brummie

Yep, you've definitely got yourselves a player even if you've had to pay through the nose. He's definitely best wide right, though. I don't mind us paying top end wedge so long as it is spent sensibly. If I were a West Ham fan, for example, I'd be genuinely embarassed about the way they are spaffing their money away at the moment.

Nice work again from Young. I'm very excited about him next season.

I'm hoping he does. Local radio down here reported that your lot have made an offer for him too this evening. His agent reckons he's coming to us, mind. Yeah, I honestly wouldn't mind him for the right price. What Spurs really need, perhaps even above a leftie, is someone who can dominate the midfield area. If NRC can do that, it'd be £7m well spent. I think Villa would be a decent move for him though. I think he had a tough time from the Wet Spam fans over last season, tbh, although if you take even the most cursory of looks at kumb.org.uk, they all seem to be borderline retarded.

I'm hoping he does. Local radio down here reported that your lot have made an offer for him too this evening. His agent reckons he's coming to us, mind.

Ashley looking lively. Despite being played out of position.

Yes what i have seen on him, he is going to go far! Always remember that goal he scored too! Given who it was against, I've had fewer more satisfying moments in football in the last decade or so. I know it isn't quite that simple, but those three points played a massive part in us staying up and them going down. I like to think our teenage centre half relegated them with a stunning overhead kick.

http://www.adidas-shop.co.uk/images/ptools/football/SS_07/020507/13.jpghttp://www.adidas-shop.co.uk/images/ptools/football/SS_07/020507/14.jpg At least the side-on aspect minimises the horror of seeing Duff's chunky mongface staring straight at you.

Watch Gary Cahill. That boy will be in the senior squad before too long. I shall also be keeping a close eye on how Ashley Young and NRC play together, what with them seemingly making up a chunk of our midfield next season. Nice surprise finding this match on.

I can think of one left sided midfielder I'd pick over that cunt Downing any day. McClown disagrees, mind.

Guillem Balague was on Sky last week saying that Ramos is "waiting for the call" from Citeh, and desperate to get the job.

They know the price of everything, but the value of nothing.

Indeed. And I am conveniently forgetting Randy Lerner's considerable donations to the Bush election campaign(s).

Not necessarily the case - Lerner bought us Petrov before his takeover had gone through, although I guess it depends how far down the line things have gone. How's he done, btw? Petrov? Brilliant first two matches, crap the middle section, excellent his last few matches. Expecting much improvement next season.

You think you've got it bad? We've just been taken over by a billionaire that wants to make us successful, we've just appointed a fantastic manager. We're selling a poor skipper and we're starting to become positive as fans. We're f*****. Without wanting to sound doomish, strictly speaking, you haven't been taken over yet. When ours happened (which was not a hostile takeover, and generally wanted by all) I recall the arse twitching went on for a good while after the initial offer being accepted. Shaddit. Who, me?

Not necessarily the case - Lerner bought us Petrov before his takeover had gone through, although I guess it depends how far down the line things have gone.

You think you've got it bad? We've just been taken over by a billionaire that wants to make us successful, we've just appointed a fantastic manager. We're selling a poor skipper and we're starting to become positive as fans. We're fucked. Without wanting to sound doomish, strictly speaking, you haven't been taken over yet. When ours happened (which was not a hostile takeover, and generally wanted by all) I recall the arse twitching went on for a good while after the initial offer being accepted.

The next best thing to a really exciting game is a really violent, fighty one, so for that reason I enjoyed Portugal - Holland as well.

Stevie should have his own column, Littlejohnesque. I'd definitely read it.

No probs.

Given that you have a few non Toon fans on here, and we're all (well, mostly) pretty objective, reasonable people, why don't you get us to cobble together something for you when it features our clubs? Me, Dr Spec, 1878, that Liverpool fan whose name I'm afraid I can't remember, Martin Jol, there's 5 of them there.

I agree. I would much rather my children supported Birmingham City than became gloryhunters. They're dead to me.

How come? Long way. He lives 500 miles away. In Rainham.

On footballing ability alone, if you asked one randomly selected fan of each of the other 19 clubs in the premiership which player they'd take given the choice, Parker or Barton, I'd be surprised if 5 went for Parker.

Hell of a difference though in the abilities of Roy Keane and Joey Barton. Indeed, but the people slagging him off for his (admittedly somewhat mardy-arsed) temperament might want to reflect on what they prefer, a team of losing nice guys, or a team with a few nasty cunts which wins things. At the end of the day, Fat Sam wanted him, you've got to put trust in his judgement.

So Barton is a bit of a twat off the field. A lot of a twat, in fact. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Roy Keane regularly get this kind of press, and didn't he also get involved in some nastiness involving him twatting a bird whilst out on the piss? What a lucky escape. I'm so glad he didn't devote the best part of his career to my club ....