Benwell Lad

what would premiership crowds be like if it was £10 to get in. it's far cheaper in germany to go to football and good on them for having it that way Agreed, but thats also the reason it doesnt have the talent of the premiership! Also, few premier league clubs can hold 50,000. Bring back standing and have a world cup here. and it might happen. I always use the size of the stadiums as an argument that average attendances in England would be much higher if some of the stadiums were bigger. But here in Germany attendances have been very high and increasing since the 90s. Safe standing surely does play a part in it, as do the much more affordable ticket prices. The whole football culture in Germany is much more geared towards the fan. The fan is generally made to feel part of the club and therefore closer to it. In the UK you're likely to be taken for a mug who subscribes to a corporate brand owned by some foreign investment company. In Germany it's still about beer, bratwurst and atmosphere. Our league is richer and more hyped than theirs and therefore attracts more "galacticos". Their football is equally exciting, better officiated and all in all a better day out at a fraction of the price imo.

So you have relations who know Beardsley then.

What about Shearer 97/98? Like Owen, had just came back from main injuries, like Owen, was playing in a sh*t Newcastle side, and scored 2 league goals in about 18-20 games. Don't remember Shearer getting the same criticism. Good point. Shearer scored about 30 the year after. And although I don't think he'll get that many (but he never has even at his peak), I'd predict Owen to get himself 20 in a Keegan team. I agree he will almost certainly get you 20 goals a season and to guarantee that nowadays you'd need to be spending wacky Drogba or Eto type money, so he may not be such bad value after all. The option would be to take a gamble, perhaps like our neighbours have in spending £12M on Jones and Chopra, and see how many goals that would buy you.............. He isn't almost certain to get you 20 goals at all and to suggest we'd have to spend on a Drogba or Eto'o type signing to replace him is living in a dreamland. A few good games against s**** teams and typical of people on here they go way over the top. First of all I'm neither typical of people on here, we all have our own minds, nor living in a dreamland. I don't know, nor for that matter particularly care if you actually watch Michael Owen, but in my opinion he is a cut above anything else at Newcastle, and that is based more on his special ability rather than anyone else's shortcomings. If you had watched him you'd have noticed how much of a team player he is, how well he uses the ball and his uncanny knack of getting in the right place before a defender against all teams. His goal ratio at Newcastle would indicate that injury free he IS ALMOST CERTAIN to get 20 goals in a season. And by the way, don't know how many matches you attend but trust me there are no "s**** teams" in today's Premiership.

What about Shearer 97/98? Like Owen, had just came back from main injuries, like Owen, was playing in a sh*t Newcastle side, and scored 2 league goals in about 18-20 games. Don't remember Shearer getting the same criticism. Good point. Shearer scored about 30 the year after. And although I don't think he'll get that many (but he never has even at his peak), I'd predict Owen to get himself 20 in a Keegan team. I agree he will almost certainly get you 20 goals a season and to guarantee that nowadays you'd need to be spending wacky Drogba or Eto type money, so he may not be such bad value after all. The option would be to take a gamble, perhaps like our neighbours have in spending £12M on Jones and Chopra, and see how many goals that would buy you..............

HBOS up 14% today, perhaps the tabloids will run a story about how the cash laden Newcastle owner wants to buy Manu or Liverpool from the yanks and run them as a nursery club for Newcastle. Makes about as much sense as anything else they print.

HBOS up 14% today, perhaps the tabloids will run a story about how the cash laden Newcastle owner wants to buy Manu or Liverpool from the yanks and run them as a nursery club for Newcastle. Makes about as much sense as anything else they print.

Anfield is as intimidating as tea with my old granny for fucks sake. Full of happy-clappy wankers waving 'you'll never walk alone' scarves - similar to our pogoing shoe-waving tossers but in much greater numbers. Indeed. The days of intimidating top flight football grounds are well and truly over, now we're swamped with happyclappy f****** clueless daytripping Sky botherers. I was looking at the shirts-off Sunderland fans yesterday thinking what a bunch of twats they looked, then heard a couple of two times a season Tarquins behind me having a pop at O'Neill and moaning they weren't going to bother again, and thought which type of fan I'd rather have around me. I wouldn't be so sure about that, Tarquin may be a better option. A lot of macums have personal hygiene problems and tend to smell pretty bad.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/martin_samuel/article3607443.ece Forgive me if I'm missing something but I have not heard one Newcastle supporter blame "southerners" and I know plenty of Newcastle fans. In fact most are pleased that the club seems to be adopting a big time professional strategy to it's scouting operations.

