Stevie

Out of those I'd have Neville, Johnson and Arteta as nothing more than squad players and that's really it, if we wanted to show any genuine ambition to get in the CL.

Awwwwww Carragher's the worst mate, every pause pierced with ear affecting "AYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYMMMMMMMM". In fairness the ones with the more refined accents like Mike Parry aren't too bad.

I think it was a very frank interview with Sibi in the paper tonight, he was fully aware that no one was happy with his signature, but he has weighed in with some important goals, and literally had we not signed him, who else could we have thown in, and he's performed admirably in some games. He was offered a two year deal at Goodison undoubtedly worth more, as opposed to his one year deal here, which shows he's in it for the right reasons. He even told Keegan that he'd go back to France on less money, if KK didn't fancy him, all in all he comes across as a good character. Not too sure about giving him a new 2 year deal though. http://icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk/0200sport/sport/tm_method=full%26objectid=18616240%26siteid=50081-name_page.html

It's a close one, the scouse accent is hard to decipher and can be very irritating, but even the most interesting brummie can sound dull.

What the f***?! Quite possibly the worst piece of journalism I've ever read. I'm surprised he didn't blame us for the weather. What the f***?! Quite possibly the worst piece of journalism I've ever read. I'm surprised he didn't blame us for the weather. You haven't seen some of his other pieces then. He reports on Liverpool mainly but I remember he did the match report against Everton when we beat them 6-2, and he started his match report describing us in the typical scouse manner as "a sky club", and remembering when he was there for Newcastle v Tranmere in 92 when there was just 23,000 there, he has an agenda against the toon as many of them do, it's a part of the fabric of their society. As I said there are some decent ones, we had a keeper for our team down Whitley Bay from Birkenhead he was a decent lad, Tranmere fan though, and even he ended up in jail for robbery, anybody who played for the Berkley in the mid 90's could back this up and know who I'm on about. However in the main, to coin two scousers phrases, "BLERRRRRRRRTS" and "WHOPPERS" almost to a man. If they truly were better than us, he'd not go out of his way to discredit the Toon. The bit in bold is hilarious. Do you recall what he was in the clink for? It wasn't robbery really, but was theft from the insurance, he stage managed an insurance scam by making it look like his house had been burgled, but the daft cunt smashed the glass from the inside where the burglar was supposed to have broken in, so it wouldn't take a genious to work out what followed. I liked him though he was a good lad, I was just an impressionable 16 year old and he was one of the ones who looked after me on the pitch against big fuckin thugs from Blyth and Ashington, in that Port of Blyth league, of which there were many.

Top 10 certainly, he's another one who is calm.

What the f***?! Quite possibly the worst piece of journalism I've ever read. I'm surprised he didn't blame us for the weather. What the f***?! Quite possibly the worst piece of journalism I've ever read. I'm surprised he didn't blame us for the weather. You haven't seen some of his other pieces then. He reports on Liverpool mainly but I remember he did the match report against Everton when we beat them 6-2, and he started his match report describing us in the typical scouse manner as "a sky club", and remembering when he was there for Newcastle v Tranmere in 92 when there was just 23,000 there, he has an agenda against the toon as many of them do, it's a part of the fabric of their society. As I said there are some decent ones, we had a keeper for our team down Whitley Bay from Birkenhead he was a decent lad, Tranmere fan though, and even he ended up in jail for robbery, anybody who played for the Berkley in the mid 90's could back this up and know who I'm on about. However in the main, to coin two scousers phrases, "BLERRRRRRRRTS" and "WHOPPERS" almost to a man.

Disagree. Get a video of Woodgate v Henry at the Emirates for how to teach any young player how to defend, pace, agility, anticipation, guile, strength, concentration, he has everything.

Ferdinand at his best leaves Terry for dead Completely goes without saying. 80% of football fans follow the "common view", there's a negative public image of Rio I feel mainly for off the field antics, a lot of it in fairness when he was younger, and this often blinds them to the fact that at his best he's an absolute outstanding footballer.

May I just add on a slightly different note, what can't be denied is they're a bunch of cunts who base their entire existence on getting one up over and hating us. Cue Gemmill getting emotional.

Aye that's exactly what I've just said you're right. 47,000 was their average one season, fair enough there was free ticket mackems, but not as many as we used to make out.

