thewellander

If NUFC come anywhere near Canada I'll be there.

Go Toronto!

I've got tickets to a few games in Toronto. If the preseason is any judge, it's going to be another long and agonizing year.

We stood on the brink of complete implosion. After the relegation, it would have been very easy (and typical) for us to fall apart as a team and flounder in mid table.

 

Many, many long-time Premiership clubs have failed to make the expected quick return and have disappeared into the Football League over the past few years. We have every right to be proud of coming back at first time of asking. (Assuming that it actually happens, of course)

Agree with this totally. I'm going to be thrilled if (when) we get promoted. If we win the title, all the better. We're a Championship side, whether we like it or not, so winning the Championship is a major title, as far as I'm concerned.

Relegation itself hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be. I've really enjoyed being an NUFC fan this year, even if I haven't been able to watch as many games as I would have liked.

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/8868/pumaaway.jpg

 

i can't quite get the shades right on this monitor but you get the idea 

My favorite away kit and one that I still wear all the time, but although that design is mint, I feel like it shouldn't be copied.

At the end of the day, Simpson has done an above adequate job for us and likely for less money. Plus, he's at the beginning of his career and not the end.

I loved Beye when he was here, but I don't feel sorry for him. We're better off and he's worse off. Good riddance.

I don't care too much what happens at the top of the Premier League, but if I had to choose, I would want it to be Aston Villa.

I don't understand why they didn't sell during the window?

 

I think they had a transfer ban on them similar to the one Chelsea were going to get.

Didn't stop them from selling. They sold us a player after all. And their backup keeper, if I recall.

How are the players who left Newcastle in the January 2009 and Summer 2009 transfer windows doing at their new clubs?

 

Shay Given - Manchester City

Charles N'Zogbia - Wigan Athletic

Michael Owen - Manchester United

Mark Viduka - Retired?

Obafemi Martins - Wolfsburg

Sebastien Bassong - Tottenham Hotspur

Habib Beye - Aston Villa

Damien Duff - Fulham

Xisco - Racing Santander (Loan)

 

Now we're not in the Premiership I'm not following it closely but the people who seem to have done well are Given, Bassong and Duff (and possibly Owen). Am I wrong in thinking Martins and Beye are mainly being used as substitutes? I can't imagine that is what they were expecting.

I didn't want to create a new thread for this, but it looks like Viduka has, in fact, called it quits on his career.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=740045&sec=global&cc=5901

I only ever get long sleeve kits, but I really don't enjoy those cuffs. At least I'll save a little money this year.

As far as massive support coupled with massive underachievement goes, the Toronto Maple Leafs in the NHL are comparable.

I'm willing to give him a chance and be optimistic.

It is strange, though, that he was clearly not our first choice but got such a long contract. Surely we'll be in for another striker come the summer.

What's embarrassing is the kneejerk on here. We're not playing good football, sure. But we're getting results and we're still looking comfortable on to of the league headed towards promotion. And I don't care how s*** we might play, as long as we pick up enough points along the way. It's obvious we're bound to have a few slip-ups over such a long campaign, but overall we're still doing the biz, be it with s*** football or not.

We can still be upset about that display. The tactics were all wrong. The substitutions were all wrong.

That was the most frustrating game I've watched since Aston Villa away last season.

Our central midfield is such a liability. Can't keep possession to save their lives and leave our defenders exposed far too often.

The one player that I can think of that we definitely don't need and probably on high wages. Good business to get him out, with the players we've brought in.

Still, best of luck to him in the future.

I feel good about it.

What I'm really over the moon about is that Ashley is actually opening up his wallet and making signings. I doubt that a winger was top priority, yet we get this signing. Makes me feel like there are more to come. Here's hoping!

Need to win this game and get some more distance on 3rd place. Palace's players must be demoralized by the loss of 10 points. If we can get off to a good start, it should be a comfortable win.

Probably it would be a good thing (Not that I would want it to happen!!!) if we go out as it would mean WBA go to the next round which can only be a hindrance to their promotion campaign.

It's tricky, though, because they're one of our two rivals for the promotion spots, and a win over us (even if it's not our strongest team) will do a lot for the confidence and none for ours. I wish we weren't still in this competition, tbh, but I feel this is an important game to get a result.

We really should have brought in new players by now. I know we haven't been losing games, but all these draws are killing us. We've let go a sizable lead at the top. Ashley is one brave (and by that I mean stupid) man if he gambles on not bringing in some quality players to get us back in the Premiership.

I'm losing hope that Ashley has learned his lesson in the transfer market. My prediction stands that we won't do enough in the market and they'll start spinning Barton's return from injury as "just like getting a new player" when he's fit.

Just finished watching the game. Disappointed with the result, but what a moment when Lovenkrands scored after losing his father so recently. 

It looks like he doesn't know what to do with that lass at the end. 

I think it would be harder on Beye himself to come back here than anyone else.

I swear Hughton is on commission to say "group of lads" in his interviews.

I don't know that Geremi qualifies as a "lad" tbh.

Yeah, it's likely that Beckford would be very interested in coming here. He has a likely chance of breaking into the starting 11 and will most probably be playing in the Premiership next season with us. Hughton probably feels that stating his interest publicly is a good way to force the issue.

I'm sure Newcastle's 'people' could have contacted Beckford's 'people' to let him know of their interest without having to go through the media. It's only tapping up if you get caught.

I definitely think that it's an attempt to unsettle him. I don't like when it's done, but it's part of football these days.