toptoon

Well we'll soon see if Derby was a blip, good of him to hold his hands up like, but he was as bad as most of them. Play 442 , We need Milner + Zoggy on the wings. 1 !!!! thats 1 defensive midfielder prefferably Geremi or Possibly Roze and an attacking midfielder Emre ideally if fit (Barton when fit) if not i suppose give Smith another chance as a CM.

How do you know for sure?

seems to be 4-4-2 or you wanna play emre as cf? See what you mean, i like it though personally, Emre back in the midfield defending when we are defending and in the 'hole' in a 433 driving us forward when we have possesion. Martins in a free Rooney style role given license to bomb on. This could be good and really work 'IF' big 'IF' Emre is actually fit enough (i doubt he is). I'd love it, just love it if we just went for west ham from the off all guns blazing (again i have my doubts). Ashton should be playing for WH, so based on Roze's display against Howard from Derby i'd drop him and play Taylor who'll actually challenge for headers otherwise i'd bet on Ashton scoring.

I get this impression as well Me too! I really don't know why though as its crystal clear to me he's way better than all our strikers bar arguably Owen. Plus he'd have offered us way more even on the RW than smith would on monday!!! For me unless his form drops drastically i'd find a place up top or at the very least out wide for him. His form may drop if sam doesn't pick him and he may well want away , which would be a big shame as its clear from him keeping us up last season he's got bags of talent and is a real handfull for any defence!

, Just Crap. V West Ham at the moment: Harper Beye Cacapa Taylor Enrique Milner Smith Geremi Zoggy Martins Owen Subs; Given, Butt, Faye, Roze, Shola * I'd play Emre if he was fit and firing on all cylinders but i don't think he will be fit enough for ths one. However Parker is expected to be fit for Sat and make his WH debut, Smith and Geremi are fairly gritty players and will need to be up for it against parker.

100% agree with that part. Roze was good on the deck but i counted at least 6 times Howard could have scored from headers he won, roze was marking him. Next up West Ham, Ashton could have a field day, so i'd stick Taylor on him.

Agreed about Milner but you can't exaclty have a got at N'zogbia when he's playing at LB. Would happily see a new right winger come in during January. Well I think it's justified to have a go at Zogggy for all the crap balls and losing the ball nearly everytime he had it! And that's against a poor Derby side! New Henry my arse! Zoggy and Milner played well enough, a few stray crosses from both but probably our two most creative players on the night. There was nothing coming from the right at all which made it way too easy for Derby because they just had to deal with the left hand side. Martins should have started on the RW at least he can beat people/cross/shoot and cause them real problems, Smith did non of these things.

but Fat overweight viduka still has this think called talent. True! Viduka is an accomplished finsher and far better at this than Shola without doubt. However Viduka is just so unmobile at least Shola can get to the ball/away from his marker at times. Viduka needs people to put it on a plate for him, as does Owen, one reason why they may not work together. Viduka has been the most disapointing player for me so far as has done precious little (bar one admittedy good goal).

Once Bartons back our best MF would be: Zoggy Barton Geremi Milner or if 433 Zoggy Geremi Barton (Emre could come into that equation too if he ever gets fit) at the moment i agree maybe we should try: Zoggy Rozenhal Smith/Geremi Milner or Zoggy Rozenhal Smith/Geremi

Seen the game again this morning, it wsn't that long ball to be fair, we played it out from the back alot, just we offered nothing from the right wing at all, no cutting edge.

I do Smith is not a RW. Martins should have started there if Shola has to play up top.

Agreed probably our best Midfield, i'd like to see Rozenhal tried in Butts position too though as he's decent on the floor, quickish and knows when to get forward.

Scapegoat tastic imo Just watched it again this morning. He was poor yes, as was the team in general. Ameobi missed 1 very good chance, didn't attack headers as much as he should have, but won quite a few and was offside far to much. Still did more than the fat, slow, unmobile, and easilly marked Viduka in all fairness. Owen and martins did next to nothing too. (although in all fairness we should start with owen Martins next game imo, Martins needs to start).

I've just finished watching it again. Smith on the RW was crap/ provided nothing/no cut and thrust or creativity , not smith fault as he's not a RW. Martins should have started there imo as at least he can get past players create and cross for Owen etc. Need Barton back ASAP. Still not sure why Owen went off. If it was to protect him from injury as he's played alot lately then thats acceptable, other than that Martins should have come on instead of Smith or Butt and could have created for Owen, Shola etc. Harper 7 Good game Taylor 7 Good Game tried to get forward to spur us on left space on occaisions but had to do something after their goal. CaCapa 6.5 didn't put a foot wrong really bar could have got a head on the clearance tht lead to their all important goal. Roze - 4 Good on the floor, got forward very well, but Howard had no less than 6 clear goalscoring headers at goal, plus roze missed a sitter, should have had penalty though as constantly fouled when forward. Zoggy - 7 our most creative player with Milner, some poor crosses though. Will enrique get in at LB if Zoggy keeps this up? Smith - 5 did his best but not a RW provided nothing. Geremi - 6.0 Hit and miss, good effort covered alot of ground, more creativity needed. Butt 5.5 Not quite as good as Geremi some loose passes/crosses Milner 7 Appart from zoggy our best/most creative player, quite alot of crosses most good Ameobi 5.5 - Missed a good chance, offside too much, put himself about a bit didn't do enough but still more than Viduka. Owen 5.5 Quiet, could rightly complain he got no service which he needs.

I've gone for cacapa and Taylor. Roze was totally dominated by Howard and counted no less than 6 headers on goal that howard could have/should have scored with :-[ Saying that Faye is a big lad so maybe look at him too.

