brummiemag1

I reckon Murray is a genuine OK bloke, he's just not false, smarmy or charismatic thats all Plus it must be difficult for him having a mother like that

I don't get what all the fuss is about with John Terry lifting the trophy. What we may think of him as a person is a different issue. He's the club captain, he's an integral part of the team, he's spent his career there and he's adored by most Chelsea fans If Alan Shearer or Kevin Keegan had done the same thing for Newcastle would anyone be complaining?

Hard to understand how a thread about Freddy Shepherd can be destroyed by discussing the merits or otherwise of Freddy Shepherd. Unbelievable

Poor that 5 live have barely mentioned the game is taking place. Its only the English that don't take the competition seriously

Couldn't agree more

Its about time we made a serious attempt to win the League Cup or FA Cup and pick up our first domestic silverware since 1955. It would be a huge weight off our shoulders and we have a team good enough to do it

I love Cup Final day Watch the players having breakfast on Grandstand. What's Saint and Greavsey's prediction for the game and what time does Its a Knockout start?

Well they must have loads of no shows then. Plenty of empty seats at the Man City v Newcastle game this season, we were singing about it during the game. Plenty of empties at most games I've seen on the tv as well. And the crowd for the League cup semi final was a disgrace for a so called well supported team

It is a 3 horse race but you wouldn't think so looking at the bookies odds for a top 4 finish. Bet 365 have Arsenal 1/20, Spurs 1/5 and us at 3/1

Really need Villa to do us a favour at the weekend and take some points off Spurs - its a big game for them so its possible

I also very much doubt there will be any Man City fans in our end. They can't even fill their own ground for most games, which is astonishing considering the season they are having.

Slightly off topic but are you sure its definitely the case under FFP that an owner would be prevented from giving a no strings attached financial donation to the club? If so what would be the advantage in having billionaire owners like Man City and Chelsea if they cannot contribute financially? And if so does that mean no one can give money to a club?

Anyone seen Funny Games (US version) from 2007? I thought it was a terrific film, probably in my all time top 20. It was gripping, uncomfortable, realistic and horrific at times. 9/10 and would strongly recommend it

I think Villa will probably crawl across the line this season. The Villa fans I know, who actually go to games, seem to be completely disillusioned with the results, the style of play and the direction the club is going. Crowds have been poor enough this season but I think they will be far worse next season, below 30k on a regular basis as a fair proportion of people won't be renewing their season tickets

Its no Battleship Potemkin

I agree with Fish and Baggio that the players we have brought in this season have been lower cost improvements as opposed to lower cost alternatives which was the word I used in an earlier post. And I also agree that lower cost doesn't mean inferior, of course not, and this season the policy appears to be working, its hard to argue that it isn't Where I disagree is that I don't think we can continue to keep selling on our best players and replace them with lower cost improvements. I don't think we can expect to make further progress or even sustain our current position with that policy. Its worked in the short term but I cannot see how it can be sustained in the longer term. Surely if it was that easy then every club would be doing it

This is spot on. If we can't enjoy it while we're competing for a champions league place then what is the point of it all? I think everyone is enjoying it, I certainly am. I can't imagine any Newcastle fans are not enjoying this season. But it shouldn't stop us talking and debating where the club is going in the longer term. Its possible to enjoy it and still be very concerned that the excellent season we are having will not be sustained with the current policy of selling your best players and replacing them with lower cost alternatives.

Its a beyond a joke when certain people are trying to get someone banned just because they don't happen to agree with what he is saying

how much were tickets? the semi shouldnt be at wembley anyway theyre playing Barcelona in a much more important competition in 2 days Agree the semis shouldn't be at Wembley but its no excuse. Its poor support

The empty seats seem to be mainly in the Chelsea end. Shocking support for a semi final by a supposedly big team for what is effectively a local game.

5 years is a long time. Has it really taken that long for Mike Ashley to give us our first good season ? Do you think he will do what needs to be done to build on it and try to go higher ? This is what I have always said, along with the club being run for the benefit of Sports Direct, which will always come first. Players will be sold if the club doesn't make an operating profit. It was, and still is, hardly rocket science, yet people have rubbished that for all this time. I've said this before, and I'm not saying it any more. If we keep ALL our best players, and put 2 [or even 3] new players straight into that team this summer, in keeping with an ambitious club with the 14th biggest revenues in football along with 25m quid from sales burning a hole in the transfer kitty, I will be completely sold on the change of direction and look forward to next season with massive hopes and expectations, and admit that I have been wrong. Do YOU or anybody else see this happening ? Qualifying for europe should be the start, but all this talk of "progress" makes me smile in the same way as people posted years ago that all they needed was a "plan". The fact is, the "plan" has been and always will be to exist in the premiership and promote Sports Direct, making a profit and selling a player if a profit isn't made. The team has done better than they and everybody thought this season, but all it will do is encourage them to think they can carry on as they are, this is the extent of the "plan", and it is now in place. They will not attempt to push on, or do the right things that need to be done to enable them to push further forward. Sad, but true. Someone like me wants to see the club succeed and win a trophy or two before I get older. I hope I am wrong, but I'm afraid this is what I see happening, and what I've seen in place for some time now. I am going to see NUFC play abroad next season, because for different reasons which I didn't do it the last time, myself and my mate are both going to do this while we can, both in terms of getting older and also because neither of us see the club consolidating or improving on what has happened this season. Hard to disagree with any of that. As I keep saying, we have sold and bought well this season, no one can argue with that, but its unsustainable in the long term to keep selling your best players and replacing them with lower cost alternatives. You cannot expect to make further progress with this policy, if it was so easy then everyone would be doing it. If we can keep all our best players and add a further 2 or 3 quality players using the Carroll money I will be satisfied that at last Ashley is showing some ambition. If we want to capitalise on our good season and make a realistic sustained challenge for Champions League football in the next few years then this is what we need to do. Its what I would expect for a club with our support and potential. If we fail to do this, then this season is as good as it will ever get.

Speak for yourself He hasn't lost credibility with me, he just takes a longer term view of things thats all. Whether you agree with him or not he certainly generates plenty of debates and discussions, and a lot of it is interesting discussion. I think the forum would be a lot duller, predictable and tedious without him

I'd say to some extent he is. They're fucking shite and wasted millions. They've won a mickey mouse cup that anyone can win (Birmingham, Blackburn, Leicester etc etc). We have a genuine chance of playing in the Champions League next season. Mickey mouse cup? Fucking hell, I would love us to win that trophy

Not a film but I'm currently two thirds of the way through the first series of Broadwalk Empire. Its tremendous, best series/film I've seen for years, reminds me of the Godfather and Goodfellas. Anyone seen the second series?

Death Line (1973). Great little uncommercial gem of a british horror film that only the British could make 7/10