TRon

I think someone said we have got 3 out of the last possible 33. Will we get more than 3 out of the next 30 bearing in mind that the fxitures arent quite as frightening as they have been (only just). ?? The key fixtures are at home to other relegaion candidates. We can win those games but not if we play them on their terms.

We want to play attacking football, which with our defence is understandable. But when our attacking players consist of players who can't remember what it feels like to score, is it still a wise option? Duff Milner Smith Barton Butt These are all attacking players, Butt apart, who can't score a goal between them to save their lives. If they are going to be in the starting line up, then maybe we should re-consider our tactics?

Those matches will be won by the sides who can stand strong and united under pressure. Which is why I'm worried. We did that today. Only by the Grace of God and the ineptitude of Duff and Owen did we not beat Blackburn out of sight. We played well yeah. But once again we didn't score, and if you look through those players starting today not many get goals as part of their CV. Milner? Duff? Butt? Barton? Wait for it...Smith? (don't laugh). Who's going to score the goals seeing as these guys, attacking players all of them other than Butt, seem to think the opposition penalty area is a no-go zone?

Those matches will be won by the sides who can stand strong and united under pressure. Which is why I'm worried.

Fantastic. Note how I ominously settled on the fat zero.

Whether he's a geordie isn't the real issue. Great if he is, but if he's not much of a defender then it's immaterial. Is he good enough? No. That's all that counts.

If Enrique's back does that mean Zog is dropped or will he (hopefully) replace one of our misfiring midfielders?

Louise Taylor (The Guardian) That's rich considering she was practically pimping him for the job back then.

I agree about Dyer and I said it when he used to get crucified here. But I think Martins pace was instrumental as well. Even if he only scores against the weaker teams in the run in, it could keep us up.

PR move to get Owen onside.

I don't think anyone criticises Taylor because he's a local. The criticisms are generally on his actual ability and performance, whereas the praise and adulation is based on his being a geordie who gives his all, loves the badge etc. Thats shite IMO. He gets more shit for being a Geordie than he does unwarranted praise. Being a geordie has become a stick to hit him with over the last 12 months. No one's ever criticised him for being a geordie thoguh have they?

I don't think anyone criticises Taylor because he's a local. The criticisms are generally on his actual ability and performance, whereas the praise and adulation is based on his being a geordie who gives his all, loves the badge etc.

Garbage thread.

I'm sure Blackburns defenders knees are knocking at the prospect of being faced by Smith's lethal hustle and bustle.

Smith and Owen won't produce anything and by the time Oba comes off the bench the game might have gone. Martins has to start to strike fear and uncertainty in the Blackburn ranks. Let them know we can get behind them if they get too cocky and come forward.

We've been hearing about this supposed new contract since the beginning of the season. When it happens I'll take it seriously.

Barton Barton

Nothing wrong with selling Martins in the future, but we would need to get a very good and importantly PACY striker in to allow us to do that, as he's the only forward at the club who gives us that.

There's two stories in the Sun, the other one is about the new supposed £26m contract. The story is attributed in the Sun as"Courtesy NVA management" who are they?

They're scoring goals and we haven't looked like doing that for months. We haven't looked like stopping them at the other end either and in the middle we are just pants so concern is understandable. What I would like to think is that now we are playing lesser teams, our midfield might not look so shit. Although it did against Middlesboro.

I wonder if Martins agent leaked this by any chance?

Might not be a bad move. We aren't exactly flush with quality central defenders.

Carroll is a battering ram option, nothing more. Just as Kenwyn Jones will give us problems it's conceivable Carroll could give other struggling defences a hard time and create space for the likes of Owen or Martins. Not my first choice, but worth considering if only on the bench. NE5, I don't know anything about Howaythetoon, I have sometimes posted on TT as you know. I've been concerned about this for a while, if you wrote something along the same lines obviously I'm not the only one.

Not really. The reason they're down there is because they can't play good football. West Ham weren't saved last season by Lee Bowyer kicking people and snarling but the class of Carlos Tevez. Perhaps they'd have been safer earlier if they'd bought Alan Smith and played him instead, we'll never know. We're down at the bottom because of players like Smith with zero ability other than "effort" and lunging into tackles. These players will get us in deeper, not save us. The pundits peddle lines like "he's the type of player you need at the bottom" and it usually refers to the players who got you down there in the first place by being absolute bollocks. I agree. That's why I said we really need to make our minds up which way to go. If the likes of Smith and Butt are going to be our main players then we need to adopt a defence first priority as we aren't going to score goals with these type of players making up the side. When we face Sunderland, Reading and Birmingham in the crunch games, who would they like to face on the pitch: Butt, Barton, Carr and Smith in a physical battle where they can compete at their preferred level? or The Zog, Martins, Emre or Carroll even? Players who can out-gun them one on one at every level where it counts?

If you can play good football and score goals then yes you are right. If you have forwards and midfielders attacking the box in a feeding frenzy it makes sense. I'm not sure what we've got at the moment except a bunch of big names past their best who run 5 yards, get rid of the ball, then leave it to someone else.