brummie

well, I don't really think football has changed too much. Blackburn may be able to offer him more money than they used to be able to do because of sky etc, but from an ambition point of view, fans, and the type of area and football club, the likes of Newcastle beat them all ends up every time. Others do too unfortunately. Its a real coup for Hughes if he can persuade him to stay, but if I were Bentley I wouldn't stay at Blackburn. I disagree. Bentley is not going to leave Blackburn to make a sideways move. What would be the point him leaving to join Newcastle, Everton, Villa, Man City? There's slightly more likelihood of him joining Spurs for the London lifestyle, but other than that, he's very unlikely to do anything other than bide his time and wait for a move to one of the big four (three in his case, discounting Arsenal for obvious reasons). Theres little incentive in moving from one also-ran to another when the ultimate ambition is to be at one of the big boys. As you said, Sky money has distorted the situation, and although waving a huge wad of cash at players still does work from time to time, it isn't anywhere near as persuasive as it used to be. Neither is the 'footballing city' thing. Players these days care about one thing - themselves, unfortunately. I don't consider moving from Blackburn to Newcastle to be a "sideways" move, in the grand scheme of things. Aston Villa maybe. In the longer term, Blackburn may be above Newcastle at the moment, but not too many people will think that situation will continue for very long. Or that being a Blackburn player is preferable to being a Newcastle player in the long term either. I think you've become a little detached from reality if you don't think a move from Blackburn to Newcastle is a sideways move. And as for the comment about "shite little clubs like Blackburn", that'd be Blackburn who've won the league even in the miniscule timeframe of the average Sky football fan? I've got a lot of time for you in much of what you post, but that is condescending bullshit of the type which gives Newcastle fans a bad name. Wimbledon are bigger than Liverpool because they beat them in the 1988 Cup final ? Notts Forest are bigger than Barcelona because they won the European Cup in 1979 and 1980 ? Bollocks Don't make me laugh. Even the biggest diehard Blackburn fan [all 8,000 of them] would concede they aren't as big a club as clubs like Newcastle, and just to prove I'm not being deliberately patronising, Sunderland too. Who are also a bigger club than Aston Villa who can't even fill a 44000 stadium. I didnt say Blackburn were as big a club as Newcastle. I said it was a sideways move. That's a totally different thing. You're putting words in my mouth and countering an argument I didn't actually make. We can't fill a 44,000 stadium mainly because we don't have a 44,000 stadium, it is a 42,640 stadium and it was full yesterday. However, since you're resorting to pettiness, I've supported Villa since I was 6. 1973. Since then: 1 European Cup 1 League Championship 1 European Super Cup 4 League Cups. and I'm still prepared to admit Blackburn to Villa is a sideways move these days. Still, you've got your big crowds and your sneering at other clubs to clutch on to. Wake up and smell the coffee.

well, I don't really think football has changed too much. Blackburn may be able to offer him more money than they used to be able to do because of sky etc, but from an ambition point of view, fans, and the type of area and football club, the likes of Newcastle beat them all ends up every time. Others do too unfortunately. Its a real coup for Hughes if he can persuade him to stay, but if I were Bentley I wouldn't stay at Blackburn. I disagree. Bentley is not going to leave Blackburn to make a sideways move. What would be the point him leaving to join Newcastle, Everton, Villa, Man City? There's slightly more likelihood of him joining Spurs for the London lifestyle, but other than that, he's very unlikely to do anything other than bide his time and wait for a move to one of the big four (three in his case, discounting Arsenal for obvious reasons). Theres little incentive in moving from one also-ran to another when the ultimate ambition is to be at one of the big boys. As you said, Sky money has distorted the situation, and although waving a huge wad of cash at players still does work from time to time, it isn't anywhere near as persuasive as it used to be. Neither is the 'footballing city' thing. Players these days care about one thing - themselves, unfortunately. I don't consider moving from Blackburn to Newcastle to be a "sideways" move, in the grand scheme of things. Aston Villa maybe. In the longer term, Blackburn may be above Newcastle at the moment, but not too many people will think that situation will continue for very long. Or that being a Blackburn player is preferable to being a Newcastle player in the long term either. I think you've become a little detached from reality if you don't think a move from Blackburn to Newcastle is a sideways move. And as for the comment about "shite little clubs like Blackburn", that'd be Blackburn who've won the league even in the miniscule timeframe of the average Sky football fan? I've got a lot of time for you in much of what you post, but that is condescending bullshit of the type which gives Newcastle fans a bad name.

