Mick

Freddy backed Roeder less than Mort has so far backed Allardyce, at least that will be the case when we sign the bloke who has just travelled over from Spain, FACT. Again you mention balancing the books.

All last season we had a £10 million player rotting and he wasn't even getting reserve games most of the time, I can't remember you moaning about him rotting, all you did was moan about the player, I'm sure you were all for him rotting. Why would the club make a statement regarding this when Dyer could still be here this season? His house and car have just been egged and it would only get worse if the club turned around and said he'd been a greedy bastard, that would be the Souness method, in that respect we've moved on.

I bet you've been holding onto that for days. How are we balancing the books? We've spent £14.9 million so far and are within hours of spending another £4.2 million on Enrique and possibly another £2.5 million on Dragu if we can push the deal through. That will push our spending to £21.6 million so far and we've only brought in £7.2 million with the possibility of us getting £6 million for Dyer if the deal goes through. That brings our net spending to £8.4 million (£14.4 if we keep Dyer) which is more than we spent 12 months ago and I'd guess it's more than we'd have spent without Ashley owning the club or our £80 million debt would have still been climbing out of control. I don't know what's gone on with the Dyer transfer and neither do you, I think something has happened to change the price and I think it's been something which has had nothing to do with our club, you must know something different to me. If something has happened then I can't see how Ashley has made himself look like an idiot but I can understand how you'd like it to look that way, it fits your agenda, you're still bitter.

Has anybody had a text from the club to say the deal is done? Tthey usually get to know about transfers first. Oliver is writing an article in hope that everything is done by the time people read it.

Oliver is a tit, he's quoted Allardyce as saying "When we get Enrique signed it will finalise an excellent few days for us."

I still think something has happened to raise the fee and I still wouldn't be surprised if it had as much to do with Dyer as it has West Ham, I still think what Allardyce has said is as much to protect the player as anything. Playing Russian roulette doesn't make sense if only one club has bid for Dyer. Normally you only raise the price for something if more than 1 person wants it and you can play them off each other. It could just be Allardyce, Mort or Ashley wanting more cash, I would say that is the least likely reason. If we have just decided to push the price up for Dyer after agreeing a fee then we stand to have the same done to us in future because other clubs will look at the way we do business and feel they have every right to do the same thing.

I think if Newcastle finish 8th or above he'll be here this time next year, between 9th and 13th will probably be a bit dangerous for Allardyce, below 13th and he'll probably get shown the door. I think he's being given every chance to remain at the club, if they were looking for a reason to sack him they would probably have set him an impossible target for this year and they haven't, everything is being done to keep him from being under pressure.

Maybe people dislike him for the part he played in Robson getting sacked, yes he did say sorry for that but him saying sorry didn't get rid of Souness. That was the single incident that turned me against him, I haven't really gave him much stick for it but he deserved more than he got. He hasn't just realised that his family live in Ispwich and he lives up here, just as his injury problems seem to be behind him, why did he not ask to go last season, or the season before last? Sorry, Newcastle and the fans owe Dyer nothing. PS, the highlighted bit.

Apart from when the keeper took Martins legs in the box.

Given still can't kick, too often it's picked up by the oppostion on or near the half way line.

I know it wasn't competitive, he still did OK.

Being young isn't an excuse, he played OK against Celtic in Shearers testimonial, he doesn't do it often enough but he's shown that he can play. Is he good enough? Probably not but playing him too often when he’s appeared to have no confidence was madness.

Is he taking up Subbuteo as a hobby?

He's not getting a scan until tomorrow today, he could be back for Bolton.

I think Pattison gets far too much stick, he's still a young lad and he's looked OK at times, it's not his fault that we've been forced to play him when he's been struggling, especially when he's been played wide left and hasn't got the speed or the footballing brain to play in that position.

I must have missed that one.

The umbrella formation, untried if nothing else.

Horrible, another selection which would be like watching paint dry, it would be so slow and predictable.

I don't think it's 4-3-3 anyway, it's an excuse for 4-5-1. You don't play with 3 forwards you usually end up with 1 forward, 2 wingers who play slightly narrower at times and you have 3 in the middle.

You might be right but I don't think 4-4-3 is the best formation for us at the minute, I'll chance me neck with the following starting 11. Harper Carr Enrique Butt Rosenhal Taylor Nobby Geremi Martins Smith Milner 4-4-3 will get us into trouble. Shit, I'm getting too carried away with 3's, hate the little bastards.

You might be right but I don't think 4-4-2 is the best formation for us at the minute, I'll chance me neck with the following starting 11. Harper Carr Enrique Butt Rozenhal Taylor Nobby Geremi Martins Smith Milner

I think he'll start against Bolton on the right wing if we go 4-4-2.

I agree with that.

I feel like the carrier of bad news tonight, Dyer didn't sign for West Ham.

Not yet.