TicTacWoe

You'll be disappointed, but he does clearly state that it's his opinion and he expects to shot down. George Caulkin has wrote some very good stuff about us this year I think. Actually no. Caulkin you're talking shite man! No Laurent Robert?! Just read the first two and then stopped, Ginola in at 50 fair enough la la la reading on.....number 49....XISCO! Christ on an stick. I don't give a fuck about the pretencious point the guy was trying to make there, if you're going to write what is a fairly extensive and detailed list you don't put in a novelty player at 49 ahead of Ginola and god knows who else who didn't make the list. He really fucked up there, I can imagine many people going to read that piece out of genuine interest only to stop on the first page, close the tab and go to toontastic to have a moan!

I think Nolan was pretty much doing that in his last few months with them

Interesting the amount of defenders people are picking, this must be the first season in the last 20 years that this would be the case (although I think its more a case of the midfield being so bloody terrible that it has to be defenders that get picked!). Anyway I'd go for Taylor, Bassong, Enrique, Guthrie and Martins provided they were not going to bugger off any time soon. I favor them over the likes of Beye or Owen because of their age.

They're seven points behind, with only two game to play so they can't get into yoorup. (unless the beeb table, which I looked at prior to my post, is wrong??). *goes to have another look* But (I assume) another place goes to the league for the Uefa Cup (Uefa League or whatever it is) since Chelsea and Everton are in the cup final. It does indeed so they have everything to play for as evidenced by their last game against villa.

This is the core of my argument. SAF figured they'd need another striker for this season as Ronaldo would be unlikely to score 40 odd goals again, Benzema and Villa were not available last summer, Berbatov was. Hardly the most pointless signing of the season considering those reasons and his actual goal/ assist return which isn't bad at all. Im pretty sure Lyon would have accepted £31mil for Benzema. Especially if fergie employed his usual tapping up tactics Barca (or possible Real Madrid, cant quite remember which) apparently offered 30 for him which was rejected as Benzema said he wouldnt join anyone until the end of this season at the earliest.

This is the core of my argument. SAF figured they'd need another striker for this season as Ronaldo would be unlikely to score 40 odd goals again, Benzema and Villa were not available last summer, Berbatov was. Hardly the most pointless signing of the season considering those reasons and his actual goal/ assist return which isn't bad at all.

This season -Emnes 3.2 mil Digard 4 mil Hoyte 3 mil Last Season Luke Young 3 mil Mido 6 mil Gary O'Neill 5 mil Alves 12 mil Shawkey 650k Season Before Arca 2 mil Huth 6 mi Woodgate 7 mil Aliedere 2 mil So altogether around 54million in 3 years, not quite the level of insane-o-spending ourselves or Spurs have been through but considering where they are now you have to say Southgates done pretty bad in the transfer market. During this time they had the likes of Mark Shwarzer, Luke Young, Yakubu, Woodgate, Boatang, Viduka, Cattermole etc leave all of which were not properly replaced. I admire Gibsons loyalty to his managers but sometimes you have to know when the time is right to sack as well.

Felt a bit sorry for him. I feel more sorry for Gibson. Gibson's fault for sticking with so many bad managers. Southgate seems like a good guy and I do feel sorry for him but he has done awful with Boro especially in the transfer marker (not that we've done much better!). Theyve had the likes of Shwarzer, Woodgate, Yakubu etc leave in recent years and have been replaced with either no-one, utter gash or inexperienced youths. They've spent a surprising amount of money on players in his time there too.

What rubbish.....you just have to look at Bassong. Yes but Collocini would and has done fine in decent teams before, he's just not suited whatsoever to the EPL. Even at that he isn't world class or anything but he's not a bad defender by any means.

Collocini is a good defender but he should never have been bought as he is completely unsuited to this league. He'll be fine once he goes back to Spain or whatever but as long as he stays in the EPL he'll be exposed again and again.

Night of the LivKing Dead

I used to quite like them the band that is. Duran Duran. Talk Talk. The The. Which is why I put it there!!! Was Jonny Marr in THe The? naa.....the the was basically a lad called Matt Johnson.....he/they were fuckin class......don't know what happened to him but hearing this this morning has brought a tear to my heavily hungover eye It was Matt Johnson surrounded by session musicians one of which was Johnny Marr on one album, think it was one of the later ones. Great band alright especially the albums soul mining and infected.

