Ericz

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44953000/jpg/_44953839_given_pa416.jpg Newcastle v Bolton: Goalkeeper Shay Given becomes the toast of the home supporters when he saves Kevin Nolan's second-half penalty

Colo really very confident, neat and tidy at defense. He has a nice pass too.

Nice play.. nice pass by Geremi upfield on the right again.

Owen again ! 1 goal a match!

Both are fantastic and it is our great fortune to have both of them as loyal servants to the club and to the fans. However, I do not wish to be unfair to any of them as I have not seen Harper perform for a consistent number of games hence I shall reserve my comments. As for Given's performance, I am mindful that this is only the first game of the season. Let us wait 10 games first before giving any further assessment. I am very curious... who are the other 5 Keepers?

Brilliant ! The rest are too. Keep those good works up ! Where's Keegan!

Mmmm isn't it racist as well not to acknowledge his original color and giving him another color? : P Besides, it will look more like him too ^_^ more realism

http://th153.photobucket.com/albums/s240/EmoteCrazy/Characters/th_spiderman-1.gif http://th105.photobucket.com/albums/m236/leontheram/spiderimages/th_spiderman-1.gif http://th512.photobucket.com/albums/t328/123bebe_2008/th_dancing-spiderman.gif http://gth52.photobucket.com/groups/g8/660AK3Y2QL/th_spiderman.gif http://th317.photobucket.com/albums/mm373/hwei37/th_spiderman.gif http://th309.photobucket.com/albums/kk366/Phillip_Zombie/th_spiderman.gif http://th289.photobucket.com/albums/ll232/3K_G3/th_Spiderman.jpg http://th167.photobucket.com/albums/u136/jubjubgg/th_spiderman.jpg http://th302.photobucket.com/albums/nn99/silverspoon_theory/th_spiderman.gif http://th275.photobucket.com/albums/jj290/TigressDjinn/th_spiderman.gif http://th257.photobucket.com/albums/hh212/kjburnett69/th_spiderman.gif http://th247.photobucket.com/albums/gg126/hajimesanto/th_spiderman.gif http://fc08.deviantart.com/fs7/i/2005/203/7/a/Spiderman_Rocks_by_Strange_1.gif http://tn1-1.pv.deviantart.com/fs9/150/i/2006/030/9/d/Spiderman_by_badka.jpg

Not much wrong with that. I'd be inclined to find a place for Joe Cole rather than Hargreaves, and change the formation to a 4-4-1-1. how do you suggest that would set up then? isn't it just recreating the problems we've had for years - no LW & the gerrard problem? if you want cole in drop bentley, done ...........Barry Bentley......Gerrard....Cole .............Rooney .............Ashton Joe Cole isn't ideal on the left, but IMO he's proved himself to be the best option. He always looks hungry to get involved and to take responsibility and I'd be loath to leave him out. carrick for barry it works for me yeah tbh any alternative to trying to play orthodox wide men who either (a) aren't good enough or (b) not wide men to start with would do me I tend to think Owen Hargeaves makes a better holding midfielder than Carrick. He seems more matured in his game. I would agree with some saying that the left belongs to Young or maybe even Downing at this point in time. As for Cole, it's either Bentley or Cole at the right. Bentley for more creativity I guess and Cole for more pace. I do not really know but at the rate Rooney seems to be developing, he is looking more like Dirt Kyut, not very effective but hardworking I must admit. The role behind Ashton seems better suited for Lampard/Gerard. Rooney.. mmm of course he is a good player no doubt but he just doesn't seem to fit in very well with the current english players we have. United has Tevez, Ronaldo, Giggs/Nani to provide the goals, the flair etc but England does not seem to have (show) that at the moment to compliment Rooney's style of play.

