Benwell Lad

Saint Niall continuously turns a blind eye to the crowd control problems/pitch invasions/weapons smuggled inside the ground issues they have, glossing over it with predictable blarney. As one of very few people with the power to do someting about the situation he is as culpable as the monkeys who perpetrate the crimes and should be taken to task when/if an opposition player is finally injured by them.

You make a fine and valid point. Ozzie was factually incorrect. Still, the sentiment is reasonable. Considering the likes of Learner and the Boro fella charge interest on their mahosive loans which is something he has yet to have done, that sum is a pitance in comparison to be fair. He will take decent money out at some point, which he has every right to do, but has shown admirable restraint in that regard so far. Actually scratch that (sorry Ozzie). Cheers Greg, so it was just reducing the loan? Can't see any issue with that really. Oh, and another thing, am I right in thinking that he hasn't even drawn out any salary from the club either? You may be confusing the fat cockney fella with previous owners/chairmen/directors who were good old Geordie lads.

At least someone willing to use actual numbers rather than spouting rubbish Specific figures and arithmetic apart, despite doing an awful PR job and making some almost universally unopular decisions, it must be obvious to anyone who can add 2 + 2 that without Mike Ashley, Newcastle United would be in a big financial mess. Ridiculous assertions that he will trouser money from selling players (bearing in mind during his tenure we have never looked like a "selling" club) are as laughable as they are ludicrous. Up until now anyway.

Ashley has taken money out of the club and it was in out accounts, he didn't take much but it was a few £million. Maybe, perhaps, possibly, we should be thankful that Ashley's overall wealth and business structure means he does not HAVE to use the club as a cash cow to finance other interests. He could but he doesn't need to and probably won't unless he became very spiteful. It may be that as an owner he is preferable to a dodgy American hedge fund operator looking to buy a "soccerball" club on the cheap and then selling the club's prize asset to the first serious bidder looking at it strictly as profit and loss. Maybe, just maybe, English albeit southerner or FCB is actually best.

There may be better strikers in the world but I don't think there is any top striker more suited to the English game than Andy Carroll right now. Nobody will give you a better return over the next 4 or 5 seasons. You could not replace him at any price. Time to worry will be when Man Utd come sniffing which if he has another good season and stays clear of injury, I think they will.

Potential/reality whatever, Carroll even today is worth more than £25M - he can be a match winner for years to come. If he was available at that price I think there would be a few more clubs than Tottenham in the market for him.

I don't think this is a must win game but looking at the league table it would be a very good result NOT to lose. Will be tough down there and they will be fired up - not particularly confident.

Apparently Muntari is asking for a ransom to go to the dump - don't blame him really. Just read on Yahoo's sport board :- [Comment From Parzionale Parzionale : ] As an Inter fan, I am so pleased to see Muntari leave. He was nothing but an egotistic pain in the dressing room. Good luck Sunderland fans. I predict your team will be worse off with Sulley! Gan on man Stevie - get him signed up quick !

Well they say the league table doesn't lie, however there is a consensus that it may just be lying a bit this season and no more so as in the case of Sunderland who's general level of performance and points total would not normally equate to the lofty heights of 6th. I've seen them about 6 times, and being as honest as possible, they have not looked good. They have had a big dose of good fortune with decisions etc and no matter how brave the mutterings coming from Bruce and Quinn, they know the morale effect of losing their "iconic" player will go far beyond that normally suffered by losing a key player. We've seen other clubs like Wigan,Fulham,Brum,Bolton etc have good seasons which they were unable to sustain and should Sunderland finish top six this season then well done, but I wouldn't be surprised to see a big fall next season - particularly if they ARE fortunate enough to qualify for Europe this time.

That is a stunningly accurate description of Sunderland considering that a week ago they had probably never heard of the place.

It's small time and open to abuse. Definitely shouldn't be permitted within the same league.

Irrespective of what happened next, that moment when Ranger turned Dawson and dumped him on his backside was a sublime piece of skill for a PL rookie. He is a real talent and I'm sure he'll turn out to be a great player if looked after properly.

Always find it quite amazing how almost everyone in the professional game, including a long line of diverse managers and coaches at Newcastle rate Shola highly and value his contribution, yet 50% of punters think he's so hopeless.

Who is the mackem who is news editor/ producer for BBC Look North ? The show has always had an anti-Newcatle feel accentuating anything negative regarding NUFC, but today's reporting of Kevin Nolans speeding charge was ridiculous. Not only a dis-proportionate amount of time for such a small deal but the biased reporting got silly when it pointed out that there was a primary school in the vicinity despite seconds earlier telling us the alleged offence occured on a Saturday. Who is producing this twisted garbage ?

Thought Shearer may have eaten a little humble pie and said something about Colo on MOTD. Has yet to say one good word about him and used to single him out for criticism 2 years ago. Least he could do is acknowledge how well he's playing now.

Very surprised he was allowed to leave before yesterday when we had no midfielders on the bench and ended the game with ONE fit midfielder playing. At our present level Routledge is an acceptable squad player.

Right now he's priceless. Something different in English football and a potential match winner for many years to come.

Thought he had another very good game yesterday. Another "Campbell" type one year deal for next season as cover to the 3 senior CBs and the kid should be enough.

In fairness to Hutton who wasn't bad, I just think the quality of the ball and then Colo's first touch took him out, it was excellent football.

Don't understand anyone using the term "honeymoon period". You may sometimes get one at a new club but Pardew walked into anything but a "honeymoon", which makes his performance to date even more commendable.

Sublime player.

Thought he was probably the best midfield performer on the pitch today, amongst some pretty stellar rivals. The way our game changed after he went off probably verifies that.

Another great effort from a depleted team who ended the game dragging weary bones around the pitch and some of them really putting their bodies on the line. If a football match was 80 minutes long we'd have won, if it was 100 minutes Spurs would have won. I've seen better Newcastle teams but I've never seen one that works harder for the cause than this present bunch. Proud to support them.

Good one. Where does it say £10? Several posts on rtg - macums buying batches for poor people who probably don't want to be there and wetting their knickers in anticipation of a big crowd.

Offering £10 adult tickets for the forthcoming game with Liverpool (cheaper than Gateshead) but surely it'll be played behind closed doors if the FA do their job properly after all the recent crowd trouble, pitch invasions etc at the Stadium of Light ??