NSG

SAM Allardyce says that sidelined star Michael Owen will not be missing for the six-week period first feared and is confident that the United striker will be back in action before Christmas. The 27-year-old's season has been disrupted by niggling injuries having only returned from cruciate ligament damage at the end of last term. And the latest problem - a torn thigh muscle sustained during England's recent friendly in Austria - had threatened to keep Owen confined to the treatment room until the New Year. But Toon boss Allardyce has revealed that he is hopeful of seeing Owen back in black and white sooner rather than later. "We feel we have speeded up the process and it's going to be a little quicker than we first thought so that's really good news," Big Sam told Newcastle World TV. "We will only bring him back when he is 100% and will not rush him. "But we think it's going to be a lot less than six weeks."

Argentina playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme has revealed he turned down Spurs to move back to Boca Juniors. Riquelme, 29, has been frozen out at Villarreal this season after falling out with coach Manuel Pellegrini. He is now putting the finishing touches to his return to Argentina, but admitted Spurs had tried to sign him. Riquelme, who has not played for Villarreal this term, said: "I thank Spurs for their interest but my family and I want to return home." He added: "I am a simple person and all I want is to play football every Sunday. "This move is the only chance I have to play at the next World Cup, which is the thing that motivates me most. Owen-esque "People should know that of the three parties I am the one who has made the biggest effort and that I have offered to play a year for free with Boca. "I have also told Villarreal they do not have to pay me what they owe me for another year and a half." ------ Good lad

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/7116283.stm Former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has expressed a cautious interest in taking the vacant England manager's job. Mourinho, who left Chelsea in September, said he would be happy to talk to the Football Association. "You will have to speak to the FA to see if they are interested in offering me the job," he told The Sun newspaper. "I cannot say what I think until they say they are interested. Tell the FA to come and get me. We will have to wait and see, but I rule nothing out." Mourinho would be a popular choice to replace Steve McClaren at the helm with England because of his hugely impressive record with Chelsea and Porto. He won two Portuguese championships, the Uefa Cup and the Champions League with Porto, before leaving to win two Premier League titles, two League Cups and the FA Cup with the Blues. The 44-year-old had been tipped to stay in club management, having previously insisted that he would only be interested in coaching his native Portugal at international level.

Hopefully, but it is, as you say, a tricky one. my uncle and about 6 of his mates are going - many more groups of mates will be going in numbers like this probably at least 200 london based fans - we should sell out the full amount not sure why so many dont want to go anyway even if its expensive, i think its the 2nd best london game with west ham coming first Mate I think it's more like 10 times that number. When we went to Watford in the cup I think only about 500 made the trip from Newcastle, and we filled a whole stand.

Lots of London Mags will probably want to go.

Arshavin Edmilson and a couple of randoms

Would rather play Croatia. Can't believe how underrated Greece still are despite winning the Euros and re-qualifying at a canter.

hes not a top class player though, if you compare our bench with liverpool's harper carr barton milner edgar riise crouch babel mascherano Liverpool: Two Champions League Finals in the last three years Newcastle: No trophies since 1969 And to think 5 years ago we were the better team...

NEWCASTLE United fans have every right to criticise the team - and it's only to be expected after poor displays like that against Liverpool. That was the view of United manager Sam Allardyce after the 3-0 home defeat by the men from Anfield. "It's only what you expect," Big Sam said, "and they are well within their rights to show their disapproval. I wouldn't expect anything else. "They've paid their money to come and see a game of football and they have no alternative but to show their disapproval. "It changes on results, though. Two games ago it was great, and two games later it's a disaster. But I see it as a blip which we have to put right. "They are showing their disapproval, and it's the same here as anywhere else. They pay their money and if they don't see value for money they show their disapproval." However, Allardyce said he was ready to face up to a situation he had never personally experienced in his previous management career. He declared: "I have never quite found myself in this predicament before. But I have dealt with some difficult situations, and this one is a good challenge. "You roll your sleeves up and get on with the job, you get it right - and hopefully that starts at Blackburn Rovers next week." Allardyce had to field a makeshift defence against Liverpool due to injuries, with midfielder and skipper Geremi at right-back and right-back Habib Beye at centre-back. And the manager said the priority was "to protect the defenders as much as we could". "We couldn't leave a back four like that exposed today," he said, "but in the end that happened. We went chasing the game and left so many gaps for Liverpool to exploit."

