merlin

Yes - absolutely sublime skill and done in an instant - also agree about Pele's dummy against Uruguay, and there was also his shot from inside his own half, also in the 70 WC, against the Czechs when he spotted the keeper off his line...

This is true - a much better player than Ronaldo will ever be ; I would snap their hands off for 100m pounds..his main strength is in his dribbling/stepovers etc. A good defender can neutralize him far more easily than they could Pele because Pele had more talent in his locker..the only way they stopped Pele was by illegal means(Portugal in the 66 WC), and there is no way those cynical fouls would be allowed bt today's referees. Think how Enrique made Ronaldo switch wings against us at OT - and Enrique is still finding his feet in the Prem. There are some on here advocating that we sell Owen, yet would keep Ronaldo - incredible ! Man U would far more easily replace Ronaldo(with 1 or 2 class players)than would NUFC replace Owen - that is the size of the gap now facing KK and Co if we want to ever compete in the Top 4 again.

The difference is that the 'Big 4' don't NEED him - they can all sign top strikers from elsewhere - NUFC CAN'T. Its time for people to get a reality check about the club's position and standing in the game - we have improved but we are still a bottom-half club and that is how top young players will see us - esp ones from abroad.

Exactly - NUFC will be WAY down the list of potential clubs for any top young striker ; in our current state, we would have even struggled to get into the race for Shearer had he been in his prime at Blackburn now, never mind compete with Man U for him.. Strikers are the most sought-after players in World football - if we are to replace the likes of Owen, it will have to be either from within(which is a long process), or snap up a youngster from another club(either abroad or from the lower leagues)who shows potential. The only other way is to sign several players who can contribute a reasonable number of goals each - such as replacing Viduka with Ashton etc., but to replace Owen's scoring ability with a top-rated striker is not an available option for the club at this time. IF he can be kept fit, I would re-sign him like a shot, and only Specialist medical experts can tell you that.. Then again, knowing what many fans think of him, he may not WANT to stay - its all speculation.

A VERY good point - applies to N'Zogbia as well..

or they provide what they think society wants hence why the tabloids outsell the broadsheets and why the broadsheets have been dumbing down for years. want to know why we have a s*** press/media ?.........take a look at the society it is catering for. Totally agree, but this is because the Politically inspired dumbing-down of the Education system has created this society....

The media as an entity are absolutely crap - they just don't do their jobs and write anything that their Media Baron owners want them to write ; they are the scum of the earth and more seriously, pawns of the State..

The Coach IS important - Fazackerly got much praise from KK when he was manager in his first spell and Kk also took him to Man C(he is still there, I believe), so it is possible that Hughton has made a difference. It is probably a combination of several things - KK's preferred pass/move game, players being fit for longer, new attitude from coaching staff, and at this time, the pressure of getting a win being removed.

I used to agree with that sentiment. Thought the sacking was premature. However, since leaving he can't keep his gob shut so f*** him. Oh aye, don't get me wrong, he's been dissing us a lot since he left, and i dont like that. However, he is bitter, and i dont blame him. If i had been sacked and treated the way he had at Newcastle, i'd be bitter too. I still think he has a lot to offer as a manager, as a person he seems a bit of a c***, but as a manager, very good. Nonsense, frankly - the guy was a victim of a takeover situation and eventually, the new bosses didn't fancy him as boss ; this happens to many ordinary people when companies get taken over, but most just have to get on with finding a new job - and they don't have the benefit of a multi-million pound pay-off either..!!!

I'm just hoping that, with a new coaching and back-room set up, KK can do this time what he should have been able to do last time - finally put our trophy curse to flight and finish the job he so ably did from 92-97. The signs look good, and crucially, we look better defensively than during periods of his previous spell in charge - if we can sign a couple of really good Central defenders and a midfield general, we could be heading for good times again, but there is still much to be done ; we also will need to beef up the squad generally to cope with injuries, and Viduka will need replacing as target man very soon, so the re-building job will not be cheap. As long as we see progress next season - and for a club like NUFC that means achieving European Football - we'll all be happy

Said when I first saw him that he reminded me of Irving Nattrass, who I thought was our best RB in years - Yesterday's performance was indeed reminiscent of Nattrass, and its a pity Beye wasn't 5 years' younger or, as has been said, we WOULD have the best full-back pairing in years, and one of the best in the league. If he keeps fit, he will be a great asset next season.

This is spot-on.

An excellent way to put relegation fears to bed - one of the best home performances of the season, although it took a while to get going . Once the first one went in, there was little doubt about the result.. All 3 goals were well taken, and the second & third really well constructed. Edgar looked shaky at first, but gradually improved - a superb display from Beye, his best since signing, and Enrique continues to find his feet in the Prem - this boy is going to be some player by the time he is 25.. Congrats due to KK for deploying Owen in a withdrawn role(this suits his loss of some pace since his injuries, and shows he is still a potent force inside the box), and for getting Viduka something like fit. All 3 forwards played well, and I am pleased to see that KK has obviously had the coaches working on his vision and technique - this is improving now. Finally, a word of praise for Chris Hughton - its no coincidence that performances have improved since his arrival...!

I said as much in my post after the Spurs game - the lad really has got talent.

