TRon

Or whinge while still admitting he'd be in your starting line up. That's your choice apparently. Expressing an opinion. But I wouldn't expect a thick cunt like you to understand anyway. Don't start whining, it's not a punishable offence to contradict yourself even if it does make you look a bit stupid.

I think at this stage of the season we have just got to ignore what everyone else is doing and just concentrate on what we do. Easier said than done I know, but it really is the only way.

well said. don't have the wingers for a 4-4-2, don't have the central midfielders for a 4-4-2, and we don't have the strikers for it either. Guthrie in particular is ready made for a 4-3-3 as his technique and passing are excellent but his strength and his engine all stand out as being sub-standard in a midfield two. give him that extra body in the middle and all a sudden those two things arent an issue - bit like how Butt looked fine at the end of last season. I would personally play Guthrie-Geremi-Jonas across the middle, Geremi sitting back like Butt did, Guthrie in Ron's position on the right and Jonas the non-stop running machine that was joey barton, only better. Up-front you have Owen in the hole, dropping back into midfield when needed and making runs forward when not, with Martins and one more (Xisco, Smith, Ameobi, Carroll, Viduka) capable of playing with their back to goal. I also agree with you that yesterday was one-dimensional from what i saw. there was little in the way of diagonal runs, first touch passing or other invention that pulls defenders out of position. it was very basic and direct as if the tactics were 'get it into the box quickly for owen'. in a way i am disappointed that shearer's assistant has been Dowie. I know he needed to bring in a training ground coach but, while Dowie is apparently clued up on coaching methods he is not too bright tactically. calderwood, dowie, hughton - i dont really see any of those as someone who can pull shearer aside and suggest a novel take on tactics or spot out a subtle problem in the balance as a Venables would've (or create an inventive solution to our problems as keegan did last season). Good insights there and I'm inclined to agree with you. The midfield is woefully underperforming, whatever we have tried with the 4-4-2 has floundered both this season and last season. Not the system at fault it's just we don't have the players with enough confidence or ablity to string two passes together. We need either Carroll or Xisco to play as a target man with Oba and Owen playing off him. A midfield three would be Jonas, Butt and Guthrie. If we are going to play 4-3-3, I'd prefer we'd not drop Nolan. We should at least give him a chance in the position in which he has flourished during his career. Last year the 3 midfielders were Barton, Butt and Geremi. Butt played the hoding role, while Barton played left side and Geremi played right in a narrow midfield. Both Geremi and Barton provided decent passing to the forward players and linked well with Owen. This is not something that Nolan looks capable of, he is basically just a runner who arrives (slowly) into the box. Where would you play him? I have been a critic of Butt but he is a better footballer than Nolan IMO, and he's a specialist defensive midfielder which you need in a 3 man midfield.

well said. don't have the wingers for a 4-4-2, don't have the central midfielders for a 4-4-2, and we don't have the strikers for it either. Guthrie in particular is ready made for a 4-3-3 as his technique and passing are excellent but his strength and his engine all stand out as being sub-standard in a midfield two. give him that extra body in the middle and all a sudden those two things arent an issue - bit like how Butt looked fine at the end of last season. I would personally play Guthrie-Geremi-Jonas across the middle, Geremi sitting back like Butt did, Guthrie in Ron's position on the right and Jonas the non-stop running machine that was joey barton, only better. Up-front you have Owen in the hole, dropping back into midfield when needed and making runs forward when not, with Martins and one more (Xisco, Smith, Ameobi, Carroll, Viduka) capable of playing with their back to goal. I also agree with you that yesterday was one-dimensional from what i saw. there was little in the way of diagonal runs, first touch passing or other invention that pulls defenders out of position. it was very basic and direct as if the tactics were 'get it into the box quickly for owen'. in a way i am disappointed that shearer's assistant has been Dowie. I know he needed to bring in a training ground coach but, while Dowie is apparently clued up on coaching methods he is not too bright tactically. calderwood, dowie, hughton - i dont really see any of those as someone who can pull shearer aside and suggest a novel take on tactics or spot out a subtle problem in the balance as a Venables would've (or create an inventive solution to our problems as keegan did last season). Good insights there and I'm inclined to agree with you. The midfield is woefully underperforming, whatever we have tried with the 4-4-2 has floundered both this season and last season. Not the system at fault it's just we don't have the players with enough confidence or ablity to string two passes together. We need either Carroll or Xisco to play as a target man with Oba and Owen playing off him. A midfield three would be Jonas, Butt and Guthrie.

I think Sunderland are our best hope of avoiding relegation, or maybe Hull if they continue to drop in form. For us it's a big ask to win 3 games from somewhere but I still think we have better players to throw into the mix than a lot of other clubs fighting relegation. We have to find the right combination like Keegan did with the 4-3-3 but time is running out.

