TRon

Viduka in his short time on the pitch showed just what we are missing in our front men and have been for years. Not only does the ball stick to his feet, he's so clever at using it and manoevering shooting positions from nowhere. My one big hope is that he will play the rest of the season - with his contract running out in the summer he will be busting a gut to earn a new one, either here or somewhere else. It could have a massive impact on our season if JFK can get the puzzle right like KK did last season.

Just shows you how a few wins can transform the season. Reason for hope. Or a few losses, when you look at the likes of West Ham, Mackems, Blackburn. We were in severe danger of going that way after the abominations of Fulham and Wigan, but in fairness to us we've done well to cling onto some sort of ledge with these last two results. Really is time to build on it now with Stoke and Spurs to come to us, aswell as a genuine opportunity of an away win at Pompey. Like i've said in another thread, if Kinnear's ever gonna prove us wrong then this a massive chance. His last chance was Fulham and Wigan (post Villa). He can't afford to fuck it up again. The key is to keep picking up points, which we are for the most part. I know it's frustrating not to win these games but two draws at boro and Chelsea are still pretty good results.

Agree with all of that basically.

Quite ironic that since awful Shola's been dropped the goals have dried up

Just shows you how a few wins can transform the season. Reason for hope.

I aslo thought Barton would be the missing link, but in the games he played before injury this season he sat deep alongside Nicky Butt. I don't know if this is tactical but even today as Mick said in the match thread, Guthrie and Bitt seemed to be glued together. One of them surely has to support the attack when we have the ball, and it shouldn't be Butt.

I mentioned this before, but we are relying too much on the strikers for goals. If this continues, we might have to go back to 4-3-3 for me. I know we have got two ok results but we aren't going to keep clean sheets every week. I don't think any of the midfielders are looking to get in the box, although Zog might do that if he gets a few games. We couldn't half do with a Lampard or Gerrard to steal in and grab a few.

I think that is going to be a very hard game for Colo and Bassong, as the one question mark is in the air. Other than that they look a natural partnership, not forgetting the part played by Beye and Enrique of course.

Those two seem to have a very good understanding, although they will be tested by Stoke next match.

Let you off then. I did warn you

two clean sheets in a row but no goals scored either.

Guthrie is starting to come into the game a bit more last 10 mins or so.

Martins smashes one off the crossbar!

Owen and Martins are pulling the defenders out of position, we are crying out for a midfielder to arrive in the box.

Even Bernie Slaven has grudgingly admitted he's been impressed by Bassong

Alistair Brownlie the boro commentator talking about the pace threat from the boro wingers... Jonas and the Zog right back at'cha fatso

Sounds about right.

Shearer was never going to come in as no 2 to Kinnear, JFK just used the offer to get the heat off himself. Not that i blame him, he's got a point that there is no way Shearer could be manager under the restrtictions Kinnear's working under. Shearer is waiting for new owners if and when it happens.

I'm not sure a survey by the Journal is fully representative mind. It's quite a well written paper, a lot of the charvas who hate Ashley probably don't read it.

If it's true, that's a fair price. If we are struggling to find buyers for that amount, you have to wonder what sort of people are in for the club and how much liquid assets they have at their disposal. While the value of most other businesses are are dropping by millions, billions or going to the wall, wor Mike thinks he should be able to re-coup his outlay & some. If he wants out as quick as made out in his heart felt memo then he need to realize what he paid for Newcastle was during a peak time & he is selling in a lull. He needs to treat the club like a England football top & whack the 70% off sticker on the club. If only Mike read the Financial Times instead of The News Of Screws. I'm sure my house has dropped in value, but I'd rather not run out and sell it at a loss. I can't really blame Ashley if he feels the same way. Have you stuck a 70% off sign on yours yet?

There is also the possibility that some of Keegan's transfer targets were totally the opposite the Ashley blueprint of buying young risiing stars who would appreciate in value and those are the ones that the board vetoed. I would imagine Kinnear will toe the line in this regard even if he does source his own players.

If it's true, that's a fair price. If we are struggling to find buyers for that amount, you have to wonder what sort of people are in for the club and how much liquid assets they have at their disposal.

That's fine, but then he should get on with running the club properly and make quality signings in January that will match his ambitions of bringing CL football to Newcastle. That was his aim at the start of the season after all. You're sure going to learn the hard way It isn't about who was right and who might be wrong, it's about Ashley taking a course of action and then perservering with it. His system I could buy into if he really believes in it and is committed to it. Selling the club I can buy into, as it allows someone else to pick up the slack once he's had enough. The only thing I can't buy into is keeping the club without being interested in progressing it. As it stands the club is in limbo which is the worst case scenario, that is the one situation I find unforgiveable. Either sell up or commit properly. I'm talking about your comment "running the club properly and making quality signings".......this is a choice of the owner, board, whoever owns and runs the club. He's chosen the opposite path to the last owners, who I suspect you took the path they chose, for granted. Hopefully it won't take one or two more owners for the point to sink in. I'm convinced that he never had any other ambition other than to keep the club in the premiership for as small and amount of expenditure on players as possible. He has turned the club into 2nd raters. This is your problem NE5, you are more interested in saying "I told you so" whether it applies or not. The truth of the matter is I don't think any different of the last board now than when they left. I had my say on them and it holds, my views aren't going to change with hindsight because Ashley's ownership has gone sour. What Shepherd did well he got credit for and what he did wrong he got stick for. I think you gave him too much credit and not enough stick but that's your choice. Same applies here with Ashley, and if you think you deserve a gold star for being right about the new board go ahead and give yourself a gold star, on that you probably got it right.

That's fine, but then he should get on with running the club properly and make quality signings in January that will match his ambitions of bringing CL football to Newcastle. That was his aim at the start of the season after all. You're sure going to learn the hard way It isn't about who was right and who might be wrong, it's about Ashley taking a course of action and then perservering with it. His system I could buy into if he really believes in it and is committed to it. Selling the club I can buy into, as it allows someone else to pick up the slack once he's had enough. The only thing I can't buy into is keeping the club without being interested in progressing it. As it stands the club is in limbo which is the worst case scenario, that is the one situation I find unforgiveable. Either sell up or commit properly.

That's fine, but then he should get on with running the club properly and make quality signings in January that will match his ambitions of bringing CL football to Newcastle. That was his aim at the start of the season after all.