chicago_shearer

I'm watching out for the Portugal & Spain results. I'd love to see either of them trip up.

Proved himself tonight IMO. Better performance at left back than Cashley Cole has managed for a long time.

Quite like that Villa one, even if their new badge and sponsor is shit. Nike kits seem a cut above in terms of quality.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/football.html?in_article_id=458559&in_page_id=1779 This has King playing a holding role in a 4-5-1 with Owen up front by himself. Wes Brown at right back.

The way Adriano greets Appiah is a bit weird if you ask me.

If Carragher steps in for Dawson or Ferdinand then does that mean Phil Neville at right back? Against Brazil?

http://www.ghanaweb.biz/GHP/img/pics/43259078.jpg The player in question.

Paul ROBINSON, Ulysses de la CRUZ-o. by Peter DANIEL, Jermaine DEFOE. Maybe I need to Zoltan GERA a Joseph Desire JOB.

He's still better than Lennon at the moment and he's worth having in the squad. Bentley should be first choice IMO, but there's no reason Beckham shouldn't have a place. Dropping him after the World Cup was just a symbolic decision from McClaren....trying to assert himself as the man in charge. But we all know there were other players (Lampard) that performed worse than Beckham but remained untouchable.

Now there's someone who isn't a fan of Martins. For one thing, atleast Martins has actually been on the f****** field for more than half the season. Tbf, Kluivert should have played lots of matches up front with Bellamy but shithead didn't have the balls to drop Shearer. Why did Shearer need dropping? It's a team game, and Shearer's positioning and first touch were excellent.

Ok, so lets say we get rid of him and then Owen either leaves or shatters his knee, and then we spend a season with Viduka & Ameobi up front...passing the ball around well, marvelling at their first touch and improved positioning. But scoring fewer goals. Martins will improve from better coaching and when he has better service - not chasing long balls from our useless defenders. Goal scoring isn't some random irrelevant statistic...it's what strikers are supposed to do. Weren't you all the ones complaining when Shearer was in the team for his last season & a half doing everything but? Well done, very clever.

Sheffield United scored more at home than we did this season. I don't think this is a team that has the luxury of turning our nose up at a 17 goal a season striker. Especially when we finally have a manager who might be capable of fixing Martins flaws.

I very much doubt that any team in the Premiership will sign a 17 goal a season striker this summer for less than 10 million (that isn't on a Bosman of course.) That is the going rate, and Oba has been good value for money.

Bringing in a player that scored 12 goals last season in a better team and will turn 29 next year when you could keep the 23 year old who scored 17 goals in a terrible team just doesn't make any sense. Didn't Shearer get criticized in his last two years for being picked in the side for his "all round play" despite not scoring enough goals?

Why do they have to teach defending tactics if the strikers seem not be taught how to move off the ball? That's why Italian defences are so good man. They keep the strikers s*** by not teaching them how to attack. Could this be the secret of why Shevchenko failed to adapt? Mourinho should play him at centre half tbh. What Schevchenko doesn't know about defending isn't worth knowing. You want him to score 17 goals and look good doing it as well? Yes, his first touch is obviously poor. But his one and only task as a striker is to score. Which he does.

He scored 17 goals in a terrible team - what else do you want?

Would be comical if he did. I don't know what he has against us, but it might be a good thing if he did go to Pompey because it would increase the chances of Campbell leaving.

Diouf is a great player, but it would be a bigger struggle to support him as a Newcastle player than it was for Bowyer. Spits at players, allegedly hit his wife....can't fucking stand him. I'd much rather we looked elsewhere.

I can't see Owen leaving for a number of reasons. First of all, I would be surprised if Allardyce signed on the dotted line without guarantees that our best player would be staying. He probably left Bolton so he would have the chance to work with established internationals like Owen. Second, Owen seems like a fairly straightforward player and I doubt this tabloid agent speculation comes from him...more likely his agents. There is no reason he wouldn't want to make a success of his time here. And third, even if the 9 million clause is true (which it probably isn't, as Shepherd didn't make his millions with lousy deals like that) I doubt there would be many clubs willing to pay it. Owen's injury record is very poor and his reputation is not what it once was. He would presumably only be interested in a move to the top 4, and why would they pay 9 million for a player the wrong side of 25 that has been crocked for a season when they could be looking at Huntleaar, Torres etc. Until Owen proves otherwise, he is yesterday's man. There could quite easily be more interest in Martins this summer than Owen.

When it comes to players like Duff & Parker, we've seen them perform at their previous clubs. There is or was a career there to save. In Bramble's case, there is no evidence that he ever had the necessary quality to succeed - I can't see a manager like Allardyce giving him a charity contract.

I like how he talks about the "right communication lines" with the supporters. As in, not Allan Oliver? Revolutionary.

Good point, I hadn't thought of that. Given the Bolton connection and our looming strike exodus, that would seem a likely move.

Not worth starting a new thread, but did anyone see this? http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?HLID=466663&CPID=8&title=Yak+eyes+Boro+exit&lid=&channel=Premiership&f=rss&clid=25 Would be a great partner for Owen or Martins IMO.

I did a quick Google search to find names Allardyce has been linked with in the past and I came across this gem. Anyway... Bridge Gravesen Shorey Yakubu Hunt Anelka Drogba Appiah Nolan Curtis Davies Ben Haim Tuncay Campbell Sorin Distin

What is the point of this thread exactly? The squad needs a left back, a right back (Solano is getting on) and either one or two centre-halves. I don't think there is anyone that would disagree with that. Whether you think the defence is atrocious or just poor doesn't matter when it's probably going to be rebuilt this summer anyway.