He's slow and s***. As you say, it's better to live in reality rather than have pipe dreams of him suddenly becoming anything else. That was a bit of a crap response really wasnt it. If you've an argument as to why he cannot improve his fitness or why im assuming you think hes always been crap...regardless of the fact that hes a better goalscoring record than any of our other midfielders go ahead and provide it. Not much point typing otherwise. We can all state pointless opinions based on nothing I've been against Nolan's signing from the beginning although I was hoping he'd prove me wrong. I'll repeat the reasons again if you've missed them previously. Nolan has no vision, no ability to pick a through pass, no desire to pass and move (have you seen him do any quick one-two's?) he looks overweight, and he genrally only plays for about 45 mins. Bolton fans were booing him, were delighted to get rid of him and their results have improved since he left. As an athlete, on a scale of 1-10 he'd score 3 if you were being generous. He has no pace whatsoever, no engine and his legs look shot. Is this enough for you or do you think I'm watching a different player to you?

What an absolute twat he sounds. There's only one answer to it and that's to ram those words back down his throat on Saturday evening.

Or whinge while still admitting he'd be in your starting line up. That's your choice apparently.

Yes I've noticed you and Jayson save your negative judgements for Coloccini, so you must be going easy on Nolan to compensate. Nice strategy.

He's slow and shit. As you say, it's better to live in reality rather than have pipe dreams of him suddenly becoming anything else.

Has a better goalscoring history than any of our other current midfielders. Around 40 goals over the last 5 season in total. As i say, 26 years old...can easily get him back to fitness. Could be a good player for us in the future. Oh goody. If we're relegated at least Kevin Nolan might get fit in the future

We need Colo dropped if only to stop you banging on in every single thread about the same issue. He is a bit crap tho isnt he What will you talk about on Saturday? You'll have to write a new script mate.

Which people were they? dont know names but if you look back, plenty of people on here wanted him. Two wrongs don't make a right. Would Robson or Keegan have bought talentless clodders like Nolan and taylor? The answer is no, because they believed in carpet football and for that you need players who like the ball played to feet and have some ability to pass and move well. These are Joe Kinnear signings and plenty of people here were dreading him being given transfer funds for this very reason. you say all that like keegan and SBR have never bought shit players. thats all irrelevant to my point anyway. i'd rather have a fit nolan than a badly injured bullard on twice the wages. I think it's you who is missing the point. Bullard was over-priced but at least he is a playmaker rather than a goalscorer who plays in midfield (and doesn't score many goals). Keegan and SBR did sign some bad players but on the whole they liked to sign skilful footballers and SBR in particular always demanded they have pace. That is the point. but his knee is practically knackered. fulham were apparently amazed that he passed his medical and hull admitted it was a big risk. im also fairly sure i read recently he is out for at least 9 months. THAT for £5 million and 60k a week was actually my point. But we weren't going to buy Bullard in any case so your point is a bit pointless isn't it? It's like saying we are far better off buying Nolan than Dean Whitehead.

We need Colo dropped if only to stop you banging on in every single thread about the same issue.

Which people were they? dont know names but if you look back, plenty of people on here wanted him. Two wrongs don't make a right. Would Robson or Keegan have bought talentless clodders like Nolan and taylor? The answer is no, because they believed in carpet football and for that you need players who like the ball played to feet and have some ability to pass and move well. These are Joe Kinnear signings and plenty of people here were dreading him being given transfer funds for this very reason. you say all that like keegan and SBR have never bought shit players. thats all irrelevant to my point anyway. i'd rather have a fit nolan than a badly injured bullard on twice the wages. I think it's you who is missing the point. Bullard was over-priced but at least he is a playmaker rather than a goalscorer who plays in midfield (and doesn't score many goals). Keegan and SBR did sign some bad players but on the whole they liked to sign skilful footballers and SBR in particular always demanded they have pace. That is the point.

Which people were they? dont know names but if you look back, plenty of people on here wanted him. Two wrongs don't make a right. Would Robson or Keegan have bought talentless clodders like Nolan and taylor? The answer is no, because they believed in carpet football and for that you need players who like the ball played to feet and have some ability to pass and move well. These are Joe Kinnear signings and plenty of people here were dreading him being given transfer funds for this very reason. It's an SBR expression and if it's good enough for him...

Which people were they? dont know names but if you look back, plenty of people on here wanted him. Two wrongs don't make a right. Would Robson or Keegan have bought talentless clodders like Nolan and taylor? The answer is no, because they believed in carpet football and for that you need players who like the ball played to feet and have some ability to pass and move well. These are Joe Kinnear signings and plenty of people here were dreading him being given transfer funds for this very reason.

