Mowen

I've got a funny feeling we might struggle in this one, I'm less confident than I was before Cardiff. Not sure why, don't know anything about their team - I guess it's mainly the fitness of our attackers that's the concern for this one. Ranger and Nolan were knackered yesterday and Loven looked well off the pace.

Aye, and I think he'll improve once he gets his confidence up. And he's devilishly handsome. An underrated attribute in footballers. Although he's got a tough time filling Habib's boots in both the looks and talent department as far as I'm concerned.

First time I've seen him at full back yesterday, very solid. Comfortably good enough for this league, keep him until the end of the year at least.

He was gash for Cardiff last year or so I believe.

Get out

Interestingly hasn't looked to have a goalscorers instinct in the very little we've seen of him so far. Done a cracking job leading the line on his own mind, worked his bollocks off and there's plenty in his game to offer hope. That's the thing - certain aspects of his play are mature, considerably beyond his years. Wish he was a bit more direct though in terms of having a pop at goal, he seems scared to shoot at times. Not sure he even got half a chance to shoot today, had one fairly audacious effort against leicester. I'm looking forward to seeing him playing alongside a fit Lovenkrands, should help him a lot having some movement nearby. The closest he got today was that fat bastard Nolan getting within 20 yards.

Interestingly hasn't looked to have a goalscorers instinct in the very little we've seen of him so far. Done a cracking job leading the line on his own mind, worked his bollocks off and there's plenty in his game to offer hope.

Absolutely gash. I wanted to boo him early doors, but he took so long to touch the fucking ball I'd forgotten all about it.

I found this much harder than I expected to. Words in particular are tricky. Still, I think we can all agree I've made a cracking effort at it. I intended Robbo to be a bit fatter, this was a slight flaw. http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/7562/spurz.jpg

I just choked. This thread is the funniest thing ever.

Right just got home (was posting on my phone through boredom on the journey home...can't be arsed with typing too much on it though). A few thoughts: we were very average but we were good enough. We didn't create much after scoring, but neither did they. Bar the move that led to Smith's red I didn't once feel we were really in danger of conceding in the second half. No-one played particularly well, and no-one (apart, perhaps, from Barton) was particularly poor. Worst performance I've seen us give this year and we've got a win at what was touted as being about as tough as it gets in this league. We'll need to improve, but we'll play a lot better than that this year. Didn't particularly like the stadium mind, seemed a bit spacious for the number of seats. I like being crammed in when in the away end, but we felt a bit spread out which contributed to the atmosphere being nothing special. Decent, but no more than that. Highlight of the game for me was when we started singing 'Robson wonderland' in the second half; half of the Cardiff fans rose to applaud it, and they all showed their appreciation. Hairs on the back of the neck for me. Still really enjoying this season.

80 points won't see us promoted tbh. Play-off perhaps but we need 90+ to go up automatically. 18x5=? NNNGGGHHH!!!1!11 Wouldn't they be better off using a bigger bus?

