Cronky

I doubt if the problem has been not enough research on players. Sometimes managers don't assess things correctly and signings don't work out. The problems didn't begin with Ashley. We've struggled ever since 2004. I don't think there's been a point in any season where there hasn't been some sort of threat of relegation. It was only going to to take a run of bad luck with injuries, off-field problems etc for us to sink that bit deeper.

One happy bunny over here.

Why can't Allardyce / Keegan / Houghton / Kinnear / Shearer see how crap Duff / Smith / Shola is.

It's the Shearer grey matter working. He may as well test out how we'll do without Owen in this game, which we'll almost certainly lose whatever 11 we put out.

I'm not saying you're blinkered when it comes to Souness, but it is possible that he's actually quite a decent chap on a one-to-one basis. Used to work at a hotel in Orlando, FL - worked in the front desk. Met him 2x, spoke to him both times about the club, the first when he started and the 2nd after he was sacked. He was one of the most genuine, and nice men I've spoken to who would be considered a "celebrity" - helped him with reservations and setting up a plan for his family for the week he stayed. I immediatly recognized hiim and told him he was one of my uncle's favorite players when he grew up in Liverpool - He asked me who I supported, I smiled, said "Newcastle" - his face literally turned white and he dropped his head a bit. He spoke to me about how Fat Fred was not a good chairman or football man, Shearer was a legend, and Mickey Owen was a huge coup but wishes he would have stayed fit as our fortunes would have been better. He had no regrets and said he did what he could, but ultimately could not be a success. Did say we demand so much, pressure is overwhelming. In fairness, this is an aspect of Souness's character that I've heard of before. At Rangers, he treated what you might call the more minor employees with great respect and courtesy. It's something he made a point of doing.

Care to swap places?

You might be kidding but I'll bite. Man U were a big club for a long while before the Premiership. However, until Fergie and the Premiership came along, they hadn't won the title since the mid-60's. A big problem in that era was that the club would only appoint Catholics as managers, so their choice was restricted. They kept up that policy until the 1980's. The Man U relegation was the biggest since I've been following football. A classic tale of good players not being replaced at the right time and carrying on too long. Fergie has never made that mistake.

I loved her little comments on past managers. They weren't always what you'd expect. I think the players could do without her waving pictures of the Jackie Milburn era in front of them. That'll only make them feel crap.

There may be something in what you say, in that the current plan at least allows for the possibility of Dowie taking over at the end of the season. However, I think everyone's still very much keeping their options open, and I doubt whether it's as definite and well thought-out as you're suggesting. I'm sure that team selection is down to Shearer. Successive managers have thought more highly of Shola than most fans do, and I wouldn't read any more into it than that. I'm not a big fan of Martin Samuel. He writes well, but he tends to go off on attention-seeking tangents. However, I think he's made some important points here. There's a re-building job to be done, regardless of whether or not we stay up. It's a job that's been shelved for a long while because all the club's energies over the last four years have been concentrated on keeping us in the Premiership. Shearer is best placed to do the rebuilding, because he provides unity between fans, players and owner and he will therefore be given time. He'd also be good at attracting new players to the club. Whether he fancies the slog and the pressure, who knows. I don't think he's made his mind up yet. But if he does love the club as he says, it carries a responsibility as well.

I was going to say 'service my arse', but then I realised how that sounded.

Gibbs is under pressure, but I do think he's a class player. With England, full back is one of our weaker positions and I wouldn't be at all surprised if he made the 2010 World Cup squad. And I agree with Messi about Diaby. There seems to be no real weakness in his game.

It may well depend on us getting something at Villa, which isn't impossible. Their season may well be over by then, and we've already beaten them this season, which should give us some confidence.

Who actually called for Keegan to be appointed again though? I really can't remember many people if any at all. Hindsight is a wonderful thing I know, but it now just looks like a ploy to try and cash in from the fans. Sure, I don't remember there being a big demand for Keegan's return - possibly because most people assumed that he had retired from the game completely. But it was a strange gesture to appoint someone whose appetite for the game was clearly very brittle, and who had left his two previous jobs under a cloud. I think Ashley saw Keegan as someone who would get the fans onside and who would be given the time to turn things around. Anyone other than Keegan or Shearer would have faced a lot of pressure after a few defeats. On the same tone, you can see now that Shearer is being cut a lot of slack. After one goal and one point from four games, other managers would be coming in for a lot more stick. Ultimately, the owners should be strong enough to resist that kind of pressure. They have to take the responsibility.

It doesn't help that this idea has built up - fuelled partly by the media - of Newcastle fans being the best or most loyal in the country. That's bred a bit of resentment which adds to the natural pleasure in seeing a big club fuck up. Sadly, I think this is a club where the pressure from fans is higher than anywhere else. That's influenced a lot of bad decisions in recent years. (eg Shearer not retiring at the right time, re-appointing Keegan)

As has been said before, the midfield lacks creativity and Barton has the skill to provide that. Barton also has an unquenchable self-belief and won't be affected by pressure. That can get his team mates going. At the moment, our senior players aren't providing leadership and the younger ones look a bit overawed.

Unfortunately, this is true. Aagh, more publicity that we didn't need. I didn't get the impression that all this build-up of Geordie fervour before the game did the players any good. They needed to relax and focus on what they were doing, but for the first 15 minutes they looked very inhibited.

I'd agree with that. He looks like he wants the ball and wants to try things. Definitely one of our better players last night. We struggled to find a shape last night, and the longer the game on, the more ragged we became. A lot of people have pinned their hopes on 4-3-3 with Owen in a free role, but the players didn't seem to have much confidence in it last night. Owen is good at drifting into scoring positions from deep, but he doesn't create anything for his team-mates, which is a major part of what you expect from someone in that free role. He fluffed the one chance he had, which Martins was in a position to get anyway. It's like playing with 10 men, but unlike last season, the other 10 are short of form and confidence and we're not getting away with it. My major concern at the time of Shearer's appointment was that he would stick with Owen no matter what, and unfortunately I think it's a mistake that's going to scupper what chance we had of staying up.

Guthrie.

I thought Guthrie was shocking...am I alone in that? No, I thought the pressure got to him. He looked very jittery.

In the end, we were lucky to get a point. Our only hope now is Joey Barton. He may just add the creativity and confidence we need. Sorry to be a broken record, but what exactly is Owen's contribution? If he's there purely to get on the end of chances, he's got to take one that's as easy as that.

The pressure seems to have got to Guthrie. He's been very poor.

We were launching too many long balls at first, but once the pace slowed down a bit, we were able to keep it on the deck. There should be more opportunities in the second half. Viduka has done very well. He's the most likely route to a goal.

My prediction - Harper R Taylor Beye Bassong Enrique Smith Butt Jonas Owen Viduka Martins

Perhaps you've missed that he has scored more goals than everyone bar C.Ronaldo? Well that would be it, but being the second top goalscorer isn't exactly an outstanding achievement. For me, he hasn't looked anything exceptional, and Chelsea improved very noticeably when Drogba came back into form and Anelka got bunged out on to the wing. On occasions, Rooney has absolutely carried his team this season. I do think there are some players - Bryan Robson and Paul Scholes are other examples - who play to such high standards that their performances are taken for granted and they don't get these awards.

The oddest choice for me is Anelka in the Premiership team of the season. Obviously I've missed something.