LooneyToonArmy

Favourite Newcastle players : Ginola, Solano, Albert, Ferdinand, Acuna non NUFC : Rui Costa , Batistuta, Alex Del Piero, Ariel Ortega, Leonardo, Rai (from their Paris Saint Germain days), Zamorano/Salas (what a strike force for Chile) Marc Overmars, Petit, Martin Palermo Maldini,

still waiting for him to figure out to run a football team never mind a 4-4-2 and a 4-3-3

only 2 countries with a bigger population have ever won a WC, faking owned Two? You mean two countries with smaller populations, I think. That is, Uruguay and Argentina. Brazil, West Germany, France, and Italy all have/ had larger populations than England. well the UK population is similar in size to France believe it or not. UK is estimated to be 61 million. France`s population is very similar in number. You would have thought way more with the size of the country. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uk.html Italy`s population is less than the UK, 58 million https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/it.html the uk is made up of England, scotland, Wales, N ireland, all have seperate football teams. point taken

Kinnear maintains that Newcastle did submit an official bid for the Black Cats midfielder, while he was also frustrated at his failure to sign Johnson. "I would have liked to get the other two lads we were chasing but that did not materialise," he explained. "It was a case of waiting to hear from them. At one stage we thought we had Johnson but the goalposts were moved. "We waited and waited and waited and of course the clock was running down so we didn't get a reply back until an hour before they called time. "It was the same with Kieran. We put what we thought was a decent offer in but it did not materialise."

only 2 countries with a bigger population have ever won a WC, faking owned Two? You mean two countries with smaller populations, I think. That is, Uruguay and Argentina. Brazil, West Germany, France, and Italy all have/ had larger populations than England. well the UK population is similar in size to France believe it or not. UK is estimated to be 61 million. France`s population is very similar in number. You would have thought way more with the size of the country. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uk.html Italy`s population is less than the UK, 58 million https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/it.html

West Brom v Newcastle West Brom are going through the sort of spell where they seem to have identified the fixtures at home that are winnable. They lost to Manchester United, Chelsea and Aston Villa but other than that their results in the league have been decent since mid-December. I am just not convinced at all about Newcastle. They looked so flat in the first half last weekend against Sunderland, which is strange for a derby game and says more about the sort of characters they have than the manager. Verdict: 2-1 http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/7868093.stm

if you want to get an idea of what West Brom fans are expecting their lineup to be then have a look at this thread http://www.westbrom.com/forum/index.php?topic=38261.0

Ashley pledges to spend more time running NUFC Feb 5 2009 by Mark Douglas, The Journal MIKE Ashley has pledged to spend more time in the North East running Newcastle United as he looks to adopt a more ‘hands on’ role at the club he was prepared to sell before Christmas. Ashley has told manager Joe Kinnear that he intends to be a more visible presence at the club’s training ground from now on – and that he will start to take more responsibility for the key decisions at the club. He also agreed to Kinnear’s request for a regular fortnightly meeting. It follows a prolonged visit by Ashley to the club’s training ground last week ahead of transfer deadline day, which Kinnear believes invigorated his commitment to Newcastle United. “Mike will be back in Newcastle today. He definitely wants to become more hands on in the running of his football club,” said Kinnear. “He has been in Newcastle three days a week and that will be a regular thing from now on. “He wants to see how things work and he’s committed to a fortnightly major meeting between everyone at the club so that we can start moving things in the right direction. It is a new world for him. Over the last week or so we’ve had him down at the training ground talking to the players, eating his lunch with them and giving them the kind of reassurances on their contracts and their future that they’ve needed to hear. “He hasn’t seen players train and work first hand before but he told me it has opened his eyes, and he’s definitely willing to back up his words.” Kinnear added: “I know people still have to be convinced about things but there is a sense of unity at the club now. “The guys at the top know they need to communicate better, which is why they are speaking to the two local papers. I think they will sit down with supporters’ groups and fans and the people of Newcastle at the end of the season – I know they want to do that. “When I came in I kept getting caught between different people wanting different things but hopefully that has now disappeared and we can start to look forward.”

Taylor - Drop won't happen Newcastle United defender Steven Taylor is certain the club will avoid relegation this season. The Magpies are currently 15th in the Premier League table, a point above the drop zone and without a win in six outings. Taylor, though, is confident Joe Kinnear's squad has the quality to preserve their top-flight status. Aim He said in the Daily Express: "We are not even thinking of the word 'relegation' and it won't happen. "We have to accept we are in a battle to avoid it, but this is a battle we will win. "We have some world-class players and although it will be a battle, we have the fighting qualities to stay up. "Then, we have to regroup next year. That's the aim; to get this season out of the way and ensure we are playing in the top flight next season."

