Benwell Lad

Wonder what MacLaren thinks about Sundlund's performance today ?

Shearer will probably make a top manager, but without a track record it would be a risky appointment for anyone to make. I do not think the Shearer for England stories are quite as crazy as they first sound. He probably doesn't want or need the job, but if he did show interest I think the FA would consider it very carefully, thinking along similar lines to when the DfB appointed Klinsmann as national team coach.

He is certainly becoming one of football's cheap "rent a quotes" and his sliminess seems to be on the increase. As Harry said when Quinn started slagging off Pompey pre season they should mind their own feckin business. Even if what Keen said was true it's a bit rich coming from a guy whose own club provides a few "pretty average" players to an underperforming Ireland team. Also wasn't this the very guy who walked out on his own country at a crucial stage of a world cup in the days when they WERE actually good enough to qualify ? The slimy hypocrite should keep his gob shut and concentrate on trying to avoid relegation with some of his own s*** players.

Bilic will be a top coach, perhaps he is already. Has the potential to be a manager of Mourinho/Wenger class. Would love him to manage NUFC, that is if we needed a manager of course.

About time the FA acted on this problem at the SOS. Playing behind closed doors for ten games and a fifteen point deduction I would suggest for starters.

They strangely failed to pick up on Carragher pulling a player over in the area against Arsenal too. I find MOTD very strange in their choice of coverage sometimes. On regional BBC last night the smog Clemmet chose to milk the Barton incident while conveniently omitting to mention the horrendous two footed challenge on Viduka, or for that matter the two wrong decisions which would have left Owen one on one with the £9M keeper. Modern day journalists/pundits can not think for themselves, they create a popular agenda and then everyone jumps on board. The slavver about Roy Keane - great manager - is another example, they all drool over him. Why will none of them question how he has spent a fortune on players, paying huge salaries and ended up with a team which looks distinctly Championship class ?

Yes theres a lot of sense in there. We've had five bad seasons and lets face it to have just one season like those would be the zenith of macum achievment.

IMO the 2 footed tackle was worse than Joey high boot but in all honesty I only think this has gone unnoticed within the media as there was very little fuss made about it during the game. I can't remember who the players where but they both seemed to shrug it off straight away although I honestly think if the ref noticed it then it would have been a straight red. Yes it proves how bad the ref was and how he had been gotten to by the home crowd and players. If Etuhu had reacted quietly like Viduka did to the appalling 2 footed challenge nothing would have happened. Equally had Barton rolled over when Etuhu stock his head in his face, then the outcome would also be different. Barton didn't play act and now it looks like he'll be punished for not doing so.

We all know macums are a bit backward, but they don't seem to realise that MA is not our chairman or even a director. If he was then he should be in the director's box and follow protocol, as he isn't he's entitled to do as he pleases. Equally the Dublin hoodlums who orchestrate the puppet Quinn are quite entitled to join Sunderland fans at away games if they wish to.

Totally bottled it as the macums crowd got on top of him imo. After justifiably booking Chopra due to the level of abuse he received for that from player and crowd alike, spent the rest of the game looking to penalise us at every chance. Booked Taylor when the macum jumped into his lower arm, took no action when Viduka was elbowed and suffered an open wound. Made wrong decisions when Owen would have been in the clear, first a dubious offside and the a ridiculous "foul" decision when the macum defender fell over as he challenged Owen. Missed the Barton "challenge" which would have probably received a caution/yellow card, which has now instead given the Sky/BBC pundits someting to drool over and may reult in FA action when it should have been dealt with there and then. Took no action whatsoever against a brutal two footed lunge on Viduka which was probably a straight red. If a professional referee cannot stand up to the pressure of the crowd, players and management at the SOS in a derby game, then he should not be there.

Thought the macums (unpunished) two footed challenge on Viduka was a lot worse and more dangerous. Why didn't they show that on MOTD ?

It's called Derby dayitis

bet he didn't apply through the proper channels for his ticket. he's done some proper fan out of a ticket for the most sought after away game of the season I'd have gladly given him mine in return for what he's done for us and who knows that the fan in question didn't end up in the box instead ?

