midds

I'd go with all that, but then you look around and see all the Barca shirts on fat Englishmen and it puts you right off. Hardly Barca's fault though is it? I'm sure the marketing guys at Barca would claim differently You implying I'm fat like? :lol:

I'd go along with a lot of that but I think Rooney plays better as one of a partnership upfront. Put him out on the left hand side of an attacking 3 and he can cut inside and get a shot away but that means he can't go on the outside and whip a cross in. Swings and roundabouts? I'd have him playing just behind a moblie, pacy centre forward who is ablr to find space and finish well. His partner would also attract defenders which would enable Rooney that little bit of space and time to create things for himself. All things considered, Rooney is a cracking player who's going to get better and better. Drogba has really pushed on this season and is one of the best strikers in Europe but I think if you put him in Boro's team - he'd flop, whereas Rooney would still impress. Drogba needs the service - Rooney IS the service.

Sometimes there isn't a lot between these players, for instance if you want to choose who is the best central defender you would sign for Newcastle, who would that be ? Personally, I know John Terry is top class, a captain etc etc but a fit Woodgate runs him close and if anybody is on the same level Carragher too is maybe as good as Terry, he has been absolutely awesome for Liverpool sometimes and is a major reason why they could win on Wednesday. Would have been Tony Adams for me. Nearest player nowadays would be Terry but I also like Carragher and he never gets the credit he deserves.

I'd go with all that, but then you look around and see all the Barca shirts on fat Englishmen and it puts you right off. Hardly Barca's fault though is it?

Would much rather see Barcelona win it all tbh. Love the city, love the people and admire what they went through under Franco's rule. Also like the way they're run as a club - having over 100,000 members who decide on things. A genuine, genuine massive club. C'mon Barca.

just like wor Kev Correctamundo. Bond got his P45 because Shepherd panicked when he saw Panorama. Once the dust settled, Allardyce was in the clear and he hired him. Can't see the big hoo-haa that's being created. Granted Bond has a reason for feeling a little aggrieved but it's hardly earth-shattering stuff is it?

Good shout. Forgot about him. Big horrible, nasty fucker who puts himself about. I'd have him here in a heartbeat. blueyes.gif I wouldn't really call Earnshaw a big horrible nasty fucker but each to their own. Touche.

without understating Ronaldo, I agree completely with what you say about Rooney and Gerrard, the best 2 English players in the premiership and the 2 players I would buy for Newcastle who are currently playing in the premiership and money was no object. No objections here! They're both absolute quality. Gerrard drives the team on from midfield and Rooney makes things happen up front. You could surround them with shite and the team would still do ok. Tough call though. Drogba is awesome, but Rooney gets the nod. Gerrard has no player coming close for the attacking midfield position. Aye, Rooney needs someone to play off. Gerrard can run games from the middle of the park on his own. Prefer both of these to a talented winger who occasionally flits in and out of games - especially the big games.

Good shout. Forgot about him. Big horrible, nasty fucker who puts himself about. I'd have him here in a heartbeat. blueyes.gif

Splitting hairs here but.........surely Allardyce was presumed innocent and never found guilty of anything?

without understating Ronaldo, I agree completely with what you say about Rooney and Gerrard, the best 2 English players in the premiership and the 2 players I would buy for Newcastle who are currently playing in the premiership and money was no object. No objections here! They're both absolute quality. Gerrard drives the team on from midfield and Rooney makes things happen up front. You could surround them with shite and the team would still do ok.

Ronaldo ? No. he didn't. Rooney did though. 8) That the fat lad who defenders let go because they know his weight will see him running into the keeper everytime hes through? no, its the fat lad who's one of the quickest and strongest players in the premiership, along with having supreme talent and a great attitude on the field. So its the same fat lad were talking about. The one who is quick, strong, talented, works hard, but whos weight/momentum results in him regularly running the ball into incoming keepers. In all seriousness, he just needs to tweak small amounts of his game to be a player who is often unstoppable unless hes surrounded by 3 of the opposition. That slightly heavy touch when he beats the last defender, and that slight amount of lift when he powers a shot in at goal from range. has the perfect player ever existed ? Is he as good as Maradona, will he be as good as Maradona ? One thing is for certain, if Gazza had signed for Newcastle instead of manure, or even better if NUFC had had a half decent club with a half decent board of directors at the time ..... We sold Gazza to sign Pele. Nowt wrong with that move. So what if Pele was 56 by that time and we already have 10 strikers in the squad and we paid 3 times the asking price? We sign top players, and intelligent boards sign players based on reputation, because thats what big clubs do. and how many boards have ran clubs who have achieved a higher league position and qualifified for europe more than us ? We sold Beardsley and replaced him with madonna for a quarter of the price. We sold Gazza and replaced him with 3 cheaper average players, we sold Waddle and replaced him with a QPR reserve player, the actions of a shite board. How many big clubs do you see that do what you suggest, but seriously, don't complain if the club lose out on the top players because they stop paying the money, if that is really what you think. I have a feeling that this is just another case of slate them if they pay the money and slate them if they don't. We don't need to hear all this again, do we? Please?

