Cronky

Howay man. Did you see the Wigan game or what? Or the Derby game? Fulham? Derby away? sunderland? These are teams that get humiliated on a regular basis and we huffed and puffed in an attempt to get a point against all of them. Once is fine, twice is tolerable, but every bloody week? Wullie, lower your expectations, you're expecting too much. For the last three seasons we've been a mid-table side that has had the occaisonal flirtation with the relegation zone. That's the reality and that's not going to be turned around quickly. Of the sides mentioned, Derby are the only ones who are really poor. An away game against the others isn't a cakewalk for a midtable side. I'm not saying Big Sam hasn't made mistakes. He's finding out about the players and has probably made too many changes. But he's got to be given more than half a season. A cakewalk? We had one shot and it was exactly the same at Fulham, Derby and the SoS. Four games and the best chance in any was our centre half against Derby. That is not acceptable, I don't care how you dress it up. You're exaggerating, and ignoring some of the better performances. I'm frustrated as well. I expected things to be better. But Ferguson's underlying point is that the pressure exerted by the fans is doing more harm than good, and he's right on that one. Moyes at Everton, Hughes at Blackburn, Redknapp at Portsmouth have all been through difficult times, but look at them now. I'm not exaggerating actually. Rozehnal vs Derby was our best chance in those games. We went for a point in every game and were dreadful each time. Well I seem to remember that we did well in the first half against Fulham, but we're getting bogged down in details which I'm too pissed to remember well at the moment. The bigger picture is that Big Sam is on a learning curve. He is in a new job, with new players, trying to make sense of the aftermath of what's been left over from three previous managers who were operating under an interfering chairman. In that situation, you're not going to get everything right first time. Give him a chance to learn his lessons, get the players in that he needs, and then judge him.

The Barton news makes me feel a bit sad, because I thought he was a good signing. It looks like the gamble isn't paying off.

Howay man. Did you see the Wigan game or what? Or the Derby game? Fulham? Derby away? sunderland? These are teams that get humiliated on a regular basis and we huffed and puffed in an attempt to get a point against all of them. Once is fine, twice is tolerable, but every bloody week? Wullie, lower your expectations, you're expecting too much. For the last three seasons we've been a mid-table side that has had the occaisonal flirtation with the relegation zone. That's the reality and that's not going to be turned around quickly. Of the sides mentioned, Derby are the only ones who are really poor. An away game against the others isn't a cakewalk for a midtable side. I'm not saying Big Sam hasn't made mistakes. He's finding out about the players and has probably made too many changes. But he's got to be given more than half a season. A cakewalk? We had one shot and it was exactly the same at Fulham, Derby and the SoS. Four games and the best chance in any was our centre half against Derby. That is not acceptable, I don't care how you dress it up. You're exaggerating, and ignoring some of the better performances. I'm frustrated as well. I expected things to be better. But Ferguson's underlying point is that the pressure exerted by the fans is doing more harm than good, and he's right on that one. Moyes at Everton, Hughes at Blackburn, Redknapp at Portsmouth have all been through difficult times, but look at them now.

Howay man. Did you see the Wigan game or what? Or the Derby game? Fulham? Derby away? sunderland? These are teams that get humiliated on a regular basis and we huffed and puffed in an attempt to get a point against all of them. Once is fine, twice is tolerable, but every bloody week? Wullie, lower your expectations, you're expecting too much. For the last three seasons we've been a mid-table side that has had the occaisonal flirtation with the relegation zone. That's the reality and that's not going to be turned around quickly. Of the sides mentioned, Derby are the only ones who are really poor. An away game against the others isn't a cakewalk for a midtable side. I'm not saying Big Sam hasn't made mistakes. He's finding out about the players and has probably made too many changes. But he's got to be given more than half a season.

Regardless of how you rate Big Sam, the point that Ferguson is making about the expectations of the majority of fans is right. A lot of people were talking like we should go to Wigan and win comfortably. Sorry, but Wigan aren't that bad and we're not that good. Only a top four club can look at Wigan away like that. Some people still have their heads in the Keegan era.

Just a guess - we wanted him to do a trial first and the player and agent weren't having that. It's happened before - I can't remember with who.

To put Sam's remarks in context, he was asked whether he was happy that his future was in the hands of his players, and he said, 'No, not really'. He shouldn't have said that, because the press are trying to drive a wedge between him and his players and that only gives them ammunition. However, he may not have meant it in the way that's being implied. The problem of the captaincy is that there aren't many players whose place in the side is secure. Geremi turned out to be the wrong choice from that point of view.

I just checked him out on YouTube, and I saw some good one-touch finishing with both feet. Whether he'll be strong enough for the Premiership - different matter of course.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/sports/2007/12/136_16068.html He sounds like a target man who many fans don't rate because he's not a goalscorer. I'll reserve judgement till I see him.

