ChrisMcQuillan

STAY, SHAY I think we're short on time on this one, and if we want to keep Given we certainly can't count on the management and admin to achieve this. We're gonna have to use the power of the Toon 12th man, which means: - Banners at our next home game - all across SJP - with STAY, SHAY! and Premiership's #1! or similar such slogans. - Chants for Given behind his nets and preferably all around the ground. - Given face masks, anyone? - Massive cheers for saves, goal kicks, his name in the squad list before K/O. He's been underrated at the Toon because we've taken him for granted. I know we recognise him as a key player, but let's face it, he's more consistent than Owen and he IS our key to survival this season. If he still wants to leave, fair play to the lad, and thank you for 11 amazing years, I'll wish him the best. However, Shay's handed in a transfer request before and changed his mind. I do not doubt he loves the city and the club, it's just the 5-1 defeat was demoralising. Let's turn it around for him. But let's show him how much we appreciate him, and let's turn SJP into a spectacle on the 10th for West Ham, and ensure he's in no doubt as to our thoughts.

Given Edgar Coloccini Taylor Tozer Jonas Guthrie Duff N'Zogbia Martins Owen Subs: Harper, Geremi, Cacapa, Butt, LuaLua, Xisco, Carroll

I agree with you. But at the moment, we need a deep squad. We need to consolidate it so that if Barton hurts his knee, we can score for the next month, or if Beye twinges his groin, we can field a natural, competant right back. Only once this has been fulfilled can we strive upwards. We can't pretend we're top quality any longer. We're going to have to rebuild, and we need to get our foundations laid first. Additionally, to the comment about Smith being before Xisco, I still think Smith can be a good player. I've seen him play for Newcastle before, and I think he brings more fight than Xisco. Xisco's got a tap-in, good for him. He hasn't proved himself, and was desperately poor when I watched him play at SJP. Also, Smith was being played out of position most of the time by Allardyce, and then Keegan.

If we keep that backline, develop them, have Taylor for back-up, they'll go far. We need two new back-up players for Beye and Enrique (specifically, a long-term replacement for Beye to nurture - not sure Edgar's good enough). Our front line is fine. Owen, Martins, Viduka, Ameobi, Carroll, Smith, Xisco (don't write him off under Kinnear, look at Ameobi). Our problem is simple. Midfield. On the wings, we have Duff, N'Zogbia and Guttierrez. That's good enough for me. Butt and Guthrie, however, aren't. Butt is barely back-up, and Guthrie definitely is back-up with a view to first team play in the future. We need Barton to STAY FIT, if he can't, ship him off, and someone else to partner him; say, Denilson - a young, promising player. We lack creativity to score goals - it's not that our strikers can't score them. Give us Fabregas and Deco for a week, and watch the goals flow in. We need a first team, and a backup team, and I suggest the following: First Team: Given Beye, Bassong, Colocinni, Enrique Gutierrez, NEW, Barton Owen Martins, Viduka Second Team: Krul NEW, Taylor, NEW, NEW NEW, Guthrie, Butt, N'Zogbia Ameobi, Smith Subs: Xisco, Carroll, Edgar, Cacapa (for emergencies when everyone else dies of H5N1) Notice from this that our backline is strong, but we have NO REAL BACKUP. Our mid-field needs that spark of quality to set off the attack. Sort it out in January, Joe, prove your mettle.

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_4235664,00.html

Says a lot.

H Beye Achilles Tendinopathy 5th Oct 08 How's that 20th October? LMAO I guarantee you that it was 20th earlier. They've changed it. And now I look an idiot. Not only do we have an incompetant medical team, we have one that don't like me.

http://www.physioroom.com/news/english_premier_league/epl_injury_table.php?SKEY=97fd8d78393cff8aa494780f71dfd88f Now listed as "No return date." May not play at all this season if he's having to go to get the muscle re-assessed, it may have degenerated too far for his age to successfully comeback from this.

http://www.physioroom.com/news/english_premier_league/epl_injury_table.php?SKEY=97fd8d78393cff8aa494780f71dfd88f Been pushed back to October 20th. What a surprise.

Hughton denied this on the official site. They said the paper had plucked that figure out of the air.

Team that will start: Given Geremi Coloccini Taylor Bassong Duff Cacapa Butt N'Zogbia Owen Xisco Team that I WANT to start: Given Coloccini Cacapa Bassong Enrique Duff Doninger N'Zogbia Owen Xisco Carroll

LMAO

I love Newcastle. I can't imagine any team I'd rather support. But this has become a total joke. Stressful waste of my time with years of dejection. If Keegan is pushed out, and the club behaves as it has been, I will withdraw from active support of a football club, until such time as I feel proud to support NUFC once more. It doesn't matter what league they're in, Premier, Champions, Conference North; I will support the Toon. But at the moment, it's too much. As someone said, a football club is for life, I could never switch. But real life comes first, and if this nonsense starts to interfere with the real things that matter, then it has to stop for the time being. So, in a nutshell, Keegan goes, I go; for the moment.

It's a missing comma, mate.

How badly injured did Gutierrez look?

Duff was promising driving the play forward, trying to get the rest of the team pumped. I heard him screaming for the ball on several occasions, had nice little one-twos with Milner and was far more promising in attack than Smith.

To be fair to Duff, he's been the ONLY player we've had in pre-season initiating dangerous, attacking runs and actually beating the man. He can also cross again. Definitely him over Milner/N'Zogbia. Perhaps in a 4-3-3 Barton could flourish on the left, but if we do opt for 4-4-2 then he'd definitely be left wing for me on current form. It's not scintillating, but relatively speaking he's playing like Cantona in a Craggy Island All-Priests Over-75 Indoor Football Challenge Match team.

Definitely don't mind that starting eleven at all, but I'd use Harper instead of Given to be honest. He has not set a foot wrong since coming in to take over from Given. That's probably fair, they're pretty interchangable in my mind. Nice to have both of them. We are blessed with keepers since Krul and Forster both look promising.

Whilst I am more than concerned about lack of depth in the squad (Man Utd can beat whoever they like with their 3rd string in pre-season, seemingly), I thought to myself who would be my first choice 11 next year? -----------------Given----------------- Beye----Coloccini---Faye--Enrique Guttierez---Barton/Guthrie---Duff ----Owen-----Viduka----Martins---- Therefore, my second XI would be: ------------------Harper------------------ Taylor----Bassong---Cacapa---Edgar Milner-----Butt-----Guthrie----N'Zogbia ------------Carroll---Donaldson---------- Makes you think about who we had on the pitch tonight, really.

I actually thought Edgar had come on leaps and bounds compared to how he played for us last year. Taylor/Edgar are reasonable cover, at current form, for Faye/Coloccini and Beye respectively. Milner, on current form, shouldn't get near our team. Ameobi and Smith? Hopefully they'll become lolly-pop men; it's more their pace.

Squad list shows N'Zogbia at left back and Enrique on bench, but the text suggests the opposite.

Smith and Ameobi? Geremi at right back? No Given? No Martins? 5-0 defeat, anyone?

Before the rain, he was one of the brightest players on the pitch. Now they're all like slugs on ice skates.

Martins v The Spuds