acrossthepond

It ain't oba till it's oba, Noelie.

I think we have seen this problem more than any of the other "problems that make him rubbish" this season. Against West Ham he rounds the keeper and...sends it wide. Too long to think. Hard bit's done, gets confused, blasts it. Against the Arse he's watched the tapes of his miss a hundred times. So he tries to tap in, having again done the hard bit. It's slow enough to be cleared before it gets to the line. Nobody is saying he'll be a world player of the year. What I am saying is that if he figures out his confidence issues and goes with his instincts (which despite the abuse are not as bad as people make out) he will bang them in regularly and there's no need to talk of selling him.

Championship for certain. The only question it leaves is who'll go down with. Must be Derby, and although I'd love to see Spurs join them I think it has to be Reading. Sorry, Brock. Boro will cheat death again and Sunderland, mackem bastards notwithstanding, have more quality than the other teams circling the drain.

I find it ridiculous how people have a go at Martins after scoring the type of goals he did last year for the type of team he played for: relegation form, no creativity, no leadership, no tactics SHITE that we were under Roeder. He starts this season by scoring 4 and setting up one and showing signs of improvement in his overall team-play and still people have a go. ENCOURAGE THE LAD FFS! Says it all.

That's probably because he was at the match to be fair. Demonstrating some Magness. (ps what a fucking ridiculous concept, coined by a bloke who as far as I know has never ever set foot in Newcastle, never mind St. James' Park) As for the other bollocks in your post, acrossthepond, about Martins' performances last year. Anyone who remembers anything other than goals remembers that the vast majority of them were sub-standard. Go and get your kicks on Route 66 and leave the adults to talk about football. First bit: yawn. "As far as I know" isn't very far, mate - stick to football. More importantly, I can't take anything you say on Martins seriously as your irrational hatred of him is well documented. Alex's point: is well taken but you'll note that nowhere do I say Martins is outstanding, and although he did give some outstanding performances last year, goals or no goals, he also gave some weak performances. I do however say that he is one of our three productive strikers and selling him would be a mistake, and I'll stick to that. Also, you point out Spurs away but his Spurs away performance left a lot to be desired except for the obvious. Before the goal, he was virtually anonymous. I guess I do remember more than goals after all.

Owen is indeed a world class striker, that is not in dispute......but the fact is that it was Martins goals which saved u NUFC from certain relegation last season... and he started with a brace in the 1st game of the new season. Most coaches would have given him an extended run .... Owen on the other hand has spent more than a year on the sidelines and seemed more interested in playing for England than the club.. Martins on the other hand seems to put club first that is wrong is so many ways I daren't begin to retort. If I'm honest, NUFC would have gone down last year if not for Martins, and I don't think there can really be much dispute on this topic. Who else was there? Luque? Ameobi? Sibierski? Or, yes, Owen? Talk of him leaving or being sold is, as I've said, absurd. He had a good run with us last season, has held up well enough this season, and will continue to fight for his place in the first team. It's not like he's Boumsong or Luque or one of our other high-price imports who has done nothing to prove their class. As usual, a load of nonsense about "world class" again. People still think Michael Owen walks on water. He's getting on and he's lost a lot. I still say at this point I'd rather have Martins than Owen as Martins can create something out of nothing, and Owen needs chances created for him (which he is usually excellent at finishing). The way our midfield is at the moment, I think we need Martins's unpredictability and creativity.

Losing Martins would be ugly and unnecessary. How soon some of you have forgotten his performances last year. I believe Martins should be starting every game but if Big Sam wants to use him as a substitute I can see the logic in that too. We're not desperate for money here and although earlier it might have looked like we were overburdened with striking talent, Luque has gone, Smith seems locked in to midfield, Ameobi is rubbish and I'm not up for selling one of our three productive strikers. (p.s. of course now Gemmill pops out of the woodwork. I don't recall hearing much of him while Martins was putting us in front against Spurs...)

Howay, howay, howay, He's here to win the day, He plays in black and white And his name is Abdy Faye! (Habib Beye works also) Great win. As said, a little shaky once we went 2-0 up but we pressed on for #3 and killed the game off. This is how we should be winning at home. Spurs - 18th vs 8th, you take your pick. Jenas want to come back to the goldfish bowl yet? Jol: you'll be sacked in the morning, you'll be sacked in the morning, you'll be sacked in the morning, so piss off you fat Dutch shite!

