Deano

Yes Alex mate, yes it is Sad state of affairs........

Up until new year i wasnt worried about going down, and to some extent i still think it is a very remote possibility. But the fact it IS possible is appauling. We dont have a bad squad, its just not very strong, and even a not very strong squad can still do well in the premiership as long as there is stability and solid foundations. Something we havnt got. The fact that there is mumblings about given wanting out, though i think they were misconstrued somewhat, and whispers of n'zogbia wanting to move on, add the fact that we are offering a new deal to nicky butt and still in limbo with owen, it doesnt bode well does it? I really cant understand what is goint through MA head!? Surely whether he has totally lost interest and does still want to sell or try and rebuild his reputation and actually make a go of turning us into a decent EPL side, the tasks in hand are much the same. Im baffled at how simple the tasks should be, and just how blind or naive MA actually is. SELL NO-ONE IN JANUARY DO NOT RENEW BUTT, AMEOBI AND HARPER'S CONTRACTS KEEP OFFERING MO GOOD TERMS WISE REMOVED BULLARD AND BAINES IN....10MIL MAX (AND A RB IF POSSIBLE) NOT ALOT TO ASK FOR REALLY IS IT? .................................................... Come end of season then we can look at releasing and replacing players only once we know just how our season faired. Should MA do the decent thing and acheive the above mentioned tasks, he has a chance of staying here and doing something, if not, he still would of made NUFC a more saleable asset than one stripped of key players and a side of washed up wanks, or even worse a side playing in the championship next year. Its all too fucking simple its frustrating, but we cant do fuck all and we all have to see what happens in the next month with our eyes squinted and fingers crossed.

It wasnt offside

Doyle and ledley would both be good shouts, seeing as shola SHOULD leave in the summer doyle would be a good replacement. Ledley has a great left peg and like someone said earlier, chips in with goals and is quite creative in terms of passing ability. Out of the two though i would most definatly take ledley.

Exactly my point!

Have you sat your GCSE's yet?

This is NOT the worst thing to happen, i personally feel although the timing was shocking, with all things considered it is the best thing for us at this moment in time. We will all read into the statement from a different angle but mine is this. He accepts the fact it is highly unlikely he will find a buyer so retracts his wish to sell. He will give JFK money to balance the squad (3-4 players) Move heaven and earth to get MO to sign a new contract, the others i would let go at end of season (Harper, Butt and Ameobi) I just hope that even if he does not come out and say "I'v fucked up in the past and im a changed man" he deep down realises that his original plan didnt work so he needs to rethink his strategies. This could work out in our favour, only time will tell.

Aye the grolsch is taking its toll now!

I think i had you all wrong and for that i apologise! I actually cant fault anything you have said mate. I think a good side playin 443 effectively becomes 41212 with a defensive midfield closeing gaps and providing cover in defence and a creative midfielder utilising space and pulling the strings with two wide men and two finishers. Our biggest floor of late is undoubtably Nicky Butt.....but what can we do? They guy will stay in the team becasue he is supposedly "a leader" and a "proffesional" maybe the later statements are true but he is shit!

Barely top 8 tbh. You seem to be seriously underestimating how average/poor our side is. I REALLY ment top 6 squad....im not that dilsuional! haha must be the drink! haha

Not read the rest of the thread so my apoligies now if i repeat anything thats been said. In my opinion the corrective measures needed in january are self explanitary really: New LB...Baines or Warnock Backup RB....suggestions? Tough tackling defensive midfielder as butt is fuckin finished....suggestions? Skjelbred to cover gutierrez and give us a creative option in the middle too! Premote...Kadar, Edgar, Tozer and Lua Lua. Send back Gonzalez Sell or loan our Xisco -------------------------------- (End of season) Sell and replace...Geremi, Cacapa, Duff, Smith and Shola -------------------------------- Wise removed from "director of football" and from the club completely. Employ a "Chief scout" to follow MA plans on scouring the globe for talent, only to report to JFK and next manager. Simple really. -------------------------------- The team come the end of january shouldnt look too dissimilar to our best line up now only with the exception at left back and maybe a bench with more options. Given Beye Coloccini Bassong Baines Gutierrez Barton Guthrie N'Zogbia Owen Martins Subs: Harper, Taylor, RB, Enrique, Skjelbred, Duff, Viduka That there, i think is a top four squad IMO EDIT: Besty...this ones for you bud! Merry christmas

