Chris_R

Without doubt. I'd rather he mucked up chances than we not create them at all... Couldn't agree more. Missed chances >>>> No chances. If you don't buy a ticket you can't win the raffle etc etc.

Martins messing up a 1 on 1. /o\

It's been a pretty busy period so maybe it was to keep the team relatively fresh. Then again, the team that played away to Wigan was so pathetic that the team needed a bit of a shakeup too. Both fair points, but it's hardly going to help the team gel is it? You surely can't be suggesting that we play the same personnel / formation as away to Wigan just to give some consistency though? If they play that dire we need to make changes. If we don't change things then nothing will change. I think the problem is the formation though, and a 4-5-1 is not going to be productive. Ever. It's not the 4-5-1/4-3-3 that is the problem though is it. It's the way the players move the ball and carry out their roles within the formation. Personally I'm not a fan of 4-5-1. I can't call it 4-3-3 because it's not - The wingers (Milner and Martins) have not been playing in any different a position to what they'd play in as wingers under 4-4-2. But yes I do agree that the 4-5-1 could be implemented better and maybe we could turn it into a 4-3-3 if the players showed more invention and flair. But again, for me, that's down at least in part to the manager's instructions to the players. And it's definitely down in part to the fact that half our outfield players are normally playing in the wrong positions.

Radio Newcastle on Faye being in at DMC - "I suppose it gives Nicky Butt a freer (sic) role as well" Nicky Butt in a free role? Are we that desperate?

Classic What leadership qualities!

It's been a pretty busy period so maybe it was to keep the team relatively fresh. Then again, the team that played away to Wigan was so pathetic that the team needed a bit of a shakeup too. Both fair points, but it's hardly going to help the team gel is it? You surely can't be suggesting that we play the same personnel / formation as away to Wigan just to give some consistency though? If they play that dire we need to make changes. If we don't change things then nothing will change. I think the problem is the formation though, and a 4-5-1 is not going to be productive. Ever. Looks like we're trying something we've not tried before this season, and with players in positions they've not played in. Well nothing we've tried so far this season has worked, so why not?

It's been a pretty busy period so maybe it was to keep the team relatively fresh. Then again, the team that played away to Wigan was so pathetic that the team needed a bit of a shakeup too. Both fair points, but it's hardly going to help the team gel is it? You surely can't be suggesting that we play the same personnel / formation as away to Wigan just to give some consistency though? If they play that dire we need to make changes. If we don't change things then nothing will change. I think the problem is the formation though, and a 4-5-1 is not going to be productive. Ever.

Much as I want to slap Allardyce round the face at the moment for his ridiculous tactics, this is a bit of a no-win situation for him. He's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. If he goes 4-4-2 and gets beat, people will say it was wrong because it's Chelsea away and we need to keep it tight. If he goes 4-5-1 and gets beat, peopel will say we should have had a go at them. Personally I think we should have a go at them, we'll not get a better chance to beat them on their own turf given their absentees. 4-4-2 suits the players better and we need to create something and have a go at them. If we fail, we fail. At least we've had a go. (Probably be another insipid 4-5-1 again though with half the team playing out of position and no shots on goal)

WAAAAAAY too ambitious. I'll go for a cavalier 5-4-1: Martins Duff Milner Butt Smith N'Zogbia Cacapa Faye Taylor Given

Very much doubt it'll be 4-4-2. But with Martins, Milner and Duff, it's a struggle to work out just what the hell the team actually is going to shape up like. Probably 442. Based on what, the fact that if the players are in their correct positions then the team sheet lends itself to 4-4-2? Are you forgetting that normally 5 of our players are out of position?

Probable Chelsea lineup against probable Newcastle lineup: Pizzaro - Viduka Kalou - Martins Cole - Milner Obi Mikel - Smith Sidwell - Geremi Essien - Butt Bridge - N'Zogbia Ben Haim - Taylor / Cacapa / Rozehnal / Faye Alex - Taylor / Cacapa / Rozehnal / Faye Fereira - Beye Cech - Given Wouldn't take any of our lot over any of theirs tbh with the possible exception of Charlie, but he's being played at left back whereas Bridge is a natural there. They're still stronger than us in every department. Add to that the shambolic tactics we're likely to employ and it all makes for depressing reading. Sure, their absentees mean we might not come back with our ar$es looking like the Japanese flag, but we should still expect a vigorous humping. I'd love to say otherwise but I just can't see it myself.

