Jimbo

I guess you need to draw a line regarding certain chants, but if a professional footballer can't cope with baracking and banter from the fans then he's in the wrong job.

The buttons.

I'd rather have a striker who can be quiet all game and then score a classy goal than a player who runs around a lot but not much else. Given the choice, only a fool would disagree, but in my opinion Martins did the next best thing to scoring, he worked his arse off, with no service he went looking for the ball himself but people still find room to slag him off. Viduka scored and you're slagging him off. Other than his goal I thought his effort and contribution was near zero, so yes I am. As I said before, I don't think any of the strikers deserve praise from the match, I just don't get the vitriol aimed at Martins, who in my opinion worked the hardest out of all of them.

I'm sorry but that woman deserves a kick in the slit.

I'd rather have a striker who can be quiet all game and then score a classy goal than a player who runs around a lot but not much else. Given the choice, only a fool would disagree, but in my opinion Martins did the next best thing to scoring, he worked his arse off, with no service he went looking for the ball himself but people still find room to slag him off. They're not slagging him off, they're just saying he was ineffectual, which is hard to argue with. Nah, some folk here have made their minds up about Martins and have closed the book on him. Given the lack of service yesterday it is not surprising Martins was ineffectual, Martins/Viduka/Smith were feeding off scraps all afternoon, and none of them looked very impressive at all in my opinion, yet the focus of critisism is aimed at Martins.

I'd rather have a striker who can be quiet all game and then score a classy goal than a player who runs around a lot but not much else. Given the choice, only a fool would disagree, but in my opinion Martins did the next best thing to scoring, he worked his arse off, with no service he went looking for the ball himself but people still find room to slag him off.

enjoy this film muchos. but a mexican arabian diplomat helping Vikings fight other vikings is just I hated it, a poor mans Beowulf.

Things are looking up ! but its still frustrating viewing at times, but things are clearly moving forward in my opinion.

I thought Martins put in a good shift today, Viduka on the otherhand did jack-shit other than score.

Another problem-free performance. Cacapa looked every inch the experienced, composed centre half when he came on too. Agreed, Cacapa is looking a fantastic aquisition.

Credit for once for the Spurs fans: "You're just a shit Maradona"

On the subject of wallpapers, is soccer-art.co.uk closed down or something ?

I think I know what you mean, we miss a player who take the ball and run past players, and breathe some creativity into the game, we just need someone that can do that but with a better final ball than Dyer. N'Zogbia's contribution today was a good example of what we are wasting by playing him at left-back, although I thought he did well, he's better utilised as an attacking player.

Sam did say in his post match interview on Setanta that he hopes to do some work in the remainder of the transfer window.

Agreed about Owen, but I thought Martins worked hard, Viduka on the other hand did fuck all other than his goal. I'll take his goal today over Martins' hard work, thanks. Fuck me, you don't say ? What was your point, then? I was making an observation regarding how much effort Martins put into the match, he worked tirelessly, as opposed to Viduka how strolled around and did very little. Ultimately, strikers are there to score goals, and Viduka produced a fine goal today and the only measure of a striker is goals, but people seem quick to slag off Martins, the point I was making he worked very hard today, tracking back and getting forward and that deserves credit in my opinion. His work-rate deserves acknowledgment, but as Gemmill said, he didn't actually contribute anything. You could argue thats as much to do with tactics as much as anything else, very few chances for any of the strikers, as it was said before, it took Viduka an hour before his first shot on target, what was his contribution up until then ? I don't see how anyone can single out Martins, thats my point.

Agreed about Owen, but I thought Martins worked hard, Viduka on the other hand did fuck all other than his goal. I'll take his goal today over Martins' hard work, thanks. Fuck me, you don't say ? What was your point, then? I was making an observation regarding how much effort Martins put into the match, he worked tirelessly, as opposed to Viduka how strolled around and did very little. Ultimately, strikers are there to score goals, and Viduka produced a fine goal today and the only measure of a striker is goals, but people seem quick to slag off Martins, the point I was making he worked very hard today, tracking back and getting forward and that deserves credit in my opinion.