This billionaire "reclusive" seems to be a pretty amazing guy. Got to say that despite a lifetime of following NUFC, given the option I'd have been sitting in the directors box today suppin their booze, rather than being stuck behind the goal, but Ashley stuck by his principles and credit to him for that. If he was chairman or even a director I think protocol would have meant he should take his place in the box and wearing a football shirt would have been out of order, but with no official executive position he can do what he wants and good luck to him. I think he has made the blubbering blarney merchant (Quinn) look a bit foolish, and I wonder if any of the Irish mobsters who fund sunderland and have their hands up the puppet Quinns arse are thinking of doing the same at SJP. I doubt it - do they even bother going to the SOS ? Yeah, well done Mike Ashley for being true to your beliefs, I'm sure in time you (and us) will have the club you deserve.

Harper's style is err........casual, but it's pointless him changing that. Think ourselves lucky we've got three goalkeepers better than the macum's £9M Scotsman. Mind the macums probably have two better keepers than him as well. I'm glad Keane will feel forced to keep faith with him having wasted so much money.

Thought our performance was OK - not very ambitious but OK. Lets face it the whole situation today was going to make it extremely difficult for the away team to play football, their team more wound up than ever, their rabid fans more rabid than ever, and match officials who were weak and allowed themselves to be affected by the home crowd. They looked and played like a Championship team up for a big cup tie against a Premiership team. Owen could have been one on one twice but for a couple of dodgy decisions. In fact they had it all going for them this time and they still couldn't beat us. And as for that Scottish goalkeeper.........£9M are they serious ?

Can't understand how that can be the most disappointing - you'd already been down for months. I thought the glee when you scored against us in that game was quite funny - the worst team the top division has ever seen and you lot were celebrating like you'd won the league just because you scored against Newcastle. To some of you the highlight of your miserable season was seeing Shearer limp off in that game. Sad.

Yes. Was at Exeter and in the Leazes End (the REAL Leazes End that is) for the Spurs game. Recall someone starting a fire ?? in the "new" East stand. That game was one of those freak results that sometimes happen - unlike Saturday where Pompey played us off the park and deserved their 4-1

Was arguably the worst performance ever - trip was saved by a great night out in Exeter (yes Exeter) after the match and giving Arthur Cox a bit of a verbal slagging from close up. The macum play off result probably hurt most but for actual disappointment has to be the Man Utd 0-1 that was the night we blew the big one. What a depressing bloody thread !

Scored both goals for Linfield in a 1959 home leg against Gothenburg. A 41,000 crowd at Windsor Park. Got beaten 6-1 in the second leg so didn't score again in Europe.

Yes he was playing for Linfield.

Read an article last night and was surprised to learn that Jackie Milburn scored goals in the European Cup (now re-branded Champions League) Could be good quiz question - Against who did Jackie score his first goal in the European Cup ?

Remember a few matches mentioned on here, the Ayr match I remember following two transit loads of Ayr fans who caused mayhem including turning a car over on (the non pedestrianised) Bath Lane. In those days it was regarded as an integral part of being Scottish to cause as much bother as possible once south of the border. Was 7 at my first match.

you've beat me by a few months mate. April 8th 1964, won 5-2 at home to Rotherham. Hat trick by Barry Thomas, and goals by Stan Anderson and Ron McGarry. Same season mate so lets call it a tie. I can recall that 5-2 scoreline of your first game and going to school really happy next day. Amazing isn't it how they have affected our moods over the years/decades. Barry Thomas was probably the first hero. Simply being centre forward made him a hero although I remember a couple of great diving headers he scored. As an 18 year old I actually played with Ron McGarry, who had returned from playing professionally in South Africa. He'd got a job as a Chronicle van driver at Thomson House when he returned and was turning out for a bit of beer money. A pro footballers life was a bit different back then.

Dead true. Anyone younger than 20 will probably not know pre-Keegan. Thats life things move on. The next generations will hear of the Shearer legend just as my generation were brought up on stories of the Milburn days.