Raconteur

Isn't he out of contract in the summer? In tea leaf reading mode, this might indicate he is prepared to sign a new contract and happy to go out loan - if he thought he could play first team Premiership football he'd simply allow his contract to expire?

The question is - would that be enough? Even if we lost the last four games and didn't score a goal, would that be enough for Shepherd to sack him, or would he think "I'll give him the summer, give him a transfer fund and see how he goes"? I fear the latter, and another August/September sacking...

Come on Parky, you can flesh that out into a fully fledged conspiracy! How about G14 are financing the legal action (as was suggested by some when we pushed the FA for compensation) Or maybe NUFC are trying to toady up to the G14 in an attempt to gain admission, and thus be part of the Super-dooper mega-deluxe Euro League which is coming next seaosn, or the one after that, or...? EDIT: I'm too damned slow - you already went there!

Only cried once - in 2001 (aged 25) when Australia got humiliated in Montevideo by Uraguay. After winning the home leg 1-0 we were one step away from our first World Cup appearance in my lifetime - and we were taught a lesson. Had been drinking heavily since the 5am kick-off, by full time I was smashed, tired and devastated, and the tears flowed freely... The 1999 FA Cup final against Man Utd brought my strongest Toon related response - again drinking heavily and once again taught a lesson by the opposition I started punching walls at a mates place and was told to go outside and cool off! Alcohol is bad, m'kay

You're not alone at all - the latest in a long line of over-rated English bright young things. So very "meh"

Surely Viduka has to be an option - forget the fact he's out of contract, he is quality, has excellent technique and is strong as an ox on the ball. Yes, I'm biased, but would you say Viduka fits the requirements you, HTL and madras have suggested?

Very interesting in theory, in fact I think he'd be a very good candidate - just two questions though 1) Do you think FFS would be prepared to pay what would be extraordinary wages for a DoF? I don't, personally 2) Would Roeder be happy to work with a superior manager at the club? I think Roeder is a very fragile character, as witnessed by the way he reacted after the AZ debacle. I think he'd be intimidated and would probably totally lose the plot...

Milan, no doubt. Like I said in the Tuesday night CL matches thread - fuck Chelsea, fuck Liverpool and fuck Man Utd, in that order.

Not saying you're wrong, but what are you basing that on? The transfer window and Shepherd's history of early season sackings? Wouldn't it be great if we could break that mould! As for the article - speculation without based on any quotes. We'll see...

This... And this... And to combine the two, I'm hoping Milan/Bayern beat Man Utd, but if not I will be watching the final hoping for Man Utd to win. Fuck Chelsea, fuck Liverpool, fuck Man Utd - in that order

Does that mean Pav the Geordie is staying for another year? After all, Given's "Lazarus" tag has taken a bit of a beating this year...

If you take in the fact that it's written for a general football site for general fans who may not be as aware of what's happening at St James' Park then it's a fairly decent article. But as andynufc84 says, for us as Toon fans it doesn't tell us anything we don't know (Roeder's media efforts have become increasingly defensive, we haven't gotten value for money in the transfer market, our defenders are of insufficient quality, Roeder's position is open for question - we're all painfully aware of these facts) And koven, I don't know what you think makes it biased - I thought it was pretty generous to Roeder really. They were savage on West Ham not long ago, and Roeder deserves to be savaged too. Was very generous in describing his media efforts as "uneasy" and "prickly" when several other, less flattering adjectives could (should?) have been applied...

That's what it all comes down to for me... For us as fans to debate academically is one thing, but Roeder must surely have known the constraints he was working under

Hyperbole much? For a socialist you're quite the nationalist!!!

Ironically England's cricket team have been doing this for decades with little or nothing to show for it

I think the problems are deeper Parky - you talk about Arsenal not developing English players, but you have to go further back... Where Arsenal excel is getting the 15-18 year olds and developing them into Premiership players. But the problem is that the very best kids in this age group aren't English. I couldn't speculate as to why, but if you answer that question then you're getting to the root of the problem. The real problem with that is that the kids who aren't the "very best" go down the pecking order, subsequently don't get the development from the very best coaches (who are naturally at the very best clubs)

Thought the .com report was pretty good too - the waffle was pretty harsh on Roeder (harsh but fair - I was just surprised because they've been playing it pretty soft lately...) http://www.nufc.com/2006-07html/2007-04-07sheff-utd-a.html

No problems, all you have to do is bring down the EU first! The thing is the EU shouldn't be messing in sport which has its own traditions rooted in history. Bring down the EU....it will happen. I'll not go into the wider socio-political ramifications of the EU - but since we seem to have veered in this direction I do have a question: The Bosman ruling came about because JM Bosman wanted to leave his club after his contract expired - the EU said he (and any player) could, and then declared the foreigner rules to be illegal too?

No problems, all you have to do is bring down the EU first!

Do you genuinely support Newcastle United? I know some people take the piss, saying you're a Man Utd fan - but looking at this list makes me wonder if they're right. I mean the only answers for a NUFC fan would be "yes - I want the derby rivalry and/or good for the north east" or "no - I hate the mackems, want them to fail and/or don't want to lose derbies" But you seem to be admiring them...?

So tell me sir, does that apply to Birmingham City too?

That's about it! Where the hell did this performance come from?!?

Yup - that's the winner for me too, but the "Jardel is a Big Jessie" one is a very close second

Reporter: Bang, there goes your unbeaten run. Can you take it? Strachan: No, I'm just going to crumble like a wreck. I'll go home, become an alcoholic and maybe! jump of a bridge. Umm, I think I can take it, yeah. I've resisted the urge all day, but here is the list I have - from a chain email called "The Genius of Gordon Strachan" Genius indeed

Good post MJ - I especially liked the explanation of Comolli's role. I think some managers, the more hands on, might baulk at having such a system, but I certainly believe it would be of great benefit at NUFC... Of course, you know with one post you'll have managed to turn at least half a dozen quarrelling NUFC fans into a united anti-THFC front, don't you