Novocastrian

I don't think it's mental, Owen has always had plenty of self-belief. He is shot to pieces, but physically rather than mentally. You're probably right, he just looked really down to me. Maybe he is finding it hard that his body can't do what he wants it to anymore. I feel his pain, at 38 I still have the footballing brain of Lionel Messi but the body of Lionel Blair!! :-[

It's their prerogative to be honest. Why should they potentially injure players before the CL final in a dead rubber? Just to keep us happy? By the time that game comes around we will have had 37 games to get shit in one sock. We need to take charge of our own destiny and not rely on other teams who have a totally different agenda.

At no point in his career has Guthrie ever promised to be anything more than a very average Premier League player. He may improve slightly but he's nowhere the quality of side with aspirations for the top 6. He is only good enough for us at the moment because of our woeful midfield.

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If only that dozy cunt Owen had of chipped the ball over James a la Beardsley we would be sitting pretty now.

I know its a long season but the key moments for me have been the last minute goals at St James' by Stoke and Wigan and the failure to beat Pompey. Even three points out of that lot would probably save us. The way recent results have gone our way is uncanny. Of course it means nothing if we can't get at least another 3 points.

As long as Stoke hang on there is no reason at all to believe we will be relegated this season. All we have to do is beat Boro and then match Hull's final two results. Forget WBA they are doomed. We don't deserve it but we are being given a tantalising lifeline.............................please god grab hold of it!

He's hopeless. He had the honeymoon period where most were blinded by his price tag and Argie international (fringe player) status but he has been woeful all season. Nothwithstanding his physical and mental deficiencies he has no anticipation. Even slow, lumbering centre backs can get away with it if they can read the game. Another Boumsong, £10 million down the drain, will be lucky to get £2-3 million back for him from some mid table La Liga side.

Because there is no movement off the ball. The player in possession looks up for a pass, can't find anyone within 30 yards so he attempts keep hold of the ball until someone makes space for him. No-one is forthcoming so the player in possession has to boot it long up the pitch. Our ball retention must be the worst in the league. It's absolutely pitiful. Too true, and it is the biggest truism in football that you can't create anything if you don't keep hold of the ball. Our players need to think to themselves 'if I play this ball what are the chances my team mate will receive it?'. If the answer is 'unlikely', then don't f***ing try it! Too many speculative balls over the top totally wasted. I think the only thought that goes through most of our team's heads ,when in possession is, "s***, I got the ball. s***... where can I offload it so I can't get tackled... s***... just kick it!" You're right of course but there is often no option at all to the player with the ball. It pains me to watch other teams who have so much movement; strikers peeling off defenders, wide players overlapping to take defenders away, a couple of players coming short to receive the ball whilst others create space, make angles etc. We are so leaden, unimaginative and static any fairly organised midfield/defence can close our game down and crush the life out of us. Can't score, can't defend = relegation.

It's better than being smashed in the face with a hammer a hundred times. Lots of variables id say, what if its one of those inflatable rubber hammers Even it was a rubber hammer filled with a concrete/ball bearing mix it would still be less painful than watching Butt, Nolan and Duff labouring to string two passes together.

It's better than being smashed in the face with a hammer a hundred times.

Because there is no movement off the ball. The player in possession looks up for a pass, can't find anyone within 30 yards so he attempts keep hold of the ball until someone makes space for him. No-one is forthcoming so the player in possession has to boot it long up the pitch. Our ball retention must be the worst in the league. It's absolutely pitiful. Too true, and it is the biggest truism in football that you can't create anything if you don't keep hold of the ball. Our players need to think to themselves 'if I play this ball what are the chances my team mate will receive it?'. If the answer is 'unlikely', then don't fucking try it! Too many speculative balls over the top totally wasted.

Because there is no movement off the ball. The player in possession looks up for a pass, can't find anyone within 30 yards so he attempts keep hold of the ball until someone makes space for him. No-one is forthcoming so the player in possession has to boot it long up the pitch.

On the contrary, they played a clever game, used the space well and if it wasn't for profligate finishing would have left with all three points. Shows how awful we are in defence when Hermann Hereidessen was marauding down the wing.

A pint of what he's been drinking please barman.

Great being a Newcastle fan, isn't it? FOR f*** SAKE!!!! Seriously though, if we do somehow win those two, it should be enough...just on goal difference. Don't think Hull will get anymore than 3 points, don't think Boro will get 7 points from their other 3 games, or WBA. I think we'll draw both our remaining home games. I agree. In both games we'll struggle to get the ball into the last third because everyone will be stood around hoping somebody else makes a run. Was bitching about this all game. Our players are so f***ing static when we are in possession. This is absolutely key, players in possession have no options there is no movement ahead of the ball. We are far too easy to mark out of a game.

Shearer should "manage" this buy walking into the dressing room with a big stick and beating the entire first team senseless. He should then rip off his suit, strip the number 9 shirt off of Martins' quivering body, and put it on and start up front next week. True, but it makes me laugh when Kilcline and Scott Sellars would walk into this team of 'internationals'. What a joke.

And you sound just like the sort of walkover I'd like to have working for me. You don't sound like you have the moral fortitude to make a stand when your boss is running roughshod over you. I need a bitch to make my cuppas and cover me when I fuck off from work early.

Indeed. If only he had that spine. Think you know the real villain and it's not Keegan. I would have done the same thing as him, Ashley's a first rate c*** and is the only person to blame in all of this. As if I wasn't feeling pissed off enough. "Keegan" just reading it makes me want to throw up. Im sure Keegan will be happy enough with his f***ing 8mil payoff Good luck to him, I'm sure he would rather still be in the dug out. Ashley has reaped what he sowed.

Looks like it will go down to the wire. We have no complaints really, just like the last time we went down. We truly deserved it having had ample chances to dig ourselves out of the mire. I still think we can get a point away at Villa, unfortunately tonight was a must win (like I'm telling anyone something they didn't already know!) and I can only see us winning the Boro match. We will be agonisingly close but ultimately unsuccessful. Ashley needs to carry the can, even Hiddink, Wenger, Ferguson and Benitez working as a management coalition couldn't keep this bunch up.

Well I think thats it, in my opinion the games against Wigan and Stoke at home are the ones that really sunk us. I look at this as an opportunity. Get Ashley out of the club, lose 25,000 of the fair weathers who have attached themselves to the club in since the halcyon Keegan days and get rid of some of the dross on the pitch.

Other shite teams play two banks of four and battle for everything. We can't even do that. Absolute dross. Managers like Shearer, fresh from playing/the studio are food and drink for old campaigners like Redknapp.

Reminds me a bit of Alan Smith (when he was good).

Didn't he just sign a new contract? Yes, but he's not quite the Galactico who has it in his contract to start every game.

Almost 100% positive Butt will start the next game. As for Ameobi, his days are surely numbered.