Dickie

It's unfortunate for us that at least three of the managers that have completely tanked at the toon in recent years appear to have their mates in the mainstream football media (Souness, Allardyce, Pards). This has surely contributed to the agenda that HMHM mentioned. I don't have the feeling that xenophobia comes into it, as they are quite capable of licking foreign bums as well.

I was never a fan of Prince's music, couldn't really understand what all the fuss was about really, but I went to see him live in 2010 and it was one of the best shows I've ever seen. He's probably the most obviously virtuoso musician I've ever seen live - his guitar playing was truly incredible, and I'd not really appreciated that from listening to the odd single of his over the years. Still didn't get me listening to his records mind, but the bloke was clearly unbelievably talented and a brilliant showman. RIP.

That is interesting if true. Wasn't there a rumour going round that he was the main reason Ben Arfa got peddled - hadn't he supposedly told Pardew that Ben Arfa was bad for the squad because of his attitude and had to go? Colo has been a strange case almost from the start - from looking like a very dicey buy in his first season, then having 3 brilliant seasons starting from the Championship year and then incredibly patchy since all that carry on with his wife and then his fatha trying to engineer him a move back to Argentina. I read recently an interview where Joey Barton described Colo as a "fearsome character" which I thought was interesting since he's not very demonstrative on the field for a captain and centre-half.

Fair enough mate . I expected to get ridicule on here for my opinion of Shelvey, as I have already had it off mates and family. As I said, I know I am being very speculative based on glimpses here and here and you are right with your comments but I think he could move up a few levels with the right manager behind him and in the right team, just like Lee did, but to a greater extent. Pirlo never scored that many goals, never put in a tackle and never tracked back but he managed OK. Likewise Rui Costa, Valeron, Riquelme etc... hence my comment about playing in Spain where a centre mid can get a bit more time on the ball and fewer defensive responsibilities. Anyway that's my opinion and I totally understand why people might find it a bit ridiculous, but there it is!

I think I'm in the minority here but I think he has the potential to be one of the best midfielders in Europe. I am being very speculative here but there's not many players with his range of passing and the vision and execution to play defence-splitting passes. However he's clearly a bit of a fragile character, and he definitely hasn't covered himself in glory since coming here. But with a top manager behind him giving the belief and direction he needs, I really think he's got a pretty rare talent that can be transferred to champions league and international football. Obviously he's not going to get champions league football at NUFC cos we're going down, but I honestly think he has that level of potential. Although he's a different sort of midfielder, his situation reminds me a bit of Rob Lee when Keegan signed him - obviously a good player that a few clubs were interested in, and looked quality straight away, but no-one could have predicted how he would develop into arguably the best midfielder in the country over the next 3-4 seasons under an inspirational manager and in a good team. Lee was a couple of years older than Shelvey when he signed as well. With his style of play Shelvey might benefit from going to play in Spain, if he was interested in a move there - basically I see him as a higher quality version of Vinny Samways

Those handful of games where he played well a couple of years ago showed that he does have the ability but as others have said he hasn't done it / had the opportunity to do it regularly in the premier league. I think he would be a step up on colback and anita but that's not saying much - I don't think Its an exaggeration that they must be up there with the worst first division central midfield in post-war football. Wouldn't surprise me to see him end up at Porto actually. They've really tanked this season and their recruitment, which has been phenomenal for the last 20 odd years, has gone to shite. The supporters have even turned on pinto da Costa the owner, who has pretty much been able to walk on water as far as they're concerned. Abeid wouldn't be the worst of their recent buys and would fit in with the type of player they've been going for recently

Can't see mitro staying and he's one of the few I'd like to see stay. I think he's shown he can score goals In the premier league and he's only going to get better. It might not be that hard to come back up. Last time I went to more games than I had done since we got promoted under Keegan and I remember being shocked at the awful quality of the league. I'd imagine it's even worse now, purely because the premier is worse than it was then. Not that bothered though to be honest - if we come straight back up it will only be to go through exactly what we've been through for the last 4 years or so

Nope - I've never actually owned a bike but I've come close a few times over the the last fifteen years or so (I'm 34 now). Closest I got was when I got outbid on a 1979 Kawasaki z900 on ebay about 5 years ago, and within a week the cash I'd set aside for it went on something else. In the end either unexpected expenses like that and/or earache from the missus, my mam and her mam have ended up knacking my plans. Now I'm engaged and saving for a house, it doesn't seem likely in the foreseeable future! One day...

Nice one - they're both really nice. My mate had a 1994 speed triple years ago, with the single headlight. Great bike but no comparison to the more recent versions like yours. Hold onto it!

Lush Triumphs there mate, the Speed Triple in particular is a belter. One day I hope to get myself an original TR6 Trophy, proper Steve McQueen job. The way things are going finances wise though I can't see it happening any time in the near future. Maybe a retirement present to myself in 30-odd years time is my best bet

We've got 24 pts to play for, as do mackems. Norwich have 21 pts to play for. If we can get a win and a draw more than Norwich we'll probably stay up. Looking at it like that I think anyone saying we're definitely down at this stage is being defeatist. To be honest anyone who is thinking along those lines has every right to, given the way that things have gone so far. However I don't think many on here are saying that - people are quite rightly less than optimistic in general, because as things stand we are still probably the favourite out of ourselves, mackems and norwich to go down. But a win at Norwich changes that and makes us favourites to stay up immediately I think, regardless of what the mackems manage against west brom. It's still very much all to play for, and I agree with others that Benitez is the main reason to think we might just be able to pull it off. Personally I think we'll just stop up, but we'll need a few slices of luck, starting at Norwich. Let's remember, they have been as bad as us all season and a couple of recent results doesn't change that.

