Dr Gloom

there's something to be said for the ashley approach of not over paying, but it's too extreme. cutting the wage bill, which was out of control under the last regime, and unearthing gems like tiote and ben arfa for minimal fees is one thing, but they need to complemented by better quality. and fromt iem to time that means putting your finger in yoru pocket. if you only shop in the bargain basement, you're going to end up with far more leon bests and peter lovenkrands than you are tiotes.

better than expected. i'll give him that. tbf though, this is still hughton's team. the real test for pardew is the kind of players he brings in over the summer and whether the team spirit can be carried on into next season. i'm not optimistic it'll be a good summer for incomings and outgoings but pardew knew that he'd be working under these constraints when he took the job. the real test for him comes next season. can he persuade ashley to invest a bit? or, if he's working on a shoe string, can he work a bit of magic in the transfer window and get in the right kind of player? all to prove imo

Surely not. Bellers has hardly got a game this season through injury and even in the championship when he has played he hasn't set the world alight, his pace is starting to go and furthermore his wages will be 90k plus. Roque Santa Cruz has not scored a premier league goal in a year I believe (correct me if I am wrong) and was completely ineffective against us. Again wages will be 90k plus. Complete waste of time and money the both of them imo. Better options would be Podolski (currently at Fc Koln, wages are not massive as he has only ever played in Germany where I would asume they are significantly lower cos they only charge about £15 a game) and then I agree a bigger option. I really like the big man little man combo a la shearer and bellamy but I am struggling to think of a bigger option who isn't gonna cost the earth in wages. We might need a young'un off the continent hasn't podolski been shit recently? still probably better than most we could attract. tbf to rsc, he's not had many games recently. i still reckon he's a class act. what is he - 28 or 29? i still think bellas is quality though injuries have always been an issue with him. you're probably right about us not being able to afford their wages though

though i could understand if someone thought gervais

i reckon jimmy carr, just. why the fuck does he laugh on the inhale? idiot

what happened to this lad? that's genius

try driving in london. basically makes you do all those things whether you like it or not.

presuming we do go in for two strikers, who would everyone like to see us get? if cardiff don't go up, i'd honestly like to see us go in for bellamy. maybe try for roque sante cruz too? those two would be your classic little and large combination. big fella wins it in the air so bellas can get on the end of it.

Yet another sad indictment of the modern game, before long it'll be when there's two years left. Players and agents hold all the cards. I fervently hope the Platini regulations actually have some bite, not holding my breath though. I agree but still think the club only has itself to blame on this one. They've also been more than happy to benefit from similar situations with players that have come in (nothing wrong with that but you can't have it both ways). Aye but isn't he one of them on a high wedge already, if so, we obviously had to make sure we're not doing the yo-yo before another offer could come forward and 12 months + to go should be OK as a time to talk, in those circumstances. easy way around that - an improved long term contract with a clause that let's him speak to other clubs in the event ofrelegation. Arse covered in other words.

what a kick in the balls but it's understandable. the carroll sale was a statement of (lack of) intent by ashley. i wouldn't blame him if he walked. i'd like to see ashley back pardew by signing enough quality players to help persuade enrique to stay but i don't see it happening. if i were enrique, i'd want out too.

just like the good old days. Still, its all "business". The good old days didn't have Bosman, it's called common sense same rules for everybody. Run the club like Netto, and your best players want to go because they see it for what it is. Just like your good old days. There's a fact of life that you need to get your head around. When and if certain clubs come calling you just are not going to be able to hold onto your players. The summer will be the test, if he gets sold to someone like Villa or Everton THEN you can rightly whinge. I think selling our top goalscorer to Liverpool for a record fee is a basis to "rightly whinge. Obviously you don't - but tell me when this last happened rather than the other way round when we ourselves bought the best players from other premiership clubs, something which the vast majority of people came to expect and something which someone your age should understand better - assuming you really did support the club in the 70's and 80's as you claim. First bold bit -then if you think £35m for Carrol should not be taken then you are a fool, not to mention the fact that Liverpool are still seen as a "monster" club, wrongly IMO but that's life. Not having a plan B was whinge-able but the sell decision, at that price, was a no brainer. When did that happen, when we bought the top 4-6th placed (you know the teams I mean) best players ??? you're a fool if you think you should sell your best players. You're also a fool if you think that Liverpool should be buying our best players. Liverpool were the most successful club for a lot of years, but selling them [no to mention the likes of Spurs and Villa] our best players for career and monetary reasons ? The last owners bridged that particular gap, and you're an even bigger fool if you can't accept that. You're also a fool - again - if you think we will see anywhere near that money invested in quality footballers as happened with the sale of Andy Cole as the managers decision I see you are completely avoiding the topic - every time - of supporting the club prior to 1992 ? They attracted you didn't they, now you criticise for not winning the title ? What "sheer" hypocrisy.....which answers your last point perfectly. Don't be stupid, you can't compare the club then (70/80's) to now, or the way players are handled, bosman changed everything. Oh and stick your attracted by 92 crap, I watched Alan Foggon and Micky Burns and Graham Oates and Glen Keeley and George Riley etc etc etc The only period when I didn't consistently go was when Keegan was a player here strangely enough, due to other priorities. I don't think you should sell your best players BUT I accept it as a fact of life in the modern game when those considered the established "big-boys" come knocking and turn a players head, or someone offers you a stupid amount of money, you're screwed. Everyone has their price and there is a pecking order and we ain't in that top tier (and sadly never really have been established there). Do you think for a minute the former owners would have turned down £35m for Carrol, really ?? As for the reinvestment (or not) we won't know until the summer will we (I accept FFS would likely have spent it - well what Barclays would have allowed him to) What you really need to accept is that the Keegan "glory years" were our blip, we had our Shankly moment and we screwed it up, we won nowt, and let it all slip away and it's a LONG road back. agree with all that, but that road has got to be longe under ashley than any other chairman out there, FFS included.

