OzzieMandias

What makes Roeder a good candidate for director of football? Was wondering the same thing. He certainly hasn't proved himself to be any kind of operator in the transfer market, and that's a crucial part of the job. And would he be any good at holding his corner against interference from Fat Fred? I'm doubtful.

He's a tosser. Why let him get to you?

Fairs Cup Final. I was only a bairn at the time, but my father had taken me and my little brother to see all the other home games, right up until the semi-final against Rangers. The riot during that game scared the shit out of him and, as he later explained to me, he felt worried that he couldn't protect us if something similar kicked off again. Fair enough, I suppose. But I felt pretty dejected not to see the home leg of the final, with 60,000-odd crammed into SJP.

"Sorry for running into you there mate, I couldn't see you against that black advertising board behind you. *laughs* Always have that trouble with you fucking niggers. Sorry again."

Perhaps I can interest you in this wonderful Swing Bridge I just happen to have for sale.

As I asked on the last thread about this subject, can anyone think of a way in which Emre, in the middle of a game, could have referred to Yobo's (or Bungara's) skin colour in a way that WASN'T offensive and intended to be so?

What a fucking headcase. Thinking he's airing this stuff to clear the ground for a move back to us is the worst kind of wishful thinking. As far as we're concerned, he's history. And that history is only getting an airing because someone has advised him that he has a bad PR prob and most of the country thinks he's a nasty little mentalist.

We understand perfectly. We just can't believe anyone can be so gullible and naive. A mediocre squad and a mediocre manager in a mediocre mid-table position is still a mediocre squad and a mediocre manager in a mediocre mid-table position no matter how much "ambition" the board is alleged to have. "Ambition" is a pretty useless quality if you haven't got the intelligence, financial acumen, managerial suss or skill in making appointments that are necessary to realise it. Still, I suppose the thought might be comforting for some. What are your thoughts on the Tooth Fairy?

Should have made a point to go with them, really. Something along the lines of us being closer to the table as of 20 years ago in terms of position, than that of ten years ago, would be fine. How about 40 years ago? Or 39. The 1967-68 season was the first year I went to matches. We finished tenth, which is where we're sitting now. Man U, Liverpool, Everton, Chelsea and Arsenal were all above us, like now. Tottenham were a few points ahead of us, like they'll probably be after we play the scousers and they go to Sheffield. Our manager was a former player, like now. We had some decent players -- Wyn Davies, Bobby Moncur, Pop Robson, Frank Clark -- but the big fish of the day were at other clubs, like now, and there was that constant nagging feeling that we were a long way behind them. Like now. I feel, like, this is where I came in. For all the club's been through in the last four decades we're still in the same place. Despite our mid-table position, we managed to qualify for the Fairs Cup through a quirk of the rules, which also seems wearily familiar. Went on to win the thing, though, and that, at least, was different.

1. At the start of the season what where your expectations, and are things going as you expected? I predicted 11th place. That's about where we seem to be heading. 2. Who's been your best performer this season? Milner, Dyer, Shay 3. And your worst/most disappointing? Carr, Babayaro/Duff, N'Zogbia 4. You had a quiet January transfer window, if you where the manager, who would you have tried to sign? How long's a piece of string? 5. What are your best and worst memories of our previous meetings? Worst... it's a photo finish between the 1974 FA Cup Final and Gullit's first game. Best... maybe the 2-1 a few years back, just because I watched it with a scouse relative, who was finally rendered speechless. 6. Do you have any favourite/best chants (and perhaps any that require an explanation)? "You find a dead rat and you think it's a treat..." 7. What?s the banter like between Newcastle and Liverpool fans at St James, would you say that the 2 sets of fans get on? Ish. 8. In the summer, Liverpool and Newcastle are told to swap 3 first team regulars, who would you send to Liverpool, and who would you like from us? Carr, Babayaro, Ramage Carragher, Riise, Gerrard 9. Liverpool have become the lastest club to gain new owners, Newcastle have been mentioned as well as a likely candiate for a takeover. How do you feel about these take-overs by foreign owners, and would you like to see it happen at Newcastle? The foreign owners thing is just a function of the increasing revenues at the top end of the game. There are huge rewards but huge investments are needed to reap them, and the business side of football is currently going through one of its periods of reinvention, like it did when the Premiership started. Yes, I'd like to see us bought by some big, deep-pocket concern that knows what it's about. Don't care whether it's foreign or home-grown. If that doesn't happen, I think we'll stagnate or slide further. 10. Care to predict Mr Roeder?s starting line up for the game? No. There'll be some mystifying selection only he could have come up with. 11. And finally, let?s have your score predictions for the game: 1-3

Answers: 1) 3-1 2) Shite 3) I hate the little twerp and I hope he breaks a leg. 4) We'll just have to wait and see when he finally gets back from injury. 5) Either Gerrard or Carragher 6) I'd rather have Wenger, tbh

Word.