It is quite amazing how many people around the world think of England as one of the football greats in the modern game >_< Very deceptive. Anyway, if there is indeed a strong insistence on playing Lampard and Gerard together, would this not be a better formation? James Richards Woodgate Terry/Ferdinand Barry Hargeaves Cole/Bentley Downing/Young Gerard Lampard Heskey/Ashton What does everybody think of the formation above? Lampard and Gerard are the main scoring threats The wingers provide the creativity Barry as left back for a more defensive option Personally, I remember Richards as a better right back than Brown Either Ferdinand or Terry would benefit greatly with a center back partner like Woodgate (He's our closest thing to Carvalho & Vidic I reckon.) Heskey/Ashton provides a targetman up front and aerial threat Of course, all these are merely theories I guess. As for Rooney, like someone has said above, he does resembles Dirt Kyut more and more. Edit: Apologies, added in an extra man >_< Corrected.. Now, the center midfield looks abit barren... grrrrr Thoughts after the editing: It is not going to work! It's either Gerard or Lampard >_<

I have watched the entire match and my feeling is that England has been very disappointing. Defense Stagnant (Perhaps, there's no Carvalho or Vidic) and many mistakes. I didn't think any of the starting back 4 today were particularly impressive. They each have their fair share of mistakes. Sure, Wes Brown pushed forward and even managed to score a goal however, he has lost many balls to the Czechs and some of his deliveries were pretty bad. Midfield No creativity, no penetration, passing = fails, technical abilities in holding the ball = fails Lampard seems very lost today. Gerard seems to be average (still better than most players though). Striker Not clinical at all. Rooney is hardworking no doubt but his positioning does not give me the impression that he is likely to score any goals. Defoe always look the one more likely to get the goals but his shooting isn't clinical. Other comments Somehow, the (ex) Manchester United players does not seem to linked well with the Liverpool and Chelsea players. I am not sure whether is it down to not playing together often (not having a good understanding) or is it their passing abilities are really bad. For all intent and purposes, you look at Spain, Portugal, even the Czechs, the ball actually reaches their players most of the time, especially the crucial ones. I like the performance of some of the substitutes, namely Woodgate - I have the impression that Woodgate might be a better center half for England than Terry or Ferdinand (needs more time to assess though). He is a very classy defender. Downing - I think he brings penetration and creativity to a squad badly lacking in them, especially on the left side of midfield. Joe Cole - Glimpses of creativity and daring to push forward. Better passing ability. Heskey - I think he definitely brings another dimension to the game. I think his game play is smarter than Rooney to be honest. What Rooney has over him is perhaps youth, raw pace and more energy. Last but not least, Beckham played better than Lampard I feel. Beckham does merit his place in today's starting lineup. I thought he was one of the better performers for the starting 11. He tracks back alot, get several interceptions in and several successful tackles in... throughout the whole game, the only way I can see England scoring is through Beckham's deliveries or set-piece. Yes, the creativity & penetration of England is that bad! Defensively, they are not up to it... Offensively, they are not up to it too. They are not very convincing in short.

Yup, he's spearheading Argentina into the semi-finals against Brazil in the Olympics at the moment.

It's a futile argument tbh. We can go on about who was missing from the Man U line-up all day, and still can't say for certain we wouldn't have got the same result (or better even) had the obvious players been on the pitch. You can only play what's in front of you, and the game was between NUFC and Man Utd, two football clubs. Who was on the pitch is irrelevant, and history books will say that the game ended 1-1, with the two sides sharing the points. Sentiments shared. I am just happy that they won... onto the next match now.

Don't we have a striker who's called Nile Ranger who can score 4 to 5 goals again (statistics from his myspace)? hahahhaha Very soon, everybody will be singing the Power Ranger song.

Of all the players mentioned, the player that would truly 'wow' me is Juan Román Riquelme. Despite his age, I think he is still a class above Saviola and Ashavin. However, potential value may dictate otherwise. Somehow, I feel that signing a supposedly star striker such as Javier Saviola may have some negative impact on our current strikers (Owen, Viduka, Martins). The signing may signal an intent to replace one of them. All three of them (in my opinion) would think that they merit first-team football and deserves to play regularly (when they are fit). As such, in order to appease them, signing a younger striker, or one who is willing to be a backup striker (4th choice) would appear a better and wiser bet, especially where Javier Saviola has yet to prove himself consistently as a goal-poacher, much less a goal-poacher in the English Premier League.

