TRon

He's going to be here for a few more games even if the club is sold. The takeover isn't going to happen till after Christmas if it goes through, so he's here till then I would think.

He was shite and the Spammers are turning on him now. I've got a mate who is a season ticket holder at Upton Park and reckons the audible groans for Scotty's pirouetting are getting louder and louder as the season goes on. Also seems injury prone nowadays. Parker is just another jack of all trades master of none, the type we seem to get saddled with year in year out. BTW, I wasn't particularly having a go at Butt but for me he's the one who should be sitting in front of the defenders, not Guthrie or Barton. God awful teams like West Brom, Fulham and now Wigan are passing us off the park week in week out and it needs to be sorted. Butt playing in his proper position would be a start, and if Guthrie isn't capable of getting in the opposition half he should fuck off and we should put Lua Lua in there.

Why not play Duff at left back? That way end product wouldn't be required and the huffing and puffing would actually be useful.

Not sure how good he'll be without Chelsea's players mind. Shola's a bit of a come down from Drogba it should be said.

Aye i reckon so. He should start at left wing, with Enrique behind him.

Duff doesn't stand still, he just takes one step forward and two steps back. It was noticeable that when Zog came on, for all his faults he played two killer forward passes and we got a goal from one of them. Every one of Duff's clever passes is usually backwards.

I ask because I'm bemused to constantly see him further up the pitch than Guthrie today, and Barton in the two previous games. It's usually those two taking the ball from the central defenders while Butt is playing in the opposition half. I'm sure these are great tactics but as we keep getting pissed on in central midfield week after week there seems to be a flaw somewhere.

Insane overstatement of his failings after a sensible opening line Dunno if you're on the wind-up or what, but that's some of the most exaggerated tripe I've read on here for a while, and it's not like your competition is scarce. Something definitely "off" about him though, much like many of our players, but I'm not sure if passing ability/technique is it. It's the lack of options to pass to once he's got the ball if you ask me. Defensively he still looks pretty solid to me, if he can be criticised it would be for not over-lapping with the winger.

What sickens me is that we've had fairly easy starts both last season and this, but we are failing to take the points we should against shite opposition, effectively killing the season before it's begun. What is there to look forward to apart from an 'exciting' fight against relegation? Yet if we'd won the last two games which we should have we'd be gunning for Europe. Absolute wank.

Duff's biggest problem is he has a heart the size of a baked bean.

He's ok as a short term appointment which is all he was brought in for. All this talk about making it a more permanent appointment makes me nervous though. I just don't trust JFK in the transfer market for a start. He has no faith in foreign players which makers him limited to start with. I could quite easily see him selling Xisco without having the slightest idea how to use him for example.

The reason we are having our second consecutive shit season is because one of our top strikers is usually missing for most of the season. What difference does it make if he's Maradona if he's not going to play?

Of course he's had a massive row with the board. He's been spunking money left right and centre on greedy players who hate the city and spend most of their time getting pissed in Newcastle and they're still fighting relegation. They could have done all that without wasting £80m.

I was worried about this game after last week but with Zaki and Heskey out, it's a fantastic chance to bounce back with a win. Anything less than 3 points is unthinkable.

He hasn't really proven anything for me yet. He's made a few decent signings this season but managing Newcastle is a different kettle of fish. I think Shearer would be better just going off gut instinct.

The fat bastard's class when he's fit, I'd say. Would have him over Shola anyday of the week. It's ok though, he doesn't give a toss. The guy is a fat waster. He's doing it this season, he did it last season, and he did it the season before at boro. I refuse to sit wringing my hands hoping he'll be fit soon.

The fat bastard's class when he's fit, I'd say. Would have him over Shola anyday of the week. Yes he's class, but he misses virtually the entire season so what's the point? For us I mean...obviously for him it's great, he gets paid to watch Crocodile Dundee at home.

I don't give a toss tbh.

If anyone thinks we will get offered £8-10m for Owen in January they are living in cloud cuckoo land.

I don't think he's pulled up any trees at Sunderland, in fact he's bought badly if truth be told. But he's still too big for that cess-pit. Keane just doesn't look right there, they should be bossed by clueless wankers like Mick McCarthy.

FFS Play Bassong instead of Cacapa this time.

Even if it's not true it's only a matter of time before he does a runner. He looks sick of life at Sunderland, and he's spent all his money on a bunch of un-motivated mercenaries.

In the summer. The club will probably be sold so he might wait to see how things pan out.

I am cautiously optimistic that we will find a buyer. Keith Harris has been quite vocal in his optimism about our prospects, and though he's been commissioned by other clubs like Everton, he hasn't been anything like as positive about them. So I don't think the noise from Harrison is about hard selling, there is some substance there.

The football these days is much more entertaining although unfortunately it's not being played by us.