brummie

since "WE" here is mostly newcastle you perhaps should add "We,Everton, had a bid rejected.." But why would Newcastle be rejecting a bid for Arteta?

Southgate is a cock. That's my measaured opinion. *slurps rioja* You're on it early The remainder of a bottle from last night. Didn't want it to be sitting there all day, did I?

Southgate is a cock. That's my measaured opinion. *slurps rioja*

The suffering re not having won anything I can understand, and the last two years have been poor, but surely the CL years and the high finishes under SBR have been worth watching? Not to mention the good times under KK? And you've had some high profile (I'm not saying trophy here, mind) signings in that time, too. When i used to watch you a lot in the 1980s, the football and general 'spectacle' served up really was absolute shite. It strikes me that what has happened in recent years must have been, at times, very good to watch. Newcastle's support isn't at all fickle, to suggest that is ridiculous, but I'd also say that to read some of the comments here, it sounds like it has always been doom and gloom. For my money the "best" fans are those who year after year watch utter shite in the lower leagues, travelling up and down the country to watch third rate football, not supporters who watch Premiership football.

Fair point, but we actually do have a five year plan to be playing in the CL (I think they're de rigeur for all new owners these days - I know West Ham have one, for instance). Admittedly, we're further into it, but that's probably the measure of how large the gulf is between the top four and the rest. Obviously, as you said, it depends what the five year plan is to achieve. What is going to be interesting is that there are the current top four, then there are quite a large group of second tier (and a few third tier - West Ham, Blackburn for example) clubs who all have money and all want the same thing, the problem being, they can't all have the same thing. I don't think how much money you spend is necessarily going to be the crucial factor in the same way it was in the past, but that's probably another argument. Sven has taken the bit of paper with 5 year plan written on it screwed it up and thrown it in the bin. They will compete for CL next year. That remains to be seen. Man City have a somewhat short term look to them (see above post). There's also a long time left in this season, let's see how they do in the remainder.

Good management (of the club in all senses - from the boardroom to the training ground, and including things like youth development) are going to be every bit as important as money spent. Throwing money around alone is not going to be enough any more (I'm not suggesting you're saying that, btw, I'm just rambling a bit). I've got a feeling the clubs which will do best out of it are the ones which take a good, long term view of what needs to change and be done, formulate a plan, and set about it with a mesaured determination (which, from what we've heard of your new owners, is the approach they are taking) rather than the ones who just throw money at the problem to get short term success (West Ham, City to a certain degree).

Fair point, but we actually do have a five year plan to be playing in the CL (I think they're de rigeur for all new owners these days - I know West Ham have one, for instance). Admittedly, we're further into it, but that's probably the measure of how large the gulf is between the top four and the rest. Obviously, as you said, it depends what the five year plan is to achieve. What is going to be interesting is that there are the current top four, then there are quite a large group of second tier (and a few third tier - West Ham, Blackburn for example) clubs who all have money and all want the same thing, the problem being, they can't all have the same thing. I don't think how much money you spend is necessarily going to be the crucial factor in the same way it was in the past, but that's probably another argument.

I agree. It's fucking cheating. Keane does it all the time. I was always under the impression that it was a 'clean' run up and strike at goal. As i said, it always used to be but seems to be ignored. John Aldridge started it. I was just going to mention Aldridge when I saw your next post. Did they go through ashort period of banning him from doing this ? I think there was much talk about it, but don't know if it actually happened. Talking of cheating, see also the tendency of some keepers to be about 6 feet off their line when the kick is taken. These are simple rules which seem to get ignored an awful lot nowadays.

Villa legend.

Alan Smith? Scoring? At SJP? *cheeky wink* I know but lets be fair,Chelsea have 3 points more this period than they should down to dodgy officials.1 yesterday and 2 against Villa. Surely 2 yesterday and 1 against us? You are right, btw

I agree. It's fucking cheating. Keane does it all the time. I was always under the impression that it was a 'clean' run up and strike at goal. As i said, it always used to be but seems to be ignored. John Aldridge started it.

I agree. It's fucking cheating. Keane does it all the time. Yes, I was about to add 'like that cunt Keane does' but laziness overcame me. I am sure it used to be illegal, but it seems to happen all the time now.

Alan Smith? Scoring? At SJP? *cheeky wink*

What i hate isn't encroaching on pens, but dummying them, or halting run ups.

Past it. Heretic!

Walcott is getting to the point where he needs to start being given the chance to do things and then actually do it. Compare with Agbonlahor who was proved it over a decent time now. Incidentally, Nathan Delfouneso and Zoltan Steiber. I'm going to resurrect this post in the next 18 months, point at it and say "told you so".

He's not going to leave a club pushing for Europe for a lower half of table one, is he? *cheeky wink*

1978 WC for me. What a tournament. Long haired flair players? Check Good guys? Holland. Check. Bad guys? Argentina. Check. Involvement of shadowy military junta? Check. Hilarious Scotland? Check. Played in country which was about as different to the UK as it was possible to be? Check. Crackly phone lines? Check. Questionable results? Check. England failed to qualify? Check Indeed. It might be fashionable to say you don't care about the national team these days, but I turned my back on the underperforming fuckwits 30 years ago.

1978 WC for me. What a tournament. Long haired flair players? Check Good guys? Holland. Check. Bad guys? Argentina. Check. Involvement of shadowy military junta? Check. Hilarious Scotland? Check. Played in country which was about as different to the UK as it was possible to be? Check. Crackly phone lines? Check. Questionable results? Check.

A lot of the footballers I watched playing for my club in the late 70s / early 80s would manage very nicely in the current day and age. In fact, I reckon you got to see more skill and flair in the 70s and 80s than you do now (although I am aware of the various arguments pro and contra this argument, and acknowledge them). Things from back then that were much better than modern day: - Commentary from matches abroad being done over crackly phone lines - Players with long hair - Players with moustaches (how many 20 somethings these days sport a big tache? Not enough) - Eastern European teams being really good - English teams playing European ties behind the iron curtain in front of 100,000 crowds, 90 percent of whom appeared to be in military uniform. - Having to win your league to play in the European Cup - Taking your life in your hands almost every time you went to an away match - Characters (Frank Worthington, Rodney Marsh, Stan Bowles etc etc etc) - Man United being in the second division - Villa being in the second AND third division (back then when relegation didnt mean financial meltdown, a spell out of the top flight wasn't such a bad thing. The 87-88 season was one of the most enjoyable seasons I ever had, a lot of Villa fans 5 or so years older than me absolutely loved two years in the third division - oh how things have changed with money) - World Cups that weren't just about advertising and television revenues (when did they get so sterile? 1994, I think, was the turning point). I could go on and on. But I won't, I've already veered hugely off topic.

Come on Liverpool FFS, score. (sorry, Speccy).

Arsenal are a great side, but they've got some highly unpleasant, objectionable, play acting, diving, imaginary card waving cunts playing for them. Fabregas, Eboue, Toure, Flamini (the worst, in my opinion) and so on. Cunts, no need for it.

I'd like to register my extreme satisfaction with Curtis Davies today. Did very well indeed. I suspect that's the last we've seen of Zat Knight for a while.

4-4 Spuds

3-4 Reading