Isegrim

What is it with Parky always spelling names wrong. Is it some secret code?

Has he? All I can remember his that his wasting of chances looked more spectacular (Spurs away). Apart from Owen and Martins have looked equally rubbish and totally anonymous in most of the games.

That's Hull and us this season though, won't be much comfort if we finish in the bottom 3 and they are sitting comfortably mid-table. I predict it'll be vice-versa Hull in the bottom 3? 7 points from theire last 12 games. They'd need another 24 to guarantee safety with that kind of form. Tbf.

I think HF said it too a long time ago.

Ideally I'd replace the 3 of them. One game and Martins is a class act? Same for Viduka, etc. Owen isn't really good at anything these days either. All 3 should be on pay as you play as well. Impossible to plan when they're nearly all injured at one point. i think owen has turned into a poorer version of shearer in his latter days after injuries killed his pace. in other words, he's still a class finisher but needs chances on a plate and offers little to the general team play. unlike shearer, he doesn't have other attributes like strength and hold up play to counter his lack of mobility and pace - not worth the massive wages anymore, sadly. martins is worth keeping because is an impact player unlike any other on our books and we will probably struggle to attract a player capable of what he is occasionally capable of doing for a few seasons. we won't have the pulling power that we've had for a few years now. martins is worth keeping even if we get other strikers in to replace the likes of viduka, shola and owen. we don't have the depth to shift them all and of all of them, martins is the one i'd hang on to. I beg to differ. On Owen being a class finisher and Shearer offering little in general play after that injury. owen's strike rate for us in the few games he's managed while he's been here has been good. agree he's been poor recently but then, so have all the players. shearer had more to offer in terms of general play after his injury than owen does post knee surgery, but he still didn't contribute much in terms of general play - he was often static with poor movement off the ball etc. he was really reduced to winning flick ons and playing as a targetman with his back to goal. agree that the little he had left in his locker meant it was worth building a team around him for all of those years because he was still one of the best finishers around. i think owen's game been hit so hard by his injuries that he isn't worth building a team around, especially with the wedge he's on. I still don't believe he's a class finisher and I feel that my opinion of that has been vindicated. For someone who gets praised all round for being one of the best finishers in the game he certainly isn't as far as I'm concerned. And the chances he has missed, not just this season but last season too are reason enough for me. His goals are all about his reactions and getting on the end of things, not clinical finishing iyam. He's probably not a "finisher" in the Müller/Romario mould. He's normally pretty good at scoring goals though.

Looks like it died a death. It was probably not snobby and perpetual enough... Lack of Evil tends to do it. I'm sure they wouldn't mind you to come over and post NSFW pictures...

Looks like it died a death. It was probably not snobby and perpetual enough...

One of your better ones.

Is it impossible to go out and get 5 or 6 strapping local lads and train them up? I think someone's probably tried that before Others have done it if you look at the likes of Wheater etc... We've tried it with the likes of Beherall. I'm from the school that believes you should spend from the front is all. No nonsense defending shouldn't need 10m pound crap defenders etc...Just saying... I'd agree. That's a bit different from picking up a few big, dirty centre-halves from local football though. It's not quite that simple. Also, you could go and get a no-nonsense defender who looks great playing in a struggling side but as soon as you start doing something and are looking for someone to be able to pass it rather than hoof it every time, said defender becomes surplus to requirements. It is something I totally agree with Leazes that defending more or less starts at the front. If you have good players at the front who are able to keep possession and dominate the game you ease pressure off defenders. But in a team like ours where the defenders are constantly put into difficult situations they are bound to make mistakes and blunders. You probably could put the likes of Ferdinand into the team and they would look half the players they are for a good team.

That's also what he was best at when he was at Inter. He isn't one to build your game around as he is just far too naive and instinctive. But these are attributes who make him a perfect sub.

He's still a decent player and with more confidence and in a more balanced and creative team will be a big asset, but he will have to take a very huge pay cut (about 50%) to be value for money. It's also good to have a player of his status in the team to make the team attractive for other players which should be underestimated.

For me, Owen tried his damnest for the team last night. Unfortunately his pace has virtually gone making him a bit of a busted flush, but he was trying 100% for us imo. I think he looked very lively for the first half hour but then quickly started to fade away once the team was more and more pushed into the own half.

More than a way to go, we could have lost that 1-4 and the overall game not have been all that different. Not good, especially bearing in mind who we were playing and how they've been this season. Another summer like the last one (or just 1/2 as bad) and we'll be breaking Derby's record next season (assuming we do stay up this season). I'm pleased someone has had the presence of mind to attempt to piss all over any joy anyone might be having from this rare and exciting victory. Well played fop. Reality is still reality. They had a few chances on the break but I thought we thoroughly deserved the 3 points. Not least because we took our chances. They weren't unlucky, they couldn't convert the odd chance they had. That's what football in general and high pressure matches like last night in particular are all about. I thought they had a worrying spell of dominance late in the first half and for the first part of the second half until Martins' goal when Newcastle couldn't create anything worth of note. But you could see what gaining confidence (and getting more space) can do for a team, hope some of it can get kept for the Fulham game.

I'm also worried about Hull's last game. If Manchester have nothing to play for anymore and field a team of youngsters plus Hull playing with a lot of passion they still could get something out of the game. Ideally we win against Fulham and Hull lose against Bolton and everything is settled.

Agreed. The main problem obviously being the lack of end product. There was a few times tonight when he could cross it but he decided to try and dribble his way through and ultimatley lost the ball or fell ower. There was someone saying on Real Radio before that despite the lack of end product, he causes problems for defenders etc. Might have been Bob Moncur [l/quote] Plus Nolan was offside, a goal the was just a result of mishappenings and errors. I like it but want to see less of it next year...

Its a fuckin wank song to adopt innit? They should have picked " Don't Let Your Son Go Down On Me " by Elton John Rub it in by admitting the second goal was offside...

His touches were sublime tonight. Also the first half of the hour, him and Owen looked like they could get us something. Though, when the midfield stopped providing there was nothing more to be seen from Owen but Viduka was still involved. He might look like a whale, but if he is keeping us up, I'll will join Greenpeace in the bid to save him!

I always was a big fan of Oba Martins, me... Quite happy, could watch the game on Greek television as the local pub arount the corner was so kind to put in on for me. German TV wasn't bothered to watch this crap... Haven't read anything here so far. Forgetting about the early goal there was a really worrying poor spell between the 30th minute an Oba's goal when Boro easily could have nicked the game. Especially in the second half there wasn't any half decent chance created when you thought Shearer should have sent out the players again all guns blazing. There were only a handful of players who looked like being up for the fight. Faif play for the Weight Watcher do put in this kind of shift, without him we wouldn't have won today.

Looks like I'll have to give Bawan an extra year of penalty training... Won't be able to come in the summer, especially not July. Maybe going to turn up during the season at some stage though.

Curse of the Parky, thanks for that. If only I had a water cannon...

No. The building for the stadium started one year before it was decided that Germany would host the WC (and was already finished one year later). The same applies for Hamburg's ground.

Someone should start a Martins/Owen thread, I think that would push Ant over the edge...

I think Bawan should start attending gardening courses tbh.

Bad handwriting? Maybe Ant is Kieron Dyer and that is why Renton is getting so wound up...

I hope the football coaching doesn't involve penalties...