Wallace

I guess they know each other via Rob Lee who is a friend of David Guest. http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/north-east-news/evening-chronicle-news/2009/10/01/david-gest-and-rob-lee-raise-charity-cash-72703-24828060/

It does seem to me that the media get on their high horse about certain incidents and highlight them to such an extent that they cannot be ignored whilst other incidents escape notice. I'd like to think that the disciplinary body are reviewing every game for such cases rather than just reacting to the ones that the media express outage to.

Looking forward to seeing Sol and Taylor together and seeing how Taylor does with someone able to organise the defence and also with Tiote in front of them. Worried about the lack of match fitness for both especially against Chelsea and Sol's tendency to pick up niggles whenever he plays.

I think Spurs will have a problem moving players on unless they drop the prices they ask for them. Clubs don't have much money at present and quite a few need to move players on themselves before they can buy.

They will both be fined but it probably won't be publicised.

If Vuckic is as talented as they say, then he needs to start getting some game time with the first team or to be sent out on loan. He would be my preferred option behind Carroll with the players we have missing as perhaps he can provide the creative spark we are lacking. However, I am sure I read last week that he is injured himself.

If Carroll continues to keep improving at the rate he is, Ashley would be foolish to sell him anytime soon as he would be worth a fortune in a couple of years.

I like Hughton but whether he is good enough, I don't know but I don't see that he is doing a lot wrong so far. Yes we were well beaten today but his remit is to keep us in the Premier League and so far we are doing OK. Furthermore, I just cannot see any credible candidates out there. I am not a fan of O'Neill but would be confident he would keep us up but I cannot imagine for one minute, he or anyone of similar standing would be willing to work for Ashley. Now the injuries and suspensions are starting to gather pace as expected, the lack of the depth in the squad is being exposed as we knew it would be. Losing Tiote, Barton and Ben Arfa are the players we can most ill afford to lose (with the exception of Carroll) and we just don't have the players to replace them. It is not Hughton's fault that Barton and Colo have got themselves stupidly suspended or that Ben Arfa's leg was broken.

I think Williamson has got away with it a number of times this season and fortunately Colo had been playing well enough to cover for him. But today Colo had a nightmare and so Williamson suffered even more. Taylor and Colo for the first half of last season were excellent. Remember who Taylor has played with in the Premier League and too often he was let down by his defensive partner. He is still young and I would love to see him play with Campbell as he has needed an experienced partner to learn from and he has never had that opportunity before. Apart from pairing Williamson and Taylor together which I think would be asking for trouble, I think any other of the other combinations would be OK but I would definitely play Campbell in the more physical games. Taylor is going to be rusty though as he has played so little this year.

One of our players was sold because the then manager didn't like how cosy he was with the press. Who was that? Rob Lee? Pretty sure he was best man for Caulkin at his wedding. It was Steve Howey who was his best man.

He's been through that phase already.

Can't remember another player whose England debut has generated such interest - at least in recent years. And he ours

http://www.sundaysun.co.uk/sport/newcastle-united/nufc-news/2010/11/14/hughton-on-united-pride-at-carroll-england-call-79310-27654193/2/ "Meanwhile, the Sunday Sun understands that Hughton is close to finally penning a new long-term contract. Negotiations have moved forward and the deal is set to be signed next month in a move that the Toon boss must hope will aid his hunt for a No 2. Hughton admitted “frustration” last night that he has made no progress on that front. Several credible candidates have expressed reservations about taking the job while Hughton’s own contract situation has not been resolved."

On last season's form - yes, but he has not replicated that form this season.

All week he was going in the press about making sure that the occasion did not get to his players but I think he himself completely undestimated what the derby match is like up here. He admitted he had never been to one before and I supposed based his opinion on the Manchester and Birmingham derbys which are not the same thing at all. He seems to have been shell-shocked by the experience.

Strange that Bernard has chosen to stay here after his retirement - I would have thought he would have gone back to France.

John Anderson said on the radio this week that Shola cannot play 3 games in a week because of his hip and was wondering if he would be kept back for the Blackburn game. I thought Shola was over his injury problems. Has there been any other mention of him not being able to play 3 games in a week before?

Indeed. Those in the team will have to keep playing well if Taylor is waiting to take their place and if one gets injured and Taylor gets in the team, then he will have to play well to keep his place. All good.

One of the points mentioned is something that has occurred to me recently and that is about moving players on. Chris has not really had to make a decision like that yet and he seems to have such a bond with them that I have wondered about how he will deal with that when the time comes. I do believe though that it would cause huge unrest again like with Keegan with both players and fans and the result would be that we would plummet down the league to possible relegation. Also it was David Craig who broke the "betting suspended" story on Sky. He seems to be the one reporter who has a direct line to Llambias as they use him to get their propaganda out there - he could easily have squashed those rumours if they wanted him to but instead he did the opposite.

I think it is good we are playing Arsenal next as it keeps us on our toes. If we were playing one of the lesser teams, I think there might have been an air of complacency as was the case with the Blackpool, Stoke and Wigan games. We seem to do better when the players know they have to work hard to get anything out of a game. A decent confidence-building performance against Arsenal would be nice and a point would be a bonus but then it will be back to having to get all the points in the next 2 home games.

I understand the logic of waiting to see how we do before offering a new contract. The trouble is that now the media have made an issue of it, it is going to be a distraction until it is sorted and will probably raise it at every interview he does. At least Ashley is consistent in the appalling way he treats all of his staff whether manager, player, admin staff etc.

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/columnists/3pm/How-Newcastle-s-stadium-DJ-wound-Sunderland-up-the-wrong-way-and-what-a-BBC-reporter-said-to-offend-a-bunch-of-northern-kids-Steve-Anglesey-s-3pm-column-article617977.html Newcastle really know how to rub it in. As Sunderland trudged off St James' Park, the stadium DJ played the Monkees' Daydream Believer so the home faithful could update their "Cheer up Peter Reid" song with new lyrics about Steve Bruce and his "s**t football team". Black Cats bigwigs in the house were far from impressed.

There was a page on him in the programme where he thanked everyone for all the cards etc. Said he was overwhelmed because he had never had that sort of response from supporters before. Says he is watching all the games and cannot wait to get back.

I think that was what Lee Ryder was trying to articulate on Talksport earlier in the week that so offended their listeners.

He's never had a problem on the pitch that i can recall - moans a lot so gets booked for dissent but then that's not a surprise as he will have been influenced by Shearer and latterly by Nolan! It seems to be that when he gets in trouble it is normally when he has had a drink.