Have to finish the way it'd give us the best chance next season & in Europe. Newcastle Derby Birmingham Bolton Blackburn Pompey Reading Everton Villa Boro Man City Wigan Sunderland Fulham West Ham Spurs Arsenal Man U Liverpool Chelski

I voted Martins and owen, but i agree i'd like to try shola over Viduka at the moment. Viduka has been very disapointing/crap, bar one admittedly good goal, he's been almost completely dominated by the CB's in every one of our games, if this had been shola there would be uproar calling for his head/ him to be dropped. Heskey whom would of been an unthinkable option for many on here at the start of the season seems much more attractive player than the big slow, weak,unmobile, almost non entity that is Viduka at the moment. Shola would have scored/contributed much much more than Viduka so far imo. I have never seen a player in a defenders pocket the way Viduka was in Laursen's for us V villa too. Owen and Martins are our best option imo

Goes to show what a wank paper it is. They should be paying us (alot) to read it.

All time: SHEARER Now: Milner, Martins, Taylor and Given

Schmeical is the best keeper i've seen. Given i woulden't swap for any other keeper in the world, not Buffon or Cech etc. Does that make him the best in the world? Well it kind of does, in my opinion anyway.

Given Taylor Cacapa Roze Enrique Milner Smith Geremi Zoggy Martins Owen Subs; Given, Butt, Emre, Beye, Shola, This team will do the business, correct blend of steel and speed which will prove too much for Derby. However fully expect Sam to start with Viduka again

Aye. Yes not exactly a vote of confidence from big sam. I thought it was probably crap but reading that there could be more in it. Personally i hope he stays, as has already been mentioned Barton Butt Emre could possibly be our best midfield trio so i'd like to see it tried. If he wants to go then we should sell him for 4-5m. Galatasary will move heaven and earth to get him i'm sure.

SWP. Dear me. So your saying we should have went out and spent 10 mil on SWP even tho we've got a RW at the club already? You've been to much FM me thinks. Are you really not prepared to give Milner a chance in a settled team and in his correct position to see what he can do/achieve? I'd spend £10 million on SWP because I rate him that highly, he's a far better player than Milner and offers far more to the team, if we want to improve then we have to spend money in doing so, nice FM dig there though, most people do that when they're losing an argument. If you can't see Milner's limitations like the majority of people in this thread can then that's your problem. Easyer said than done mate to be fair. I too would spend £10m on SWP so would alot of other teams, Sam may also have considered it. Doesn't mean that Jose is going to sell us his best player so far this season, not as if their desperate for the cash. Luckily Sam seems to really rate Milner so he's here to stay. I agree with Northern gimp, Milner WILL do well for us this season i'm sure. i'm going to enjoy reminding you after each good game he has I thik you'll be proved wrong by the middle of the season. SWP is a nice thought but a tad unrealistic imo

Who are those FINE WINGERS with no blistering pace ? Beckham, Joe Cole, Figo, Solano, Waddle etc etc off the top of my head. They must be poor wingers cause the've got no pace? Milners as quick as Cole and quicker than the others mentioned. Just because he's not as quick as the SWP's, Lennons and Dyer's doesn't mean he is slow. He's quicker than most right backs and can beat them, cross or shoot, as well as get back and help which is the most important thing isn't it? He's probably our most creative player! Lets get rid!

How often does Milner take up good positions in the box? How often does Milner show variety in his crossing and whip it in behind the back four? Quite often How often does Milner beat his man, get away from him and draw other defenders out of position like N'Zogbia does? Quite often How often does he stretch games? etc. Imo. And the top one, well that just ain't his game - he hugs the touchline. Call me cynical and presumptuous, but you're bound to point that out as a flaw, given that you admire Robert so much (that's the presumptuous bit...). (?) Can you give me some examples of when he's whipped good balls in behind the back four? If you look at N'Zogbia's time on the wing he done it quite alot, Owen scored from a few of them and it's the sort of cross wingers need to put in. Milner on the other hand gets the ball, beats his man, beats him again because he's too slow to run away from him and goes for the high ball into the box, the problem with that is while he's be fannying around out on the touchline the opposition have had time to pack the penalty box out. Bolton. When? Too true supplied the ball for Martins overhead kick. He does it alot, its just unlikely you remeber unless it leads to a goal. He's put in numerous crosses for Viduka too, but he's been pants and gets outmuscled by his marker 99+ % of the time. How was his cross for Martins him whipping it in behind the back four? Btw the cross for Martins goal wasn't even that good, similar to how Geremi's cross for Viduka's goal wasn't either, both goals were scored because of great individual work by our front men to make something out of average crosses, in Martins case a ball that was put in behind him who only very few players in the Premiership could have made something of. Milner puts in more crosses than anyone else in our team FACT! More than most in the Prem if i remember rightly, not 100% but i think it was only Pennant that put in more last season, something like that, can't be arsed to look it up? I suppose you didn't see the Palermo match where his cross was so good even Luque coulden't miss his header from 1 yard out ?? I respect your view and kind of see where your coming from but unless we can sign someone miles better (who?) i'm very happy with Milner. Again it's not the point, yes he put a great cross in for Luque to score against Palermo but that hardly makes him a top winger because of it, how people fail to see the bigger picture about what you should be looking for from a winger in the Premiership and what Milner offers us is beyond me, putting in the odd decent cross isn't enough. Did people miss what we were like before we signed Bellamy and Robert and changed from a midtable team to a CL one just by adding pace? This is what we should be looking to add again, does anyone wonder why Benitez looks for pacey wingers? Or Ferguson? Pace stretches games and it's so painfully obvious that I can't believe people can't see it. Yes i'd love a SWP etc but Milners a very good player. http://www.newcastle-online.com/nufcforum/index.php?topic=44908.0 Respect your view but just don't agree.