KaKa

So the owner is still looking to spend money on players? I am so confused by the current situation ...

I just hope everyone stays focused and this doesn't unsettle the team all over again in the new year. Joe is obviously very popular with the players, so if they do decide to change managers again, they had better have someone who everyone would back form the outset in mind.

I'd like to see Owen learn a thing or two from Martins. Being able to shoot with both feet and actually shooting from outside the box once in a while. They are both different players. It's something we have to accept.

If Martins plays like this every week or just consistently I won't mind being wrong again to be honest and I hope he does. I actually like the lad, one of only a handful of our players I actually like as people and that's because he genuinly wants to do well whenever he plays or thats how it seems anyway, i.e. he cares about his own performances which I always like in a player and regard as a good character trait in a person. Pride, self respect? So, so true ... Once again after the goal his performance level went up another notch and he felt and even looked unstoppable at times. The day it finally clicks and he can just go out there from the start with 100% confidence and self belief ... look out.

Would really suck if a big deal was made out of this. I am actually very grateful to Agbonlahor for not going down and being an idiot about it.

I actually think the comparison with Fashanu is a bit misleading. Yes, they're both target men, but Fashanu was just a thug who wouldn't have survived in the Premiership of today. Refs are a lot stricter and Fash the Bash was pretty useless with the ball on the deck. Shola will conjure up one or two situations every game that you don't really expect from a tall, gangly striker. He'll go past someone or produce a really imaginative pass. That's what separates him from Fashanu. Not so much the skill set but more the body type. I do think Kinnear has got Shola doing a bettr job of competing for aerial balls without fouling the defender everytime and also of just holding the ball up by shielding it with his body. Shola has been doing a much better job of these two things recently than ever before, and these are the things we have always needed him to do a much better job of.

Kinnear is very familiar with the likes of Fashanu and Ekoku who are quite similar to Shola in a lot of ways and I think this has allowed him to get through to Shola. It's been great to see. Could be a solid backup target man if he is happy with such a role going into the future.

That's what I love about him. He doesn't tend to continually make the same mistakes, but continually adjusts to what is infront of him. Has a ton of courage and desire too. Love him.

Roeder was always a pushover, and I think it is pretty much accepted that Roeder's initial success was more down to Shearer's influence. I think Kinnear is a lot more of a stronger personality, so that comparison is a harsh one imo. It's so typical isn't it. I could see Kinnear doing alright with the support of the dreaded system, as it has got us some decent players, albeit not enough of them, but I could see Kinnear working within it especially as he gets on with Wise etc. however, Jimenez has already legged it and the situation is just such a mess now. You have to wonder though ...

One thing that stands out to me is the improvement in Shola and Taylor. I think Taylor is at least making an effort to be more assertive and agressive under Kinnear. Tonight was his best performance in a while and for the first time I didn't see him backing off players anymore! Now if he would just put those darned hands of his down! Shola has been a revelation. I just can't believe he's the same player. He is making everyone's job easier by doing all the dirty work upfront like Heskey has been for England recently. Oddly enough Joes history with Wimbledon and the type ofplayers he worked with back then, has been very good for Shola, Taylor and even Coloccini, as he has managed to get them playing with more aggression, effort and assertiveness, which is something we desperately needed from our centre backs and target man. God bless JK to be honest. Took the gig when everyone else was pretty much shitting on us, and I hope he is rewarded greatly for it with future success wherever he ends up.

Don't mess with the Weapon of Mass Destruction! A volatile mixture of brilliance and frustration, but ultimately I would have him out there 100% of the time. He is not fun to defend and he will score goals. Simple as that.

Absolutely shocking player. Said it all along.

I'd put Coloccini in the 'trusted' camp. I think this is his type of game, playing against nippier, ball-playing attackers is what he'll be used to. If he plays Taylor, he'll get the job of trying to block Carew. You'd think that's how it would pan out wouldn't you? Except somehow Colo always seems to be the one attacking the headers while Taylor is usually running backwards towards the goal line. Colo definitely takes on a lot more responsibility for our defence. I hardly ever notice taking charge of situations, and I'm not just saying it to disparage the guy, it's honestly how I feel. The poor sod can't even speak English yet. Give him until he can shout his arse off at Taylor properly before you judge him. Forgot to insert Taylors name between notice and taking. Taylor is the one who doesn't take enough responsibility back there basically.

