gazza ladra

How many are there like him though? I'd say there's a far bigger likelihood we end up with owners like Hicks or the Glazers. Oh I know it won't happen. Just saying, would be perfect if it did. There is no way that NUFC would attract someone like the Glazers or Hicks. Those clowns bought MUFC and LFC because they smelled the cash coming in from international marketing. They aren't remotely interested in football, just the sale of replica football kits. Their type wouldn't touch us with a ten foot pole. Thank God.

http://icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk/newcastleunited/sundaysun/tm_headline=joey-barton-8217-s-injury-comeback-is-put-on-ice&method=full&objectid=25572427&siteid=72703-name_page.html

Supposedly, the beginning of February. Last I read. Who knows? Let's rush him back Stevie Carr-style!

Scott Parker, I guess. I know I really underappreciated his contribution to the team. I was happy at the time exchanging Parker for Barton thinking that Barton offered more in central midfield----I remember a game against Man City in which Barton absolutely bossed Parker across the pitch --- but he hasn't played for us. I don't know what kind of influence Parker has / had in the clubhouse, but I'd expect that it wasn't negative. I don't feel that bad about Milner because we were paid really well for him and he was never going to play at his current level with this club. Despite it all he had a great attitude, and so I wish him and Villa success-- with the Carling Cup and reaching the top four. Yeah, despite the signs and all that. Maybe Faye (the second one, obviously). I understand he had a falling out with Keegan and the purchase of Bassong/Coloccini masked his absence somewhat. But we'd been much better with Beye - Bassong - Faye - Enrique rotating Taylor in and spending the Colo money elsewhere. But then that's besides the point, he obviously wasn't in any way a disappointment. Bramble, maybe. Though the instability of the club, our poor midfield, and his reputation would've put him under enormous pressure.

So now that Simpson is not leaving does anyone think that Ryan Taylor will be the right mid? He really hasn't played there much. I'd expect Guthrie to continue in that role at least until Barton returns--if Barton returns. I'd hope that Hughton would play Barton in the middle, but I doubt he's going to break up Nolan-Smith until he has to-- probably red card suspension for Smith. Besides, I don't think he's yet played Barton in the middle.

Yes, the defence is of Premier League standard. No, the team is not.

Yeah, right it's the players' fault.

Christ, how old is this thread? San Francisco. Moved to Denmark. And now I'm back in California.

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/4860768.Robson_urges_fans_to_give_Strachan_a_chance/ Mido offered to NUFC?

Oh, c'mon Allardyce wouldn't have taken us down. Ashley, Wise, and Kinnear took us down. Without the front office incompetence, the turmoil, lying, and broken promises, the poor management of Kinnear/Shearer, the poor attitude of team leaders (our captain), and some key injuries (Barton), we wouldn't have gone down. Everything went wrong and the club went down--just barely. Allardyce would never have taken us down. He would never really move us forward either.

Or us with Milner, and N'Zogbia, and Parker, and...

How many games did Emre and Parker play together? Smith and Barton will be more than enough for the Championship. (If Barton ever actually comes back)

It's a real controversial thing isn't it? I seem to remember reading that Seamus Heaney protested his inclusion in an anthology of modern British poetry.

There will be no promotion clearout. The only ones I see leaving is Nicky Butt and Geremi. We're not going to buy a completely new squad. C'mon.

Somehow you managed to overlook the glorious Intertoto Cup winning season of 2006. Oh those were the days. Good times.

It's been a great week for Football Finance porn. Like this little piece of crap titled "Liverpool: the decline and fall of the Red Empire" from the Times. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/simon_barnes/article6988503.ece First Manchester United and now Liverpool. All of sudden the internets have been flooded with all these articles detailing all the signs of their inevitable decline-- the debt, the aging stars, the donkeys they paid a fortune for, the inept and greedy American owners--- all of it good stuff. I'm really enjoying it all, schadenfreude and all that. But deep down I know it's just pathetic. Nothing really bad is going to happen to either of these clubs. Nobody is going to pull a Leeds. Liverpool might miss the Champions League-- this year. Maybe. Manchester United and Liverpool are knocked out of the FA Cup and they think the sky is falling.

Think you're right on. I'd hope that Burnley would make it, but I'd expect them to falter now that Coyle has gone. I thought Bolton were safe even with Megson. I'd like it to be Portsmouth, Hull, and Wolves.

Newcastle United Nottingham Forest West Brom Cardiff I think West Brom will lose the playoff. Just because.

Realistically, I think that Hughton will be the manager next season. And I don't think that will be a bad thing. NUFC really needs stability. We've done nothing but burn through managers since SBR was sacked. Has anyone served a full season since Robson? That lack of stability-- not the lack of success--- has been at the root of a lot of our problems. I think it's alienated veterans (Given) undermined the development of younger players (N'Zogbia, Milner), made it difficult for foreigners to settle (Enrique), and generally undermined the team's efforts. So I'd like to see Hughton stay on for a couple of seasons. Even if it means that we're a middling club for a time. And I think Hughton will do reasonably well. I did not expect us to be leading the Championship and I think Hughton's accomplishment is being underestimated and underappreciated. If we are promoted and we struggle-- if we are in a relegation struggle come next January. Then, yes, he should be replaced. No question. But I do not think that will the case. This time next year, I'd expect the club to be in the middle of the table-- by no means "safe", but not really in danger. Keeping the same management in place for back-to-back seasons will be a major step forward. Having said that, I hope the club will be purchased by new owners,who have big dreams and, more importantly, a plan, and thata they''ll bring in their own man--someone they are prepared to to stick with for the long term. If the club gets new ownership I'd hope they'd be wise enough to hire someone they have faith in right from the start rather than sticking with someone that they don't fully support à la Ashley/Allardyce. We need to get out of crisis mode.

Snodgrasso. There. Fixed.

http://sport.scotsman.com/under20worldcup/Snodgrass-aims-to-put-Barcelona.3298548.jp

If you glance at his goals scored, it's a reasonable assumption.

Thank you CaliMag, The whole revisionist spirit was getting way out of hand around here. Apologists for Milner, Parker, Bowyer, N'Zogbia, Cacapa all coming out of the wood work (I'm guilty on one account myself). But never, never in a thousand years would I have thought I'd read posters defending Stephen Carr. He was rubbish. And while I'm usually game for gratutiuous potshots at Souness and Roeder, let's not rewrite history.

We'd be fucked if Colo, Taylor, or Enrique went down.