Yet for their 3rd goal, Babel totally skinned Nicky Butt, who is far too overated by most and a key factor in what is going wrong. Reliance on cloggers like him is a recipe for disaster! Why single Butt out? He's not a KEY factor in what is going wrong at all. I'd much rather have him in the team than Emre, Smith or Geremi at the moment. Simple. Because he loses possession far too often, picks up a yellow card and risks the red card too easily. I do not want Smith in the team either btw, but Geremi and Emre at least can pass the ball. No offence, but did you see how shit he was today, or any time he's played in the last 2 months? I saw it. He wasn't great, but he was not as bad as Nicky Butt. He should have got forward more, but was too reluctant to do so. Nicky Butt on the other hand, or should I say "Golden Boy Butt", was even worse especially for conceding possession and has been consistently all season. I'm surprised so few others can see it tbh. I thought Butt did alright, considering the lack of any sort of team around him.

Yet for their 3rd goal, Babel totally skinned Nicky Butt, who is far too overated by most and a key factor in what is going wrong. Reliance on cloggers like him is a recipe for disaster! Why single Butt out? He's not a KEY factor in what is going wrong at all. I'd much rather have him in the team than Emre, Smith or Geremi at the moment. Simple. Because he loses possession far too often, picks up a yellow card and risks the red card too easily. I do not want Smith in the team either btw, but Geremi and Emre at least can pass the ball. No offence, but did you see how shit he was today, or any time he's played in the last 2 months?

NEWCASTLE United boss Sam Allardyce admitted his side had hit rock bottom in the defeat against Liverpool, then declared: "We have to get ourselves out of it." United crumbled to a 3-0 defeat against the powerful Merseysiders at St. James' Park on top of the 4-1 beating by Portsmouth in the last home game, and Allardyce said: "We are in a difficult period at the moment and that has escalated into disappointing performances. "We are very disappointed as a group of players that we have basically gone out and really not done the job that we are expected to do. "Twice on the trot now the performances have been under par. And we have to put that right as quickly as possible. "We have to dig in and make sure we get ourselves out of this particular predicament. We've hit rock bottom at the minute and we've got to get ourselves out of it. There's only us that can do it, and that's by sticking together and getting a lot more players fit and showing a lot more grit and determination. "That was missing today, particularly after the second goal went in, and that's hugely disappointing." Big Sam said he "had to point a few things out" in the post-match dressing-room inquest then added: "We've got to take it on the chin and get together and make sure we get out of what is a bad run. "Of course, I never thought it was going to be easy against Liverpool with the injuries we had. We had a containing first half, then Stevie G pops up with an unstoppable free-kick. "But then the real disappointing thing was that after the reorganising of the team at half-time we concede a stoppable goal. And our heads went down. "At the moment we are not getting results so the pressure comes - we have to withstand that pressure and turn it round as quickly as we can."

Agreed, let's not bother with Blackburn.

Can't wait...

Geremi's performance today was worse than Babayaro's vs Sheff United last year

Mystifies me how Keane & Southgate don't seem to be under pressure from the media Southgate is.

Norwich winning.

Think it says a lot when none of the last 8 goals at SJP have been scored by a Newcastle player.

between 10th and 15th

I'll be taking mine today, it's fucking baltic.

Same i was at the game we were meant to get one, but i was late by 2 minutes and they ran out. Still it will be fantastic for our support to get lifted. Funny, me and mates got two each. So you'll do the decent thing and post one to Gallowgate Toon?