Sunderland are a good club, we like to pretend they aren't but there's not many got more potential than them, they're only one of four clubs who have demonstrated the ability to regularly get over 45,000.. We abuse their 25 and 30,000 gates in the CCC, what clubs in the Premiership would get that on relegation? Obviously we would, but they have been raped and mismanaged for years in a similar way to how we have. Now they've got this consortium prepared to pour millions in to the club, they have a world famous manager, who is starting to get a settled side and results every week as he learns the job, there are a few similarities with Sunderland February 2007, and Newcastle February 1993, although their main focus of infrastructure, the stadium, is already there. Look at the form guide, they've been winning away at sides who have been on good runs 4-2 at Sheffield Wednesday, 2-0 at Plymouth, they've got work to do but if they don't come up automatic I'd be quite surpised if they f***** the play offs up. If there was another play off final, how would we feel about it? Especially if it went to penalties again. Well as much as I enjoyed the 1998 play off final immensely, I would want them to lose because, seasons aren't the same without derbies. It can't be demied their current side is far better than the one that was relegated, and I actually think they could beat the likes of Wigan, Charlton, Watford and West Ham right now on their day. Anthony Stokes has been brought in, nobody has a bad word to say about him, a goal a game at 18 years of age, Kavanagh when he's fit is in my view an excellent schemer, they have Tobias Hysen, the defence is looking stronger, and when they come up I find it hard to believe they won't invest heavily and the fact Keane is there will attract a lot of players. Look at the boy Stokes, he doesn't choose Sunderland over Celtic and Charlton if Big Mick and Fat Bob are running the show. Yes there's a lot to be optomistic about being a Sunderland fan right now. Dear me, I've just read that back and that could've been written by a fat jobsworth from Hendon, it's all true though.

One positive thing I will say about Carragher though, there wasn't many who dealt with Shearer as well as he did. To be fair I would probably put Gallas in place of Ben Haim, but he'd still be number 6.

His lack of technical ability was brutally exposed against Sweden, I found my self shouting, "don't give it to that c***!", every time because I thought he was going to lose it, each time he got the ball I was proved right. One of the most under-used and true statements in football often, but not always, proves to be, you are only as good as your worst player.

Centre halfs or full backs, take your pick - mine: 1. Jonathon Woodgate Many will look at this as being biased, you can think that if you like, but never have I seen a classier defender from England than Woody, obviously I'm not old enough to have seen Bobby Moore, but there are similarities between him and Alan Hansen. He's quick, awesome in the air, strong, suberb on the ball, calm, he's absolute world class. People might say he's always injured, just take this being about when all these players are at peak fitness. The brother in law is Leeds through and through season ticket holder down there for years, he said Woody at Leeds was better than Rio, while there's very little in it I think Woody when fit is better. 2. Rio Ferdinand The problem with Rio is his image. A lot of people don't like him because of what they see as his arrogance as well as his greed, when holding Man Utd, a club who supported him for 9 months while being banned, to ransome over £110,000 a week wages. Very occasionally he fannies on with the ball too much, but apart from that people often forget what a good footballer he is. I put him above Terry simply because I think he has more skill, his reading of the game is fantastic, his goal against Liverpool this season was a goal certain strikers don't even have the ability to do. 3. John Terry Chelsea are a different team when he isn't there, it could be argued that he's the bravest player in the Premiership, few players I've ever seen have more will to win than him, and he's not particularly dirty. He's absolutely superb in the air, probably the best we have in the air, I just feel Woody and Rio have marginally more class, that said he's still a truely world class player. 4. Kolo Toure Came from Beveren for pennies (why do we not find these bargains), he's not massive but he rarely loses a header, different class in their CL run last season, and his attacking approach at times is reminscent of Phillipe Albert. Watch his anticipation of the ball as well, before a midfielder has ever passed the ball to a striker, he's anticipating it and getting in there first. I believe honestly, if Gilberto was ever missing, he could do well in front of the back four as well. 5. Tal Ben Haim Many people would probably have King, Carragher, Agger, Distin, Ashley Cole, Vidic or Carvalho in front of the Israeli but I'm not one of them. The fact Bolton have lost £3m by not accepting Chelsea's offer in January, knowing he'll go somewhere on a Bosman in June, says it all. He for me is the most unsung player in the Premiership. Great in the air, mobile, rarely gives it away, and what gives him the edge over the above is how versatile he is. Carragher is a great centre half, he is, all heart, not as much class as many but he's a imposing central defender. However he's like a fish out of water at right back, Ben Haim just goes in there when they have injuries at full back and plays like he's been there his whole career, an absolutely brilliant defender, and I hope we at least attempt to bring him in the summer.

