Benwell Lad

Any strategy or tactical plan can only work to the extent the opposition allow it to. Yesterday we had 6 key first choice players missing and ended the game with 5 players who have seen very little first team action so far this season. We were up against one of the finest and fastest pass and move teams on the planet. Understandably we got tired. A great point in the end, however it was achieved.

Fully agree, except I'm happy with the point. They came at us a lot in the second half and I thought we were hanging on at times.

Him and Tamas, scum. One of the dirtiest teams around but somehow always manage to stay under the "pundits" radar.

Taking this game in the perspective of us being a newly promoted team missing six key players, playing against world class opposition it was a very good point today. Good to see Campbell looking so comfortable but there again class is permanent so they say. Loved the "stand up if you beat Sundlund" chant from L7.

I will say yes on the basis I thought Guthrie was poor and there was one moment in the first half when I thought "Nolan would have been there". Don't know if you were at the game, but Guthrie was NOT poor by any means. He worked tirelessly and did not give the ball away under pressure against some world class players. Sometimes that work rate doesn't come across on a TV screen. BTW this is not anti Nolan, he is still a very important player for us and I'd have fancied him to get on the end of Shola's knock down, but a defence for Guthrie who is potentially a very good central midfielder and did nowt wrong today.

Absolutely ridiculous. But I suppose this is the Football Association we're talking about after all......

I've no gripe with the rules the FA put in place, it's the non uniform application of them which makes the whole thing farcical. At the moment there is no uniformity whatsoever, as we ourselves have seen this season and it seems to be left to TV studio sofa warmers to highlight who the FA should consider charging.

Rules and laws have to be applied fairly and uniformly otherwise they are not rules and laws. Commendable as it may be to have offences retrospectively punished when evidence is provided, unless the same rule applies to all cases it is farcical justice. It would seem that certain incidents and certain teams are picked on by the TV and media kangaroo courts while others are allowed to escape without mention. If this form of justice is to prevail then it must be applied evenly and that means the FA would have to scrutinise every game for evidence of offences which go un-noticed and not just rely on pundits and journalists to cherry pick incidents involving their least favourite teams.

When their former chairman and manager were attacked in a quayside Indian restaurant it turned out to be a pissed off macum who set about them. Darren Bent and his team mates push their luck the way they pose around Newcastle city centre and it's suburbs. Someone in their club should tell them they should stay away as it is unlikely they will be welcomed. Fortunately (and somewhat surprisingly) they have been given an easy ride so far. True Faith posed the question how Shearer or Carroll would be treat if they parked up their ostentatious motors and went socialising in Sunderland ? (I know - don't laugh so loud). They'd be eaten alive by the heathens who populate the place. Still as long as their fat manager spends every night boozing in north Newcastle and their players also refuse to dirty their expensive shoes on the shitty streets of wearyside, I suppose we'll have to put up with them in the region's capital. Maybe they should just pipe down a bit and keep a lower profile if they've got any sense.

We have three decent Premiership central defenders in our senior squad. And Steven Taylor.

Mike Williamson was an excellent signing and has generally been very good for us since he arrived. Anyone saying otherwise has not been watching him play and has forgotten some of the central defenders we had before him.

clockstand pie chuka: saddest, bitterest man in the world? Like most macums, obviously didn't hang around long enough to see him rip their central defence to shreds during the derby match.

fremdschämend The only word that goes close to describing their behaviour on that sad forum of their's has to be borrowed from German !

That has to be one of the saddest ever posts on a forum which represents a sad football club from a sad town full of saddos.

Fuck England - wrap him in cotton wool. Seriously, congratulations Andy - well deserved.

Added a poll for the laugh. Personally think it would be fantastic, but the logistics of implementing it would be a major issue (aside from the obvious). Be interested in hearing from our Germany-based posters on how it works over there. Not based in Jormany but been to a quite a few matches there and it is generally a much better all round experience for atmosphere than in England. The standing areas are probably the biggest difference, but there are also so many more flags/banners, the chanting etc can almost appear choreographed at times and visually quite stunning. It's not unusual to have a "conductor" at the front of the section, megaphone in hand keeping it going throughout. They also seem to get into the stadium a lot earlier and the beer certainly flows - there are dozens of beer stalls going flat out, albeit they do have certain "high risk" games (derbies etc) where beer is banned. Overall it also seems to me that the support is less conditional on performance, almost like the raison d'etre of a fan is to support whatever the result. I would love to see a real atmosphere return to SJP (and the UK in general) - perhaps the current downward trend in attendances across the game and the eventual and inevitable drift away of the "fashion fans" who sprung up with the Premier league hype may make clubs think again about what true fans really want when they're at the match.

When I saw the Chelsea line up I backed the macums to win. Shame so few of their fans were there to support them - but I assume most of them stayed until the end this time.

I still think that Man Utd away is the only game in which the opposition have looked better than us and that has to be quite encouraging. I also think that if Ben Arfa had played in games like Saturday we would probably have won them. I'd tend to agree with that. Man U was the only game where we've been outclassed. Arsenal can play football of which we're not capable, but we set them problems. We were unlucky not to get something at Man City. Really, apart from the big two, we look capable of picking up points anywhere. We too would have rolled over the Chelsea that the mackems came up against on Sunday. Doubt we'll see them again though. I put money on Sundlund to win after seeing the Chelsea line up and I'd normally never do that.

The away support in the game before those two was the worst we'll see all season - but that didn't stop us partying through the game

I still think that Man Utd away is the only game in which the opposition have looked better than us and that has to be quite encouraging. I also think that if Ben Arfa had played in games like Saturday we would probably have won them.

Pedantic post Dave, but why do you spell "crack" "craic" ? Crack has been a Geordie expression for as long as anyone knows and long,long before the Irish hijacked it and it became trendy to spell it "craic". Trendy? I'm pretty sure its spelt craic because that is how you spell crack in Gaeilge Good answer Decky. Around here "it's good crack" and "what's the crack ?" have always been common expressions, but recently, when written, a lot of people use "craic" In reply to your later "English stole our land" remark - we wouldn't have to nowadays - we'd just buy it at a very knock down price Hope the Germans don't impose too many of their words on the Irish after they bail out the economy later this week. Hopefully they will impose their beer over here Prost ! ......or should we say Slainte ?

Pedantic post Dave, but why do you spell "crack" "craic" ? Crack has been a Geordie expression for as long as anyone knows and long,long before the Irish hijacked it and it became trendy to spell it "craic". Trendy? I'm pretty sure its spelt craic because that is how you spell crack in Gaeilge Good answer Decky. Around here "it's good crack" and "what's the crack ?" have always been common expressions, but recently, when written, a lot of people use "craic" In reply to your later "English stole our land" remark - we wouldn't have to nowadays - we'd just buy it at a very knock down price Hope the Germans don't impose too many of their words on the Irish after they bail out the economy later this week.

Pedantic post Dave, but why do you spell "crack" "craic" ? Crack has been a Geordie expression for as long as anyone knows and long,long before the Irish hijacked it and it became trendy to spell it "craic".

Chicken and egg ? We need your type at SJP - not just away matches.

Good post. Some people predicted we'd be playing in the same league as Hartlepool this season, about 15 months ago. Wouldn't surprise me if some of those people are now complaining about how this season is shaping up.