Stuy_O

Not the disaster some are making out. Unreal some of our fans like. Lost 2-0 to Champions League winners, one a clumsy pen the other a class strike. We never got outplayed or battered and we should have scored twice in the second half. Ba's was a sitter imo. It's easy to get seduced by what happened last season, but this is one of hardest games in the season and we played ok. Look at they money they have spent man compared to us. I'd bet they have spent more in this season than we have the last 4 or 5.

63 points, not the worst start tbh. Would have been a bit more if Stoke had held on over the weekend, or Begovic had saved the penalty. Seriously thinking about bringing in Rickie Lambert and making him skipper for the game they have v Wigan. Can see Saint's turning them over.

Do not want them signing Johnson mind I must say. He'll be a right worry in the derbies.

Ramage was not the best player but seemed a decent lad, not full of himself like most our players were back then. His last game (Everton away iirc) , he was absolutely heartbroken knowing he was leaving.

Me aswell, more so than usual. Gonna be a very tense match imo, players will be nervous for both teams.

Low scoring.... 0-0 or 1-1. Probably jinxed it now like.

Going back to the Adam Johnson debate. I agree he has to progress and learn if he's to become a top player, but like he said himself, how on earth can he do this if he is forever sitting on the bench, invariably coming on for 10 minutes or so every match? He's rotting away at City. City fans may call him 'a match of the day player', and they would be correct on calling him that in comparing minutes on the pitch and the length of the highlights. The only way he can smooth all the rough edges of his game (tracking back, keeping ball etc) is by starting frequently and learning. The fact he's seeking a move suggests he wants to do so. I still reckon he's a class talent, a very direct and skillful player who whilst playing is a constant worry for defenders. And as mentioned a decent eye for goal. Needs to find the right club.

Llorente has officially signed according to twitter. 35million euro. The mackems man, gotta laugh.

I can see both sides of the debate, which is why i'v never been able to fully make my mind up on Defoe. He's one of those names if I see him on the opposing teamsheet i'm concerned straight away, purely for his finishing ability. However on the flip side he sometimes gets completley marked out of games, rendering his team to 10 men essentially. Defoe's a good striker, as are the likes of Bent and Owen (if were looking for the most extreme version of good finisher but a lazy c*nt) but they are in that bracket of players who offer f*ck all else, which is why some people are put off.

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT6r8-bw1dyinSezXJkBiWS1ViFNDNeHbg4nmW0KQa1qx_zyTOt That's exactly how I'd describe blindly looking at his stats/highlights without realising just how poor a footballer he actually is How's looking at his stats burying my head in the sand. "Blah blah, I don't CARE that he's scored almost 200 goals at the highest level , he's poor blah blah". is though. I don't agree at all. This is my opinion having watched him play however many times over the years.. I honestly think in terms of fundamental footballing qualities he is close to being one of the worst players in the league. Average movement, average technique, wildly inconsistent first touch, abysmal link-up play, horrendous awareness of others on the pitch; ultimately very difficult to fit into a functioning team because of these things. He's got a good goalscoring record because he shoots every time he gets the ball and is quite good at it. Good qualities - if you never want to achieve anything as a team and are happy for him to do that. Just like Darren Bent he will always come up smelling of roses in a team because he scores goals and also ones that look pretty on the eye in isolation. But I'd hate to see him in a Newcastle team just like I'd hate to see Darren Bent ever play for us. But hey ho that's just my opinion. Let's try not to be 'aggressive'. I'd actually say Darren Bent is even worse.

Defoe the striker, as in goals and nothing else = Quality, has the statisitics to back it up. Defoe the footballer, as in link up play, holding the ball up, assists blah blah blah = Probably not very good. Depends what you want in him as a player really. Probably why the mackems are after him.

In and around the box, I rate Defoe. Anywhere else as mentioned above he isn't much to worry about, but he is undeniably a class finisher.

If we do miss out on him let's just hope he stays at Lille or failing that goes somewhere in another league abroad. Would be rotten seeing him for Arsenal or Chelsea..

I hate Martin O'Neill TBH, and this stems from well before he had anything to do with the mackems. If we appointed him I would weep openly. I also dislike him immensely, and not because he manages Sunderland. I think he gets a horrendously easy ride from the press because he's one of Clough's boys from Forest which has resulted in a situation whereby he can conduct himself in a manner which makes him act like a child - see: walking out on Villa when he wasn't allowed to go out and sign Aiden McGeady and was instead asked to sell some players after saddling them with a huge wage bill, claiming we'd went to see the referee at half time during the derby and then backtracking like a girl when Carver called him out on it, enacting legal action against a football fan website for posting a transfer rumour etc. He's a decent manager, however I'm not so certain he's a decent human being. That's fairly spot on tbh, echo's what I think. I was canny narked when the Mackem's hired him as it was a good bet he would get them firing straight away and so it showed. I did not expect the inevitable decline to start off as soon as it has mind and he's got his toughest test so far with these bas*ards. Hopefully an opening day mauling will set the wheels of nicely.

Well hopefully they would look at it if the two did go then. Everyone loves Shola, but he tires in games would need someone to alleviate the pressure a tad. He's hardly prolific either.

How cant it be a concern starting a season with 3 strikers? And the well know factor that two of them could be buggering off halfway through the season for international duty. Could still do with another forward imo even with Adam Campbell progressing through. I know it easier said than done to bring the right players in and hopefully the club can get some sorted and in place before the window shuts. The very obvious problem with our squad is the one we're facing right now, that when one or two of the big hitter's are doubt's, or injury's occur, the side seems to get decimated. Obviously that's the same with most teams, it's going to be highlighted even more for us though with the potentially massive season ahead. That's why Anita is an excellent signing to bring in imo, quality player who can play in a few positions. No need to read to much into it really, the manager knows his squad is going to be tested to the absolute limit this season.

This might sound odd, but if Debuchy was not mentioned then that's a big indicator we still want him.

Strength In Depth needs to be considered and the fact we don't really have it.

They need to add some more spark in the middle aswell like. When Silva is not performing or missing they don't look as dangerous imo. Nasri is a good player but hit and miss, wheras Milner is more a grafter and Adam Johnson is barely looked at.

Don't see it as that strange. De Jong is linked elsewhere quite a lot, and Barry is declining by the season. Who else have they got in that position, Michael Johnson?

The majority of us won't panic, obviously no-one expected this thats all. By all accounts it looks like Cardiff have excellent. They will have been fired up for this.

More wound up over that over a meaningless friendly's first 45 than I was at any point over the euro's!

lol, didnt think Ashley would be frantically ringing Seydoux up after seeing this.

Only a friendly I know but they could rack up 4 or 5 by the sounds of things. Not ideal by any means. If Pardew is making tactical changes it suggests he's looking at damage limitation.

Leyton Orient version 2