What you say above is good and correct and I agree with it, as I always have. It is difficult to estimate how much of this MESS was Ashley's fault, but (as owner) he has to take by far the bulk of the blame. Now, without you having met him, or 'seen the photos', I would imagine you will agree with that. The reasons Keegan left (that you mention) are all valid, as I have always said, and are undoubtedly part of it. BUT, many people continue to rationalise and over-simplify the reason why he left, "latching on" to the Ashley-and-funds-and-choice-of-players, thing. It is most unlikely that anything as simple as that would have caused him to leave - it he came here to "finish the job" etc - with the speed with which he did. It just does not FIT. It smells. There must be more to it than just that. There is a lot more complexity in why Keegan returned and why he left so soon, that the simply-presented "reasons" of the funds and choice of players, that so many people (as said) happily latch on to as being the be-all-and-end-all of the situation. C'mon, the whole thing STINKS. I really cannot find any other way to say this now. I have described the "Ashley & Funds" bit, as the 'last chapter' and the 'last page', and I have tried many other ways to get the message across here - so I can do no more. Simply, there is more to it than that - it stinks to high heaven. He came back as soon as the Halls and Shepherds were out of the club, he came in thinking Mike Ashley was going to at least take the club forward, it then became apparent that Ashley had no intension to spend and he was going to reduce the operating costs of the club. KK couldn't deal with Ashley, Lambias and Wise as they were f*** nuts without a clue so was either sacked or quit. I'm not sure where you get this "must be another reason" for him to return from. Are you basing your argument for KK coming back with other motives on that shitty lazy article in one of the papers sayng it was because Soccer Circus was struggling and he needed cash. The same Soccer Circus which is still going even in the recession. Keegan, the person, the "motives" . . . have to share the blame for our demise with Ashley. They have both 'done us in' for the next few years, at least. Playing in the Europa League, The Champions League and challenging for the League Title - are still a long way off - thanks to BOTH of them . . . This club would never have played champions league football in it's history were it not for Kevin Keegan. And yet it's apparently partly his fault we're not very close to it now. Fucking staggering. C'mon! People can't do something right one decade, and then fuck it up the next? We all have our successes and failures, and KK is just another human being... though you wouldn't guess it from the way some people seem to see him. I was merely pointing out the idiosyncrasy of criticising KK for us currently being a long way from CL qualification. I'm pretty sure you knew this and chose to ignore it though. I haven't got the energy to go any further with a discussion of Keggy's merits, don't think this thread is the place to do it either mind.

What you say above is good and correct and I agree with it, as I always have. It is difficult to estimate how much of this MESS was Ashley's fault, but (as owner) he has to take by far the bulk of the blame. Now, without you having met him, or 'seen the photos', I would imagine you will agree with that. The reasons Keegan left (that you mention) are all valid, as I have always said, and are undoubtedly part of it. BUT, many people continue to rationalise and over-simplify the reason why he left, "latching on" to the Ashley-and-funds-and-choice-of-players, thing. It is most unlikely that anything as simple as that would have caused him to leave - it he came here to "finish the job" etc - with the speed with which he did. It just does not FIT. It smells. There must be more to it than just that. There is a lot more complexity in why Keegan returned and why he left so soon, that the simply-presented "reasons" of the funds and choice of players, that so many people (as said) happily latch on to as being the be-all-and-end-all of the situation. C'mon, the whole thing STINKS. I really cannot find any other way to say this now. I have described the "Ashley & Funds" bit, as the 'last chapter' and the 'last page', and I have tried many other ways to get the message across here - so I can do no more. Simply, there is more to it than that - it stinks to high heaven. He came back as soon as the Halls and Shepherds were out of the club, he came in thinking Mike Ashley was going to at least take the club forward, it then became apparent that Ashley had no intension to spend and he was going to reduce the operating costs of the club. KK couldn't deal with Ashley, Lambias and Wise as they were f*** nuts without a clue so was either sacked or quit. I'm not sure where you get this "must be another reason" for him to return from. Are you basing your argument for KK coming back with other motives on that shitty lazy article in one of the papers sayng it was because Soccer Circus was struggling and he needed cash. The same Soccer Circus which is still going even in the recession. Keegan, the person, the "motives" . . . have to share the blame for our demise with Ashley. They have both 'done us in' for the next few years, at least. Playing in the Europa League, The Champions League and challenging for the League Title - are still a long way off - thanks to BOTH of them . . . This club would never have played champions league football in it's history were it not for Kevin Keegan. And yet it's apparently partly his fault we're not very close to it now. Fucking staggering.

Agreed. There are a lot of man u fans from outside manc, but there are a lot more who support them in manc than there are who follow city.

Been on the go for well over an hour already. Let's fucking have them.

Utterly dreadful that was.

Should have been sent off more often but that boy was world class in his prime. I'd probably have him above Lampard or Gerrard, which is staggeringly high praise.

I respect him for that celebration, fair play. On second look though it seems he kicked the rapist which is out of order without doubt.

Some great posts in this thread.

Fucking hell, it's a long time since a post made me laugh that much

He's absolutely superb. Don't think he's as good as Kaka, but he's brilliant.

The funny thing is how predictable it is That's why I've changed my attitude...if it's inevitable I might as well enjoy it.

http://www.newcastle-online.org/nufcforum/index.php/topic,63332.0.html