James

Probably the best of the lot when it comes to being right about Newcastle, both analytically and with transfer gossip. Just half the time there isn't much worth reading.

That's wrong, it was an estimated £1m for 5 year corporate box.

Last year, Ashley was talking about maybe giving up a share of the club in exchange for some investment in the playing staff. Reports at the time said Barry Moat was approached, but would not share and couldn't afford a full buy out. Instead he donated £5m to the youth academy in exchange for some really good long term corporate deal.

How did you hear that?

I'm starting to think that your ITK is just being strung along by Ashley and Llambias like the rest of us while they do things like talk to Kinnear behind everyone's back.

If I was a coach and my incompetent employer kept asking me to become a stopgap manager of a largely talentless group of players for an indefinite period of time, in a relegation battle, with no remit to buy players or make big changes to a losing team, I would probably look the same way. I'm not saying he would be anybody's first choice, but he is a more practical and far less embarrassing alternative to David O'Leary or Joe Kinnear or Terry Veneables. Neither of whom will be likely to move over when Ashley finally goes (whenever that may be). There is a reason that normal clubs don't touch these guys with a barge pole. If you can't sell the club, any decision you make will be unpopular and risky since no good managers will want the job. Stick with Hughton and give him some authority with the players instead of labeling him an 'interim' boss. Venables might attract the media, but he's got far more nous than Hughton, making us far less likely to be embarassing on the pitch. I think O'Leary could probably get one last shot at redemption too, put right his past mistakes. Would be a risk. Agree that Kinnear would be more embarassing though.

Goodness me, its starting to seem to me like you have a vendetta against every single member of the youth team, in addition to all the other vendettas you've got. Did they spoil a night out you had once or something

Venables won't come, but he's a far more qualified coach than the likes of O'Leary, Strachan, Coppell and other such losers mentioned so far. Strachan is fine like. Coppell is alright too but couldn't cut the pressure here. I don't think O'Leary can be completely written off as a manager either.

To be honest, if it is a local consortium supposedly willing to pay £75m and Ashley won't play ball and is really prepared to let the club decline further and further, they'd probably be best off buying Newcastle Blue Star and investing the money on getting into the Championship and passing NUFC on the way up.

Seems this has all been another stalling tactic to avoid appointing Shearer because they didn't like his demands when they met with him after the season. It appears they want to try and get back up with largely the same squad of players and a manager who is as of yet to be revealed. Considering Harris' claims that Martins was sold because he didn't fit the Championship style and two are expected in, I would say the manager is already at work. With our rotten luck it will be O'Leary. Why do you only put one sentance in each paragraph? Is it some sort of attempt to make your sentances seem as though they have more gravitas or do you simply not understand the principle of paragraphs? Whatever the reason I find it extremely irritating. This technique drags you down to the same level as Robert Peston. Why do you only put one sentance in each paragraph? Is it some sort of attempt to make your sentances seem as though they have more gravitas or do you simply not understand the principle of paragraphs? Whatever the reason I find it extremely irritating. This technique drags you down to the same level as Robert Peston.

I'm starting to hope we get caned 10-0 vs West Brom in the vain hope that it might scare Ashley into doing anything positive.

If it is untrue, I challenge NUFC to take him to court, as stuff like this must surely be damaging the sale.

The club hierarchy may be denying it, but I'm sure that 75% of the time they don't know what ashley and Llambias have been upto behind everyone's backs.

If this happens, I can see some sort of October Revolution where fans takeover the stadium and training ground.

It is never good to estimate exactly how far a player will go, but in terms of his progress and development and what he has done at youth level so far, he is way ahead of what anyone has done at NUFC youth academy for at least ten years.

I can just imagine the club website on August 31st Newcastle United are pleased to confirm that they have signed Claudio Cacapa, Mark Viduka and Peter Lovenkrands on a free transfer.

I'm going to put 1p on Madras at 1000/1 how would you tell ? You'll only be able to say Wormy.

Peter Lövenkrands. And who the fuck is choosing these players. Scouts and agents lumbering a future manager and board with players that may not be suited to the team, may not be good enough, or simply may not be wanted?

I'm going to put 1p on Madras at 1000/1

who the fuck would want to come in?

Just a thought re: Martins, transfer embargo etc, but is it possible that the transfer embargo has NOT been lifted, but Martins was fortunate enough to have a relegation release clause on his contract?

He's not going to give us anything on Newcastle as its all very sensitive. Any attempt to bring it up will just by sidestepped by a "we are talking to many parties"

I haven't really been following the team news, although I know Bassong is suspended, so bare with me if I've named some injured player or something. I'd play the following team, although Hughton won't: Krul Beye S.Taylor Kadar Enrique Barton Guthrie Lua-Lua Vuckic Duff Carroll Seven established players most likely to give a shit coupled with hungry youngsters who can inject that extra bit of willingness into the team, without being completely void of talent themselves.

What does he think he is? A Passat?

Plus our team looked a bit more lifted in that game than they had been all season. Morale is now much lower.