Zuiverloon is also apparently suspended too. I read their midfielder Borja Valero is a doubt too

first public appearance? --- Published Date: 05 February 2009 FORMER England and Newcastle United manager Kevin Keegan will today appeal to magistrates to keep his driving licence after he was caught speeding. Keegan, 57, was clocked travelling 36mph in a 30mph zone by a speed camera on the A69 near Carlisle, Cumbria. He pleaded guilty by post to the offence committed on August 27 and the conviction is likely to take the number of points on his licence to the legal maximum of 12. Keegan is expected to plead mitigating circumstances at Carlisle Magistrates Court in an attempt to keep behind the wheel. It is not known if he will attend the hearing, as he may argue the point through a solicitor or in a letter to the court. The hearing is due to take place at 2pm. http://www.shieldsgazette.com/nufc/Keegan-faces-driving-ban.4949166.jp

Johnson considering City future after missing Newcastle move • Midfielder was keen on St James' Park switch • City rejected deal because Newcastle didn't meet valuation * Daniel Taylor * guardian.co.uk, Thursday 5 February 2009 03.42 GMT * Article history Michael Johnson is giving serious consideration to his future at Manchester City only five months after signing a new five-year contract. Johnson, regarded as one of England's most promising footballers, would willingly have moved to Newcastle United on transfer-deadline day had an £8m bid not been turned down, and he is open to the idea of a deal being resurrected at the end of the season. The likelihood of that happening is complicated by the current instability at St James' Park and the persistent doubts about who will be managing them next season, who will own the club and, first of all, whether they will still be part of the Premier League. Johnson, however, has other admirers in England's top division, predominantly Liverpool, Everton and Arsenal, even though the interest in him has waned during a challenging season in which he has been restricted to only three league appearances because of a persistent groin problem. Johnson, who turns 21 later this month, had another injury setback last week and a frustrated Mark Hughes described the player's rehabilitation as "one step forward and two steps back". Hughes was instrumental in persuading Johnson to sign his last contract – Johnson had "wanted out" before Hughes's appointment as manager, according to the executive chairman, Garry Cook – but their relationship has been affected since then by a series of off-field issues. City's management have become increasingly concerned about the player's apparent fondness for Manchester's nightlife and the frequency with which he has been seen in the city's casinos. Hughes and his coaches are so concerned they have had several meetings to discuss how to bring Johnson into line. It does not reflect well on Johnson either that these issues date back to Sven Goran Eriksson's time as manager, when club officials let it be known that the England Under-21 international might be sold because of his alleged "big-time" attitude. Johnson, however, believes it has been badly exaggerated, arguing that he has not broken any club rules or curfews, and he is alarmed about the way he has been portrayed. Roy Keane once described Manchester as a "village" because of its propensity for gossip, and Johnson is wondering whether it would benefit him to start afresh somewhere else – as one of his associates put it, to "get out of Manchester." On a separate issue, he also has misgivings about the way his rehabilitation has been handled. Johnson has had pain in his lower abdomen for over a year and the problem has now been pinpointed to his pubis symphysis, for which there can be little treatment other than rest. Whether Hughes would try to talk Johnson out of leaving for a second time remains to be seen, but it should not be considered a foregone conclusion. Johnson's information is that Newcastle's bid was turned down because it did not meet City's valuation rather than, as was widely assumed, his current employers did not want to sell one of their best young players. The fact City had a valuation in the first place is, perhaps, a critical clue into the club's thinking.

sadly I get the impression by many on here that they`d prefer 11 workhorses than a player with a bit of ability like Robert.

So would I. Shame we know it won't happen though. don`t think we`ll see Lua Lua or Ranger on the bench this season from now on .......with Smith, Shola and Viduka coming back. Lua Lua`s place on the bench will be taken by Smith I`m sure. Shola will take Ranger`s place if Viduka and Martins are fit.

