Isegrim

I don't hold any hopes, in fact I become more and more depressive when I think about the whole season. I really thought at the end of last season that our chances of a top six finish this season would look good if the right problems in the squad get adressed. But for me the whole business in the summer has been a total failure. The fixture list suited us and we could have got into the season with a nice start this time. But I can't see where the goals are coming from and I don't hold high hopes on our defence. We should get home wins against the likes of Wigan but I can honestly see us just scraping a draw.

I'd rather like to see they scrap the rule where injured players have to leave the pitch when they got treatment on it. It's a rule that doesn't make any sense at all. I always hate it when a player gets fouled, gets a free kick and then has to leave the field until it has been taken. Who gets punished here?

HSV said yesterday in the Jorman press that they won't take their interest in signing Boumpong any further.

He's nee Nii Lampty, like 179210[/snapback] I saw a fantastic documentary a couple of months ago about what happened to the Ghana team that won the youth world cup early in the 90s. Except of Kuffour no player made it. It's more or less a story of modern day slavery and racism.. Lamptey's agent was always trying to sell him on to pick up fees. Lamptey finally broke when his kid died and he couldn't be with it as he was employed in Argentina. He finally quit football and is running a school in Ghana today.

Happy birthday! Do you want any betting advices as a prezzie?

So, Bundesliga and League Cup matches are not competitive matches. Interesting.

To what extent has it never really happened, he is only 20 years old, is already an established international player, player of the year in Belgium the year before last and has just secured a move to one of Germanys top clubs. I would say hes doing alright for himself tbh 178916[/snapback] Because 3 years ago Milan, Man U, Real et al were ready to bid £15mil+ for him, and now 3 years later hes off to germany for a fraction of that price. Player of the year in Belgium 2 years ago is a bit like saying Jenas was the young player of the year here 2 years ago. Done fuck all since! 179131[/snapback] What merits doing fuck all? Not being signed for £15 million + on the back of some newspaper talk? He won the league with his team and has continued to be an international player for his country.. He is also "alleged" to have knocked back Lyon and Chelsea who he said he would rather his career progressed than being another number. Still only 20 and appears to have a good head on his shoulder about how his career should progress, he has chosen to move to what appears to be an upcoming team in Germany who have made some impressive signings this year and are one game away from Champions League football. 179188[/snapback] Excactly, he also decided against joining one of the really big teams at young age as he was advised to get enough first team action and not take the route of other young players who move to big clubs too early. Hamburg is seen as good step up where he can follow in the footsteps of van Buyten. Hofland suffered a severe injury and was out for nearly one year IIRC. He has probably never rediscovered his old form, but didn't play too bad in Jormany so far and got close to the Dutch squad again.

Well, for 5m John isn't actually a bargain, but the money could be spent worse IMHO.

Shh, if those film people read that people now even demand a plot the release of the film will get set back even further...

I did buy it a couple of years ago and now the cunts are throwing them out. I want my £8 back. 178159[/snapback] I bought it a couple of weeks ago. Doh!

Did he say that like. He definitely has a voice that keeps making me just cut him off. All of a sudden I realise I've missed 2 or 3 minutes of his patter. 178262[/snapback] Yep, he was shuffling around it a bit and stated that we are working at it but that another top 4 club is interested as well.

Well, if we lose out to Liverpool concerning Kuijt we are back to square one...

Klose said in an interview last week that he was approached by several European top clubs during the summer (so he was probably not speaking about Newcastle here) but Bremen rebuffed all of them. But Klose thinks Bremen won't stay in his way if he wants to leave next season.

Well, Roeder can get exculpated for the tossers lack of planing, but Roeder was more or less given the job early in April. So he has had about four months now himself.

Well, I think it is part of my point. We are at a stage where clubs come more and more reluctant to sell their better players as they won't have time to find replacements. Our position will get worse every day we don't have signed a striker. And I don't think we can pay every price this summer because we chose to pay way over the top for two players due to desperation. So it is the same scenario again but with even worse premises.

Didnt the same thing happen last year? Luque and Owen. I havent given up hope. 178213[/snapback] Yep, and we got hold to ransom in both deals...

I really admire those people (or their medication) who are still optimistic about our striker search. For me it has been totally shambles. A striker should have been signed in June and not at the end of August (if at all). We expressed our interest in Kuijt as early as April. That we are still scouting him in absolutely meaningless friendlies shows to me that plans A to K seem to have failed.

While we are at penalties. A Jorman goalie who is better at taking penalties than at shotstopping... http://www.metacafe.com/watch/181471/no_need_to_wait/

Only a couple of weeks ago I took the piss out of Villa fans being linked with Souness as new manager...

Yeboah was always thought to be a couple of years older than his passport stated. He still did alright for Leeds, though...

I am looking forward to the sequel Snakes on a bike with Samuel L. Jackson playing Jesus Christ.

Considering they just bought him for 9m Euro only six months ago? I think his price will have doubled in meantime.

The instinct is also very much down to routine and training just like with other artists (like musicians for example). I saw a documentary about Ronaldinho ahead of the World Cup. Ronaldinho apparently has footballs all over his house so that when he gets the idea for a new trick he can immidiately start trying it. He then spends hours to turn it into perfection. Using those tricks and making the right decisions in a fraction of time is as much artistry to me as a violinist playing the right tones he practiced for ages.

Whichever Wallace brother it was - Rangers. You can add Kezman to your list of exports that succeeded - oh, shit you can't. I'm impressed by Kuyt's record but despite me almost willing him on in the WC he was absolutely dire. 176438[/snapback] Are those players the exception or the rule, though?

I don't think anyone is obsessed with talentless cloggers, to be honest with you. 176132[/snapback] I actually do think that he is right to a certain extent. The amount of foreign failures at Newcastle should be looked into. I don't think it's the impatience of the fans. Actually none of the players like Viana or now Luque can't complain about the backing of the supporters. Luque has really shown absolutely nothing on the pitch in a Newcastle shirt to deserve this kind of support. But I do think the club should have a look if they are really doing their very best in helping players to settle in the area and in English football. I do remember reading an article some time ago stating that foreign players at Newcastle are more or less left on their own. Of course it's easier for French, Spanish or Portuguese players coming to a club with a French, Spanish or Portuguese manager, but if this is not the case the club should make an effort to help its players. With throwing ludicrous wages at those players I don't think it is too much to employ staff to help foreign players.