brummie

Barry Davies was ace, those clipped, BBC tones were a throwback to the classy days of the corporation. Motson was never a patch on him, but always used to get the big gigs.

Stinks of 'WE'VE GOT LOADS OF MONEY NOW, HONEST GUV!' to me. Sullivan and Gold are trying to ingratiate themselves with the fans. That pair of cunts are utterly, utterly without class. Give them a year or so and they'll be moaning at and alienating the West Ham fans, as they did the Birmingham fans. Then there's also the opportunity of dropping mortally embarassing clangers like they did down here with "diarygate" - they're hilariously stupid. They almost - almost - made me feel sorry for them.

He is recovering from an operation on his shoulder. It kept popping out, apparently. He's a very good player, but the injury was causing him real trouble in his last few matches for us. I hope he goes to you on loan, he's not going to compete for games in our first team without full fitness, and he won't get that without proper games.

I liked him too. Him and Tommy Smyth and his onion bag. They were really enthusiastic and made the game feel a bit more epic than it was. Was bummed when they switched from ESPN to FSC, because we only get some crappy solo commentary on Euro games. There's nothing worse than solo commentary. Oooh, saucy! Two peoples divided by a common language

Peter Brackley and Ray Wilkins on Football Italia back in the day.

Can't believe football supporters still give an iota of credence to all that "I love the club" bullshit from footballers. Footballers love themselves first and foremost. Their club at any one time probably comes about 100thbehind hideous cars, tacky mock Tudor new build mansions, incredibly unintelligent but pretty women, and lots more ostentatious displays of their wealth. I don't know why Martin signed him to never use him then move him on. It is probably just a thing with his full back affliction.

Surely you've got firepower coming out of your ears, KD? Now, we really do need a striker. Although Milner weighing in with so many from midfield helps *gets coat*

He was at our match last night, apparently. "Yes, Kris, this is what the atmosphere is like every home game". If we're moving Harewood out and replacing him with Boyd, fair enough, but we really need a better goalscorer than the ones we have already

Have a read from http://www.newcastle-online.org/nufcforum/index.php/topic,64337.msg2159119.html#msg2159119 downwards Same shit we said when we signed him. 'Promising young player, career back on track yada yad yada', but he was shite. And his head is too big for his body.

Wayne Routledge is absolutely shite.

He's got some pretty iffy faults. Tactically, he's pretty dodgy. He's predictable in his transfers, if the way we play doesnt work, we just keep on doing it, you can time his substiotutions to the minute, he's got a weird fixation will full backs and out of position players, we go through spells of playing awfully, but then start performing again. He's incredibly frustrating, but no matter how annoying he is, he's hard to dislike. You certainly can't argue with his results.

Blackburn had 4,000 tickets for tonight and only sold just under 2,000 of them. That's a club with some problems, and I suspect the "disconnect" between Allardyce and the fans is at the heart of it. Fair play to their fans tonight, though, for singing "Heskey's shit, my Lord, Heskey's shit" to the tune of the Paul McGrath song, which was very funny. Only for us to sing later "Heskey's scored my Lord" Fair play to them, those that came were good value.

Tonight I've been to the most mental football match I've ever attended.

The word "banter"

The whole thing is completely bizarre. Have you heard the stories about Saha being available too? I still don't understand why you're not stronger, financially I mean. The long and the short of it is that Kenwright doesn't have the money, and he's painfully said this time and again. It is depressing seeing sides like Villa, City and Spurs, teams we realistically are (ok, not right at the moment) competing with, get ahead of us by simply having more money. I've heard of rumours, and I prey it is just that. Truthfully, I think he'll stay. It's not just that Kenwright doesn't have massive personal wealth though, that's a bit of a cop out. It's more to do with the piss poor way he runs the club from a business point of view. Our debt has spiralled under Kenwright despite zero investment in the team or stadium. That's what I was thinking. City are clearly a different kettle of fish, Villa have a wealthy owner but, in theory, Everton should be able to do what Spurs have done (to an extent). Deloitte had Everton's wages/turnover at 75% in 2006-7, bad, but better than Villa's (82%). I'd have thought that would have come down since then. Do what Spurs have done in which sense? They've finished above Villa and Spurs the last two years. It's not like they're some hopelessy romantic plucky losers aspiring to do better.

