James

Jury is out for me on this one.

Also, it means that they cant buy their own football kits.

John COLLINS Collins JOHN

More Owen's fault for going to the WC unfit and endangering his career. Name one football fan in the world who would not play in the World Cup despite being passed as fit by both club and country doctors. He wasn't match fit and was why he came away with an injury, it doesn't matter if he was right to go, he wasn't fit, it didn't pay off, and he and the FA are partly responsible for where we've finished in the league and therefore responsible for us not having Europe and why he's in the position of leaving. So you seriously think he would have said no to going to Germany on account of not being 100% match-fit? He should of, hindsight or not he wsn't fit, he hadn't even played a game of football for us since Dec 2005, throughout his ENTIRE career Owen has been known for taking at least 3 matches to get fit and amongst the goals, this alone should of made him realise he was going to be a hindrance rather than an asset at the finals. It was a risk him going, fair enough... but it's the World Cup we're talking about. He was passed fit. Imagine if you were passed fit, but decided not to play, and then went on to see your teammates lift the trophy? You seriously think he'd have passed that up just to guarantee he would be OK for us (and who is to say he wouldn't have been injured in the Intertoto or in a friendly for us, or even training?)? True, but the point being he is more to blame for the current situation of him leaving for a CL club than GR and i firmly believe that. I can see where you are coming from, but as James said, if Roeder was a better manager perhaps we would have been a CL club ourselves this coming season. Not necessarily CL, but high up enough the league to look in a healthy state, with Owen less likely to want to move given that he'd be uprooting his kids once again.

Steven Taylor would have played if he found himself in Owen's situation. Obviously you don't like Owen, and there are things you are entitled tohold against him, but playing in the World Cup is not one of them.

Wasn't it Hansen who said that? Souness just victimised James Milner in particular.

More Owen's fault for going to the WC unfit and endangering his career. Name one football fan in the world who would not play in the World Cup despite being passed as fit by both club and country doctors. He wasn't match fit and was why he came away with an injury, it doesn't matter if he was right to go, he wasn't fit, it didn't pay off, and he and the FA are partly responsible for where we've finished in the league and therefore responsible for us not having Europe and why he's in the position of leaving. Lets put this differently... If Steven Taylor got injured at the World Cup when playing when not fully fit, missed almost an entire season, then activated a release clause to join a top 4 side, would you blame him?

More Owen's fault for going to the WC unfit and endangering his career. Name one football fan in the world who would not play in the World Cup despite being passed as fit by both club and country doctors.

Poor results on the pitch, making a Top 4 club a much more attractive proposition to Owen.

If we sell Parker, I want concrete assurances that this money isn't somehow going to get 'lost' during the takeover.

Fucking hell, thats £53 million they've spent so far this summer.

Furthermore, Owen has often spoken off seing out his Newcastle contract due to him not wanting to move his eldest kid out of his Newcastle-based school. Being a family man first, and a footballer second, Owen is only likely to hop off if a really appealing offer comes through, and if that is the case, then who are we to stop him? It would be the fault of Shepherd/Roeder/Souness if he hada get-out clause, not Owen.

He wouldn't have to bother publicly bigging up Allardyce if he didn't want to stay in my opinion.

We got taken off due to the state of our pitch perhaps? I know we definitely used to be on the list.

Threads might be down because there is nothing new to talk about, so when someone inevitably posts something that is already being discussed, it is quickly merged.

Sunderland at home would be brilliant. All eyes across the county would be on us for two weeks in advance.

I'll agree with Andy, otherwise he might give me a FINAL WARNING like he did to Apisith.

Think I remember being impressed with him at the World Cup.

Owen has been named as captain. Personally, I think their are better captain figures in that team in King, Neville and Smith.

Now that a cash injection seems likely, we can seriously talk about a few silly players that would have otherwise been considered as waaay down our list of priorities. How about Julio Baptista, Arsenal cant afford to keep him (going rate is toohig for a squad player there), and Real Madrid dont want him, so he's going to be somewhere new next season. He would add some real power and muscle and battle to the team, and could potentially be used as a third striker, with him slotting into a midfield position when called upon. He would definitely bring a flexibility to our starting lineup, as well as improving the quality.

I know he did. I've got thick skin, just like a melon.

Don't worry Gemmill, you can still abuse me, and I'd be powerless to do anything about it.

I've merged your thread with the other thread Graemeh72, so that anyone who wants to respond to it can respond to it.

Southampton are losing £12m a year, and are auctioning off their best players. Bale will go, even if the highest bid is £3m.

Unfortunately its just part and parcel of football, and you aren't going to stop it.