James

Out of interest, if the choice was between Viduka and Steven Taylor to replace Enrique, what would people have gone for?

Lua Lua is now on the bench.

For those who missed it, Viduka is a last minute addition in place of injured enrique.

Enrique's out, injured, Viduka starts.

I'm feeling strangely optimistic.

Just said this in chat, but the forum's clock is four minutes slow Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas

Team: Newcastle United Current Position: 12th Where did you expect your team to currently be: Top 6, maybe even top at this stage of the season given the relatively slow start by the Top 4, and the fact that we've had what should have been an easier first half to the season fixturewise. Best player so far this season:I was never Shay Given's biggest fan, but he has been both faultless and important to our cause this season. Worst player so far this season: Nicky Butt. Penalty after penalty after missed placed pass after free kick after yellow card. Best game so far: Manchester United away. We were unlucky not to win. Worst game so far: Sunderland. Who would you like to sign in January: I don't think any signing made will be one who has an immediate and long term effect unless we can uncover another Bassong. It will be a short term squad player, or a long term young player. Who would you like to sell in January: No-one. Thoughts on your manager so far this season:He's the best we could hope for given the off-pitch problems, but I hope he isn't the long term manager. General thoughts on your team so far: Hard to work out the exact direction the club is going. Where do you think you’ll finish from this point to the end of the season: Impossible to say. Could go down, could challenge for Europe.

Xisco did have the best goal per minute ratio in la liga last season supposedly.

Create chances for who though? Long time since we could rely on others for goals.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/newcastle_united/7780414.stm

Didn't know he was ill. Nice to hear he's ok.

Paul Stalteri has been released by Spurs. We are looking for full back cover. 2+2.

Don't think they'd like losing a chance of an exclusive to Setanta, .cock, or the BBC.

If it was a major development they wouldn't tell you to wait 5 minutes...

MOTD is horse shit, it's too easy to pick up on one or two things during 90 minutes and forget about the other 80 something good minutes, the best footballers in the world make mistakes so a kid is going to do the same. I agree, like I said, horses for courses.

MOTD pointed out also that he would have been to blame if Campbell hadn't airheaded the ball at the end, but all horses for courses.

Have we not made that mistake before though with young players losing form soon afterwards? Like who? Dyer and N'Zogbia both showed more promise before their pay hike than they did afterwards. My personal opinion is that you've got to be of legendary quality to be getting more than £10k at 21, you need to keep the players grounded and focused on what happens on the pitch. By all means offer Bassong an improved win bonus mind...

Have we not made that mistake before though with young players losing form soon afterwards?

Yeah agreed, he may be picking a winning team right now, but as we've seen time and time again under Dalglish, Gullit, Souness, Roeder and Allardyce, Newcastle United has always had the players to pick up two good wins on the bounce, the real test will be over the remainder of the season. Three questions need to be answered over the course of the season: 1) Are the players currently performing inspite of Joe or because of Joe? 2) Will Joe show nous in the transfer market? 3) If he buys a transfer flop, will he admit to his own failure and drop him? It will take positive answers on all three questions for me to give him enough credit to see him as a viable long-term option. I've seen too many false dawns to give credit to someone based on two games. By taking this stance, I feel I admitting to my own mistakes with Souness and Roeder and Allardyce who won me over on the occasions he got a few wins out of some good players. Or perhaps I'm that batterred ex-wife too scared to love someone again? Joe still has plenty more to do to prove that he's the right man to move on with.

Bassong is very good, but you've got to give credit to the intelligent partner he has who sweeps and allows Bassong to do the Hollywood defending. Take a bow Coloccini. All very reminiscent of some top defensive partnerships such as Ferdinand and Vidic in how the pair complement each other. Take note Steven Taylor - trying to play both sweeper and charger for several years has made a mess of our defensive unit.

Not taking the piss, don't worry. Obviously I want us to do well, but there are many challenges ahead, and people will forget these past two games if we fail to rise to these challenges.

That's needlessly harsh. Not really, the game was on a knife edge until Martins scored, had we lost we couldnt have really complained. we were well on top for the vast majority of the game man Well on top?, after we went 2 up I'll give you that but Pompey were the better side in the first half. We've seen numerous NUFC failures string a two game run together, and you are very right to question anyone who is supporting Kinnear based on two games.

What happens when he buys players, and then has to pick the team? If, and it is a big if, he keeps the form up, I may be happy for him to say if the people who bought Bassong buy all the players for him.

I think he deserves his name back.