we are certainly a lot more attractive to any potential buyer now than we were this time last year. here's hoping because i have to agree with leazesmag - i can't see anything but mediocrity at best while ashley is in charge. i'd love it if he proved me wrong but can't see it going on his time in charge so far. seems our only hope is a buyout.

it's all down to ashley now, which doesn't inspire too much confidence. unless there's anyone stupid enough to buy the club from this cretin

that's silly money to pay for potential. That's the kind of fee the best players in the world command. Carroll, for all his potential, surely isn't worth as much as the likes of David Villa yet. Even 20m would have been a good price for him if you look at it rationally. Not saying I wasn't gutted when he was sold, nor that we won't regret it if the money is reinvested on bargain basement gambles....or not at all

Newcastle supporters have to beat whit Ashley. If you help Atco Madrid, millions of Atletico Fans would be grateful and a lot of help you when we want fight whit Aslhey. my work firewall blocked it for some reason. i'll have a look at home later

totally agree. holding on to our best players is key. the problem is after carroll is everyone knows we'll sell our best players now. i just hope the fat cunt realises that his asset will be more valuable, the more successful it is. i won't grumble too much about the carroll sale if a good chunk of the money is reinvested on quality squad additions and we manage to hold on to the likes of tiote and enrique. it could be a good move - let's face it, carroll was never worth £35m. it'll only be a good move though if he doesn't do what we all expect and continue to take chances on bargain basement signings while offloading our better players whenever the chance to make a profit comes up.

can someone save newcastle from mike ashle while we're at it? good luck with the petition btw

got to say, i couldn't stop lol'ing at this. SNL at its best. and here's how it's done for real:

ben arfa playing instead of lovenkrands would tranform this side like

So true gemmill. Beer is the worst of the worst. 300 or so empty calories per pint that do nowt but go straight to the love handles because of complete lack of nutritional value. When I was on my last serious cut, i stopped beer altogether and only drank gin and soda... How gay is that? These days I'm less careful but still limit beer to the occasional few pints at the weekend. If I need a drink midweek it's a glass of red with dinner or a whisky nightcap - far less calorific

superb result. it's been on the cards. we were unlucky in a few games recently not to pick up all three points. goes to show that we've the makings of a half decent team. imagine if the fat twat had just invested just a little in it in the transfer window...

guttierez has been mint as has tiote. did you see him just track bentley half way back the pitch to prevent a one on one then winning the ball? class man.

head like a 50p piece but even best couldn't miss that! great build up play by barton and good cross from jonas

mate, seriously, you're never going to cut fat going about it like that. good luck with it like but i just don't see it happening for you, sorry. cutting fat and keeping it off requires a complete rethink of your nutrition, combined with a proper training plan. fad diets like weight watchers don't cut it i'm afraid. don't mean to sound patronising like so don't take it that way. this is free advice from someone that found it very hard to cut fat for years. i tried a million different diets and forms of training until i found out what works. I know where you are coming from but what might suit a 20 or 30 something isnt always going to suit a 40 something. Personally I think the WW program is a good vehicle from getting from where I am at, to possible what you are talking about. Im starting from a position of an unhealthy job, unhealthy food and no exercise. The WW plan will start me tracking what Im eating, teaching me about foods that are healthier and more filling and rewarding me by giving me extra points (food or alcohol) for exercising. As I start to eat better, feel healthier and get fitter, then there is a good chance some of these habits will stick. Like most things done to excess, it is all about changing habits. I have even set myself a challenge of climbing sca fell in June to keep me focussed on getting healthier. I never see myself bashing the gym and all these routines as a lot of the younger lads on here talk about. It just doesnt fit in with my lifestyle of being a married father of four. I might not live as long but hey ho. i don't think age has to matter. depends on your goals. you just have to make time for excercise. there are guys i see at my gym in the 50s that are in way better shape than me; i'm talking really low body fat - abs popping out and everything. advancing years don't make cutting fat impossible. i was naturally lean until i hit late 20s when suddenly i woke up and all of a sudden i wasn't able to get away with eating and drinking what i wanted. so joined a gym and tried all forms of fad diets, i spent years down the gym getting crap results. i lost weight, sure, but never got anywhere near to looking ripped. i was basically trying fad diets like atkins and wasting my time by not doing a professionally designed training routine. it took about 3 years of wasted time (and money) before i did my research, read around, asked questions and worked out what i was doing wrong. i have a desk job that can get quite hectic at times. i quite often end up eating at my desk and working 12 hour days, but i make an effort to find time to excercise. by all means, stick with weight watchers but if you want to see real results - and by that i mean, lower body fat (not dropping pounds), better muscle definition and overall more pleasing body composition then i would seriously advise rethinking how you're going about it. i would be happy to suggest a training and nutrition plan that could work for you. i like to steer people on to the right path so they don't waste as much time as i did!