midds

The scousers are on ITV at 8 I think. Wycombe v Brum on SS2

to mow the pitch.

Swap him for 2 or 3 rows of seats.

I sincerely hope not tbh.

Must be the only person in the world that vertical stripes have a fattening effect on. probably the fact that his footballing bretheren are generally built like tooth-picks. At 14 1/2 stone i'd probably look obese out there So why isn't he? He's got a responsibility to keep himself in good shape. Why is it so hard for him to slim down and stay fit? He can't help picking up injuries but he could at least lose a bit of weight when he is fit. some people have more muscle mass than others and trying to loose this is counter-productive, simple as that Don't buy that, sorry. He's a professional athlete who is paid to keep himself in shape. He's responsible for his diet and fitness but he looks awful when he's apparently 'match-fit'. It's just not an acceptable situation for him to be in the shape he is in. He's carrying weight he shouldn't be. He's out of shape and looks grossly unfit - even when he's apparently fit. Full stop. coming from someone who spends 2 hours a day on physical fitness, if someone's genetically pre-disposed to being muscle-bound there's very little they can do about it. And yes, for someone who is paid to run around every day it causes problems if certain muscles and tendons cannot keep up. So it's genetic then? He's got a very 'muscular' stomach from what I've seen.

He hasn't walked past me recently but I watched him try to run loads of times last season and was horrified by his lack of mobility. He looks fat and plays fat. I hope he's slimmed down but I'll believe it when I see it.

Must be the only person in the world that vertical stripes have a fattening effect on. probably the fact that his footballing bretheren are generally built like tooth-picks. At 14 1/2 stone i'd probably look obese out there So why isn't he? He's got a responsibility to keep himself in good shape. Why is it so hard for him to slim down and stay fit? He can't help picking up injuries but he could at least lose a bit of weight when he is fit. some people have more muscle mass than others and trying to loose this is counter-productive, simple as that Don't buy that, sorry. He's a professional athlete who is paid to keep himself in shape. He's responsible for his diet and fitness but he looks awful when he's apparently 'match-fit'. It's just not an acceptable situation for him to be in the shape he is in. He's carrying weight he shouldn't be. He's out of shape and looks grossly unfit - even when he's apparently fit. Full stop.

Good point but it generally is, which is why a player coming in who can score/create an extra 15 goals would mean the world of difference. Someone who can turn draws into wins and losses into draws by doing something out of the ordinary. We don't have that type of player. Yet. I think that's what we all crave. I'm convinced we're looking for one (attempting to get Modric and Aimar), I just hope we get someone who can really do it. Me too. Just got to trust the boss and hope he comes up with something special. I'm hopeful.

Good point but it generally is, which is why a player coming in who can score/create an extra 15 goals would mean the world of difference. Someone who can turn draws into wins and losses into draws by doing something out of the ordinary. We don't have that type of player. Yet.

The quality was already there in some areas, in Young, Laursen, Barry (not him again) and Bouma (get well soon). Our problem last season was that we had areas where we had literally nothing. Mellberg forced to play a whole season out of position at RB, no right sided midfielder etc. Gardner forced to deputise at RB, even NRC at one point. No goalkeeper cover of note (Taylor is rubbish, and so was Carson the first choice). You're exactly right, though, our aim this season is to become / remain (as you see it) the best of the rest and consolidate our position. If we're going to break the top four (and personally, I think it is a long way off), then it will not happen in the space of one or two seasons, and if it happens at all, i want it to be sustainable. I'm most happy because he seems to be taking a longer term view in building a squad. Laursen, Davies, Cuellar, Knight as CBs. Even given Knight at 4th choice, that's pretty good. Guzan and Friedel cover GK for some time to come. Shorey and Bouma at LB, very good. Young plus another RB will be good in that position. Our obv needs now are right side midfield and the option to have something a bit different up front. None of this stuff will happen overnight, but seeing steps being taken in the right direction makes me pretty happy. Common sense.

Barton and Guthrie in CM isn't going to scare any of the top 10 teams imo. Workmanlike and tidy but they're not going to win a game against a decent side.

Must be the only person in the world that vertical stripes have a fattening effect on. probably the fact that his footballing bretheren are generally built like tooth-picks. At 14 1/2 stone i'd probably look obese out there So why isn't he? He's got a responsibility to keep himself in good shape. Why is it so hard for him to slim down and stay fit? He can't help picking up injuries but he could at least lose a bit of weight when he is fit.

