Delima

Don't know if Freaky Shitbird count himself as a Geordie? While I appreciate what Roeder has done, I really cant stand Shitbird's hypocrisy. Shitbird is a Mackem in disguise.

Instead of Terry, we should go for Vidic - a much better defender than Terry. Vidic has a lot more football intelligence too.

Alves is going to cost a lot. Market evaluation of Alves is at about 10m £, but Sevilla has a rich chairman who has no intention to sell unless crazy money is on offer. Cetainly Sevilla won't accpet 10m£ for Alves. Anyway Finnan isn't a bad right back! Pennant is a mistake, possibly down to the manager's over evaluation of the player's ability, in my opinion.

I don't think Reina is better than given, just like I don't think Dudek is better than Harper. Had a stupid arguement with some pool fans a while ago on the merits of Dudek and Harper bluedead.gif bluedead.gif bluedead.gif However as much as I think Given is better, you can't deny that Reina is a very good/excellent keeper too. He has a few dodgy moments but they are far and between (like Harper's mistake against Alonso), unlike those of Calamity James, Poor Robinson, Dudek, Barthez and Howard (minus Everton year and Man U 1st year). It, however, would be interesting to see what Benitez would do if Carson (yet another smashing purchase) continues his developement.

Well, Liverpool could not afford to pay £30 million for Schevchenko, could they? Instead of spending 30 millions on a really top class player who could still be a miss, Benitez opted to spend 30 millions on several very good players. The squad depth is strengthen, the risk of flop is affordable, and yet the team still acquire very good players who have the calibre to chalenge for title. Actually, forward is the only department where Benitez has not bought a trully top class player (Bellamy, Crouch, Fowler). Strikers are the most expensive creatures on earth. Actually they bought Morientes, but he flopped. However, Benitez also bought Kuyt, a player with very good reputation who has done very well in Liverpool so faar. Would you say that Saha is the kind of players who help his team overtake Chelsea? In fact Saha scored a great goal in the recent Chelsea Man U game. It is hard to fight Chelsea. And the worst thing one could do is to fight Chelsea with money. Soviet Union collapsed in the unsustainable arm race with the west. I thought Benitez is doing really well in the transfer market with the budget he has. Liverpool have just been off form, perhaps due to a low key Gerrard, perhaps due to Benitez's rotation policy, perhaps due to injuries, perhaps due to Benitez's selection of player. It would be harsh to blame his signings (Pennant aside) for Liverpool poor season thus far.

1 thing I really like about Benitez on his youth policy is that, while he can't revamp the academy overnight, he keeps buying excellent young players (at their level) with pedigree. How I wish we could do the same here in Newcastle. Bobby Robson used to do that, but no one else since. PS Tim Krul is an exception.

N'Zogbia. Duff as left back.

Rubbish, rubbish and rubbish. Italian world cup winning team does not contain any foreign league players. Brazil have a mas exodusof massively talented players yet they did poorly in the world cup. Of course, it is very good if the English players could play abroad. I am always puzzled why there are hardly English players playing abroad, when those who have had generally done well. However, it does not mean that English players not playing abroad is the key reason to England's poor performance in the world cup. The manager's incompetency, or the manager's failure, is mainly to blame. On the other hand, out of topic, it is a stupid and naive idea to think that a quota for home grown players would help a country's football success. There are always winners and losers. If all UEFA countries have the quota, does that mean all UEFA countries will have higher chance of winng European Championship or World Cup? Football is a global sport, football is the biggest global common interest that transcend politics, race, religions, you name it. The limelight is on European teams undoubtedly, but football has helped and contributed to a lot of third world countries. I pay my money to be entertained by good football, and the rivalry and sentiments that come with it. I do not pay money to football to promote nationalisms. Fact is, Premiership has never been a better shape before. All English clubs top their Champions League or UEFA Cup group stage. Without the likes of Lampard, Terry, Scholes, Neville, Gerrard, Carragher, Parker, Butt, Bentley, King, Dawson etc this feat would never be achieved. But without the likes of Makelele, Cavalho, Alonso, Reina, Vidic, Saha etc the feat couldn't be achieved either. Fact is, the best players are neede, whether they are English or not.

