Papa Lazaru

The pair of them are completely embarassing in many ways. Taylors foul was moronic and could have got him sent off and Ronaldo's face clutching cheating was also a joke. They then follow it up with childish insults like a pair of little kids, what a pair of complete tarts! If only Beye hadn't been injured we could have been so much better off!

Sorry, that's an unbelievable statement to make, what's the point of even going to football matches if you'd settle for a loss before a ball is kicked? I said before the match (not on here) that I expected that it would be a narrow victory to ManU - probably 1-0. I've noticed drubbings don't normally come at NUFC when you most expect them. I also said in some ways this would be the worst possible result for us because it papers over some huge cracks. I'm sure Ashley feels vindicated now and will stick with the management regime until the end. Maybe, just maybe, he might have tried to change things if we were tonked. Probably not like. I have no doubt in my mind our better performance last night was down to the players lifting themselves for the big occassion rather than anything Hughton did. I've also no doubt we'll revert to type come the Hull game, which is now arguably our most important game in years. Also I notice people are saying we were unlucky not to get something because of Ryan Taylor's blunder. Sorry, but I think that's bollocks. Firstly, our goal came from a highly unusual blunder from Van der Sar where as Taylor's mistake typifies us. Secondly, we were playing flat out in 5th gear at 6000 rpm whereas I don't even think they were in second gear. If they'd needed another goal, they'd have got it, simple as that. Agree that the players as usual lifted themselves for the big game but will likely be back to normal for Hul, and this is the problem, last nights efforts would see us comfortably win games against all but the best teams, that level of performance would have hammered shit teams like Bolton. Don't agree with the end bit though, manu don't just swan around taking it easy, they play to win at all times, and also we were playing bloody well at times, so it wasn't a case of if we hadn't gifted them a goal they would have got it as and when they needed it. They might be the best team on the planet but they're not invincible and not always at their very best, and if we hadn't givent them that goal we had as much chance of a draw as they did in that game, in fact i could easilly have seen any of the 3 possible results happening. Look at ManU's record this season and particularly recently. How many games have they won by the odd goal? It's not all down to chance and they are about as near as you can get to an invincible team. For all our improvement we lacked clear cut chances imo, so did they but I'd really expect that to change if they needed it to. Anyway, it's all moot now, we just have to hope the performance can lift confidence which we can then translate into results where it matters. Two years ago under Roeder we had a must win game against Sheffield United which we won 2-0. The game against Hull is even more vital, looking forward to it with a sense of dread and excitement, come on you bastards! This is what worries me, a draw against manu would have really lifted them, i just fear that a narrow defeat for all the improvement we saw won't lift them and we'll be back to normal against Hull! You're right though, there hasn't been many bigger games than the Hull match, a win there is beyond vital when you look at the two home games following it!

Not that i give a toss personally but I've heard the same from him, and its not just been before matches, its been after ones he's won and away completely from matches with us. He does seem to like toon fans and the city, as well as often showing the club more respect that required if you look at times he's played stronger lineups than he would ever have needed. Also i'm not one of these people who thinks Fergie is some evil genius who spends half his life planning every single word he says to have some devious calculated effect, sometimes i think he actually just talks about stuff for the sheer hell of it!!! Also do people really think Fergie is daft enough to think, if i praise the toon fans before the match, they'll all think, "Well i hate manu and their manager, have done for years and was going to give them 90 mins of shit, but since he said that i think i'll leave them be!" I don't like him, but he is intelligent and he knows that praising our fans will do fuck all in the way of changing what they do at St James when Manu turn up. He may be able to get under the skin of opposition players/managers on rare occasions, but praising fans changes nothing and he knows that.

Yeah, at the match we all assumed it was Steven on the basis he's a complete fucking retard and does shit like this all the time, but i did notice as the game was about to restart that he (Steven) went up to Ryan and seemed to be trying to lift him as if Ryan had done it. Then some bloke who'd been for a piss and seen the replay told us it was Steven so i thought it must have been. Then MOTD said Steven as well! But even if it wasn't him for the goal, he should have been sent off and so he would have thrown the game away and probably got us a caning, he's a fucking liability.

