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Question- Do Southern mags say "Newcarstle" rather than "Newcastle"? The obvious answer is yes, but there's something not right about it... Apologies for such a strange question And I've been to away games and seen plenty of Southern mags supporters and there's nowt wrong with it- It's great to get more support and they seem good people. They support the team equally as well as we do. I'd qualify myself as pretty poncy sounding for a mag (family relocated south before I was born as dad was RAF) and I say 'Newcastle' the way a 'real' Geordie would say it, same with Bath (despite having grown up 10 miles down the road) and grass, etc etc. It's not a conscious thing, just the way my dad said them so s'pose I learned from him. With the fans it can work both ways. The Reading game last year was dreadful and full of 'cockney mags' but the Peterboro game was one of the best I've ever been to for atmosphere and once again had a lot of us southern types. Terracing helped mind you. I'm surprised to hear people complain about Upton Park, I've had a great time on the couple of occasions I've been in the away end for our matches.

Why is John Terry black??

They are a big side and if Carroll is up top alone he will not get a lot of joy, harder for them to cope with two big physical strikers. Does not mean we have to bang the ball long or high, we can still play it on the deck but for set pieces it will be to our advantage to have the two big strikers. We are at home we should be the more positive side and keep the pressure on them as much as we can. I realise after the Blackpool game there will be pressure to be more positive at home, but I don't necessarily think playing 4-4-1-1 / 4-5-1 is negative if played right. Definitely don't think we were negative against Everton, against Blackpool the problem was a lack of creativity and some bad finishing, plus Alan Smith. Hopefully Tiote and Ben Arfa take care of 2 of the 3 and we have a bit more joy in front of goal. Who would you drop to go 4-4-2?

Would rather start same team as at Everton. Think playing two big strikers against Stoke's big defenders would have limited value. Would rather do Huth and the likes on the deck.

Having rewatched the second goal of his a few times, anyone else think it came off his shoulder? Might just be the angle.

I'd imagine that would be quite a popular cause in the current economic climate? Might be a good ruse to use to get the cash together. Luca - interesting, i'll have a read.

I think 'pretty well' is a bit of an understatement. I'd long since advocated dropping him this season and playing Williamson and Sol as I didn't think he'd be able to handle pace (not so worried about strength / heading, his positional sense is normally very good to deal with this) and although I was still concerned after the Manc game, he has been a rock since and having watched him absolutely dominate Anelka in the first half and until substituted at Stamford Bridge I think whilst early days if he carries on as he's started he'll be our number 1 CB and one of our most important players. People were saying it was Tiote going to RB that saw Chelsea pull back into the game and to some degree I would agree, however the fact that he had Anelka in his pocket and after he went off Anelka ripped us to shreds for 20 minutes shouldn't go unnoticed.

Nice idea in principle and I acknowledge the lack of mutual exclusiveness between this and the server costs, however if i recall correctly the last time round the server costs were more as the forum was growing and needed better servers / hosting / technical shit I know nowt about. It seemed a bit more of an effort for the admins to get the money in and I'm sure they don't particularly enjoy having to put the begging bowl out. Whilst people might say now they will pay for both, I have a sneaking feeling that if it comes down to it a few people will think they contributed to fixtures and won't want to contribute again. All of the above is conjecture and my memory may have failed me so apologies if that's not what happened earlier this year / last.