I like the look of both players and to get both of them here for very, very small amount of money (relatively speaking) is good going. They'll both play a lot of games this season and will contribute. They're not top quality but they'll serve us well until we can replace them with the 'real deal'. Stepping-stone signings if you like.

being kind on Charles there N'zogbia at LB is probably the clearest example of a player being out of position since 05-06 with Ameobi on the wing/pitch I'm a bit a traditionalist in as I'd like to see my defenders defend. If they can get forward and add something to the attack then great but they're there to provide a stable, solid platform for the midfield and forwards to play the nice stuff. Overlapping is fine but they're there to defend ultimately.

N'Zogbia can do a job there but it's not his best position by a million miles. Depends the formation but Zog should be used much further up the field to create rather than destroy.

That's the way forward. Broaden the scouting network, identify the players, get them into the club for next to nothing, coach them well, hoy them into the first XI. That's the golden goose and every club knows it. Spend is minimal and the potential rewards are huge. I just hope Keegan is as good as Wenger. At player development once they make the team I think he's as good as. He turned SWP from a struggling full-back into a devastating RW. Lee from a right sided wide man into an earlier day Lampard/Scholes type player. Cole need I say more. Anelka found his feet again under KK. Distin developed into a class centre-back, Dunne too. He's pretty good at getting good players to perform, often above themselves or to reach new levels if they already have the ability. We're on the same page. I'll back his judgement in the market and I'm sure he wouldn't bring in players he wasn't totally sold on. I also think the players he's let go are pretty much spot on too. He knows a good player who can enhance the squad, he also knows a shit player who gives nothing. He'll peddle the shite and draft in the quality, given enough time.

That's the way forward. Broaden the scouting network, identify the players, get them into the club for next to nothing, coach them well, hoy them into the first XI. That's the golden goose and every club knows it. Spend is minimal and the potential rewards are huge. I just hope Keegan is as good as Wenger.

long day dave? Just getting fed up with the complaints again, sorry. I suppose it boils down to the fact I don't think we're anywhere near as bad as some people make out. dave, we're not man, but why you'd be "happy" with warnock (or an equivalent player) escapes me completely to move us forward we need to be targetting better than him, and that's a fact Of course we would all like to go out and get the best LB in the World. And throw him in next to the best 2 CB's, the best RB. the best GK and so on. We aren't in a position to attract the top-notch players so we're going to have to build things up gradually. Signing Warnock for a modest fee is, at this moment in time, a decent move. In 2 years time, if we're still signing 'Warnock's', I'll be slightly concerned. Until then, I'll back Keegan's judgement.

I only hope measures are being put in place to bring the best coaches to Newcastle if we are going to start developing our own kids in the next decade. We need to identify the talent, home or abroad, and nurture it properly. Shit coaches will turn out shit players, generally speaking. I've got the patience to wait for the first few names coming through but I wouldn't mind seeing the odd star being brought in to supplement the first XI. There has to be a blend imo. We're a long way behind the likes of Arsenal in terms of Youth development but theirs is the model we should be using.

bingo dave, why would they? in what world wouldn't they demand less than 5m? Why would they want to keep a player that doesn't want to be there? no, why would they accept 2.5m when to general knowledge there are no clauses in place, he's got plenty of time left on his contract & they don't need to sell? oh and he's got england caps right? generally decreases value If a player slaps in a transfer request, the general reaction is to get him out asap. That usually entails accepting an offer pretty sharpish. I'd agree that £2.5m seems a bit low for him but him handing in a request changes things in our favour. If we've got to barter up and settle on about £3.2m then so be it. Only a fucking retard would march straight in and bid £5m. i swear you lot are fucking unbelievable, quoting prices from a skysports story, who we're not allowed to believe as they're "murdoch owned" or some shit and people are saying good price for him one guy (not me) says they wouldn't sell at that price, i back him up and you're all over me like flies on shit embarrassing, seriously Just answering you question tbh. They wouldn't ask for £5m because they know they'd never get it, mainly due to the fact the player doesn't want to fucking be there! Couldn't give a shit about skysports but the prices being bandied about seem about right. You need to calm down a bit. nickey shorey at relegated reading = 4m steven warnock at not relegated, with no real reason to sell blackburn = 2.5m? (you do know a transfer request is just that right, a request? they don't have to accept it and can basically demand any reasonable fee they want) yeah, i'll calm down Reading have just been relegated and I'm pretty sure England International Shorey, whether he handed in a request or not, wanted to play in the Premier League - hence the low fee. Warnock at Blackburn, with rumours of discontent at Ince, slaps in a request to move clubs and we go in at (allegedly) £2.5m. I honestly don't see the problem. Blackburn can indeed reject his request and keep him but how often do you see that, eh? If a player wants out, history tells you he goes pretty swiftly for less than his actual worth. Wasn't having a pop btw. aye, getting excited it seems! stand by myself though - warnocks an international too right? blackburn wouldn't be the first club to turn down a transfer request either...and they've a history of being obstinate over transfer fees as well!!! for what it's worth if we sign him he'll probably do OK, personally i got sucked into all the talk of developing talent/scouting and would have expected (as and example only) a move for taiwo for double the fee and getting a player who could potentially cover 2 positions for a decade (LB, LM) rather than what is essentially a very limited signing No bother. Just think it's refreshing to be on the upper hand during negotiations for a player. Normally we're haggling up but things seem we're starting low apparently. They might knock his request back (in fact I think they will purely to save Ince from being publically embarrassed) but they'd be silly to do so. He obviously wants to go and I hope we get him because we need cover/competition for LB. The best Blackburn can hope for is to reject the request, buy a bit of time and hope other clubs come in and force an auction for him. Only then will they get anywhere near his actual worth.

