Yorkie

Is that actually a genuine statement?

I reckon we'll beat Blackburn, and get a draw at Watford. Which is the first home game, Blackburn or Chelsea? Assuming that Dyer is still out, i really hope that Carroll gets to start a game. I listened on the radio and we seemed a better team when Carroll came on - and it seemed that he put in some nice touches. I'm desperate to see more of him, tbh - i've seen nowt other than a couple of substitute performances where he's unsurprisingly done nothing of note. Which you can't blame him for. More 20 minute, or whatever, performances here and there aren't going to do him any good, or us. Would love to see him start. Nowt wrong with that. Anyhow, four points. We'll lose at Reading and against Chelsea.

Maybe not, then. Firstly, a LW/F would be a luxury signing in the summer. And we don't really know how he'd pan out and £4m would be a gamble anyway.

Look, brothers! I can count to four.

To be honest - i liked Souness more as a bloke than i do Roeder!

Aye, Tomi's right. I'm equally as apathetic now than i was when we were finishing the season under Souness. The Souness era was just a joke tbh. Was madness. Roeder's been bad but i don't think he was as bad as Souness. He ain't even spent owt yet. If Roeder blows another £35m on shite like Souness did, we'll probably be off down without a doubt, because the managerial skills were probably more evident with the Scot than with Ratty. Which is unbelievable. We appointed someone worse than Souness.

Some bonny lads in the academy.

Christ... fingers crossed they're all alright!

Fair enough, Mick. Think that's a bit of a pants argument though. His knee injury was a freak accident - it would have happened to anyone.

I would rather he had all summer off and came back for the new season. It's not as if he's going to be rolling around in mud during July when he comes back for pre-season training. I can't see playing 90 minutes in a one off game doing him that much good because any fitness gained will be lost by the time he returns. But it will improve match fitness, surely? His overall fitness probably won't be altered, infact he'll probably be in optimum physical shape atleast by the end of the season. But there's a difference between that and match fitness/readiness. A friendly like that, against good opposition, on a good pitch, etc - can only be a good thing for him. And plus, just to render Stozo's nonsense even further - it's only one weekend and he'll be at Newcastle for the remainder of the summer, etc.

Why is that, though? Surely, as Bramble OG said, it's far better to have him on the road to recovery at Wembley against Brazil - rather than at Kingston Park against Jarrow Roofing?

If you swapped the manager roles around, we'd be in the Top 4. Bold statement i know, but Wenger really is that good, and he knows how to get the best out of his players. Imagine also the development of the likes of N'Zogbia, Milner, Taylor, etc. Top 6 at the very least.

More than likely to be a load of nonsense, but tbh, i think i'd rather see him play in it - providing of course he is 100% fit. Will do nowt to harm his return to full match fitness. If he is fit, it's not really Shepherd's place to say he's not allowed to play. And i don't think he will have done. The article's a load of shite.

That's it - clear your name!

Christ Invicta man, it's hardly as if he said Butt was past it - was he? Butt is 33 and we are going to need a replacement for him eventually. Don't agree that Sidwell is that replacement, because he's a different sort of player, but the logic is absolutely correct. You need to take your head out of your ass tbh, mate.

If they're owt like they were last season, it's your head. However, i'm with whoever it was who initially said it in here - i reckon they'll stay up this time round.

N'Zogbia's face man.

Hmm, still dunno. I don't watch the academy games or anything like that, but he's still only 16 and i think it might be a bit reckless, giving him first team football at such a tender age. But then... Roeder's obviously felt he is capable, what with his places on the subs bench. If Roeder didn't think he was up to it, he wouldn't have put him there. Unsure though.

Is Lua Lua really ready for first team football?

4. We'll draw at St James'.

Agree with Baines, i'd love him here, but he'd cost a lot more than that - no doubt.

You're probably right and i'm probably smelly. My mate was talking out of his arse if that's the case.

Something like a bending finish into the bottom corner from the edge of the box, i think was kinda how it was described. Kinda like Dyer's vs Arsenal was how i'd pictured it.

16 tomorrow, man.