Sorry, that's an unbelievable statement to make, what's the point of even going to football matches if you'd settle for a loss before a ball is kicked? I said before the match (not on here) that I expected that it would be a narrow victory to ManU - probably 1-0. I've noticed drubbings don't normally come at NUFC when you most expect them. I also said in some ways this would be the worst possible result for us because it papers over some huge cracks. I'm sure Ashley feels vindicated now and will stick with the management regime until the end. Maybe, just maybe, he might have tried to change things if we were tonked. Probably not like. I have no doubt in my mind our better performance last night was down to the players lifting themselves for the big occassion rather than anything Hughton did. I've also no doubt we'll revert to type come the Hull game, which is now arguably our most important game in years. Also I notice people are saying we were unlucky not to get something because of Ryan Taylor's blunder. Sorry, but I think that's bollocks. Firstly, our goal came from a highly unusual blunder from Van der Sar where as Taylor's mistake typifies us. Secondly, we were playing flat out in 5th gear at 6000 rpm whereas I don't even think they were in second gear. If they'd needed another goal, they'd have got it, simple as that. Agree that the players as usual lifted themselves for the big game but will likely be back to normal for Hul, and this is the problem, last nights efforts would see us comfortably win games against all but the best teams, that level of performance would have hammered shit teams like Bolton. Don't agree with the end bit though, manu don't just swan around taking it easy, they play to win at all times, and also we were playing bloody well at times, so it wasn't a case of if we hadn't gifted them a goal they would have got it as and when they needed it. They might be the best team on the planet but they're not invincible and not always at their very best, and if we hadn't givent them that goal we had as much chance of a draw as they did in that game, in fact i could easilly have seen any of the 3 possible results happening.

And they will be the hand picked photos they choose as they look the best, imagine what gets rejected!

With the fuckwitts we have in charge i was expecting Taylor or Shola! Never bothers me who's captain in football if i'm honest, its not like cricket and rugby captains who have a big say in what happens, in football leaders will lead whether they have the armband or not and one of our big problems is often the lack of talking amongs our players.

They're only going to be able to play away from their own country now, you can't have other teams having to go there and to be fair nobody will go, whether that decision is made by governements, sports authorities or the players themselves. Shame for the genuine fans of cricket over there and the players who will be denied the chance to play in front of their own fans, but nobody in their right mind will play there for years now.

What a non story that is! Its no different to somebody having watched Spurs play and telling him which way they player took his last pen, and even then he might not take it that way next time! No surprise to see Poll involved, just waiting to hear Jeff Winter's words of wisdom now!

That's my categorical view. I've been willing to accept a couple of games easing them back in from the bench (especially as we beat West Brom) but we now have to cut to the chase - any game where it doesn't happen is even more of a write off. Strange isn't it, that its obvious to all the fans, yet the "proffessionals" we pay to do the job find it beyond them. I'm sure most people on here have problems with Viduka and/or Martins to varying degrees, as neither is perfect, but both are streets ahead of Shola etc and both can win a match. If they tire, then take them off after having got as long as possible out of them. I remember watching SSN and they were discussiing the relagtion candits and Merson said if Viduka stys fit and plays enough games we would stay up easilly, if he doesn't play we'll go down! Not usual the voice of reason Merson but people in the game do rate Viduka's ability, except for our management of course!

Aye. Not quite made the same impact as when Bellamy called Souness it though. Can someone explain why Hughton waited until there were 12 mins to go to make his first tactical substitution as well? I think some managers just think it's common practise as opposed to making the substitution for a reason. Yesterday it actually looked like they were going to put Viduka on about the same time Butt got injured and then they changed their mind because they were forced into subbing Butt. This was around the 20 minutes to go mark I think. What I don't get is when you know you need to do something tactically but an injury happens, why not make both subs anyway! Shy bairns and all that. You're probably right but that's ridiculous when you think about it. To follow on from what you say it was crying out for a change, even just to somehow get a bit of luck to get a goal. Nothing venture and all that. Plus, they'd still have had a spare sub anyway. If you get two late injuries after that you just have to hold your hand up and say we were unlucky, but at least we went for it. The way we let the last 25 mins or so of the game slip away was a joke. Made ten times worse by the fact Bolton had dropped way too deep and were clinging on for their win, asking us to attack them, and they were pannicking because recently they've let leads slip and it was there for the taking if we'd made changes early and made the right ones.

