madras

no he wasn't...just a damn sight better than he normally is. still not first 11 but getting better week by week.

well, I don't really think football has changed too much. Blackburn may be able to offer him more money than they used to be able to do because of sky etc, but from an ambition point of view, fans, and the type of area and football club, the likes of Newcastle beat them all ends up every time. Others do too unfortunately. Its a real coup for Hughes if he can persuade him to stay, but if I were Bentley I wouldn't stay at Blackburn. I disagree. Bentley is not going to leave Blackburn to make a sideways move. What would be the point him leaving to join Newcastle, Everton, Villa, Man City? There's slightly more likelihood of him joining Spurs for the London lifestyle, but other than that, he's very unlikely to do anything other than bide his time and wait for a move to one of the big four (three in his case, discounting Arsenal for obvious reasons). Theres little incentive in moving from one also-ran to another when the ultimate ambition is to be at one of the big boys. As you said, Sky money has distorted the situation, and although waving a huge wad of cash at players still does work from time to time, it isn't anywhere near as persuasive as it used to be. Neither is the 'footballing city' thing. Players these days care about one thing - themselves, unfortunately. I don't consider moving from Blackburn to Newcastle to be a "sideways" move, in the grand scheme of things. Aston Villa maybe. In the longer term, Blackburn may be above Newcastle at the moment, but not too many people will think that situation will continue for very long. Or that being a Blackburn player is preferable to being a Newcastle player in the long term either. I think you've become a little detached from reality if you don't think a move from Blackburn to Newcastle is a sideways move. And as for the comment about "s**** little clubs like Blackburn", that'd be Blackburn who've won the league even in the miniscule timeframe of the average Sky football fan? I've got a lot of time for you in much of what you post, but that is condescending bullshit of the type which gives Newcastle fans a bad name. depends what is happening around the time, for example if NUFC have spent £50mill on quality players then bentley coming here would be a step up......however if bentley were our only signing (nice as it would be) it wopuld be a sideward-if not downward step for him

he's the good cop in the routine

we'll be bottom of 3 this staurday night but finish 2nd

I know. I mean direct quotes from Ashley mean the journalist definitely made it up Silly me. How dare I question that beacon of truth the NOTW. News of the World or Washington Post, at the end of the day quotes are quotes tbh. If they aren't true, action is taken. No action has been taken. End of, really. No action has been taken because it's Easter Sunday ffs I'm talking about the original article man And I'm talking about the NOTW and simplistic people who believe every word in it. BTW someone has written gullible on your ceiling, have a look I'm not saying I believe every word of the NOTW. I'm simply stating I believe the article on post 1 of this thread to be true because they're direct quotes from Ashley. also think about judicous quoting and context

I went and watched two Roeder training sessions - during both of which Terry Mac stood next to GR throughout the whole thing and just watched, occasionally muttering something to Glenn. Occasionally he'd pace about, shouting for people to start and stop doing certain drills. He occasionally say something funny to some of the players, who'd all fall about laughing. Haven't seen a Keegan session yet, admittedly. Sterling work. i went first time round with keegan and once under roeder. on both occasions he'd sneek off to have a word with players. gesticulating as if pointing something out about their game. he doesn't oversee training sessions but still works with the players.

i wonder if those having a go have been and watched training ?

James Weatherup wrote that article. was it ? not going back to my dads to check. i thought the back page article was beasley's. what else does beasley say ? Only a small piece saying about Viduka and Owen scoring and Keegan saying it was an important win, about 50 words in total and a picture of him sat next to Ashley on the inside.. so beasley,weatheru and rushworth all doing stuff on NUFC for the one edition of the paper. looks like they have a squad out for us.

James Weatherup wrote that article. was it ? not going back to my dads to check. i thought the back page article was beasley's. what else does beasley say ?

I would like to belive the first one Where abouts is the stuff about our insiders, I never saw that when I was browsing. don't know if it's on-line but it is in the printed version.

Quote from: gdm on Yesterday at 08:38:18 PM ROB BEASLEY at St James' Park More seriously, he added: "I just can't wait to get to the summer and then sit down and talk with Kevin about what we need to take the club forward." haha from newsoftheworld.co.uk curiously the bloke who got the quote and printed it is the same boke who, in todays issue of the CRAP says "but now toon insiders believe he is weighig up a deal to sell" ? which beasley line do you believe ?

People said that about Barton last season, oh and Parker a few years earlier. Bullard is no better than either of them at their previous clubs and would soon get swallowed up here. bullard looked very impressive when we had 3 in the middle as he was given time and space. disappeared when we went to 4.

he didn't have shares,it was spread betting

i realise this is a tad late but did anyone see the man utd line up for the bolton game. rooney on the bench,ferdinand,scholes and giggs rested completly. now supposing we rest players against chelsea and the title is still up for grabs i wonder what he'd say.

No again wrong. It was when he was on loan and Manu said to Everton he cannot play. Since then its compulsory loan players not to play against their clubs. He wasn't on loan, he'd already made the deal permanent but it was a 'gentleman's' agreement that he wouldn't play. but wouldn't that "gentlemans agreement" be against FA rules by another team team influincing team selection ? Yes, the Premier League investigated it, but I can't remember the outcome. i'll give you a clue.....man utd were involved.

No again wrong. It was when he was on loan and Manu said to Everton he cannot play. Since then its compulsory loan players not to play against their clubs. He wasn't on loan, he'd already made the deal permanent but it was a 'gentleman's' agreement that he wouldn't play. but wouldn't that "gentlemans agreement" be against FA rules by another team team influincing team selection ?

Hmmm I don't know, you play your form players and Viduka, Martins and Owen are our form players. I think its moronic all the people that want to drop Owen, he is 2/2 after fulham. What more do you want from a striker than scoring goals? Zoggy has been in indifferent form & Milner has never looked up to it so I don't see why you'd rush back to 4-4-2. All it seemed to give us was a whole lot of no service to our strikers. keegan has history of dropping scorers if its for the good of the team. the reason 4-3-3 has worked is because we've played teams who werent good enough to take advantage of the numerical supremacy in midfield. better teams will.

curiously the bloke who got the quote and printed it is the same boke who, in todays issue of the CRAP says "but now toon insiders believe he is weighig up a deal to sell" ?

Aye! He was doing it to Keller yesterday, when the ball was nowhere near him. that means he's more likely to hear him doesn't it. he sits a couple of rows behing me and he does it as a tradition piece.

i like the idea that martins is on the "verge" (suggesting its imminent) if things don't improve over the summer (suggesting it's not at all imminent)

quite right,the bloke should just earmark his entire wealth for NUFC aswell,selling his huge house and living in a carvan at the least.

i dont think he wouuld...he'd take up a different role

my gues is only you saw it that way

Care to explain your reservations? he hasn't got the ability to do it against better teams. true he has shown himself to be a better footballer than some thought but i dont think the 4-3-3 as of now would work against the higher ups (also viduka hasn't the ability to make it happen and martins hasnt the nouse) Fairy nuff. Remains to be seen I suppose. i hope we dont do it with our present set up but at the same time i hope people see owen as a better footballer then previously

i personally dont think players should be allowed to play in a league in which they can affect the team whio hold their registration.