macca888

yeah, I know but word is that the Glaziers are in financial schnook and Fergie might not be given the millions he would want to rebuild. I agree, Chelsea will win the title but I think Arsenal will push them close.

Madras Time will tell. I actually think MU are hanging in by a thread at the moment. Some of their recent signings have failed, in particular, Berbatov and the likes of Giggs and Scholes are all but finished. Same for Ferdinand, to be honest. I would say Chelsea will win the league but Arsenal will not be far behind. I fact, I think the way Arsenal play, they will be probably be Englands biggest achievers in the CL this year although Im dont see them winning it. Hopefully, Fabregas will stay but if they dont win anything this or next year, I fear you might be right and he will return to Spain for a huge fee. I really like Ashavin as a player. Whenever he gets the ball, he is so dangerous, a quality player. I also think they miss Bendtner more than people realise.

I woner whether he popped in there on his way to the ANC to sign a pre contract agreement when he can sign for them on 30th June?

Madras To be fair, he is not far off. He has some wonderful players and has had some tough injuries to contend with but I do agree that a couple of quality additions in the right areas would certainly make the difference. I can see them winning the title in the next 2 or 3 years if he does this and manages to keep Fabregas.

Well, I think that is where the blame is being put. He was quick to leave when it was obvious the going was getting tough and I wouldnt be surpised at all if there was limited funding available to him at Spurs in the next window or two due to the substantial funds he has spent already there. Unless clubs get into the CL or have rich owners, they cannot sustain such heavy spending in this day and age. To this extent, Portsmouth officals and Harry should have been responsible enough to realise they were living well beyond their means and that disaster was only just around the corner. He jumped ship and look at the club now. The same thiong is happening at the likes of Hull, Wigan and may even happen at the mackems if the yank jumps ship there.

Greg Yes, he has won titles, lots of them but it would be intersting to see mhow he would fare if he didnt have virtually unlimited financial resources over the years to buy the players he wanted. Same as the likes of Real Madrid. IMO, Wenger has consistently shown that he can build quality teams by spending very little in contrast to Fergie. My only problem with Wenger is that he seems reluctant to spend big on that one or two quality players that would make his team unbeatable. Arsenal, by far and away, in my opinion, play the most attractive football in europe, with the possible exception of Barcelona.

Agreed, there are many things that attribute to over spending and we have had our fair share of that. Things like desperation spring to mind and trying to enforce a quick solution. I have no doubts that clubs put themselves in jeopardy by over spending but it is now a cut throat business, trying to"keep up with the joneses" so to speak. Portsmouth probably thought they could build on their FA cup win. I feel sorry for their fans because they have been promised much only to find the club has been run into the ground. Much like us really.

HTL Having a bad day, are you?

Kez I think it is more about personal opinions on here by people about Shearer. Some think that because he was a godlike figure at NUFC entitles him to automatically qualify as a good manager. I personally think that his ego would make it difficult for him to succeed as a manager, particularly at Newcastle where he would probably find it difficult to match everyones expectations. He needs to start his career elsewhere, lower down in the leagues, like Lee Clark is doing. Sheffield Wednesday would be the perfect place for him to prove whether he has the ability or not.

I think you will find that Arsene Wenger does

Madras I agree that he doesnt fit into the category that Ashley wants but he is an exceptional player and we are still a big club. I could imagine the influence he would have on some of the younger up and coming players in the club such as Vukic and Inman. However, you are right. It is a fantasy but it would a great coup to get someone of his ability and experience for a couple of years.

Agreed to a certain extent. However, these days, managers have to work to budgets and they are the ones who recommend players to the board to sign.

Pray tell what comments are ridiculous! I agree regarding Shankley and Clough but we all know football is a totally different game from their days as a manager.

He spent above his means at Portsmouth. I think that was evident.

If we were going for experience, a cheeky bid for Patrick Viera to get us up and stabilise us. He would cost a lot in wages but he would be worth it, if he would come.

I dont think they will be wound up but I do think they will end up in Administration, be docked points, lose most of their squad and will have to play the remainder of the season with also rans and youth team players until relegated. They will be the next Leeds, dropping through the divisions like a stone. They should thanks Harry and Storrie for all this mess they are in.

Forget Beye, he doesnt fit into the age group of players required by the club anymore. I would definitely sign Simpson. He has had a reasonably good season, is young and will improve.

Well Skirge FWIW, I still have faith in you. I mean, I wouldnt want a visit from Marley, the ghost of Christmas past...........LOL How is that medical going, by the way? Been almost a week now

So, what level of coaching have you done? I am a fully qualified coach and have got my badges. I have coached many teams and found the value of being taught all the little extras by professionals in order to make me a better coach. Like anything else in life, you are taught to be better by teachers at school, managers at work, professional coaches at clinics to better yourself. This is clear in the game of football. You cannot coach/manage without having the relevant crdentials. Maybe you think that having been a footballer for many years at the top level automatically qualifies you as a coach? You should go and ask Mourinho, Wenger, Benitez and even SAF because none of them were ever top players.

HTL Without sounding sarcastic, I read into your comments as your expectations of Ashley having another firesale to reduce costs further and therefore risking promotion where he would further risk the value of his asset. I said that I cannot see Ashley being so stupid again. I am not an Ashley supporter by the way but I do believe that through his own fault, he had been left with a club that was spiralling out of control, especially financially due to his lack of due diligence and therefore has had to establish effective and necessary financial controls to arrest the slide. He has reduced the wage bill substantially but we are still higher than the majority of teams in the PL. He seems prepared to finance this for the remainder of this season in the hope we get promoted and that would mean not selling more key players this window. I dont see anything wrong with these comments especially as he has had to rectify the overspending conducted by the previous regime in order to get the club back on a sound financial footing. I doubt even he would have expected relegation last year so he was forced into extreme measures to ensure we did not over commit further. It should also be noted that he and llambiase have been extremely quiet recently and maybe they just have learned their lessons, working in the background to secure the deals required by Hughton whilst the team performs on the park to gain the necessary rsults to gain promotion. Hopefully, lessons have been learned all round and the right players come in, the right players leave and we ultimately get back in the PL next season.

I read an article about him several weeks ago and he said how close he was with his father in particular who had given him a lot of advice regarding his career path especially when the opoortunity came to join NUFC.

HTL Then we will see just how much of a numpty you are proving to be by the end of January, wont we?

barstewards equalise

GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL Scotty mac

lets all laugh at Lafferty, what a plonker