acrossthepond

What noises might those be, you dullard? We will look a lot more mortal once our best players are sold. We'll still go up, but talking about 106 point targets is idiocy.

Did look a bit of a push from wor Shola there but as far as I'm concerned officials everywhere have a lot of ground to make up with us after disallowing the perfectly legal Viduka goal v. Fulham that would've kept us up last season.

GET IN BALDY!

Really been loving your posts lately, Dr Ken. Can't quite put my finger on what it is... On topic: I'd love to see Man U crash and burn as always but it won't happen at this stage, Milan may be making up ground domestically but they're still at low tide. I think Chelsea will beat Inter, probably by virtue of a solitary goal in 180+ minutes of football. It may be the most somniferous tie of football ever played.

Aye. We should enjoy him while it lasts...about, oh, another two weeks or so.

I wish they would just stick to weekend kickoffs, even when not televised. I know there's a lot of midweek fixtures in the CCC and there's no avoiding it, so I'd always have to miss those ones, but to move a perfectly good saturday or sunday game to a monday or friday and televise it does me no good, working 9-5 EST (so 2-10 Newcastle time) as I do. There's no anticipation. It just becomes a score to check when I get back from work instead of something to look forward to (even when it is just on the radio.)

He would score a hatful in this league. That's the only part of that "article" that resembles the truth. They didn't even get Harewood's club straight.

GET IN! Have to say I thought that was a clown move but Chris is proven right

Class header. Reminds me of the extra-time header Sevilla's keeper scored on their way to winning the UEFA in 2006 (maybe?)

I heard about this geezer called Keegan who wasn't bad... Clough's son is giving it a go...hmm, well, Owen Coyle's meant to be class but he's a Scot...Aidy Boothroyd looked promising with Watford but obviously that turned out to be a failure... What's Dennis Wise up to these days? I think McClaren might be worth another go in the PL. Giving him the England job was a farce but unless his work with Twente (and Boro tbf to him) is just a flash in the pan, he seems to have something about him.

How many managers do you think QPR will have this season? Nothing club, nothing fans. If only we could get our hands on some of their owners' megabucks...

Bad feeling about this one lads. We will need the points though so better to rack them up now. It's going to be a long, lean January

Who? Except for Ivory Coast and maybe Ghana, they're all gash. And Ivory Coast can never keep it together at big tournaments. Total collapse at the 2008 African Nations for example. I'm not sure what all the hype about 'Africans playing in Africa' is anyway. The WC will be played during the South African winter, and the conditions won't really be too different from those found in August/September games in most European leagues. I think Gerrard is one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, but I'd take Fabregas and probably Essien ahead of him. In "best in the world" terms, he shouldn't even be mentioned.

That was cracking stuff from Pancrate, I'd like to see him start on Wed.

And to absolutely no-one's surprise...

Aye, let's not start to get starry-eyed over him yet.

GET IN PANCRATE! That's done it then surely.

Lovenkrands in midfield? Doesn't bode well.

Blatantly no need for that, the idiot.

Get in!

You're the best Tom.

That radio link will be very much appreciated. Thanks lads.

I don't mind him staying longer on loan. We just need to make sure any permanent deal is out of the question.

I have to say that it's an issue of degree. Both actions were cringeworthy, but making a video of truly tonking arguably the best side in Britain versus making one of managing a scrappy 2-1 home win over a major promotion contender...they aren't really in the same league, are they?

And you would seriously choose that over getting back into the top flight? I don't see why its a case of choosing one or the other. But yes without doubt I would take winning the FA Cup over promotion this season. I want to see us win a trophy At the end of the day, we cannot survive as a proper football club unless we get back into the Premiership this season, to choose 90minutes of glory over the future of the club as we know it is madness. Thats why everything must be thrown at getting up there and nothing must get in the way of that aim. Distracctions such as the cups are just that, distractions which arent needed. Until we're sorted out with new owners and a proper structure then cups must go the journey, last year my worry was that it would get in the way of us stopping up, this year it gets in the way of us going back up. And if we do get promoted next year no doubt you and many others will be saying survival is the priority and so it goes on. Welcome to the world of Bolton and Blackburn, no chance of ever winning a trophy, reserve teams in every cup game, grim premier league survival year after year the only thing that matters. Not for me thanks. I want promotion and to survive in the premier league but not at the expense of everything else The FA Cup is a great competition and Newcastle have a great cup tradition - lets keep it that way I'm not sure if you really get it, mate. We're already below that level. Our aim right now is to get back to it. We have a thin squad, little to no chance of progressing to any meaningful stage in the cup, an untenable wage bill, and an owner we must shift to survive. We need promotion. Yes, at the expense of everything else. Something else to consider: since SBR was sacked, wouldn't you say we were already in the 'world of Bolton and Blackburn' that you describe? Save a couple of decent UEFA runs (all right, and the FA cup semis once), we never looked like winning anything (or often even finishing in the top half) and PL survival was an issue in several seasons.