I'd like to temper this post with the news that I am exceptionally drunk, but for all this talk of spending beyond our means etc etc, worth remembering that our transfer record is still only 12m pounds. We've benefitted from a supportive owner, but it isn't as if we've done anything outrageous. He's put the money into transfers, but more importantly he has also put it into the infrastructure of the club, and is starting to unravel some of the torpor which set in in the final Ellis years. I went to my first match over 30 years ago, and it has been a roller coaster ride the whole time until the early part of this decade, but Lerner has changed the club from top to bottom in the space of three years, and he's only just begun. I don't care if Man City are the richest club in the universe, I'm just happy to have an owner with a few bob who quite clearly, despite being an American - and thereby fucking up the slightly xenophobic bias of the press of late - has clearly "got" the history and culture of the club far more effectively than Doug, a local businessman who was the major player for the best part of 30 years, ever did.

I don't think he is shite, but he is emblematic of what is wrong with Liverpool. He's solid enough, but entirely unspectacular in pretty much every respect. He makes Milner look like Michel Platini. Liverpool just ooze averageness. If you took out their (admittedly high) peaks of Torres and Gerrard, they'd be a below average side. Given their current parlous financial situation and leadership, the elevated chances of one of those two (at least) leaving means that things are looking pretty grim for the redscousers.

Our rearranged LC Semi tomorrow at Blackburn, and I've managed to get a ticket (returns from the cancellation last week), yay! Blackburn only sold 11,500 apparently, which is not really very good at all. They wouldn't let us have more than 5,300, for reasons which were initially said to be "police objections" but now turn out to be Blackburn wanting more of their fans in the ground, but that looks to have backfired somewhat spectacularly. I understand the poor attendances for early FAC rounds, but a LC semi?

i could imagine yossi benayoun would do well in the villa side tbh. I would go with that, too. He's the kind of crafty weasel player we could do with.

When we moved Milner central and put Downing on the wing, we started playing some really good football. That also gives us the option of moving Young, Downing and Milner around as required, which gives us options. It is just a handful of games thus far but looks promising. What we really need is the chap in my avatar. Or at least someone who can consistently pick a pass.

I have to say, Coloccini was the worst defender i saw in the league last season. Not only was he shit, he patently didn't care. Final whistle against us on the last day and he was down the tunnel like a rat up a drainpipe.

Ashley Young was awful for us from Feb last year (when he was sent off at Sunderland) till about 2 weeks ago. Gareth Barry was anonymous for us for about 5 of the 9 months of last season. Fans who watch teams day in day out have a much better overview than journalists or part time supporters, both of whom - esp journalists - fall back on the obvious cliche all the time. Mate that link is from Bluemoon forum. Those are fans that are commenting... I know, I'm not commenting on that, in fact I'm supporting your view that the fans know best what really goes on. I would temper that, however, by saying that I don't care what he did with City towards the end, I'm only bothered with what he does for us, and so far it has been exceptional.

When we bought him, I was f***ing flabbergasted (and this is after watching MON prviously buy Heskey, Harewood, Zat Knight, so it isn't like I should have been surprised). Same with Collins. 10m, though, for that pair, good deal. MON is the most infuriating manager ever. He really is. That's unfortunate. From an outsiders perspective, I love the man. Despite the months when we drift into awful football mode, despite the mental transfer policy (three of his last 45 signings have been from outside the UK, apparently), despite the bizarre substitutions, despite lots of things, I can't help but love him. I always feel a warm glow when i see him interviewed as our manager, and for all the bollocks he drops, he pulls some rabbits out of the hat. For all the Knights, Harewoods and Hekseys, for all the refusal to buy bigger names, he gets results. The fucking weirdo.

Ashley Young was awful for us from Feb last year (when he was sent off at Sunderland) till about 2 weeks ago. Gareth Barry was anonymous for us for about 5 of the 9 months of last season. Fans who watch teams day in day out have a much better overview than journalists or part time supporters, both of whom - esp journalists - fall back on the obvious cliche all the time.

When we bought him, I was fucking flabbergasted (and this is after watching MON prviously buy Heskey, Harewood, Zat Knight, so it isn't like I should have been surprised). Same with Collins. 10m, though, for that pair, good deal. MON is the most infuriating manager ever. He really is.