely qualify for an emergency loan and could bring one in quickly then, it can't take long to sort out a short term deal for a keeper.

He probably wouldn't i know, but as last man and stopping him getting the chance to get the ball i'd have said a straight red. And it was completely cynical and off the ball so wasn't some accidental little trip or whatever. But it was bever going to happen, he'd given a pen at old trafford, no way was he going to follow that with a red card, fergie wouldn't let him ref another game there! i only seen it the once, but im sure there was another man utd player between torres and where the ball ended up. may be wrong though I was half watching the replay and i think O'shea was just slighty nearer Torres than the other manu defender so he was last man by a small margin.