As Billie Piper once said "because i want to, because i want to". Stevie can you please explain to me how Les ferdinand "didnt want to be there"? oh and Ilie Dimitrescu was a midfielder my friend Of course he didn't want to be there you fool. He's admitted several times since he was absolutely gutted at having to leave Newcastle for a club like Tottenham, he said in his autobiography it took him 6 months to get over not playing for us anymore, but privately I think it was just as much the fact he was stuck with Spurs, at the time it was like swapping finest Moet champagne for cans of ACE lager.. It was on our part the one of the biggest mistakes we've made, KD didn't want him to go neither but the cuntish PLC board wanted the £6m from one of English football's most desperate clubs who were willing to pay that for a 30 year old. We got his best days though that's for sure.

Kingdawson what age are you son? Very few people who read this board won't have an opinion on how old you are. You're going on about the dross we've had up front over the years, we've had a few dodgy strikers, but over the past decade, hand on heart Spurs have had no where near the quality of having a group of SEVEN or EIGHT strikers as good as Shearer, Ferdinand, Andy Cole, Beardsley, Tino, Owen, Martins and Bellamy. Klinsmann - basically finished the second time, Big Les - didn't want even be there, Sheringham - off to a big club at the first opportunity, the current batch compared to those seven - , Steffen Iversen - world class, Chris Armstrong - gutted we missed out on him, Ilie Dumitrescu - wahahahaha, etfuckincetra

Henry Rooney Martins Bellamy van Persie Drogba Saha Larsson Owen McCarthy

:lol: :lol: That Bascombe is a 100% f****** helmet. He is, he's even more of a helmet than Scouserman who posts on here.

That's the thing, you can just see that Owen and Martens are going to be fckn dynamite together. Could be something spectacular next season.... UEFA Cup final more like. <snigger> this cunt. Northern Monkey has surely had 1,000 posts on this board, the first person to show me something he's posted which is vaguely positive, I assure you I will paypal £10 to you.

I've met loads of sound mancs, they have a lot of self-confidence generally, but I find them far more interesting and funny than the other lot. My mate went to uni in Liverpool about 5 years ago, he hated everything about it, said the city was dull, the people were and he said the charva's in Liverpool make the West End charva's look like model citizens. Having said that, a lot of how you perceive people has a lot to do with your own experiences and attitudes too.

Top post. I agree with every word, every single word.

Every time they come up I dislike them more and more. In Shearer's before the game there was five of them at the bar with their horrible whiny cuntish accent, trying to chat one of the barmaids up, she was fit mind, she did everything but tell them to fuck off, yet still they acted the twat. One goes to me, "ey ey mate, can ye send some fat geordie boilers to aahhhh otel room tonight mate ey ey ey", I said fuck off you scouse tramp, and he and his pals piped the fuck down. Obviously they're not all cunts, there is the rare decent one, but their arrogance astounds me, I heard one dipper "we'll win dis 4-0 today eh lad" to his mate. They're shite, they honestly are a decent defence and Steven Gerrard better than us and nothing more, and I for one knew we'd win the game. From Chris Bascombe from the Liverpool Echo, "It was grim, it was grisly, it was bleak and it was uninviting. The weather, that is." A bit of misplaced irony I feel from a dipper clearly hurting. He's forgetting how shite his own city is, comparable to Newcastle upon Tyne? Do me a fuckin favour. Better city, better nightlife, better lasses, better fuckin people by far, the bitter idiot. After the game walking underneath the Milburn "der der der der der der derrrrrrrrrrrr" was sweet, and watching the mouthy fuckers heads bowed saying fuck all despite the copious amounts of songs about them 2 feet away. A sweet, sweet, victory, a win for good over evil.

How any geordie has the heart to bet against the toon baffles me.

To be honest I thought Rafa's comments displayed a bit of sour grapes. Even Man Utd have went away in Europe in the past looking for a draw. Ignoring that though does he have a point about Everton being a small club? Even when they won the titles in the 80's they were only averaging 30,000. Since then they've been a selling club and don't even have the fan base to fill Goodison Park regularly. Was he right?