midds

Personally I'd revert back to a straight knock-out competition. No seedings, just luck of the draw.

Not a bad idea. The Cup winners usually qualify via the league anyway though. The other option is to bring back 3 European competitions. The European Cup for league champions only - the Uefa Cup for runners-up and 3rd placed teams from strong leagues and another for the rest of the shite who've qualified.

If it wasn't for the "win" part I would be really confident. It feels more realistic after today but I still feel we are down We're long overdue a win and we'll beat the Boro. They're shitter than us.

Yet again the results have gone for us. We're a win and a draw away from staying up imo. I reckon we'll do it.

It's also about time we had the luxury of playing against 10 men. Think it's only happened against Wigan this season. We'll win 2-1 btw.

The draft system and salary cap are not even options imo. The whole system of recruiting young talent into a sport is inherently different and can never be used by football. Too many teams in too may leagues in too many countries for it to even be considered. Not sure but I think the PFA would take the idea of a salary cap all the way through the European courts if it was ever muted as an option. Not much wrong with the game tbh. We've been through this before and it's up to others to improve. Some teams have more room for improvement than others....

Of course they knew the craic and all that, I just think that the team that scores most goals should go through, no matter where they do it. It's not like it's working any way, as it's meant to encourage attacking football away from home. Teams are now happy to sit back and hope to nick a goal, there really isn't much more attacking going on away from home these days. Perhaps Chelsea should have been a bit more adventurous in Barcelona rather than shutting the game down? Worked for Man U last year, and was extremely close to work for them this year. The rules are clear and reward the away team having a go. As an away team, 2-2 >>> 0-0 Chelsea knew this and gambled that closing the game down over there was the way to go about it. Tonight they paid the price. Got no sympathy for them and the final will (probably) be a better game as a result of Chelsea going out. Hope so anyway.

Of course they knew the craic and all that, I just think that the team that scores most goals should go through, no matter where they do it. It's not like it's working any way, as it's meant to encourage attacking football away from home. Teams are now happy to sit back and hope to nick a goal, there really isn't much more attacking going on away from home these days. Perhaps Chelsea should have been a bit more adventurous in Barcelona rather than shutting the game down?

The away goal rule has been around for donkeys. It's a shit way to go out but Chelsea knew the craic and knew 1 goal would knock them out. Tough shit imo. (Just as an aside it was fantastic to see that little wanker Redknapp mouthing off after the game. Almost in tears - superb)

No just very pissed and crying looking at the league table Man the fuck up.

That's harsh on the lad.

Wonder what odds I could get on next seasons Champions League QF draw throwing up 2 all-English ties. Then each winner subsequently facing each other in the semi?

Well I don't literally mean ending his contract, but getting rid in whatever way we can. Thought that's what you meant when you suggested sacking him. He's got 3 years left on his contract and every week he's not involved another (circa) £50k leaves the club. Shearer should have been smarter imo. Suspending him until further notice sends out the signal he's persona non grata and he's now worthless to us. We'll be lucky if we can give him away now. But within the club and in the dressing room, suspending a player who confronted the manager in front of the other players has sent out a very clear message as far as discipline goes and you cant put a price on that. If Shearer or the club had not acted at all, that might have had a much more detrimental affect on the atmosphere around the place than the loss of money. That's a fair point. Just don't like the idea of Barton digging his heels in and milking another £8m from the club. We would have found it much easier to peddle him had we, publically, kept him 'in the fold' imo.

Well I don't literally mean ending his contract, but getting rid in whatever way we can. Thought that's what you meant when you suggested sacking him. He's got 3 years left on his contract and every week he's not involved another (circa) £50k leaves the club. Shearer should have been smarter imo. Suspending him until further notice sends out the signal he's persona non grata and he's now worthless to us. We'll be lucky if we can give him away now.

On what grounds can we rip his contract up?

I agree with every word Shearer said but he should have more nous and kept it in the dressing-room. He's basically written off any fee we could have expected for him in the summer by ostracising him in the way he has done. I applaud Shearer's honesty but question the logic of it. I hope Barton never plays for us again but I'd have quite liked a decent fee for him when moving him on. Never mind - far more important things t worry about rather than that odious little wanker. Club comes first.

To be taken with rather more than a pinch of salt imo. Fuck all will happen.

The fact there's going to be a few thousand Boro fans there will help to create the atmosphere. Always been a bit of an edge between the 2 sets of fans and, with all due respect, the Portsmouth following wasn't exactly bouncing was it? I think it'll be pretty loud come 8.00.

That's always been the case imo. A sizeable minority would rather see Newcastle lose than their own team win. There are some canny mackems out there but most have got a massive chip on their shoulders and have a serious inferiority complex.

There's going to be an awful lot of fingers being crossed in the next week or 2. It's obviously not ideal that we're relying on others but if that's what we need to do to stay up then so be it. 3 points against Boro following up losses for Hull and Sunderland next weekend would be nice.

Bizarrely enough, if Villa beat Hull (and they should) I'd be a little bit more optimistic than I was this morning. We expected to get a right humping and Sunderland to pick up a point or maybe 3. The fact Sunderland played soooooo poorly in a game they would have considered winnable shows they've lost all confidence. They could quite easily lose their 3 remaining games and their goal difference will take a pounding. Hull could also fairly easily lose their last 4 but even if they draw against Stoke it means we could stay up by taking 4 more points. Results are going our way but we need to win a game. Beat Boro and Fulham and I think we'll reel in both of them. We're relying on other teams to continue to do us favours but ultimately we need to turn in a performance and win a game - preferably 2. Still not cut and dried either way but we're still in with a shout.

Don't think we deserve a miracle to be brutally honest though.

4/11 to go down now.

fyp