Dokko

Anyone else think Denilson could be as good as Cesc in a year or so?

Bollocks nearly put Nasri in me DT as well.

Arsenal still have a shout in the title, i don't think they'll win it unless they pull off a couple of big signings, but they can cerainly mount a bid until the final stages of the season. Good luck to them as well.

I must say at the end of the winter window missing out on Woodgate hurt a lot. Putting his injury record aside, he's quite easily the best CB i've seen in a B&W shirt, and would have loved a return for such a class player. On missing out i honestly thought we'd missed our last chance to sign a top class CB for a long time due to our position and reputation at the back. However that opinion has changed with the arrival of Colo, and in fact without even seeing him in a B&W shirt, i believe we've got the better all round package (Quality, age, experience, injury record) as long as his quality suits the prem, which im sure it will.

I'm excited. Not too sure if i'm bothered were not playing today for a change, sort of this is enough for me anyway feeling.

cover for those two midgets being injured. Hopefully we can bring in some height on a permenant deal, pref young height. This and a Tiago loan would do us well to get some bodies in, some decent names without committing too much.

Yep, i'd take that.

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2008/08/16/toon-weigh-up-loan-bid-for-saviola-72703-21544957/ Toon weigh up loan bid for Saviola Aug 16 2008 by Alan Oliver, Evening Chronicle NEWCASTLE United, having completed the signings of Jonas Gutierrez and Fabricio Coloccini, are now trying to bring a THIRD Argentinian to St James’s Park. For the word coming out of Spain is that United are interested in Real Madrid’s exciting striker Javier Saviola and that they are hoping to ship him in on loan. And the men behind the move, United’s vice-president Tony Jimenez and technical director Jeff Vetere, are hoping to cash in on their Spanish connections to pull off a deal that would really excite the United fans. Jimenez’s family roots are in Seville, while, before joining United, Vetere worked for Real Madrid. After unveiling Coloccini yesterday, Kevin Keegan stressed United were still on the look-out for quality players and Saviola certainly comes into this category. He is still only 26 but seems to have been on the go for ages and this is not surprising as he made his debut for River Plate in his native Buenos Aires as a 16-year-old. Barcelona were happy to take him to the Nou Camp and he came on as a substitute for Dani against United in a Champions League second stage game in Spain back in 2002. While at Barcelona, Saviola went out on loan to Monaco and Sevilla. And when his deal at the Nou Camp ran out in 2007, Saviola switched to Real Madrid in the summer of 2007 and he is under contract at the Bernabeu until 2011. However, Saviola only made nine La Liga starts for Real Madrid last season, scoring three goals. And while Gutierrez and Coloccini have been named in an Argentina squad made up of European-based players for Wednesday’s friendly with Belarus in Minsk, Saviola is not in it. Throughout his career he has been known as El Conejito, the Little Rabbit, and if United can get him into a black-and-white shirt, then, with the pace of Oba Martins and Gutierrez, a few opposing defences would be caught in the Newcastle headlights this season. While Messrs Jimenez and Vetere are tracking Saviola, director of football Dennis Wise has given Ipswich Town permission to talk to Shola Ameobi and it is now up to the striker whether he goes to Portman Road. Ameobi, of course, played under Glenn Roeder at St James’s Park and in the same United team as Lee Clark, now at Norwich City. But Ameobi is on £15,000 a week with United, and this – and the transfer fee – are way out of the Canaries’ budget. However, United are likely to reduce their wage bill even further with the £2m transfer of Abdoulaye Faye to Stoke City going through over the weekend. The Chronicle reported Stoke’s interest on Wednesday, and perhaps significantly Keegan’s praise of Claudio Capaca yesterday, and the way the Brazilian international linked up with Steven Taylor at the heart of the defence in the pre-season games, has made it easier for United to cash in on the Senegalese international.

I think it spells weakness.

Have we got 7 subs then?

