beardsleymagic

If everyone bar the usual are fit..... Given Beye Rozenhal Cacapa Enrique Milner Geremi Faye N'Zogbia Owen Viduka

For me that was one of the worst performances i've witnessed from a Newcastle team since the eighties. Not one player done themselves any credit at all, not one. The only thing keeping me going today is the hope that Sam will make them watch this pathetic excuse for a performance and that they will see what an absolute shower of shite they were last night. And if they have even the slightest bit of pride in themselves as footballers they will go out in every game this season with this game in their minds and prove to everyone watching that they are fit to wear the shirt, because on last nights performance not one of them is.

So many people are instantly-prepared to believe the worst of people and to believe all the bad news instantly. Nothing will change that automatic negativity, I suppose, sadly. This whole thing is 95% fabricated press rubbish. Steven Taylor will agree a slightly different (better) contract soon - all part of the negotiation process - none of the "deadline" drivel is true - he will become an excellent defender with us for years to come. I agree, i've always thought that Taylor will sign an improved contract. I only hope Taylor's dad realises that by going to the press in any way shape or form could turn some of the fans against his son, and can look to some quarters as a way of trying to force the clubs hand. In my personal view i think the quotes of him saying he hopes the clubs not trying to force out Taylor showed his naivety in these sort of situations, it's common practice for clubs to offer less and agents to ask for more, then both parties come to a middle ground. I just think all this should have been done behind closed doors and no one would have been any the wiser.

To be fair I think Sam must have thought about this himself, maybe he's tried it in training and it hasn't worked that well.

I'm neither one of the extremes. I don't think Taylor is of yet a brilliant defender - good, yes - brilliant, no. He isn't though either, the new Bramble. What we (the club) need to do is for once be sensible. Don't take the piss by thinking because he's a local lad and a supporter we can offer him under the going rate and he'll just sign. Also just because he's a promising defender we shouldn't (like we've done in the past) pay over the odds and have someone who may not fulfill they're potential and be stuck with a average player on high wages. Although it pains me to say it, I have to admit it sounds as if Taylor and his dad may be getting a bit greedy, that is if the reports of Sam about age and experience are anything to go by, to me it sounds as if the club must have offered him around the same wage as Charlie and Milner.

All this is just big fuss over nowt. Fairly typical strategy, one party offers under the going rate, the other asks for way over the going rate. A couple of offers/refusals later, Taylor signs a 5 year contract. Divvent worry man.

I have to admit I like the idea of a pre-season north east tournament.

All in good time. The main point of doing this is to do exactly that, but not at such an early stage. Once it's been running long enough and we feel we've had enough individual replies we'll be doing exactly what you've just suggested there. Sned has beaten us to it with his Local Hero poll, but that's exactly the sort of thing we'll be doing. Basically, we're seeing what the major issues are/the most pressing concerns are and they're going to be bumped right to the head of the queue of everything that gets sent off to NUFC. The plan is to do this initially to see what matters to our readers/members, then to orchestrate a specialised survey aimed towards people's main concerns so that we can present everything much more professionally and concisely and then everyone who takes part in the survey will get their direct opinions and their personal details (name, age, location, etc.) directly put to the chairman. Like I've said, we won't be taking credit for other people's good ideas, those ideas will be credited to whoever came up with them and their name will be visible (if permission is given, of course) to whoever reads the finalised documents that come out of it. All the more reason to get your ideas in, really, because you never know what it could lead to if certain people are seeing the same name cropping up with great ideas for the club all of the time... Fair enough mate.

How about making a poll on this, pick say the top 20 requests and then see what we feel is the most important points to be raised to Mort.

Personally I would urge the club to put pressure of the FA to bring back some standing areas in the ground (preferably behind the two goalposts), this in turn I think would help sort out the atmosphere (lack of) problems we sometimes have.

That line-up would be immense. Can't see it being used though That team is very attack minded. Although I would like to see Sam give it a go, I think it might be a little too attack minded for Sam. But i'm here and ready to eat my hat if I turn out to be wrong. (Quite fancy eating my hat actually...)

