Neil

With all due respect, there are very few managers who'd have the sheer sanity to take charge, even for a month. Just be glad you got someone, and get behind him.

It's the attitudes towards football that's changed. People generally don't seem to get excited about it like they used to. All the talk through the first few days of the week was about endlessly picking out the weaknesses, the strengths, the main areas for improvement, of the previous performance. Then, as Thursday and Friday arrive, the buzz of going to your club's ground for a 3pm kick off. Nope. For a start, be damn pleased if your side actually plays at 3pm on a Saturday. Or should that be, 5.30 on Sultana? Midweek games also take the excitement out of the previously iconic Saturday game. We all say we don't like how the media (TV) is taking the soul out of football. However, people pay for the new super duper mega sports channel pack that will guarantee them 25,000 games per day, with incisive buffoons such as Jamie Redknapp pretending he knows tactics. So, we're told "go to the game then". Simple. I'll just crack out that spare 40 quid I have for a decent seat every week, or what, 500-600 for a season ticket? Not sure about exact figures tbh. People like myself would love nothing more than getting to every game for my club. Sadly, I've been totally priced out of it. And so we're left with a sorry state of affairs. But, for me, I still love it. It's a possibly irrational but still clear love of the game, and my club. But I live with every ooh, every aah, every oh-so-close. I love the banter, I love when we score goals, and I love the game itself. Go on. You know you do too.

For anyone who saw the Everton game... just a few thoughts I posted on another forum. Opinions welcome. It's a shock to the system really, the one thing in the past 24 months I've been used to is relatively solid defending from the backline and last night couldn't have been further from the truth. Like most of our games, the most worrying aspect was not just the goals conceded which were both horiffic defending/communication, but the manner of their attacks. Every attack, they looked like scoring. Is it the defence turning into a shower of shite, or is it the lack of real protection from a new-look central midfield? I'm not sure personally, but please sort it out DM! Whilst the 2nd goal was obviously a breakdown in communication, I'm more concerned about the 1st. Lescott was at fault yes, but the ball was an excellent one. My beef is with the 3 other defenders, none of which had the basic intelligence to spot the man sprinting towards where the ball was obviously going to go. Now that's concerning. I feel sorry for Arteta sometimes. Whilst he's obviously technically superior to the rest of the squad, I'm unsure what's hard about passing the ball 10 yards, that stumps Osman, Jagielka etc. Simple things like giving people options, and playing quick simple passes, were not on show last night. Nothing particularly amazing required, just some intelligence and movement. With regards to the second leg, we're certainly not in a good position however, I fear the day that Everton Football Club would find a trip to (with all due respect) Standard Liege daunting. They're a decent side yes, but IMO we made them look better than they were due to our, at times, non-existent defending. With the defence of last year, I'd fancy our chances of going over there and doing the business. And the way things are going, don't rule out a 3-3 draw!

General odds, Ajax, CSKA Moscow, Hamburg and Benfica all 25's or 33s!

He would have to prove that Guthrie assaulted him though and it was not just a very poor challenge wouldn't he? My law is more than a bit rusty, but I'm fairly sure that you cannot sue for an injury ocurring from normal play in football (you remove the duty of care argument as you are agreeing to take part in an activity with a good chance of injury), and a mistimed/misplaced challenge would be deemed to be 'normal play'. I'm sure someone on here has a better grasp of the Personal Injury aspect here and will correct me if I'm wrong You pretty much have it in a nutshell, Fagan would be unsuccessful as there's a reasonably foreeseeable chance of injury in a game like football.

"If 2 builders can build a shed in 3 hours, 4 builders can build a shed in 5 hours and 8 builders can build it in 9 hours, why is Cristiano Ronaldo the best human being in existence, ever?"

Dont have a picture but Archie out of Rock'N'Rolla, and Dimitar Berbatov?

"I'm actually holding the microphone. What can I say, I'm talented."

Did anyone see the local news last night? They mentioned the fans get together to form a supportsers group I could not believe who they wheeled out to comment on the current situation at NUFC. GEORGE f***ing REYNOLDS! I was f***ing livid ! Wor lass nearly kicked me out of bed. How on earth can thy wheel that c*** out to comment on NUFC with his history. I'm ignorant, who's he? Ex-Darlo chairman, amusingly corrupt. Eejit, basically.

