afar

Is it just me or does he have a worrying resemblance to Frank Bruno here, could just be the fists

Fulham have had a great season, and it will be a tough game but lets not make them out to be world beaters. They are much much more potent at home than they are away. And remember our game with them at their place we took the lead and were cruising until Cacapa decided to prove he's not really up to top flight football. There is no reason in the world why we can not beat Fulham at home. I'm confident we'll get something out of the game and if we play with the same amoubnt of effort and desire as last night, I think we'll win.

Thank you big man.

I watched the full game last night when I returned from work. I read people's comments about him, so I came in with low expectations. He did not however do as bad as I thought from reading the comments. They were over the top as ever. He got a nice header in made some decent runs and harried and hassled a few times and there's a shot of him celebrating after Taylor's equaliser and the joy in his face is there for all to see and puts doubts against the accusations that he doesn't care. Compare that with the stone faced Colocini when Martins runs over to the bench. I'm not saying he played particuarily well, because he didn't, he just wasn't the disaster you drama queens made him out to be. In terms of the question, I would be disappointed if he came back, I think it's time to move on, I'm sure wherever he lines up he'll be a hit again and score against us but Owen and NUFC just doesn't work, in truth it never did. The only thing that would make me change my mind is if he accepted a contract of sub 40k a week, which he's never going to do, not at Newcastle anyway. It's kind of ironic he's got little to no chance of getting anything like the 80k contract he turned down earlier in the season. Unless Man City are just stupid of course.

If Hull lose, they have to overcome at least a 9 goal, GD advantage against Manure.

TBF Boro have Villa up next at home, a win there and a loss for us, still give them a shot at it. A draw against West ham last game of the season is not beyond them. West Brom have to avoid defeat against Liverpool otherwise they are effectively down.

I think 2 pts will be enough. That puts the mackems in play too and even if Hull manage to scrape a win from either of their last 2 games, I can see Sunderland losing both their's especially as Pompey aren't safe yet.

I've changed my voted for the first time in months, from 10 to 5 Still work to do but the physcological lift that gives us is immense. Victory against Fulham on Saturday could well leave us, just about safe, that's a great feeling but I'll also be cheering on Bolton, Pompey, Villa and Liverpool this weekend.

Is this the last time Owen will start a game for us ? How does he not get dropped for fulham ?

30 mins to save our PL lives IMO, we need that winner.

A draw will feel like a loss and although on paper not a disaster, in reality the physchological damage could make it so. Need the greatest of half time team talks from Big Al.

We have to score again while we are dominant.

I don't think I could be any more nervous, bloody hell, stupid BBC, why ban radio coverage in foreign countries. All I have for updates are you lunatics and the slow ass BBC text.

All hope evaporates, that's just insane.

You have a point 4 managers in one season is going to effect any player. However I look at Bassong and Guthrie and see them both as being of this type of player we need to be targetting. Yet one has taken his chance to shine in the first team and the other has not. Guthrie was given the opportunity to stake his claim for a regular first team spot, due to his own good preseason form and injuries and suspensions to other central midfielders. But he's failed to take that, and when I see him play I just get the overwhelming feeling that he lacks the hunger, he's anomimous in many of the games he plays, he's got the talent so there's something missing there.

Kick off's one and a half hours away. I'm stuck at work, I'm not sure how much I'll enjoy my lunchtime in 30mins time, I'm going to be nervous as hell might not be able to eat much, anyway it's a good thing, could do with losing a few lbs :0

Guthrie lacks the hunger element, for me. He does have the talent to potentially play his part, but seems to lack the drive and ambition to follow that through. The goal he scored againast Pompey away is the type of thing he should be doing more often, but when was the last time we saw him in the that position in a match.

Nolan 0 Butt 0 Guthrie 2 (1pen) Barton 1 (1pen) Duff 2 Jonas 0 Smith 0 Geremi 0 That is quite simply shocking, take the pens out of there and that makes 3 goals from that bunch all season !

Nolan and Taylor are prime examples of the "wrong" kind of quantity, they are squad fillers who do not fill the criteria of being hungry, willing to fight for a job in the first team and have the potential to get there. They are just happy to be at a "big" club picking up a big wage packet. These are not the type of quantity I am calling for. Reading comprehension FTW

I think the liklihood is though that we'll be relying on Manure to get the expected result in that game. Even if we win our next 2 games, the Bolton v Hull game has draw written all over it, considering Bolton will either be safe by then or just one point from it with a much superior goal difference. My feeling is Hull will draw their last two games and get to 36, we need to match that to overtake them, that's 5 points. But the mental state of Manure could swing this whole thing around, I still recall only too well Manure v West Ham last game of the season a couple of years back. I don't want to be relying on Man U's youngsters to get us a result, they quite often get beat by mediocre teams in the lesser cup competitions. If we win tonight hopefully by the last day we'll already be safe.

That's true but they will come under pressure to play their strongest team, if they buckle to that pressure that may not be a good thing for us because as you rightly say the motivation is for the kids and fringe players may be a lot greater than the stars trying to make sure that they do not pick up an injury that stops them from playing in the CL final.

The job of rebuilding NUFC, after this disastrous season begins in less than a month but how should approach it? The old adage of “Quality over quantity” is a philosophy I think to a degree we have attempted to implement with our transfer policy in the past. The likes of Owen, Duff, Viduka, Collocini, all fit into the quality category in terms of their past reputations. Spending 16 million on one striker or 10 million on one defender, seriously compromised our spending on other areas. I believe we need to look towards a more long term strategy and build in two phases, if we survive, we need to first of build a team that returns us to mid table obscurity. Then once established again, look to push on to challenge for Europe. There are plenty examples of teams turning things around quickly, from being relegation candidates to Euro contenders. Everton would have one bad season followed by one good season with regularity, until they found their consistency a few years ago. Villa were in an awful mess until the new chairman and MON turned them into euro challengers the minute they walked in the door and Fulham this year, after looking down and out for much of last season, have an excellent chance of qualifying for Europe this season. The temptation will be that a few quality signings would have us emulating these teams and back where we should be. However I don’t believe this should be our policy, IMO we need a new way of thinking. What we’ve suffered from in recent years is a lack of competition. We need players to push each other for their place in the team, it’s been all too easy for certain players living off their past reputations knowing full well that there is no one ready to take their place. Of course this policy has back fired on us with our appalling injury record leaving certain positions exposed. First and foremost I believe we should be looking to create that competition at every position, we need many more players capable of playing in the first team, and a few less “stars”. We need to be looking for players with the hunger, potential and desire to compete for a first team spot and not for the next saviour at a problem position. No more Boumsongs, no more Collocinis, no more Luques and no more Owens. If we retain our PL status this year, hopefully this will be a reality check for the club and the supporters to lower our expectations and accept a long term process of rebuilding. For now I vote the right kind of quantity over the wrong kind of quality.

I'm at a 7 or 8 right now, but a win versus boro I'm at a 5, a draw I'd be at 8, a loss and it's a 10.

Depends on who the win is against if it comes against Boro, I tend to agree but if boro beat us or draw with us then looking at their remaining games, they've got a great chance of overhauling us. Villa at home atm is 3 pts for most teams in the leagyue and west ham away which on paper looked a tricky one would be one they would fancy their chances at getting at least a point. I think personally we'll need 5 pts, 1 win 2 draws, I'd certaily settle for that right now if someone offered me it and take our chances. Although I do worry about Manure on the last day of the season at Hull.

If true that is quite possibly the stupidest offer in the history of football, and Real should snap their bloody hands off.