The Prophet

Yeah Beye is important to the balance of the back line but in terms of sheer impact I think these two will be vital to a finish outside the bottom three.

Right I'll do my best to address Lien and HTT's posts together. I understand the fans anger I really do. I'm not exactly tickety-boo myself and I imagine paying to watch today must have increased that anger ten-fold. But on the other hand you've paid the money, you know the crack, you’re not going to get a quality performance from this bunch. We're currently on a poor run of form with an injury hit squad, yes I expect professionalism and effort from the players but it was clear today we just weren't going to get it and that's not good enough, especially if we went behind. So as a fan sitting in the away end what do you do? Do you think to your self: "I know what will get the lads going, a good old chant about Dennis Wise" or do you turn the noise up a couple of notches and let the lads know we're still behind them. I completely understand why the former option was taken under the circumstances but do I agree with it? No, because it wasn't productive in the slightest. Then that begs the question what can we as the fans do to let our hurt be known without upsetting the apple cart? Well that is an incredibly difficult question. Do we sit tight lipped and hope we see out the season or do we go in all guns blazing demanding an upheaval and change. Well I think most fans want the latter, but there is very little we can do without doing more damage than good and that's what's so frustrating. Any kind of change at this club is going to bring negatives at this time of the season. We all know Ashley is too thick skinned to change his approach, he's shown us that already, he has his methods and whether they're right or wrong it looks like he's sticking to them. Chanting at Ashley and the so Called "cockney mafia" isn't going to get us anywhere. So what about Kinnear, hypothetically so we kick up a fuss and get him binned then what? Who would realistically want this job that is an improvement on Kinnear given the current circumstances? An owner who's got "looking to sell up when the price is right" written all over him, supposed limited control of transfers, a team that throws in the towel when things aren't going their way and a restless fan base. It really isn't that attractive. It's also worth noting we're in the middle of a transfer market which will have shut before the new man can take control. So change isn't going to be easy it takes time for the dust to settle time we don't have. The fact is with returning players we still have a squad that is more than capable of finishing mid-table this season. The problem for me now is that since that Liverpool rape the player’s confidence is shot they just don't look up for it. So how can we, the fans help that? Like HTT we do have the support but we don't have the positive support. It's difficult in these dark times to motivate the fans, we need noise we need positive, productive chants that makes those players believe they can win any game. We need to stop jumping on their backs and start riling them up so they have the motivation even if they themselves or their manager can't produce it. The damage is done, we've dug our hole and we need to climb out of it. All the negative chanting in the world might make the fans feel better, but it isn't going to change a thing apart from how deep that hole gets. Yes I'm hurting, and I want change, our club is a joke and it isn't good enough. But before we go demanding change at this very moment in time I think it's worth engaging our brains instead of our knees and we at least consider the short term consequences it will have on the team and our position in the league.

Whether we've put money into the club or not I think we all want change, we all want things to change. There's nothing more frustrating than watching your team sink to this level. But really what good can a protest do? The club is in such a delicate place at this time that kicking up a fuss could send it over the edge, that's why we're in such a tricky situation. Change at this time could do more harm than good and it's too much of a gamble to take. What the team and the club need at this minute is our undivided support to see them through this season with their Premier League status intact. Then we can think about the change and how to go about it.

They have every right to react angrily. Lying down and accepting this kind of dross is rank idiocy. What do you propose? Boycott? Protest? Sit in? Sit out? Stand up? Stand down? Making waves at this very fragile time could do more damage than good.

Of course I'm only speculating here but it seemed to be going peachy until Mort left and this worthless tit took the reigns. Of course it was Ashley who emplyed the bloke...

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JQQ47izsuLM/SKuLRaXNDvI/AAAAAAAAAQE/lCgbbqAWe7M/s400/400x400_ObafemiMartinsNew.jpg http://bolton.theoffside.com/files/2008/07/400x400_joeybartonnew3.jpg Both of these guys could well be off in the summer and what better parting gift than to pull us out of the mire. Barton will provide drive, aggression and some form of ability to distribute a ball in midfield while Martins while provide pace, unpredictability and a constant goal scoring threat up front. Keeping these lads off the sidelines could well be the key to our Premier League survival, both bring huge positives in to the team. Can their presence alone be enough to save the day?

That's right. Throw in the towel without a fight. It's the way HTT was brought up seemingly. Going down?

Na I just don't fancy the prospect of our fragile defence trying it's luck against Bellamy, Santa Cruz and quite possibly Kaka.

A lot depends on the transfer activity of both clubs throughout the week.

Protests? Come off it lads. I think people really have lost sight of where we are at this moment in time. We support a club that is unstable from the top all the way down to the bottom, we don't have a clue what the intentions of the board are this club and we have a manager with an uncertain future. Kevin Keegan is gone, get over it. All that is important now is we are neck high in the shit and all the moaning, whinging and protesting in the world isn't going to change that. We've just lost heavily to a team below us in the league managed by a man who most have come to despise. I'm fuming, but when the knee-jerking subsides most will relise we're in the same position we were in about three games ago. There is so little in this table that it only requires a couple of wins to go shooting up the table. And I know after a game we should of been getting points from it's hard to hear, but we are capable of picking up points elsewhere. Yeah I want answers from the board, I want an improvement on Kinnear and I want the players to start playing for their club but crying and moaning outside St. James' Park isn't going to help that. The only way us the fans can help our current plight, is to cross our fingers and stay united. I want change I really do but that can wait until the summer. A massive upheaval right now is only going to make things worse. We need to get behind the lads and just hope they get their act together, I know it sounds daft right now but anything else is only going to add to this club's detriment.

mackems.gif Sometimes I wonder if the fans and the club deserve each other, pathetic.

