Papa Lazaru

Assumption is the mother of all fuck ups... eh? While he obviously did tell Bennett to 'go forth and multiply' for the first card, it's claimed that for the second he simply said "what was that for?" and his hand gestures suggest that this is the case. More than likely that Bennett had simply heard enough of his voice and simply thought enough was enough. Most people I've spoke to today think he was sent packing for all the niggling throughout the game rather than this particular incident. If that is the case then I think something is wrong. Interesting that Bennett has said nothing at all - do referee reports get published to the web? I watched MOTD2 and they showed about 4 to 5 occasions where he was in the refs face arguing and shouting at him, all dissent so nobody from Liverpool can have any complaints anyway as he could have gone before he did. But also i'm pretty sure they said Bennett gave it for persistent dissent or something along those lines, and i suspect he'd been given fair warning once or twice before he was sent off that he would be going if he kept it up. The only things wrong with the red card is that it was as much a reaction to another game (the Ashley Cole incident) as anythign else and that it won't be repeated. Next week you'll see Rooney or Terry etc. scream abuse at a ref and get off, then suddnely another player will walk for less. And at the end of the day it'll go back to normal as refs will never stamp it out even though it would be so easy.

It could all be so easilly and quickly stamped out, but it never will because the refs are a waste of space and the people who run football are morons by and large. But ultimately its down to refs as they have (and always have had) the power to sort it out but they are too useless, gutless or biassed to stop it because as we all know the main offenders are always from the top 4 teams and refs won't do it to them, they'll just occasionally pick somebody from a smaller team or in the case of Macherano it happens because a week before the ref was 4th official and got bollocked over the Cole incident. All refs have to do is instant yellow the second a player dissents, when 4 players rush round a ref, instant 4 yellows, when a player continues to dissent after a yellow, 2nd yellow and off. And then amazingly enough when managers like Fergie, Wenger et al see players suspended they'll stop their players arguing again. And as people have said from other sports, nobody but the captain needs to be talking to the ref, he can explain anything to him. But it will never happen until refs grow a pair and punish the big 4 who are the worst offenders, so i have absolutely no sympathy for the gutless prem refs who could stamp it all out in weeks. I do however have a lot of sympathy and respect for refs at the lower end of the game who are paid peanuts or even do the job for free and get nothing but shit from players and fans who wathc it happen in the prem and do the same. Its a waste of time people banging on about players sorting out their behaviour because lets be honest a large number of them are complete dicks and will never change until they're repeatedly punished and banned and their managers get sick of it.

Shouldnt Big A and KK already have sat down and decided what and who we need to take the club forward? How can they know what's needed yet? Still don't know if we need to be taken forward from the Endsleigh or the Barclays do we. we will stay up but lets be honest, I think most people on this board realises we pretty much need a new 11 I dunno, we do have players that could quite easily be in a top 6 challenging first team. What we do need is a bigger squad, to get rid of some of the real crap, and most importantly to add some quality players were we really, really need them (a strong forward that is good in the air and can hold up the ball, creatively in midfield - central and maybe on the wings too and central defence). We don't so much have a totally rubbish squad as a pretty small squad with gaping holes in it. Fair comment, but this was the point I was trying to make, I just feel that KK already knows where he has some problems, he him self has eluded to it when saying he needs an "edge piece" I would of thought that KK and Big A would of already had a chin wag and decided how much to spend and then they would be out grafting now to secure those players in the summer rather than start talking in the summer ala Roeder I agree, that you would hope they are already identifying the main areas of weakness and forming ideas of what to do. And i think they are because of the fact Ashley has tuened this club into a properly run, proffesional outfit who have people in various roles like Wise and the team of scouts etc. who will be doing this as we speak. Then as Keegan has said they come to him with reccomendations and he has the say on whether to buy or not. And i think it's clear that Ashley will have given Keegan guarantees of a good tranfers budget being available or he wouldn't have taken over. But agree with you completely that what happened under Roeder et al was a joke and so embrassing for a club of this size and that's why i'm glad Ashley has changed it from top to bottom.

Tough one isn't it! He is still relatively young and English so that should bump his fee up a bit as it always does and he's spent his entire career in the prem thus far which would hopefully count for something. But it will prob come down to how many clubs wnt him as to how much we can get.

