MKSC

No top teams would play with such a one dimensional player these days. I can't recall too many players who's only purpose in the team was to accept long balls. Hence the idea of the 'target man' must evolve along with football.

I'd like to know what Ronaldo considers a target man to be. If he's suggesting that a target man is basically a lump who stands there and flicks on balls, bashes defenders about and generally plays in a physical way then I don't think there have been too many used in top level football for a good few years. For me a target man would be any player who can be used as a specific outlet. Not just for playing the long ball, but someone who you can give the ball too and not worry about it coming straight back. Yes it helps if they are strong and good in the air but also a willing runner with a decent amount of pace and good control is also important. Personally I think Drogba is the imbodiment of a modern day target man. He can receive the ball in any position and get something out of it, a free kick, holding it up and finding a team mate, getting a shot away. That's what I'd class as a target man these days. Carroll could become this with training and the right management. He has the raw attributes IMO and I've been impressed with him when I've seen him live. Will he be top class, probably not but there aren't many who are.

Even if he is allowed to play for England I wouldn't want him too. You've got club football to earn millions and play all over the world. International Football should be about doing the best for your country and the pride of your nation.

1.30, the match don't kick off till 7:45 haha And your point is?

I don't have a problem with the granny rule (see above posts) but like I said, once you're 18 you should make a decision and that's it. No changing you're mind cos you didn't get picked for the first choice. I don't like the 'naturalised' rule either. Fair enough, grandparents, at least it's a blood connection. But just living somewhere for 4 or 5 years shouldn't make you eligible to play for that country.

Well I think Cock and Lion it is then. I presume it has a good crowd of Newcastle fans in there for live matches anyway but a little unofficial N-O gathering couldn't hurt. I'll be there, guess you have to get in early to get a good spot so about 1.30 in the afternoon sounds good to me.

I don't have a problem with that as such, but it should be a case that you have to declare it as an 18 year old. You can't just change you're mind at 26 because you never got picked for England so you'll have a bash at playing for Scotland or Ireland.

It's basically a tool to help second rate footballing nations develop themselves and be competitive. The Irish did it, with some success, in the 80's and early 90's and since then Football has become a lot more propular in a country where traditional games such as Hurling and Gaelic Football were the sport of choice for youngsters. Now the Irish team is mostly filled by native Irishman (with the odd exception). Time was when the Scottish national team was comprised of people playing for Celtic, Rangers, Liverpool, Man Utd and other top English clubs. Now they are scouring the English lower leagues to find anybody with a minute amount of talent and an even smaller link to Scotland. Also, they've scrapped the ruling that if you've played a competitive international at U-21 Level you were stuck with that country. As long as you don't get a senior cap you can switch at any point. I heard them talking with Jamie O'Hara last night on talksport about the possibility of himself, and players like Kevin Nolan, who have U-21 caps for England turning out for the Republic in the Euro qualifiersnext season. Ridiculous if you ask me. International football is not club football. It should be about Nation vs Nation. Our best players against their best players, our best coaches against their best coaches, our best manager against their best manager. But in this ridiculous world of free trade and litigation for restricting someones human rights it is an idea that has long since departed.

If are too many accents like mine then it will feel totally wrong. In what way? Well I'd be expecting the majority of Newcastle fans to sound like they are from Newcastle. If they all talked like me it would be surreal.

If are too many accents like mine then it will feel totally wrong.

I don't live in Kingston, but I have drunk in O'Neills there many a time. It'll be rammed on a Monday night, full of students. Not sure I could cope with that. Besides I'm after more of a Newcastle orientated evening rather than just watching the game in a pub. I could just head over the road for that.

Is there going to be a gathering of toon fans in one of these London watering holes for the WBA game next week. I've been given the green light by the boss so thought I might check one of them out, see if it's worth making the effort for any games in the future that I can't actually get to. I'm not fussed which one I go to, but would appreciate any advice from people who've visited them as to which is the best one.

That page has got 800 guests viewing it. That's the power of t'internet.

