OTF

It's fair to say that whether or not we offer him a new deal he will get injured again. He likes having a cause to fight for; whether that's a new contract, escaping relagation, getting back into the Australian team or whatever, when he's motivated and on the pitch he's a class above. He said that he came to Newcastle because he wanted to be able to look back on his career and have some great memories. Memories like a man-of-the-match performance in front of 50,000+ screaming Geordies waving flags that helps to drag Newcastle out of the relegation zone. Sure, he'll need to be babied through a season, and will even still forseeably spend a fair amount of time off the pitch... but taking all that into account I think the value that he offers to the team in the matches where he does take to the pitch are enough to warrant keeping him (at a lower wage). We're not in a position where we can attract players of that quality, so if we can keep him and get him on the pitch more than last season then he will be like a new player.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,2...41-2883,00.html I'd like him to stay, but only under the provision that he is paid in proportion to how often, and how well he plays.

Was great to have him back in the side. We've got no other defenders who can score a goal, in fact we've got just about noone who can score a goal that isn't a striker (and even then they can't score consistently). Like OP said lets his heart rule his head a little too much, but that should improve with maturity.

Yep, he won't want to be the next Aloisi (though Viduka is leagues ahead of him).

Nope, he has said that he wants to play for Australia again, but never that he was definitely coming back.

Week-to-week pay as you play sort of arrangement (or low wage plus healthy match bonus) should do the trick. Better on the ball than anyone else we have or could hope to attract in our current position.

Hooray for having a defender who can score, and somoeone who can actually take a decent corner. What a difference 3 points makes, the 2 goal F/A advantage will also help. Hope the players get some belief out of that match (even though there was a number of shaky moments). Martins with composure for once... even though he badly hit the shot. He really does not look to be anywhere near fit. Lovenkrands goal was well struck also.

Nervous as...

The US fuck-owns the UK in that list TBH. The Encyclopaedia Britannica has been published by the US for the last 100+ years, so it may be a little biased. The boomerang was evidently the first great invention, more than 15,000 years ago Go Australia. Anyway, chicks in lingerie.. woo

Yep, West Ham wouldn't have been here Sheffield would have been below us, and we'd be safe. Fucking Carlos Tevez.

They were all off-side clearly if it wasn't for Nicky Butt (not that the linesman would have called it anyway).

The hair was there last week and a did a decent enough job. Nought spectacular, but decent enough. At least Torres isn't there to embarrass him this time.

My honest prediction for the match is that we'll scrape by by the skin of our teeth for somewhere between 30 and 55 minutes, then Bassong or Coloccini will give away a penalty (which they'll score). Then the glass heart of our players will shatter and Liverpool players will be queueing up in attack with the match ending somewhere on or between 2-0 and 6-0.

Harper Beye, Colo, Bassong, Duff Jonas, Barton, Guthrie, Lovenkrands Martins, Viduka Subs: Krul, R. Taylor (S Taylor if fit), Smith, Carroll, Geremi, Gonzalez, Owen

Steve Taylor will probably be a handy player in the Championship. In addition he's one of the only backs we've got who can pop up and score a couple of goals a season (which is a hard task given the rubbish level of our set pieces). With that in mind if we go down I'd like to keep: Harper Beye S Taylor Enrique Bassong Jonas Guthrie Barton Carroll Lovenkrands Piss off: Nicky Butt Kevin Nolan All Hair No Heart Coloccini Ryan Taylor Shola Ameobi Damien Duff (though he at least seems to be trying now) Michael Owen Mark Viduka Obafemi Martins Alan Smith Geremi Of those, bugger all of them are actually saleable players, particularly given the wages many of them are on (not to mention their ages). With the purse strings pulled tight in the current financial climate it will be a hard task to peddle off the shit that helped to send us down. Many of them could be replaced by some of the young players we have coming through. Give them a chance, and invest a bit of the cash from sales (ridiculous to expect ashley to suddenly invest anythig more in the team) into an up and coming youngster (midfield) from another Championship level club.

QFT.

Only Owen's and perhaps Martins chances were clearcut (Carroll had a decentish chance off a header). Resolute defending from POrtsmouth. Most disappointing part of thqat match for me was the last 15 minutes. Looked more like they were the ones playing for their survival, and they looked the more likely to score. I think that has about done it.

Can't win a game if you can't score a goal. Disappointing effort from Owen.

Guthrie on for Enrique, Duff back to fullback. Guthrie's set pieces have been pretty good thus far (touch wood).

Given the further info we have on injuries I'd like to see this team: Harper Beye Edgar Bassong Enrique Jonas Guthrie Duff Owen Viduka Martins If Coloccini is available I'd possibly have him over Edgar. Duff could be interchanged with Lovenkrands. Duff impressed me with his effort in the Spurs match, even though most of the match he was forced to play in defense which he is not good at. However, I think we may see this team take the field. Harper R. Taylor Beye Bassong Enrique Jonas Butt Nolan Duff Owen Viduka Getting mighty nervous. Tomorrow is either going to be a day of hope or a day of depression and helpless realisation. In the meantime I'll try to enjoy the ride.

He does actually dive to the ground and over-act like most strikers...

...and hopefully the field, the goals and the nets will remind them they are football players.

And another!

Yep. The worst part is he's exactly the sort of player we need. There had been plenty of talk before he lit up Euro as well, which it seems is the only time that Arsenal's interest grew.

Fabregas's goal to be honest (not just cause he scored it). Was a team goal overall, but Fabregas slid the ball into the path of Arshavin (after a neat heel pass from Bendtner). Arshavin's ball back to Fabregas was a little heavy but Fabregas still managed to slam it past Brad Jones who also had Bendtner running across his line of vision.