Neil

Messi: you've obviously had a few large ones, so calm down. La Liga is aesthetically pleasing to watch and in my personal view, more entertaining to watch than the Premiership (on the whole). This doesn't mean it's a "better" league, because everyone uses different attributes to subjectively in their mind assess what is "better". Barcelona probably cemented tonight that they are the best club team in the world, not that La Liga is better than the Premiership.

Quite correct, don't have the link either, but IIRC, saying how the Rooney at Everton, although rough around the edges, was actually exciting to watch and defenders feared him. I simply don't see the same Rooney at Man Utd. He's been restrained, perhaps for a more well rounded longer career or whatever, but I no longer think "blimey this lad's gonna do something special" when he's on the ball - a characteristic that was associated with him 2 or 3 years ago.

Ah yes the income from the Milner sale. Are you sure that money actually still exists?

I love the fact Barcelona keep completely changing their away kit. Orange, bright yellow, blue, and now salmon pink. Yet, for some reason, I've liked them all.

Not sure we need a striker that would cost a lot like Martins. A cheap, promising youngster would do me. How would we keep Martins, Yak and Saha happy? Even if we played two up front you'd have to drop either Cahill or Fellaini which would be a problem. Agree on the centre mid and wide player though. Moutinho was linked again the other day which would be great but I'm not sure how we'd afford that deal. You see Saha as a first-teamer? I've got to say I'd ideally use him as an impact sub. Yeah, someone as expensive as Martins wouldn't be essential, but how much can Newcastle realistically ask for? A young quick striker that would get around a dozen from the bench/occasional starting role would be good enough probably. I don't think Anichebe/Vaughan are really gonna make it - albeit the latter has more promise I think, if he stays fit. And I think in the long-term, we need to drop Cahill to move forward (from the first XI). We need to adapt to a slightly more technically sound style of play, whilst maintaining defensive resilience and general team spirit. I couldn't thank Cahill enough for what he's done for his in the past few years, but he is not the answer long-term. That said I'd still be happy to see him in a 4-4-1-1 formation. I'm just saying if we are to look at 4-4-2, he certainly isn't the answer. I think we should have another go for Obinna; was very disappointed to not get him last year, for some dubious work permit-related reason.

He would thrive ont he service from Arteta and he woulkd find a lot more space with the likes of Pienaar, Cahill and Fellaini occupying the other teams players. The style of the current team would also bring the best out of him as it is a team of hardworkers who gve their all and I feel he would thrive in that environment. Would do very well for them. Would also have his fellow international teammates in Yobo and Yakubu which always helps. Would love something like Howard, Neville, Jags, Lescott, Baines, Pienaar, Fellaini, ?, Arteta, Martins, Yak ? = technically sound central midfielder, or, if Arteta plays centrally, a pacy left winger.

Cant see him come here.He had said many times last season that he's a player to play in PL. In that case someone should tell him he sort of isn't good enough.

Sickens me how Sky seem to think Ronaldo is the best free kick taker in the world, when as far as I'm concerned, Juninho is miles ahead, I also remember Assuncao to be ridiculously dangerous from a dead-ball situation. Personally, Everton are still in the same situation as last summer. Need a technically quality central midfielder in my view, and a pacy wide man. A nippy striker (Martins? ) wouldn't go a miss either.

If it's a reasonable price, you should be going all out to get him.

Steady on Rafa

Should buy Gibson outright to be fair, guy is a neat passer of the ball and doesn't have a prayer of cracking the Man U line-up any time in the next decade. Alright, Uri.

Extremely clever. People will have to think of a complicated and elaborate plan to get their hands on alcohol, such as getting it before 11pm Tuesday. It is pathetic mind.

Duff doesn't justify his wages at all, nor do most, but he's one of the few high-earners I would look to keep. I think he'd perform well in the Championship, and it seems fairly obvious he's at least committed to the cause.

I'd like Burnley to do it, mainly because they havent been in it before, and also I'll be so pissed off with myself for not doing a Birmingham-Wolves-Sheff Utd promotion treble at the start of the season - could have got me a fair whack (if Sheff win).

Newcastle > Boro, Hull and Sunderland, tbh. They'll always talk about you more than others.

The potential prospects of cleaning the club out, getting some new youngier, hungrier players in and also building a long-term stable structure, are all outweighed by dropping out the top flight.

It does seem all a bit OTT because, as Robster said, there's no obvious rivalry between the 2 clubs. Banter and indeed disliking certain teams is part and parcel of the game, I don't see a problem with it - going to the length however of writing banners about a club you're really not particularly connected to is poor IMO.

Too much sentiment, not enough ruthlessness. We should be sounding out people now, not waiting for Shearer to decide and then doing it, if we can get someone better then we should do so. Strange that no-one was bothered about sentiment when it was Kinnear who was in the hot-seat, the bloke was in hospital after a heart attack and everyone was hoping that it was going to mean us getting someone else in. Just because Shearer's probably better than Kinnear, doesn't mean that there's not someone better than him out there who'd come, we have and opportunity to find out, we should take it. You know, the more I think about it the more I realise that you're right inid...it may be sentimentality driving my support for Shearer as manager, but then again it's sentimentality that has driven my love for Newcastle United all along. I see nothing wrong with being sentimental about things, certainly when it comes to deciding who you're going to appoint as the icon of leadership for the club to steer it through some inevitably difficult times. You're a fan, you're allowed to be sentimental - although I do think we as Newcastle fans do over-do it sometimes . When it comes to actually running the club it takes more than that though. Do you think Man U will be sentimental when they have to replace Fergie? How much chance do you think Tony Adams has of taking over from Wenger at Arsenal? Holding up Man Utd as the paradigm is ridiculous mate - their size and scale puts them on a different planet. It's like comparing WALMART to the Happy Shopper chain. They'll get Jose Mourinho in when Fergie goes, and even then you can be sure Taggart will be hovering around in a Busby stylee for a good few years post-retirement. All I'm saying is that Shearer makes sense given that we've had a dozen different managers in the past 10 year which has been a major component factor in causing instability in the team, in the club and in the fanbase. You want to rebuild anything that's as dilapidated as this club is right now, you need foundations, and not just any old foundations, but foundations that the bricks and mortar of this club (i.e. the fans) can relate to. Aye. Rebuilding entails not only using the correct tools, but correctly using the tools.

I don't know if people think he's the best man for the job; it's perhaps more the fact that, due to the situation the club is in, he's the only man for the job.

Hull City in the Premiership doesn't bother me. Phil Brown's Hull City in the Premiership does. One man club. One utterly deplorable twat of a man.

Summed it up.

Panic.

It's also evidence of the frighteningly vast resources at Ferguson's disposal.

Hope lies in the midfield. Nani, Fletcher, Gibson, Tosic.

I'd pay just to see that.