midds

Chelsea one up at Villa. Great finish from Anelka but excellent from Lampard to put him in.

It's a donation though isn't it? It's not about how much Robson could squeeze out of them it's the fact they've given something to the charity. I'm sure Bobby was delighted with £75,000.

No away goal for Spurs will make things very difficult for them. Hear that? That's my heart bleeding.

:colo: is out injured so no shock. Fellaini will start. Saha on the bench too imo. I've been told different but fair enough, I could be wrong. Don't get me wrong I hope you're right and that he doesn't start....but I think he'll play him if he's anywhere near being fit.

:colo: is out injured so no shock. Fellaini will start. Saha on the bench too imo.

I wouldn't say it's weird at all. Not when you realise that our best player of the time went out on loan to Celtic and then was sold to Blackburn. Exactly. He missed his mate buzzing about and creating space for him to do his stuff in. No co-incidence at all imo. So do you reckon if Shearer was playing in the same Newcastle team of the previous few years, he would have got 20 goals or more in 04/05 and 05/06? No idea mate. I'm saying Bellamy* helped Shearer's game and selling him for a pittance affected Shearer's game. Edit: and Robert. And Solano. Yep. Bellamy Shearer Robert Solano. Fucking hell, what I wouldn't give for that front 4 atm.

I wouldn't say it's weird at all. Not when you realise that our best player of the time went out on loan to Celtic and then was sold to Blackburn. Exactly. He missed his mate buzzing about and creating space for him to do his stuff in. No co-incidence at all imo. So do you reckon if Shearer was playing in the same Newcastle team of the previous few years, he would have got 20 goals or more in 04/05 and 05/06? No idea mate. I'm saying Bellamy* helped Shearer's game and selling him for a pittance affected Shearer's game. Edit: and Robert.

I wouldn't say it's weird at all. Not when you realise that our best player of the time went out on loan to Celtic and then was sold to Blackburn. Exactly. He missed his mate buzzing about and creating space for him to do his stuff in. No co-incidence at all imo.

Cantona Partizan Souness (Although quite a few clubs could name a few turning points of their own.)

Good stuff Tom.

Beye brings the rest of the back four up a level imo. He marshalls them, he's an outlet because he's so good on the ball and he'll pop up and do someone else's job if they get caught, usually with a ridiculously good tackle. Class act. The whole side looks more solid when he plays. I'd be very confident of staying up if that 4 manage to play the last 8 games together as a unit.

It'll be nice to have him back. Beye, Coloccini, Bassong and Enrique are our best back 4 by miles.

Had a nice little purple patch about a year ago in which he looked good in the 4-3-3. Technically he's very good but that doesn't count for much because he was so unfit/lazy he could barely get around the pitch. Could have been a really good buy for us had he stayed motivated and fit... but he didn't. He's no use to us if he's permanently injured. A waste of £4m a year wages. He'll need replacing though.

Who's picking the team on Sunday by the way? Kinnear from hospital or is it now totally Hughton's gig?

Exactly. The out-of-court settlement is the thing I least wanted out of this whole sorry mess. I wanted to find out what actually happened and settling means we'll never find out and the speculation will inevitably continue.

And the rest of us. CP40 has to be out stalking Kev's big birthday bash surely. Driving him home problees...

Just checked their remaining fixtures and they've got quite a few winnable games still to play. I reckon they'll stay up.

England always bring out the new shirt in April though don't they? Got a horrible feeling this is the shirt.

How the fuck can Umbro make such a pigs dinner of a white shirt? Everything about it is wank.

Says the bloke who just splashed £800 on an 8ft plastic shark...

I wanted to ask, but didn't want to. The gulf in the standard of play is so huge it genuinely looks like they're actually playing a different sport.

Do we actually play the same sport as Brazil?

exactly. And so was Alf Ramsey. Morale of the story is don't believe everything people say or what papers portray them as saying Basic stuff really. Yep. Slagging off your players in public is the quickest way to lose the dressing-room.... usually followed by your job shortly afterwards. Debateable. It all depends on what the manager and everyone involved with the club portrays as acceptable and unacceptable. If you're a manager and your players stop playing for you then you lose your job quite quickly.

exactly. And so was Alf Ramsey. Morale of the story is don't believe everything people say or what papers portray them as saying Basic stuff really. Yep. Slagging off your players in public is the quickest way to lose the dressing-room.... usually followed by your job shortly afterwards.

That's very magnanimous of you. Well done Junky.