Ezequiel Garay - Real Madrid Pablo Ledesma - Catania Ezequiel Lavezzi - Napoli :colo:

Spurs: Very surprised at Spurs results... Arsenal: Same old problems... no finisher Blackburn: Surprised they won without Bentley and against Everton Sunderland: Very impressed with Malbranque... always thought he is pretty elegant in his style of football.

Hahahaha that is very interesting. To be honest, I am not that old and could be about the same age as the majority of the members here. However, my area of studies and occassional attachments opened my eyes to the harsher realities of the world. Henceforth, for my often pragmatic (blunt/harsh) perspectives. In any case, there would be no value added if I were to approve to all the moral-based, sympathy-based arguments etc that is on here. ... as supporters by definition we have a common goal of Newcastle United Football Club performing well. If our manager deems it fitting to put said Alan on the pitch, then Newcastle United Football Club will not perform better by booing. Indeed, by definition, we do have a common goal of Newcastle United Football Club performing well. But who is to say that Newcastle United Football Club will fare worse from the booing? And who is to say that fans have no rights to booing? Even when we read the news, occasionally, managers have spoken out that fans is correct to feel disappointed and correct in booing. Additionally, there is no explicit law or directions from the world governing body or the various managements stating that booing is not allowed. Love it or hate it, booing has been a growing trend for the decade and is part of the modern game. Big successful clubs have it too (Real Madrid, Barcelona etc) but they do eventually reward their supporters with success. Is that not a very good precedent?

Perhaps I may be too cynical about human beings, however I honestly do not think that the heart of a human being is portrayed by his actions. On the surface, they may want to create a certain image but deep down, that may not be the case. It is not difficult to appear neutral to a person, or be good to a person, yet at the same time, isolate the person using other means. If he manages to get a goal, the team rally around him... but does that not mean that Smith has indeed make a point to prove himself otherwise contrary to his incompetence image, hence it is a form of acknowledgment from the team and the fans. Of course, that same level of competent must be continued over a series of matches, otherwise, the booing may just return. Also, could it not be the team and the fans cheering for the goal and not for Smith himself? It does have a difference, doesn't it? Last but not least, I think it is a bold statement to state that the rest of the team will turn against him, it is safer to state that some will turn against him or isolate him.

Hahahaha that is very interesting. To be honest, I am not that old and could be about the same age as the majority of the members here. However, my area of studies and occassional attachments opened my eyes to the harsher realities of the world. Henceforth, for my often pragmatic (blunt/harsh) perspectives. In any case, there would be no value added if I were to approve to all the moral-based, sympathy-based arguments etc that is on here. With regards to Smith's issue, what is right and what is wrong? It is subjective, isn't it? Besides, booing has been a continuing and growing trend for the past decade. A law could be enacted to stop people from booing and penalties such as fines. However, is it desirable? On the contrary, if there is no express statement from the law or from the management (FIFA, EPL, Newcastle United Football Club etc), could it be that it is implied to be acceptable? See... again, there's lots of room for discussion.

I'll be amazed if any of the players are moronic enough to turn on a mate because people boo him, I'd expect the opposite. You are entitled to your views for that. I, on the other hand, do not think that it is moronic. I would just think that players are not that kind enough to tolerate another player who is grossly incompetent and is a burden to the whole team. Surely and fairly everybody deserves a chance to improve and prove otherwise, however there is a limit to tolerance.