Aye, with all the focus on the transfer deadline I forgot about the two week break. I hope we put in a good performance or I'm going be depressed for two soild weeks. I'm going for 3-1 (please.....)

I'm fairly happy with the squad as it is now. I agree that in an ideal world we would have an extra playmaker and maybe a pacy midfielder/striker who can come on and change a game, but I would have taking this at the end of last season. I think that the problem we have at the minute is that the players are still getting to grips with Sam's formation. But giving a bit of time and hopefully a few clean sheets and wins, that will see the players grow in confidence and we should see players taking the risks needed in games to break down the likes of Villa and such.

Tragic.... R.I.P.

I can't believe how much this has been blown out of proportion by the "right on" brigade. Ok, its not right but for fucks sake let's have a bit of common sense about this EVERY club has it's share of knobheads, that's life. The likes of knobjockey Winter and the Guardian writers will always try and latch on to a story of this sort and bring all kinds of moral hypocrisy to the table. The fact is that it wouldn't matter to some people what was said, all they want is their faces/words on/in the TV/papers to further their so called careers. These type of people are the worst hypocrites in the world, they don't give a fuck about any of the things that were said.

Most likely, imo. Can't see Allardyce falling for deadline day desperation. He's not going to change his policies and principles just cos Stephen Carr got injured. Na. I think Sam's basically said that because of the injuries yesterday that we need to bring someone else in now. Here's hoping.

If we get 7-8m for Dyer of WHU and about 1.5-2m for Nobby off Pomp, i'd be quite happy with that bit of business...... even though i'd rather keep Nobby as a good squad player.

I like the way Anal last week said something along the lines of "the Dyer deal will not go ahead no matter what the people at St James' Park want" or words to that effect. Indicating that it doesn't matter what the Toon want, he's telling them it will not go ahead. And now...... Utter wanker.

I agree in principle with what he's said although i think a lot of Keane's problems with attracting players is the fact that they're shite. For while i agree that a player needs to converse with their wife or whatever, i think it's a fucking joke that they turn down a club just so their lass can go shopping in London. I have to agree that some player's need to grow some balls and tell their lass that they can go shopping in London all they want in a few years time, but for now stop your fucking moaning. It's not as if it's the dark ages or something up here (Smogland and Scumland accepted or course )

Aye, anything to turn up noise at St. James' is alright in my books.

http://icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk/newcastleunited/chroniclesport/tm_headline=bolton-wanderers-1-newcastle-united-3%26method=full%26objectid=19619326%26siteid=50081-name_page.html What is it with this idiot??? Absolutely fucking sick of this prick now. Even after everything that's been said by Sam about Martins this total knob jockey STILL goes on about us wanting to get rid of him for £10m? There is something going on here like, for whatever reason this cunt wants to unsettle one or more of our players on a daily basis. If it wasn't Martins of whoever it'll be someone else. I'm going to email the Chronicle to say i'm going to urge every Toon fan I meet/see/talk to, to boycott the Chronicle until this horrible little weasel of a man is replaced.

The potential is overwhelming. I agree. If a front three of Owen, Viduka and Martins works well it would be delicious. Also, great to know that we could also slot Milner and Zoggy into the wide forward roles occassionally, to give Owen and Martins a break, or to add more width should we need to do so. Fantastic options upfront. Aye we've just got to keep everyone fit now. (Fingers crossed smiley thing)

Aye and what's the bet he still gets in a "but it's common knowledge in football that Martin's can still go if the club receive a bid of £10m"?

I can also see when Owen comes back that when Sam plays all three together at some stage, that can cause a lot of teams trouble as when the ball is played through to Viduka, he will have both Owen and Martins buzzing around him waiting to be played in. This could cause a lot of panic in the opposing defence as they will have to watch for the ball to either Owen or Martins or Viduka turning and shooting, or laying the ball back for hopefully a oncoming midfielder to have a shot. Ever the optimist me like.