AyeDubbleYoo

Feel free to move - I was probably being naive anyway, Gemmill's already messing with me!

OK, getting ideas above my station here , but I'm proposing that we all keep discussions of Wor Al(bert) in the Luque thread and stop bringing it up in every single bloody thread - agreed? I think it's getting a bit tedious at the moment.

Interesting that the bit about him being a witness isn't mentioned until the 5th paragraph. Agree, we could do without this, he needs to be more careful who he hangs around with. Must be difficult having any proper friends when you're a premiership footballer living away from your home town though.

Carragher and Woodgate right now, but we all know that England teams aren't picked on form, or they would change a lot more often than they do. Macca has a liking for Terry and Rio so I can't see that changing except due to an injury.

In this case he's a witness rather than a suspect though right?

That's depressing but probably true. It hurts to aim so high!

:thup:

Did that too, got a training top with loads of signatures on. KK was getting into his car and still opened the door again and signed it. Legend.

I agree I would have liked to have seen a lot more defenders. But he has got Gooch, who looks good so far, and we have plenty of CBs. The full back situation is very disappointing, and no-one knows whether his excuses are true or not (no players available etc).

I agree with your conclusion, the board are to blame, but I still think Roeder is entitled to criticism/praise depending on how he performs his job. If I was offered the chance to play for/manage Newcastle, you're probably right I would take it. But then when I messed it up I would have to shoulder some of the blame - my salary and acceptance of the position would require it. So if an average manager takes a job he can't handle, then I'm not going to feel sorry for him if he gets criticised.

I can see where Glenn's coming from, but sadly class isn't permanent at all, is it? We've seen many players have major downturns in their careers for all sorts of reasons. How long can we keep playing a Duff who isn't performing while we wait for this 'class' to return?

This is my gut feeling as well, but I do think too many changes of manager in a short time can be harmful. I would be in favour of bringing in a top class manager with a proven record of improving teams, winning titles etc, but there aren't many around. It's a difficult position, it's just a shame we don't have someone better than Fred to get us out of it.

I'm encouraged by Glenn's transfers in a way. I think he would have made more required signings if the backing from the club had been there and/or there were the right players available. I really believe he was looking for a left back, for example (maybe blind faith!) Let's give Glenn another chance in the market, I think he will do well with the amount of money that SBR and Souness were backed with. Stability is underrated in the North East but is important, sacking now would not be the answer IMO.

I'd like to see him here, but unfortunately we need to sort the defence out first and foremost which (rightly) will take up most, if not all, of our budget. Also, no advisor worth anything would tell him to come to Newcastle, unless he has guarantees that the defence will also be sorted.

Agreed, also to be a top DM you need to be able to hold your position and know when not to tackle. Parker is often drawn to the ball because he is so dynamic and energetic - he'll fly into a position where the odds are against winning the ball and leave the space behind him exposed. The likes of Vieira, Makelele etc know when to 'shepherd' a player, when to stick a foot in and when to go for the full blooded Parker style challenge. Not saying he can't be coached into this role though, but Roeder will need to decide that's what he wants from Scotty, which at the moment seems not be the case.

I just don't feel that comfortable using racially offensive language, must be because I'm such a loser

Exactly. Embarrassing... Thats a matter of opinion. Fair enough, I respect the right to freedom of speech, I just hope you receive a suitable backlash when you spout this kind of drivel. How man, it's not as if I walk the streets wearing t-shirts saying 'I hate niggers' or owt like that. I'm not racist, I just hate it how we are all perceived as racists, and that there little room to justify yourself because people are so scared to talk about it. Maybe I overreacted - I also hate the fact that people are scared to talk about these issues, but I can sometimes understand why, it is (as we've seen) a sensitive subject!

Exactly. Embarrassing... Thats a matter of opinion. Fair enough, I respect the right to freedom of speech, I just hope you receive a suitable backlash when you spout this kind of drivel.

Exactly. Embarrassing...

There's actually often a debate even within hip hop on whether the 'N word' can ever be 'reclaimed' and the meaning changed (Ashley Walters did a documentary on it a while ago). Personally I would say its meaning is too entrenched ever to be changed, and black people should not use it and let it die out. That's just a personal view though.

so where the responses on GG about Michael Owen being finished also when was this and what was said? f*** off. If you don't like it, don't f****** read it. Nobody forces you to come one here. Post of the week, I totally agree I totally disagree, this site is all about opinions. If you didn't like his comment, fair enough, nobody is forcing you to come on here either. He was the one who started fucking whingeing. I take all opinions on this NEWCASTLE forum seriosuly, but when they come from Spurs fans, then my ignorance tends to get in the way. Sorry. Hmm, maybe fair enough, I just happened too agree that some of the responses were a shame. Not a blanket defence of everything kingdawson says! (no offence KD!)

so where the responses on GG about Michael Owen being finished also when was this and what was said? f*** off. If you don't like it, don't f****** read it. Nobody forces you to come one here. Post of the week, I totally agree I totally disagree, this site is all about opinions. If you didn't like his comment, fair enough, nobody is forcing you to come on here either.

theyre both small, but i reckon they'd work... Martins aint a poacher, he drops deep alot but Owen is a nice little poacher and will never ever drop deep. Martins will occasionally drop deep, but his link-up play isn't good, and his main strength is as an out and out goalscorer, playing on the line of the back four. I think, like Owen, he's best used in tandem with a more withdrawn striker like Dyer or Rooney. For me, Owen faces a challenge in the second half of his career. The game has become more technical, and players' roles and positions have become more interchangeable in order to unhinge well-organised defences. I think at the very top level, a striker, even the more advanced one, has to be able to drift into different positions on occasions and create, as well as finish. There did seem to be a problem at the World Cup, with Owen asserting that he was a box player, while Eriksson wanted more movement from him. That's just the way the game has gone. If Owen wants to stay at the very top, he needs to adapt, if he can. I think a striker can get away with being fairly static positionally if they're acting as a target man in something like a 4-5-1, but that's not Owen's game either. I really think this is the reason why when he became available from Madrid, Man U, Chelsea and Arsenal weren't interested, and Liverpool were only prepared to pay half our money. I worry that we're the mugs who came along with all the dosh at the wrong time in his career. A bit of me is hoping that we'll get a really good offer for him that will allow us to strengthen the team in more needy areas. I hope you're wrong bob, but there's a lot of that that rings true. I'm prepared to have faith in Owen's intelligence and ability to adapt for the moment, until he gets a decent run of games. Also, don't forget the Martins himself has plenty of time to adapt his game and improve his link up play (which I think is already decent).

True, would like to se him have a really uncomfortable time for once.

Don't think it's just about the money though. To know you're good enough to play football at the highest level, and then have to give it up most be hard to bear. Although as you say, he obviously won't be skint.