thenige

So when did Keegan actually come out and say he was unhappy with the current set-up? I must have missed that.

Crouch is only as good in a game as a referee will allow him to be. Get a stringent ref and he'll get called up for fouls pretty much every time he jumps. Get a lenient ref and he can be a nightmare for any defence. Still don't rate him particularly highly to be honest, but at the moment we're not the most attractive proposition in the world so we have to ask - who can we get who's any better?

Reported this morning in The Times that Emre moved on for only £2m http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/newcastle/article4045960.ece

It's certainly a double-sided coin, you can argue that these players move onto clubs with much better structures, coaches and facilities - however more often than not they'll be starved of first team football for a couple of years longer than they would have been. I mean would N'Zogbia have become the same player at Le Harve? But saying that I do agree that smaller clubs are the lifeblood of English football, and for them to invest all this time and effort, more often than not for insulting tribunal fees isn't really on. In the recent past Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham have done this far too many times and there is no way all these players they've signed are going to make it - by taking this chance they increase the competition for themselves. However I had a friend in school years back who was at a lower league club, at a similar sort of age he had offers from teams like Chelsea and Aston Villa to move on. He didn't, his team was relegated and eventually he was released. Who's to say if he'd made the step up he'd still be a professional footballer?

Some people really don't have a clue about football. Good luck to the lad, surprising but hope he has a great European Championship and gets his career back on track at a club he can show his talents.

How do you know? Because he has things in his locker other players don't have, touch, vision and technique. Are you telling me you'd rather have Barton, Butt or Geremi playing through-balls over Emre? He's also got a fantastic reputation in Europe has played and done well at one of the biggest clubs in the world and can simply do things in our team that no-one else can. Just because he's suffered with injury a fair bit in the past (as have many people under the previous regimes) doesn't mean he can't be fully fit and reach his potential at the club. I know at this point of the season we're supposed to be negative about all our current players and think everyone we bring in is going to be the answer, but sometimes you can ignore the answers slightly closer to home.

If he's gone I'm gutted, he's one of the very few players in our squad with a real touch of class. They'd better be lining up someone pretty great to replace him, really think his style of football could have flourished under a proper Keegan team. Just have to wait for things to confirmed or denied officially, also he was to be my reason for supporting the Turks at the Euros!

Two words - s**t hot.

People who rate Lennon surely must have only seen him on MOTD or something, the amount of times he gets into decent positions and plays and idiotic ball or crosses into the crowd is unbelievable. As for Dyer, yes he had his moments and at times looked a fantastic player, but this far outweighed by those nothing performances, few assists and poor finishing that he had for us. For a player who almost played 200 games for us, I'd say at best 30-40 matches he played anywhere near his potential. He's much like Lennon in the sense he deceives the casual viewer - watch him week in week out and you'll see his true ability and more importantly, his true consistency. And in defence of SWP, he was playing in a top-class side and has never had a fair crack of whip. How can you play consistantly good football when you're playing one in three matches? I agree that his first instant should have been to leave this summer - but with a new manager coming in and the chance of a fresh start for everyone - wouldn't you give the shot of winning a few trophies domestically and abroad a chance before ditching it for the chance to maybe challenge for Europe? Last season maybe he thought Grant would give him a chance - he didn't and now he's gone. It leaves the first team door wide open for SWP - if I was him I'd stay and see if I could force my way in, especially as Malouda looks more likely to leave the club and Mancini (if it is indeed him) preferring attacking football.

He's a boozy youngster who for want of a better phrase is a little too big for his boots. Unfortunately I think the hype has taken too much of an effect on him, he's very much like Dyer and Bellamy when they joined the club and we know how that ended.

I think you'll be struggling to find many that fall into the "others" category. Isn't Lennon about five years younger than SWP? Let's see, 1 mill versus 22mill? I'd say you got a better deal and given that SWP may have lost his edge there could easily be an argument made that Lennon is a better long term prospect. You've got to be kidding me, Lennon at best is a poor man's Kieron Dyer and that's saying something. Really don't rate him, he's quick and can beat the odd player but ask him to do anything else at all and you've no chance. Average at best and because of his attitude would have to be a very very low price to even consider him. I'd take SWP over him any day.

I'm sure if Arsenal were interested he'd get one based on being an 'exceptional prospect'

Think I was at his first ever Newcastle game, a pre-season match away at Forest. Also I believe Bramble's first game for the club. Scored a decent left footed lob (Viana - not Bramble! ) but even then you could clearly see he was totally one-footed and didn't like the physical stuff. We also lost 3-1. Not a good day for the club tbh. Was a big fan of Viana but I always seem to fall for our foreign imports who never quite cut it, Viana was in line after the joys of Maric and Andersson and a preview for Luque. Hope he manages to turn his career round.

I swear one of the Tottenham fans at my work was saying his season ticket has gone up by over £100 for next season. Can't remember where he sits but I do know that club are bloody rip-off merchants and probably one of the main reasons for the overall percentage increase. Nevermind eh, at least the club works under a stringent wage cap. I wonder where the money comes from.

From the Telegraph:

All these FM games suck! I didn't realise you weren't even able to watch your team play the actual games. All you do is press a button to sim through every game? That's crap. Surely you ought to be able to watch the matches and see how the players perform? FM stinks. Rant over. Person who's never played the computer game in computer game rant. I think the Daily Mail is looking for people like you.

Paul Robinson, remember him scoring a penalty in a pre-season friendly against Reading when Guillit brought himself on and was the best player by a mile. Those were the days.

The way Pinenar outdid him both defensively and attacking against Everton was almost embarrassing. I hope he does come good, I just think with that spark of pace gone and the fact he is essentially one footed I don't think his prospects look good. Would love him to turn to Kev and say "I want a new contract, pay me a performance related deal and I'll give it my all." Just think for the 60k a week or whatever he's on, he's just not worth it. Can't believe it though, when we signed him thought we had an absolute bargain. Injuries really have taken their toll. Probably has pre-season to prove something else he won't last past January.

As I said in the Lennon, Pennant or Milner thread - Arshavin please! He is a damn fine player, and if he wants to bring a couple of his team mates with him, I think we could find a nice home for 'em!

Clearly Spurs fans have been on the site voting for Lennon.

Beye of course for me, but Harper not a million miles behind - has done well since he's come in would be just reward for all the years of service. Still voting Beye though!

Arshavin isn't a right winger. He plays either as a second striker or on the right hand side, generally for an attacking three. So I would certainly classify him as a player who can play as a right-winger. Also anyone who wants Lennon clearly hasn't seen him play very often. He's a worse version of Kieron Dyer.

Arshavin or SWP as people have said a mile over Pennant.

Sure your mate didn't get confused and it was actually Gomis? Here's hoping!

Nice to see the Daily Mail aren't making stuff up again without any sort of quote relating to the story.