Newcastle United v Chelsea.

[Kid Dynamite 6999]

I'd be starting Ranger every game instead of Ameobi. At least he looks hungry and has a bit of pace

[Monkeys Fist 42127]

Strap ons , young Padawan, strap ons.

[Guest WDP]

I'd be starting Ranger every game instead of Ameobi. At least he looks hungry and has a bit of pace

I thought he was gonna score a wonder goal there at the end just couldn't set it right for the shot.

[Barney 0]

Shola started ok, I think he got a knock or something though, and he was at least a yard off the pace late on.

 

Captain Shola, btw-anyone think they'd ever see the day?

[Guest WDP]

Shola started ok, I think he got a knock or something though, and he was at least a yard off the pace late on.

 

Captain Shola, btw-anyone think they'd ever see the day?

Beyond a joke. If everyone followed his example we'd have 11 players who'd look like they'd just had 5 strong buckets.

[Kid Dynamite 6999]

Souness was slagging us off at half time for booing him

 

The bit where he was up against the last defender and just ran past him but forgot to take the ball

[Guest WDP]

Souness was slagging us off at half time for booing him

 

The bit where he was up against the last defender and just ran past him but forgot to take the ball

What did he say? What does he want people bowing in front of him for his wonderful contribution here??

Edited November 29, 2010 by WDP

[Guest alex]

I'd say Ranger or possibky even Routledge have both got to be better bets alongside Carroll than Shola. He was abysmal, even by his standards, yesterday. He can't even get the basics right.

Canny point anyway. The result was just about right and although they passed us to death at times they rarely looked like breaking us down. Shame about their goal coming when it did because I could have imagined the 2nd half going the same way even if we were 1-0 up.

[Guest WDP]

I'd say Ranger or possibky even Routledge have both got to be better bets alongside Carroll than Shola. He was abysmal, even by his standards, yesterday. He can't even get the basics right.

Canny point anyway. The result was just about right and although they passed us to death at times they rarely looked like breaking us down. Shame about their goal coming when it did because I could have imagined the 2nd half going the same way even if we were 1-0 up.

It killed me that, I said literally 15 seconds before the goal if we can hold on for one more minute we'll win this. Best I've seen Kalou play to be fair, and I think he's shit.

 

Does anyone know what Souness said?

[Guest alex]

I know their goal looked fortuitous but it came as a result of our defending too deep, which we did for most of the 1st half. I thought we defended pretty well overall though.

[NJS 4375]

I know their goal looked fortuitous but it came as a result of our defending too deep, which we did for most of the 1st half. I thought we defended pretty well overall though.

 

Campbell was as good as I'd hoped/expected - having someone who actually knows what they're doing (much like Tiote) makes a hell of a difference. I'm not his biggest fan but Taylor was good as well.

[ChezGiven 0]

You wouldn't let Tweedy dyke out with your lass?

Is the term shag though?

I believe the technical term is 'Eating at the Y'.

[Holden McGroin 6537]

Guthrie looks overweight and unfit to me.

 

We had a lot of players lacking match fitness and I think that showed in the 2nd half.

 

We desperately need someone with pace to play off Big AC.

[Barney 0]

I'd say Ranger or possibky even Routledge have both got to be better bets alongside Carroll than Shola. He was abysmal, even by his standards, yesterday. He can't even get the basics right.

Canny point anyway. The result was just about right and although they passed us to death at times they rarely looked like breaking us down. Shame about their goal coming when it did because I could have imagined the 2nd half going the same way even if we were 1-0 up.

It killed me that, I said literally 15 seconds before the goal if we can hold on for one more minute we'll win this. Best I've seen Kalou play to be fair, and I think he's shit.

 

Does anyone know what Souness said?

 

I missed half time, but before the game he was saying that the crowd get frustrated with the players after 15 minutes if nothings happening and it transmits onto the pitch, that was why he tried to sign experienced players while here. Commentators picked up on it during the game when Shola went on a mazy dribble without the ball, and 10mins later, when he kicked it out of play for no apparent reason.

[Barney 0]

Guthrie looks overweight and unfit to me.

 

We had a lot of players lacking match fitness and I think that showed in the 2nd half.

 

We desperately need someone with pace to play off Big AC.

 

Guthrie always looks like he has a bit of a pudgy head on him.

 

To be fair to him, he didn't go hiding yesterday. He threw himself into tackles and worked his arse off. His passing and set-pieces were poor though-especially 2nd half. Would have been easy for him to drop the head when his passing was off and Anelka/Malouda are playing like that. Put it down to rustyness, I suppose.

[Dr Gloom 21836]

I'd say Ranger or possibky even Routledge have both got to be better bets alongside Carroll than Shola. He was abysmal, even by his standards, yesterday. He can't even get the basics right.

Canny point anyway. The result was just about right and although they passed us to death at times they rarely looked like breaking us down. Shame about their goal coming when it did because I could have imagined the 2nd half going the same way even if we were 1-0 up.

It killed me that, I said literally 15 seconds before the goal if we can hold on for one more minute we'll win this. Best I've seen Kalou play to be fair, and I think he's shit.

 

Does anyone know what Souness said?

 

it was along the lines that the players feel; the pressure from the fans. hard play to play because we graon ever time shola gives away the ball. apparently it's the crowd's fault for shola having the touch of a rapist.

[Guest alex]

I thought Guthrie did ok yesterday. He's much more comfortable in the middle and he played some nice one touches passes at times. He's not great but he's a decent footballer imo. Must be great playing alongside Tiote like. I said exactly the same as you Stevie, he's a canny bit better than Mikel.

[Guest alex]

I'd say Ranger or possibky even Routledge have both got to be better bets alongside Carroll than Shola. He was abysmal, even by his standards, yesterday. He can't even get the basics right.

