cubaricho

It's nice to watch people not dive at every bit of contact (like Alves and Drogba tonight). I always appreciate a player that moves about the pitch and only goes down if there is serious contact, there's too many players these days that go down under such minimal contact it's sickening. Imagine the number of players that could be world-class if they didn't spend half their time on the ground. Stay up, keep the ball, do something your team rather than just diving to get a free-kick.

Xisco.

This. One point is better than zero although we all wish it could've been three.

Love the look of that bench - we can really change the game with just a few subs (barton and jonas in particular). Feeling a lot better than I did earlier.

Really - it's been said already but I'll add my two cents for post of the year. I will remember this for quite some time.

I don't think they won a match in their first season, so yes. There is so much parity in the MLS that any team can beat another team on any day - there's no real stand out favorites ie: Man U/Chelsea type of clubs. So having an about-even record in matches is about right.

If Enrique is fit, Jonas has to start in front of him, they both flourish when in those positions.

Just watched a few interviews with him on nufc.tv and he is definitely "buzzing" quite a bit.

While Ive got nowt against the players going out, it does piss me off a bit that we are all bricking it that we are going down, and they are out getting totally hammered. Especially as Xisco has done absolute fuck all since coming, and Jonas has hardly produced out. Not that this is the thread for this kind of non-sense but him doing "fuck all since coming" is hardly his fault. He'd actually have to get played for him to do fuck all.

Sambuca? Oh wait, Xisco was there.

Him and Xisco are both victims of circumstance. This. I wish they both would've been fit the whole season and we had proper managers that would/knew how to play them.

I'd much rather take a chance with this guy if he's fit rather than having Butt "running" the midfield, to be honest.

Why is he still training here, does he like the Tyneside weather (which is admittedly pretty good right now)? Probably because he's contracted to the club and is a professional.

very precocious from a ten year old!

Our major issue with moving the ball around is the glaring lack of movement off the ball. The majority of our players just stand there with their arms pointing at the ground waiting for the ball without making an intelligent run. This is why Lovenkrands is invaluable. He moves intelligently off the ball and will hopefully make some of the other players in the squad perk their ears up and take a look.

Likewise, my friend is getting married on a safari a week before the WC and I am the best man so I will be there and we are doing the honeymoon @ the WC because he can get free tickets through his company. Really looking forward to it.

Whoa buddy, slow down - you're starting to sound like Big Sam.

Imagine what Inter will do next season with Zlatan and Drogba up front?

He's doing well at Standard Leige. Tall and good with the ball at his feet, does well in the national team as well. Always had a soft spot for him and wish Big Sam would've made his loan permanent.

Harper Beye Taylor Bassong Enrique Guthrie Barton _____ Jonas Owen Carroll ___ Martins When everyone is fit. You spelt Viduka wrong. I was speaking realistically.

Harper Beye Taylor Bassong Enrique Guthrie Barton _____ Jonas Owen Carroll ___ Martins When everyone is fit.

God forbid HTT try and be positive. Shows what's wrong with a lot of football supporters. Nothing is ever good enough.

Loved the one he scored against Reading. His best, easily - the dip and swerve were sick.

Nah yesterday Shearer hit the nail on the head, he used him as an impact sub. yeah, after we'd not threatened once all game, genius, he clearly got it wrong man Right, when Jonas was on how much was he kicked and battered ? You put him on from the start, and you'll have a crocked player after 20 minutes. Jonas doesn't take the physical game well, it was the right decision, if it wasn't for his poor decision to start Carroll over Shola we would have won. The best managers LEARN from their mistakes..lets see That's if you think Shearer made a "mistake" by not starting Jonas. He clearly was using him as an "impact" sub and it worked great. Let the workhorses like Duff, Nolan, Guthrie run the defence tired and then let Jonas who has a bit of real pace come on and run at them some more when they are already tired. Jonas would have not been as effective had he started yesterday.

I noticed after we scored, for the last ten minutes or so, Beye was playing in front of Butt for the majority of the rest of the match, leaving Edgar and Bassong at the back by themselves. I really liked his mobility in that position - he made more runs than the majority of our midfielders for sure.