toptoon

superb!!! Someone somewhere won't like it though!! Me thinks it could be the betting company as they'll be the ones forking out for him.

What class do you think Martins is in, exactly? He's clearly a top class player. Can get better too which is exciting! Slow start but getting to grips with a totally new home/club/league/style of play/language etc

??Nobby playing at RB can supply them along with whoever is playing on the RW, i.e. Dyer or Milner. Dyer likes to run at players more which i like as he can create big problems for opposition defences, pulling players out of position. Dyer though has to play up front for me at the moment, due to Owen's absence, so its down to our best player over the last month or so Milner to provide the crosses and to bag a few himself. Once we get Zoggy playing well again we have the option of putting Duff on the RW too.

so 2 decent strikers. Thats brilliant. If we are relying on Ameobi in the first team, we are totally fucked. If Roeder seriously thinks Ameobiis good enough, he's a bigger fool than i thought. He's scored a goal everyother game under roeder, plus he's apparently been struggling with injury in many of those games too. He's had some shockers yes, but under Glenn has looked a hell of alot better and had some really good games, so i'd keep him. I'm not saying he's my first choice pairing (Martins Owen/Dyer are) but he's at least usefull to have as a back up 4th or 5th choice striker! i.e. if disaster strikes and Martins, Owen, Dyer are injured, then play him or Le sib up top with Duff or Milner.

Car Bramble Boumsong Marcelinho Acuna Butt Bassedas Viana Cort Luque Injured: Dyer (plays well sometimes, when not injured). Duff and Owen are not hits yet but certainly have the talent, unlucky with injuries so too early to judge yet really. Still disapointed though.

I'm very keen on us getting rid of Luque, so i'd go for this although top LB is much more of a priority.

Milner has been our best player over the last month or so, he's getting better as a player, he can beat people his crossing is much better and he's started to score now too which has helped his confidence big time. he's also hard working and doesn't shirk a tackle either.

We have some top quality players in depth in our midfield, i'd stick with Parker and Emre personally, Parker in a defensive role and Emre more forward creating. Dyer Parker Emre Duff When we get Owen back i'd start with these four (untill then its Dyer and Martins up top imo and Milner on the RW) and if anyone's not up to it we have Butt and Zoggy too!

Very good news!! Our choice of strikers then Owen, Martins, Dyer, Ameobi, Le sib we also have Duff and Milner who can play up there too if needs be. We just need a LB desperately now and a CB if a really good one is actually available. Pav Krul Harper Given Car? Moore Bernard Edgar Ramage Bramble ? Baba Nobby Taylor NewCB/Hunty/ Edgar New LB Troisi Pattison? Zoggy O'brien Milner/Dyer Parker/Butt Emre Duff/Zoggy Shola Le Sib Dyer Martins Owen Good squad if we get at least one really top quality LB!

Sounds like a red Herring to me!

Given is world class!!! No way sell him! I woulden't swap him for any other keeper in the world!!!!

ahahahahahahahahahahaaahahhahaaaa Seriously, get a grip. Taylor is no better than the utter mongs that fill our defence at the minute Ramage has got zero ability, other than the ability to look like a gormless spastic with the pace of a snail Mackem WUM alert!!!!!! No Geordie could possibly be that blind. Taylor looks class (ffs even J. Terry makes the foul/occaisonal slip), i'm very impressed by by Ramage in his preffered CB role alongside Taylor, Hunty and Edgar have caught the eye too now and i hope they come through too.

Parker is a class playr we are lucky to have him! he can't be MOM every game ya knAA!!

classifying Bramble and Carr together is a disgrace at least titus cares and has ability as a defender I disagree, have you any proof that he does actually care? As for ability thats laughable, his positioning is crap, he makes horendous decisions and he's not the laughing stock of the Prem without good reason! The lads been dragging us back for years with his never ending list of clangers and has done alot more damage that most realise (i.e. to the cofidence of the team/other players) and can you blame Given for hoofing it up field when the altenative is risking Shambles passing it to the likes of Henry or Ronaldo etc

That will upset a few on here Well done scotty Fantastic!! Well done scotty!!!

Goalkeepers - None -we don't need any. RB - None We have Nobby and now Edgar who can play there. CD - None Sell Bramble to highest bidder and keep moore till his contract runs out (end of season) as back up to Taylor, Ramage ang Hunty. LB - Konchesky? In and keep Baba as back up till the end of season. RW - None Milner, Dyer and Duff can all play well here. CM - None - We have class in Parker Emre and Butt. Pattison if needed. LW - None - Think i'll scream if we sign another LW bar RONALINHO CF - Collins John? We just need cover for Martins, Dyer and Le Sib till we get Owen and shola back. Conclusion: Buy Konchesky or better and Collins John or Better and get rid of Shambles, Car, and Luque. to highest bidders.

SWP?? - Just what we need another midget midfielder/winger!! We need a Top quality LB and a half decent Big man Striker. Good player don't get me wrong but I don't think SWP will be going anywhere in Jan, Glenn wants him but i don't think we need him.

Not fit to lace Parkers boots imo!! Parkers class and was our best player last season and has bee up there this season (he can't be MOM every game YA KNA!

