midds

Anyone think we'd have 5 wins away by the middle of February btw?

Great win that. The little break this weekend will do us no harm at all and we can look at taking 4 from the next 2 games to cement things a bit. Massive opportunity to finish the season really well and there's no reason why we can't finish 7th or 8th. Superb stuff from all concerned.

Fabulous, fabulous player. Would have been one of the legends of the game had he not suffered as much with injury. Literally had everything you'd ever want in a forward. Billytray's list a few posts up in spot on too.

Howay, we'll get more than £20 million for the pair of them. Will be gutted if we sell them though - would be testament to the lack of ambition from the owners. OK then £25m. More money in the bank.

I think Enrique and Tiote will be sold. We'll get about £20m for the pair of them so add that on to the £35m from Carroll means we'll be going some to spend anything (net) this summer. £55m in and perhaps £15m out to replace the three of them. One or two Bosmans, one or two loans in to pad the squad out and everyone's a winner. Especially Ashley.

Doesn't need changing. Don't like the idea of seeding PL teams, they already get a bye until the 3rd round so why make it even easier for them to get through to the later stages? Giving the winners a CL place is too much of a reward too. The problem is the fact too much (financial) emphasis is placed on staying in the Premier League or qualifying/progressing in the Champions League. The competition is very much the 3rd priority for the bigger clubs and yet one of them still invariably win the fucking thing anyway. Money talks.

What's wrong with having them like? (No, I haven't btw)

Won't be long before they're in dire straights. Parachute payments go and they'll surely be fucked. Their saving grace could be the fact they've got a decent academy so when their better players (stop laughing) leave then they'll be able to draft the kids in without having to spend loads on signing a raft of new players. They're still in the shit up to their eyeballs like obviously.

How much harder than a normal nail is a coffin nail? Just an expression Greg.

Looks as hard as a coffin nail. Got to be a good thing imo.

I agree that every player at every club has a price, our club said that Carroll wasn't for sale when they could have said what you've just said. It was said purely for effect in trying to fend off the paltry bids that may have been in the process of being put together by some clubs (Spurs). Have got a real problem with anyone of our lot thinking he wasn't for sale. That's just lunacy and using it as a stick to beat the arseholes who own/run the gaff is unfair. No owner/chairman in the league would have turned it down.

We were at first but it seems to have moved on since then, even that was not necessary as they could have said nothing. Everyone involved knows that every player at every club is available for the right price. Us saying he 'wasn't for sale' was all part of the larger end-game and anyone who believed otherwise was deluded beyond belief.

Where would you draw the line? I don't think anybody is expecting them to be 100% honest but the club shouldn't lie to build peoples hopes up, only to go against what they've said and piss people off. Are we talking specifically about the Carroll transfer and the ''he's not for sale'' stuff they came out with?

I've not got a problem with the owner/chairman either telling lies or keeping schtum about things if it benefits the club. Having people who own/run the club being 100% honest in every interview/press release just doesn't happen imo. It's a game.

This is Ashley's Newcastle - no expense spared.

When Wenger (Campbell) or Ferguson (Goram) does something like this they're applauded for finding a cheap, short-term solution. When we attempt it...

Fucking mentalist.

I think he'll take them down and bring them straight back up.

How come youtube links aren't allowed?! http://www.newcastle-online.org/nufcforum/index.php/topic,19161.0.html

Our only game plan seems to be to bang it up to 2 big lads who knock it on or hold it up and allow the likes of Nolan and Barton to feed on scraps. We're pretty good at set-pieces as long as the delivery is decent so signing him as cover (sort of) makes sense. Don't get me wrong, I think he's pretty shit and can't see him scoring or creating much. I would also like to think we'd blood a young lad rather than resort to this but it's not the end of the world. He'll cost us next to nowt and he's fit to play. Short contract to tide us over for the last dozen games or so.

Supporters have the choice of pumping money into the game or walking away. They choose to do so because they like the product and seeing the players perform. The players attract the cash and it's fair they are rewarded for it. That's life.

Best to keep all the mongs together imo.

Pointless game against a pointless team. Couldn't care less about the result or performance.

Sounds like a loophole. Not like the big clubs would agree to that though......

Jesus Christ he's not even followed up on it. Fucking sad as it gets.