oldtype

By the way, Owen can apparently no longer score unless its absolutely layed onto him in a plate. Can't create chances, can't be a poacher who scores a dozen tap-ins a season. He could be the best finisher in the universe for all I care, that doesn't matter untill he can figure out something he can do on the pitch.

The fact that he's not good enough for the top 6 has absolutely no bearing at the moment because 1. He's ours right now, like it or not. 2. Nobody will have him. 3. We're not going to be sitting anywhere near the top six for a while. So as long as he's ours and non-saleable, why not use him when we have to and give him credit when he preforms to the best of his (limited) abilities. I certainly wouldn't rather stick in a 19 year old who wasn't good enough for a Championship bottom side, much less the top six. 1/ What a reference. 2/ Norwich 3/ The only way to improve is to get players in who are better than the ones who have let us down in the last 3 years (at least) Your nitpicking is so pointless that it doesn't even properly pick the nits. Again, everyone knows Ameobi isn't good enough for the top six. But he's ours right now and we didn't have anyone else to use today except a nineteen year old striker who was warming the bench for a championship side. Selling him for nowt accomplishes absolutely nothing but further decreasing our squad depth. (Assuming he'd even agree to join a Championsihp side. HIGHLY doubtful.) You can sell him when we have five strikers who are clearly far and away better than he is. We have him, so use him when we have to, and acknowledge him when he plays to the best of his limited abilities. That's all I'm saying.

What?? There was no one else to play up front, who else should he have played? Carroll. Or a wandering stray dog. Because Carroll has been brilliant when he's played? The lads no better then Ameobi at the moment. I haven't seen much of Carroll therefore will give him a chance before I decide whether he's good. I don't need to see Ameobi play one second more to know he is nowhere near good enough. Seriously, if you think Carroll would have done any better than Ameobi today, you're just not watching the game. The lad had a decent shift. If you can accept that Stephen Carr can have non-cringeworthy games from time to time, why can't you give Ameobi the same benefit. How many times did he hit the target? None. But nobody else did either. How many chances did he create for others ? Several. I'd argue that every chance we had this game was either an Ameobi layoff or off a set piece. How many good passes? See above How many pointless free kicks did he give away? none. I don't recall any of his fouls being particularly bad. If thats a decent shift we will never get anywhere near the top 6. completely immaterial. See my above reply.

The fact that he's not good enough for the top 6 has absolutely no bearing at the moment because 1. He's ours right now, like it or not. 2. Nobody will have him. 3. We're not going to be sitting anywhere near the top six for a while. So as long as he's ours and non-saleable, why not use him when we have to and give him credit when he preforms to the best of his (limited) abilities. I certainly wouldn't rather stick in a 19 year old who wasn't good enough for a Championship bottom side, much less the top six.

What?? There was no one else to play up front, who else should he have played? Carroll. Or a wandering stray dog. Because Carroll has been brilliant when he's played? The lads no better then Ameobi at the moment. I haven't seen much of Carroll therefore will give him a chance before I decide whether he's good. I don't need to see Ameobi play one second more to know he is nowhere near good enough. Seriously, if you think Carroll would have done any better than Ameobi today, you're just not watching the game. The lad had a decent shift. If you can accept that Stephen Carr can have non-cringeworthy games from time to time, why can't you give Ameobi the same benefit.

Ugh... This is honestly the best you're ever going to see Ameobi play. Ever. Deserves a 7

We tried to play Keegan-style football without the required organization, and that obviously wasn't going to go very well. Bolton played very well organized anti-football. First half, they nearly played us off the pitch. Thankfully, 10-behind-the-ball tactics have their weakness in that it's very, very difficult to concentrate with that plan for 90 minutes, and it showed as Bolton started breaking down at the sixty minute mark. Unfortunately, we lacked the quality up front to take advantage of their collapse. Ultimately, this just goes to show that if we want Keegan-style football we're going to have to buy some Keegan-style players, and more importantly, get some organization going. Like Keegan said, every player on the ball should have three options for passes, and we won't get that until the players have a good understanding. <Ratings> Given - 7 Not much to do. Thank God for the wondersave. Again. Enrique - 7 Improving rapidly. Solid on the defense, strong going forward. A bit worried about his man marking in set pieces though. Carr - 6 Not much defensive action but very decent going forward. Seems to be regaining his old form, a couple of years too late though. Cacapa - 7 Used his class to overcome Davies' bullying and put him in his back pocket. Taylor - 7 Fullbacks were pushing up a lot, so Taylor had a lot to do stopping Bolton's advance on the wings. Positive effort. Rozhenal - 7 Very active, started out shaky but was dominant in the last thirty minutes. Somehow turns out to be our best passer. Duff - 6 Started out bright but tired quickly. Seems to be regaining a lot of his old form, hope he gets there quickly. Milner - 5 Erased off the pitch by Gardner in the first half, was very active in our second half surge but all his crosses/shots somehow magnetically attatched to Bolton defenders. Not his best game. N'Zogbia - 6 Has the potential to be a good central midfielder but has to learn how to play there first. Dallies too much on the ball and tries to do it all himself instead of distributing it. Ameobi - 7 Eight years into his senior career he's finally learned how to hold up the ball. Impressive link up play against a physical Bolton side, hope he can keep it up. Honestly think he did better than Viduka would have. Owen - 5 Not there. Part of it has to with the service but I'm beginning to question whether Owen can survive without his pace. Yes, he was decent without blinding pace at Real, and his first season with us, but post World Cup injury he's gotten even slower and it seems to have been one blow too much. If he doesn't have the pace to create his own chances and doesn't have the instinct to be a good poacher, I'm not sure what exactly he's supposed to be doing. LuaLua - 6 decent cameo. Wish we had actual impact subs though.