Fail to see how people can possibly have a go at Rooney. The lad has got a ridiculous amount of talent and is going to get better every year. He's a bit inconsistent and needs someone up top to play with but he's top, top drawer. The most naturally talented English player since Gascoigne. Ronaldo, as good as he looks against mediocre opposition and in low-profile games has still to convince me that he's going to win a big game single-handed. Kaka put him to shame in the 2 semi-finals last month. Even Gerrard has the ability to take a game by the scruff and drag his team through.

That kit pisses all over our new one.

Would prefer Dean Ashton mesell. Everyone's forgotten about him. £6m take it or leave it to Curbs.

He'll end up at Sunderland imo. Aye, was thinking the promotion teams would probably go after him. He'd probably be an excellent signing for the Mackems or Derby/West Brom. Brum have got enough strikers. He's just the sort of player they need. Small fee - canny wage - 2 year contract. He'd go for the £ and the chance to play for Keane. He'd be first choice forward and he'd get a reasonable amount of chances to finish. Could end up with 20 goals next season if he stays fit. Have you seen him play recently? Or am i going to be 'wooshed'... Sort of! I just think he's the type of player to get the thick twats all excited. He would do a job for them but he's a spent force. It wouldn't surprise me if he signed for them on a big wage tbh. '20 goals a season' is the response I'd expect from the deluded wankers.

He'll end up at Sunderland imo. Aye, was thinking the promotion teams would probably go after him. He'd probably be an excellent signing for the Mackems or Derby/West Brom. Brum have got enough strikers. He's just the sort of player they need. Small fee - canny wage - 2 year contract. He'd go for the £ and the chance to play for Keane. He'd be first choice forward and he'd get a reasonable amount of chances to finish. Could end up with 20 goals next season if he stays fit.

He'll end up at Sunderland imo.

Exactly. The chances are that the players he's after are also on their holiday if they're British. Or alternatively, if they're playing overseas, they'll be finishing their league seasons soon - by which time Sam'll be back in this country. Drama Queen!

Good point, that. The huge TV money plus the influx of billionaire owners is starting to create a more level playing field. In a league where everyone has cash, things like whether players want to play for the manager at the club play a large part. I can't imagine any player particularly wanting to play for Roeder, but I could imagine SA swaying a lot. I'd also expect things like club facilities (training and other) to play a large part in persuading players to move, too (as well as the obvious lure of CL football, although that goes without saying). Unfortunately, I also think that with a more level playing field, players will also get swayed by things like location, so you'll have people like Bent or Sidwell not wanting to leave London, and foreign players seeing London clubs as more attractive Surely that's always been the case though? As for level playing fields - it's only level if we're ALL owned by billionaires!

Come on, if silly money is offered - he'll be off. We all know this. EVERY player in every team has his price. If Chelsea offered, for arguments sake £26m, could any chairman turn it down? Well, the €40m offered by Juve is roughly £26.7m and that was turned down. He's not worth it but I stick with my statement in an earlier thread that I don't think Levy would even remotely consider selling Berbatov for less than £30m, probably £35m. He gives Spurs the best chance to break into the top 4, not because he can do it on his own but by keeping him, other players who might have thought about only the top 4 when moving may now consider a 5th option. OK then! Just to be pedantic what about £36m? My point is that every player has a certain amount that can not be turned down and if the buying club keep coming back with more money, eventually a bid is going to be accepted. The wishes/ambition of the player become irrelevant. Berba has publicly said he is happy at Spurs, I don't think Levy would sell him at any price with the player's own words ready to be thrown back at him should he be sold against his wishes. Negotiations are very nearly complete for an extended contract taking him up to 2013 and doubling his money. But as, currently, he is only on £22k pw he could still earn far more elsewhere. Find it hard to believe he wouldn't be sold for 'any price' but I suppose we'll just have to wait and see what happens in the next couple of years.

Come on, if silly money is offered - he'll be off. We all know this. EVERY player in every team has his price. If Chelsea offered, for arguments sake £26m, could any chairman turn it down? Well, the €40m offered by Juve is roughly £26.7m and that was turned down. He's not worth it but I stick with my statement in an earlier thread that I don't think Levy would even remotely consider selling Berbatov for less than £30m, probably £35m. He gives Spurs the best chance to break into the top 4, not because he can do it on his own but by keeping him, other players who might have thought about only the top 4 when moving may now consider a 5th option. OK then! Just to be pedantic what about £36m? My point is that every player has a certain amount that can not be turned down and if the buying club keep coming back with more money, eventually a bid is going to be accepted. The wishes/ambition of the player become irrelevant.

That's my point. If someone comes in with big money, he'll be sold regardless of whether he likes it or not. Money used to talk. Now it screams the place down.

Carrick's decent in possession and keeps things ticking over well in the midfield but I've never thought of him as someone who's going to unlock an organised defence with a bit of magic. Who knows, they may dovetail nicely and dominate the central midfield allowing Giggs and Ronaldo a bit more leeway to get forward? I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Come on, if silly money is offered - he'll be off. We all know this. EVERY player in every team has his price. If Chelsea offered, for arguments sake £26m, could any chairman turn it down?