Shouldnt Big A and KK already have sat down and decided what and who we need to take the club forward? How can they know what's needed yet? Still don't know if we need to be taken forward from the Endsleigh or the Barclays do we. we will stay up but lets be honest, I think most people on this board realises we pretty much need a new 11 I dunno, we do have players that could quite easily be in a top 6 challenging first team. What we do need is a bigger squad, to get rid of some of the real crap, and most importantly to add some quality players were we really, really need them (a strong forward that is good in the air and can hold up the ball, creatively in midfield - central and maybe on the wings too and central defence). We don't so much have a totally rubbish squad as a pretty small squad with gaping holes in it. Indeed, its nonsense some of the stuff you here that we absoluetly have to get about 10-15 players out and the same in depending on who you listen to. Keegan needs to do what he did last time when he took over a team in trouble and that's move on some who really need t go and bring in a few vital signings in areas desperately in need of improvement, but also get the very best out of all the players he's inherited who aren't doing as well as they should. Last time i only remember him bringing in Kilcline and Sheedy to start with, Sellars and close season the likes of Beresford, Venison and Bracewell, with Lee a while after and Cole later on. He took over a team that could have gone to the old 3rd division, yet he managed to turn them round without something like 22 players going in or out! There are a few i'd be moving on clearly, and i'd love to see something like 6 players come in which isn't too much, but also we have to hope that 1 or 2 of the young lads make that step up to genuine first team potential thus increasing the squad for no expenditure.

I think its probably time to move on and i think he'd do well in the championship, such that i'd insist on a buy on clause, because as was seen with Chopra, a player bangs them in for a championship team and theres a chance of a big fee being paid for them.

He has indeed taken alot of responsibility recently, if you take the 2nd half against Brum and 90 mins against Fulham. He more or less dictated our game on sat as he was involved in everything we did well, taking up good positions, knocking the ball around, spreading it wide and picking out teamates all the time. I always said it was bollocks the people who claim he does nothing at all but get on the end of chances put on a plate for him, he's an intelligent footballer who rarely ever wastes a ball or gives it away. Obviously i wouldn't keep him in this role as i want him in the box scoring hopefully and against the better teams it might not work quite as well (though he hasn;t had a chance to show that yet), but until Keegan has the opporrtunity to get some genuine creative players in there i'm happy for Owen to come back and do the job as he's improved our play since he dropped back there. Just as Viduka (whether you're a fan of his or not) has helped our play improve a bit as well. And i think he'll chip in with another crucial goal or 2 yet for us. yesterdays first goal was quality. Owen's run [which was pointed out on sky] taking the defender away [Hughes ?] giving Viduka the space to "pass" the ball into the corner. Superb goal. I sit right in line with that shot and you saw it going in as soon as it left his foot. I think Beye was MOM yesterday, although Owen ran him close. Also thought Harper did well with the shots he saved, he held them all including some awkward ones, when they could have bounced off him. Agree about Harper, people would say he had nothing to do, but in those conditions the 2 or 3 low, dipping shots fired at him were well held and could easilly have been spilled. Even before his injury i thought Given needed a break and i think Harper's been solid since getting into the team to be fair to him.

Ooh an "Ashley selling NUFC" story, we haven't had one of them being made up for a little while, must be because we won and are likely heading to safety so they need to stir up some more shit becasue they're sad, pathetic little pricks.

He has indeed taken alot of responsibility recently, if you take the 2nd half against Brum and 90 mins against Fulham. He more or less dictated our game on sat as he was involved in everything we did well, taking up good positions, knocking the ball around, spreading it wide and picking out teamates all the time. I always said it was bollocks the people who claim he does nothing at all but get on the end of chances put on a plate for him, he's an intelligent footballer who rarely ever wastes a ball or gives it away. Obviously i wouldn't keep him in this role as i want him in the box scoring hopefully and against the better teams it might not work quite as well (though he hasn;t had a chance to show that yet), but until Keegan has the opporrtunity to get some genuine creative players in there i'm happy for Owen to come back and do the job as he's improved our play since he dropped back there. Just as Viduka (whether you're a fan of his or not) has helped our play improve a bit as well. And i think he'll chip in with another crucial goal or 2 yet for us.