Megson came knowing exactly what he had to do. Cram ten players into the defence, slow us down, gum things up, kill our momentum. Wait till we make a bad pass (inevitable due to our lack of organization) and go on the counter attack. So far he's succeeded, keeping us completely quiet till half time. Fans are subdued, players lose their belief, and it's no longer a forgone conclusion that we'll win. It's up to Keegan now to instill some belief back into the players at halftime. Steinsson and Gardner in particular are having monster games, completely shutting down our flanks. Thank God they're all absolutely horrible on the attack or I'd be worried that they'd nick a goal before FT.

...The fact that people aren't foaming at the mouth at the thought of having to start Shola is a testament to the good feeling the Keegan appointment has caused

Think we need to hire some new designers for the club shop... Couldn't help but admire some of the tasteful club apparel Liverpool had when I was last at Anfield. Thought our stuff might get better with Ashley in charge, but so far that hasn't been the case

Is he really? Well, hope Shola is ready to prove a point...

Really hope we win comfortably so we can extend the feelgood atmosphere another week. Although, mind you Bolton just signed a decentish player who has a bad habit of scoring wondergoals against us...

Same Thirded. Born in 86. Was a Basketball/Baseball man before then, World Cup being held in my country turned me around. "Chose to support" (I realize that term itself may seem a bit foreign to the natives here) Newcastle because I was enamored with the idea of Alan Shearer: a living legend, leading the line and symbolizing everything the club stood for. My two greatest regrets in life are being too young to have ever seen Freddie Mercury in concert or Alan Shearer at SJP in his prime. First trip to SJP in 2007 (couldn't afford travel costs before then), been to two games so far. Yet to see a goal socred, much less a win, at SJP. Two matches I went to were Man City(06-07) and Liverpool(07-08)

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm so very happy to return to Newcastle United. Now, I'd like to introduce you to my new friends. Dimitar, Shaun, come on out."

I think Geremi+Taylor+Carr all being able to play in the position will be good enough backup for now, since Beye isn't really the injury-prone type. He's already 30 though, so should look at getting a promising young right back in the summer.

God, I just don't hope we pass this window by, thinking our current squad is just about good enough, and then get hit with an injury crisis or something and get relegated because we're forced to play Geremi on the wing and Smith in the midfield. Ugh. Bad thoughts.

don't think we need Chimbonda tbh. Beye is just fine at right back and he's a complete tosser that would probably demand massive wages because he has it in his mind that he's one of the best right backs in Europe (to be fair, he might not be wrong.)

...Are you our Martin Jol then?

ok, last time I made a thread like this it was titled "Titus Bramble," so take this with a grain, nay, a pound of salt but... Last season, Carr hardly deserved to be called a footballer. He was overweight, out of shape, slow as f***, and his defensive skills weren't all that hot to begin with. He was completely useless and a liability to the club. He seems to be the one man who has seriously benefited from Big Sams new(or is it "old" now?) fitness regime. He's definitely back in shape and seems to have gotten a bit of his pace back. He's been shaky at the back at times but he's become capable of making those bombing runs that he used to do at Tottenham pre-knee injury again. Now I'm hardly saying that he's suddenly a top-class or even an above-average premiership right back, but I think we just might be able to stop thinking about him as dead weight but rather as decent cover for Beye. Probably another 1~2 years from him at most(when's his contract up) but I think he can be a squad asset to us now.

For now I think I'd be satisfied as long as we're still in the premiership. Hopefully top half by the end of next season.

a left winger and a tin man defender in the middle of midfield? Would you rather have Carr in the midfield then? There's really are no realistic alternatives.

Sidwell off chelsea on loan? Hoping he can wrap up a quick midfield signing within the next 48, however unlikely that may seem.

Given Carr Taylor Cacapa Enrique Milner Roz N'Zogbia Duff Viduka Owen Seems the sane and realistic option.

CACAPA! Is today our "everyone who's lost confidence gets to score and get back into it" day? Who are we playing in the center on saturday? Roz/Cacapa with the Zog?

Emre sent off!?! WTF