Milner will be cheered all night because he'll do what he always does. Woefully underhit or overhit every cross. Have every shot blocked. Fall over his own feet trying to do a step over. Go past his man then check back for no reason but to get his cross blocked. Hit the first man on every corner. Play his passes too quickly. Delay his passes for too long. Hit his passes too long. Hit his passes too short. Get caught on the ball. Get caught napping by the fullback. etc etc etc. Milner will likely be one of the reasons we get a result tonight.

I'd put Coloccini in the 'trusted' camp. I think this is his type of game, playing against nippier, ball-playing attackers is what he'll be used to. If he plays Taylor, he'll get the job of trying to block Carew. You'd think that's how it would pan out wouldn't you? Except somehow Colo always seems to be the one attacking the headers while Taylor is usually running backwards towards the goal line. Colo definitely takes on a lot more responsibility for our defence. I hardly ever notice TAYLOR!!! taking charge of situations, and I'm not just saying it to disparage the guy, it's honestly how I feel.

We will need a good amount of luck. Carew's power and Agbonlahor's pace do not matchup well with our defence at all. Taylor will definitely struggle with both, and Coloccini, who I like, might struggle a fair bit against Carew. I have a bad feeling Taylor will have a huge stinker tonight. I hope I'm wrong though. A result tonight would be massive.

El Diablo he will never be critisized in the same way because of the way he approaches the games. For example the absurd cross he hit the other night, yes it was terrible, but you still had to appreciate the burst of energy and pace he used to get into that position in the first place. Also, after he mishit the ball, he looked devastated. The thing is, no one can question his effort and desire out on the pitch and his performance clearly matters to him. Also, no one can question the fact that he is, for the most part, very exciting to watch. Therefore even when he makes mistakes it's all a lot more bearable than most others on our team, who tend to look like their going through the motions when they aren't having the best of times out there.

Love the way you write half a page listing all of Martins faults but at the end grudgingly admit we still need him Love the way you ignore the fact that beggars can't be choosers - that is what I was saying, and NUFC ARE beggars in today's Prem ; IF Martins scores 20 goals and saves us from relegation, THEN I may agree he is a top Prem striker...Do you see this happening ? Right now, we even need Ameobi , but only because we have nobody else..get the picture..!?? I don't think anyone is arguing he is a top prem striker as he has a ways to go before we can say that. However, to claim, as some have done, that he is no good is just silly. He is certainly one of our most useful players.

Bassong and Cacapa are so far ahead of Taylor it's daft man Taylor is in the team as the big stopper. Those two are far better defenders but pair them with Coloccini and we might be vulnerable in the air. We are even with Taylor in there tbh. he stops f*** all and backs off all the time though. Anyone would think he's the sweeper If there is one thing that I find unforgiveable in a defender it is when they continously back off an advancing attacker. I hate it with a passion. It is probably my biggest problem with Taylor. Justin Hoyte is another who specializes in this brainless tactic. Face up to the player, try and time it right and get a challenge in. I have seen Taylor back off till he is literally just outside the 6 yard box. It is criminal. If anything you want to make sure you get your challenge in before the opposing player is in the penalty box for goodness sake. It makes me cry.

Horribly depressing really.

That is an insane comment.

Even in the West Brom game, yes we were diabolical in the second half, but we were still in the lead and had done well in the first half to be in that situation, but the atmosphere got so edgy when we were struggling, it couldn't have made things any easier for the players.

If Martins played in a team that attacked well consistently, he would soon settle and produce consistently himself. I really don't think people appreciate how dysfunctional the team has been since he cam to the club. People keep comparing him to an experienced and seasoned prem player in Owen. However, Martins is nowhere near as established and he is still trying to figure things out as a young striker who only became a regular first teamer after joining us. I'm not surprised to hear he is amazing in training but is struggling to translate this into performances in actual games. He will definitely get better and I hope it will be at Newcastle.

I love the way everyone loves Cisse now, after he scored one goal against us and then hit the post. The abuse that was dished out whenever he was mentioned this summer was unreal. Interesting ...

I think the thing we also have to remember is that Martins has done well to get into a lot of the positions he got into, even though his final ball then let him down. I think with a run of games he will be more hit than miss, although he will always still have those odd moments. He brings such an explosiveness to our attacks and defenders are clearly unsettled by him. You only have to look at that slip by the defender in the first half. These sorts of things tend to happen around him I have noticed. Owen has been very good but we have to figure out a way to have them both on the pitch. Owen would capitalize on the uncertainty Martins causes in other teams defences. Dropping Martins for an Owen and Shola partnership, would soon have us begging for Martins to be re-introduced to the team. That I am sure of.