Wallsendmag

We've said that for years only for them to put together a freak run in April/May that nets them 15 points or so from their last 6/7 games. They're a terrible side, worse than us, but the luck they get when they really need it is incredible and has kept them up for the past 3 years. If yesterday is anything to go by they're still carrying it all as well. Think them and Villa will get out of it providing Villa appoint a competent manager and it'll be between ourselves, Bournemouth and either Watford for the drop.

We're more than quarter of the way through the season now and we've amassed 6 points. We've looked a decent team at times and a total shambles more often than not. Villa will be hoping for a new manager bounce, mackems carry a lot of luck and none of the 3 promoted teams look like they'll flounder the way QPR and to a lesser extent Burnley did last season. I think we're going down this year.

It's actually one of the reasons I don't go to matches anymore (amongst others). A lot of the time it felt like I was paying to watch the referee. We would be in the pub after the match and the topic if conversation would be about how awful the ref was instead of the match (which was usually awful as well). It got to the point where I thought I'm not paying 600 quid a season to watch 22 millionaires and a referee who wants the show to be all about him and a lot of the time seeing him ruin what potentially looked like it might be a good game. It's certainly got far worse over the past 4-5 seasons but because they're not accountable for the ridiculous decisions they make and managers aren't allowed to criticise them they know they can get away with doing what they want time and time again. The arrogance of a lot of them is just staggering and the only thing that making them "professional" did was to boost their over inflated egos even further. Leaves a bit of a bitter taste coming less than 2 months since a different referee totally ruined the home match with Arsenal but there's no point getting too worked up about it because there's nowt we can do. Maybe we'll get the benefit of some awful refereeing decisions next week?

Just the sort of game for Anita to do one of his famous disappearing acts in or for Tiote to get sent off in. Tough choice for McClaren.

Nahhh, Chester-Le Street/Stanley/Consett are all like 70/30 in favour of our lot I'd say. Better ask RTG what they think. They seem to cover this topic on a weekly basis. 100% lads season ticket holders til 1992 and then everyone defected to the mags but of course they never go to games, only buy Wonga tops. Massive lads fan Do they still use that? Makes them sound like paedos. Quite ironic given their over the top support for a player arrested for paedophilea.

Moussa? Always bottles the derby. 5 losses out of 5 for him in this fixture?

As you say in the first one we should have had a leveller. We sat back and they scored 3 from outside of the area. The 2nd one was heading for a draw but Borini scored a great goal. The 3rd one was like the first one, all the did was run at us and we backed off. The 4th we were going all out for the win, got caught out at the back at the end, we were the better team. The 5th, a wonder goal, but a s*** match. They have never actually out classed us, they have got the rub of the green a lot, but never actually outclassed us. Yes we played s***, mostly in the first 3 games, but they were not much better. I don't fear them as a team, I just fear that they will once again get all of the luck. This is my fear as well. We'll play ok but get done by a fortunate goal or a dodgy refereeing decision.

This. Think they'll beat us though.

Wouldn't mind seeing a bit more of Mbabu before we go out and spend on a left back. A quality CB and CM we definitely need.

Agree but Gini shouldn't be a replacement for Colback as others have initiated. I think we need to prioritise bringing in another DCM in January as Colback, Anita and Tiote aren't good enough.

Agree. Just need to play the match and forget who it's against. I'd be confident if it was against any of the other bottom 6 teams but we just seem to go to pieces in this game. Our XI is quite a bit better than their XI so it's just a case of seeing if we our arses drop out again.

He's our best goal scoring threat and people want him to play further back. Staggering really.

We're a better footballing side than they are, that's not even up for debate but I feel that we're just the sort of side Allardyce likes his teams to play against. They'll throw balls into our box for 90 minutes safe in the knowledge Fletcher and Borini will win their fair share of headers against our centre halves and the law of averages says one or two of the knockdowns will fall favourably for them in our box. Expect them to really attack their set pieces as well. It won't be pretty but the mackems lap that sort of thing right up.

Clearly he's not cut out to be a goalkeeper at this level or even a professional sportsman for that matter but we've got to muddle on by with him for another month or so then hope Darlow is decent.

You're laughing but there's actually people on this very messageboard who wanted him played as a more defensive midfielder (they'll know who they are) when we signed him. I don't think they were. I can't even remember saying it myself but people were clearly wanting us not to play 2 defensive midfielders, which was fair. Mole toon or whatever he's called was. I argued with him for ages about it.

You're laughing but there's actually people on this very messageboard who wanted him played as a more defensive midfielder (they'll know who they are) when we signed him.

He'll get sent off next week.

Let's see if McClaren can work his magic again during his half time team talk.

Don't know of anyone who wanted him as manager but once he was confirmed everyone got behind him, mainly because he wasn't Pardew or Carver in all honesty, but really he's just turned out to be what people thought he would be, slightly worse if anything. People want him gone and there's a strong case for that but we'd just get another deadbeat yes man in who isn't qualified to do the job but is so grateful to get it he'll do it on the cheap and won't dare question the ridiculous policies in place at the club. For me they might as well keep him till the end of the season. We'll more than likely go down, probably will if they sacked him anyway but even if we do what's the big deal? I don't know of anyone who enjoys watching NUFC play in the PL anymore so if we do drop out the league, firstly it'll be well deserved, secondly we'll win a few more games and thirdly it'll cost the fat man a fortune as opposed to the fortune he'll pocket if we were to stop up.

I honestly think he is the man Ashley will turn to in a couple of weeks time.

Lose the next two and it's time Ashley brought in the next no hoper.

Another instantly forgetful game in the greatest league in the whole wide world.

Just thinking about all these daft comments he's coming out with now. At the start of the season "judge me after 8 games", then 8 games later "those first 8 games were just like a pre season, judge me from Sunday". Just ridiculous really and at any other PL club the media would have been all over it.

Can't believe he was only 69. It's 30 years since he won the League title with Everton which means he was only 39. Always thought he looked like a bloke in his 50's back then. RIP.

It isn't being destroyed. It's been destroyed.