AyeDubbleYoo

Actually, most people I speak to think we're still a decent club... everyone thinks more of Newcastle than Newcastle fans it seems.

I don't care really, it's a stupid term. There are successful clubs and unsuccessful ones - ones with history of achievement and ones with less. It's all relative. I don't see the point in fans taking any satisfaction from things like attendences for example - they're partly accidents of geography and partly due to success (meaning glory hunting basically).

They definitely look alike, I spotted it as soon as I saw Ben Arfa. Maybe not the best photos to show it.

Ash Atalla - producer of The Office http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/4053/ashw.jpg Hatem Ben Arfa - footballing demigod http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/3043/hatem.jpg

The thing is tho, i dont remember Joey Barton really going out that often and nailing people....There was that semi crap tackle on Alsno in our releagtion season and then he was missing for a lot of the promotion season and not visible to the prem league. Seems to just be a hate figure for his off field history rather then on field football imo. It's amusing how players like Scholes and even our very own Alan Smith get away week in week out with "honest" challenges that involve studs flying into opposition players' kneecaps at 100mph, yet as soon as Barton mistimes a tackle slightly, all hell breaks loose, with toddlers screaming, police cordening off entire sections of various cities and setting up roadblocks, the Pentagon hightening the nation's security levels, and of course referees feeling obliged to protect all innocent men, women and child watching the game from this perverse menace to society with their magical yellow and red "No Joey" cards. You're so right. Got a feeling this could be Barton's renaissance season, he didn't react to some pretty heavy treatment by Wolves, and the team spirit around the camp should help keep him in line. Got big hopes for him this season.

I was thinking of going as well, not on Friday though. Bizarre decision, you're right.

I think the schizophrenia of the football press on England is the most extreme of any I've seen. One win makes us world beaters and one defeat makes us terrible. And the amount of column inches devoted to it is insane.

The Villa result was amazing though, just so proud of the lads to be back in the Premiership and competing with teams again.

Asprilla against Barca! Phillipe Albert chipping in the fifth, never been so surprised or amazed watching football. Martin's thunderbolt against Spurs came out of nowhere, that was incredible. When Keegan got back out of his car to sign my training top at Maiden Castle, even though he was about to leave.

Ego displayed successfully.

Sima out!!!

Stop being so sensible Dave. Paulo Wanchope had many international caps. Case closed.

I would love Blackburn to go down as well, other than that I don't care as long as we survive.

Truth, even if Wolves had scored that pen I don't buy the MOTD view that "the game would have been over". That's just another summariser's cliche. We were the better side, we deserved at least a point. They should have had Henry sent off at least. Outside of the top 4-6 teams, there are only shades of grey between everyone IMO.

Or next summer, or the January after, or the following summer...

FFS, this discussion is mental. I reckon Rooney is probably good enough to play for Brazil, surprised he hasn't been called up yet. They could probably get him for a decent fee as well.

Chances are they will finish above us this season, except if Bent gets injured. I accepted that ages ago, so I don't really care how well they do this season TBH.

Not surprising we didn't sign a forward, looking at it like that.

My favourite thing about this signing is the amount of French quotes and posters that have appeared. Very cosmopolitan. I'm off to sit outside a cafe and sip a black coffee while reading Sartre.

Harry, is that you?

I don't think the question is "should we aim for 17th".

This is basically my view, I'm completely mystified that any fans expect the club to release financial details mid-way through a year. The press and the world at large will make up their own minds anyway, let's just keep our heads down and get on with the job. Lest we forget, the club get hammered every time they release one of their statements anyway. That’ll be because th club's statements tend to be ambiguous, contradictory and confrontational. If they could just for once release a statement that clarified what is happening to NUFC a lot of the angst towards them would dissipate. I’ve already said this once today. I’d be interested to know if those who are saying supporters shouldn’t care about the finances held the same view when FF was in charge. I don't think anyone has said supporters shouldn't care about the finances, all I said was that we shouldn't expect to be told details outside of the accounts period. I know the statements have been generally awful, but it is what it is now. This is the way the Ashley regime have decided to deal with the media, and it won't be changing any time soon. They give statements that they believe explain things while giving away as much or as little as they are prepared to. That's the reality we're working with now.

I don't really understand 'where we are now', as the question is about a finishing position and we haven't finished a season. In fact, last time we finished a Premier League season we did get relegated. Edit: If you mean the feeling around the club would be worse than it is now, then I think you're probably right.

Well our targets might be different next season. This year, newly promoted, we need to ensure we stay up and anything else is a bonus. I see what the question is driving at though, it would be great to do more than survive this season so that we can push on again. I honestly think the way this club is, that if we finished 17th we would be in a worse scenario than we are now. CH may have been fired, or walked. Would Enrique or Colo be happy with our lack of progress since they joined or would they finaly start to get a little bit sick? Would HBA still be a keen as he is now? Thats how I see it anyway, I don't realy see 17th as just "staying up", it is staying up but in the worst way possible. Do you mean it would be worse than going down?

But how do you know whether a deal was on the table? Anyone could say anything about what was or wasn't agreed... the only certain thing is whether it was completed and submitted in time for the transfer deadline. It lasts for weeks FFS, there should be no excuses for failing to complete in time. Everyone knows the position.