Novocastrian

Just because they were in the chasing pack last year doesn't automatically make them a good team. They were fairly risible today, the result of MON's team building. I laughed when they brought Heskey on. Apart from Young, who was trying to break Shola's world record for being offside, they look very average.

The fact every bastard thing from clothes pegs to pent houses uses football's popularity to try sell it. This phenomenon is always heightened during World Cup months. The worst offenders are the 'Gran picks up the remote control, goes round the coffee table, in between two chairs lays it off to the dog' type adverts and the 'I'm going for a solid 4-4-2: two pieces of bacon, with two commanding sausages in the middle, two defensive boiled eggs in midfield with a couple of tricky slices of toast on each wing etc'. Just fuck off.

Also, Hughton knew the situation before he took the job, so there's no reason for him to walk out or to try to force Ashley's hand. True, I don't think Hughton is being 'strung along', he knows the situation and is seemingly happy to work under these conditions.

Hughton is Ashley's ideal 'manager' (read 'coach'). He's obviously an intelligent man and can see the glaring gaps in the squad. However, despite the kudos of leading the club back up to the PL at the first attempt, he doesn't have the gravitas to force Ashley's hand on transfers and considering that even Keegan couldn't do this I doubt anyone will. He can't do a 'Keegan' and walk out, Ashley will just replace him with another, probably cheaper, coach who he can feed scraps to. There is no 'transfer policy', if there was we would be taking more of a gamble on promising players knowing we could recoup the money in the future. Unfortunately, it appears we will continue to stumble along in the current fashion until: A) The club is sold. B) We are relegated. I can't see us re-establishing in the PL until we invest, sensibly, in new players. Maybe Ashley has something up his sleeve and three or four proven performers will come in before the window closes but I can't see it.

Dont think Carroll is suited to playing up front on his own though, he needs support. The players who thrive up front by themselves are the all singing all dancing types who can make their own chances, score headers, outside the box etc. That's why the likes of Drogba are indespensible. Would much rather see AC with a strike partner.

So much going on in the background with the Milner sale and uncertainty surrounding Young. Looks like O'Neill was after McGeady but coudn't match Spartak's offer.............

Mine turned up this morning. I have been trying to wean myself off football shirts for years but it has become a bit of a ritual so I allow myself the current England and Newcastle home kits. Shocked by the poor quality to be honest. I've had better quality fake shirts from dodgy markets in Morrocco.

Dyer was the kind of player who tended to visually stand out and make an 'impact'. The type fans love to see: pick up a loose ball drive at the opposition with pace going past two or three, usually stationary, defenders. That's largely where the story ended. His energy and dynamism was never really translated into goals or solid match winning performances on any consistent level. Although he did have attributes his personal and physical failings consigned him to being a 'nearly man' in my opinion. If he had of possessed a football 'brain', or even a brain of any sort really, it could have been different. I don't really think he was ever committed to the footballing side of being a footballer. A case of 'too much too young' maybe.

If anyone was labouring under the notion that the next generation of English players will usher in a new era of thoughtful, intelligent football that match would bring them down to earth with a bump. Spain were light years ahead in every area, technical skills, organisation, invention they were a joy to watch. Spain's breathtaking second goal came from a hopefull England punt up field, the next time an England player touched the ball it was to retrieve it from the net after 25/26 Spanish passes, poetry in motion. It's obvious that English football is still relying on the big, powerful type player to the detriment of touch and vision. I'm pretty sure most of those England players would win a 100m sprint against their Spanish counterparts but in terms of speed of thought there was no contest. Spain were not scared to pass the ball to a man under pressure the little lay offs and 1-2s the Spanish were executing cut through England. In contrast England were pedestrian and plodding, playing in static lines even when we were in possession. The Spanish were always hungry for the ball and as a result the player in possession had numerous options. I know England were missing a few of the better players but, frankly, I don't think they would have made much of a difference. Scary stuff.

And are all Championship level players... Exactly, no evidence of a 'long term strategy' there at all. Taking a gamble on up and coming players (Beckford, Moses etc) is one thing but we aren't even doing that. Just scouring the league for cheap buys and squad fillers on loan.

Typical academy type product; Neat and tidy on the ball, good touch but lacks a real spark and invention. Too many one paced, pedestrian automatons in today's game. Bring back the mavericks who took a chance and played without fear.

