Benwell Lad

Do yourself a big favour- keep your mouth shut and if they score make sure you stand up. You're not the only one. If in doubt just dribble at the mouth and make animated grunting noises - you'll blend in perfectly.

There is a lot of pessimism considering how ordinary the opposition is. If we get our key players fit and keep it tight early on we can nick it. We have more players who are used to big atmospheres and big occasions. Like you said it will need a strong ref as they get away with murder down there normally and their idiot manager really seems to be piling the pressure on to his own players with his talk of revenge etc. What a tosser he is.

He's becoming the perfect manager for a club with an inferiority complex.

Their fat piss-artist manager really is putting the pressure on his players with his crazy rants and big statements. No chance of him ever managing a big club when he behaves so unprofessionally.

Howay man, if you're picking a fight make it a fair one, thats just too easy poking fun at Albania on Wear.

So true. Never heard a squeak from them pre segregation days. Modern policing and ticket allocations has done a lot for macem courage.

"Volunteers will be rewarded for completing the task with a free ticket for the visit of Chelsea in February." Knew there was a motive SMB FTM's. What was the saying about imitation being the sincerest form of flattery ?

Whatever. Still one of the best ever derby moments that celebration.

Seems the FA's appeal system is about as much use as the FIFA world cup canvassing system. i.e. a complete waste of time and money as they've already made their mind up.

Yeah. He needs to realise that the post match wind up at SJP was done by some maverick DJ and was not the manager's request. He is behaving a bit silly and seems to be losing it - definitely not what a professional manager should be saying before such an important match.

Yeah. Nice tan apparently and stocked up on duty frees.

As one of our most experienced players who's been there done it and got the t-shirt, Alan Smith can still play a big part on Sunday around the dressing room etc. It's as much about mental strength as anything else and that is something he still has pleny of.

Very strange decision by Bruce to go out of his way to antagonise Newcastle people, especially considering it's where he chooses to live, eat booze etc. I'd heard that he was overheard in his favourite boozer saying that for him it's almost win/win i.e. - win and he's doing a good job - lose and the team he (allegedly) supports wins. His professional role, the club he takes millions out of, the team he claims to have always supported and the place he chooses for himself and his family to live, seem to be turning him into a very confused and often contradictory person. Like some sort of latter day Lee Clark actually.

Very strange decision to go out of his way to antagonise Newcastle people especially considering it's where he chooses to live, eat booze etc. I'd heard that he was overheard in his favourite boozer saying that for him it's almost win/win i.e. - win and he's doing a good job - lose and the team he (allegedly) supports wins. His professional role, the club he takes millions out of, the team he claims to have always supported and the place he chooses for himself and his family to live, seem to be turning him into a very confused and often contradictory person. Like some sort of latter day Lee Clark actually.

Distinct lack of class - but what would you expect from the fat mercenary bastaad. He is almost implying that the post match music at Newcastle was Chris Hughton's choice, not the match DJ's ?? For a professional manager to stoop to that level and get involved illustrates why Bruce will never get to manage the big club he so obviously pines for.

Tiote will be a big miss so it's important Shola and Carroll play as it allows Shola to drop back and become almost a fifth midfielder but he also takes a couple of defenders at set pieces etc allowing Carroll more freedom. If Gosling is match fit he may have to be pitched in to CM, if not then Guthrie who despite a couple of poor performances is nowhere near as bad as many on here are saying and is capable of making a positive contribution like he often has in the past. Those who want to see any of the kids feature - forget it - this is no game for kids, mental strength will be just as important as ability and fitness - so players like Smith and Campbell can still play big parts around the dressing room making sure everyone's attitude is spot on. Keep them quiet for 30 mins and their crowd will become unsettled and a strong ref will be needed to resist their rabid appeals for everything to be given their way - which they often get down there. If we get out a side like, Harper,Simpson,Colo,Willi,Jose,Barton,Gosling/Guthrie,Nolan,Jonas,AC9,Shola and keep the game tight early on we could nick it, probably from a Carroll set piece or great cross goal.

Daft though it sounds he does bear a lot of similarities to the young Supermac, who co-incidentally started out as a left back. That was a long time ago though.

Didn't we hear all this kind of stuff before ? Some time around... err.....October ? Even after wiping the floor with them the thick arrogant cnuts still don't learn do they ?

Yep. Pardew's comments about Krul after the Stevenage game were ridiculous and Hughton's post match would have been completely different. Perfect example. I liked how Hughton dealt with the press too, but there are very few managers that take his approach. He might have become more open over time as well, we'll never know. I never like managers singling out players in public, but I don't think criticising Krul's kicking was too out of order. If it motivates the lad it's a good move, if it crushes him it's obviously a mistake. The comments were little more than a critical, and probably justified, observation and nowhere near a "personal attack". If it were to crush Krul then frankly he's not cut out for a career at the top end of pro football, but it won't because he is.

efharisto poli !

Enrique has developed a knack of making the difficult look easy and the easy look difficult. There are sublime moments where he looks world class but also moments of sloppiness which make him look less than average. Bolton away he was shockingly bad. He has achieved cult-hero staus on Tyneside but probably needs a kick up the arse and to cut out the careless parts of his game if he is going to become the player he could potentially be.

We'll see. and hope.......

We are what we are and at this time we are reliant on Tiote and Pardew has screwed up. I've got a feeling no one knows that better than the man himself right now ! To paraphrase, we are where we are right now and we're missing Tiote for 3 games, so regretable as it is we'll just have to get on with life without him, as best we can.

The only reason I could think of bringing him on would have been if we were trying to hold onto a lead, even then it would have been questionable considering we finished with 10 men against West Ham. You may be missing my point, I'm not arguing that it was a regretable decision to bring him on, and had I been in Pardew's shoes I wouldn't have made that change. So on that we agree. My point is that there are quite a few who said nowt as he came on, some who even cheered his introduction but are now criticising that decision. Like I said wisdom in hindsight.......... A lot of people in the match thread criticised the decision before it happened and as and when it was happening. Was blatantly a disaster waiting to happen. Only a couple (take a look) remarked that it was not a smart move with him being on 9 yellows, myself included although not on here. A LOT criticised the decision AfTER the tackle and sending off. Obviously was a disaster waiting to happen. He's on eight yellows. Really. Pardew should have had him on from the start in that case

The only reason I could think of bringing him on would have been if we were trying to hold onto a lead, even then it would have been questionable considering we finished with 10 men against West Ham. You may be missing my point, I'm not arguing that it was a regretable decision to bring him on, and had I been in Pardew's shoes I wouldn't have made that change. So on that we agree. My point is that there are quite a few who said nowt as he came on, some who even cheered his introduction but are now criticising that decision. Like I said wisdom in hindsight.......... So f***ing what? The decision was made by Pardew, not anyone on here. It went wrong. Good point. Well made.