Impressive list of transfer I have to say. Transfer Involving Established Players Xabi Alonso - £11 million - Hit Mohammad Sissoko - £6 million - Hit Pepe Reina - £6 million - Hit Daniel Agger - £6 million - Hit Craig Bellamy - £6 million - Potentially Hit Peter Crouch - £7 million - Hit Dirk Kuyt - £9 million - Hit Jan Kromkamp - Free - Hit Robbie Fowler - Free - Hit Bolo Zenden - Free - Hit Mark Gonzalez - £4.5 million - Miss, so far. Jermaine Pennant - £8 million - Miss, so far. Fernando Morientes - £ 6 million - Miss Josemi - £2 million - Miss Mauricio Pellegrino - Free - Miss Antonio Nunez - Free - Miss Transfer Involving Relatively Unknown Youngsters Scott Carson - Massive Hit Miki Roque Gabriel Paletta David Martin Besjan Idrizaj Jack Hobbs Paul Anderson Godwin Antwi I admire Benitez's transfer policy. He too makes mistakes (no one is excempted), but no one can fault him for buying Morientes at £6 million. Pellegrino is free, nunez is free, and Josemi cost a meagre £2m. His biggest mistake could be Jermaine Pennant, yet he is still young, decent and has the potential. Gonzales hasn't done anything of note so far, yet he has every ingredient to be a success here. Glenn Roeder, could you please do the same to Newcastle United? I certainly think that you have the potential, but you are over-cautious and can be too stubborn for your (or our club's) own good. Also, please address the positions in need, instead of buying someone we do not need. Oba Martins - £10 millions - Hit. Antonio Sibierski - Free - Hit Pavel Srníček - Free - Unused Olivier Bernard - Miss Duff - £5 million + Huge Signing On Fee - Miss

I voted for Left Back For obvious reasons. Babayaro is a liability and Ramage isn't an asset on that position. And no one knows what happens to Bernard. Central Defender Wanted to tick Central Defender but misclick right back instead. Moore is certain to leave next season. So we need a cover for him, and for the inconsistent Bramble. Forward Rossi will be gone in January and the fit strikers we will have are Sibierski and Martins only. Owen and Ameobi would come back eventually but the former could be injured again soon and the latter not good enough.

Intrigue by your opinions. How do you rate these teams? Chelsea Cech, Cole, Terry, Cavalho, Essien, Robben, Lampard, Makelele, Ballack, Schevchenko, Drogba Star studded team. Solid but unspectacular. Barcelona Valdes, Gio, Puyol, Thuram, Zambrotta, Deco, Marquez, Xavi, Ronaldinho, Gudjohnson, Giuly Star studded team. Have been in low form for a while. But they only need to awake for 20 minutes in a game to defeat any opponent. Opponents have "somehow" worked out how to play against Barca (like how Arsenal is found out by premiership teams). Defense is vulnerable, as ever. Bayern Munich Kahn, Lahm, Van Buyten, Lucio, Sagnol, Van Bommel, Hargreaves, Salihamidzic, Schweinsteiger, Makaay, Pizzaro Tootless without Hargreaves. Off form for a while already. Inter Milan Julio Cesar, Maicon, Materrazi, Cordoba, Zanetti, Stankovic, Dacourt, Viera, Figo, Ibrahmovic, Crespo Although invincible in Serie A, displays have been unconvincing. And Serie A are with a lame AC Milan, or without juventus, is just not the usual Serie A. Liverpool Pepe Reina, Risse, Carragher, Hyppia, Finnan, Luis Garcia, Sissoko, Alonso, Gerrard, Kuyt, Bellamy Getting better and better now. Should get even better later. PSV Alex, Cocu, Farfan No hopers. Valencia Cañizares, Miguel, Ayala, Albelda, Moretti, Vicente, Joaquín, Edu, Silva, Villa, Morientes Good enough? Not. Roma Doni, Chivu, Tonetto, Mexes, Panucci, Daniele De Rossi, Mancini, Perrotta, David Pizarro, Taddei, Francesco Totti Lyon Coupet, Abidal, Cris, Muller, Juninho, Toulalan, Tiago, Malouda, Fred, Wiltord Have been superbly on form in Ligue 1. But how good they really are? Real Madrid Casillas, Carlos, Cannavaro, Ramos, Salgado, Robinho, Diarra, Emerson, Reyes, Van Nistelrooy, Raul Cannavaro has been poor. Well the whole team has been poor and their league position much indepted to Van Nistelrooy. Manchester United Van de Saar, Evra, Vidic, Ferdinand, Neville, Giggs, Scholes, Carrick, Ronaldo, Saha, Rooney Good team, excellent defense. But will the old guns Giggs + Scholes tire up later? If they don't, my champion for this season. Celtic Boruc, Nakamura Poorest team remaining in the tournement. Arsenal Lehnman, Clichy, Toure, Gallas, Eboue, Rosicky, Fabregas, Gilberto, Hleb, Henry, Van Persie Porto Quaresma AC Milan Dida, Maldini, Nesta, Kaldaze, Cafu, Gattuso, Pirlo, Kaka, Seedorf, Gilardinho, Oliviera Old folks' home. Too stagnant, demotivated. Lille

Vidic? Vidic is an excellent defender. He is a proper hard defender with proper game intelligence, unlike Terry or Dawson. Vidic is never dirty. His challenges are hard, and always fair. Occasionally when his challenges are mistimed he always holds his hands up and accept punishments from the referee without complain (unlike Terry). Vidic would become a great defender for Manchester United. He is already a legend there. Man U never look like conceding a goal in open play, or in the penalty box. Benitez must be regretting a lot that he didn't try harder to get him last season.

