Happy Face

Yep, I misundestood. Thought they were extending the Family enclosure that's in the Leazes now. I thought the number of seats in Leazes L7 was far more than in the corner, but having checked, it's just 6 sections in each, so it's a straight swap right? http://www.2-tickets.com/venues/StJamesPark.GIF

This is bogus man. I love my aisle seat. Perfect for running up and down the stairs when we score. Which will be a more frequent occurence next year too. Is it a good idea to squeeze all the young un's between the away fans and the ultra's? It's hardly going to be kiddy friendly banter being directed across that divide is it?

I know it's a good cause and i applaud the effort, but I can't help but think that if this does build up a head of steam it would put the club in an invidious position. If they refuse it's a slap in the face. If they accept it's a commitment to playing a fair sized club every year for little reward. Ipswich don't particularly benefit from a Newcastle visit like the lower league teams we'd normally visit, and Ipswich wouldn't draw a crowd to St James' like the European giants we normally invite over. I know it's not about benefitting the clubs, but I think the first team squad shouldn't be playing regular charity games.

I wonder what he was paid for the last 12 months.

I'm quite happy to see those that go regularly enjoy it. Not fucked about those that don't go but keep it to themselves. Anyone who doesn't go and claims any sort of bragging rights, I would take down in a torrent of bile filled vitriol so withering that they wouldn't dare say the 'f' word in my company ever again.

He's so cheap because they're writing off the Carr fee as part of the deal.

Someone told him theres a girl out there with love in her eyes and flowers in her hair.

Get him tied up and take the insurance if owt happens.

Shit like this.... http://global.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx/code-c/section-videos/pid-1003940829/ mackems.gif

He's a god over there. Has his own manga and shit iirc. He'd earn a shitload.

Re. your first point: he wanted to go to Liverpool and we outbid them and he wanted to be playing regularly in the run up to a World Cup. Liverpool have brought in Kuyt, Torres and Voronin since then though. ...and there's a world cup in two years time too. I just think he'd be off to a big club in a shot. Just like he'd be off to someone like Spurs or Everton if the money was better than he was being offered here for his next contract. He'd probably even go if they offered the same. The circumstances were very specifically suited to us getting him last time round. Lots of things have changed and they are nowhere near as suited to us hanging onto him now. I don't agree he'd be off to a 'big club' given that he left Real madrid to come here he could have stayed there. Everton or Spurs I could understand, especially if Berbatov goes. Do you not think he might now consider leaving Real Madrid to come here as a mistake. Because I do. Maybe, but I think he'd be most exasperrated by his own injuries, rather than the teams lacklustre league placings. "My contract is up next year but I'm very happy here, this is probably the most exciting time since I came to Newcastle." "I couldn't be happier with the fans and the new manager - I've enjoyed playing under him. I'm in probably the best part of my Newcastle career so far, and I hope there will be even better times ahead." You might argue that he's bound to say all the right things. But he never bowed to that kind of pressure under all the speculation that he was going last year. He remained tight lipped throughout, and I gave him a load of stick for not saying anything.

They haven't even opened negotiations so it's all conjecture. Who's to say they won't just offer the same contract and it'll be accepted?

Re. your first point: he wanted to go to Liverpool and we outbid them and he wanted to be playing regularly in the run up to a World Cup. Liverpool have brought in Kuyt, Torres and Voronin since then though. ...and there's a world cup in two years time too. I just think he'd be off to a big club in a shot. Just like he'd be off to someone like Spurs or Everton if the money was better than he was being offered here for his next contract. He'd probably even go if they offered the same. The circumstances were very specifically suited to us getting him last time round. Lots of things have changed and they are nowhere near as suited to us hanging onto him now. I don't agree he'd be off to a 'big club' given that he left Real madrid to come here he could have stayed there. Everton or Spurs I could understand, especially if Berbatov goes.

Re. your first point: he wanted to go to Liverpool and we outbid them and he wanted to be playing regularly in the run up to a World Cup. Liverpool have brought in Kuyt, Torres and Voronin since then though. ...and there's a world cup in two years time too.

I think people are forgetting how we came to have Owen in the first place. He wanted first team football, he could have waited out his contract at Real Madrid then gone to a "Big" club on a Bosman, but he doesn't like to sit on the bench. Do people think Man U (Rooney/Teves/Scholes/Ronaldo), Chelsea (Drogba/Schevchenko/Anelka/Kalou) or Liverpool (Torres/Kuyt) are going to promise him first team football? Even if offers came in from the big clubs, which we accepted, I think Owen would think long and hard about moving. Even if we just agree to leave it until the end of next year, I think the chances are we would then offer him what he's asking for and he'd accept, he thrives on being first choice, getting a run of games and scoring regularly. He's not one to be rotated or a second choice.

You got me wondering what the table would look like in terms of goals per minutes played.... Pos standard Pos/Player Goals Minutes Minutes per goal 1 1 Cristiano Ronaldo 31 2746 89 2 2 Fernando Torres 24 2533 106 3 2 Emmanuel Adebayor 24 2928 122 4 11 Jermain Defoe 12 1605 134 5 5 Aiyegbeni Yakubu 15 2303 154 6 4 Roque Santa Cruz 19 3187 168 7 5 Dimitar Berbatov 15 2689 179 8 5 Robbie Keane 15 2714 181 9 11 Wayne Rooney 12 2181 182 10 9 Carlos Tevez 14 2677 191 11 5 Mwaruwari Benjani 15 2897 193 12 17 Frank Lampard 10 1954 195 13 10 John Carew 13 2546 196 14 14 Michael Owen 11 2175 198 15 17 Dean Ashton 10 2001 200 16 Obafemi Martins 9 2051 228 17 14 Nicolas Anelka 11 2575 234 18 11 Steven Gerrard 12 2840 237 19 17 Dave Kitson 10 2522 252 20 14 Gabriel Agbonlahor 11 3278 298 And Owen is still 14th. Only really shines a light on Defoe. Benjani drops too.

