Missed Sticks

Also, defenders are easier to coach than forwards. A good coach can get 4 average defenders to work as a fairly effective unit that would deal adequately with most teams attacks (top 6 teams aside). It's much harder (or impossible) to teach someone how to be a good finisher. We'll see if Roeder can get the back 4 to work, it will a good test of his coaching ability because i don't think that any of our defenders (including Taylor) are much good at it individually. GR needs to work on them with a George Graham' esque desire for clean sheets imo.

He has never really played somewhere else, so the difference is marginally tbh 195822[/snapback] Nonsense. Look at the way the bloke is built. Without wanting to over-generalise, the majority of African footballers are ox-strong. I can count the exceptions on one hand. There have to be very small oxes where you are from. I really start to worry. The only really pacey thing he showed yesterday was how quick he can fall to the floor when being physically challenged. I have to agree with Isegrim like. He does not look like the powerful player I thought he was supposed to be. As I keep saying, it's still very early days, but in physical battles so far to date I don't think I've seen him come off best once. Possibly a confidence issue. As a side note, we wouldn't expect Owen to win many either and i suspect they're similar types of player.

Rather than see him relegate us you mean? 196114[/snapback] Bet you £500 that if Roeder is still in charge at the end of the season, we won't have been relegated. Come on. Put your money where your mouth is. 196115[/snapback] Yeah, thought not. 196119[/snapback] Do you think Shepherd will sack GR if we're in the bottom 3 after 7 games? This is isn't a question regarding what you would do.

Alex Fergurson said that 'Forwards win you matched but defenders win you tournaments.' Naturally, i'm not about to disagree with him. In light of the fact that none of our defenders are very good, maybe we should start to play 5 across the middle in an effort to deny opponents space to attack us. According to some post match stats, Ameobi only had 1 shot all game, why was he playing? Surely Luque could have worth trying in the circumstances, and why was Rossi, a player who has trained once or twice only with the squad involved at all?

Now we'll see how good Roeder and his staff are at coaching.

Ah, i understand this may not be allowed. Can anyone pm a message to keep me informed of goings on today ;-)

Any chance of that radio link then? :-)

Anyone got any links for radio commentary please?

Might be seen to be too negative to play 5 across the middle at home. Also i think it may lack a bit of penetration so i might play N'Zogbia instead of Emre in the middle with Duff on the left and Milner on the right.

Saw him a couple of times last season for the hammers, he was pretty bad actually.

I can remeber us playing Chelsea a couple of years back and Ollie was the best fullback on the pitch and Chelsea had 3! (Ferreira was a RM). However, the supposed overhaul of our scouting system doesn't seem to have extended beyond a phone book for agents. No change there then.

I believe that you wouldn't find such comments, as I believe NE5 is one of the people who actually advocates the club is careful with money and spends it well, on quality players, rather than the many people who think we can go out and buy half a team every summer and if we don't then the club is shite...the ironic point being that the same people who think the board is shite then expect them to buy half a team every summer. Are you someone else who has changed their name because they have been proven wrong or something ie you supported Souness and wanted rid of Bellamy, or said Kluivert and Luque would be fantastic etc etc ? 191417[/snapback] I'm just who i am, don't see the relevance actually. You seem to be someone struggling to find a stable opinion though.

NE5 = Leazes Mag. Same person. 191404[/snapback] Do you think?

There was a poster on N-O called NE5 who was arguing in favour increased speculative spending in order to propel NUFC back into the top 4. He was quite vitriolic to a poster called Melanchronic who favoured a more restrained approach to transfer spending so as not to risk the clubs financial position. I believe NE5 called him a ´Bean counter' and accused him of lacking ambition.

That's quite a welcome

It does smack of a fit up

I was hoping the swastika would end in reverse, oh well. I'm not really 7, i like the number 1999, it's full of anticipation.

I'm new here, pleased to meet you all