Chris_R

Sir Bobby is a real gent, a fantastic human being and I wish him well in his retirement and I sincerely hope that it will be for many happy years. Thanks Sir Bobby for all you did for us. And to all the WUMs - Get a life lads. Just because he didn't crawl over broken glass with his flies undone to manage the club for free doesn't mean he isn't one of us.

The thing is though, FIFA won't allow women in mens squads. They can say it's because women are not as physically strong enough, but personally I think it's because the men in suits are scared in case a few are actually good enough to get in. They want to keep the delusion of grandeur. Plenty of men aren't physically strong enough to play professional football, but they'd be allowed to try! If Newcastle can find a female footballer who is better than the men, then let's sign her. However I can't see that at this stage - The only woman I've seen with any talent is that Brazilian Marta. And whether she's genuinely talented or just good compared to those she's playing against is open to interpretation. I mean, I remember Celestine Babayaro showboating on his debut against someone really crap like Stevenage (Might well have been them) in the FA cup, but he was quickly found out against decent players. I'm not saying Marta isn't as good as the men, but just that the question remains. I'd be happy to see her given a chance in the men's game though, but I understand the reasons why women are kept out of the men's game at the moment. If women were allowed in the men's game, it would become a circus with teams signing women for publicity etc rather than based on their talent. OK, this would quickly die down and the women would have to fight for places on their own merits but initially I think it's fair to say it would be a shambles. Perhaps it's a shambles we should allow? Ultimately, at the moment I don't think there's many, if any, women footballers who would make it at even the lower end of the professional game but in theory if they're good enough they should be allowed to play, I can't find a rational argument against that. I just don't think they're good enough. That's not to say they can't be one day, but I don't think that day is now or indeed any time soon.

I've no problem with the women being compensated for playing, but we've got to remember the level the women's game is at currently. At the moment there's not enough interest in the women's game at club level to make it possible for women to become full-time professional footballers in this country. If there was, then they would be. If they were, then they wouldn't be complaining about losing 2 weeks pay from their regular jobs while heading off to the World Cup. If there's not enough interest from the public to make it worthwhile for teams to go professional, then that's because the standard of the product offered does not, in the opinion of the consumer, warrant it. Therefore the women players (Like most male players, myself included in my Sunday league team!) remain amateur. We, like they, play for fun. The FA turning round and saying that they'll give the women a couple of thousand extra for 5 weeks every 4 years is not going to change the reality of this situation. Women aren't staying at home instead of representing England at the World Cup because they can't afford to. To add one further point, the Women's World Cup has been on the sporting calendar for years now. It coming round shoulnd't be a surprise to any aspiring female footballers. Surely all employers give paid holidays these years? Did the ladies not have the foresight to book these couple of weeks well in advance? OK, perhaps they don't get 5 weeks holiday allocation but 2-3 weeks paid plus the rest unpaid and then 5 weeks worth of pay from the FA should make up the shortfall for the other couple of weeks, even if it's below your normal rate of pay. I mean, surely if you're planning on possibly going to these events this is the sort of thing you consider, right? Hell, I booked most of the men's World Cup off and I was only watching it in the pub!

Cheers. Now you say Villa it all comes flooding back. Would certainly have fancied our chances against them a hell of a lot more than against Man U or Arsenal. Oh well. I just keep thinking that all these losses and near misses will make the party all the more immense when we do finally win something. I just hope that I live long enough to see it!

Remember the goal (great cross by Shearer), but not much about the game itself other than we p#ssed all over them. Who would it have been in the final, I can't even remember that.

For me, it's not about the results (Luck can have a massive effect short-term) or the signings (Who could take a few months to bed in), it's about the tactics and mentality he employs. Going to Reading, Derby and Sunderland to play for a draw is shambolic and unacceptable. That's my cause for complaint. He needs to change this outlook of his, and play for a win with wingers on the (Correct) wings. Until he does that, then he's not right for the job IMO. I'll give him time, but that's not time to win matches or get results. As already stated that's something that I'm not too bothered about anyway as there's a lot of work to be done here and some things will take time. The time I'm giving him is to realise what a muppet he's been at these grounds and set his stall out for a win in our easier away games. FFS, West Ham showed how it should be done last week - They went to Derby and stuck 5 past them. That's what we should have looked to do. If we failed, so what. I could live with that. What I can't accept is this god-awful long ball, wingerless, let-sneak-a-nil-nil shit we've been served up on the road so far under Sam.

Good shout. He did it for Lyon for long enough. Not sure what his English is like but if he can speak the lingo to any degree then I'd think he'd be a good choice.

No-brainer for me, Ashley every time. If for no other reason than that judging from that now famous photo, he's got a much better pair of tits than Quinny.

Delayed reaction for me. When I realised it had gone in I was jumping round but I think I was taking a swig of my pint as he hit it and wasn't looking at the screen, looked up to see it creep in the corner and wasn't too sure how it had got there, as half a second prior there'd been no danger whatsoever.

No, he just needs to be played on the right wing. Being a right winger and all.