They've sacrificed numbers for untried quality, which is a gamble imo. A bit of an injury/suspension crisis at WHL and fuck knows who'll be getting a game. If they keep people fit then they'll have a good season because they've, undoubtedly, brought some quality players into the club. Time will tell I suppose.

bingo dave, why would they? in what world wouldn't they demand less than 5m? Why would they want to keep a player that doesn't want to be there? no, why would they accept 2.5m when to general knowledge there are no clauses in place, he's got plenty of time left on his contract & they don't need to sell? oh and he's got england caps right? generally decreases value If a player slaps in a transfer request, the general reaction is to get him out asap. That usually entails accepting an offer pretty sharpish. I'd agree that £2.5m seems a bit low for him but him handing in a request changes things in our favour. If we've got to barter up and settle on about £3.2m then so be it. Only a fucking retard would march straight in and bid £5m. i swear you lot are fucking unbelievable, quoting prices from a skysports story, who we're not allowed to believe as they're "murdoch owned" or some shit and people are saying good price for him one guy (not me) says they wouldn't sell at that price, i back him up and you're all over me like flies on shit embarrassing, seriously Just answering you question tbh. They wouldn't ask for £5m because they know they'd never get it, mainly due to the fact the player doesn't want to fucking be there! Couldn't give a shit about skysports but the prices being bandied about seem about right. You need to calm down a bit. nickey shorey at relegated reading = 4m steven warnock at not relegated, with no real reason to sell blackburn = 2.5m? (you do know a transfer request is just that right, a request? they don't have to accept it and can basically demand any reasonable fee they want) yeah, i'll calm down Reading have just been relegated and I'm pretty sure England International Shorey, whether he handed in a request or not, wanted to play in the Premier League - hence the low fee. Warnock at Blackburn, with rumours of discontent at Ince, slaps in a request to move clubs and we go in at (allegedly) £2.5m. I honestly don't see the problem. Blackburn can indeed reject his request and keep him but how often do you see that, eh? If a player wants out, history tells you he goes pretty swiftly for less than his actual worth. Wasn't having a pop btw.

bingo dave, why would they? in what world wouldn't they demand less than 5m? Why would they want to keep a player that doesn't want to be there? no, why would they accept 2.5m when to general knowledge there are no clauses in place, he's got plenty of time left on his contract & they don't need to sell? oh and he's got england caps right? generally decreases value If a player slaps in a transfer request, the general reaction is to get him out asap. That usually entails accepting an offer pretty sharpish. I'd agree that £2.5m seems a bit low for him but him handing in a request changes things in our favour. If we've got to barter up and settle on about £3.2m then so be it. Only a fucking retard would march straight in and bid £5m. i swear you lot are fucking unbelievable, quoting prices from a skysports story, who we're not allowed to believe as they're "murdoch owned" or some shit and people are saying good price for him one guy (not me) says they wouldn't sell at that price, i back him up and you're all over me like flies on shit embarrassing, seriously Just answering you question tbh. They wouldn't ask for £5m because they know they'd never get it, mainly due to the fact the player doesn't want to fucking be there! Couldn't give a shit about skysports but the prices being bandied about seem about right. You need to calm down a bit.

bingo dave, why would they? in what world wouldn't they demand less than 5m? Why would they want to keep a player that doesn't want to be there? no, why would they accept 2.5m when to general knowledge there are no clauses in place, he's got plenty of time left on his contract & they don't need to sell? oh and he's got england caps right? generally decreases value If a player slaps in a transfer request, the general reaction is to get him out asap. That usually entails accepting an offer pretty sharpish. I'd agree that £2.5m seems a bit low for him but him handing in a request changes things in our favour. If we've got to barter up and settle on about £3.2m then so be it. Only a fucking retard would march straight in and bid £5m.

bingo dave, why would they? in what world wouldn't they demand less than 5m? Why would they want to keep a player that doesn't want to be there?