Biggest game of the season now, they are on a massive slump and either we win and probably send them down as they will be in freefall or we gift them 3 points and probably get them back on track! With our luck we'll end up against the unplayable footballing machine Arsenal and not the out of sorts, bunch of tarts who can lose to anyone version, we'll get the unstopable manu and Chelsea under Hiddink are looking much more capable of winning now! Stoke away is tough because as shit as they are, their players and fans at home are up for a fight and its a really difficult game for us and thats if we had competent management, rather than the shambles we actually have!

Aye. Not quite made the same impact as when Bellamy called Souness it though. Can someone explain why Hughton waited until there were 12 mins to go to make his first tactical substitution as well? As far as i can tell its set in stone if you are a toon manager that you are completely incapable of understanding substitutions and refuse point blank to make them until its too late, and further that you should make the wrong choice when you do! As for the Smith incident, it really does show how useless the current management duo are going to be if thats the authority they exert over players!

Its insane isnt it that in all the time Shola has been here and all those managers an coaches he's had, that only Keegan looked at him and thought, he's not good enough and tried to shift him! Even when he's injured they turf him out ahead of the other strikers, which doesn't help him or the team, he just ends up getting more stick from the fans which hardly lifts his confidence! Today we had to start with Viduka and Martins, thats a no brainer as we're playingt mostly shite and need all the potential matchwinners going on that team sheet. When Viduka tires you bring on Carroll, is it really that hard to see that? Even Shola on for Viduka later in the game i'd accept, wouldn't be my choice but better than what the bunch of fuckwitts did today at Bolton.

I think the coaching staff should be sectioned. If by sectioned you mean cut into small pieces, then i whole heartedly agree!

He obviously wasn't watching the same game as me because the one i saw showed a side bereft of attacking options, tactical positioning, skill, vision, passing, passion, fight, drive, energy and every other required prequisite to win a game of football- and why oh why don't we switch the wingers occasionally just to see how they perform with their favoured foot from crossing positions As usual they clearly weren't watching the game the rest of us were, because the regulation lack of substitutions yet again showed they thought that performance was more than good enough and that it didn't need improving. Like you say whe you watch us at times you have no idea what the gameplan or tatcics are as there doesn't seem to be any!

I wonder about the mental state of the people in charge of our team, every game they start with Shola up front when he's fit, and even when he isn't! He is not and will never be good enough. They leave Viduka on the bench instead of starting him and seeing how long you can get before he tires and when they finally bring him on, far too late as usual, they take Martins off! Bolton were utter shite, completely there for the taking, yet did enough to deserve their win which tells you alot about our efforts. Butt could on another day easilly have been sent off, you raise your hand to somebody's face you can walk, to give credit to their lad, Butt probably would have walked if he'd hit the ground clutching his face like most of the cheating twats in the prem do.

You would think so. Though the press and some people would have you think different. Our biggest problem even when we had some inferior players was the fact our midfield and to some extent attack have been so poor at both keeping the ball and giving it away far to cheaply. That (and for me anyway) depending who is playing up front we have never shown the urgency we did when playing with Bellamy up top. With Shola etc we have always invited teams onto us but at least when the little gobshite was playing he chased every ball which actually created a greater urgency throughout the team and was a major part of our success in Robsons time as manager. Good point, people really don't realise the defensive value Bellamy offered as he never gives defenders a second to relax and build moves and if you're under pressure yourself you can hit long diagonal balls upfield and he chases after them like a loon, turning them into attacks alot of the time! We miss a striker like him buzzing aroudn the opposition and some semblance of class in midfield to keep and use possesion better, then the defence would have alot less pressure heaped on them, and get a chance to show what they can do.

Best discovery we've made in god knows how many years and as people have said he's shown up the oft used excuse for Taylor that e's young and has been in a dodgy defence with nobody to learn from, pressure on him etc. If you're good enough you'll show it, and Bassong has done that every game. I think if we can get and keep them all fit, that Beye-Colo-Bassong-Enrique is a very conpetent defence especially if they could be helped by having a half decent midfield in front of them so the ball doesn't keep coming at them every second!