Agreed about Owen, but I thought Martins worked hard, Viduka on the other hand did fuck all other than his goal. I'll take his goal today over Martins' hard work, thanks. Fuck me, you don't say ?

Or just start using a formation that suits the players? 60 mins before our first corner, 62 mins before Viduka's first shot on goal, I daren't even look at the possession stats, either way, it speaks volumes about our style of play.

Agreed about Owen, but I thought Martins worked hard, Viduka on the other hand did fuck all other than his goal.

For the neutral maybe, from out point of view I thought it was fucking shite.

Fucking crap, 1 shot on goal ffs, zero creativity, we'll get nothing out of this match unless he changes things at HT.

Mike Ashley looked happy

Ashley looks commited to me, he's sitting next to Allardyce and Mort wearing a Toon shirt

Toon’s £225m price tag Aug 26 2007 NEWCASTLE UNITED owner Mike Ashley is ready to name his price to would-be buyers of the club: £225 MILLION. And he must now wait to see if that figure scares off a Chinese consortium showing interest in the Magpies. Although a rumoured Icelandic bid for the club came to nothing, the Sunday Sun understands there is real substance to talk of an approach from China. But whether that will offer Ashley a £50 million-plus premium on his investment in United remains to be seen. The sports retail billionaire has ploughed around £170 million – £133 million in buying the club, £30 million to reduce its debts and a £7 million net spend on players – into St James’s Park.

I'M NOT READY FOR KNACKER'S YARD YET By David Harrison MICHAEL OWEN knows the football world will never again see the lightning pace and spectacular solo goals that made him the most exciting player of his generation. Already at just 27 he is planning for retirement by opening his own racing stables with top trainer Nicky Vaughan in 160 acres of Cheshire countryside. But the Newcastle and England striker declared: "There is no way I am ready for the knacker's yard." Two years of crippling injuries, including a career-threatening cruciate knee problem, have prompted a growing belief his best years are behind him. But if you suggest that to Owen, he insists his career will stretch into his mid-30's. He said: "You get older, you go a bit grey and get a bit slower. Once we start getting closer to 30 and into our early thirties, we are not supermen. "We are normal people. It happened to Alan Shearer and it will happen to me. "But I'm only 27 and still in my prime. I feel quick and strong. I probably have had to modify my game. When I was a whipper-snapper I was sprinting down the channels, beating hundreds of players and crossing balls in. "I was creating as many as I was scoring when I was a kid. Obviously, I've had to adapt my game because I've lost a yard of pace from all those hamstring injuries. "When I was 17-18 I was a greyhound and it would be hard to get as quick as that again. I play more in the penalty box than I used to but I know where the ball's going to drop better than most. "No, I'm not ready for the knacker's yard yet." Owen's life is surrounded by rumour and speculation. The most popular gossip is Newcastle is merely a stopping-off point on his way to a more successful club. Even his own Toon team-mates believe he spends his life flying back and forth to the north-east by helicopter - and that his heart and his football ambitions rest with an eventual return to Liverpool or joining Manchester United. Owen scoffs at such talk. He recently bought a new house in the area from his ex-colleague Scott Parker and his family are settled there. He said: "I've only been at Newcastle two years and the speculation's been unbelievable. At the end of every season people were asking 'Is Michael Owen going to stay or not?' "I live up there and and my kids have been to school up there for two years. There is this perception that I divide my life between living in the north west and Newcastle. "Well, I'm up there Monday through until Saturday. If we get a Sunday off, I'll sometimes fly out after the game and spend the day with my parents and family. "Then I'll fly back up on Monday and spend the rest of the week there. Even my team-mates say 'Are you up here today?' and I say 'Yes, like I am every day'. Since I've been at Newcastle people have been thinking I'll leave. A lot think there's an agenda but there's not. "There was a release clause in my contract that no one was supposed to be privy to but if people go and mention that I can't help it. When Owen does eventually call a halt to his career, a life at the Manor House Stables beckons. But it will always be second to his obsession. He said: "Football is my passion. Racing is for my retirement. It doesn't replace football but the thrill of seeing my horse come home first in my colours is the nearest thing I can get to scoring a goal."