Tom_NUFC

We have two good nicknames as it is - The Toon and The Magpies, why would we want t replace them with one of those frankly pitiful suggestions.

now working

what's up with it

Zulte Waregem (BEL) v Newcastle United (ENG) SC Braga (POR) v Parma AC (ITA) RC Lens (FRA) v Panathinaikos (GRE) Bayer Leverkusen (GER) v Blackburn Rovers (ENG) Hapoel Tel-Aviv (ISR) v Glasgow Rangers (SCO) AS Livorno (ITA) v RCD Espanyol (SPA) Feyenoord Rotterdam (HOL) v Tottenham Hotspur (ENG) Fenerbahce (TUR) v AZ Alkmaar (HOL) Werder Bremen (GER) v Ajax Amsterdam (HOL) Spartak Moscow (RUS) v Celta Vigo (SPA) CSKA Moscow (RUS) v Maccabi Haifa (ISR) AEK Athens (GRE) v Paris St-Germain (FRA) SL Benfica (POR) v Dinamo Bucaresti (ROM) Steaua Bucaresti (ROM) v Sevilla (SPA) Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR) v AS Nancy-Lorraine (FRA) Girondins de Bordeaux (FRA) v Osasuna (SPA) FOLLOWING ROUND Waregem or Newcastle v Fenerbahce or Alkmaar CSKA or Maccabi v Livorno or Espanyol Hapoel or Rangers v Bordeaux or Osasuna Braga or Parma v Feyenoord or Tottenham Steaua or Sevilla v Donetsk or Nancy Lens or Panathinaikos v Leverkusen or Blackburn AEK or PSG v Benfica or Dinamo Bucaresti Spartak or Celta Vigo v Bremen or Ajax

Draw about to start First leg 14/15 Feb Second leg 22 Feb

I think that things are happening, but probably not as advanced as some of the reports this morning were making out.

I'm not going to say its a good or bad thing. It should be pointed out that Polygon are a hedge fund with a reputation for wanting to make quick money. However, the proposal seems to state that they want to take a back seat and put football people in charge of running the club. If that's the case, then it may well be good news, but who knows? All we can do is wait and see. I'm reserving my judgement and right now I don't have strong feelings either way.

Emre - Injured ankle, but not broken. They aren't sure how long he'll be out for, but it seems that they're relieved its not broken. Solano - Groin strain. No time frame. Sibierski's injury apparently isn't serious and they think it's just cramp.

It was a good win, hard fought, and I'm quite happy with the way we played. We had a sh!t ten minutes, and I was quite concerned, and didn't think we'd be able to fight back, but we came right back in the second half. Babayaro was majorly at fault for their second, but he really improved in the second half.

Sunderland, Rangers, Chelsea

we've really declined atmosphere wise. We used to have a smashing range of songs - imaginative and funny. What we have now is repetative and dull. Yes we used to sing Blaydon Races and Newcastle Newcastle and United United, but they were just a small number of our reparte. They're just about all we have, along with TOON TOON Black and White Army!. Its not the only reason, but I think one of the reasons the atmosphere has diminished is because people are bored of the same songs, I know I get bored of them. Songs for players are rubbish, we don't think, we use the same generic songs 'there's only one <insert relevant name>' The occasional time we do get a decent song, it gets a quick airing and is then forgotten about. Its such a waste.

Apparently Bellamy said that when he said this he was being witty. I have to say, I think that is a stunningly witty retort.

Nah, credit where credit's due, he had a good game. Now that doesn't make him a world class centre back with all his problems behind him, but I thought he had a very good, solid game today and if I think he's had a good game then I'll say so.

A cracking performance today. We played some good fast, attacking stuff and looked comfortably in control. Dyer has made a big difference and was a massive threat again today. I thought Bramble had a particularly good game and he'd have been my Man of the Match.

He'll still be able to build himself back up even if he can't put weight on his hip - upper body, swimming etc.

I can't see it changing much. We didn't play that well, and as people have already pointed out, Cup wins against Portsmouth and Palermo, and then normal shit service resumed in the league.

Upilio opilio usus a os ut addo continuo ultum faeces

Yes of course. Its not like its unchartered territory, but even if it was I'd go along anyway.

agreed

As much as I would like Shepherd to fuck off in an ideal world, I'm pretty sceptical about Belgravia. I'm no expert, but my brother is a surveyor and has read some articles in property/estates journals which have described Belgravia as ruthless. He's spoken to people more senior than himself and the consensus is that they'll only go in for stuff to make some quick money. I was under the impression that St James' was protected due to the fact that the council own the leasehold, however he has found out that things were changed when there was the issue over the new stadium. The Council of course wanted to keep NUFC in the city and changed the lease allowing NUFC to do whatver the wished with the site. Of course the club's plan at the time was to move to Castle Leazes and convert the SJP site into a mini arena and parkland. The impression my brother has is that if Belgravia took over NUFC, they would move us out of town, and convert the SJP site into some sort of property development, which would be extremely valuable and desirable given its location.