If Forrest Gump played for the toon, he would fuckin run his socks off too. The only difference is 27 GUMP would not be geordie*. I thought in terms of having the ball he was so poor he was almost embarrassing. When he was running down the Leazes first half, "goo on Stevie, goo on, goo on, goo on", and the cunt, like Forest Gump, he just kept on running, but he dribbled the ball out for a throw in for no reason. None at all, he had the ball perfectly under control, but he kept on running oh dear. I'll take a point, but a) I was bored Everton's fans are totally wank, c) ours aren't much better and d) Moyes is a cunt - what sort of manager plays 4 5 1 for 20 minutes when you're against 10 men. Everton were ambitionless. * technically the cunts not. I think that's harsh on him, he had one of his better games. WHich is a scary thought! He won some clearing headers and did work hard but as usual their were some stupid mistakes and passes astray. And as Stevie said, what the hell is a proffesional footballer doing just dribbling the ball out of play for a throw to them! He knew he'd touched it last and he wasn't unable to control it, he just let it go out of play! But i certainly feel much less worried when he's at RB as he can't cause anywhere near as much trouble as when he's at CB, and our keeper must be releived because when he's at CB he usually ends up marking our goalie or standing behind them waving his arms about and blaming everyone else for goals conceded!

Luckily he's all ours for years to come! He managed to fit in nearly all that's bad about him today. We had the lazy not running about, the not attacking the ball when decent and occasionally great crosses came in, the endless run of stupid fouls on defenders, usually pushing them or pulling their shirt, all we needed was an awful scuffed shot and beign caught offside through lack of concentration! At one point Taylor (Ryan) chucked a good long throw into the box and Shola was ducking as it came in FFS! And as somebody else mentioned at one point, knowing fine well he was up front alone, he flicked a header on, to who, i have no idea! Surely the obvious thing to do is start with a Viduka or Martins, who have some ability and see how long you get from them before their lack of match fitness means they need to be subbed, then you bring the other one on! I think Viduka and Lovennkrands could have done quite well togther then second half unleash Martins' pace on them.

Shame as we couldnt have asked for a better chance to beat Everton, i've always said without Cahill and Arteta they are distinctly average, merely a very well drilled and organised team with a good defence. Nolan should be getting a fine for stupidity like that, with 11 men we could have won that, second half. Think people are being harsh saying Lovenkrands was shite, him and Duff may as well have sat out the first 30 mins as they got no service of any level whatsoever and he was stuck up there with Shola in one of his worst ambling about, not giving a shit kind of moods. But the miss from Lovenkrands was a shocker, you have to bury those everytime. Bassong and Enrique were top class for me, with Bassong rightly given MOTM. Bassong has been pretty much class every game but i think recently Enrique is showing people what he's capable of when he has a bit of confidence. The ref was right on the sending off but he seemed to think it was against the law to book any of their players no matter what they did, until finally dishing out a yellow because one of them argued with him.

Got to be a fake, it mentions "constant noise" driving fans mad, theres no chance of constant noise at The Riverside unless you count the noise of people leaving early and slamming their seats as they go!

olivier bernard? he was soft as shite. Bollocks was he, he got smashed about pretty much every game and still got up for more. Can't remember too many injuries either in his first spell. He wasn't hard in the "rip your head of and spit down your throat" sense but he definitely seemed indestructable at times. Ive never seen a toon player take as many fouls as Bernard in his time here, he seemed to be getting kicked, elbowed and twatted every few mins, even Robert took him out once with a big hoof (as shown in the post above!)! Yet he always bounced back up and got on with it and dished a bit out as well.

I dread to think how many years it is now that us fans have been bemoaning the complete lack of class in the "engine room" yet nothing has changed. Its such an important part of any team as well, they always say winning teams are built from the back but look at the best teams and usually there is class and authority in the centre, Butt is finished and has been for some time, he's too slow, concedes way too many stupid freekicks and pens and his passing is at times woeful. Though his attitude and commitment can never be faulted and in a fight like we're in you still wouldn't rule him out having a big part to play. Strangely he has taken over freekicks recently and to be fair to him, they haven't been bad, but i'd expect Ryan Taylor to be stepping up to take them now. But if he starts next season we may as well give up, he'll be another year older! Guthrie just seems to disappear from games, i don't know why as i don't have a problem with his attitude either, he just doesn't have much influence alot of the time. He's young though and hopefully still has soemthing to offer. At the level we are/will be a fully fit Barton will be one of the two starters and i'd like to see what he can do with an unbroken run in the team. Nolan i'll judge many games down the line, i always like to give players a good chance before making any assessment, but i think at best he'll be solid if unspectacular. As for Geremi, he can barely move at times and when he does its to float a frekick to the keeper or waste a corner! Shame as in flashes he has shown in his time here he can set up goals with intelligent passing and good set pieces, which makes the large number of shit ones all the more annoying!