merlin

I agree - whilst we did well in the first half at the Emirates, the ball just would not 'stick' when it came into the area because there is no-one there with the physique and holding skill to worry their defenders - Owen will get goals alongside such a player but as you say, Viduka is now a fading force and we need someone like Ashton who would harry defenders and take the weight off Owen, who is as much out of place as a target man as was Jon Dahl Tomasson. Until we get such a player, we will continue to struggle to score goals.

I said this last week - Mort should have named and banned the culprits at KK's introduction meeting - we don't need them at SJP at all and it would be interesting to see their whining response.

Woodgate is the best CB I've seen playing for the Toon in 40 years - and that includes Moncur, Burton etc. The only drawback is his fitness - if he stays fit he is a real asset, if not he is not worth a big fee. There are some question marks over his lifestyle, but a great defender when fit ; no doubt about it.

Totally agree - just hope its the usual Sun crap.

You have not exactly picked the right teams to compare us with, have you ..!?? Reading, Derby, Wigan have all beaten us ; Bolton easily got a point last week at SJP(almost 3..) ; Boro not playing badly(witness Arsenal defeat at Riverside) and won't lie down at SJP, Mackems almost beat us at SOL and will try like hell at SJP..Brum away is always a difficult fixture ; only Fulham look like a team on the down, so don't be too sure they are all worse than us - unless we get some decent players in it will be a nervy end to the season.

You shouldn't be ashamed of bringing this up - I have mentioned this in the past few weeks and there are far too many who are just not able to acknowledge just how tough the run-in is ; they think we are better than any of the teams below us, despite our poor showing against these sides.. We have dropped 2 points against Bolton, and came close to losing in the end - it will NOT be a cakewalk until the end of the season and I guess KK knows it but cannot acknowledge the fact because he needs to create confidence in the players.

I agree with much of this, but we are in the position of beggars being unable to be choosers - he is a decent RB, but purely mercenary ; KK will find that there are very few Rob Lees about this time around..

Keegan had to be either a brilliant coach or a brain surgeon to do this. But he is neither. Anyway, are the people saying that Martins can learn to resolve his obvious deficits by good coaching the same who thought Bramble could overcome his concentration blackouts? This is absolutely true.

Not true - people DO go on about Brazilian tactics..Brazil have arguably the biggest pool of potential stars to pick from in World football with their population of around 170,000,000, most of whom are mad about the game, but they went 24 years without winning the WC, despite having teams in 1982 and 1986 who were streets ahead of others, man for man , AND played great attacking football.. It wasn't until 1994 when Carlos Alberto Perreira made them a tougher team to play against(and beat) that they won the trophy again.. he was constantly criticized in Brazil for his more considered approach, but it paid off - the same happened in 2002, so be under no illusion - even the masters have to compromise sometimes and i want us to do the same if it means bringing silverware..

People are going to have to be patient - it will not be as easy to get the players KK wants as it was when he was here before - there is far more competition now. Ashton WOULD be a good signing(always thought he would do well here)and so would Richards, but its looking highly unlikely now ; I rate Bentley, but the chances of him coming at this time are not great - hope I'm wrong.

Spot on Dave - we cannot play exactly the same way as before ; we NEED to be able to defend Free-kicks/corners etc., AND learn how best to profit from them when they are given to US.. Burridge is a bit of a strange lad, but decent with it, and what he says about the Maiden Castle training sessions is essentially true - I have heard to before from a person who was there regularly, involved with the players, and whose word I would trust implicitly.

I'm laughing at all this - amid all the hype about KK returning, I think you will find that Mr Shepherd has not heard the last from Newcastle United....just keep watching..!!!

In the late 60s/early 70s, Leeds were hated by the southern media - players like Bremner and Giles(who were really talented)were slated as dirty, cynical bast---s, and Leeds generally for their 'cynicism & time wasting' etc. etc..When Arsenal started to challenge them, they had a REALLY dirty swine(Peter Storey) in midfield, but there wasn't much said about THAT..!! I have already said that, had I been Mort, I would have named the sports journalists who had slated the club with snide remarks over the past few weeks at KK's Press conference, and BARRED them from SJP for the foreseeable future - I don't WANT us to be the country's 'second-favourite team' , I want them to hate us because we win first and entertain our OWN fans ... I don't care if we play like Leeds did away from home - STUFF them all, we do need a siege mentality both of the pitch and in the Dressing Room..

Agreed - good post KeithK..but his sale in 1997 was the start of our downfall - I reckon KD would have done OK if Sir Les had been available that season.

Not surprised at all - watched the recording, and they played as well as any team I've seen play Liverpool at Anfield ; very competitive, always after the second ball(one of our biggest failings) and very unlucky not to have won - are all the knockers ready to surrender about MON yet !?? STILL think Allardyce is better !!.....

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Fabulous winger who virtually invented the bending free-kick(it was called 'The Falling Leaf'). Felipao is right about him, but he died far too young..will always remember seeing his amazing dribbles on TV when I was a kid.

I'm really looking forward to seeing KK's judgment on this - whatever anyone else thinks, he is the man that counts...in my view, one of these guys will be doing the journey by the season's end ; if Owen stays fit and looks interested, Martins will be the one to go unless KK thinks he can get more out of him than we've seen already - in fact, BOTH of them could well end up leaving fairly soon.

I am waiting to see what responses people are going to make to the statement by KK that he rates Viduka very highly and would like to have played alongside him....after some of the comments about him in the past, are the critics now going to say KK is wrong, or that , as KK rates him, they have changed their minds.!!

If Keegan had of been here against those teams we'd have gone out to win and would have probably done so. There's no way you can guarantee that Mick - they might have played the Bolton way and still nicked the points; KK WILL improve things, but he can't put what's missing from many of teh squad, pace and skill. If we sign some players, things should improve but I am NOT going to be complacent about the problems - if others wish to be so that is their perogative.

After one season in the Fizzy, the so-called 'parachute payments' stop - do you honestly think that Ashley will want to hang around financing a club in order to escape from the Championship ?? Look at Wolves - Jack Hayward spent loads trying to get them up(a famous old club like ourselves) and they are still down there.. YOU have a word with yourself..ffs.! There have been plenty of examples of clubs who thought they were too good to go down and no-one is safe until those points are on the board. And as for the 'crap teams' below us, I would have more belief in that statement if we had been able to beat them - take Derby for instance, or Wigan.....

bollocks we are You are in for a wake-up call...there is some coffee brewing - smell it..

Totally correct.

That about sums it up..

As Chris Mort is reputed to have said, Shearer should become a manager at a smaller club before taking over at Newcastle - that is why I wanted Tony Mowbray..he has at least proved himself a capable manager at two clubs whose aspirations are not as great as Newcastle's, and with far less resources.. Not only that, but he has done it by playing attacking football.. We cannot afford for Shearer to come in and fail no matter how much of a hero he was on the field. I did not expect KK to be in the running for the job and we must hope that he can pull off the trick twice, but he has at least proven himself at other clubs too, if not spectacularly. He now knows the true extent of the job facing him and, as with ANYONE who had been given the job, must be allowed to choose his own staff etc without any pressure from fans etc - if he fails, he will face the same fate as any other manager who fails, so it should be after he has made his own bed... I have always thought Shearer strong-minded enough to be a good manager(unlike, say Beardsley), but he will have to prove it first.