Not good enough I'm afraid. Recent form and the fact that we couldn't beat the bottom side at home says that we are in trouble. First half, we played very well, some nice movement, Rossi looked very good and we should have taken the lead, we had the chances, BUT once again we didn't put them away. Its not as bad as the likes of the Fulham and Bolton games because at least we took a point out of the game, but we shouldn't be pleased or even satisfied with that because we have desperate problems scoring and I think other teams might have punished us in the way Fulham and Bolton did after we began those games as the dominant side. A point is NOT good enough, especially considering that if you're averaging a point a game (and we're not even managing that at the minute) that would put you on 38 points. The usual safety mark is 40. Teams finishing on 38 points will probably stay up this year, but we're in relegation form right now. Sorry Glenn, it's not good enough.

I'll give him a little while longer, but if things don't improve I'm afraid he's going to have to go sooner rather than later. He wasn't my choice, but as time went on last season, it became fairly clear he was going to be given the job, and when he was, my feelings were, OK he wasn't who I wanted, but on the job he did he deserved the chance and I decided that I'd support him. But things just aren't working, and although I want and hope things will turn around, it has to happen soon, otherwise we're going to be in real trouble. As a person, I like him, and I don't want things to turn nasty towards him. He does at least care about the club and is a genuine bloke, unlike that nasty piece of work Souness. However, nice bloke or not, if he can't get the results, he has to go. We can't afford to be added to his 7th place and then relegated list.

I think there are a few issues with the Toon Ultras. There's the charver element - as already covered. A lot of the TUs might not be charvers, but they're in the same area. Secondly, I think people are put off by the age factor. The TUs tend to be quite young, and a lot of people don't want to be seen to be in a group with a bunch of kids. I don't mean that to be insulting, just fact. I think that if the TUs are around for a while, then things will change as the TU members get older, and perhaps they will then be able to attract a broader age group. Another problem, again already mentioned is that they're up there in Level 7 and are only there for the cup games. Now, I know not everyone has a season ticket or can get to the league games etc, but it limits them to the cup games in L7, where as the problem is throughout SJP and in all games - league and cup. So while I support their stance to create a better atmosphere, they're quite limited. I think the problem with any group that wants to create a better atmosphere in SJP is that everyone is dispersed throughout the stadium, due to the season tickets. If a group is to achieve that aim, then it needs to have a large number of members to be regulars, and it also needs to be very well organised, perhaps trying to have a few known members in each part of the ground, who will start and join in with the singing and hopefully get things going amongst others. One of the worst things is when someone starts singing and no one joins in or maybe one person does. We have a MASSIVE problem with the songs. They're stale and predictable. We use the same songs and tunes that every other team sings. I think that PEOPLE ARE BORED WITH THE SONGS. It's not just us, it's everyone, churning out the same shite time and time again, changing only player names etc. Songs used to be witty and funny. 15 years ago when I went to the match as a kid, I used to piss myself laughing at some of the songs. Even the old ones from the 70s and early 80s were good, because they were funny. We've lost that. What songs do we, or anyone else for that might have that are funny? None. We need to come up with that, and that's where some organisation would come in handy, to come up with some and to have several people in each area to get them going. If people heard some songs that were witty and made them laugh, they'd be more inclined to join in. I know myself that singing some of the songs feels like a chore. I think to myself oh, not this again. I would like to get something going, with some proper organisation and commitment amongst regular matchgoers (though I'm not excluding anyone - the last thing I want is some season ticket holder only eletist club), and I'd like a good mixture of ages as well.

I don't think we're going to get relegated. I think it's more a question of Top 6 or Mid Table. If we bring in a decent deadline then I think we've a good shout of the former. A couple of days ago, I'd have seriously said we'd finish about 6th, but now that Kuyt has gone to Liverpool and the Martins interest has cooled, I'm not so sure. I still think we'll bring a half decent striker in before the window closes. If not, we're relying on Shola and Luque. Not ideal, but it could be worse. Mid table if that's the case.

1 Chelsea 2 Liverpool 3 Manchester United 4 Arsenal 5 Tottenham Hotspur 6 Newcastle United 7 West Ham United 8 Everton 9 Blackburn Rovers 10 Aston Villa 11 Portsmouth 12 Manchester City 13 Bolton Wanderers 14 Charlton Athletic 15 Middlesbrough 16 Reading 17 Sheffield United 18 Fulham 19 Wigan Athletic 20 Watford Top Goalscorer: Shevchenko FA Cup: Man U League Cup: Villa