In his mind he is a midfield general, you know the sort from Sunday league; jog around the middle of the park pointing and then stand with their hands on their hips when the ball doesn't go exactly to their feet. He thinks he's Michael Carrick but doesn't have the quality to pull it off. One dimensional player, no pace, no spark. I generally don't mind the huge wages players are on because those at the top end deserve to be remunerated to a level commensurate with their skill levels and the entertainment they bring. To see very average, journeyman players like Guthrie trousering the kind cash he is on exemplifies everything that is wrong with modern football. I'd hardly say he was a journeyman. Do you think he is PL class? I think he'd be a useful squad member if / when we get back to the premiership and he stayed here. Not a world beater, but good for squad depth. I just thought that you didn't quite understand what a journeyman is, he's only had 4 clubs since the age of 16 or so. On the contrary, I think you are the one struggling with the definition of 'journeyman' Oxford English Dictionary: A reliable but not outstanding worker Other online dictionary definitions: 2. an experienced and competent worker, but not an outstanding one. 2. Hence: A competent and experienced worker who performs adequately but without a high level of expertise or imagination. (This one sums Guthrie up perfectly!) 1. somebody with ordinary competence: a competent and reliable but unexceptional performer or exponent of something. (This one's not too bad either)

In his mind he is a midfield general, you know the sort from Sunday league; jog around the middle of the park pointing and then stand with their hands on their hips when the ball doesn't go exactly to their feet. He thinks he's Michael Carrick but doesn't have the quality to pull it off. One dimensional player, no pace, no spark. I generally don't mind the huge wages players are on because those at the top end deserve to be remunerated to a level commensurate with their skill levels and the entertainment they bring. To see very average, journeyman players like Guthrie trousering the kind cash he is on exemplifies everything that is wrong with modern football. I'd hardly say he was a journeyman. Do you think he is PL class?

In his mind he is a midfield general, you know the sort from Sunday league; jog around the middle of the park pointing and then stand with their hands on their hips when the ball doesn't go exactly to their feet. He thinks he's Michael Carrick but doesn't have the quality to pull it off. One dimensional player, no pace, no spark. I generally don't mind the huge wages players are on because those at the top end deserve to be remunerated to a level commensurate with their skill levels and the entertainment they bring. To see very average, journeyman players like Guthrie trousering the kind cash he is on exemplifies everything that is wrong with modern football.

Fair enough but why not just play the game? He was always going to get a move and didn't have to act like a cunt to engineer a transfer out. Just mouth a few platitudes, 'I want to stay and help the club back into the Prem', 'I feel partly responsible for the club's predicament and want to put it right' etc etc. The fans are happy, he gets his move anyway and life moves on. Footballers = thick as pigshit.

His team mates haven't a clue what the hell he is trying to do, if that counts as "unexpected". He can't score, he can't cross, he can't provide any assists, but he can do something "unexpected". s****, lets keep him. TBH the only thing "unexpected" from Jonas now would be a sodding goal. Basically agree with all of this, but he is one of the few players who has the ability to actually run with the ball and take defenders on (note to Damien Duff: he sometimes actually goes past them too). The fact he is prepared to drive at opposing defences unsettles defenders and creates space for his team-mates. Although this is often more through accident than design. Mind you this is largely academic as he will be gone in the next 2 or 3 weeks.

Decent performance, the defensive frailties are still there but are not as likely to be as punished in this league. However, by the time the transfer window closes 5 or 6 of those players will not be here so it doesn't tell us anything about where we are likely to finish this season.

Keegan is a proven football manager. Shearer is a totally unknown quantity. What little we have seen was nothing spectacular. Can't understand the barracking of Keegan, if you bend over like a little bitch at work and let your boss walk all over you then fine. Don't hammer a professional football man who decided that his position was fatally undermined by his superiors.

Couldn't give a fuck. As far as I'm concerned all of the players are culpable for the abomination of a PL season last year. That includes the likes of Harper, Taylor, Beye, Bassong etc. I would not shed a tear, in fact I would probably rejoice, if every single one of them fucked off tomorrow. If even three or four players had of upped their game and given 100 per cent for the cause it might have rubbed off on a few of the others. If we have to start from scratch so be it. I'm fucking fed up with the lot of them. Give the kids a chance, get a new manager bring in some championship type players who can do a job and take it from there.

La tristesse durera.

Unlike us, who play really shite football and still can't score.

Fergie couldn't give two fucks about us. Anyone who thinks he harbours a long lasting grudge to see us relegated is frankly deluded. He has much bigger fish to fry we are merely a pimple on his backside at the moment and will be until we miraculously manage to challenge for the title again. He will pick the team he wants to satisfy his requirements. Its fuck all to do with us we blew our chance to take charge of our own destiny.

The apathy comes from the fact our fate is now out of our hands. We could beat Villa and still get relegated. There may very well be a final twist in this relegation battle but the failure to beat Pompey and get even a point from Fulham in two of our three 'must win matches' has deflated many fans who are now not expecting much. No point going balls out at Villa and getting picked off on the break when a point may do the trick. No point sitting tight and trying to defend for the point because we can't defend.

My abiding memory of that little shit is him rubbing his hands together when he scored a hatrick at St James's for Liverpool.

It's just one big shit flavoured Cornetto, and we all have to take a lick.