Honka are s****. Got pissed on and raped in every hole in last years Champs League qualifier by the Norwegian side Rosenborg. You'd win both matches with two digits I'd reckon. Sadly we got Standard Liege instead. WE GOT A DECENT SIDE, FIX SURELY!

Sounds familiar. One of the reasons it works in Europe is that they prefer collective decision making. Whereas in out football culture we prefer one man to go with his vision. Take the word "football" out of that statement and it seems like the middle of a hotly-contested synoptic political debate! Now I'll get back to conforming to student stereotypes and wasting some money or something like that.

Was never a red car to be fair. I disagree. Since when has a full and deliberate rugby tackle on someone running past you an into a good position not a red card, regardless of covering defenders? It was the cynical nature of the challange that makes it a red for me. 100% correct Mowen. Its bloody football not Rugby!! It really was a professional foul. Its ok for players to rugby tackle then from now on and they will only get a yellow. There was action to suit all sports fans this weekend it seems, football, rugby, and Stoke contributed some basketball

I must say, it does make me chuckle when people pretend to know exact numbers of a club's finances and humorously (and incorrectly) predict vague numbers and use their wacky calculations to validate already unsubstantiated arguments. Good stuff.

Cluj serve as a warning to people who think playing unknown sides with vaguely humorous names is a walk in the park. Who knows, it might be a blessing in disguise we got Liege as opposed to the much fancied and well-known FC Honka Espoo of Finland.

Aye, stopping people from getting trampled and injured is just stupid! Sigh, you knew what I meant. To be fair, enjoying a goal and having some fun should be strictly outlawed. Can't be having that like.

The way I see it is regardless of the injury the player has got, Guthrie should be further reprimanded. Not extensively, but something to say that this was something that was not just out of order, but completely unacceptable. Whilst it was of course emotion getting the better of him, he needs to take his medicine and learn from this, he's still young. With regards to relating this to the Keane tackle, I'd say that anyone with a brain cell will surely lose respect (I lost pretty much all respect) for him due to what he did.

I'm still confused as to why people found the last transfer window horrific in terms of finances, you got some quality players in, 12m for Milner? Laughing all the way to the bank. Then why are your fans moaning about finances all the time when you've spent more than us? As we were in a genuine position to give a good challenge to get into the top 4 this season, and historically we've never been in a situation to spend big, whereas a clutch of other clubs have. And in the same breath, it's a bit of a harsh generalisation isn't it? If we're going to make unfair generalisations about fans, all Newcastle fans demand millions and millions pounds-worth of world class players all the time. Utter rubbish.

I'm still confused as to why people found the last transfer window horrific in terms of finances, you got some quality players in, 12m for Milner? Laughing all the way to the bank.

The fact is that surely the statement was going to be criticised anyway. Cynicism reigns supreme it seems. People want a statement, they get it, and criticise it, people don't get a statement = "no communication".

We've got you in our sights, watch out!

A case of the grass is not greener on the other side? Imo, he has the best interests of the club at heart. Simply inexperienced.

Statement from Ashley. Basically saying its his intention to sell, a fairly emotional statement. He bought Newcastle because "he loved football". He's putting the club up for sale.

Yeah it was Wiley. Same ref who disallowed Johnson's goal at Blackburn despite THREE defenders playing him on last season. We were rubbish today but that back 4 must now stay together. Decent debuts from Fellaini and Castillo and Yak/Yobo outstanding I thought. Howard was cac but if Pienaar/Osman were playing we would have been out of sight. Funny to see Moyes bawling from the sixth row sat with the Stoke fans and shaking their hands at the end Gotta say his expression when 5 minutes of injury time were announced, priceless image. And a good touch to shake Stoke fans' hands at the end, top bloke imo. Yet,he'll be fined probably from the FA, and Wiley will have no punishment. Utter disgrace. We'll fool them by sneakily putting on some red shirts though, we'll get away fine!

100000% agree with the celebration one. One of the most infuriatingly pathetic elements of football is that you can be booked for celebrating with fans, taking your shirt off, I mean seriously, what a joke. So therefore, celebrating and dangerous challenge will more often than not = same punishment. Rubbish.

Was it Wiley who was the ref for ours? Some incompetent decision-making to say the least. Do we need to change to red shirts to get some decisions at last? Torture to watch at times, our defence looks a far cry to the solid hard-to-break-down one of last season. Didn't play particularly well but still an entertaining game for the neutral.