Beren

Sometimes the only way you could even discern when this team plays "better" is when they achieve results. The difference between a Newcastle team that has played well [albeit more infrequently] and a Newcastle team that has played poorly this season has been very little. They could be playing what they consider to be 'well' a lot of the time, and you just wouldn't know it under the current regime. Trying to win 1-0 or get 0-0 is never going to be a vastly different performance from a 1-0 loss. They evidently have other gears, we've seen some of those players step up to gears that, judging by this season, you wouldn't think existed, but they're inhibited by tactics/mentality and though I'm by no means exonerating them entirely, the majority of the blame lies with the manager at this time. The players' biggest fault isn't their commitment, it's their talent IMO. For example, Oba has continued to run his butt off trying to latch onto the hopeless long balls of the rest of the team. Milner always shows passion, but the truth is, he just isn't that fast! Butt does his best, but his range of passing sometimes loses us possession. Our main problem is lack of creativity, everyone knows that, but we're fairly weak, pretty much everywhere on the park, and that's a talent-issue, not a commitment-issue IMO.

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/8458/headsandvr4.gif Head in the sand! Sorry... thought we were playing Catchphrase. I get competitive.

I really hope you don't believe that. You may aswell follow Teletext than watch the football itself!

Overcome those managers who despite their time in the job and ability to build a team, are only a few points ahead of us? My answer is time and some extra money. it's not just the points. think of being lucky snatching points in the last minutes of games where we barely deserved anything. we could quite easily be 10points worse off without complaint. Ifs and buts. We are as a team exactly where we are in the table. Aye, with only non-relegation fodder left to play! You make that sound a lot harder than it is. Firstly, Newcastle don't ever truly expect succcess, just crave it, and there is a big difference there IMO. Utilizing your squad to best effect is a bare essential, which you've stretched over three or four points - it's as simple as breathing, tbh. Yes, there will be disputes and slip-ups, but there is absolutely no excuse when the whole world and his wife knows something [and it could be anything] but you insist on playing the team's only real, consistent creative outlet by your own cornerpost [not to name names, or anything ]. Y'know, for example. BS has a decent transfer record, and all credit to him for that, but even that [in a sense] is a failing of his. He's a small time charlie, and hasn't realised or appreciated the size or resources of the club. We do not need stop gaps and bargain basement signings [or £6.5m signings who we won't blood when nothing is at risk]! We will get no where [fast or slow!] with them. We are not in danger of winning or losing anything, so there is also no need to try and grind out every performance. It is... beyond ridiculous, honestly. And it's intransigence. It's akin to Souness' vendetta against Robert that cost us the Eufa Cup. It really doesn't bode well IMO, HTT. Perhaps our Wenger isn't available, but we will not move anywhere with Big Sam, and I would rather the club tried something else, and even repeatedly fail in the short term until something works, than persist with a long-term failure.

That's odd. Your stats show you've made 100 posts - hopefully that can be fixed soon

You don't know who would be available in the summer, so it's something of a moot point, IMO.

The angst is borne, for me, out of negatives being so glaringly remediable.

What do you think stopped us from doing so?

Now everyone vent their frustration at each other! YG - We didn't batter anyone from start to finish.

Good point that. Hopefully we can put in more grinding performances like that. Grind, graft and grit. The three Gs.

Zog further down the left-mid pecking order.

What do you mean, it's not even 7pm yet-... oh, oh, I see what you did there, you old rascal

So true. If he doesn't see a threat to our goal, he'll be happy for it stay like this IMO.

We've conceded early recently - so hopefully we won't get hit on the break now(!)

technically you could say the arrival of o'brien and the emergnce of hughes blah blah blah above ? Technically, if one were so inclined to research statistics and so forth, you could say that their time here marked a time of free-scoring that dried up when they left...

There have been individuals who have been amazing at their respective jobs, but this is based upon players who I feel have dominated games and results with their play. Rivaldo, Shearer and Scholes. Bad choices, many of you will say, I'm sure! I have reasons though!

I've actually got that saved on my computer. Awesome vid Everyone does I think! They were great videos. If it were still permissable, the only players you could really make a video for now would be Oba and Shay [and Zog, in time]. On point though, I think he's probably one of my favourite players ever. He epitomised Newcastle [in the time I've known the club]. Enigmatic, talented, over-flowing with often unused potential, but with a pathos that makes him truly entertaining. Would swap a yesteryear Robert, who produces 5 seconds of brilliance [split into two 2.5 second bursts that result in two goals], for any number of grafters who exert their talentless bodies for seven games straight without rousing any reaction from the SJP faithful. Don't think we'll push on to the heights that people expect[/demand] without someone with similar creative abilities on the right wing.

Oxymoron

Is it 2-1, then?

Great uber-post johnnypd

Hate Souness.

You stole Marty's Sports Almanac, Biff.

If ever there was a statement that should be redundant!

Dive and penalty for Arsenal at some point?