TRon

I'll say it again, players get sent off all of the time. 4 red cards isn't excessive at all IMO for a midfielder. It was a poor tackle, not as bad as Smith's attempt though. I wasn't surprised because tbh I think in part he has been the victim of a witch hunt this year, the initial cause of it self inflicted obviously. The Arsenal game, the Villa game, the Sunderland game, every time he gets in his car......... It was a stupid tackle, but not worthy of the red card, or the "never play for the club again" bollocks that's been spouted on here since. Your ignoring Barton's other misdemeanours on the training ground and when on the piss. The guy's got a screw loose, and we're better off without him. I think it's fair to say we probably aren't "better off without him" His value as a player is more than any prospective transfer fee as well. I'm not ignoring anything. I'm discussing him as a football player. Incidentally, does he still go out on the piss? His value as a football player will only be realised of he's actually out on the pitch playing football. What we have to weigh up is the chances of him playing enough games in a season to make the expense worthwhile. It goes without saying that he's been a massive failure in this regard, and City previously washed their hands of him after giving him umpteen chances. I am pretty convinced he's always going to be a liability, but I wouldn't want to give him away after paying his wages to be a spectator for two seasons. If we get a good offer bomb him out, otherwise play his contract out in the off chance he strings a few games together next season.

Not really no. Players get sent off & suspended all of the time. I've not looked it up, but I don't recall his onfield disciplinary record being particularly bad tbh. What he did was no worse than what Nolan did against Everton & I know which of the two I'd rather lose in the summer. I like Barton as a player far better than Nolan, but if he's not on the pitch (which is 90% of the time at Newcastle) I can't be arsed defending him. I realise you have a soft spot and have been backing him in virtually every misadventure he's been involved in since he's been here but that's your choice.

Maybe nothing has changed because the players are still SHITE.

I would love an alternative owner to support but is there one out there? I haven't voted yet in the hope that there is someone else I can vote for so suggestions would be helpful.

Ironically I would like to keep him despite the fact his 2 year non-appearances will probably cost us relegation, he's better than all our other CM's. But I just can't see this neanderthal seeing the light. He's always going to do what he did yesterday, again and again till the end of time. The thick cunt is incapable of reigning himself in.

And TRon wallows in the effective midfield we have enjoyed so much for the past theree-four months. You and Jimmymag make a good pair. How many games has Barton been available to play in during the last two years? You'd have a hard job picking him if the pillock is suspended. Good luck on that one.

The atmosphere will be great at the start, if the players roll their sleeves up and fight for their lives the fans won't let them down.

Yes...it's all everyone else's fault, Barton is an innocent victim every time. Let's all sing his name while he sits on his sofa watching us go down on the telly. Cheers Joey, thanks for everything and enjoy the wages.

The atmosphere will be great at the start, I just hope these limp fuck players don't manage to deflate everyone inside the ground while they stumble around half-heartedly again. I'll be pumped by the time this game comes round but if we don't see a passionate performance from the players in this one it will turn ugly.

Especially since they could have scored 10 more in any case.

If it's a draw like it usually is, then both teams will probably sink.

Just posted something similar in todays match thread. If we're 0-0 or 1 down at 60 minutes then f*** it, throw on some young bloods and tell them to go hell for leather. By then anything will be worth a shot. I'm just hoping it won't have to come to that. On the other hand, Ardiles' bunch of kids were heading into Division Three until Keegan came in with people like Kilcline & Sheedy. Ardiles put his faith in a full 11 kids and had no leadership to offer them. The trick is to get the balance right for me. One or two areas need a clear shot of life and have done all season, most noticeably midfield. No one gets beyond the forwards and whoever plays next week that has to change against boro.

It's not working anyway. We just have to pin our hopes that the seniors will show us that in the final showdown they are able to match boro for desire and energy.

I thought he went in with the wrong formation against Liverpool with three mis-firing forwards in the team...they are too strong to get away with carrying passengers. Other than that though he has really looked the part. Whichever division we are in I really hope he stays on, he's going to learn as he goes along and I love how he makes changes early and decisively rather than sat frozen watching us going nowhere.

Points wise this game doesn't mean that much as we were always going to get panned. The fact we couldn't be bothered to run or mark players suggests that some of our players are resigned to going down/couldn't give a fuck. That's the worrying thing to take from this game.

Just a thought worth considering. That quote was taken from the match thread. Bassong wasn't even that highly rated in France before he came here. It's a shame we will have to get relegated before we are finally shot of over-paid players who refuse to run.

Just about sums everything up.

Yes...from his armchair.

It's desperation really. I have less and less hope that the current 1st team players have the energy or appetite for a battle, and if we are going to go down I'd rather go down with a fight with players who have something to prove and want to make a claim for a 1st team spot.

I'm not really interested in hearing any more excuses for Barton. There's always some reason he can't take the pitch, if it isn't injury, it's because he's locked up. If he's not locked up he's suspended. Two years and £10m wasted.

Our players won't look out of place.

I think we needed to address this much earlier and next week's match is too important, but I haven't seen this team last 90 mins in many games this season. They just aren't fit or mobile enough.

Don't think we deserve a miracle to be brutally honest though. I don't think we will get one either. Hull are poor but they will fight harder than we will to stay up.

You never want to throw kids into a pressure match, but I share Waddle's concern that boro might just have too much youth and energy for our knackered team of has-beens. I saw it happen once before when Jim Smith's team of veterans were beaten in a promotion play off by a younger, hungrier Sunderland. It's a dilemma but I really didn't see enough desire or fight in this bunch to go at it for 90 mins. Do wee need to inject some youth and energy in key areas for the last few games or rely on big names and hope they deliver next week?

Waddle was spot on when he repeated what we have all been saying: this team has no legs, they would get outrun by a lot of pub teams.