Just point out that the Chelsea team had a combined 374 international caps, and we had four players starting who have never started a PL game. The result as much as it was a good one for us was an embarassment for Chelsea and its featured players. Exactly. Don't even know why I've bothered to respond again. They're barely football fans. They're a twattish bunch of spoilt c***s, is how it looks. Yep, exactly my first thoughts. I've given up arguing though, it's a waste with plastic supporters like that who don't know what it's like to follow a real club. I was about respond to the 'big club' jibe, but yeah it's just a waste of time. Chelsea were f***ing nowt till Abramovich turned up. Hmmm... I'm not Chelsea's biggest fan and there were some dicks there on Wednesday, but the fact that (ticket offer notwithstanding) they still had over 40k at a Wednesday night game to essentially watch two reserve teams is of massive credit to them. The game would have been a whole lot less enjoyable had it been played out in front of 20-25k like Anfield was. I feel the atmosphere played a large part in both teams going for it as it's not often, especially for our lads, they'd have got to play in environments like that from the kick off. To say Chelsea aren't a 'real club' because they were bought out by a mega rich bastard isn't really fair - they were reasonably well supported beforehand. It's annoying when people are dicks and needlessly aggressive like those guys on that forum, but as is evidenced from the F365 quote above, they have reasonable fans and dickhead fans, just like us and other clubs.

My Chelsea mate prior to the game was saying Bruma was the best prospect they had from their youths, following his destruction by Shola I suppose they need a new crown prince

As it was during injury time I'm assuming so. Came from the Chelsea stand, certainly didn't look like one of our lot. There were a few hoyed out the Chelsea end closest to our fans who I think may have been ours and just couldn't keep a lid on it at 3-1

Edited, still, less than 1/3 of their team cost...!

That's probably a better indicator. Our team comes in at £20m, There's £78m aye, because Shepherd taught us money = success Oh, this was something I did earlier when my Chelsea mate was giving me stick about beating their 'cripples, seconds and kids': Chelsea: Turnbull (free) Ferreira (£13.2m) Bruma (£100k) Terry (free) Van Aanholt (free) Benayoun (£5.5m) Ramires (£17m) Zhirkov (£18m) Sturridge (£3.5m) Anelka (£15m) Kakuta (god knows what went on there in the end!) TOTAL: 72.3m Toon: Krul (free) R Taylor (£500k) Campbell (free) Coloccini (£10.3m) Ferguson (free) Ranger (free) Smith (£6m) Vuckic (£1m) Gutierrez (£5.7m) Ameobi (free) Lovenkrands (free) TOTAL: £23.5m Not sure I'm right on Vuckic and Gutierrez did cost us something in the end, but generally correct

What a night... Highlights included: Chelsea fans singing 'stand up for the champions' to which all our lot stayed standing and singing it straight back at them, they didn't know what to do. Oléing the move that was our equaliser. I NEVER thought I would ever get to say I'd done that. Must have been 20 or so passes, all of them with the build up noise and olés, fucking class The Ryan Taylor FK - "It's too close. Definitely far too close. Never going to get it up and down from there. FUUUUCK!" Tearing a massive hole in my leg on the back of the chair in front of me when we scored our 3rd. Already had a massive wound there from playing footie on Saturday and went straight back through it again. Watching the BBC highlights I was there trying to cheer but eventually bowing down and succumbing to the pain. The Chelsea fans singing 'that's why we're champions' at 3-3 to have the same chant rammed straight back down their throats at 4-3. Some of them were right petulant little turds, flexing their muscles and pointing at them and the likes. Too much WWE watching by the looks of it. Honourable mention to the look of sheer confusion on the face of Poyet at HT when he was being taken around the ground to applause from the Chelsea fans and eventually got to us and just got a blast of 'Shearer'. To be honest I wasn't even sure why we were chanting it at him, was still funny for his reaction though. All round great night, slept clean through my alarm this morning having stayed up to watch the highlights too, and since arrival have just worked my way through this thread. Leg fucking kills but worth every moment.