You GO for a win, but a draw would still be welcome. This isn't going 1-0 up and being fairly happy if it ended 1-1. When you set out to draw.. your likely to loose 1-0. With our lack of pace upfront, setting counter attacks are also very difficult. Your missing the point, what he says infront of the cameras and to the team are two completely different things. Funny how the players play according to what he says to the cameras, rather than to what you're alleging he says to the team.

I remember Paul Brayson being touted as the next Michael Owen. Predictably he then disappeared up his own arse.

He succeeded instantly. Not sure on how long most were given though, I'm not quite that old thanks.

"Premier League" is just a name. Division 1 / Premier League, it's all the same. It's still the top flight of English football.

Doesn't like. I can't even think of one example to prove otherwise. (although there must be some out there) I dunno.... Bob Paisley did alright: * Charity Shield 1974, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1982 * First Division champions 1975-76, 1976-77, 1978-79, 1979-1980, 1981-82, 1982-83 * First Division runners-up 1974-75, 1977-78 * FA Cup runners-up 1976-77 * League Cup winners 1980-81, 1981-82, 1982-83 * Football League Cup runners-up 1977-78 * Manager of the Year 1975-76, 1976-77, 1978-79, 1979-80, 1981-82, 1982-83 * European Cup winners 1976-77, 1977-78, 1980-81 * European Super Cup winners 1976-77, 1977-78 * UEFA Cup winners 1975-76 * World Club Championship runners-up 1981

So did I but someone above questioned it My reading of it (and I admit I can't be arsed to go back to check so could be wrong) was that they were questioning the amount of the rent, not the existance of the warehouse.

Before Sam came, my opinion of him was of someone who was tactically very astute but who I had concerns about when it came to spending large amounts of money wisely when he'd previously only proven himself with a more modest budget at Bolton. Now, a couple of months into his reign I'm seeing things differently. He's spent very wisely IMO and got some good players into SJP in the positions where we (in the main) needed them the most. However tactically, I'm disappointed in him. Playing for a 0-0 in all the away games is shambolic, especially agains teams like Reading and Derby, whilst playing Milner and N'Zogbia predominantly on the wrong wings just doesn't work and was plain to see from about 10 minutes after he first tried it. That said, there'll be no knee-jerk reaction from me. I think a lot of what he's done with organising things off the park (the backroom side of things) has been great, and is a great foundation to build a club on. Like I say, I approve of his transfers so far as well, if he can just wake up a little to what thousands of other people can see plain as day every weekend then we'll be flying.

When I first started going to matches back in 92, I was in the Milburn Paddock behind the manager's dugout. He was often stood outside the paddock, almost on the pitch. To think he was only about 72 then, he looked about 100. Was sure he must have shuffled off a lot longer ago than 2004. Never saw him much at the matches after they made the paddocks all-seater. He was quite a character.

Bollocks. After a proper competitive football match you're f****** knackered. Yeah, because I was being 100% serious about playing a game a day at professional level...

When I were a lad, I used to play every night for about 3 hours after school. Then on a weekend, I'd play from morning until night. Never did me any harm. Today's players are a bunch of pansies. Proper men could get through a season's worth of games in a month and a half and still have time to creosote the fence.

It's great that we have 2 such accomplished goalies, but for me Given is the better of the 2. OK, he's made mistakes this season. But Harper has made them in the past as well. As for us signing Jussi - Really don't want to see that. OK, he's a decent goalie, but both Given and Harper are better IMO and we'd gain nothing by signing him.

Not at all sad to see Clarkie go. Good servant to the club as a player but never struck me as being exactly an intellectual collossus, so now he's past it playing-wise it seems strange that he was here still. I wish him all the best but nothing for him to do at Newcastle these days. Hopefully Terry Mac will now go with him, and Pearson, and we can get some proper coaches in who can get the best out of the squad we have here.

Never going to happen though I disagree. Look at Man U. They've increased ticket prices by 13% this year, and OK the ground is still full. But if they do it again, and again, then eventually there'll be a point where people vote with their wallets and stay at home. £30 for 2 hours entertainment is not especially good value when you think about it, particularly when you consider that there's no real guarantee of being entertained. Increase the prices much more and people will stop going. Where that limit is, I don't know, but it's there. It's already started with me, I used to buy a replica top all the time, haven't bought one in years now. Don't buy programmes any more either, there's another few quid saved. I'm sure I'm not alone either.

Well, as he says "good luck to John", I assume he has no problem with Terry for accepting the contract. It's not his fault that people are daft enough to pay him a reported £150k per week. The fault lies with the football clubs. If no team in the world was prepared to pay Terry anything more than £5k per week, it's not like he'd say "F#ck you then, I'm retiring to stack shelves in Tescos!". He'd accept £5k, and continue to play to the high standard he does now. The clubs pay £150k though because us, as fans, make it viable. Be it by going to the matches, subscribing to Sky, buying replica tops, whatever. It all counts. It's only when we say "No more" that we'll see an end to all this.

In the Newcastle end, probably £50-£70, on the proviso that Sam plays Milner and N'Zogbia from the start, and plays for 3 points not 1. If he sets his stall out like he has against Reading and Derby, then you'd have to pay me to go.