I couldn't believe how many people left before the end. Tits ! Our first win for eight years, the first ever win of Keegan's managerial career and they leave before the lap of honour. Unbelievable

Thought a few had good games particularly Owen and Enrique but for me Barton was MOM. He worked so hard, looked good on the ball and broke them down at key stages on several occasions.

At the time the 433 was losing shape and Keegan got it spot on going to 442. Thought the crowd reaction to the substitution was wrong as Martins, although we know he can be dangerous, looked a bit of a "loose cannon" by that stage. Agree about the best time at a match for ages - well the last 8 minutes anyway when we finally relaxed.

Likewise, can't find it in me to particularly dislike Spurs or any other London club. Find the Manchester and Liverpool teams much more arrogant and therefore much easier to hate.

Newcastle to be winning 4-0 when game is abandoned due to blizzard. Fulham win re-arranged game on May 7th 1-0 with disputed penalty to send us down. Would just about sum up the season.

It will not be easy, they're more confident than at any other time this season. A boring 1-0 like the away match will suit me just fine. With the home team winning this time Oh yes !

I agree with so much of that. Very well put.

It will not be easy, they're more confident than at any other time this season. A boring 1-0 like the away match will suit me just fine.

Could be worse you monkey, you could be a macum eh ? Imagine that - a manager who has blown £45M and they're still Championship class. Give Keegan half of that amount and he'll make things start happening.

Don't know the stats but I'd be surprised if any player on the park covered more ground on Monday.

Word from the banks of the Thames is that Fulham are playing well, confident and believe they can avoid the drop. They're really up for the game on Saturday. I'm surprised how badly they've done this season as their squad looks quite talented. A very difficult game on Saturday and I for one would be delighted with the same result we got down there.

Very few managers are going to going to win things ever again. Thats the way it is in modern football with a fortuitious League or FA cup run about as much as most can hope for. That doesn't make them bad managers. Challenging for things and qualifying for Europe consistently should be considered "winning" nowadays, or at least success, and Keegan certainly did that. If he can avoid the drop this season and build and move on then he is certainly capable of taking us back to that level.

At the time I thought Mark Hughes was the best realistic canditate for the job, like many others I thought Keegan was finished with management and very surprised when he was appointed. I had the pleasure of being in his company a few years ago and he really is an exceptional and extraordinary man, comparable to Brian Clough as a man manager and motivator. If he retains the energy and desire which symbolises him then yes he will succeed in this latest challenge and bring success to Newcastle. He is still younger than some of present day football's most successful managers so should still have plenty of desire left in him. At present, like most of us, I think he's a bit shell shocked and deflated by results and he has received ridiculous level of unjustified criticism from the lazy scum press. He has yet to spend a penny and is working around someone else's mess. Most NUFC watchers would say performances have been better post-Allardyce, sure Sam was scraping points but we witnessed some abysmal and insipid displays. Keegan's side have been quite unlucky and as the man says himself performances have generally been better than the results achieved. Although we allow ourselves a touch of sentimentality about Keegan's return, I hope he does not afford himself the same luxury. Most people wonder how Terry MacDermott earns a living in football and Arthur Cox's return was a surprise too. Keegan is very close to these people but the great inspirational motivator needs to be supported by the shrewdest of tactical minds for this to be a real success.

I thought that about Burley too.

Exactly how I feel and I HATE derbies.

Ferguson was a great manager before ManU with what he did at Aberdeen. Only thing Keane seems to have in common is trying to get inside referee's heads and the tunnel vision to deny all the decisions they get in their favour.

Surprised at my age and after decades of support just how nervous I'm getting. Whatever the result - a win would be great - a draw OK - and a defeat bad, we must keep our nerve as there are other more important games to face. We as fans must be "professional" about it. i.e. 100% behind the players and management whatever happens and no public recriminations until it's finally over one way or the other. Any public negativity will only make their task even harder than it already is.