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You're in no danger of going down and it could possibly be too late already to make up ground and qualify for the UEFA. I know the points difference isn't massive but the sheer number of clubs who have realistic European aspirations and are ahead of you makes it difficult- City, Villa, Blackburn, Portsmouth, West Ham and ourselves. You could overtake maybe 2 or 3 but can you go past 4 or 5 to qualify for the UEFA? I doubt it. With that in mind, the best thing you could do is have some stability. Give Allardyce until the end of the season to settle in and the players get used to his methods, see if he brings in what is required in the January window. If, by the end of the season the team's form is looking rosier and a couple of the new players have come good then you'll be in a much better position to achieve things next year than if you get another new gaffer in part way through the season and effectively start all over again. That's what the board should do, have a bit of patience and nouse. I fully expect them to do the opposite and sack Allardyce though. Ashley will want the boo boys on side so he can carry on doing publicity stunts in the stands with his replica top on.

The fact he was pretty much shit at Blackburn solves your mystery. That's all that most people in this country know him for so there is absolutely no chance of him being touted for the top job in the country. Also, vast experience aside, what has he actually won to be considered alongside the likes of Mourinho and Capello? Nothing.

That Garrido seems to play some part in every single goal you concede. What do you think of him? How come Bally doesn't get a look in? Was thinking the exact same thing. tbf he got a knock on his head a few mins before and has now gone to hospital. I think he's alright in the main(When I say that, I mean not against Chelsea). But for £1.5m he's never going to be a world beater. tbh ive think he's been pretty good for you lot and definatly a good signing at 1.5 mill but every goal you concede seems to have something to do with him. You lot also seem to have a knack of playing s**** and still getting results which is always a good thing. I'd agree with that. City this season remind me of us when we finished 4th a few years ago.

That Garrido seems to play some part in every single goal you concede. What do you think of him? How come Bally doesn't get a look in?

I got a few quid back from the UEFA Cup last night I had Spurs, Atletico and AZ for homes and Bayern to draw

He's not very good in all honesty.

Huddlestone has got massive potential. Lovely pass for Berbatov. I was hoping Ramos would continue not picking him so we could buy him

I think the last thing you need is another foreign defender with no Prem experience.

And who to cure our lack-of-creativity blues, Parky? I'd get bids in for Basturk (Stuttgart), Diego (Werder Bremen - would cost) or Arteta. All three clubs involved aren't must stay clubs imo and if MA got obsessed with either of those he could get them IMO. And Arteta would want to join Newcastle because....? He's better off here like it or not. We wouldn't sell in January either and if we decide to sell in the summer (which I also doubt ashe's got 5years left on his deal) then much bigger fish than Newcastle would be interested. Same goes for Diego who refused a move to Real Madrid if you believe the rumours in the summer. Basturk is the only realistic one there. Personally, I think the Russian league would be a happy hunting ground. Danny from Dynamo Moscow, Daniel Carvalho from CSKA and a few others are well worth a look.

West ham pass the ball around better then you lot??. They usually play some attractive football but today the just played dirty tbh. Not really. Boa Morte and Solano passed it intelligently and you struggled to cope with it at times.

Shearer would be a ridiculous appointment. Might as well keep McClaren.

Believe me there are better managers out there for us if it came to it. Name them? With the money the new owner has we could get almost anyone. Nah, not realistically. I seriously doubt Benitez would accept a job from Newcastle. Just like him or other managers of that profile wouldn't accept jobs at Everton or Villa. Football doesn't work like that. You might try and use Abramovich as an example but that's not correct, Chelsea were already a Champions League team with a quality squad that had won a few cups in recent years when he took over.

I hope that cheered you lot up I'm pissed already and back out later

Didn't Keane buy one of the worst players to be capped by England in recent years, Keiran Richardson?

He hasnt actually been mentioned, thats the thing. players should not receive less criticsm just because they are less experienced. Criticism should be dealt out to the players who performed badly with the worst offenders getting the most criticsm. Carson should be Criticised because of his mistake for the first goal and he should have also saved the third goal to (not do a Robinson and dive a minute after the ball hits the net). Lescott was utter toilet and his positioning the whole game was s**** (as was Richards tbh). Only bridge and Lampard were on par with Lescott yesterday imo. Lescott never had a good game but he wasn't as bad as you're making out. Bridge was by far the worst England defender, it was the worst performance I've seen in an international match for a long time. Micah Richards' positioning was probably worse and Campbell was no better than Lescott... the two of them were average. He's had two below par performances this season and both times you've come onto this message board dying to post about how s*** he is and how great Dawson is. Nobody cares.

Scolari is a defensive coach too He always, always plays 1 up front with Portugal and his tactics are quite negative Portugal don't have a good striker though Whenever i've watched them theyve been attackive I think a large part of that is the attacking midfielders they have who are all technically brilliant- Quaresma, Ronaldo, Simao. They would all walk into the England team without a doubt. He usually plays them three with a lone striker in front and two defensive midfielders behind. We don't really have the players for that system- a midfield trio who can swap positions throughout the match and also provide some natural width. I'd guess it would have to be something like: ---------------Owen/Crouch--------------- Cole------------Gerrard-----------Bentley -------Carrick/Barry---Hargreaves--------

I would be gobsmacked if the FA approached him. They didn't think he was as good as McClaren a year ago when his stock was higher. A (so far) average spell in charge of Newcastle won't have pushed him up the list. Especially when they look at what Sven has done with City in the same time frame.

Scolari is a defensive coach too He always, always plays 1 up front with Portugal and his tactics are quite negative

Probably the corporate sponsors Just heard McClaren interviewed. He's really determined to cling on to this job/not give up his pay off

Bridge has been woeful. He's playing like Tony Hibbert with lead boots and a blindfold on.

I always said Lampard was great

GREAT IDEA Take off SWP- the only midfielder who was trying hard, putting some effort in and trying to get behind the croatia defence instead of hoofing it. Also, good job you took Barry off instead of Lampard. For a minute there I was afraid we'd have a balanced pairing in midfield. 5 years on- Gerrard & Lampard, can they play together? Well, erm, no.

What a bunch of fucking dickheads. Gold & Sullivan are like the nouveau riche who move into the countryside and build some big footballers wife mansion that looks like a castle from a theme park.

Bridge & Carson are having absolute nightmares. Lampard.... well, I would say he was playing shit if he'd actually touched the ball. Where is he? How many times did him and, to a lesser extent Gerrard & Barry, turn away and hide while Campbell and Lescott are passing the ball around the back with absolutely no options in front of them?

That's what I thought. Unless he's good mates with Moyes or will be given more responsibility/better wages here.