Rich

Brum, what do you make of the new Villa logo? (Along a similar line to the thread, thankfully.) I heard it was shite, but upon seeing it I thought it looked smart. Some mong was on SSN saying that they were shocked that the claret/blue stripes had gone and that Newcastle would never take the stripes out... I couldn't help thinking his view was a bit wonky. Given the fact that Villa don't wear stripes on the actual shirt. Are Villa getting new home and away shirts? Is Hummel getting banished!? You answered this before I'd asked it - clever bastid.

Doesn't really fit Roeder's latest criteria though, does he? He's neither under 26 nor over 30 (and with a long and distinguished career behind him)! Not that we can take Glenn's foresight on transfer activity literally, but it would be cracking if we did get the 29-year-old Distin, if only to make his media comments all the more hysterical. Is he just winding Oliver up these days, you reckon?

Hoyte's a right-footed right-back mate, unless you have Solano at left-back, which would be equally gash. I won't say anything else about the rest. I'm sure someone else will.

Don't forget the last-minute daft money offer for Zat Knight, mind.

Obviously, I should add, that he could have got crocked IF he did come here, or something odd might have happened, we'll obviously never know. It was undoubtedly a gamble but it seemed a no-brainer when you looked at our other options and when it was clear he'd be here on a free. I know he'd have cost more, but fucking hell the odds are that he'd have been massively more useful than Bernard has been to us since we brought him back. Like HTL says, it is easier with hindsight, but it doesn't change the fact that the sensible money was on signing him.

This might be the first shirt I've never bought, which is a bit of a shame really. It really is rank.

In ze fairness, this board was massively pro-Campbell unless my shite memory is massively mistaken. There were the usual hystericals calling him finished and a nutcase, but I think he had quite a few backers from the more sensible element. I'm prepared for egg on my face here though, my memory has never been my strong point. He did want to come here as well, despite the Chronicle doing a 180 on that after July, and then another 180 in August... then another one a few weeks ago... and then another one today...

Dear me lads, did you miss the patronising tone of the post? Suppose it's difficult to pick up via text, though People have been saying we need an experienced/proven defender for as long as I can remember now. ... and why has the age also gone up to 26 from 25? Glenn makes me chuckle sometimes. Glenn Roeder towards the end of the summer transfer window, when we've signed Steve Sidwell and nobody else: "We don't want to bring anyone in under 30... 35 at a push... maybe 40. Yeah. 40."

Fairly satisfied with that result, funnily enough. Towards the end when Milan were taking the piss I started to remember who they were actually playing and so I was chuffed with how it ended. Should be a belting final, but I can see the 'Pool getting tonked because of the motivation that seems to be filling the Milan squad. Me and my wallet still want Chelsea to win the league like. Thanks Phil Neville, you ugly cunt.

I'm fourthing this after Monday. Made me laugh a shitload

Aye cheers for clearing that up for me Dave, mate. Dead hard to understand like! Parky/TT: As far as "having the set-up" goes, you cannot tell me that Big Sam can be nailed-on to be as successful in running Newcastle United as he has been down at Bolton. It's a completely different kettle of fish, with a different chairman and with a structure that will require and complete and utter overhaul - something that could take years to fully accomplish. My point about Lee (a fucking top-quality coach, by all accounts) and the rest of Allardyce's team at Bolton was that it might be very difficult for him to recreate the success here, ESPECIALLY in the short-term - and it's not like managers have a long shelf-life here these days if we're not firing on practically all cylinders whenever we play. I would have thought that Lee was one of the most pivotal aspects of Sam's set-up (although I did mention the "rest of his team") in the same post. Wasn't he pivotal at Liverpool under Houllier as well? He has a massive reputation in the game, man. Sam's certainly not going to bring all of them to SJP, especially not quickly. Things could be a lot less clear-cut than people like you are predicting if he does ever come here. I've always been in favour of Allardyce coming here and I would still welcome it, but I'm weary of people expecting far too much of him if he does ever arrive and therefore giving him a snowball in hell's chance from the get-go by having massively inflated expectations of what he can do for us. You cannot fully compensate for having a team that has worked together for years, if they get split up. That was my point and I fail to see how it was that hard to comprehend, really. What have you heard about Sammy Lee, Parky? Isn't he all he's cracked up to be?

Hyypia? Well done to Glenn for realising what we need, like. We're crying out for an experienced head at the back.

What about the rest of them, then? I understand that he's the main man and quite probably the glue that holds it all together, but unless he were to bring some of his former colleagues/employees with him I couldn't see him being half as effective here - especially in the short-term. People shouldn't expect miracle cures and I could see him easily sliding the way of Roeder/Souness if he doesn't have a great first season. Still got to be a big, big miss losing Lee, though. Undoubtedly.

EH? He's about 22 you nulatic.

Will Sam Allardyce be as effective without Sammy Lee and no doubt quite a few other members of his Bolton backroom staff? Something that struck me the other day when Lee was announced as Bolton manager proper. Often these guys are good in their own right, but are made to look the bees' knees by the people they have around them being the ideal foil for them in other departments of the managing game. Of course it depends on if Allardyce could take "his "staff with him, but he's certainly lost Sammy Lee - a coach with a massive reputation in the game. Has to be taken into account.

Was at Big Shola, the pointing that Sky caught. He does look an utter fucker like, Pearson.

Some Scouse bird I was on the phone with today ended the call with "Come on you Reds!" Now that's passion. Didn't know her like.

