Neil

I assume Terry's was an unfortunate own goal, and Martins' was similar - the velocity of his shot meant the ball crashed off the Chelsea bar, bounced back 110 yards in the air and deceived a flailing Harper.

Doesn't quite have the same ring to it.

http://blogs.menupages.com/sanfrancisco/shipment-of-fail.jpg You do realise it happened, err, not a very long time ago? [/bite]

Would he? Physically Alan Smith appears to be one of the fittest on the clubs books. He's got "energy".

I concur. The same manager put up with worse for a long time with Gascoigne. Is that not potentially daft though as you are likely to get smaller fee's as the two players are up for sale over a disciplinary matter. But such is Ranger's position, I don't think they're in a strong position to barter too much. If decent bids come in, they'll probably be gone.

Your subs bench ain't getting used anymore this season. Apart from maybe the last 5 minutes of games.

Was saying this to me father this morning. I dont see why football should be an exception.....just because they earn much more money doesnt give them the right to f*** about. It shouldn't, but seemingly it does.

Trying-to-say-something-incisive-and-provocative fail.

I'm so sorry Ricardo. He got you.

Hang around until 3 in the morning and then set the fire alarms off. If the team is staying there then it will piss them right off being woken in the middle of the night. With Quaresma about, Nixon may well take the bit in bold seriously. If you're reading Ricardo, he knows where you live. For one evening.

Another 28 seasons should do it, he'd have to keep playing till he reached 55 though. The way he waddles around suggests he's that age at the moment

Knobbish behaviour aye, but not playing for Scotland again? Footballers have committed criminal offences and given less punishment.

You make it sound like a managerial activity training weekend in the Lake District

He strikes me as a limited player, if he is used well and comes up against a weak left back, yeah, he'll more than likely have a good game. But I don't see him having enough good games, albeit the past couple of months he's raised his game slightly. He needs to develop his game though to become a top player, because he has the natural physical ability. Needs to be more intelligent, and for the love of god learn to produce an end product. Agree absolutely with the last sentance, but he's been good all season for Spurs. For my sins I've watched pretty much every televised Spurs game this season (the gf supports them) and under Ramos he was the only one who looked even half decent. Had a very, very good year - if he could cross a bit more consistently he'd have been one of the very best in the league. Head and shoulders above the rest over their rabble over the course of the season. I think he's been made to look better though due to generally how poor they've been, and quite frankly how poor the PL has been this season (albeit just as interesting for football fans). That said, I'd have him in my team. Just hope he continues to develop, could be a cracking player in a year or 2 if he could. That said he's about 24 or so now isnt he?

Surely Shearer will talk to Martins about this and instruct him to attack more, plus offer more to his team-mates? Don't agree with the bottom paragraph either. In the right formation with the right players around him, he'd be brilliant. I was about to post this, Shearer is much more likely to give Martins clearer instructions than to drop him. As if we have enough options to drop Oba anyway. http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/08/19/article-1046671-014691F300001005-907_468x515.jpg

He strikes me as a limited player, if he is used well and comes up against a weak left back, yeah, he'll more than likely have a good game. But I don't see him having enough good games, albeit the past couple of months he's raised his game slightly. He needs to develop his game though to become a top player, because he has the natural physical ability. Needs to be more intelligent, and for the love of god learn to produce an end product.

Haven't seen any of your contributions elsewhere on the board. I'm curious to know what you think of everything that has transpired here as a liverpool fan. I'm quite sure you're quaking in your boots as far as the title goes. Peter Lovenkrands > Fernando Torres lyke To be honest, it seems to keep getting worse and worse for you every time I think it should get better. I can't believe you're in the relegation zone. I thought the RELEGATIONOMETER was a joke when it went up. I think NUFC fans will not tolerate negative, defence-minded football, so despite the silverware that Houllier and Benitez have brought to Liverpool, I don't think either of them would have survived at SJP, because of their style of play. The only thing Liverpool fans really care about is winning that bloody league again, and we have a huge tolerance for tedious football as long as we're getting the points. It's different here, though. I've always thought Newcastle's problems were down to rotten executive management. It's the same at Schalke just up the road: consistent underachievement relative to spending, and it's because incompetent executives hire incompetent managers who spend too much money, which would be better spent elsewhere anyway, on players who aren't good enough. (And regarding Schalke, their squad is so full of dross, you'd be mad to buy any player they want shot of, i.e. Løvenkrands.) I thought Ashley might sort that out: being a successful businessman, he'd probably know to bring in good people and let them get on with their job. It appears he's not that sophisticated, though, and he seems to have made a string of bad decisions. Still, it's hard to think of many examples of football club owners/chairmen who are paddling with all their oars in the water. Villa seems to be a very well-run club. Re: Liverpool, I'm probably the last person who'd give a neutral opinion, but I can't see you winning the league under Rafa. Partly down to Man Utd's strangehold, partly down to Benitez's chopping and changing (although signs this season that he's trying to be a bit more consistent it seems), and partly down to overly frequent defeats to no-rate sides. I can however seeing you win the CL again this season (sigh). Why do you think it is that you seem to have the edge in Europe, and regularly get far; is it Benitez's European know-how? I think this is a good move by Shearer, pure common sense really. The players seemed to be doing whatever the hell they wanted under Kinnear and Hughton.

1-1. A spirited performance that gives sufficient hope for the other games, though can see Chelsea [pardew]raping[/pardew] you at some point and Harper needing to be on form.

Lennon seems good in a straight line. And that's about it.

Bolivia 6-1 Argentina. A score I never thought I'd see in my life.

Newcastle in lack of communication shocker?

With that face, a lot.

Thinking about what he'd do up front makes me realise you lot do still have a cracking potential front line. Owen, Loven, Viduka, Martins and even Carroll can all make a significant difference when on form. What's the fitness of Owen and Viduka at the moment?

There needs to be complete faith from the hierarchy in a Newcastle manager for the long haul for the first time in a while; not just seeing how they do at first. If the board, or whoever Shearer's superiors will be, can keep their minds focussed on a long-term strategy, then he may have a chance even if things don't go as well as expected. Re: Moyes, it should be pointed out he had been at Preston for a fairly long spell previously, so had a solid managerial background behind him. Hopefully Shearer learns fast. We all know he's going to have a certain level of leadership & previous managers who have worked with him have come out and said he's always had a great leading influence on players. So he has half of what it takes to be a class manager already, tactics is what he'll need help with id assume & he's certainly been analyzing enough football recently, now he's got Dowie to help him out further. Hes worked under the likes of Robson etc so he'll have picked things up along the way. We certainly need to start showing faith in our managers, we may never get another manager we all are behind this much ever again. Just that level of positivity will give just as much a lift and help us do well, as all the confusing nonsensical bs had brought us down. Just hope everyone stays level headed regardless, we're all far to ready to find a scapegoat as soon as possible half the time. An inexperienced Shearer will no doubt take that place for a lot of ppl, regardless of whether HEs doing much wrong or right. Do you think though that due to the frequency of managers coming and going in the past decade or so, a lot of fans already have an in-built sense of impatience? I'd like to think such an iconic club hero as Shearer wouldn't be turned on as soon as the going gets tough, but I wouldn't put it past some people. At the same time, if he does go on to be manager next season, I don't think he should be immune to criticism. He'll have had the 8 games this season, as well as a wealth of experience on the pitch, and the knowledge of a fairly experienced No.2 and of course SBR in his portfolio. Hopefully whilst he should be given a fair chance in the long-term, his legendary status at the club wouldn't blind people.