thenige

Second the Chris Waddle shout, always had my shirt un-tucked as a kid to be like him

Great goal and some real moments of class. Still think Enrique, Tiote, Barton and maybe even Colo had equally (if not quite as eye-catching) good games. Worried a little bit when Coleman came on as wasn't sure he would be able to help out defensively, but for quite a small lad tried to put himself about a bit. Just as people have said, has an amazing ability just to ghost past players. Also glad he didn't play against Wolves else he'd be in a wheelchair by now.

Was very very good today. Made me feel embarrassed for Smith how much better he was in one game than Smith's been in his entire Newcastle career. Here's hoping Smith learns from him in training rather than tries to boot him up in the air.

Yeah I've noticed that, I'm English it's just every time I've seen the song on an album (like the Grosse Point Blank soundtrack) they're always referred to as that. Guess it's just stuck with me.

Just put this on now, first thing to play is 'Mirror in the Bathroom' by the English Beat. What a start!

Has done well to resurrect his career after it nose-diving quite severely after joining us. Was getting rave reviews for his performances last year at Braga - yeah they may have been awful last night but they were missing a few key players. Good luck to the lad.

Agreed, he was just an absolute machine during this period.

Would be more worried if we weren't making any chances. Nolan has missed some sitters this season, but at least he's getting in the right areas. Hopefully Ben Arfa can create a bit more space for a few more for someone to tuck away.

Okay I'm barely sure why I'm bothering to write this, but here goes. I didn't watch or attend a game (went to the emirates for a mates birthday, although felt like crying at HT/FT seeing the Toon score) but I can't believe the negativity I've read in this read (from the amount I could stomach). Last home game we won 6-0 and people are kicking off that we didn't start the same line-up? We all know Smith and Nolan are shocking, but they both have done okay this season so far and have earned their places in the side for this match. A 2-0 defeat at home to the so-called whipping boys of the division yeah is a bit of a horror show but we've got to put this into perspective. You can't just throw first-choice players out of the side after 50 odd games just because a couple of signings come in. Tiote, Ben Arfa and Campbell will all get their chance. We'll perform better than this and get points, and maybe even worse and sneak the odd one here and there. Let's not go into doom and gloom overdrive and demand Hughton/Ashley/Nolan/Harper/Williamson/Jesus out as we seem to be.

Villa will go from one of my most liked Premier League clubs to the opposite end of the scale if they appoint Houllier. Car crash waiting to happen.

One of three - the Keegan appointment (and getting a signed matchday program from the whole team for his first game against Bristol City), Shearer's goal against Spurs in the FA Cup semi-final or Bellamy's goal vs Feyenoord. Maybe the last one sneaking it just because it wasn't just a comeback in that game, it was the fact we were dead and buried in the whole competition after losing the first three and pulled it back.

I don't get the hatred towards players who leave this club, especially when it becomes obvious for one reason or another the club doesn't really want them here. Edgar barely got any first team football and the only reason we offered him a deal was so that he couldn't leave for nothing. Good luck to the lad.

Hear bloody hear.

Altwell and his assistants an outright embarrassment, Wolves played like thugs and our lot got sucked into it and started fouling like bloody idiots. Had more than enough chances to win it in the first half, Wolves had a stone-wall penalty not given in the second. Will take a decent point away from home after that.

Rangers best player by a distance, would be a very good signing, especially if we got shot of Smith at the same time. Shame it's utter bollocks rather than having any basis of truth.

Thats no way to conduct the clubs control on salaries. I'm sure once Barton, Smith Colo and whoever else comes to the end of their contracts they will be offered less then what they are on now. Yeah absolutely, as I said Taylor has to understand things have changed at the club and we just can't afford those kinds of wages. It'll be interesting to see what happens with the 'big earners' as their deals wind down, whether we'll sell them 12-18 months before the end of whether they'll come down. Can't really see Colo, no matter how much he enjoys playing at the club, halving his wages.

West Ham would be a fairly good shout, they seem to have a bit of cash floating about and a shocking defence. I don't think £60k is ridiculous considering Smith and Colo's wages in comparison, it's just he's got to understand things at the club have clearly changed and we're can't afford to match those kind of demands. I'd be sorry to see him go, but if the money can be reinvested then it's not the end of the world. I don't want to throw out those 'if he loved the club blah blah blah' kind of things, if he leaves good luck to him elsewhere, he served us well and certainly helped steady nerves in the first half of the season in the Championship.

Have to say the 'Development Squad' as Chris has labelled it got taught a lesson pre-season at Luton. Let's hope the inclusion of a few better defenders (Tavernier and Kadar over Tozer and Newton) will mean a vastly improved performance.

Considering the wages he's on and where he is in the overall pecking order I'd still be happy to see Xisco leave for a similar amount to what we paid for him. Saying that I'd be very surprised if we got half what we originally spent now...

People were saying how good Albrighton has looked for Villa so far in the first couple of games and pre-season. Would be surprised if he's had a tougher game than that in his relatively short career. Enrique really did have him in his pocket.

We have no defensive midfielders bar Smith-

Hear bloody hear!

Great player, have absolutely no issue whatsoever with the way he left the club. Remains a club legend in my eyes

Just got back from the Luton game, was pretty poor by all accounts. Tozer was shocking and was subbed at half time but the entire defence was pretty woeful. Midfield didn't help too much, was a pretty big gap between the midfield and defence the whole game which left them a bit isolated but some of the mistakes were pretty schoolboy. Full backs never got tight and Newton spent much of the game with his head in his hands. Ranger look pissed off after about twenty minutes and a couple of neat touches aside, Vuckic barely had a kick. Lua Lua was pretty awful and expected a bit more from Edmundsson and Inman. Donaldson looked our most impressive player first half, went quiet when he was moved further upfield as we were so poor getting it from the back. Alnwick had a few shifty clearances, for the third should have come out, for the fourth did come out to clear then was beaten from 40-odd yards! Ranger took his goal well, but Beardsley didn't look overly impressed with the teams performance as a whole. Luton were good and looked like they wanted it a hell of a lot more.

Anyone going to see the reserves tonight against Luton? Will be nice to see Ranger, Vuckic and Lua Lua get a run out.