brummie

It's horrible though, isn't it? This season and last (for us) have been awful. The Houllier one wasn't much fun, either. I didn't renew my ST this season, and have spent most of it actually *avoiding* our matches, it has been so terrifying. I'm behind what Lambert wants to do, and hope we dont do something daft and sack him if we go down, and the bloke has immense support from the fans still, but having said all that, I've watched most of our games this season through my fingers, it has been so stomach churningly terrifying to wawtch. I am not going tomorrow night, and won't be watching on the telly. I can't stand it any more. I'd spend the whole match shaking like a shitting puppy and wishing i still smoked so I could chain smoke. That stuff's not good for you, especially past 40.

Incidentally, Sunderland's revival is somewhat overstated. They won at your place, but really, you were so dreadful that day, I'd have backed South Shields Paper Boys XI to get at least a point. By all accounts Everton utterly terrible at their place, too. Di Canio has got them running more and chasing the ball down, but they're still a desperately poor side, and certainly not out of it yet.

I think you've been absolutely awful for months now, and I've been telling everyone who'll listen that. I also think you've picked up some pretty spawny points over that period, too. I genuinely can not believe how shit you've become this season, it is utterly bewildering, given how you were last season. After the january window, I thought there was no chance whatsoever that you'd be in trouble, but it's almost like you've decided to drop yourself in it. That old cliche about there sometimes being teams who just plummet towards the end of the season - that's what you look like. However .... You've got enough points on the board now to leave you with a pretty easy requirement from your remaining matches, one of which is against a poor, relegated side. I also think Wigan's time is up. Starting Saturday, they have 5 games in 15 days, one of which is the (distracting) FA Cup final, and none of which are "easy". I think they'll go. There wil be points gained which people don't expect. Two weeks ago, people were saying they couldn't see where Stoke would get another point this season, for example. It's definitely not politeness, I think you've been really poor for a long while now, and the football world seems not to have really noticed it, but you'll survive. A horrible season for all and sundry, mind.

If Villa do win then Sunderland will be bricking it again. Stoke with no pressure on them could be awkward and I reckon Southampton could take something off them. We will win tomorrow, no bother. We have been playing well of late. I know Man United took their foot off the gas somewhat, but I saw enough last Monday, even in comprehensive defeat, to not get downhearted about it. What's more, we'll also win at Norwich next week. Wigan, on the other hand, I think are fucked.

Have any of you had experience of buying tickets for your matches at Wigan, except in the home end? If so, I may need your advice. I suspect the weasel hand of Dave Whelan is behind this: http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10265~3158296,00.html

Mackem alert If that ever happened, I would have to demand a transfer to RTG.

I was shaking like a shitting puppy watching that match. City were wank, though.

He's 34 in a couple of months, so highly unlikely. I'd have thought that once through chemotherapy for a year, it'd be nigh on impossible to attain the level of fitness required to perform as a top flight footballer. There has been some talk of the club getting him involved in a coaching role, but I'd imagine his well-being is the only thing he's worried about at the moment. You think he'd make a good coach? Hard to tell really, is he doing or was doing badges? No idea. Not heard anything about badges, so assume not. Like I said, though, he's got more important stuff to worry about at the moment, so doubt any discussions have gone particularly far.

He's 34 in a couple of months, so highly unlikely. I'd have thought that once through chemotherapy for a year, it'd be nigh on impossible to attain the level of fitness required to perform as a top flight footballer. There has been some talk of the club getting him involved in a coaching role, but I'd imagine his well-being is the only thing he's worried about at the moment.

We've missed him this year. His first season and a half for us were poor as he hadn't adapted, but up until his illness, he was performing fantastically. He's exactly the sort of player we could use now, for the younger players to look up to.

Your not Kvillan are you? I am not.

Not as much as we will be. I fucking hate Wigan. Hopefully their Cup final exploits will massively distract them from league business.

I think there is a MON-esque situation developing at Newcastle. What I mean is, great swathes of the media (ie almost all of it) will be telling you what a great job Pardew has done for you, and is still doing, whilst you basically have to sit there, quietly fuming at the lack of insight this displays, and explaining to outsiders the mismatch between what the media would have you believe, and the truth as you see it, week in, week out.

<heard_it_ten_times_today>Three Welsh teams in the PL next year, then. Cardiff, Swansea and Gareth Bale </heard_it_ten_times_today>

Nah. Next home game is Sunderland, and there's no way we'd lose at home to a team that shit. *cheeky wink*

It's the Torygraph. They're channelling the spirit of Thatcher.

at what point did you see that ? before they scored i could only see us scoring, after they scored I saw it like you did. I thought you looked tired and pretty devoid of ideas from the off. You're right, though, once they'd scored, it got worse. I thought they were worth their win, but the scoreline probably flatters them a tad, as it suggests they were relatively decent, which they weren't. They just had more application.

We will not get entertainment immediately. Our entertainment will be getting the results against teams we "should" be beating, and possibly a couple of surprise results here and there. We need to set a good foundation up and down the club. When Hughton was in charge, I was under the impression that we'd taken care of our infrastructure/medical/youth tiers, and were well run again. This season and to an extent last season has made me doubt that. Benitez would sort it out. That's a very good point actually. That's the type of manager I want us to go for. Then again would they be allowed that much control? When we appointed McLeish (yes, I know, some consolation prize), Lerner had actually met with Benitez to discuss him taking over. Lerner cut the meeting short within twenty minutes, as Benitez made it really clear he wasn't going to go anywhere he didn't have a significant amount of money to spend, and that was at odds with the way Lerner wanted to take the club. I'd imagine that he's going to insist on decent money to spend wherever he goes.

I was amazed by the lethargy you showed. It didn't even look like lack of organisation, or being too defensive, or anything you could point at as being easy enough to fix. It just looked like you didn't really care too much who won. Maybe it's the effect of the European game on Thursday, I dunno, but there was a real lack of energy all over the pitch. Sunderland, on the other hand, looked like they wanted to win. I thought they too were pretty shit, don't get me wrong, they've not turned into a decent side overnight, the difference was they clearly wanted to win the game, and Newcastle didn't seem that arsed.

I've a feeling they're going to save our arse, too.

I have not thought at any point that you were in risk of getting dragged into it, but I haven't seen you play much recently until today. If you're going to be putting in many more non-performances like today (which honestly amazed me, surely you can't be playing like that too often?) then you're putting yourselves at real risk of getting dragged into it, it is so tight. I didn't even think Sunderland were very good, but they definitely deserved to win. What surprised me most wasn't the fact that Sunderland were up for it - that's to be expected under a new manager - it was the fact that your lot looked totally unbothered by it all. No desire or grit. Really surprised me.

You have just look totally unbothered the whole match to me. Maybe a bit of lethargy too, but really, poor.

Oh, linesman, you fucking wanker.

This is terrible. You look lethargic, which is understandable - if not excusable - given your European match, but I can't believe how shapeless you look.

Sunderland look like they want it more. Still think it'll finish a draw, mind, but you really do need to wake up, quickly