Aye we need Colo back, although he's obviously past his best he still holds the defence better than the alternatives. I also think having him there will help Shelvey get a bit further up the pitch, as he's still excellent at playing it into midfield and attack from the back. I'm not writing off Lascelles yet though - he's still young and seems to have the ingredients to make a good, physically imposing Premier League centre half. Players of his size get better as they get older, provided they don't end up with injury problems. Same can be said for Mitro - it looks like he'll be a target man and, with very few exceptions, they all peak late because experience counts for a lot in that position. Look at the likes of Niall Quinn, Luca Toni, Jan Koller etc - they get better as they pass 30, sometimes dramatically so. That's why Carroll was such a prospect - to be as good as he was in that position at 20/21 really bode well for the future. Unfortunately it looks like he'll never end up the player he might have been, but he still has time. Mitro and Lascelles have all the time in the world if they have the desire.

I'm not optimistic but I do think there's still hope. We need to beat Norwich to give ourselves any chance but I don't think it is inconceivable that we will beat them. They are shocking and have been all season, as have the mackems. We've been shocking as well but we've got a top new manager and he has already given the players some new spirit at least, if not yet particularly improved football. If we beat Norwich I think we'll have a decent chance of staying up. We'll obviously need some luck but that applies to all three sides.

I think if we don't get six points off Norwich and Swansea we're probably down. However I think there's a canny enough chance we will get those points and if we do I would probably make us slight favourites to stay up, regardless of what Norwich and mackems do in their next two matches. Mackems play Norwich on the day we play Swansea - that could be the day that decides who stays up.

Don't think I've ever seen a player have his hands on the player while supposedly trying to tackle as Colback. Basic under-12 stuff - keep your hands off and don't make the tackle if the player is going away from goal, yet Colback, who is getting paid thousands and does nowt else with his days but practice, does it over and over

My hope is that I do think we will improve in the next 2-3 games as Rafa and his coaches hopefully start to have an impact on the squad, whereas the mackems and norwich probably will still be the dross they have been all season. With a bit of luck I can see us beating Norwich and Swansea, which would have us on 31 points with 5 games left. 2 wins from those 5, with the confidence, momentum and a proper manager behind us, wouldn't seem like such a daunting prospect. Of course that's all pure conjecture but it does give me a bit of hope. As things stand you've got to have use favourite to go down at the moment, but there is still hope. It wouldn't be the most unlikely escape in football history. Need to beat Norwich and Swansea though.

I thought we were poor for most of the first half, showed a bit more cohesion when de Jong came on. A draw isn't a disaster but not great in light of Norwich's win yesterday, which has put the cat amongst the pigeons a bit. I'd say at the moment we are probably favourites to finish third in the three team mini league between us, mackems and Norwich, but there are two things that could save us. Firstly I think we can expect to see continued improvement under Rafa and secondly we do still have 3, possibly 4 winnable games on paper. What I've liked about Rafa's first 2 games is that we've kept going after going 1-0 down and still been pushing for a better result (draw v Leicester, win v mackems) right to the end. If we keep that up there is still a chance we'll nick the 5 results we'll need. We'll need a bit of luck and I'd say we're well overdue some this season.

OK thanks for the tip. Wouldn't have had Mason down as Dennis Bovell material but I am intrigued Don't know why but Mason slipped off my radar after Boys Outside. Happy to see he's released more records, I'll definitely get on them. Cheers!

Where's here? I saw something about him being on holiday in the Caribean at the minute

Didn't know he had a new album out. Lost and Found and All Come Down were masterpieces. Will check it out, cheers

Making a decent fist of the reply. Would be one of the best T20 chases if they pull it off

Jesus, where has he crawled out from? One of the most talented players we've ever had, genuinely world class for a few years, but well past his best when he got here. As soon as we saw the size on him you knew what was coming. Having said that, he still had the best first touch I've seen from a Newcastle player, up there with beardsley and shearer

Aye a draw isn't end of the world, especially if we play well, create chances and show confidence. A win would obviously make us favourites to stop up at their expense

They were the luckiest team ever to win it, no question about that. That doesn't mean Benitez isn't a top manager and we shouldn't excited to have him here (IF we stop up and IF Ashley backs him) - he's won enough other trophies here and in other leagues to be easily the most successful manager we've ever appointed.

I think if we can avoid any red cards we should win this. We've played well against good teams at home at different stages this year and that, allied to the Rafa factor and the associated newfound positivity in the stands, plus the fact that the mackems are total dross, should be enough. We just need to avoid any calamities like defensive clangers and red cards. I'd be tempted to go with Shelvey and Gini centre mid cos I can't see what Anita adds. Admittedly Shelvey and Gini is a soft centre but I don't think we lose anything defensively by replacing Anita with Gini. Don't know what has happened to that Saivet like cos he looked canny enough in his first couple of games. Another NUFC mystery. That leaves Townsend and Sissoko on the wings and a bit of a dilema up front. I'd be tempted to start with De Jong and Perez and have Mitro and Doumbia to come off the bench. Still got a feeling that De jong and/or Doumbia may turn out to be our unexpected saviours. Really hope Mbemba and Colo are fit.