Neil

neverwas going to be particularly good weather, just hoping it isn't too bad. cold is inevitable.

So i have to do all the running in CM! We'll sort it out! One of us will have to be slightly more offensive though coz I doubt either of us can do a box-to-box job for that long We'll rotate. Maybe. Ierno

I apologise to my teammates btw for how amateur I look. Hoody, shorts, white socks that wont even cover my ankle, and some cream trainers that aren't designed for footy particularly. I'll make up for this with some sublime walking about.

Yes, i bought some from Mike Ashleys soopa mike's shop.

I was suprised when Moyes paid so much for him, but he's looked a real bargain this season. Always seems a threat from set-pieces and looks to work hard for the team. Like you say, he's only 20 so he's got scope to improve...can't see him staying at Everton for the rest of his career though, unless he hits 'that' wall in the next year or so. I can't see it either mate, but I'd hope we get a decent few years out of him. I think we're about the right level for him at the moment, in and around top 6, we need European football next season, big club but not an absolute giant at the moment. As you say, it's whether he fulfils the huge potential that he has. If he can work on his tackling and shooting, then I think the rest will come. He's a bit like Cahill in a way. He's a very smart player in that he takes up positions that forces the defender have to make a decision, thus, combined with his height, he gives them a tough day. In terms of the price, well, he himself wasn't a panic buy as such, because apparently we've been tracking him a while. But the price stinks of panic price, due to how late it was. But, given his performances and he's settling into an entirely new (and vastly superior) league relatively well, that price may just be beginning to be paid off.

I don't condone what he did yesterday in terms of the elbow, but I'm going to defend him by saying that's the first dirty thing I can remember him doing all season. Otherwise all of his yellow cards have been for accumulative fouls. Although Moyes' hand was forced by all our strikers being obliterated, I think he was particularly receptive to the idea of moving him further forward, to try and cut down on these yellow cards, but it seems he's managing to get as many as he was when he was in defensive mid. I think he's doing well overall, and I'm pleased we have him, but he has the potential to be a real, real gem if he progresses the way he ought to. He's only 20 after all.

I saw someone on another thread going on about the way in which Owen celebrated his goal. Are Newcastle fans really that bad?

Well summarised.

I disagree. Whilst Newcastle are capable of producing an horrendous performance, they are also likely to produce a good performance - and regularly enough to stay in the league, a la Pompey away, Villa at home, etc. It's not going to be pretty, but I think you'll get through it. It's sad to see the club in this state, though.

Say what you like about off-the-field matters but imo, he clearly loves football, and doubt he ever gets tired of the thrill of sticking the ball in the back of the net.

This is thread domination taken to new levels!

Maybe a scum fan being so dis-interested in their own team they would rather concentrate on us. Or maybe its a mackem who supports us, which i wouldn't blame them, (have you actually been to Sunderland) It actually annoys me at matches how many people actually do have a mackem accent, but are Newcaslte fans. Sunderland could say the same about us like, i have a few cousins and uncles who support Sunderland (embarrassingly so) and they dont have an ounce of a mackem accent in them. I really really dont know why they wanted to be Sunderland fans. It good banter actuaally, partys etc, gives us something to crack on about. ....I was actually hinting at the whole Louise Taylor thing But fair enough mate! I know where you're coming from.

I'm sure I'll live if its just a wee bit slippy. Oh aye. Monday morning could be fun!

No problem Rich. Don't get me wrong I'm really looking forward to it and think it'll be a great laugh, I'm just really hoping half my concentration won't have to be used on staying on 2 feet

Can a man not celebrate?

In Newcastle. Home's in Darlo I'm sure I'll improvise if it is that bad. Would be disappointing if it was - fingers crossed the weather isn't TOO bad.

Not sure where to post this, but I saw the text comments on the BBC score updates on the website earlier (well, yesterday) as the games were being played. And I'm positive one of them, basically having a dig at Newcastle being a laughing stock, was from someone called Louise. From Sunderland. Surely not!?

I'm not going to be able to get hold of my boots in time for tomorrow so I'm going to have to hope it isnt like Dancing on Ice. I'll be dead peeved though if it's just ice-skating as opposed to actually concentrating on the footy The trainers I'm wearing aren't even proper sports one, they're just normal ones I wear. Amateur stuff.

I think we'll have 22. Maybe a couple more, hopefully. But we should get to the magical number, yeah. Bring a ball along Rich, if you dont mind. A couple of others have mentioned it but better to be safe than sorry, I guess.

Might need to get the metro, Kev. Where are you travelling from? I'm sure someone will have a spare blue top of some sort. Here man, f*** this kid off. Waste of space man! No lift, no shirt, no f***ing boots! What's the craic?! If you get there tomorrow after all of this you'd better be f***ing good like. He's taking the slightly-isolated-kid-at-school-who-sometimes-forget-their-kit-and-didnt-look-very-good approach. But really, I bet he's disturbingly good. No pressure, like. I am not geeving, how do you say, mind games? Theees are faahckts, no?

Exactly where he prefers, I still wouldn't want him unless he has changed magnificently from when he was at Rangers I seem to recall him being quite a decent player at Rangers. I know it's not directly comparable league-wise but he didn't look out of place in a team such as Rangers'. I might have got him mixed up with that Ricksen bloke, though.

Did you read the article? He reckons he'd have more chance of regular football there. I mean in general. All players seem to have this burning desire to go there, when in actual fact they're a very unstable club with an oversized, unbalanced squad. The amount of players who have struggled there after being good before their transfer is unreal - Bentley, Boateng, Darren Bent, Pavulychenko, Gomes, Bale. A whole bucket of talent there, some already established international players, whose careers are going to s*** at White Hart Lane. I would go as far to say that Spurs are almost as unstable as we are. Pavlychenko has scored 10 goals in 20 games. Wouldnt exactly call that struggling. Bale is in bad form but he was excellent last season and Gomes has been very impressive the last couple of months. I didn't know it was exactly 1 in 2 but I had a feeling. It's something people haven't really noticed. Quietly, he's actually starting to settle into the style of the English Premiership. It may not be reflected by a strong set of results of the team, but I wouldn't be surprised if he gets another 10 between now and the end of the season. Which wouldn't be half bad.

Not as bad as that cheating t*** that plays for you! http://www.lrdf.be/images/Selectie_tmb/Fellaini_tmb.jpg Pretty short hair tbh Nah man, I'm talking about that fucker who looks likes a 70's pimp. Precisely. In that picture, he's weak. But with the 'fro - the source of his strength - he's invincible.

Not as bad as that cheating t*** that plays for you! http://www.lrdf.be/images/Selectie_tmb/Fellaini_tmb.jpg Pretty short hair tbh