AyeDubbleYoo

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.

Can't blame him for turning us down for his hometown club, he seemed to leave us on good terms and would always be welcome back IMO. Shame he's such a quality player though, in this instance.

It's no concern to me either in terms of football, but I feel for him personally - a young lad who might be forced to give up such an amazing life/job because of injury, after having an all-too-short taste of it. All the best to Ledley.

I think Zoggy's breakthrough before the arrival of Duff was maybe artificially early due to the lack of options we had, meaning dropping him seemed worse than it was. I think in the long term it won't do him too much harm to have been out of the team for a while, it happens to everyone at some point. But Glenn's right, we should keep him at all costs.

Aye, his pace is overemphasised in that article. He's an intelligent lad and I can see him adapting into a Crespo type who is able to pick his runs and appear in the right place at the right time. Will be a good partner for Martins IMO.

I would say we need two top(ish) players for every position, let's not worry too much about who will be picked. Consistent 'starting elevens' are becoming a bit out of date these days anyway. [cliche] it's a nice problem to have [/cliche]

Also, there's no need to do it yet as we're nigh-on full (at least for league games). I think we would see us following suit if we were in Blackburn's position with attendences dropping - which we might be if we continue how we are on the pitch.

Surely we would have to have been mental to put a clause like that in, doesn't make sense on any level does it? I think Freddy would be publically lynched if this happened, not that he's not already due one.

I think Glenn will be v patient, he handled Dyer's comeback really well even though the pressure to bring him back must've been quite strong.

I don't think words are always less offensive than physical violence. I for one would much rather be involved in a good honest on-pitch scuffle than being degraded and insulted because of my race. There can be a lot of hatred and venom behind racist insults, often more than a push or punch that is just the temper snapping.

Lack of quality defenders in that list is important. Also, there's no such a thing as an average/mediocre team, only an average/mediocre one at the moment. A few years ago we were far from mediocre, and I honestly don't think we're that far from being better than average again. Most of us know what is required in terms of defenders etc, so let's hope Freddy and Glenn deliver it.

True Jon, Pardew is talking nonsense here - and at the end of the day he will have very little say over the price Bent is sold for, especially if they go down. Mental that only high transfers determine market forces, and not the many lower-priced ones you mention. If you can get Martins for 10m then I suppose that means Bent is only worth about 6?

The fullbacks are very important - it's fairly rare you see a good quality attacking side without proper fullbacks who can overlap and support their wide midfielders. I think if we get a couple of decent FBs, along with Owen back, we will see some major improvements. Keeping Emre would be nice, but looks unlikely at this stage.

The Meaning of Cantona, a very surreal but brilliant book. Quite hard to get hold of I think, I got mine in a charity shop.

How do you know that? Fair point, I don't. I just meant that we do have a tendency to make howlers that end up costing us goals, and I wouldn't be surprised if we got knocked out because of it. The spirit of the post was more about our lack of consistency.

I think it's likely the Parke/Emre dilemma will be solved in the summer, Emre might be off back to the continent. Hope not but it's a distinct possibility.