I'm not sure if that warrants a serious reply but....do you think his team mates will turn on him because some frustrated teenagers boo him? Foremost, I do not think that it is merely some frustrated teenagers that booed him. Secondly, while it would certainly be a very bold statement to say that all his team mates will turn on him, I would prefer to say that there will definitely be some team mates that will turn on him. To be honest, for myself, I do not like to be with incompetence in the same team. Either they improve (show their value) or they get out.

thats a bit like saying don't try and put the opposition off or support your own team as they are grown ups and it won't matter for low mentality people... that which come up in their head... for sure good grief does supporting the team have any effect on the players ? fans does support the team... they came up to stadium to watch them right? it already supporting... but if the player keep playing s**** week in and week out... does he not feel he is letting down the fans who come to support him at first place. on smith case he isn't help himself already by permanently poor playing over and over again. he doesn't look improve either from what he is.. no one denies that but is booing him onto the pitch going to aid him or his teammates ? In another crude fashion, if he still does not pull up his socks over a series of matches after being encouraged or tolerated... booing Smith onto the pitch and getting Smith's teammates turning against him, blaming it on him, forcing him to leave in the process... why not? His teammates know who the fans are booing at and if it's not them.. they will be more than relieved. Duff has a fantastic pre-season... and look... fans are more than willing to embrace him again. f***ing hell So booing him makes his team mates turn against him forcing him to leave.... You couldn't make it up It's human psychology, isn't it? Would you hate to go to school or work, if all (if not most) of your classmates or colleagues turn against you in school or at work? Peer pressure is sometimes a very good weapon... the same with attacking/playing with a human being's mind. It's harsh, it is cruel... but that's how it is in real world today. The world is not a bed of roses or a fairy tale if you imagine it to be one. The fittest survive. I am mostly advocating a pragmatic perspective to most matters instead of a morally correct view or a sympathetic view etc...

yes it can if you have the sense to ask. if i boo him will it have a........ a) positive effect on my team or b) a negative effect on my team Booing is an indication of the fans' intentions. You mean the fans cannot let the feelings be known even if it is reasonable? If the team knows that the boos are directed at Alan Smith (I believe the team knows), would it have a negative effect still? I believe not. Like I said, booing in a reasonable and appropriate situation does help to encourage a person and a team. A person or a team with the correct mentality and attitude knows if they do reasonably badly, after hearing those boos, he/they ought to pull up their socks and work harder to prove otherwise. To sulk in a corner and be beaten by boos... that shows the mentality of the person/team. And please don't treat the players or team like kids or keep them sheltered in a wonderland story... the world is not that nice to begin with... Either face it and live with it or die there alone. Yes, indirectly, it may aid in getting Alan Smith to leave and be a player who does not serve his intended purposes. When would it be appropriate situation? That is the correct question. I will use the legal manner of answering this question. Legally a reasonableness/appropriateness will demand the 'reasonable man' test. As long as it is not grossly unreasonable to many, it is reasonable. I listed an extreme example just now by saying if Newcastle United were to get relegated to Division 2 in 3 seasons, that would definitely warrant booing of the whole team. In fact, I certainly think booing will happen earlier than that. I have also maintained that people booed Smith only a series of performance, not merely based on one. Tolerance has a limit. If the incentive method does not work, why not try the stick method. Besides, the team should know who the fans are booing at (it's not hard to know). Additionally, players should adopt the right mentality when booed and not sulk in a corner and do nothing. Look at how many people is unhappy with Smith. The truth speaks for itself.

thats a bit like saying don't try and put the opposition off or support your own team as they are grown ups and it won't matter for low mentality people... that which come up in their head... for sure good grief does supporting the team have any effect on the players ? fans does support the team... they came up to stadium to watch them right? it already supporting... but if the player keep playing s**** week in and week out... does he not feel he is letting down the fans who come to support him at first place. on smith case he isn't help himself already by permanently poor playing over and over again. he doesn't look improve either from what he is.. no one denies that but is booing him onto the pitch going to aid him or his teammates ? In another crude fashion, if he still does not pull up his socks over a series of matches after being encouraged or tolerated... booing Smith onto the pitch and getting Smith's teammates turning against him, blaming it on him, forcing him to leave in the process... why not? His teammates know who the fans are booing at and if it's not them.. they will be more than relieved. Duff has a fantastic pre-season... and look... fans are more than willing to embrace him again.