He played in midfield for Leeds. Correct. I should have said central midfield. I believe at Leeds he was out wide. But my point is still valid. Is Sir Alex Ferguson an idiot who can't judge a player? All managers make mistakes. Ferguson bought Djemba-Djemba and Kleberson. Who were both new to English football and failed to adjust. Ferguson was very familiar with Smith and what he could do. Those were just examples of his less-than-perfect judgement. I think even Ferguson found out Smith was pants in midfield eventually. I don't see how saying others are also off-form resolves him tbh. His effort is commendable, but I just don't think it's enough. Well Ferguson certainly found that he had better options in both midfield and attack. But Ferguson is aiming to build a side that can win the Premiership and the Champions League. Just because Smith isn't in that class doesn't mean he's 'pants' or can't do a decent job for us. I'd repeat my earlier point - which one of our central midfield players has actually been better than Smith? None of them in particular, but see my part in bold above. Well I didn't actually say that the others were off form. Butt can't pass the ball well enough and Emre is a bit weak and vulnerable defensively to compete in English football. Those aren't opinions based just on this season. Barton and Geremi can play better I'd agree, but that doesn't make it any less exasperating that Smith seems to be the main target. They aren't playing better than Smith at the moment.

He played in midfield for Leeds. Correct. I should have said central midfield. I believe at Leeds he was out wide. But my point is still valid. Is Sir Alex Ferguson an idiot who can't judge a player? All managers make mistakes. Ferguson bought Djemba-Djemba and Kleberson. Who were both new to English football and failed to adjust. Ferguson was very familiar with Smith and what he could do. Those were just examples of his less-than-perfect judgement. I think even Ferguson found out Smith was pants in midfield eventually. I don't see how saying others are also off-form resolves him tbh. His effort is commendable, but I just don't think it's enough. Well Ferguson certainly found that he had better options in both midfield and attack. But Ferguson is aiming to build a side that can win the Premiership and the Champions League. Just because Smith isn't in that class doesn't mean he's 'pants' or can't do a decent job for us. I'd repeat my earlier point - which one of our central midfield players has actually been better than Smith?

He played in midfield for Leeds. Correct. I should have said central midfield. I believe at Leeds he was out wide. But my point is still valid. Is Sir Alex Ferguson an idiot who can't judge a player? All managers make mistakes. Ferguson bought Djemba-Djemba and Kleberson. Who were both new to English football and failed to adjust. Ferguson was very familiar with Smith and what he could do.

He played in midfield for Leeds. Correct. I should have said central midfield. I believe at Leeds he was out wide. But my point is still valid. Is Sir Alex Ferguson an idiot who can't judge a player?

I guess we could argue all day about good / shit Smith is. But of our other central midfield players - Butt, Geremi, Barton, Emre - are any of them actually playing better than Smith? He's not Makelele, but I can well understand Sam using him in that position, given our current choices. And it's worth remembering that the first manager to play Smith in midfield was Sir Alex, well known for being an appalling judge of a player.

Going by the one hour Sky highlights - Wigan looked a strong, athletic side - better than their league position suggests - and we found it difficult to compete physically. We couldn't get going. It wasn't a great free kick. Given took a half step to his left, and that made him off-balance when the kick came in. If he's had the confidence to stay his ground, he'd have got it no problem. I think Viduka is pretty useless as a target man in a fast and physical game like that. He was dominated by the centre backs, and as a result we lacked any kind of outlet or means of building an attack. Smith is more mobile and would have done a better job.

http://www.journallive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2007/12/26/leader-alan-is-reason-for-revival-sam-61634-20286406/ I agree, and he's also a useful midfield player. The anti-Smith movement has me shaking my head a bit. I can only think that because he often plays like thug, people are assuming that's all there is to his game.

I'd have Barton instead of Emre, but apart from that, I like the look of that team.

Sam should stay. He needs longer. BUT, if he had to go, then Roy Keane.

If you're going to play Emre, you have to give him a free role. He's very erratic defensively, doesn't track his man, and seems to play in bursts. In fact, regardless of formation, he ends up taking a free role anyway. I'd have him either as one of the wider players in a 4-3-3 or the withdrawn striker in a 4-4-1-1. But basically he's far better suited to continental football. I wouldn't start with him unless injuries made it the best option.

Merry Christmas, everyone. Remember - Who the Gods would bless, they first make suffer.

By the time he is 30 he might be able to cross a ball? Excessive optimism, there. Well I'd say that his crossing is pretty good. It can improve, and will improve, but it's usually okay. Crossing accurately is a more difficult skill than it looks.

Milner doesn't have any straight-line speed, but he has a fantastic change of direction, and every season, he learns to make better use of it and create time and space for himself. He's well worth sticking with.

Is he trying too hard? A few times yesterday, when he was on the ball, he was looking around for a defence-splitting pass rather than move the ball on quickly. As a result, he got caught. He is slow, and as Milner has learned, he has to find a few ways of just keeping the ball sometimes rather than doing something more ambitious.

Duff looked mentally and physically much fitter than at any time since he joined us. It was a nice bonus on a disappointing afternoon.

It was a game we should have won because Derby were poor defensively, and we had plenty of chances. We were let down by poor defending. Up front it should be Viduka or Smith but not both. They lack pace and Smith looks far more effective either as the target man or in midfield. Christ knows why people are complaining about 4-3-3, because we played 4-4-2 throughout. The good news was Duff, who looked in very good condition for a player coming back from a long injury.