The Fish

Depends, there's a few clubs who produce footballers not up to the standard they need, but who go on to represent other top flight sides. Chelsea, Man Utd and Liverpool certainly seem to provide squad players for the lower reaches of the Premier LEague. In terms of clubs who produce players capable of representing their own club? Not sure, maybe Southampton, Boro, Everton, Spurs?

I suppose a risk is spending hundreds of thousands of pounds on facilities, staff and support, but if the kids don't come through the ranks to any standard, it's money down the drain? If 2 years of prospects haven't the ability to play professionally, there's little you can do about it? /DevilsAdvocat

Is that so different to what's happening up and down the country now?

Even if the standard of player you produce is below Premier League, you can still flog the players to go towards paying for the running of the academy they came through.

Surely as the tech advances it'll get lighter and end up resembling something littlemore robust than a sleeping mask.

It's especially frustrating when there's quite a few of North East players who've gone on to have top flight careers. Given our respective standing in the game, why haven't we been able to attract kids who've chosen sunderland or middlesbrough instead?

.. I know, I was doing the "21 or 28" chant. Nevermind, I now know how Van Gogh felt like. Unappreciated in my own time.

He was at Newcastle before he joined Carlisle, wasn't he?

We weren't, but these pernickety bellwhiffs need every sentence to have caveats and footnotes.

1850s / Modern Day? 1850s / Modern Day? 1850s / Modern Day? Obadiah Martins

I've a glorious beard you cunt.

To be honest, I don't mind Mourinho's Man Utd going to Klopp's Anfield and grinding out a draw. If Man Utd tried to go toe to toe with the high pressing, high intensity Liverpool they'd likely come unstuck. So it makes sense to set up "negatively". I don't mind the media bigging up the fixture; these are two of the world's biggest clubs and they've a staggering reach across the globe. The problem was the way the game was sold to the public. Everyone knew it wasn't going to be a slugfest, everyone expected Mourinho to shut up shop, so why the fuck wasn't it promoted as a tactical battle? Actually discuss the systems in play, have commentators who can succinctly explain why Mourinho's formation/system is nullifying Klopp's, which players are key to this, can it be sustained for 90 minutes etc. No, it isn't as interesting as breathless exultations on a hell-for-leather 4-3 between two teams going for it, but you can't put a dress on a pig and call it pretty. So you might as well talk about how the bacon tastes. In totally unrelated news I'm going to have a sausage sandwich for lunch.

All right you boring cunts, stretch it back further, what about Gazza? Beardsley et al? Or, we could all talk some more about which razor blades to buy?

Surely it has applications in medical and engineering fields?

Has Newcastle produced a Top Flight standard first 11 from their academy? GK LB CB CB RB MID MID MID MID FWD FWD

3-1 because we won the last game 3-1 and that's how football works.

Frequency looks like a direct remake of a film from the 90s with Dennis Quaid and Jim Caviezel (sp?)

Aye, but you have to admit, he's looked assured after his dodgy debut?

Don't get me wrong, I think Bournemouth are a much, much better side than sunderland, but my point was just that the previous fixture isn't much of a guarantee of anything in football. If they change their manager, they might survive, but I'm struggling to think of 3 teams that are more likely to finish below them than above. Hull, for sure, but then who? Swansea? Boro? Burnley? If they stick with Moyes I think they'll go down, but be in a better place long term, after they do.

We beat QPR 6-1 at their gaff and faced a Wolves team that had just been spanked 4-0.

Amazingly, I think Gouffran will be seriously considered. Lascelles and Clark look to be the 1st choice CBs and Darlow hasn't looked bad at this level.

West Ham and Bournemouth aren't great, and yeah Hull are dire, but surely the other teams would see Sunderland as the perfect fixture to improve their form (West Ham) or get a step closer to safety (B'mouth/Hull). It's a horrible situation and not one I can see them getting out of this year. I honestly think the fire that was put in their bellies for the derby every year helped them over the line each time.

I don't understand why so many would prefer to rinse and repeat, finishing 17th every year, rather than accepting relegation as part of the rebuilding process, so that they return to the Premier League without the millstone of a losing culture dragging every effort to progress back into the mire of survival.

Took them 25 games to get 20 points last season, they only had 12 by the start of January.