Can't find stats for the last 16 (Keegans) games and I'm not working it out myself, but in the last 8 games.... Scored 14 (5th best) Conceded 8 (4th best) Points 14 (5th best) That's all that I'm bothered about. I know stats from Allardyce's time were bad, that's why he got sacked.

You reckon he can hit nine goals in eleven games? For us? Ooooooooooh Just 2 short. So, no new contract for Owen then? Not on the same wage. Then you won't keep him. Owen can bugger off on a free after next season, and get a signing bonus at whatever UEFA-challenger club needs a top-quality striker. Those clubs, with no transfer fee, wouldn't have a problem managing his wages at 80k per week (his "cut" wage at NUFC) and he'd be at a club that might actually win something. Even better for him if it's in the NW, as he can sell his second home and the helicopter and save the money, thus making up his loss in wages. Same if he's sold this summer, though at least NUFC would recoup something for him, even if a meagre 7 mil (and Smith cost 6 mil...who sets these fees? It's utter insanity). See, here's what I don't understand: why do people think Owen should/would accept a cut? I wouldn't take a 30% cut in my wages. If I were offered such a deal, after finishing successfully on a major project for my employers (even if I'd had a serious illness and been out before that, say), I would say "F*** you" and find a different employer. Footballers are men too, with just as much (if not more) pride than any of the rest of us, and cutting wages is an insult. If I were in that position, I'd rather take the cut at a NEW employer than for the people who just spit in my face after I busted my arse for them. Especially if the new employer were a better one (more prestigious). Michael Owen is not Alan Shearer -- he has no ties to the Northeast other than his paycheque. Take that away and...what's keeping him here? It's not the scintillating football, or the bright prospects for his international career. His family lives in Wales, he said as much in a recent interview, and he commutes into Newcastle for work. Why insult him? Cutting his pay is an insult, which clearly says "you aren't worth what you're on, we don't really want you to stay." Without Owen, the new formation never would have even been thought up, and Newcastle might've been relegated, or at least further down the league. He's the top scorer in both League and total goals. He's captain. He's the best and most prestigious player at the club. He's finally fit (run of what, 20 matches?) and has scored 7 in the last 9. If the club turn around and offer him an insulting contract it only makes the club look bad. Especially since, let's be honest, Michael Owen is made of Teflon. Nothing sticks to this lad -- just enough rough edges to him (the horses and bit of gambling) to make him human, but he's so clean-cut he squeaks and he's an international and national favourite. Also -- a replacement could cost more than keeping him. Keeping him on the same terms would cost the club approximately 20-22 million over four years, correct? A replacement, if Crouch is being offered for 15 mil and Bent went last season for 17 mil, will cost between 12-15 mil in transfer fee, AT LEAST. So, then, that player would have to agree to wages of less than 7 million over 4 years, which comes to less than 34k/week -- just to break EVEN. This doesn't account for the loss of revenue from Owen, who moves a lot of kit internationally (and nationally) as well as providing royalties for the club for things like PES2008. All of that doesn't even add into the fact that Keegan -- the "messiah" manager -- has said Owen was to be his first and most important signing. If he doesn't get that, it could disrupt the club's relationship with Keegan, so there's the risk of the whole mess of ANOTHER new manager. For f***s sake, just pay the lad his extra money. Should he have been paid 100k/week to begin with? Probably not. But cutting it just doesn't make sense, in any way. Not financially, nor in terms of public relations. I can't imagine Ashley became a billionaire by not seeing the simplicity of this issue. I've been arguing that he should get a new contract througout this thread. It was a jokey change of heart because he only just fell short of what some people thought was a ridiculous target to set him just 2 months ago. He's shown his worth to the club and some. I do however have sympathy with Mort and Ashley. Their alleged £80K salary cap is sensible (at least for a few years until we get a grip on the ratio between wages and turnover) and should be maintained wherever possible. Owen's class and standing in the game, I think, make him a special case which should be used to attract cheaper up and coming stars. Owen on £100K and four Modric's on 50K is still cheaper (£300k/week) than Owen and four other over the hill internationals like Sol Campbell and Jonathan Woodgate all on £80K each (£400k/week)

Get him 2 and he can sit on the bench.

You reckon he can hit nine goals in eleven games? For us? Ooooooooooh Just 2 short. So, no new contract for Owen then? Not on the same wage.

I was hoping we'd replace some of our shite with a bit of younger class in the middle and at the back. Now I only hope we don't get arse raped on the likes of Owen, Martins and Zoggy.

Martins backflipped out of training on Friday when Keegan said he wasn't starting.

You reckon he can hit nine goals in eleven games? For us? Ooooooooooh Just 2 short.

That phrase: and his overall interview demeanour, voice and body language suggests to me (and yes I concede it's all down to personal interpretation) a man who is somewhat ill at ease with the current set up and he's probably still getting shit from certain quarters within the squad - this problem has been going on for so long now it's beyond a joke and nobody's been able to root out the cancer. Or I may just be over-reacting a bit. It has been known. I cannot for the life of me imagine ANY player preferring to have Allardyce in charge.......maybe Alan Smith, but fuck him.

Blatantly had a room full of lawyers pointing out each subsection's minor footnote in the appendices of his contract that states he's in breach if he says a bad word about what's going on at the club or the people employed therein above his position and how he could be sacked without a payoff if he says another word. If he's going to survive the failure of his soccer circus, he's got to tow the line. [/Daily Mail theory]