TRon

Pointing out the problem and providing the solution of spending millions is one thing. Actually spending the millions on the playing staff is the difficult bit. Unless of course it's just another debt for the club (as opposed to the owner) to pay out on like Smith's wages, Keegan's compensation, Guthrie, Xisco and so on.

So has it been established yet that as a Chairman with affinity for the club, Shepehrd put his own money into Newcastle? I know SJH claimed he did with certain guarantees built in, and obviously Ashley has done similarly. Did Shepherd ever put up collateral or did he just spend other people's money? Genuine question.

If only Shola could head or shoot with any conviction he wouldn't be a bad player. Bit of a handicap for a striker mind...

Unfortunately we've used up a few of our easy games like we did last season under Fat Sam. Points dropped against Hull, West Ham and Blackburn will be felt when we come up against the big boys like Chelsea and Liverpool.

Brilliant is a bit strong mind you. He was good going forward, and obviously did well with his goal and the assist but defensively he is still piss poor. Saying that, its about time the lad had a canny game because he has been shit so far this season. Agree with that. While he did well going forwards, it's at CB we need to see him dominate more.Hopefully this will give him the confidence needed.

Not sure about top 8 tbh. One half decent performance isn't going to paper over the cracks. There's a problem with goals there for a start. Too much reliance on the strikers with not enough coming from the midfielders. Harsh to judge Enrique on yesterday after a long injury lay off. Let's see how he's shaping up after a couple of games in.

He looked off the pace after a long lay off. If he lacked heart he would probably have avoided playing in the first place after only a few days training.

Owen's overall package is irrelevent. If you're in dire need of a goal in a crucial game, who would you prefer to bring off the bench, Michael Owen, or Emile Heskey? Are there any crucial games coming up?

Zog seemed to come alive after Bassong came on. I thought those two linked really well. It was noticeable that Taylor bombed on down the right as well to good effect. I wonder if that was Kinnera's influence considering his emphasis on the full back role last week?

I think a lot on here would disagree with you, but just about every manager in the Premiership would agree with you. which is why they were all snapping our hands off when Souness put him up for sale for £1m We didn't bring in a replacement for him in the transfer window did we? He's not the player he was but we haven't got too much to offer in the holding role right now. There are other players who have been s*** as well by the way - do you need reminding? He is needed. tbh you could argue that Guthrie was Keegan's replacement for the ginger one what I was arguing was benwell's point that every manager in the prem would agree with you. They wouldn't, no chance. Couldn't agree more mate. The only part of Butt's game which still held value for me was his tackling but even that's gone to pot now. Guthrie should probably be blooded in that position as soon as Barton is fit IMO.

The manager's a hardcore mackem bastard, probably couldn't bring himself to mention the N-word. Of those three wins, Arsenal was probably the only result which meant much. Against us and Spurs he just ran into us at the right time.

Nonsense twice over f***ing goalkeepers honestly, i was one for 10 years and I really cant understand how they constantly evade criticism. It's his 6 yard box ffs That ball was never in a position for Given to deal with it. which is why our feet aren't glued to the pitch when we play football. Given should have come off his line a lot earlier to deal with it It was definitely Given's to deal with. He came initially and stopped. Let's face it Shay can stop shots but he's never been able to deal with crosses coming into the 6 yard box in the way that Lehmann or Van der Saar would. Coloccini was with his man before the cross was played. Looked like Colo then left it for Shay to deal with once it went past the front post which caught Given by surprise. Lack of understanding IMO.

Owen's quite a weird one to make an example of really imo. There's plenty of slower players in the squad; there was in the team today anyhow. Him and Geremi tend to link up really well anyhow. I think they are both similar in many ways. Both offer good end product but both not offering much else.

What was it Morinho told Robson...he's got the legs of a 40yr old? I think you can afford one of those in your side but if you have him playing in the same side as Butt and Owen, obviously the movement is going to suffer as a result.

Thought the tackle which cost the pen summed him up really. The heart is willing but the body is about 10 seconds behind.

Thought the support was top notch tbh. It was all about getting behind the team and not about politics which was rewarded with a performance it deserved.

Thought he was fairly shit tbh, and I've generally stuck up for him in the past. His delivery is quality but other than that he's not offering enough movement up and down the pitch.

That's how i saw it as well today. I've been quite heartened by some of Owen's performances this season but today he looked over the hill. Didn't really offer the midfield anything to aim for, and unlike other matches, didn't offer much from deep either.

Because I see a defensive partnership being someone who's very good on the deck who's capable of bringing the ball out from the back and the other being more of a defensive rock who wins everything in the air, just because Colo is an experienced international doesn't mean he should be able to be the main ball winner in the air, the same way as i wouldn't expect Gallas or Carvalho to win everything in the air if they were here either, simply because it's not their game either and it's why they have been partnered with defenders who are superior in the air in Terry and Toure. I'm not putting the blame onto Taylor, I'm questioning what sort of defender he is because people kept on about how similar he was to Faye to form a good partnership yet now Faye has gone he's not stepping into that role of being the main ball winner in the air. IMO, Taylor when he's played alongside Colo hasn't taken the role of being the main ball winner in the air, he's dropped off deep far too often and let Coloccini go up against the big guys. I don't know if this is by accident or by design, but it's not the answer. In reality, Taylor should be more than physically equipped to play the 'Faye' role but it hasn't happened this season. Maybe Bassong is worth a go but he seems more the Coloccini mode as well to me. Although for the price he's looked a bloody good player so far.

I thought Geremi was shit today, that cross apart. Taylor had a good game going forwards and showed a lot of fight which was necessary. At right back he's not as exposed as in the middle, but I think he deserves only praise today so let's leave it at that.

Hasn't looked great in the air, and the commentators were quick to pick up on it when we played very poorly until the Everton goal. I thought it was telling that by the end of the match both Tyler and Gray had been won round and were praising Coloccini's part in stifling the Everton forwards. I think it's a bit more fair assessment than some of our fans who are trying to put him down in order to big up their own favourites.

ironically for years everyone was saying we had to get the shadow of shearer of our backs and when all comes to all it wasn't him that was the problem. On the pitch you can afford to have one Shearer. You just can't have five or six.

He was regarded as one of the brightest managers around during KK's first spell at Newcastle, like Steve Coppell at Reading now. Not sure either are cut out for management but Francis would be an excellent coach IMO. if that is the case why has no one else snapped him up before now Probably for the same reason no one's snapping up Keegan or Venables, they are yesterday's men. So was Roy Hodgson last season but he kept Fulham up. If Francis is coming in to help out Kinnear I would imagine it's a short term basis only, in which case I don't really see a problem.

He was regarded as one of the brightest managers around during KK's first spell at Newcastle, like Steve Coppell at Reading now. Not sure either are cut out for management but Francis would be an excellent coach IMO.