Papa Lazaru

Even if Fergie sticks out a team of kids never mind reserves he's entitled to and we had a whole season to do the business so i certainly don't blame him for looking after his own club, i'd want our manager to do the same. But as people have said their reserves can easilly beat Hull so we still have a chance and not that it really matters but i think Villa over the time we've been in the prem is one of our best grounds in terms of away wins, so who knows!

Fuck it, so would I Sad but true! As shit as Fat Fred was, (and he certainly started the job Ashley is trying to finish in relegating us), i'd still take him back over Asley and Llambias!

Pretty basic isn't it! If they'd watched Nolan for any length of time this season they'd have seen he offered none of what we needed, ie pace, creativity and goals from midfield, and if they'd watched Taylor they'd know he isn't a prem player fullstop. Whether Beattie would have been a logical signing, i doubt it as we do/did have strikers available who can do enough that midfield was always the priority. And selling Milner and Zog and not replacing them with players as good when they left was just typical NUFC. And Harper has come nowhere near Given's level of play in this spell, i do like Harper and think he's been excellent cover for Shay in the past but this run of games he's started to worry me a little to be honest.

Did you see when he tried to turn on the edge of the box down the Leazes End, the Pride of Dover turns quicker than that. I always say that about him jokingly as he's so slow and lumbering in everything he does, but that moment, i remember clearly and it was like watching a great big fucking ship turning in a harbour, i couldn't believe it was a professional sportsman playing in the top division!

Well you'll see more movement and pace than if you watch Butt, Nolan, Geremi etc

Typical the one win we've had in living memory was on a monday so missed both MOTD and MOTD2, i don't think i've seen motd for months now, can never bring myself to suffer through it! As for the game i wish we'd started the first half like the 2nd half and we'd have won comfortably. Second half we came out firing on all cylinders and indeed scored a goal but for the ref, first half was decent at times but with no final ball/end product as usual. I do honeslty beleve though that if the equaliser stood we would have raised the roof, the players would have been given a massve boost and we'd have went on to win just as we did from behind against the smogs. Bt the disallowed goal followed by the sending off and being a man down killed us and we struggled after that, though their keeper still made saves, including the one right at the end.

hes right though, not because duff can play there but because Jose is good enough to be our first choice Yeah, not saying Duff should be second choice LB or anything but he's been better there than on the wing! So a cheap covering LB for Enrique would do, and the priority for everyone on here i'm sureis some mifielders with creativity and hopefully a bit of pace. Then strikers depending on who stays and goes of our exisiting options.

Wish i'd known ealier about this or i'd have tried for tickets, though i read they are one of the fastest seelouts going, so you have to be quick! Be a shame there's no Humph though, won't be quite the same though the likes of Rob Brydon, Stephen Fry and i think Jeremy Hardy are good choices to fill in for him. There's a couple of pairs floating around on ebay: http://shop.ebay.co.uk/items/_W0QQ_nkwZclu...armrsZ1QQ_fromZ Yeah was probably a safe bet some would turn up there!

Wish i'd known ealier about this or i'd have tried for tickets, though i read they are one of the fastest seelouts going, so you have to be quick! Be a shame there's no Humph though, won't be quite the same though the likes of Rob Brydon, Stephen Fry and i think Jeremy Hardy are good choices to fill in for him.

As somebody said he's free, already settled in at the club and our team is woefully lacking in any pace whatsoever. Also he has managed 3 goals in a team with no midfield creativity whatsoever and sometimes being out wide rather than upfront. Obviously we'd like some top class signings to come in but how likely is that, and even if it does happen we still need squad players and i'd be happy to see him get a year or two here.

Galloway as ever confirming what a complete dick he is and being owned completely in the argument by the dispatches guy.

One of the most annoying/shite things Hughton and Calderwood did was not pick him for games when he was available and then the second he got injured again in training they were whingeing about him not being available, they cost us points with that fucked up decision. Think we both said at the time you more or less have to pick him when he's available as his next injury is just round the corner. I think Shearer has used the players available very well to be honest. He knew he had to pick the Owen's and Viduka's, sadly Owen has been well out of form but Viduka has done his bit. Then realising Martins couldn't play 90 mins with his injury he's brought him on for as long as he could get out of him as an impact player, and if you watched Martins at the end his groin injury was clearly stopping him running , so Shearer timed it well!