NUFC ace Viduka in West Brom return pledge MARK VIDUKA is hoping that history can repeat itself for Newcastle United as he gets ready to make his return to action at West Brom on Saturday. The former Leeds and Celtic ace has not appeared since Boxing Day for the Magpies when he picked up a groin injury at Wigan’s JJB Stadium. The setback was just another injury nightmare for Viduka, with the Australian restricted to just four appearances due to a troublesome heel injury that meant he missed the first four months of the campaign. Now, with Viduka back from his injury hell, along with Oba Martins and his ex-Elland Road team-mate Alan Smith, he feels that Joe Kinnear has sufficient firepower to guide the Mags away from danger. Last term, Kevin Keegan’s side put together a seven-match unbeaten run at the end of the season which resulted in the black and whites firing in 12 goals in that sequence, with Viduka, Michael Owen and Martins all in form. Owen will have to wait at least another month to play again, but Viduka is confident that there are still goals in Kinnear’s side and even hinted he’d love to see a return of the popular 4-3-3 system that pulled Newcastle out of the mire last season. He told the Chronicle: “Whether Joe wants to play that system or not is a totally different thing. “But the manager’s got a lot of options up front when everyone’s fit, and this team has got goals in it. “We pulled away from trouble last season when we used that formation. “And if we can click up front again then hopefully we can do the same this time.” Viduka’s contract expires in June and although there is thought to be an option to extend it by a further 12 months, there has been talk that the player United signed from Middlesbrough on a free in 2007 may return Down Under, while Kinnear has previously said: “By his own admission he was going back to Australia at the end of the season and turning it in.” However, Viduka made a major recovery from the Achilles problem picked up in the 2-0 loss at home to Chelsea last season which coincided with the end of United’s goal glut. Now, after recovering from groin trouble, Viduka just wants to rekindle his form and add to his seven goals for the Toon. He says: “Last year we showed towards the end we could play together with three up front. “We were a threat to many defences. “And I’d love to repeat some of that. “Last season they couldn’t deal with Oba’s pace or Michael Owen’s goalscoring ability and myself as a target man.”

Jonas: NUFC new boys must be up for the fight NEWCASTLE United winger Jonas Gutierrez has warned Toon new boys Kevin Nolan and Ryan Taylor that they must be up for the fight that lies ahead. The Argentine winger won the man-of-the-match award in the derby game with Sunderland but is already focusing on the crunch clash at West Brom on Saturday. Failure to win for United could see them crash to the bottom of the table – and Jonas admits Newcastle’s form has been causing him sleepless nights, with the 40-point safety target still 16 points away with 14 games to go. Gutierrez told the Chronicle: “We have signed new players but they must be aware of the fight we face. “I don’t think we can afford to lose more matches. “We were a team that was hard to beat earlier in the season. “But we’ve struggled because of the injuries. “Now with new players coming in we must regroup and look to fight our way out of it.” Toon boss Joe Kinnear has conceded that a huge fight against survival is all Newcastle have to play for in the remainder of the season, and Gutierrez echoed his concerns. He said: “I will feel a lot happier when we reach 40 points. “If we can get near that we will be safe. “But until we reach it we have to keep looking behind us. All the matches will be very difficult. “But we can only focus on one at a time. “These are like cup finals for us.” Newcastle put in a much- improved performance in the second period against Sunderland but still only salvaged a point. United have picked up just two points from a possible 12 since being crushed 5-1 by Liverpool. Gutierrez admits that United must start turning performances into wins. He added: “We felt we had a lot of opportunities to win the game against Sunderland. “Sadly we didn’t show enough conviction, but hopefully we can pick that up against West Brom.” Gutierrez was delighted to see United colleague Shola Ameobi smash home the equaliser against the Wearsiders, and hopes that the goal on his return will lead to more strikes for the Nigerian-born player. He said: “It was a good moment for Shola to score on his comeback from injury. “Now I hope he can stay fit and get more goals. “He is certainly going to be a key player for us because he has a lot of experience with this club.”

Sam Dalla Bona has rescinded his contract ala Lovenkrands with Napoli and is now on a free. Not sure how well he`s done in Italy since leaving Chelsea but he looked a decent young player when he played here. Linked with West Ham

Nobody (I think) has mentioned Martin Jol yet. What do you think? He did fine at Spurs and is working wonders at Hamburg with not the greatest squad in terms of talent, plus he lost Van Der Vaart to Real and De Jong to Citeh in the last 2 windows but his team is still doing well. If not Jol then I would go for Bruce or Martinez

Get him in on a short term deal? Spurs seem to be fannying about too much Redknapp on Appiah "He has had an injury and his fitness is way below what you'd hope it to be," Redknapp said. "But he's worked hard so I'll have a look at him and give him a decision because he's been with us for about a month now. He needs to know."

