Wolfcastle

It's almost always been the case with this cup of just getting through. KK in 92, 93, 95 was fun but even under him, days after beating Man United 5-0 - Oldham at home was a slog and Barnsley in 94 similar despite putting at least 3 goals past everybody we played in the PL and Europe. Played a team we'd all be placated with and went for it at the end. Bruno was a bit ahead of himself with that. Its partly why we love him I guess so have to accept. Just a miss when going for the roof in the end with standard modern day daft run up.

Goal posts moved again I see. Cant do a City, FFP Howe - not Gerrard, Lampard, Emery lol They've bought nobody, Burn, Hope lol, Nobody wants to go there They'll not challenge for anything They'll not challenge for the Champions League It'll be funny as fuck when they don't win owt again They'll sell up and buy Liverpool (nee Inter) Blood trophies, Asterix and Obelix

1 1/2 of them were even good. (Second half of the 95 FA cup tie and the replay)

Made that mistake before with Beardsley.

Right that's it. Now I truly believe were a different club. Winning penalty shoots outs, I've seen it all now.

What makes it worse is the stagging, fannying on non-runs up to penalties now are ugly as fuck.

May as well just f*ck off now and just concede the game instead of one or more of our players having to suffer having a missed penalty against their name.

Looks like some performance by Carrick, stats fully back up that scoreline

Craig Shakespearean (as its West Brom)

Was there for that. In the programme they featured Coventry's future stadium. How did that work out for them? (thought getting back home by 8.20 convinced me a national stadium there wasn't as daft as it sounded)

Scored our 1000th PL goal in 2012 and are 466points ahead in the all time league table, at their rate the mackems will reach that goal total in 2047 (not joking) and if we ceased to be tomorrow it would take the same amount of time to match our points. Something for Exile junior to look forward to.

Yeah read Lindsey Hipgrave, getting stick obviously, wasn't a real Geordie because she's from 'Whickham, County Durham'

Dangerous as f**k these though. No underestimating them. Can come and spoil and frustrate easily, with a couple hundred away fans and probable general underdogs tag

They've claimed Whickham as County Durham on there so Chester-le-Street is pretty much Sunderland hamlet centre by that logic. Got a good old slaughtering on total sport tonight, emailer and caller slagging off their fans and even Marco-ah giving an anecdote (prior to ridiculous excuse) about the Cardiff commentators laughing at their fans leaving before half-time, 10' from the end and the coin throwing (after taking all coins off away fans). Also heard a photographer was hit with a coin. An entire 3 days after self-congratulatory best fans in the world craic.

The laugh is half maniacal and half Frank Skinner doing Ian St John on Fantasy League

Been looking forward to this for a while, didn't expect to have other priorities like a 6pointer against Chelsea, was expecting to take a couple draws this week and win this. The proposed changes are actually adding interest. Manqi, Targett and Wood for definite. Would like to give ASM at least a half - don't know which. Get Jo's beasting up to match speed with a start. Wonder what sort of changes Palace will make cos they can fancy this cup but probably not thinking Europe.

So its just league titles then. The one single parameter they have over us. How very convenient and mackem. Its a wonder when anybody says 'big club' they don't just say 'club thats wont the most titles' instead. Its a bit like its okay that were so far ahead of them because I'm reading 'because we wont win anything', so 2nd and champions league football whilst they fight another relegation to the third wont bother them. And here's me thiking 'top dogs' was important to them even when its by two places and a few points, must have been mistaken.

Even an illogical collapse now would still see us exceed what I was placated with, which is most satisfying

Knew he steam-rolled it after taking over from Souness from 5th bottom to 7th top but must have carried over a good deal into the following season more than I assume

Not bothered about not playing sumptuously every week. Happens to everyone. We've already proved what we can do and our credentials. Sometimes just about being the better team and winning the game to supplement that during a season. We did both. Makes us feel better if anything. The spread of goals is lush. Got to imagine the big lads at the back will get on the end of a corner or free-kick at some point.

Got picked up by the camera a few times (Forest 5-0 after a goal, Sky cameras perved on me at half-time against Leeds in 97/98, didn't keep that tape I can tell you) but not in a crowd. Got pics from Shearer's unveiling and people nearby with flags and stuff to key off of and still can't. but as Man U pick up the FA Cup in 1999 (as were on FA Cups) in the background a 'Toon Army' flag unfurls, that's me. Its just a bit after the initial raising to feature in the medleys of captains picking up the cup. Could barely see anything from my angle so missed graffiti-ing that. Salvaged something from the day.

Grimsby syndrome as I call it

I think thats exactly what it is Midds, or at least part of it. The constantly having to big themselves up because their history of the last 50years does not indicate anything of the sorts and by going there they feel more entitled to better than has been served up even if its the norm for their last 50years. They're not a small club, big, I dunno, their bigger support is all that differentiates them from Sheffield United, Southampton, Stoke and Middlesbrough to the naked eye. There's the 9 clubs way ahead of them in the all-time table, plus Leeds and West Ham that are bigger, then a much of a muchness that they weren't happy to be in, that is basically potential relegation fodder/yo-yoing, which is what they are/have been for over half a century.