Wish we were playing you next week.Nothing to play for-it seems to me your players are on the beach already. We have a pattern of doing well agaisnt the top teams and badly against the shit sides (obviously some results have bucked this trend ). Now watch us go to OT next weekend and get something. Infuriating.

well, I don't really think football has changed too much. Blackburn may be able to offer him more money than they used to be able to do because of sky etc, but from an ambition point of view, fans, and the type of area and football club, the likes of Newcastle beat them all ends up every time. Others do too unfortunately. Its a real coup for Hughes if he can persuade him to stay, but if I were Bentley I wouldn't stay at Blackburn. I disagree. Bentley is not going to leave Blackburn to make a sideways move. What would be the point him leaving to join Newcastle, Everton, Villa, Man City? There's slightly more likelihood of him joining Spurs for the London lifestyle, but other than that, he's very unlikely to do anything other than bide his time and wait for a move to one of the big four (three in his case, discounting Arsenal for obvious reasons). Theres little incentive in moving from one also-ran to another when the ultimate ambition is to be at one of the big boys. As you said, Sky money has distorted the situation, and although waving a huge wad of cash at players still does work from time to time, it isn't anywhere near as persuasive as it used to be. Neither is the 'footballing city' thing. Players these days care about one thing - themselves, unfortunately.

Surely its a sending off? Ran to the crowd aswell which is meant to be another ridiculous booking IIRC Running into the crowd is a booking and rightly so imo. Bellend. Aye, allowing a player to rush into the crowd so they surge forward to greet that player is brilliant for safety I'd have been in the 'nowt wrong with it' camp until last year, when i went to our game at Fulham. Carew scored in front of us, ran into the crowd, and in the crush a disabled lady got knocked over and trampled just to the left of us. Carried off on a stretcher by the St Johns Ambulance people, it certainly makes you think twice about that kind of thing. Makes you think, doesn't it? Keep the cripples out of harm's way, that's what I always say. There's no place for them in football. Like the women, they should be watching it on the telly at home. Or cooking. Or something.

Surely its a sending off? Ran to the crowd aswell which is meant to be another ridiculous booking IIRC Running into the crowd is a booking and rightly so imo. Bellend. Aye, allowing a player to rush into the crowd so they surge forward to greet that player is brilliant for safety I'd have been in the 'nowt wrong with it' camp until last year, when i went to our game at Fulham. Carew scored in front of us, ran into the crowd, and in the crush a disabled lady got knocked over and trampled just to the left of us. Carried off on a stretcher by the St Johns Ambulance people, it certainly makes you think twice about that kind of thing.

Not hugely relevant (well, not at all) but having played all three at home, Boro were by far the most impressive. They can actually look a decent side on their day. Sunderland were mediocre at best for 90 minutes. You were half decent for 45 minutes and execrable for the second 45. I don't know what to make of Southgate as a manager. It is easy to point at his faults, but there is enough there to make me think he might do good things in the future.

Injuries/small squad are hitting us quite hard at the moment. I reckon at least 3 of the players yesterday weren't properly fit. Just in time for the derby too Same with us. Small squad, doesnt take too many injuries or suspensions to bite hard. I think us, Man City and (to a lesser extent) you were kidding ourselves with talk of displacing Liverpool. The gap with the top four is as big as it ever was, even in this, a season where Liverpool are about as mediocre as it gets. I'd put everything I own on them finishing fourth.

That is an odd coincidence that Adebayor has gone right off the boil since he had his hair cut I cant help thinking he looks like that Makosi bird off Big Brother a couple of years ago these days.

Anfield is as intimidating as tea with my old granny for fucks sake. Full of happy-clappy wankers waving 'you'll never walk alone' scarves - similar to our pogoing shoe-waving tossers but in much greater numbers. Indeed. The days of intimidating top flight football grounds are well and truly over, now we're swamped with happyclappy fucking clueless daytripping Sky botherers. I was looking at the shirts-off Sunderland fans yesterday thinking what a bunch of twats they looked, then heard a couple of two times a season Tarquins behind me having a pop at O'Neill and moaning they weren't going to bother again, and thought which type of fan I'd rather have around me.

You have the other bottom clubs to play at home as well havent you mate. Hope things improve by then... whos next in line ? Man U at Old Trafford We always roll over and let Man U bum us in the face no matter how well we're playing.

And if I'm sounding melodramatic about this, forgive me, I probably won't in the morning, but for most of my adult life, this has been Villa all fucking over. Doing great by Christmas, don't strengthen, drift away to midtable. These last few games have been like watching Gregory's side, or - shudder - O'Dreary's. Same old Villa.