This is a question which hardly needs to be asked - remember that famous thread - 'Given beaten easily again from long Range'..!?? It was discussed ad infinitum then, but it has been obvious that the defence has looked far more confident with Harper behind them(I doubt that Given would have made the save Harper did early in the Spurs game, and he had no chance at all with Bent's header). At present, Harper should be between the sticks - maybe in time KK will buy another keeper, but Harper is doing nothing that deserves to cost him his place, and in my view, should NOT have been dropped by Allardyce when Given became fit again.

Reckon he's a 'possible' signing, but no better than that - maybe convinced if KK manages to make a couple of really eye-catching signings early in the Close Season, but otherwise, he is likely to go elsewhere or stay at Blackburn

This looks a cert right now, although I hope I'm wrong and we do them ; think they will score first too....

Smith's assessment of Ronaldo is spot-on - if defenders learnt how to time tackles properly, and stay on their feet longer, he wouldn't look half so effective ; I thought Enrique dealt with him very well at OT - he had to change wings to get any joy....

An excellent line-up.

Getting excited about comments from such self-humiliating wasters as Greaves is not worth the bother - Was a great player in his time, but any talent he had was in his boots ; clearly at the back of the queue when brains were handed out...

Lucky ba*tard. I'm in SA and the game started at 12.30 - not good if you have to work the next day. I hope your mining boom continues - I might have to move over there. The Boom is forecast to go on for at least 20 years(although there may be a short hiccup in it because the Chinese may be making less if the US is in recession for long) - truck drivers in the mining areas are earning over $120,000 p.a. - not bad eh..? Many people earning big bucks ..

Thanks to the end of Daylight Saving here in WA, was able to watch the whole game before midnight - and what a pleasure it was. The best display I can remember from a Newcastle side for some years ; every player did his bit(not before time) and Butt was immense - he and Geremi had possibly their best games for the club and whilst these players are not going to be part of the club's long-term future, they have probably helped to ensure Premiership football by their part in last night's performance. Martins also had an excellent match, using his pace to best effect and the combination with Owen and Viduka up front at last showed signs of working well. I cannot understand why some on here criticize Enrique so much - until later in the game, he was at least decent at LB, and although some long balls were wasteful, his passing on the ground was generally accurate.This is a young foreign player in his first Prem season in a struggling side, and I think the boy shows every sign of making it. Likewise, those Owen knockers should surely now be eating humble pie - 3 goals in 3 games, all of them crucial(the third in this game effectively killed Spurs off) have made a critical difference to where NUFC will finish this season.He is NOT the speedy striker he was, but he still has a devastating ability to get into goalscoring positions, and the finish in this game was superb, after a great link between Martins, Viduka(what a great dummy to give Owen the chance),lifted over the keeper brilliantly. Although he is not my favourite player, Barton also was excellent - his most effective game in a Newcastle shirt, and his pass to Martins, after breaking up a Spurs attack, helped to put the Icing on the cake . Spurs looked relatively uninterested, but I don't think they would have wanted to lose so heavily at WHL, so all in all, a great performance. We need a win over Reading now and the game against the Mackems could become much less fraught. This match was just a significant to the club's future as David Kelly's late late winner against Pompey 16 years ago - a win against Reading will probably be as significant as the last-day win at Leicester was in the same season.... Very well done to all concerned, and I am delighted for KK and Ashley ; both have provided great input to this club in their own ways.

I reckon he will leave, either for Everton or Man C - and will do well for either of them, regardless of what some on this site think. He is NOT the player he was even 7 years ago, but still has enough in his locker to be an attribute to either of these sides. He has never felt at home at SJP and the move has not been a lucky one for him, apart from the fact that he has picked up big money without playing as much as he should have done - also, many fans have never taken to him because he doesn't fit in with their picture of a Newcastle hero. He is too calculating and , dare I say, 'professional' for many NUFC fans ; they prefer the uncomplicated, seemingly open attitude of people like Martins, even though he will NEVER be as effective a striker as Owen has been no matter how some keep going on about his supposed 'potential' which should have been apparent by now - Owen was a World star at 19.... He was honest enough to let it be known that he wanted to return to Liverpool after Madrid, and NUFC needed him at that time just as much as he needed them, so it was a 'marriage of convenience'. His goals may yet be a major factor in saving the club from relegation, and if that does turn out to be the case, he will have been worth every penny, despite his long absences in the past - NONE of which he wanted to happen. As to his replacement, I haven't a clue - I DO know that there has to be one, because if anyone is relying on Martins to score enough goals to keep the club in a prominent position, they will be disappointed. KK, you can be sure, will NOT make that mistake, but he will have a hell of a job getting a top striker to SJP, and not only do we need one of Owen's type, we also need a replacement Target man as Viduka is clearly getting past top flight football now.

Disagree - the boy has ability ; he is a good passer of the ball and looks as if he has the temperament to develop into a good defender as well as possessing enough skill to support the attack. These qualities make him a 'KK full-back' as well as being a potential Spanish full International.

Don't think thats ever been a problem really. We attracted the likes of Martins from Inter Milan and Owen from Real Madrid when we were s*** mid-table teams. Money talks these days really tbh. Neither of these are valid comparisons - Owen was unwanted by his No 1 choice of club(they, like everyone else, were not prepared to pay over the top for himand he also wanted to get enough football to enable him to get into the England squad for the WC. Martins is hardly a world star, and we paid at least 3m more for him than we should have done... It WILL be difficult to get the TOP players to join NUFC now.