Dr. TC

Just got back from the match. Absolutely fucking amazing. Can't be bothered to read the thread TBH, but I'll give my opinions anyway . If you read my pre-match comments, I was pretty optimistic ahead of this one, I really thought we'd win it, but I never expected it to be this comfortable. Best performance I've seen from the lads since Robson. Player ratings: Harper 8 - Good game, very little to do second half, couldn't do anything about goal Beye 9 - Great game from Habib, especially second half didn't put a foot wrong Faye 8.5 - Beaten for the goal, losing him a point, otherwise was outstanding. Taylor 8 - Solid, occasionally positionally suspect Enrique 7.5 - Caught out by Keane a few times, comfortable once the diving Irishman went off. Good going forwards. Geremi 8 - Corners a little better, still hit and miss, oherwise a good technical game; kept the ball well. Butt 7.5 - Good goal, broke up play, but gave away some dangerous free kicks Barton 9 - Outstanding. Best game in a toon shirt. Unlucky not to get a goal. Lost count of the number of tackles and interceptions he made that immediately drove us forward. Viduka 7.5 - Held up play well, faded. Owen 8 - Missed some sitters but took his goal well and linked up the midfield expertly, very rarely missed a pass. Martins 7.5 - Battled well and excellent goal. No vision a lot of the time though, needed to show a bit more intelligence. Subs: Smith 4 - Shite. Did little apart from give away free kicks Carroll 7 - Looked a threat. Excellent keep-ball in the corner at the end. Edgar - came on late, looked ok, but can't rate. Them: Best player: Woodgate - had a strong game despite the scoreline, not helped by the defence around him (Hutton was good, but Dawson and O'Hara were terrible). Worst player: Dawson - looked terrified the whole game, especially when marking Martins. Our Fans: 7 - Good singing from the travelling faithful, but it would be given the score line. Some good chants (Get your drum out for the lads notable). One dick head got ejected though, and the away section was pretty empty until 10mins before kickoff which was disappointing. No-one even cheered the team announcements. Their Fans: 2 - Terrible. As bad as Chelsea. Sing in the Library. Ref: Bennett - 6 - no major wrong decisions, but just a series of really strange smaller decisions. Didn't favour either side but didn't make any sense.

pfft

Wonder what's up with Emre. He looked fine in the Getty training pics this week.

At home for me. seriously anyone? Dunno mate, the (vague) plan here was just to get to Tottenham Hale on the 1:15 train then wander around in search of a beer and burger.

For unrivalled happiness, when Shearer wound up Roy Keane so much that he punched the yellow card out of the ref's hand and ten got a straight red right in front of my seat in the corner For shear amazement, Robert's double against Spurs and Bellamy's winner against Feyenoord

Not looked forward to a game this much in absolutely ages, even if it did cost me 39 quid plus transport for the priviledge. I think it'll be a cracker, would easily be 3-2 or 4-3 to either side.

Definately true. Never felt more sorry for a defence. Mind you, having Charlie at left back didn't help - he was exposed on quite a few occasions, not his fault though.

Gotta love that for style http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb67/thomasandwei/emre.jpg

The BBC are making him sound like a football God: "The 26-year-old has made over 100 appearances for the Magpies, scoring 46 goals, but has featured just twice under manager Kevin Keegan." Premier league actual stat: 168apps, 28 goals - not quite almost a goal every 2 games

Why not? Seem plausible enough

Viduka < Martins? Mental

A Win is expected nothing less. Don't be daft. Going to this one. Quietly confident, which is a change from the abject misery I've felt lately.

up to 13th. Crazy. MOTM Owen? He was pretty crap apart from the goal. Squandoured so many chances, would have had 3 or 4 if he were match fit

Did you see the game? Yes How can you give Geremi 8 and Beye 6? should be the other way around. I would agree with Geremi 8 Beye 6. Geremi was my MOTM. Beye was OK but nothing special.

Harper 6 - did nothing wrong Beye 6 - did nothing wrong Taylor 6 - did nothing wrong Faye 7 - did nothing wrong and looked very solid Enrique 8 - good passing, some mazy runs Geremi 8 - great game, still crap corners though - MOTM Butt 7 - decent Barton 8 - best game in a toon shirt I've seen Owen 7 - missed a million chances, but got a goal fair play to the lad Martins 6 - flattered to deceive Viduka 8 - looked sharp Subs: Zog - 7 Lively Smith 6 - OK Edgar n/a - not on long enough

Finally

Get in! Great goal.

Worried about McBride being back. He always seems to screw us over.

Only Chelsea have beaten Brum away since McLeish took over.

Geremi 3?? fuckin hell mate! Would have been more if any of his corners had been better than "utter shite". We really really needed better delivery.

Harper 7 Beye 6 Taylor 6 Faye 2 Enrique 5 Geremi 3 Butt 7 Barton 5 Martins 8 Owen 7 Viduka 7

Can you imagine if that was written in the papers today! The thing that struck me when I read that was that he's probably still like that now. Knee surgery on ligaments or cartilage back then was frankly crap, and lots of injuries to players that take them out for a few months now would have been career ending.

I don't rate him at all in real life, but I remember signing him in FM and, a few seasons in, getting a message I've never got before from my assistant saying that Downing was "the best in the world in his position".

Great cross from Milner

Get in little Mickey