Halftime and looks like we've got this game. I think our confidence steadily increased with time, we looked a little shaky for a bit at the start there but the goal was always coming and Martins has proven his doubters wrong. Howay Martins, let's have two more lad. p.s. Owen with a good chance too, let it never be said I was unfair to him.

They're not skill ratings, you know. Pattison would be hovering around .5 if they were, and I'd have Owen at 8 and Cacapa at 9 (before anyone jumps on me for that random comment, it's because of our return on the money we paid for owen thus far). What do they rate then? Performance? Even funnier if that's the case. Why, mag-ness, of course. Says right there. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magness a place in Arkansas? Self indulgent yanks eh? I like it! But no, not what I had in mind...

They're not skill ratings, you know. Pattison would be hovering around .5 if they were, and I'd have Owen at 8 and Cacapa at 9 (before anyone jumps on me for that random comment, it's because of our return on the money we paid for owen thus far). What do they rate then? Performance? Even funnier if that's the case. Why, mag-ness, of course. Says right there.

We're at home and Smith is suspended btw. Must've dreamed the return fixture then. When we play them in London I expect to win 4-1! HT: 2-0 FT: 2-0 FS: Owen Bonus: entire match.

HT: 0-2 FT: 1-4 (I dreamed this, I'm sticking to it.) FS: Martins (in the dream, he scored two, Smith had one, and Rozy had one.) Bonus: entire match. EDIT: Remember this prediction, send it to News of the World, whatever you like. It's for the wrong match

They're not skill ratings, you know. Pattison would be hovering around .5 if they were, and I'd have Owen at 8 and Cacapa at 9 (before anyone jumps on me for that random comment, it's because of our return on the money we paid for owen thus far).

CLASSIC. We're going to thump these also-rans and see the back of Jol tonight. Hey Martin, I hear the Bolton job is open... We're not in the same league as them...priceless. Just who do these jumped-up media sweethearts think they are?

Everyone's off form for Spurs. If he doesn't get service, he can't perform. On top of which, I think last season was a flash in the pan for him and this season's showing is closer to his actual skill. I wouldn't have him. He gets an 8 on the mag scale though for having a personalized shirt, loving Shearer, etc.

Magness is hard to define. I give our lads a 7 to start off with, although I haven't given Barton anything yet since he hasn't played. Do you think he deserves less? Magness is hard to define because it doesn't fucking exist. It must, if you feel so passionately about it. Hilarious.

...I have to ask. Tangarine tinted? Tangerine I suppose. Looks like she woke up on the wrong side of the bed. For the last ten years.

Magness is hard to define. I give our lads a 7 to start off with, although I haven't given Barton anything yet since he hasn't played. Do you think he deserves less?

...I have to ask. Tangarine tinted? On topic, some lowlife behaviour from Gerrard yesterday, nothing surprising though. Remember the dive against Sheffield? I think that because he does a job for England and plays better than most of the dross that turns up people forgive his less than sportsmanlike actions. He's been a fixture at Liverpool for so long he thinks he's untouchable. Good of Benitez to take him off I felt.

He knows full well what the media are like which is why he never comments until pushed to it by the Sun and stupid cunts like the yank on here. I can't believe he even gets stick for this article, absolutely fucking stupid. Go team! ...knob. Were you trying to prove you weren't a complete dickhead with that post? Touchdown! Seriously though, piss off. As usual you're looking for a confrontation. Go sit in the corner until you cool off.

He knows full well what the media are like which is why he never comments until pushed to it by the Sun and stupid cunts like the yank on here. I can't believe he even gets stick for this article, absolutely fucking stupid. Go team! ...knob.

Solano's scored for West Ham against the Mackems. His first appearance for them unless I misremember. It'll count as an own goal as it came off the post, off Gordon's legs, and back into the goal, but it's still Solano. I miss him still. Nice to see he's hammering the Mackems yet.

You play for one team. That is Newcastle United. The ones who are paying your exorbitant wages. Anything besides that is a bonus and it is time you started treating it that way.

4-1 with two reds for Villa including a straight red for the keeper. The hell?