Given was definitely a world class (whatever it means) shot stopper, i've seen few better than him at that, and easilly the best keeper ive seen at NUFC but i agree with Alex that his command of the 18 yard box and distribution meant he wasn't world class overall. What's sad is that this season he's been a shadow of the player he was, its almost like a different player. In the past after every match people would be thinking he was man of the match or recounting great saves he'd made or how we'd have been hammered but for Given etc. Now he rarely seems to make the top draw saves and ive seen him fumbling or missing ones he'd normally have got. I just hope after the op, a break from football and a new season starting, we'll see the old Given back.

Do you believe he's going to come out and go oh yes he was shit? Of course he's not man. Then again it's not like you not to be negative at all about anything is it? Also Keegan is in part right anyway. They did put in a good shift and provide an "engine room" as it were, there was no lack of effort and energy. And that level of performance in the 2nd half will be enough to see us right. However they aren't close to good enough and create next to nowt and Geremi was far from outstanding, but the gist of what Keegan is saying isn't that far out as it sounds and as you say he's building them up.

If our midfield continues to consist of Butt, Barton and Geremi in any combinations then we'll struggle. Though i thought Butt was alright last night, he did the defensive mid job quite well and kept the passing simple but mostly accurate compared with how bad it can be! Barton at least showed the level of effort, committment and aggression i'd expect from him which he often hasn't but sadly he is still 2 seconds behind mentally so he gets caught on the ball all the time and his passing is insane! On at least 2 occassions he gave it away, managed to battle back and win it and then gave it away again! Geremi's set pieces were absolutely disgraceful, if a prem player on his wages can't manage better than that it's worrying. Viduka showed that he has better control, touch, vision and intelligence than most of his teamates and thus meant we actually managed to keep the ball in their half on the occasions people passed it to him rather than just launching it in the air for him to try and win. Obviously he doesnt do it enough, and he's injured too often, but he's streets ahead of some of them in terms of basic football skills.

I might join the "mental" group, i reckon Smith is going to score (probably 1 in total this season) and i think its going to be a crucial one, so why not tonight!

Its amazing the shit people like her come out with in these cases, they're given several times more money than is possibly needed to permanently live in complete luxury (having done fuck all to earn it) and they still moan about it and demand more. Their child should be well looked after in terms of a house provided and money to bring her up but she deserves fuck all just for having been married to him for a bit. We're not in the days when a woman would give up any chance of a career and earning money to be a housewife and bring up the kids leaving her with essentially no money or job skills and therfore deserving of half what the couple had amassed in their time together. I've no idea why people like her think they should be getting half of the blokes cash at all, and leagally they should get nothing of the sort.

Was just watching SSN and much though we need to look to get ourselves out of it, i think there's a good chance Bolton will do the job for us (and others). They're now on a bad run of form and have a very tough run in whereas other teams down here have winnable games (often against each other obviously!) and the chance to pull out of it. If i'm being confident and thinking we can get clear of it and safe then i think its the Mackems who will probably have Bolton to thank for saving them. Because for all Fulham dragged themselves back into the fight i do honestly think we'll beat them and i think they will go down, just hope i'm right on us beating them! As for tonight i really have no idea, i genuinely think its really tough to call as we could pull off a win, it could be a dull, tight battle like away to Fulham where the football was utter shite or it could be the usual keep it tight, concede then lose style away match! But i'm going for Keegan's first win tonight, what the hell!

sometimes he deserves it, Ive not been on RAWK for a while but Im guessing they're laughing their little scouse tits off at that comparison. Tbf that will be how the article has been spun though. Keegan is saying Viduka can score goals out of nothing like Torres did the other night (which is true), not that Viduka is as good as Torres or that he will be as succesful as him. The media are scum, but they're clever scum, as demonstrated by the number of people leaping to 'OMG Keegan is deluded' after reading that headline. Agree, its amazing how often people read this stuff in the media get wound up by it and then go and behave exactly as the writers wanted you to. All he was saying as Luke pointed out is that on his day Viduka is the sort of player who can turn a game/score a goal from nothing like Torres and even Viduka's biggest critics know fine well that is true, he just doesn't do it enough. At no point has Keegan Viduka is the greatest plater in the world or anything similar that people seem to believe. If you want deluded then look at Roy Keane and his claim that Kenwyne Jones is 'as good as Drogba and worth £40m' a while back, now that is some crazy lack of persepctive!

