Mick

I had to check to see when this thread was started because I was sure it had been bumped for some reason, he's still using it as an excuse.

Who were our front 3?

It's not the most positive because two of your front 3 usually end up playing wider than a normal front 2, in reality it's 4-5-1 but spun out to be something else.

Agreed, he'd be the last person I'd expect to perform badly just to get away.

I wouldn't disagree with that, getting the back sorted has to be a priority, get the points then start to play the football.

I'd be happy with having the 8 points but not too happy about the standard of football we've played so far, the points are the most important thing but that doesn't mean you have to be happy with the football that's getting played.

4-3-3 is a very poor formation against most teams, Smith in midfield is also a poor decision against teams that we should be beating. I think 4-3-3 has cost us creativity for the second game in a row although I couldn't say for sure that we'd have won either with 4-4-2, I do think it would have been easier for the players. We either have to play Nobby or get rid of him, while he's here we should use him as we are missing a spark in midfield when he's not in the team. We've still got Barton to come back and I think he'll make a difference, I'm not sure at all about Emre, and he’s got a lot to do to become an important player for us.

Shit, you've just reminded me of the time he broke somebodies (Bracewell?) leg at St James', I will always remember that when I think of Whitehurst.

It's not allowed at the minute but I'm sure a new rule could be pushed through as every employer has a duty of care to all of it's employee's. If we have the technology then it should be used if it can save lives, it would also keep the game going as that article also mentions what happens if somembody isn't doing enough work, they get a good bollocking.

Maybe it's time to take a look at what Allardyce has done in training and see if it is possible to use heart monitors during games, I don't know if they could be used wi-fi to send data as it's monitoring but it would be good if they could.

I agree with most of that although I think most journalists are playing on our recent history which has handed them the sort of headlines they'd have been dreaming of, now they must think that they can print anything and it will be believed.

I'd take it with a pinch of salt although I think if somebody did offer that sort of cash and he didn't sell then he'd be mad. Back to these claiming to know about his intentions, before Ashley bought us we knew nothing about the possible sale, nobody in the media predicted it yet now they all think they know what he's up to, they haven't a clue, they're only guessing. Ashley doesn't seem to be the type of person who people know much about yet all of the papers are speculating what is going to happen, pathetic.

So a shit board of an unambitious club can buy good or great players, interesting.

What comments from Allardyce are you concerned about? Are the ones where he thanked Mort or Ashley, I can't remember which, for allowing him to spend more money then he's ever spent before? The only negative comments from Allardyce were in the first few weeks of us having a new owner and chairman when he said something about them not acting quick enough, everything else has been positive as far as I remember. As for Ashley, he's spent more than £160 million of his own personal wealth, nobody in the history of our club have done that, not a single person, on that score he's streets ahead of the rest.

How is it a daft question? Were we good when you first bought the season ticket or were we always a shit and unambitious club?

Fair enough but others may also have reasons to use different user names and if you did have reasons then you should be the last to questions others as you should know how others may feel.

What I've said about the '70's is that I enjoyed the football at the time, I'm sure you've said the same yourself, if you didn't enjoy it at the time why did you have a season ticket? I've never said that it was a "good period." I've never said that board were "just the same." I've said that I don't think Shepherd was any better than chairman like McKeag.

I'm a bit surprised that you had to ask that question considering you're the person who claimed that you were not Leazes on other forums then have a go at somebody about who they are, or are not on other forums.

Is that at the irony?

Being in Yorkshire will be handy, you'll be closer to him in his London home.

Does the lack of European qualification at this stage of the season not bother you? We still have a few games to play but we're cutting it a bit fine if we're going to do it. I mentioned this to my mate and he tried to fob me off by mentioning that Man U, Chelsea, Liverpool, etc were still to qualify, what has that got to do with Newcastle? It's just not good enough.

Ashley wouldn't have bought Newcastle if he'd wanted Spurs, Spurs do not have a ground that can hold 52,000 fans, that puts Newcastle streets ahead of clubs like Spurs, not just the actual capacity but also the number of people who turn up every week. I don't think anybody doubts why Ashley has bought Newcastle, it's to make money from the club, I doubt very much that he's going to sell Newcastle and buy Spurs, it'll not happen.

I don't think he's made a mistake yet, if he has then it's been kept very quiet. If he carries on the way he's started then we're in very good hands.

I'm not trying to piss in your chips but how do the Ultras propose to get everybody together? What will happen to people who are currently sitting in the areas that you want to use? Are the banners/flags you use safe? I would guess the last thing that the club want to do is to piss off those who are sitting in the seats that you want and they may be the same people who were moved after buying bonds, it would be totally unfair for the club to tell them that they've got to move again. I would think that you need to tell the club how you expect things like the movement of people to take place without sickening people, you may even have to hand out a load of leaflets asking people if they are willing to move, some will be only too willing, others will probably hate the idea but you need to find out somehow. I would guess that the banners that you use must be fire proof, if they are not then the club couldn't possible allow you to use them in this day and age, my guess is that the Health & Safety laws wouldn't allow it to happen so I'd check with the manufacturers if they don't have a label on to say that they are safe.

I don't see how people can have so much faith in Emre as he's never delivered for more than a couple of minutes, he's got a low centre of gravity so comes out of a tackle well, apart from that he has a lot to prove. A 3 man midfield is OK when you're trying to keep a game under control when you're playing a one of the better teams, at home it's just too negative and we lose too much width, the game becomes too narrow for us.