Canny point anyway. The result was just about right and although they passed us to death at times they rarely looked like breaking us down. Shame about their goal coming when it did because I could have imagined the 2nd half going the same way even if we were 1-0 up.

It killed me that, I said literally 15 seconds before the goal if we can hold on for one more minute we'll win this. Best I've seen Kalou play to be fair, and I think he's shit.

 

Does anyone know what Souness said?

 

it was along the lines that the players feel; the pressure from the fans. hard play to play because we graon ever time shola gives away the ball. apparently it's the crowd's fault for shola having the touch of a rapist.

Shola didn't even get much stick in relation to how bad he was. He's a fucking cunt Souness like. It's basically his roundabout way of blaming the fans for his tenure here.

Edited November 29, 2010 by alex

[Guest alex]

I know their goal looked fortuitous but it came as a result of our defending too deep, which we did for most of the 1st half. I thought we defended pretty well overall though.

 

Campbell was as good as I'd hoped/expected - having someone who actually knows what they're doing (much like Tiote) makes a hell of a difference. I'm not his biggest fan but Taylor was good as well.

Thing about Campbell is he's a proper physical presence which none of the other central defenders at the club really are. I agree re: Taylor as well. It was a good solid performance by him.

[Dr Gloom 21836]

taylor and campbell both looked solid. we're probably better off for central defenders than we have been in years. you could make the case for any of them being in the starting eleven. taylor and sol aren't a bad backup pairing.

 

we're not looking as blessed up front mind. shola annoyingly reverted to type ysterday after some decent performances this season. ranger coming off the bench is still raw. agree that we're crying out for someone with pace to get on to the end of carroll's flick ons. he won everything in the air yesterday but shola was always the wrong side of his marker to get on the end of anything.

 

so annoying that we didn't bust a gut to get bellamy. with him and carroll up front this season i reckon we'd be challenging for top 6.

[ewerk 30338]

we're not looking as blessed up front mind. shola annoyingly reverted to type ysterday after some decent performances this season. ranger coming off the bench is still raw. agree that we're crying out for someone with pace to get on to the end of carroll's flick ons. he won everything in the air yesterday but shola was always the wrong side of his marker to get on the end of anything.

 

so annoying that we didn't bust a gut to get bellamy. with him and carroll up front this season i reckon we'd be challenging for top 6.

 

As I said earlier in this thread, the only two strikers I can think of that we've paid a transfer fee for under Ashley are Xisco and Best.

[manc-mag 1]

I'd say Ranger or possibky even Routledge have both got to be better bets alongside Carroll than Shola. He was abysmal, even by his standards, yesterday. He can't even get the basics right.

Canny point anyway. The result was just about right and although they passed us to death at times they rarely looked like breaking us down. Shame about their goal coming when it did because I could have imagined the 2nd half going the same way even if we were 1-0 up.

It killed me that, I said literally 15 seconds before the goal if we can hold on for one more minute we'll win this. Best I've seen Kalou play to be fair, and I think he's shit.

 

Does anyone know what Souness said?

 

I missed half time, but before the game he was saying that the crowd get frustrated with the players after 15 minutes if nothings happening and it transmits onto the pitch, that was why he tried to sign experienced players while here. Commentators picked up on it during the game when Shola went on a mazy dribble without the ball, and 10mins later, when he kicked it out of play for no apparent reason.

 

It fucks me off this line because we're pretty much renowned for it in the media/Sky now like it's some sort of truism of English football.

 

It's called playing in front of a big crowd and it comes with the pressure of playing for a big club. Do they honestly think (eg) Man U fans are fundamentally more patient human beings or do they think it might just be down to the fact that theyre watching a team that wins every week? Do they think they'd be more patient than us after (eg) ten years of watching Shola? Does Souness feel Liverpool fans were notably more patient when he was having heart surgery?

 

You get loads of impatient fans in a crowd of 50,000 and loads that see a totally different game than the one that's being played on the pitch, but guess what, it's cos it's a fucking big crowd and thats what happens. If players can't rise to it then broadly speaking it's because they're playing above their level rather than the other way around.

 

It's basically a sly and disrespectful way of saying that NUFC should know it's place, which obviously wasn't what he was saying when the club was rewarding him hansomly for being an utterly fucking useless cunt.

 

I just wish someone with balls would take the lazy bastard pundits to task over it the next time they trot it out.

[toon_don 0]

we're not looking as blessed up front mind. shola annoyingly reverted to type ysterday after some decent performances this season. ranger coming off the bench is still raw. agree that we're crying out for someone with pace to get on to the end of carroll's flick ons. he won everything in the air yesterday but shola was always the wrong side of his marker to get on the end of anything.

 

so annoying that we didn't bust a gut to get bellamy. with him and carroll up front this season i reckon we'd be challenging for top 6.

 

As I said earlier in this thread, the only two strikers I can think of that we've paid a transfer fee for under Ashley are Xisco and Best.

 

Could you argue that Smith was signed as a striker?

[Guest alex]

Not sure you could argue he's a footballer tbh.

[toon_don 0]

Don't think they're the same sort of player though, Mikel was always meant to be a bit more like Essien from what i read about him, able to make surges forward and such, but at Chelsea they've had him playing that makelele role where he stays put because they've the likes of Essien and Lampard.

 

But aye for that anchorman role Tiote is immense, takes discipline to not go wandering off and make sure you stay put doing the boring job every game.

 

I think they've ruined him a bit to be honest. I remember watching him in a youth World Cup for Nigeria, and he was a proper dynamic attacking midfielder, with awesome dribbling ability as well. Chelsea seem to have neutered him.