Sunderland deserved to win. That's what i find so fucking galling. Rubbish. A full house again, and we serve up that shite. The players look suspicously like they've looked at the league table, looked at the UEFA cup situation with 6th prob not enough for a place, looked at the number of games left and thought 'what the fuck, lets just coast and think about our summer holidays'. Carson, Barrry and Gabby all dropped by Capello apparently. Good. None of them deserve it at the moment. Carson in particular. What a joke.

I'm still in a state of shock. I did warn you all that this might very well happen at the start of this week, but I can not believe how meek we were today. We were shite from start to finish. Small squad, didn't take the opportunity to strengthen properly in the summer and january, and now we're paying the price. Fucking abysmal. I can't believe we lost at home to Sunderland. How was the match though? Looked like a boring match judging from the highlights. We were woeful. Sunderland were slightly less woeful. Barry - shit Agbonlahor - beyond shit Carew - rubbish Carson - calamity in waiting Knight - laughably bad NRC - unable to pass the fucking ball Maloney - lightweight Gardner - not a fucking right back. BUY A FUCKING RIGHT BACK FFS Whole season pissed away on the back of two botched transfer windows. What a fucking waste.

I'm still in a state of shock. I did warn you all that this might very well happen at the start of this week, but I can not believe how meek we were today. We were shite from start to finish. Small squad, didn't take the opportunity to strengthen properly in the summer and january, and now we're paying the price. Fucking abysmal. I can't believe we lost at home to Sunderland. We give you one simple thing to fucking do................... The way we have played the last three matches, I'm even worried about the derby game. I fear we may screw that one up as well.

I'm still in a state of shock. I did warn you all that this might very well happen at the start of this week, but I can not believe how meek we were today. We were shite from start to finish. Small squad, didn't take the opportunity to strengthen properly in the summer and january, and now we're paying the price. Fucking abysmal. I can't believe we lost at home to Sunderland.

Ha ha, excellent, first laugh out loud moment of the day!

The ref should have booted the fucker up the arse. Mind he is probably used to turning his back on blokes *throws bouquets of flowers* Very good.

I know, that's why i said "or developing, at least" get them in, work on them. He's still miles from any sort of finished product, and very young, but we can make him better. He may be very raw but, as you say, he is still very young. I've seem him play maybe half a dozen times, mainly with the England kids and always looked to be one of the brighter sparks in the team. I know we were trying to get him as well but we got our own back when Spurs signed Dean Parrett, who was very much on your radar. It's all well and good having a successful Academy but there also has to be the desire to promote from the youth/development squads rather than go out and spend another couple of million on another Johnny Foreigner. Spurs traditionally have (though what they have brought through has been generally poor), Villa have and obviously the scum up the road, but generally speaking, I think there is a tendency to look abroad , presumably in the search for instant results. Anyway, I should be having a look at your kids next week as they visit us tomorrow week. It should be a good game, it was good in Brum earlier in the season when we lost 2-1. I never got to go in the end (never went to Derby either) but Spurs got revenge winning 2-1 in a cracking game by all accounts. Villa were by far the better in the first half, but by the end Spurs were good value for the win, making it 9 successive wins and 13 out of 15 going back to the beginning of October. A lot of credit is going to Alex Inglethorpe who is Head Coach for the Academy, though Comolli ought to get some recognition for giving him the quality of players to work with. Perhaps more pleasing is that we've got 2 players who'll be joining the first year of the Academy who had been destined to join the scum up the road but didn't think they would have a great future there as they're English! Spurs have got Port Vale on Wednesday in the Youth Cup, Chelsea await the winners in the semi-final. I'm hoping for a Spurs/Villa final, they would be well matched. Got to get past Port Vale first though!! Port Vale 1 Spurs 0 ............................ FFS though I did half guess that! Inglethorpe out. Youth Cup doesnt mean owt....only YC game Ive been to best player on the pitch was Boro reject Andrew Davies...and thats only cos he was the biggest/strongest and won everything in the air. Dont think football at that level is a results business at all when games can be swung on a physical factor that just isnt there when the same kids play against grown men. Success at youth level is measured in graduates, not sales or tin pots.... That said....COYB. Got Plymouth in the Quarter final. Tallest, strongest, fastest will always have an advantage due to age but skill and technical ability you hope will prevail irrespective of age. About half of the Spurs group would be eligible to play again next year, but for most their progress by that time will be in Spurs' development squad (reserves to most clubs but that's what Spurs call them) or elsewhere having been shipped out. Ours won 2-0 at Carlisle tonight. Delfouneso, Bannan and Forrester starring again. Delfouneso will play in the PL before too long, man of the match apparently. Port Vale or Chelsea in the semi finals. Incidentally, our youth team's league record = Played: 22 Won: 17 Drawn: 1 Lost: 4. Pretty impressive. Went to the semi final second leg tonight at Villa Park, finished Villa 2 - Chelsea 3, Chelsea through 3-4 on aggregate, they play Citeh in the final. Some quality players on show, though. From our side, Barry Bannan, Harry Forester and Nathan Delfouneso. From theirs Kakuta looks absolutely superb. Interesting though that barely an English kid in their side, and ours was mostly English. Some things don't change. 11,000 there, too. Youth football is really good. I'm going to start watching more of it.