The last couple of weekends have gone almost perfectly for us, after what happened (or more appropriately didn't happen) against Pompey if we can't beat Boro we should relegate ourselves there and then out of shame.

He was sacked leaving the club 17th. No manager sacked since has left us lower have they? I take your point though, he worked out well in most other ways. after how many games that season???? 4 wasn't it....what a load of shite

I think Viduka and Owen's contracts are up at the end of the season. And you'll buy Barton, it's written in the stars . Oh yes Take your point though. I guess some players will assist in moving on as they'd be too good for the championship (in their heads). We may have to take losses on some deadbeats like Geremi and Duff just to get them off the wage bill. Some we will never ever shift and I look forward to Shola's stint as player manager in ten years time. Some players will be easier to get rid of than others, here's how I see it- Geremi/Cacapa/Viduka-will probably and likely dissappear to some godforsaken leagues Collocini/Jonas and maybe Enrique will return to Spain and have their memories wiped of all recollection of their time at Newcastle Bassong/Martins Will probably move to half decent clubs Owen To Man City after they fail to sign any of their original targets Barton- We pay Sam 4 million to take him away Its the likes of Duff, Nolan, Butt, Smith, RTaylor that I just can't imagine anyone coming in for. Who would want these guys? Who could afford their wages? The only team stupid enough to do so is probably us..maybe we'll buy them again off ourselves or something....where did I put that noose...

Don't think theyre a requirement it's more just common sense. However the wage bill would be gigantic for a championship team even if we did have these clauses. Duff would go from earning 60k to 54k per week going by a typical 10% wage clause which the Reading team all took last year IIRC so although it does all add up, we'd still be paying mad money for a championship club, clauses or no clauses.

Didn't really care who won it myself, overall might have just preferred Chelsea purely to annoy Platini and also as they deserved it over the two legs imo.

What are the similarities? I'll go first, Smith and Viduka Wrong. Leeds never actually owned Viduka and this is where they fucked up. They leased a number of big money players so when things were tough they couldn't sell them to cash in and they couldn't renegotiate their contract because they didn't own it. Oh and Smith scored goals for Leeds, something he's never done at Newcastle, so you're wrong twice.

What are the similarities? I'll go first, Smith and Viduka

its just for two weeks

Good shout that, he's going about his business impressively so far though seems committed to Swansea for the time being at least.

Obviously way too early to tell, especially considering the abominable heap of crap he's inherited. If Shearer stays and we get relegated and then we struggle to make the playoffs next season, then I'd class him as a failure. Similarly, if he stays and we stay up and we have another season as bad as this one in the PL.

Although I would disagree with Bobby about Ashley not being to blame, it's actually a very good piece otherwise imo

I don't think we have one of the worst 3 teams in the league, I'd say player for player we're better than at least 5 or 6 clubs ahead of us, but we have certainly been one of the three worst performing teams this season so in this sense of course we deserve to go down. The thing is, I can remember parts of the season when Hull, the Mackems and West Brom played alright (can't really say the same about boro but I generally ignore them anyway) whereas I have to go back to the first match of the season when I last felt truly enthusiastic about one of our performances.

I'm in the same camp. I am much more worried by the thought of losing Shearer than going down. I'm assuming that losing Shearer means the return of JFK and the extinguishing of any hope for the next few years The one good thing that could possibly come out of that would be the last few lunatics there are in this world who believe that Ashley has the best interests of the club at heart must finally realise the truth. There this fuckin speccy four-eyed season ticket holding cunt who, I engaged in converstaion with about the toon qt work earlier this week. Basically the lads a diamond, late 40s, good chap. Told him I thought Ashley was a fuckin dick (using recent events as evidence) and he told me I was a 'fcukin mug', that 'Ashley will get it right'. Fuckin cock-eyed prick made me want to fuckin chin him there and then........he's pro-Ashley.....and for that...you gotta have a screw loose....I mean, what the fuck do people who think Ashley is good for NUFC, see that we do not? I must be missing something (and I am a fckin brainy bastard, make no mistake about that)? At the very best Ashley is a misguided, naive chap with very little footballing knowledge, anyone who thinks any better of him wants to have their head examined.