Newcastle buoyed by Butt's contract deal Newcastle United's failure to sign Manchester City's Michael Johnson or Sunderland's Kieran Richardson has persuaded the midfielder Nicky Butt to sign a one-year contract extension. The 34-year-old former England international had initially delayed signing the new deal which will probably see him end his playing career at St James' Park. But his decision to commit to the club has gone some way to relieving the disappointment of another frustrating transfer window at Newcastle. "I'm delighted to have Butty on board for another year," Joe Kinnear, the Newcastle manager, said. "He's a great lad and has plenty of experience, which we need at the minute. He's been raised the right way in the game and we'll certainly benefit from having him around." Kinnear had wanted to add at least four players to his squad, but was only able to sign Kevin Nolan, Ryan Taylor and Peter Lovenkrands, with Shay Given and Charles N'Zogbia leaving for Manchester City and Wigan Athletic respectively. Newcastle ended the month with a profit of £7.6m following the sale of Given and N'Zogbia and Kinnear admitted he had been "disappointed" with the failure to bring more players in. However, the Newcastle first team will be boosted ahead of the crucial relegation battle with West Bromwich Albion by the return from injury of Obafemi Martins, Alan Smith and Mark Viduka. Kinnear said: "It gives us a bit more firepower for West Brom. I know it's an old cliché, but it will be like having three new players back. Of course, we were desperately disappointed not to come away with more new signings, but myself and Mike Ashley worked hard throughout the day to try to make it happen. "But in welcoming back Oba, Viduka and Smithy we have three fresh faces to pick from. I have been unable to pick Smithy so far since coming in as manager and I'm delighted to get the opportunity to do so now." http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/feb/03/newcastle-united-nicky-butt-joe-kinnear

Troubled ex-Toon boss Keegan in new legal battle as the circus comes to town Last updated at 12:08 AM on 04th February 2009 Kevin Keegan, who has launched an £8million action against Newcastle United for constructive dismissal after quitting as manager last September, is himself facing legal action over his Soccer Circus near Glasgow. He has found it financially heavy going as a football theme park owner. But one successful initiative has been the Soccer Tots classes that are now advertising additional sessions on the website. However, Keegan can expect correspondence this week from football coach Simon Clifford, who has pioneered both Brazilian Soccer Schools and Socatots in this country. Clifford’s classes, which have been running for nine years, offer football tuition to infants from six months to five years and have grown to 300 franchises worldwide. Clifford, who has registered his Socatots trademark and patent, will be sending Keegan a Demand to Cease and Desist letter, the first stage of a copyright infringement action. And he will take the matter to court unless Keegan stops trading under the Soccer Tots name. He said: ‘I know Kevin is having a difficult time, but I can’t allow him to use a title I have spent nine years building into a successful business. It’s not right and I’ll take the necessary steps to prevent it.’ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1135413/Charles-Sale-Troubled-Keegan-new-legal-fight.html?ITO=1490

He wasn't terrible at all. He was probably the only defender we had at the time who was interested in being an actual defender. agree with this. He was usually the one left on his own whilst Beresford, Albert and Watson/Barton bombed forward.

just need JFK to sign his 3 year deal to top it all off

Smudger Targets Baggies Return By Craig Hope ALAN Smith is hoping to celebrate the end of six months of painstaking rehabilitation by returning to the Newcastle United squad for this weekend's trip to West Brom. The 28-year-old fractured his ankle during pre-season and has yet to figure for the Magpies this term. But, after making a competitive comeback for United's Reserves last week, Smith says that Saturday's clash against the West Midlands basement boys is now firmly within his sights. "My aim was to get through 60 minutes for the Reserves so I was delighted to do so and at the end of it I didn't want to come off," "West Brom is now the target for me. "I felt great in my comeback match and there were no muscle strains or anything which sometimes happens when you've been out for a while. "I've worked hard during the past six months or so and my thanks go the physios for their help in getting me where I am today. "I feel good now but obviously it was a big setback for me because I'd played most of pre-season before I fractured my ankle. "I had a fracture which, in layman's terms, is a broken ankle. There was also a ligament reattachment on the outside so it was a very serious injury. "Six months was the schedule but during then there was a bit of confusion and it was reported that I had an Achilles problem but that was never the case."

just like a new signing