Jimbo

Same here, although I don't believe it to be a grudge, just a simply justified opinion that he's simply not good enough.

as quoted on .com Glenn under threat? Bill Bradshaw, writing in the Express, Wednesday: Sam Allardyce is being lined up to take on one of the biggest challenges in football - to turn Newcastle United from being nearly men to trophy winners. Allardyce quit as Bolton boss last week but his spell out of work could be brief with middle-men working on his options for a return this summer. Newcastle, after a nondescript season punctuated by injury problems, are believed to be interested again in Allardyce. One source close to the club told me: "The Geordies would love Big Sam's belligerent style and no-nonsense approach. "That would go down well here so it's watch this space." Newcastle were close to appointing him three years ago after Sir Bobby Robson's exit but the bid was aborted when it came clear Bolton had a £2million compensation clause protecting their boss. Bolton chairman Phil Gartside suggested on Monday the had provisions to extend their protection, even after Allardyce's resignation. "He's going to turn up somewhere," said Gartside. "He has two and a half years left on his contract. We have a compromise agreement in place that covers his resignation from this job." Allardyce has tried to engineer his release from that clause and, if he is successful, will be particularly attractive to Newcastle.

I did have to be very careful as to where I placed the shirt for the picture...... ....anywhere else it it would resemble a rape crimescene from CSI.

Agreed, glad I went for the name and number option, although I think the new style lettering looks smaller than before.

Mine just arrived, the quality is far superior to the last shirt, proper stripes on the sleeves, not the iron on crap and the Northern Rock logo is no longer ironed on either, much better.

I'm finding local.live.com more enjoyable at the moment, especially now you can change the angle of the view, the photography is also more upto date.

Not to rain on your parade Jimbo but Wolf Blass is at best average now and if one absolutely has to then the Wolf Blass Black Label, especially if it's a present. If you have an opportunity to buy some cellared Black label, so pre 1990, I can recommend it highly. Seriously if you are buying something as a present nothing less than a Grand Cru, if you want to buy 'stralian, Penfolds 707 is good value (better than Grange but without the wank factor), Moss Wood from West Aust is great, Henschke from SA makes some amazing wines. Pinot Noir from Providence in Tasmania is one of the best you'll ever find but it's hard to get. Not that I'd want to promote the NZ wine industry the one exception is Sam Neill's Two Paddocks pinot noir, again almost impossible to get. http://www.twopaddocks.com/index.shtml http://www.providence-vineyards.com.au/ http://www.penfolds.com.au/collection/supe...707-cab-sav.asp http://www.mosswood.com.au/home http://www.henschke.com.au Or if you're feeling adventurous. http://www.winehouse.com.au/OldRareWines.asp I agree mate, ultimately its all down to the taste of the individual, one mans grand cru is another mans vinegar, no two palets are the same.

Someone earlier mentioned that big Sam's transfer budget over his time at Bolton has averaged 500k per season, so honestly what do you think? Also he has brought through players like Nicky Hunt, Kevin Nolan, Richardo Gardner or his scouting of Tal Ben Haim, Henrik Pererson or his ability to revive players careers like Jay Jay Okocha or Ivan Campo - so no he's got no history of that sort of ability, thank fuck the fat man wouldn't be interested in him. One glance at the Premiership table should tell you all you need to know.

I've been using those, not bad at all either, other than that I tend to go for Douwe Egberts, I hate Kenko with a passion, the devils arse scrapings imo.

I've become addicted to those bloody Douwe Egberts Cafe Switch coffees, bloody lovely.

Personally, I like Red, Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon being my favourites, Wolf Blass is a good label, you can get that at most Tesco's will probably cost you about £9 ish.

Aye, I thought the same thing. That picture speaks a thousand words, although to be fair to Pearson, he was probably in a coma from Roeder's halftime team talk.

Benitez would probably have picked Zenden or Pennant ahead of him tbh.

Thats the beauty of working "continental" shifts, 12hr days, 12hr nights, weekends, bank holidays, often doing 50hrs+ a week, they do "reward" me with some time off, and by then I fucking need it.

I've got 58 days holiday/leave this year.

It's been suggested in the past that N'Zogbia has an attitude problem, that coupled with Roeder's man management skills are the key to this situation, Roeder couldn't inspire an alcoholic into a pub.

From Tomorrow's Times. Shepherd’s backing is enough to make Roeder fear for his future May 1, 2007 Shepherd’s backing is enough to make Roeder fear for his future Matt Dickinson The back page of the local newspaper in Newcastle proclaimed “Roeder told his job is safe” yesterday, which must have had the manager scurrying to check his contract. Being told that you are secure by Freddy Shepherd, the chairman, is about as reassuring as hearing from an estate agent that the cracks are only superficial or from a second-hand car dealer that the mileage is to be believed. Shepherd is, after all, the man who said in July 2004 that “you simply do not sack Sir Bobby Robson”. A month later, he had done precisely that. Examples of the chairman pointing one way and walking in another are not in short supply. Even the most experienced Newcastle watchers stopped second-guessing Shepherd when he set about replacing Robson. The names of Steve McClaren, Steve Bruce and Sam Allardyce were all prominent, and with good reason. Somehow he contrived to end up with Graeme Souness, of whom Blackburn Rovers could not wait to be rid. All good reasons for Roeder to regard yesterday’s back-page headline with the disdain that he has unwisely adopted for stories linking Sven-Göran Eriksson and Allardyce with his position. He has even talked in the past few days about making plans for next season, but the experiences of several of his most recent predecessors should inform him that a Newcastle manager is never more vulnerable than after he has blown a transfer budget. Ruud Gullit, Kenny Dalglish and Robson all left shortly after their own summers of rebuilding. Shepherd’s guidance to the local paper appears to point to a repeat scenario even if the word on football’s grapevine is that he is examining all his options. He should be. Not even Roeder’s friends back him to turn Newcastle into a Champions League club, which should be their aspiration. It was a job that he fell into, just as, for all those who will wish a decent guy well, there are few who expect great things at Bolton Wanderers of the newly, and hastily, appointed Sammy Lee. And here the two stories interweave because, now that he has walked away from the Reebok Stadium, Allardyce must surely be causing Shepherd to consider another approach for his services. The man to lead them back into the top four, where they finished under Robson? You could not say so with certainty, but Big Sam would surely improve Newcastle’s present mid-table mediocrity. For what it is worth, which is very little, Shepherd is denying any interest, but he would not be doing his job if he was not casting around for a new manager and he was given an extra spur in the past 24 hours. Newcastle might not even be the most talked-about club in the North East next season now that Sunderland have marched into the top division under Roy Keane. Sunderland are a club who, through the enlightened leadership of Niall Quinn, the chairman, are re-engaging with their supporters rather than mocking them for buying overpriced replica shirts, as Shepherd so notoriously did on a debauched night with the News of the World’s fake sheikh. They are a club, too, who realise that the most important man in the organisation is the manager. They are capable of embarrassing their local rivals on and off the pitch.

I just get the feeling Shepherd has a "you only get one chance to turn down Newcastle United" philosophy when it comes to Allardyce.

Correct, thats exactly what should happen, except it won't ! There will be excuse after excuse about injuries, and how its "not my team, judge me on my team" etc, and Roeder will sign a number of players in the summer and will duely be sacked in September.

Roeder's post match interview will be interesting without the injury crisis to use as an excuse.

Dyer and Emre might as well have been wearing Reading shirts.

1-0, Welcome back to NUFC Michael.

Typical David Pleat, still can't pronounce names. "Nice play by Doo-Berry"