Having worked in the betting industry for 5 years I'm afraid it's perfectly believable that someone would do this. There are some right mentalists out there who are willing to lose everything they own for the sake of a miniscule return. And it doesn't matter how much you bet if you can't afford it, £10 or 10k. It's all relative. I hope for this guy's sake it is a fake as I know of two people, not personally but customers from other shops, who topped themselves because their betting got out of control. I don't mind a flutter but some people can't handle it. Nice to see everyone being so supportive of the guy though.

Definitely worth a visit. I've been going down there since I was a kid and all my kids have been practically brought up there. It's changed a lot over the last ten years as the club has progressed but it's a friendly place and in general the team has been very good for the last 5 years. Been terrible this season but like I said there are reasons behind it. If you are in the area and want to watch a game then come down, I should be able to get you a free ticket for your first time down as my brother is the marketing manager for the club (technically he's the marketing manager for an insurance company but as his director is the chairman of HRBFC he kind of does both). Students get in for concession rate, and season ticket holders for league clubs get in half price if they show it at the turnstile.

I'm presuming he doesn't want us to sign a new left back though?

It really doesn't matter how many fans there are. I go and watch Hampton & Richmond Borough (Blue Square South, average attendance 600) and there is the same problem there. After 5 seasons of progreess including 2 promotions and two successive play-off finals (both lost) in the highest division they have played, the club started to attract new fans. This season has been terrible, a real danger of relegation. Abject performances from players, new signings that haven't worked, lots of injuries and a budget cut that has meant many players moving on, a massive lack of confidence. All these are contributing factors but some fans on the message board are blaming one or two players. These guys are being made the scapegoats for how bad the team is playing, whilst they are playing badly the factors I already mentioned are the reason they are struggling but fans will always pick on someone. Sometimes the manager gets it, sometimes the board, sometimes the players. It's just the way football goes.

I'm sure I recall hearing Allardyce say when he was appointed that one thing he was aiming to sort out was the horrific record of players getting injuries and, in particular, recurring injuries. Obviously we never found out if he could do it, but he was certainly aware of the problem. It remains to be seen if it has been solved.

2nd goal was a great strike, but on another day it could have gone over the stand, excellent ball from Gunter though. The 3rd was quality, some really neat one touch passes and the movement was great. Seriously though, West Brom are 10 yards off every ball. They are making Forest look a lot better than they are.

When Forest played us, they looked distinctly average. WBA beat us 5-0. Who knows? yeah but Watford are s*** Yeah, that post is f***ing coherent, isn't it? yes Well, it was certainly straightforward and easy to understand.

How about number 3 including a win at Wembley? That would be fine, however there's always the chance that you won't win. Oh, and having to go to Wembley. The stadium is ok, but Wembley the place is complete hole. I don't live far away, I can see the arch from my upstairs window, but that is as close as I can comfortably go. When they knocked the old one down they really should have moved it.

Beagrie reckons we'll be happiest with a West Brom win as it keeps the team in 3rd further away from us. Fair point I suppose when you think that it really doesn't matter if we come first or second if our only goal is promotion. Can't say I agree with him though. IMO The Albion are the strongest team in the league bar ourselves so I'd like to keep them well away from us. Forest win and then we beat WBA next week keeps us 9 points ahead of them. I think the rest will all drop points so if we keep the distance between us and West Brom that should be enough to win the division. Which would be nice.

I always expected to see him take up kick boxing after that. It was like he was trying to be JCVD.

Fulham Vs Pompey is off so he won't get his chance this week.

I think the difference with this lad is that his Dad was/is a football league referee, Clive Oliver, so he'll be fully aware of the pressures that come from refereeing professional players. He's refereed about 10 Championship games this season aswell as Blackburn, Wigan, Man City and Bolton in cup matches. He's also refereed the Conference Play-Off Final in 2007 and the league one play-off final last year, with a crowd of nearly 60,000. I think it's good to see him geting a chance. Nobody say's anything these days about players making their debuts in the EPL at 17 so why can't a ref do it at 24.