Complete arseholes quite frankly. To deliberately inflict a disability on a child and leave them with it for the rest of their lives because you want to try to prove some point is about as selfish and moronic as you can get. In fact i'd ban them from having any children ever as they've proven they're essentially chuild abusers with what they're planning. Its a totally different thing from eugenics and creating perfect clones and superhumans or whatever else gets dragged into the debate.

I think it is funny and i have them on dvd as i'm definitely a fan, i just don't think its the greatest comedy of modern times as some people claim (not the writers or stars i might add, they're not shouting their mouths off about it or anything like that) it is.

Read that in the papers today and they were right to do it. Its one big bunch of mates the whole ref system, the assessors don't do their job properly and call refs on it when they're shite and finally they've actually punished one for marking a ref highly when he'd been shite, about time really.

Keegan inherited a complete mess and a team with no confidence and always on the verge of collapse, so with no players brought in he was always going to struggle and alot of the blame isn't his. However he is making some mistakes that Allardyce would get hammered for like continuing to pick Smith, even in midfield, playing Barton when he doesn't look mentally capable at all and leaving out a fit Enrique to waste Zog out of position. He also is incapable of using subs properly to change a game when needed, but he has always been that way. So he isn't blameless, but really he took over a shambles that was going in a definite downwards spiral and as yet he hasn't managed to halt that, though with a tiny bit of luck or better finishing he'd be 3 points better off from Blackburn and also the boost a first win in god knows how long brings. If we get stuffed at Brum then we are really in deep shit, if we can take something there its then onto the home games against our rivals and they are now some of the biggest games we've ever played sadly!

Its great to finally have a season when the top 4 dont win the FA cup yet again along with winning everything else. Other than the smogs i don't mind who wins it out of what's left, though it would be great for a non prem team to win it.

I think it might actually be a tight game this one rather than the expected arse raping, though Torres appearance or not may have a big say on that! But i don't think we're going to do badly today, hope i'm right!

Interesting thread! Whatever the arguments going back and forth here there is one inescapable fact. And that is that she and some of her cronies openly admitted that parts of the north would have to suffer for other parts of the country to grow and it was tough shit. I remember that documentary with Mathew Parris where he came to Newcastle and revisited a documentary he'd done first time round under Thatcher about living off benefits and the like and he actually said these things to people who were arguing she was ruining their lives. The documentary itself was actually quite interesting and he made some decent and fair points worth listenign to, but that was about other issues, the key thing is he said they'd have to suffer for ecomnomic growth down south. So anyone who lives here and comes from families who live here and defends her is strange to me since she was quite happy to shit on you and your family to help people down where she lives do better.

It was the Portuguese winger who was the biggest cheat - Simao? - coincidentally the ref was from portugal and quite simply the worst ever. That does ring a bell now you say it, but i'm sure i remember seeing Emre play for them and him diving all the time! The ref like the officials in the first game, a fucking disgrace, they all continually ignored some of the worst diving and play acting you'll see as well as a stream of fouls and shirt pulling on our players.

Yep, and got Bellamy sent off by winding him up. prick. Yes because Bellamy just had to kick him didn't he? It was probably a premeditated deliberate act on behalf Materazzi/Inter. Quite clever to get one up but he is still a prick of huge magnitude. Materazzi had a sly kick at Bellamy first off the ball for which he should have been sent off, Bellamy reacted and needless to say got sent off with the prick who started it staying on the pitch. Doesn't excuse Bellamy for being stupid enough to react mind, but either both or neither should have walked. Shearer eventually got pissed off at having defenders spending the whole game getting away with shirt pulling, holiding, obstructing and any other type of foul you can try on a striker and took a big swing at one of them. Again you shouldn't react but i'd have been gone long before Shearer if i regularly had to put up with what he did from defenders on nights like that! Wasn't it the away match when Emre (in his inter days) broke the world record for number of dives in one match when he spent the entire game hitting the deck and rolling about. He wasn't alone by far on their team, most were at it but i'm sure i remember Bernard, or somebody in a state of disbelief at times during the game. Or have i remembered all that wrong!