Rich

Frank Wiafe Danquah or something, innit?

Can't possibly be true. More shit journalism. He got three in one game for a start. He's got 7 in 14, if I'm not wrong. Fucking useless "Dom".

Did I just read that Owen has scored 3 goals in 14 Premiership appearances? Dear me.

N'Zogbia left-back against Bolton, I'd presume. Milner on the left and Martins or Solano on the right. Viduka up front on his todd, Smith/Geremi/Butt in the centre. Barring injuries, of course.

Howay Luque!

Satisfied, most definitely. Anything on top of this and I'm delighted.

He's not as handsome as he was built up to be. Disappointed.

Don't do it again. I was going to say earlier, before I got distracted by something, that this wasn't the daftest thing I've heard T27 say. Makes sense to me, at least. Except the "sent down here" bit, from Birmingham. Unless he took the long route.

Things looking a bit "fuller" now!

Glad this is confirmed, now, looking forward to what he can do. Further proof that Allardyce and Ashley/Mort are on the same page. Currently standing at around £21M out and £6.5M in. Net spend of approximately £14.5M - almost double last season. Watch us sell Martins and Dyer to cover it so I have to eat my words.

I'd rather we bought a world-class defender, personally. Be it LB/RB/CB. Or a midfield lynchpin. Your points about the other clubs' strikers/Viduka himself are very correct/valid though. But they are bigger/better clubs than us and we're just starting on this "upward swing" when Spurs and Chelsea have had a few years headstart on us, and where Man Utd/Liverpool/Arsenal all have big records of recent success. If we get anywhere near the "top four" this season I'll be very happy and if we finish above Spurs I'll do a jig of delight. He's not a bad bloke to have when we're looking to make gradual improvements and his age means we'll be openly looking for his successor, if the money is available. Not just yet though. When fit I do think he's as unplayable/valuable as almost anyone in the league, though. He was unstoppable at times last term in a fucking terrible 'Boro side.

Did she also stop watching at half-time? Before we went 4-3-3/4-5-1 in the second half? "Newcastle were in 4-4-2 mode yesterday..." How the fuck can she get a wage to write stuff like that?

I added the final sentence to the paragraph as well, sorry! I know what you mean, but any club could say that about their main striker. Take away Berbatov, van Persie, Rooney, Torres and Drogba and even the biggest clubs look a whole lot weaker - we still have Martins and Owen, as well, who aren't exactly bad. Think you're expecting too much too soon if you want Viduka plus someone equally/just about as good. I think Shola deserves a crack at it if he gets his chance, alongside a "proper" partner.

Howay man! We are absolutely rammed in the striking department right now. If Martins goes, then yes, by all means, buy a striker, but for now we have one of the most in-depth/impressive looking bunches of strikers I've ever seen at this football club and I'd like to see them given the chance to show what they can do before we go replacing any of them. ALL of them have something to prove, as well, which should equate to some mouth-watering stuff. Ameobi will be chomping at the bit to prove he can score goals/stay fit and looked impressive at times even with his gammy hip under Roeder. Carroll is a youngster and will obviously give 100% if we ever need him to play, that raw enthusiasm would be a good boon. Luque has more to prove than anyone in the squad and is coming off the back of a solid, if intermittant, pre-season. Martins will have his back up with the arrivals of Smith and Viduka and the potential fitness of Owen and has looked sharp in pre-season as well. Owen has to prove to the fans, himself, Allardyce and McClaren that he can still cut the mustard at the top-level and he'll be desperate to stay injury-free. Smith is a brand-new signing, has made an impressive debut and will be even more "up for it" than normal. Which is saying something. Viduka sees us as his "last hurrah" and has proven his class enough for shite like 'Boro to show that he should do very well for us. 19 goals for that mongy lot last term. I appreciate that world-class forwards improve any team, but it goes completely against everything that Allardyce has been trying to do and would unsettle the squad greatly before the season kicks off. Of course it would be nice to have a Berbatov or a Huntelaar, but these aren't players for right here and right now. Maybe down the line, but not now. You're getting carried away. This is all without even mentioning the fact that we probably couldn't sign a forward of the sort you mention, anyway. Lunacy.

We'll let him off though. The more that avatar is seen, the better. (See "The Megan Fox Thread" in Chat to see where the posts after this went )

Wrong!!! Like a lot of the other guff she's written, as usual.

Not at all upset at this. Overrated at this precise moment in time.

Is that written by that Mackem bint, again?

I know somebody who isn't. Aye, Captain Agenda (I'm sure he's on the wind-up at the minute) will be here with some reason to be peeved.

Name a better (English-speaking) alternative and we'll talk. Seems ideal to me: thoroughly professional, has been captain of his country, speaks two languages, looks likely to start every game, bags of experience at all the highest levels, has been our star performer in pre-season, probable central position...

Nothing on NUFC.co.uk, which is the safest bet these days. Probably doing the interviews/photographs. I'd expect it before 5pm without any hitches. Oliver may have put the hex on it.

Doesn't speak any English. Wouldn't be ideal.

Drago was obviously a "higher priority", though, than whoever Sam will move onto now - which is what is my small point of concern is - and it means longer to wait for the squad to be "completed" and we'll probably be going for a player who the Gaffer rates less highly. It's just how it goes from the looks of things, Drago was obviously lower on the "list" than Silvestre, Enrique and Heinze, so it's obviously not the be-all/end-all. Would still be handy to have a full international, from a top club, who can play CB/LB incoming. Let's hope there's still life in the deal yet. He could just be trying to weasel more money out of us with these latest quotes... he loves the moolah and he doesn't seem daft. Must have a good agent.

It is a shame, because we'll obviously have to look for a less-attractive option now as Sam works down his apparent "list" of targets. Drago seems like he would have been ideal, but there's bound to be someone else out there who could fill the same role. Still leaves us 1/2 players short, if it doesn't go through.