One of the most annoying/shite things Hughton and Calderwood did was not pick him for games when he was available and then the second he got injured again in training they were whingeing about him not being available, they cost us points with that fucked up decision.

I said before that he was pretty much playing Liverpool on his own the other week, and tonight once again he was top class, involved in anything good we did. I'd certainly give him 1 more year on a pay as you play contract as he still has enough to offer under that kind of deal.

Its a weird one to predict because both teams have to attack as a win is essential so you'd think high scoring until you remember we have the worst midfield around and they can't score to save their lives! I just think we're due a match where either or both of Viduka and Owen pull a goal or two out of the hat.

And SSN already had Pogatetz and Riggot out, if that's true they're going to be a bit short on defenders hopefully.

I'm off work today so in theory enjoying myself on the net and watching dvd's and the like but i'm just feeling sick the whole time and desperate for not just kick off time to arrive but the final whistle! Same here re: the nausea. Like a game v. the Mackems but a lot worse. Yeah, didn't have it all morning, was just reading and watching TV, then suddenly it hit me, think it was the local news mentioning it and its been awful since then. One positive i suppose is that its not against the mackems, imagine a game against them where the loser was down and if we won we could stay up, don't think i could cope with the wait for that match!

Frank Skinner on question time the other week nailed it on the head for me. All the MP's saying its time to change the system and that its wrong and the public have a right to be angry etc. he simply pointed out the only reason they're all doing ths is because they were caught. Not because they have any remorse or consience over what they did, just that they've been found out and that if they hadn't they would have been doing it till the end of their careers. There was a good article by ex tory Gerry Hayes (the bubble-permed guy who used to be on James Whale's tv show i think!) who pointed out it was Thatcher and her lot who sneaked all this stuff in because they couldn't get away with publically giving themselves ludicrous wage increases back in the day so did it by the back door as it were and that its been going on since then and this lot just happen to be the ones who've been caught.

I'm off work today so in theory enjoying myself on the net and watching dvd's and the like but i'm just feeling sick the whole time and desperate for not just kick off time to arrive but the final whistle!

Whether he's geuninely unable to play or just not quite willing enough to give it a go, and i'd rather give him the benefit of the doubt, his showing at Liverpool with the injury means he had to be dropped anyway, he wasn't even making attacking runs at all second half and as has been said if he loses his pace he isn't worth a start at all. If he'd declared himself available i'd have had him on the bench behind Lovenkrands and tried later on (if needed) to get 20-25 mins out of him. Neither of the two are world beaters as we know, but our team is so slow and one paced that one of them has to play or we offer nothing at times.

About right and after Shearer dropped him i thought he came back well in the game against Portsmouth. Will he ever be suited to the prem, who knows, we may not find out. Also unlike most of his collegaues he has been fit and available to play for every single game this season, surely that must be unique amongs toon players!!!

Think we'll all need a few to get through this match! I'm going for a win by 1 goal with Viduka nailed on to score at some point.

Sounds about right for me too, but first thing will likely be nursing a broken toe after kicking something very hard in anger! I think we'll win tonight but i think it will likely be by 1 goal, clinging on for dear life till the very end to make us suffer as much as is possible!

Manu have shown that before when West Ham with Tevez went to Old Trafford and won to stay up. And the mackems play Chelsea last who also have the FA cup to worry about and possibly the CL final, so no favours there either.

I do agree with people that other players may have got a yellow, and certainly Gerrard would have got that at most, but it was stupid enough and reckless enough that i've no issue with a red. What annoys me most is that as Norbert said, in the time he was on the pitch he did more than Nolan has managed since we signed him, in those final 3 games Barton would have made a big impact, but because he's such a fucking tit we'll be without him once again. Since there's no Barton anymore i hope Guthrie gets a game, at least unlike the rest of our midfielders you do get the feeling he can actually play football from time to time and he can take corners!