Well you can't knock his immense powers of observation there, can you? Though not sure about his prediction on the result. More accurate would surely be: "Even though Chelsea have nearly a full team missing, I still expect Newcastle to get bummed in the face today. Prediction: 5-0"

Sorry but how the f#ck can someone on tens of thousands of pounds per week have money problems? I don't care if he's injecting heroin into his eyeballs 24 hours a day he couldn't spend that amount. The guy must have sh#t for brains if he's getting through that sort of cash. I can understand him going on a spending spree and getting into debt but his income is guaranteed and so enormous that surely any bank would be understanding and just wait until it's all paid back? I've no idea about the details of his problems by the way (Though I admit I'm curious), but I just can't grasp the concept that someone in his position can get into any financial situation that might be classed as a "problem". Unless, like I say, he has sh#t for brains. But even then - How?

Ronaldinho to 'Boro

You been at the wine gums again?

Yeah, I'm gonna count any backpasses by their players as shots on target for us though. I mean, you just never know - That ball just might take a nasty bobble over the goalie's foot. It's happened before. Actually, maybe that's Sam's master plan away from home - Keep a clean sheet and hope one of their players get's so frustrated that he overhits a backpass and sticks it in his own net? Maybe Viduka isn't really just standing there imobile in the opposition box for 90 minutes, maybe he's got secret instructions to dig divots in their penalty area while everyone else is chasing the ball so that backpasses might hit them and get deflected in? Bonkers I know, but it still makes more sense than our current 'tactics'. What was it Sherlock Homes said? "When you've ruled out all the probable options, then whatever's left, no matter how improbable, must be the truth."

Should be: ^ Martins Viduka ^ | | | | N'Zogbia Emre Butt Milner ^ ^ | | Enrique Taylor Faye Beye Given Will be: ^ Viduka <----------------| | Martins | ^ | / Milner / ^ ^ / | | / | | | | | / | | | Butt Geremi--------> | / Smith | N'Zogbia Rozenhal Cacapa Beye Given And no, I don't know what the f#ck that second formation is supposed to be either, but that seems to be what Sam is determined to play. I'll not predict the score but I will predict we'll get beat and not have more than 3 shots on target all game.

You been loitering around the Riverside Stadium again on matchdays?

That, really. If Sam can produce the results on the pitch then who will care? The reason we want him to speak is because we want him called to account for the 90 minutes of shambolic, drab and tedious meanderings of our players that we've just paid £35 to watch, not because we like the sound of his dulcet tones on the airwaves. Get us playing with verve and a swagger and I won't care if I never see or hear from the man ever again.

Firstly I really couldn't care less if we go to Wigan and get beaten. Or Derby, Sunderland, Reading or indeed any other tinpot Premiership club that we've made to look good recently. Sh#t happens, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. You take it on the chin, you whinge and bitch about it a bit but you move on. That's football. What I DO care about is the performances. The insipid, turgid, dross we've been served up with is completely unacceptable. Going to places like these with the express intention of getting a well-fought 0-0 is disgusting. Did you see Man U going to Sunderland and playing for a 0-0 on boxing day? Did you sh#te. OK, we're not Man United and I'm not comparing our relative squad strengths, only our relative intentions. But West Ham stuck 5 past Derby recently when they went there with the right mindset - I can't recall an away game this year where we've managed 5 shots, never mind 5 goals. And home games have often been little better. We made these teams look good by sitting back and inviting them onto us. We offered nothing going forward as we were too busy being terrified about what these relegation-fodder teams might do to us. It didn't take long for them to realise this, so they felt safe attacking us knowing we had no will (Or ability due to the formation we went out with) to go down their end to put one past them. The results were, largely, predictable. So what can Sam do? Attack. Send out a team designed to rip the opposition apart. Show us that with you at the helm we're capable of making teams worry about what we're going to do rather than the other way round. If it fails, it fails. I honestly won't mind. But just send out a team to scare the opposition with the way we go about things and create a hatful of chances. And if by some miracle you can do this by playing 4-5-1 with N'Zogbia at left back, Milner on the left wing, Smith at defensive midfield, Martins god-knows where and Geremi as some kind of right-sided midfielder then I'll be the first to take my hat off to you and say "Well done". However it is my uneducated opinion that the aforesaid formation will produce nothing like that in a million years. So I'll go further and make some tactical suggestions that might help. Play 4-4-2, stick Enrique at left back, Milner on at right wing and N'Zogbia on at left wing, with Martins and either Viduka or Smith up front. Have Emre in the middle alongside Butt. Martins, Milner and N'Zogbia simply must play, and play in their correct positions, as irrespecive of anyone's thoughts about their respective abilities they're the only players we have in our squads who are actually capable of beating a man. But play that lineup, in that formation and with instructions to get at the opposition, beat their man and get the ball in the box and support the forwards and I assure you everyone will be a damned sight happier. But feel free to perservere with 5 men out of position in a 4-5-1 if you want, just don't go crying when it fails yet again to produce a single shot on target and you (Rightly, IMO) get your ass fired.