Geraint Williams was in Colchester even before Parkinson. And their results pre-Parkinson wasn't good. Would Adam Pearson hand out another 2 million to the new manager in January transfer window?

I understand that the manager is the one responsible for the team result. But is the sacking of Parkinson the best solution at the moment? Phil Brown was a failure in Derby County. I would like to know on what basis Pearson is confident that the new manager would do better than Parkinson? There is no chance for Hull to advance into premiership next year, so simply staying in the Championship would do for the club. Is Parkinson really that poor that he is deem unfit to safeguard Hull's position? Don't forget he was the one who against all odds propelled Colchester into the Championship. Every manager deserves a period of time before he is judged, unless he has done something fundamentally wrong. If Hull under Phil Brown does not do well, what is Pearson going to do? As I said maybe Pearson has someone in his mind, but who? Shepherd sacked Dalglish for Gullit , sacked Gullit for Robson , sacked Robson for Souness , sacked Souness for Roeder . Dowie for Hull? Sorry IMHO Dowie could be good for championship but what exactly has he achieved? Pearson might as well stick with Parkinson and see if fortune improves? Charlton has everything to lose for if they stick with Iain Dowie. But in the contrary Hull has little to lose (Championship survival shouldn't be beyond Parkinson's ability). Pearson has made a wrong decision.

Couldn't disagree. Poor observation by me on this part.

Yes Madamme.

Honestly, we simply need a lot more bodies in our coaching hierachy. I prefer to bring in a new club chairman. If that's not possible, a new manager. If that's not possible, some new good physios. If that's not possible, some new coaching stuff. If that's not possible, some new signings. If that's not possible, some new sets of fan who are happy to settle for mediocre situation.

Assuming Pearson would go for an British man to succeed Parkinson, would he take any of the following? Nigel Worthington Graeme Souness Bryan Robson David O'leary Glenn Hoddle Iain Dowie Nigel Worthington won the Championship with Norwich few years ago, but his reputation has been tarnished by how he exit Norwich FC. Iain Dowie is perhaps the candidate Pearson has in mind to replace Parkinson, but is Dowie the man to steer Hull into the premiership? I think that Dowie is vastly overrated, and Charlton were absolutely right to give Dowie a nice booting after 12 matches. Crystal palace were lucky to be promoted to the premiership in 2004, but after they were relegated in 2005, they could not repeat the same achievement in 2006. 3 years in Crystal Palace, it is a quite a long time. Dowie for Parkinson, unnessarily and risky gamble I feel. Maybe a surprise candidate is somewhere in the pocket!

Sorry Gemmil, after posting the article I am writing my opinions in a separate message. Maybe I should have put my opinions in the first message,.

In my opinion Hull is unwise to dismiss Phil Parkinson. True that Hull are not doing well under Parkinson but this is only his first season. With Parkinson gone, who else is available? Parkinson is one of the up and coming prospectful English manager, apparently one of the highest qualified manager in the Championship. All factors point to that he is a progressive coach with good future, sack him for who? Southend, Colchester and Barnsley were promoted to the Championship this year, with none of them doing well. It is of course Parkinson's fault that Hull are lying low at the moment, but i say give him more time. There is huge gulf between the Premiership and the Championship, there is also one between the Championship and the Football League. West Brom sacked Byran Robson (a seasoned manager) for Tony Mowbray (a promising manager), the result is a steep decline of performance. Peter Grant hasn't done anything that suggests he is better than Nigel Worthington. Sunderland went through a bit of inconsistency after the honeymoon period. Who to replace Parkinson? There isn't any realistic hope of promotion for Ull this year. So it is pointless hoping to earn a share of premiership TV windfall by importing a new manager. Shame that this happens when Hull has one of the most progressive chairman, Adam Person, in the league.

The Guardian PS

Voted No

I have been to a few French league games. Even an ordinary Ligue 1 game is significantly noisier than any game in St James's park. What strikes me the most is the difference on fan organisation. Frankly in St Jame's the fans vocal support are quite repetitive, simple, monotomous and disorganised. Whereas French supporters are a lot more organised, their songs/chants more colourful and interesting. However, it could be quite scary to be an away fan in Ligue 1, whereas it is very safe here.

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My sentiments exactly. Rule change irks Ferguson