James

http://www.newcastle-online.com/2008/06/28/should-he-stay-or-should-he-go-claudio-cacapa/ Been sufferring writers block on this one for a couple of weeks, and people's posts in this thread have been a massive help in getting this one finished off. Thanks guys.

mackems.gif mackems.gif Not all that difficult a standard to aspire to tbh. I'd rather have Bramble, at least he had one stand out quality, Cacapa failed at everything while he was here. Slow Bollocks Weak Agreed Shit in the air Bollocks Crap positioning Bollocks Can't tackle Absolute bollocks Indecisive Probably a fair comment Inconsistent At what point, when he was in the team regularly, were any of the defenders consistent? When did we even have a consistent, unchanged backline, for that matter? Injury prone He's had an injury Old Shit argument Mentally weak Aye, probably He has nothing going for him, nothing. The biggest ones for me are the slow/can't tackle ones. And i'm not entirely sure how to respond with a proper argument, it's just total rubbish, it's as simple as that really. He's not slow and he can tackle. His tackling in that period at the beginning of the season - when he was in the side with Faye - and when he was playing regularly with Taylor while Faye was in Africa, was top notch. Agree entirely with what Ronaldo said aswell. Both that Villa game and the Middlesbrough one after/before it (can't remember which). Caçapa was a monster in that Middlesbrough game and Taylor was absolute wank. Missing headers, misplacing passes, running well out of position, generally putting Given and Caçapa under pressure whereever possible. Couldn't believe it when Keegan dropped Caçapa in favour of Taylor when Faye came back. I can remember burying my head into my hands at one point at 1-0, with a Boro striker through on goal, and Caçapa made the most fantastic sliding block to thwart him. Going back to the 'can't tackle' crap - that's what he's best at, putting in crunching tackles and just coming away with the ball almost nonchalently. The flack Caçapa gets is so unfair imo. Mostly agreed. He is slow though, but he's the kind of player who uses his brain to look quicker.

One thing we forget about Viduka is that his high wage is compensated by his low transfer fee. It is all very well saying that so and so is payed more than so and so, but at the end of the day, it is the total amount invested in a player that really matters, ie transfer fee + wage - recoupment if sold. Comparing a few people based on the wages that get bandied around: Viduka: Free Transfer, 2-year contract at £75,000pw = 0 + (75000x104) = £7,800,000 (£3,900,000 per season) Smith: £6m fee, 5-year contract at £60,000pw = £21,600,000 (£4,320,000 per season) Duff: £5m fee, 5-year contract at £60,000pw = £20,600,000 (£4,120,000 per season) Martins: £9m fee, 4-year contract at £50,000pw = £19,400,000 (£4,850,000 per season) Owen: £16m fee, 4 year contract at £80,000, £6.6m compo received = £26,040,000 (£6,510,000 per season [or £8,680,000 if we assume that one season of contract was compensated] ) Considering all that, what the club are paying for Viduka isn't all bad.

Clarke chose to leave because he wants to go into management.

Pretty much. That is why Motty is 'going.' No live games to cover for two years, and he can't be bothered with South Africa.

Football commentary has missed the silky toff tones of Barry Davies for some time though.

Can't quite get over his FA Cup Final "It's been disallowed" moment.

As far as this tournament goes, the television commentators from best to worst go: Wilson Pearce Motson Tyldesley Drury

He was a commentary legend that should have retired a few years ago.

Replacement for Alan Smith you'd hope.

I'd sign up to that tbf! Someone else in ahead of Alan Smith, yes. Piling all the expectation on a 16 year old, no. what if he's a total rooney-esque genius when he turns up? Then we won the lottery, but otherwise, I wouldn't expect to see him in the first team for another four~five years at least. agreed, just saying like...if he's shit hot throw the little tinker in from time to time, couldn't be worse than smith or duff The trouble is though that we wouldn't know whether he is shit hot or not, and that is where the problem lies. I've seen it before on here, people clamouring for an untried youngster against the manager's judgement as an alternative to dross currently being served up on to the pitch. Hasn't signed yet and people are already talking about him making the team in one year. Fact is that with all this clamour, should he come on as a 19 year old sub and merely show a few good touches, people will write him off. I wouldn't want to be trying to develop as a player in this pressure cooker.

http://www.journallive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2008/06/28/magpies-offered-beast-of-seville-61634-21165867/

Fair enough, but he wasn't wanting it, what he wanted was a new deal in January. The club fuked about and lost by the sounds of it a good coach, again. Hardly going to expect Keegan to decide whether or not to keep him on in January.

http://www.journallive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2008/06/27/everton-boss-looks-to-recruit-first-team-coach-round-61634-21159552/

I heard that it is he who isn't signing as a promotion to Ass Man at Everton is on the cards. Yes that job offer has been on the table for the last year hasn't it? Pretty much, since November.

I heard that it is he who isn't signing as a promotion to Ass Man at Everton is on the cards.

FYP. That team may beat Mars.

More realistic than playing another planet at football tbh. Another pointless unprovoked dig. Have you never heard of an analogy?

Hughton was supposed to be Pearson's replacement.

I'd say Ferdinand is easily the best English player at the moment, and definitely in the top three England players over the last ten years or so. If tommorrow, we needed an Earth XI to take on a Mars XI, Ferdinand would be the only player with a chance of making the team.

I really have no idea who. The defenders i rate simply wouldn't come here and i don't take as much notice of a good defender as a good attacker when watching footie from abroad. Celluer seems to be rock solid, would be the 1st name that comes to mind. People have this obsession with a 'ball playing centre half' which apparently KK loves, can't say i noticed that in his 1st days here, but it was a while ago, secondly who are these ball playing centre halves? Thirdly, what makes a good one, someone who can pass? A good ball playing defender is not just a good passer, but is someone who can carry the ball out of defence and into the midfield, forcing a central midfielder to deal with it, allowing a team mate to push on up the pitch with more space. Plus they need to be able to defend, as well as any other.

I'd sign up to that tbf! Someone else in ahead of Alan Smith, yes. Piling all the expectation on a 16 year old, no.

May start off with an innocent comment about hoping he makes the grade nice and early, but you just know that six months down the line an army of posters led by Sir Harold of Norway will be demanding his instant placement into the first team ahead of Alan Smith.

I don't doubt that Duff and Smith will both get new chances, and both will still be here, but it is up to them to take them. I think that there is still some hope for Duff, he hasn't lost his technique.

One of Habib Beye's favourite players.