You'll have a job on, Reading are playing Swansea today. I have Norwich nontheless. Who are they playing? And I've just noticed the mackems are at home, so that 5 away wins thing is bollocks. Your alright they're fucking up my beat at the minute aswell, Norwich are playing Barnsley.

You'll have a job on, Reading are playing Swansea today.

Gone for a cheeky away accy on the home front today: Villa to beat Sunderland Wolves to beat Bristol City Reading to beat Swansea Leeds to beat Brighton 26/1

Palacios is an intresting one. Spurs need a strong combative player in the middle of the park to go make their powder puff midfield a bit tougher, but £14 million? Think I'd be looking elsewhere. The fact that Wigan only paid £750,000 for him in the first place shows there are bargains to be found. Unfortunately for them they'll always be a selling club.

Think that was just after I'd pole axed King Kev.

Who are you on about? Whenever we cart the fringe players out they understandably look rusty but they just don't seem to give a s***, in an injury crisis that isn't exactly ideal, a team in a dog fight can't really afford to be carrying dead weight. You said 'he', I assumed you were talking about someone specifically. I also didn't see any of the fringe players behaving like that tonight. I think he must be having a knee jerk moment Wullie as he still hasnt answered the question . I thought he said "what are you on about?" not "who are you on about" hence calling it a night.

Who are you on about? Whenever we cart the fringe players out they understandably look rusty but they just don't seem to give a s***, in an injury crisis that isn't exactly ideal, a team in a dog fight can't really afford to be carrying dead weight. You said 'he', I assumed you were talking about someone specifically. I also didn't see any of the fringe players behaving like that tonight. Aye, na I wasn't picking on individuals. Tonight they weren't amazing but there again neither was anyboady else. I understood it's hard to be settle quicky in to a team but generally whenever I've seen any of these lads they've been poor, not even average, but poor, it isn't good enough. Xisco is intresting because we don't know the reason why he isn't getting a run of games. Anyway I'm off, starting to talk jiberish.

Who are you on about? Whenever we cart the fringe players out they understandably look rusty but they just don't seem to give a shit, in an injury crisis that isn't exactly ideal, a team in a dog fight can't really afford to be carrying dead weight.

So Newcastle continue to carry on the Jackal and Hyde act. Why is it a team can comfortably beat sides above them but struggle against the side around and below them? I for one didn't think I'd be too fussed about being knocked out of the cup but after seeing the team sheets it's somewhat of a concern. I know we were OK in spells and created chances but at the end of the day we were still rolled over. Come the end of the season too many hard luck stories is going to result in Championship football. We've been hit by an injury crisis at the worst possible time, leaving the squad so thin has really come back to bite us in the arse, but we still have enough quality to be rolling over the Hull B team for fucks sake. I feel for the likes of Xisco, Edgar and Co I really do, what has that lad got to do to get a game? Well for one he could take a leaf out of Bassong's book, role up his sleeves, stop feeling sorry for himself and put in a performance. We don't need passengers right now and that's exactly what the man is behaving as, he's a paid professional for crying out loud. The problem is these "I'd prefer to feel sorry for myself than play football" performances are becoming more frequent. I thought the more Kinnear's cheeks started to warm the hot seat the more often we'd see decent results would come but it would appear the opposite is happening. I just hope another one of those positive displays is around the corner because I feel I, like other fans, am beginning to lose faith in his ability to keep us in the Premier League.

Depends what you mean by "change" really. Also how much you want the club to change and in what way?

Bollocks, Kaka is still in the top bracket of players in the world for me. The problem is when you get such great players like him they produce the goods so often after they break on the scene the media turn their attention elsewhere and people assume they've gone down the pan.

As for one individual moment, Messi's goal against Getafe?

I was going to write a yearly review, but instead of hearing me drone on and on about my favourite aspects of the season I thought it would be more interesting to put them up as a point of discussion which can be voted on at a later date. Basically whenever I've got a bit of spare time I'll list the nominations which can be voted on and write them up in a N-O season review which can be put on the main site or left to rot, it doesn't really matter. So what’s your favourite non-NUFC footballing moment? For me it was probably watching Turkey reach the semi-finals of Euro 2008. A lot of people aren't fans of the Turks as a footballing nation but what they achieved at that tournament was fantastic. What they lacked in quality they made up for in sheer belief. Their unwillingness to lie down despite frequently going behind was nothing short of brilliant. Another favourite of mine was Spurs summer transfer window. I had so many debates with so many Tottenham fans about their side. How can you sell a 66 goal partnership, not address your weaknesses and expect to challenge for the top four. Needless to say I've enjoyed rubbing their noses in it since. I also enjoyed Villa's early season success. It's refreshing to see a new team if not a largely English team ruffle a few feathers amongst the top four. Will they stick it out who knows? But they've certainly made it a little more interesting for the neutral.

Wasn't too happy with my performance like, a lack of match practice and trying to cover two positions meant I generally mis-placed a lot of passes and had a rapist like first touch. I strongly suggest Nixon published a book aboout his footballing technique: " How to play right back from a centre forwards position"