Very true, but a shame as I don't think we'll learn / gain anything from having him play, whereas giving Ranger some time up top in a relatively unimportant game would have far more benefit, in my view

Surprised how many people think we'll play 4-4-2 with Smith and Vuckic as the CM pairing. Wouldn't matter what team Chelsea put out that midfield would get absolutely murdered. I've got high hopes for Vuckic (although only really from hearing from people on here who get down to the reserve games) but if he went missing against Accrington he could struggle this eve, with Smith's limitations known by all. I'd like to see us play 4-5-1, with Ranger up front, Vuckic behind, CM of Guthrie and Smith (if Guthrie fit enough). Lovenkrands (left) and Jonas (right) either side. Williamson is the only person i'd keep in the line up from Saturday. Soderberg R Taylor - Sol - Williamson - Kadar Jonas - Guthrie - Vuckic - Smith - Lovenkrands Ranger

Even in an article with the most cursory mention of us, they STILL manage to fuck up facts about us! http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/football-league-blog/2010/sep/22/championship-already-decided

Written by a smoggie but nice to see any recognition from the media http://www.football365.com/john_nicholson/0,17033,8746_6391618,00.html

26 goals in 92 games in Italy and 14 goals in 47 games in France, hardly proved himself to be a good striker in either league. It's not all about statistics, ffs. Unlike you, I've actually seen him play throughout this period of time. He impressed with Udinese before his injury and litany of clubs were after him. Rennes paid a lot for him and last year was probably the best of his career with him being near the top of scoring charts for most of the season. His pace, power, and skill have made him a dangerous and useful player in every stage of his career. I actually hate the guy, but he's a fine player. He's not worth 13 million pounds, but that's what happens when you buy a World Cup star on deadline day. I'm excited about Carroll, but he's not proven anything. Plenty of players have looked good at 21 or in their first matches in the Premiership. Let us give him time to develop before anointing him to some sort of deity. On the stats side, Bellamy was the ultimate example. Never prolific but allowed us to change the way we played entirely

He's right. It's this thread that all those on rtg will quote, don't know why we do it

David Kelly making it 2-0 v grimsby. Dancing around a radio in my kitchen with my dad, great night

Would be absolutely insane to fuck about with the team and start experimenting with a load of players out of position in our closest thing to a home banker all season. As said, on the bench with either a cameo if we're winning or a game changing supersub role if we're not. Everyone says Nolan is untouchable with Hughton but he did take him off at Old Trafford when he was not getting anywhere near the game, so I think he'd be willing to give Ben Arfa a run out in that role.

Redknapp must be intending to use VDV in the way he was going to use Joe Cole, which isn't really an answer as no one could really see how he would fit in either. The good thing is that VDV is a significant upgrade on Cole and cost what Cole wanted as a signing on fee. Redknapp says he sees Bale as the best attacking LB in the world within 2 years so moving him to LB seems likely even though he is nowhere near being the best defensive LB. The head scout says that he expects Sandro to be the 1st choice defensive MF by the end of the season. He'll still have to settle into a completely new culture in a different country so that may be tough for him, but regular call ups to the Brazil squad suggests more ability than Palacios getting called up for Honduras. Yep, he's obviously a lot better than Essien too as he can only get a call up for Ghana.

They only have 1 bloke on the scoresheet this season in all competitions, thats 4 games and no-one has scored other than Bent. There a 1 man team and if he gets injured they'll be in serious trouble. Fair bit of water under the bridge since that comment was made. I think it's a pretty even match and who finishes higher will depend on injuries. Should hopefully be a couple of exciting derbies.

George Graham had to be in with a shout. My mackem brother-in-law phoned me to say 'big Joe's got your fucking job' and I instantly though he meant Joe Royle, that would have been bad enough but Joe Kinnear man. I'll never forget the belly-laugh he let out when he told me it was indeed Kinnear. I heard someone saying Newcastle had appointed Joe Kin... (then he wandered off so I couldn't hear the rest of the conversation). I'm sat there wondering who the hell Joe King is for a good few minutes, then ended up checking on here or something and finding out it was him. Kinnear literally never crossed my mind, even when I'd heard most of his name. I was in the States and got a text from a mate who is a Wimbledon (now AFC) fan simply saying 'there's no jokin' ere, but there is at Newcastle'. I had no idea what he meant so had to sneak out of a meeting, into a toilet to text him to find out. Awful fucking memory, will never forget that.