Really fancy a drink, holding off till later on though, don't want to ruin myself for the night. Should have put some bets on as well.

You do know Wullie is on his way to your house in OZ to kick you square in the nads. It's a long way to come to punish me for suggesting it when he could stay in Old Blighty and punish Keegan for doing it His hatered for Duff knows no bounds or timezones for that matter. Expect a delivery in around 14 hours ish.

why is that? I think his ability to pull off amazing saves would certainly inspire his teammates He hasn't had that ability for quite a while now though tbf. Even if he gets it back, and i'm sure it will, its not exactly a reason to be made a captain. He's got no leadership skills on the pitch, in fact not many of our players do which has been a massive problem since Shearer left. i cant think of anyone obvious to make captain either. beye maybe, or colo if he settles and is that type of player. I think we've suffered because of it. Problem is, for me the Captain should just be an extention of the manager, and we've got no one like him in the squad. Owen isn't a bad choice, but is unreliable in terms of fitness and again lacks real motivational and communicational skills to be a top Captain. Colo could do it next year if settled, but i just hope this season for him to settle in to our team, our City, our hearts and to help Taylors game.

You do know Wullie is on his way to your house in OZ to kick you square in the nads.

why is that? I think his ability to pull off amazing saves would certainly inspire his teammates He hasn't had that ability for quite a while now though tbf. And when he did, his 'amazing' saves didn't actually inspire anyone else to pull their finger out. True, they just stood there and thought 'thank fuk someone is on the ball'

That one must have passed me by! Doesn't look totally match fit but seemed up for it and fairly comfortable against Valencia. He put in one or two marvellous slide tackles down in the corner. Butt will get it on Sunday; i can't see Geremi playing tbh. I've not seen much pre-season, just reading comments on here, the match threads came out with a strong opinion that he wasn't firing just yet.

why is that? I think his ability to pull off amazing saves would certainly inspire his teammates He hasn't had that ability for quite a while now though tbf. Even if he gets it back, and i'm sure it will, its not exactly a reason to be made a captain. He's got no leadership skills on the pitch, in fact not many of our players do which has been a massive problem since Shearer left.

I don't consider Given a leader of men. Especially now his bottle has gone as well. I think off field he's perfect, but on the pitch i couldn't think of anyone worse. Yup. He's a fine example of a model professional if you will, but on the field, he communicates bad enough with his defenders as it is, never mind trying to inspire the rest of the team. I don't think Owen is a good captain as well in the traditional sense of the word, although did lead by example perfectly at the end of last season, even if I feel it was an obvious PR stunt from Keegan. Agreed, but it did its job, KK is no mug. Someone like Colo could be our next FT captain by next season once he's settled and learned English, i really can see that happening depending on where Owen's future lies. Prefer a Captain to be able to see as much as the pitch as possible, i think central defense is the best place for a captain to watch and command his team, second best central mid, though they do tend to get lost in the game concentrating on whats happening in the near, rather than whats going on around them.

I don't consider Given a leader of men. Especially now his bottle has gone as well. I think off field he's perfect, but on the pitch i couldn't think of anyone worse.

I'd go with Beye, but everyone seems to think he's had a poor pre-season, so maybe he should concentrate on his own game. Reckon KK will go with Butt.

1st week deadline passed. Good luck everyone. In another league, £10 each, 22 of us, hopefully i can win it this year.

Who's talking about me being paranoid?

Fukkin rites lyk. He's making reasonable comments iyam. I was extracting the urine. (im a big fan of Warnock)

My thinking for at least Ronaldo. His injury is keeping him out till October, can;t see him hitting that kind of sparkling form until beginning of Nov, so that's quite a big chunk really. Keeping my wildcard for then i think.

-------------------Cech------------------ Carragher--Vidic--Ferdinand--Distin Bentley--Modric--Arteta--Downing ------------Torres--Bent---------------- 3 Spuds players like, but they've hit the ground running pre season, and i'm going for the form attackers and solid backline this season.