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I don't know about Dyer. During our all-too-brief mid season resurgence, he was our best player by far. You can't really blame him for going completely anonymous after Alkmar, as everyone else on the squad not named Milner has managed to do the same as well. Yes, I do think he's a weak-willed, selfish, petulant kid, but he's also bloody talented when he cares and he's not getting mopey. No one's going to buy him anyway, so might as well give him another shot next season. If the rest of the team is playing good, he'll be a class player. If not... Wooosh

****, I hope the ITK bollocks about Nobby isn't true at least. He's one of the few players I really look up to. Always came off as an intelligent, respectful professional. Would have me shedding a tear if it turns out he's actually a wanker and hangs out with Luque.

We already have a track record of spectacular "bad-boy" explosions. Why tempt fate? I think it's far-too optimistic to think that Big Sam has the magic touch with these kinds of players just because he's been able to deal with Diouf for a few years. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Barton is basically Scott Parker, but with personality issues. He's certainly not the kind of player that could dramatically turn our club around. Should focus on making good with our salvagable assets rather than taking a big gamble on a human time bomb. Barton to be doing Prison time by 2009 at the latest, tbh.

Just a friendly warning, but you might want to pick up your tin hat...

pity mate, not the best first game. better luck next time. What killed me wasn't that we lost, it was that the players had already completely lost the fans. The small Man City away section completely out-cheered the entirety of SJP for the whole game. You could hear a pin drop where me and my mate were sitting. Just a horrible, horrible year for the club, I suppose.

What he said. Agreed. Don't ever recall a week where the Fat one has seemed more competent. Spot on manager appointment, good media comments, and a bit of humanity show in the Youtube clip. Of course, you just know that he'll turn around next week and appoint Terry Mac as assistant manager for life or something.

One home game this season, which was Man City. Not really worth the trans-Atlantic flight, but your first time is always special I guess. I hope to get at least 2~3 in next season, as my school schedule will hopefully be less hectic.

Aye. What a let down he was. Only 17 goals - in his first ever season in the Premiership, in a s*** team under a s*** manager - effectively saving us from relegation. Infact, i believe that Oba is the sole reason for why we have had such a s*** season. Also - it was the signing of Oba that meant that we haven't won the Premier League this season, and the season of 95/96 aswell. He's just so, so, s***. What an unbelievable disappointment the guy has been. Even the biggest Oba supporter can't deny that in the last 10 games or so he's been a passenger. who hasn't? To be fair, everybody was a passenger for the past ten games. They're all sitting in the back seat, wondering while the car isn't moving. That's mostly why we've been going nowhere.

True, but also he has been taken for a ride this year, pathetic. Typical of this club. Can't blame Zoggy. I think you can actually. A few good games last season doesn't give you a God-given right to be on the first team, and based on this season's form Duff might actually be better than the Zog. Yes, Roeder and Pearson have been freezing him out of the team lately, but that's probably because he's been displaying attitude issues in training. He got some chances in the early season, and when he did he was s***.

Dyer making it while Milner missing out and Dawson making it while Taylor missing out is just insulting tbh. Is the U21 Championships this year? Perhaps Taylor and Milner ae being kept in the U21 squad for that?

A team of Spider-men ? I WANT IT NOW. I can be wearing a sports top AND be spiderman. I think I could die after wearing that. NAY! while wearing that. Woah... Is that really...real?

I just remebered, wasn't Sven a huge fan of Ameobi? Odds on he'll sell Martins and start Wor Shola every game!

So, what's it like in Newcastle right now? People dancing in the streets yet?

please please please I swear, this is just about as exciting as NUFC reaching a cup final. Maybe more.

My God, that was so spot on I almost died of content.

Not Roeder is who I want. Fat Fred can go and assume managership for all I care. I just can't bear to see Roeder leading the club anymore. It just hurts.

One observation I made watching the match yesterday: Kaka is exactly the player that we wish Kieron Dyer was. Sigh. If anything, this is bad news. Imagine our defense having to play against this guy. I mean, ****ing Dave Kitson runs circles around us. Kaka? Oooh boy.

Wow. Kaka really is that much better than Ronaldo. I've never seen Man Utd get beaten around this easily at all this season.

The obvious things still seemed wanting i.e first touch, staying onside, aerial ability, but those are things we've come to accept as Ameobi's inherent weaknesses. Otherwise he seemed stronger and faster than before and showed a good deal more predatory instinct than Sibierski/Dyer. I say he's doing fine and is on course to be a good third-choice striker. Come on, it's just Ameobi. Were you expecting a hat trick?

No way it's 200 million. Even 20 million would be a pretty massive amount for any non-top4 prem club. If they had 200 million, they could afford to spend as much as Chelsea I think Coppell's being a bit of an ass talking like this, but on some level it's understandable. Reading have such a paper-thin squad. Only about 13~14 players who are barely Premiership quality I reckon. (Then again, do WE have 13~14 prem quality players? )

I'm surprised there aern't more players in the big time giving back to smaller clubs who brought them up or who they supported. It's easy to say when I don't actually have to do it, but if I were a big time footballer rolling in money then a good chunk of my salary would go right to my hometown club I reckon. Maybe we just don't hear about it.

Don't overrate Nakamura too much based on just his CL heroics. He's hands down the best deadballer in Asia (possibly in the top five globally)yes, but it's questionable whether he has the ability to be a playmaker on the top level. There's a reason Celtic chooses to play him on the wing and not down the middle. Yes, he plays central midfielder for his national team, but that comes down more to how **** other Japanese midfielders are. It's just sad if we're starting to think that Nakamura is "too good for us."

I suppose we could hope. (prays feverishly) Seriously, if I had to choose between hearing that we signed Kaka and we sacked Roeder tomorrow morning, I think I might actually prefer the latter.

If he's still in charge next season... I'm just going to take a seat and cry. Like a girl.

eh First time I've ever said this on this board, but Jesus wept.