Still think we should sign this "reformed character", do you mate? Think Jon's put the Indian sign on him since that comment... or he was just wrong

Been fucking ages since I've done these: STARTING ELEVEN Harper - 4 - His kicking is fucking atrocious and he inspires no confidence whatsoever - and why the fuck does he take about 30 seconds for every goalkick? Even at home and when we're 1-0 down away (tonight)? I'm starting to get a real dislike for the flappy-handed porkster. Come back soon, Shay. Solano - 6 - Lots of fouls that he got away with and his "wand" was yet again a bit faulty. Still wasn't anywhere near being the worst player on the pitch and he should have been the captain. Carr - 6 - Didn't do a lot wrong and got up and down the flank like a fat trojan. Still susceptible to getting skinned by anyone who is faster than a slightly speedy snail and won't ever change, but he's been impressive lately in a dodgy position. Bramble - 3 - Dear me, he was back to his comical "best" at times tonight and it's got to the stage where I simply laugh when he makes a rick. His best one was the "pass" that almost put Doyle in at 1-0. Aside from the errors he wasn't too bad, but he made enough of them to justify such an abysmal score. Centre-halves cannot play like that at this level, sorry. Taylor - 7 - Quite commanding in the air again and was always trying to get on the end of our typically woeful set-pieces. Quite a few instances where he was the last line of defence as all around him lost their heads. He's not as great as people say he is, but he's a lot better than anyone else we have. Impressed with him again tonight. Dyer - 4 - Well, well, well. Things just seem to be going from bad to worse after his purple patch and he's not going to have many supporters left if he keeps these performances up. Undoubtedly to blame for the goal (what the feck was he playing at!?) and aside from a lot of probing/running (the usual) his shooting was appalling, his passing was alright and he fucking vanished after Emre went off. Liked his AZ-esque freekick, though. Disappointing otherwise. Emre - 6 - Looked fairly good before he got injured (again) and really does have a lot of class about him. Played out of position really for the entire game but was looking, with Jimmy, like the only one who'd create anything for Owen. Did lose the ball a fair bit (as usual) but a lot of the time it's because there isn't a fucker within 25 yards of him to pass to. Fell to bits after he went off, I reckon - would have got a better mark if he'd stayed on and played like he had been. Milner - 7 - (MOM) Always trying to make things happen, always running his bollocks off and always giving the opposition defenders something to think about. Still needs to work at his crossing and his decision making, but both should improve in time. He tries his knackers off in every single game he plays, no matter where he finds himself. He's not brilliant, he's not perfect, but he's on the right lines. Sibierski - 6 - Was quite effective in his given role and I was impressed with his heading/passing for most of the time that he was on. Might have got a slightly better mark if he hadn't have picked the knock up/had he tracked John Oster for the goal (probably not his job, I know) but it's about as much as you can ask for an old Frenchman who we got for next to nowt. Fair play to you, as usual, Antoine. Martins - 4 - The lad tried, I'll give him that and I can see how frustrated he gets when he makes a mistake or when things don't go his way, but nobody can deny that he was utterly awful tonight in almost every aspect of the football game. He should have scored at least one goal and had at least two gilt-edged chances, his first-touch was typically "stray", his reading of the game was appalling and he was frustrating the bollocks out of me. Still deserves credit for sticking at it and will only get better, but he was at his very worst today. The pass for Owen near the start deserves mention, though, bodes well for the future and shows he can do it. Howay man Oba, prove me wrong! Owen - 7 - When he was involved in the game he didn't put a foot wrong and showed Martins exactly what we're looking for, I reckon. He was buzzing around all over, barely gave the ball away, won his share of corners and had the Reading defence on the back foot whenever the ball so much as went near to him. I was massively impressed with him after how long he's been out for and he proved tonight that class is actually permanent. If he can stay fit he will be brilliant here and tonight he's moved up in my estimation. Faded towards the end as the legs went, but should never have been left on. SUBS Ameobi - 5 - Aye Shola, you're not match-fit and so we'll let you off with that sitter you missed and the few times you completely made a bollocks of whatever you were trying to do. N'Zogbia - 5 - Pointless introduction really and was exactly how he normally is. Confidence has vanished from his game, his left foot has become a sand-wedge and he wasn't really playing anywhere in particular. Couple of decent passes, like. MANAGER Roeder - 6 - Not sure what else he could have done from the outset and we looked bright in the first half, although it was always obvious that if we didn't score then we'd get beaten by a goal from a mistake. I said as much after about 35 mintues when we started to run out of ideas. The formation/selection didn't look a bad one, certainly, until we lost Emre/Sibierski and he probably shouldn't have left Owen on for so long (but none of us can know how fit Mickey was/is). As much as I dislike the Birdman, I'm not sure I can be too angry at him here from the outset. The second half got utterly embarrassing though, that's when you need your manager. We looked like a school team and we had absolutely no ideas of how to get back on level terms. He didn't look like he was giving any instructions whenever the camera was on him, either. Meh. The more we lose the more chance there is of him going, I suppose... ASSISTANT MANAGER Pearson - CUNT - That is all

I thought the first half an hour or so was fairly smashing and I found myself smiling watching it, which isn't a common occurence during away games... ...then things started getting very, very embarrassing. He's got even more excuses than normal for this one though: Emre/Sibierski got injured (two of our best players on the night.) No Given/Butt/Parker to select. Owen/Ameobi not fully fit. There was a mix-up on the coach and Martins' mam ended up playing up front for us, instead of him. Etcetera. Jaysus, I couldn't help but laugh towards the end though. We looked like an U11's team - a bad one.

They're recapping the 3-2 home game on the Radio (Martins' penalty, etc.)... I forgot how mint that Emre goal was at the end! One of the few highlights of the season at home. I'm off to watch it: HOWAY THE LADS!

IT'S SACRED!!!!

Surely Solano?

Pre-Match Thread: http://www.newcastle-online.com/nufcforum/index.php?topic=39062.100

Kieron Dyer is the Captain.