KaKa

Huntington is an idiot.

That sucks! Luque was really looking good so far.

Ramage looks like he might do a lot better under Sam too. I might just be coming around to having him as fourth choice centre-back.

Rozehnal is one sexy footballer. Nice calm presence at the back.

Considering the players we have out there the defence has been solid apart from Iaquinta giving Huntington some trouble. Credit to Sam I think.

Luque is winning a ton of balls in the air! Who the hell is this guy? Surely nnot the same player?

Geremi's corners are excellent.

Very dodgy by Milner to win the penalty. Very happy for Luque though looks a lot more confident and up for it. Huntington is pathetic at left-back. Never aware of where Iaquinta is but keeps watching the ball instead.

And in his case all the time ...

He like every one else needs to get warmed up for the season. We were told it was nothing serious and he would be fully fit and ready to go for today. So why would it be a risk to play him today if he was fit? He clearly isn't because he is still injured just as he has been his whole freakin' life! He's a freakin' professional injury victim who occassionally suffers from a game of football every now and then, and yes I do have that the right way around. 3rd rant over

He's a loser and a lady because he's injured? Yes. That is correct. I believe we were told that it was just a thigh strain and he would be back for this game were we not? Well where is he then? Owen is as soft as a wet piece of tissue paper for goodness sake. I mean can a human being be any softer or fragile? 2nd rant over

Michael Owen is such a loser. So happy Martins is staying and Luque is giving it a go here, because at least we will always have a good number of options to fill in for the permcrock that is lady Owen. Rant over now. 8)

I don't think it's all that bad, but I do think he is basically saying we will be shopping abroad for the rest of the defenders we want to bring in. Claudio Cacapa is a very experienced and good defender but was injured a lot last season for Lyon. If he is over that he would be a good signing I think.

Losing hope of landing a new left-back Jul 29 2007 by Neil Farrington, Sunday Sun NEWCASTLE boss Sam Allardyce has admitted he is losing hope of landing a new left-back as the Premier League season fast approaches. And he has reiterated that he fears he will have to gamble on more foreigners to plug the gaps right across United’s defence. Having cast his net far and wide this summer and been linked recently with Reading’s Nicky Shorey, Allardyce last night declared: “Left backs? There aren’t any. “There was the lad at Lyon (Eric Abidal) that went to Barcelona who is probably the best one around, but you look for the rest and say to yourself: ‘Where are they?’ “A lot of them are converted left-wingers, so they’re attacking-minded, whereas I’ve got the opposite slant on that. “We’re attacking-minded as a squad. I need defensive solidarity and players who think defensively; natural defenders. They’re not easy to find.” As for his general search for defensive reinforcements, Allardyce added: “The choice is more limited here (in England). They are fewer and farther between than they were. “If I had been quick enough or had been in place as Newcastle manager sooner, I’d have looked at more Premiership free transfers. “I tried for one — Tal Ben Haim — and if Sylvain Distin had still been available when I’d been here, he’d have been here. “If you put Ben Haim and Distin here now, it would make a huge difference. You’d already have secured the problems with your defence, basically. “You’d probably just look for a left-back of the right sort of experience and, perhaps, a right-back and you'd be looking forward to August 11. “But that centre-back we need may not be in this country now.” The Sunday Sun can reveal Allardyce is to be offered the chance to land Brazilian stopper Claudio Cacapa, a free agent since leaving Lyon, ahead of Greek giants Panathinaikos. http://icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk/newcastleunited/sundaysun/tm_headline=losing-hope-of-landing-a-new-left-back%26method=full%26objectid=19535650%26siteid=50081-name_page.html

Yes.

John O'Shea anyone ...

Not quite ready for that level of responsibility I don't think.

Therein lies the problem ...

I think you ought to be more worried about losing Zokora for a month or so. Your central midfield isn't great as it is so who the hell partners Jenas for a month? That 5th spot is looking unrealistic for Tottenham in my opinion.

What a clown for staying at the premiership champions... By the way this kind of talk gets a bit old. The guy never played anymore, Wes Brown was cover at CB and Heinze and Evra play at left-back. It's all very good being with the champions but it has to be the worst feeling when you don't contibute a damn thing. It's not like he is being approached by a championship club or anything! We might not be champions but we have some promise with a good manager, who Ferguson himself rates highly, and with new ownership and other good players joining the club. So please all this talk of staying with the champions is a bit much. You don't as a player stay at a club just because their champions if you aren't given an opportunity to play, especially if you are pretty decent and all.

What a clown for staying at the premiership champions... Well it doesn't sound like he wants to stay does it. He's turned us down on the basis of Barton being at the club. I think it is common knowledge that Man U are willing to let him go as Lyon and Bordeaux have also enquired I believe.

This is getting worrying now. We really need some players. Silvestre is an idiot if this is true.

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce is chasing a series of targets with proven quality and experience the main requirements, and for that reason, is not in the market for wantaway West Brom star Curtis Davies. Steven Taylor earned his manager's wrath for needlessly aggravating an ankle injury against Celtic, although the damage is not thought to be too serious. However, while Allardyce has high hopes for the 21-year-old, he wants to surround him with old heads. He said: "I am looking for experienced defenders. I have Steven Taylor, who is a very, very young and very, very good prospect, and I would put Curtis Davies alongside Steven Taylor. "They are both in their early 20s and in the Premiership, that would be the wrong thing to do. "Somebody with more experience needs to be brought in as well as David Rozehnal, who has been pretty impressive in the time he has been here. "Peter Ramage did a terrific job in the first half with Paul Huntington gaining more experience. "I have got Huntington, Steven Taylor and Peter Ramage - I don't need the inexperience of Curtis Davies, as good a player as he is. "He is definitely a Premiership player, but I need more experience in there in those positions to achieve the clean sheets we would be looking for in the Premiership." Get a feeling Taylor won't be in the starting lineup next season, which might be a good thing. Bring him along a little bit slower. If we sign someone like Campbell or Hyypia then Taylor can take over in a years time or so.

None of you see Geremi playing in the centre of the park then? People would rather Milner there? Yikes!

Forget Emre ... if we play three in midfield, it should be Butt, Barton and Geremi. Geremi has said he would play anywhere today, but also confirmed that his favourite position is CM and that is where Allardyce told him he wanted him to play when he signed. Best news I've heard all day, thought he was brilliant there last night.