James

Given recent results: Newcastle > Liverpool > Barcelona

Ameobi and Babayaro. Ameobi is a decent, no-frills back-up striker, while Babayaro is our only natural left back,and even if we get someone else in, he's worth having as backup.

Yes, but not with Brian Blessed who turns the idea from being absolutely shit to absolutely phenomenal.

We need to install top of the range sound systems around St. James Park - several speakers at the back of the stand, and speakers also towards the front of the pitch, facing the pitch. Then from a remote control at the front of the pitch, a member of the coaching staff (lets Give Terry Mac something to do) makes the speakers make different noises. These noises are made by famed thespian Brian Blessed, who would perform several chants at high volume, including "Black n' White army", "Toon! Toon!", all the individual player songs, "the referee is a wanker" "Lord and King Richard!" etc, and Blessed will perform multiple takes so mashed up it sounds like a group of people are chanting together. These chants would then be played at the back of each stand to encourage others to join in if they want. The individual speakers will issue instructions such as "man-on", which will be easy for the players to hear. Speakers in the away end could create the illusion that the away support are booing their own players, giving us huge benefit. Do all this, and we could win all our home games every season.

Is LuaLua ineligible for Europe? Its just that Roeder has picked Troisi for bench duty in European games, whereas LuaLua has been selected for bench duty in domestic games only despite their being more spaces on the European bench.

I think NE5 and HTL really do have a very legitimate point here which is being dismissed out of hand because it is them, and others have equally biased agendas on the other side of a gulf of differing opinions. Of course, defenders are important, and I doubt they will deny that our defence needs improving. Fact however is that throwing money at buying decent defenders does not improve the defence. Have you seen what happens at Real Madrid every year? Alternatively, look at what happens when a highly rated defender playing for a mediocre team makes a step up to a inconsistent, but offensively excellent team, and suddenly looks only half as good. 75% of defending is about the team, and not about the ability of the defenders/defensive midfielders. That includes tracking back, winning the ball further up the field, keeping the ball further up the field, and most importantly having more possession of the ball so the opponents have less time to cause any danger. The above reason highlights why Babayaro is so important for us - we may have better defenders than him, but having him at left back over all other players currently in the squad allows us to play better. In my opinion, it is our carelessness in possession which is costing us results. We are better off at the moment with Solano at right-back, and Babayaro at left back, so therefore we need to look at finding more permanent replacements for those two, but at the same time find a way to retain possession for longer at the top of the field. it may mean addressing midfield balance problems, or it may be that we do need a new striker, and I think that is what I would look for - a decent foil for Martins/Owen who can not only chip ingoals if both were injured, but who will also not gift the ball back to the opposition 19 times out of 20 like Martins and Shola and Sib do. Also, I dont get the comparisons with Chelsea - we are nothing like them. Boularouz is poor, while the rest of the team is pretty handy. Replacing that one weak link is bound to improve their team, while the NUFC team has lots of facets that need smoothing.

Think Coppell is a decent manager, but he's at his level, ie doing pretty well with a Reading side he has created over quite a few years now. Bit like Curbishley at Charlton I reckon.

Happy birthday to Sir Robert William Robson! 74 today. Lets hope this year is better than his last year. Some average ex-NUFC midfielder is also 24 today, though the less said about him the better.

Why? Has Bellamy threatened to chin them? Probably all media lies apparently.

They are locking and deleting all the threads on this on RAWK

How the hell did Roeder miss out on Ashton in January 2006? By not being our manager perhaps.

I really, really, really want us to beat spurs in the final.

Seriously, looking at the players on the field tonight, there is no real other candidate.

Why not legendary vice-captain Kieron Dyer?

Never rule out the Turks.

I liked Leeds. Can't believe they've gone so tits up.

Premiership: 1) Cech 2) Van der Sar 3) Lehmann 4) Given 5) Jaaskelainen World: 1) Buffon 2) Cech 3) Van der Sar 4) Cesar 5) Valdes

Aren't most of those on the list free-kicks?

I truly believe that Newcastle have an extremely good chance of claiming the UEFA Cup. Newcastle have consistently performed well at home against the big clubs this season - in fact our problems have been down to our squad not really designed to cope with the typically British physical and well drilled sides such as Chelsea, Bolton, Everton, Fulham and Sheffield United, not to mention injury problems. In fact, the squad that we have right now is probably one of the more continentally styled in the Premiership, if you exclude Manchester United (who we drew against), Arsenal (against whom we drew at Ashburton in our only game so far) and Liverpool (who we beat at home). The three mentioned teams are doing better in the league because they have a more British football orientated core in their defence, combined with more continentally styled attacking players, a balance we currently do not have. Like many continental teams, we share the same problem when playing British teams - defending set-pieces. Most European teams will not only be unable to defend against some of our players who are good at set-pieces ie Bramble, Sibierski and Taylor, but will be much worse than British teams at attacking set-pieces. Therefore, results will be determined by individual brilliance on the pitch, and with a highly motivated Obafemi Martins, Emre, Solano, Milner, N'Zogbia and Kieron Dyer on the pitch, not to mention the possibility of Duff finding form, or michael Owen being available for the latter stages, we have more players on the pitch that can win us matches than any of the opposition will.

A couple of players who apparently excelled against Swindon last night were 15/16 year old attacking players. These players would have been playing for Roeder when 13, so there is a chance that there might be a few skillful players - something we dont often produce, waiting around for five years time.

Souness would have blatently picked him against Liverpool on Saturday.

Two previous incarnations of this forum got shut down because someone posted fixtures up on here... Might be a load of nonsense that we can't post fixtures, but it is Newcastle United and the Premier League's fault, not the site's.

There is to be a report on this on the TV. Roeder makes some comments which make me quite happy that he is doing the right thing with the club's youth network. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/newcastle_united/6333107.stm The above link has a few interviews (Roeder, Brooking and others) for those who cant watch the programme.

DYER??? Please tell me you're joking. I'm not going to have to explain myself all over again am I?

I think that only you and Kieron Dyer himself would include him in a World XI. Name another player who is better than Dyer at rapidly carrying the ball between the midfield and attack through the centre of the pitch. He 'rapidly' carries it, but then loses it with a shit pass or by running into trouble like he normally does. With the exceptions of martins (and Solano who can't keep up) there is no-one capable of making space to receive a pass. In the team I've named, there would be. I was basing my view on Dyer on the last 8 years at the club, not just who he plays with this season. I aren't having a go on purpose mate, I just think its baffling how you can put Dyer in a world XI! I've never said he is the best individual, but I do think that he brings something very unique to an attacking team, which could really reap benefits, no matter how good the rest of the team is. Thus, I see Dyer as an individual who can improve any team, and should therefore be in the starting XI.