Without meaning to sound like HTL/NE5, the theory is incorrect. The theory is correct! We need a top LB and a cheap 'Big Man' Striker squad player to get us through the rest of the season. I hope we might do better than big Dunc though!! Either an up and coming to give what we have a little competition or a slightly past it stop gap will do. How good is Carroll? Sounds ok i'd like to see him play, maybe the answers under our very noses and he's the man!

Butt's not expected to make it: Roeder: 12 out for Brum 02-01-2007 11:53 Newcastle manager Glenn Roeder says he expects to be without 12 first-teamers for Saturday's FA Cup tie with Birmingham. The Toon's horrendous injury list is showing no signs of getting better with Steve Harper, Stephen Carr, Titus Bramble, Craig Moore, Celestine Babayaro, Peter Ramage, Nicky Butt, Damien Duff, Charles N'Zogbia, Michael Owen, Shola Ameobi and Olivier Bernard all missing the 2-2 draw with Manchester United on New Year's Day. I don't expect any others of the 12 to be fit for the cup tie," Roeder told the club website, "And unless Nicky Butt is 100 percent I will stick to my policy of being patient and hope that he is fit for the following game at Tottenham." "When you consider that we have gone into the (Manchester United) game with just eight or nine senior players and a dozen injured back at the training ground, it's amazing how in adversity you get them to buy into the idea that we cannot get beaten - and it's also amazing how the team spirit grows."

Oh Shite!! I'll change this then! Fu** if Emre and le Sib are injured we are really strugling to put a team together!

Steve Harper, Stephen Carr, Titus Bramble, Craig Moore, Celestine Babayaro, Peter Ramage, Nicky Butt, Damien Duff, Charles N'Zogbia, Michael Owen, Shola Ameobi and Olivier Bernard all expected to be out! Parkers suspended? Emre and Le Sib could be? My Team: Given Nobby Taylor Hunty Edgar Dyer? Pattison Emre? Milner? Martins Le sib? Subs **** Krul Gate ? O'brien - bring on for Dyer at half time. Carroll

There is nothing wrong with our midfield!!! Troisi Butt Pattison O'brien Milner Parker Emre/Dyer Duff/Zoggy Some very good players there!!! Parker, Butt, Emre and Dyer are all top players!! Good Depth, Some Youngsters trying to get though to prove they can hack it, very good wingers in Zoggy/Duff and Milner. They had Ronoldo and Scholes who are World class players who don't grow on trees!! Giggs who is very experienced but surely nearing the end and Fletcher who is nothing Special imo, Carrick btw i woulden't swap for Parker. Fergie is good at geting players to work well together in time, we want to work with this group get them settled and used to playing with one another, i don't think we need any midfielders (imo) but i know that making wholesale changes is not the answer!! We need to work with what we've got, get our young promising defenders geling with the midfield and possibly bring in a LB and a Striker! Wholesale changes would be a big mistake! Luckily i think Glenn's sensible enough to know this though.

In two minds about Crouch, as i like the way we've been keeping the ball on the floor much more lately with Taylor and Nobby in particular being great for us in playing it out from the back, Given has not been hoofing it half as much either (now Shambles is not there) and Emre keeps correctly appealing to our defenders (particularlty Ramage i've noticed) to keep the ball on the deck. I like the strikeforce of Martins and Dyer who appreciate ball to feet type football much more than the crap high ball and if we get Owen back to near his best with either of those two he may benefit more too. If we get Crouch in my fear is we'll go backwards in our style of play and start hoofing long balls up to Crouch. Bu in saying that we do need another Striker and we have enough small talented players imo and do need a 'Big man striker' and Crouch is alot better than i thought we'd get in, although i thought with our financial situation we'd buy a half decent big man striker and splash out on a very very good left back. If we get Crouch in, we do have a glut of Strikers to keep happy next year which will be very interesting in how we keep them all happy. i.e. next year we'll have: Pav Krul Harps Given Edgar Hunty New CB Baba/ Bernard Nobby Taylor Ramage New Lb Troisi Butt Pattison O'brien Milner Parker Emre Duff/Zoggy Ameobi Le Sib Dyer Crouch Owen Martins Thats alot of players to keep happy!! We are not Chelski!! The bench would be be tough IF everyone's or nearly everyone was fit!! Harper/Krul Hunty/New Cb Butt Duff /Zoggy Crouch/ Dyer/ Le Sib/ Shola Conclusion: I am not sure we really really need Crouch, do we really need him and can we afford him? Liverpool seem to preffer the Bellamy/Kuyt partnership for a reason. We could be better off sticking/working with what we have and get in a much cheaper 'potential' player and a very good LB. That said if we bought him i wouldn't be gutted as he's a very decent target man type player.

Squad For Jan: Pav Krul Harper Given Edgar Hunty Moore Baba/Bernard Nobby Taylor Ramage New LB Troisi Butt Pattison O'brien Milner Parker Emre Duff/Zoggy Le Sib New Striker Martins Dyer Subs **** Harper/Krul Hunty Butt Duff/Zoggy Le Sib/New Striker Get rid of Bramble (swap deal?), Car (give away) and Luque (highest bidder)! Brilliant new LB in and also a half decent Striker.