All the crap clichés... "Part and parcel of the game..." "I've held my hands up and said..." "Flatter to deceive..." "There or thereabouts..." "A great piece of skill..." (whoever heard of a crap piece of skill?) "They've set out their stall..." et cetera

Why isn't Bellamy on the list?

Remember when the president of Trabzonspor called Kevin Campbell, who was on the club's books at the time, a "discoloured cannibal"? Perhaps that's the name of a Turkish biscuit, too.

This is how I learned it: Oh! me lads, ye shud a' seen us gannin, Passin' the folks alang the road just as they were stannin. Aal th' lads and lasses there, aal wi smiling faces Gannin alang the Scotswood Road to see the Blaydon Races.

Hard to make a decision either way, I'd reckon. One player's word against another.

This.

Slap bang in the middle of the league at 10th, how happy are you with your teams performances so far this year? What are your hopes for the rest of the year? Not very happy, but I didn't have high expectations. At the start of the season I said I thought we'd finish 11th. I still think that's about where we'll probably end up. It's not wildly unrealistic to hope that we'll get a UEFA place, though. Michael Owen used to be a hero at Anfield, how do you think he has done so far at Newcastle? Will he ever be the same? Did great when he actually played. I still wish we'd seen more of a Shearer-Owen partnership; they obviously enjoyed playing together and there was something infectious about that. Owen probably won't ever be the quite same again -- Shearer wasn't, after the injuries he got shortly after joining us -- but you never know. I certainly don't think his career is over yet, and he's certainly intelligent and commited enough to change his game, if that's necessary. Who has been your best player(s) so far this season? Martins, Dyer, Milner, Butt and, as usual, Given. Emre recently got accused of racist comments by our blue neighbours, your views? I don't have any. How desperate are you in Geordie land to win a trophy? Not at all desperate, personally. Liverpool and Newcastle served up a 4 - 3 cracker in the late nineties twice! What are your memories of the games? Feeling gutted. What are your views on the current Liverpool squad? If you could have one player till the end of the season who would it be? Gerrard, probably. Your views on our manager Rafa Benitez? Good manager, obviously. A bit boring, media-wise, although I suppose that's no bad thing. and finally can you predict the score for the newkit forum? No.

Just watch Fred. He's pretty good at milking it.

Exactly.

I think I'd rather have Shepherd in full-control than this Dubai lot, when I put my sensible cap on at least. There is a reason why Liverpool didn't accept the offer... granted, it may just be that Gillet "the best a man can get" will offer them more cash, but it might also have been that they realised they'd be villanised as well if DIC got their way and used the mighty reds as a cash cow (it would be a sin rivalled only by mass genocide, in fairness). It is a worry that we're falling behind a host of clubs financially, though. Suppose we've lived a charmed life since the Hall days in that respect and I can't help but feel that we missed the boat on numerous occasions. Proof that money without sensible management isn't as great as it sounds. I disagree. I think it would be excellent if someone went in and messed up the scousers' chances.

Let's just pray that Martins doesn't get injured.

He was a bit of a nutter, though, Stoichkov. I actually like the guy -- great player, great character -- but who knows what would have happened. Makes De Canio look sensible.

Barnes was shite , though not as shite as Rush. I hated us having those two. After waiting for some decent new striker, at the last minute we get these useless clapped-out scousers and suddenly it's crystal that all our cash is sunk into the injured Shearer. Bit like now, really, but we get Sibierski instead. Barnes was better, and scored more goals than your hero Arsprilla. Don't suppose you are aware of that though. I'm not aware of it because, even more obviously than most of your "arguments", it's utter bollocks. Asprilla scored loads more goals for us than Barnes – 18 in 50 appearances, as opposed to Barnes' 7 in 33 appearances (one goal in 2.7 games as opposed to one goal in 4.7 games). And name me a Barnes performance in black and white that came close to Asprilla's game against Barcelona. He could do it once, but he'd lost it long before he pulled one of our shirts over his thickening paunch.