Who are the biggest wankers amongst them? I'l start with Ashley Cole and William Gallas. Oh, and Mathieu 'Imaginary Card Waving Weasel Faced Cunt' Flamini Carvalho has pissed me off an awful lot since he came to the Premiership He pissed me off since he went through Agbonlahor at just under knee height, two-footed.

Who are the biggest wankers amongst them? I'l start with Ashley Cole and William Gallas. Oh, and Mathieu 'Imaginary Card Waving Weasel Faced Cunt' Flamini

And to think Allardyce is trying to get us to liken what Ramos is going at Spurs to what he was trying to do here The question what is Ramos doing there? its really a huge shock to me that just changing the way players train can turn a team from the hopeless bunch of fuckers Tottenham were before he came to the brilliant team i saw playing tonight. Or the pile of shite that lost 4-1 to Birmingham City the other day. Interesting though - Spurs 4-Villa 4, Chelsea 4-Villa 4, Spurs 4-Chelsea 4. Three good matches, those.

Thing is, you can't really have that attitude, in that if you are going to give him the job, you've got to back him, and when he does strange stuff, you have to back him in that, at the very least until he is proven wrong. I'm talking from personal experience here based on watching MON sign Marlon Harewood (jaw hit floor) and Zat Knight (jaw hit floor again, twice as hard). Weird, weird moves, but if you take the package, you take the *whole* package, including the idiosyncracies. Whatever he does, he has to do it his way, then if it goes wrong, he stands or falls by it.

The return of a previous hero is always laden with extra worry, though, lest they besmirch your memories of them. I felt the same with Sir Graham Taylor's return as manager, and Andy Gray's return as a player. On the flipside, as you said, it is that extra bit exciting.

I'm aware I'm stepping on very dodgy ground here, but I am genuinely very interested., I'm really not trolling or looking for a fight, I'm just keen to hear your thoughts. I'm interested in the perception of Keegan as your manager, and to what extent this is about sentimentality (which is, let's be honest, in many ways a good thing to still see in football) rather than cold, hard assessment of what the club needs. Those of you who thought it was a good appointment at the time - was he really the best man for the job? Forget Allardyce and the wisdom of sacking him or appointing him in the first place, was the Keegan appointment the one to make? When the news broke, I was driving home from work. Earlier that day, TalkShite had been saying Didier Deschamps was nailed on to get the job. I was actually quite impressed, in the sense that I thought it would be a good appointment and one that showed a freshness of thought which I haven't associated with those running NUFC for a long, long time. Then, the same station reported that Keegan had been appointed. Had I not been driving home at the time, I'd have fallen off my seat, I could not believe it. My first reaction was 'what the FUCK?', my second was 'what the fuck are they doing?'. Don't get me wrong, I like Keegan. Growing up in the late 70s, he was one of my football heroes, he was THE glamour footballer. I liked his first Newcastle side. I like his wearing of his heart on his sleeve, I genuinely think his "I would love it ..." outburst is one of the most watchable bits of sport television I've ever seen. I just can't believe they appointed him. Again, let me stress, I'm not saying I think he will fail, and I DO think that having given him the job, you owe him the chance to make it work. I'm saying I think you could have made a much better appointment, a forward thinking one, one which would break with the club's recent history of questionable management - new ownership, new money, debts cleared, manager who wasn't "the owner's man" jettisoned, a chance to show a break with the previous regime, but a chance missed. That's just my opinion, but I'm interested to hear how many of you had that feeling too, whether at the time of the appointment you thought 'fuck it, what the hell' and if so, how you feel at this point.