Let Chelsea sign him for £20m then we'll take him in 2 years time for £5m when he's sick of warming the bench.

Here's some certainties for the Chelsea game: - We'll play for a 0-0 draw - We'll get our half of that - We'll have one half where we don't manage a single shot on goal - We'll not manage more than 2 shots on target in the whole game - At least 3 (And possibly 5) players will be played out of position even though capable players for that position are available and fit - Alan Smith will get booked Sadly none of that has anything to do with the opposition being Chelsea, as it's the same pattern we've witnessed in just about every away game this season so far.

If we stick with Allardyce we will continue get: S*** football Milner on the left Smith in midfield Geremi on the right Playing for a 0-0 against sh** teams No adventure Commitment >>> flair and talent Long ball football No chances created and no attacking nous If you think any of that is acceptable then feel free to vote to keep him. I could accept being mid-table if we were at least being entertained. But it's excruciating to watch us at the moment as we attempt to carve out another hard fought 0-0 away to a random Championship quality side. He's had 18 chances to learn from what he's seen in the Premiership this year, and IMO he's failed to learn a thing. Too stubborn for his own good and determined that his way will prevail in the face of a massive weight of evidence to the contrary. Get rid. The sooner the better. And those saying he needs time - Wake up. You CAN make a difference in a short space of time. Look, I'm not asking for us to be top 4 or anything daft like that, but by now Allardyce has laid his cards on the table and we can see what he's planning to do with the club and the players. And it's not working. Something needs to change and he is showing week after week that he is not willing to change. So if the manager is not willing or able to change, then regrettably we need to change the manager.

I guess if we MUST play 4-3-3 then Milner on the left and N'Zogbia / Duff on the right kind of makes sense. We'd offer nothing with them the other way round. Problem is though that he's not playing Zog or Duff on the left, he's playing Martins and he's looking lost out there. However when we play 4-4-2 (As we have at times) then it's nonsensical to play them on the "wrong" wings. I still think 4-4-2 is the only way to go, we don't have the players for 4-3-3 and it's not a tactic I've ever been a fan of anyway.

With 5 as average: Beye - 7 - Looked solid and threatening when going forward. Smith - 4 - Crap in midfield. Worked tirelessly up front but still no goals. Barton - 5 - Looked rubbish initially, starting to get into his stride now. Geremi - 3 - Looked great pre-season, been rubbish of late. Perhaps being played out of position though. Faye - 8 - Solid at the back. Been really impressed. OK, he's been injured but I'm not marking him down for that. Viduka - 6 - Fat, slow, lazy and very very talented. Cacapa - 7 - 15 bad minutes does not make a bad player. He's generally looked very good. Rozehnal - 5 - Hit and miss, averages an average mark. Enrique - 6 - Lots of potential, haven't been disappointed in him at all. Needs games Average: 5.66 - Well done Sam I guess. Especially as the guy I've given the lowest score to cost nowt. Pity he's our undroppable captain.