They were signed for the wrong reasons based on nationality and bargain value rather than quality. Would Keegan or Bobby Robson have signed them on that basis?

You could say the same for just about everyone else on the team though. If he's playing shit and there's still no one else who can come in and do better then what does that say about our other strikers?

Bassong only played a handful of times before Fulham and they were all at left back, I can't remember him covering up for Colo. The relevance? You said he only played well because Bassong was mopping up for him! Games played well in: Man U, Bolton, Fulham (at least for most of the game), Chelsea, Boro (although can't remember much from this game). And do you define "played well" as him making good tackles, interceptions, headed clearances etc or simply not making any ridiculous errors. Because i saw all the games you've named & i do not remember seeing very much that impressed atall. As i say, beyond people pointing out his great level of "composure". Realistically, there are far far far more games at the start, middle & end of the season where you can pick out colo's errors that have lead to goals over any moments he actually had a beneficial impact. From the Arsenal game, he has been at fault often What is the point in picking out his interceptions, tackles or headers won as you deny having seen any? He's clearly not playing well at the moment so it's hardly worth arguing the case anyway.

That might all be true but we haven't looked like scoring in games where Martins hasn't played either. If he isn't going to start who would you play in his place bearing in mind he's one of the few players we have who doesn't move like he's 55 yrs old?

I can remember there was actually a thread about this being our best back four when we went through a very decent defensive period before Beye got injured and Coloccini played a big part in it. There are one or two like Jayson who have been on his back for a while now, some of it is deserved some of it isn't. Once fans get on someone's back it becomes a snowball effect. Boumsong by the end of his time here was taking the blame for Alan Ramage's mistakes.

you are joking aren't you yeah, i was. that wasnt the situation at all. Good. I'm pleased you don't recognise a situation whereby a talented player is unhappy at the club. Lets not bother to find out why, nor why he thinks Wigan is a step up for him. Marvellous. Welcome back to the old days, when we were run like a corner shop and had zero ambition. N'Zogbia is at Wigan because his performances at Newcastle did not warrant a move to the places he wanted to go. He wore out his welcome at the club and now he's using Wigan as his "stepping stone". and [on topic] Ryan Taylor is a superior replacement then ? Raylor isn't much use at all and Nolan looked f**king useless, never went near our box or theirs. Lets not forget though that they were bought by a manager who you supported and considered a benefit to the club so you'll have to just grin and bear it if he buys shite like that. As far as Zoggy goes, he wanted out when the Halls & Shepherds owned the club so that makes no f**king difference. The only bit you're right about is that he's way better than Raylor or Nolan. Shame the man you backed, Kinnear, doesn't agree. What I said about Kinnear, was that IF we somehow managed to stay up, then he would deserve credit for at least instilling some fight into the players, and getting their heads up after the events of last september. That is not "supporting" him, just stating something, which IF you had witnessed the abject surrender the last 2 times we have been relegated, you would understand. Did you witness them or not ? The overall picture of a manager being made to buy sub standard players because his owner doesn't back him, is something you clearly don't comprehend. It is something myself and one or two others told you enough times though, which is that the owner of a football club CHOOSES to show ambition, or CHOOSES NOT to show ambition. We have an owner who has CHOSEN NOT TO SHOW AMBITION. Understand ? Do you seriously think any manager can put together a good football team when he is forced into the transfer market for sub standard priced footballers ? It is true that zoggy wanted to go before, he won't be the first foreigner or French player to leave NUFC, or other clubs. But to Wigan ? He thinks wigan is better than us ? And to rub salt into it, they give us one of their poorest players plus cash for him ? If you can't see the significance of this, you're living on another planet. Still, as presumably you and many others wanted, he certainly isn't one of those despicable "trophy" players [whoever they were anyway] so YOU should be happy. Oh, and you aren't "embarrassed" any more. Thats my reply, despite not really wanting to go down this road all the time, but you've invited it. I'm in total agreement about N'Zogbia. I think he wasn't given the stage to perform at St James on a regular basis and that's why he left. I hear plenty of criticism of his game but it's pointless when he's been replaced by a player not fit to lace his boots. Taylor has no pace, no skill, no passing ability, no vision, no ability to beat a man and no confidence. Just what the fuck was the point?

He wanted to go because he was mainly considered a back up for various other players in his time here. The problem with replacing players like this is you usually end up with well intentioned but limited cloggers like Ryan and Taylor. Nice one Joe, job done.

It's pointless arguing the merits of Coloccini at the moment, he clearly isn't defending with 100% commitment, pulling out of the second challenge after giving the ball away for the first goal is proof of that. I still think the best we have looked defensively this season was earlier on when the back four was Beye, Coloccini, Bassong and Enrique, but there is no way he should be playing at the moment.