I was full of hope that we could win today, but im not suprised at all that we didnt to be fair. To Neville Neville - No offence mate but you seem like one of these bi-polar newcastle fans tbh, we win your happy and its going good, we get beat and its talk of relegation AGAIN...Change the record man! Its only my opnion but i think we HAVE turned the corner...like tom said... "2 defeats in ten and 3 clean sheets out of our last 4 away games" Add to the fact we got a point at stamford bridge and the riverside and we well beat pompy on there own patch. Im looking at the teams above us rather than the teams below, todays result had it been different would of proppelled us up the table but not alot changes apart from the fact wigan are 3 points ahead with a game in hand. The other sides in close proximity above us are all catchable. Call it wearing black and white goggles or not but im not worried about the prospect of relegation. We seem harder to beat and are doing considerably better than we were 2 months back. Keep the faith man.

Boro have got a point to prove so im thinkin a draw at least for the smogs! As for fulham beatin spuds at white hart lane... Local derby n all that i think spuds will trounce fulham tbh. Fingers crossed for the rest!

Just as i said!

lol bitter it is! Im one of the few who actually like liverpool, and id like to see them break Chelsea/ManUre run. I really have a good feeling we've turned the corner now though, a win against wigan and a battling performance against liverpool and il of had a very good chistmas and new year!

Boxing Day... Spurs vs Fulham...Home Win Liverpool vs Bolton...Home Win Portsmouth vs West Ham...Draw Wigan vs Newcastle...Away Win Boro vs Everton...Home Win All going to plan we could well get a much welcomed late christmas present! 8th in the table and a point behind Everton!! Records are there to be broken and i think its about time we had something to cheer about on boxing day! Onwards and Upwards!

Given Beye - Coloccini - Bassong - Enrique Gutierrez - Guthrie - Butt - N'Zogbia Viduka - Owen Subs: Harper, Taylor, Edgar, Geremi, Duff, Shola, Carroll 2-0

Back to Steve Bruce...I dont rate him at all and i hope to god he doesnt end up here one day! And the fact he's got a face like a melted welly!

I wonder where we'd be if he took the job here in September 2004. I used to hate Birmingham's style, it was proper Italian tactics, the game where we lost 0-1 here when they came up was one of the most frustrating I've ever seen. Since he's been at Wigan though I think it's hard to argue they play some attractive stuff at times, and he's proven he's a coach who can adapt. Not saying I WOULD want him now, but fair play of late. Yes, he's doing a decent job at Wigan, and he didn't do a bad job at Birmingham either, but I just pray he'll never get the job here. Of course the football Birmingham played under him was proper Italian Catenaccio, but to defend him he hadn't the players to play attacking football - at Wigan, he has the likes of Zaki, Valencia, Palacios etc. who possess some creativity. They need to attack at times, and some of the stuff they played so far was pretty good-looking. Again: Decent manager for the likes of Birmingham, Wigan & Co., but not for Newcastle. And I don't like him. A couple of years ago I thought that about Martin O Neill. I think he'll be the next man u boss tbh.

Hid for about 75% of the match v. Spurs imo. Gutierrez or Viduka? lol I wouldnt say "hid" he didnt do a great deal but he worked hard as always and tbf to him ALOT of our play was going down the left. He is due a goal.

Just checked NUFC.com...your rite bud, well in that case he must either be really unfit or just plain shite for shola and carrol to be ahead of him then.

I love Gutierrez's excitement, shows his love for the team tbh. And my head would explode if he scored!!! Im calling a 2-0 win, owen and viduka to score. Early goal 1st half...late goal second half. Glass is half full!

They are both injured arent they? And to be fair neither have had enough time on the pitch to justify an opnion. Both have come into a new country and a different type of football all together. Xisco doe'snt look like a world beater but i think when fit and a few games in the reserves he mite well be on the bench in the 2nd half of the season. Got to give the lad a chance. As for Nacho, aint he gonna be out for the season? When is Smith back anyways?

Does anyone else not think this is just the media tryin to stur shit again? I mean things seem to be looking up for us atm and the media will dig out any "quotations" they can to fuck us around. Who's to say these are not quotes from a while ago? Personally i dont think he will leave, and if he is to leave then he HAS to command a higher fee than milner! As for lack of ambition, people talk about us being in a relegation battle, are we not just about the same points off the europe spots? Isnt our diciplinary record pretty good? Our chance of qualifying for europe are not as remote as some people make out tbf! I guess its whether your a "glass half full" or "glass half empty" kinda person. I for one have always felt things were not as bad as people made out, if we can get baines or sakho in at left back, and maybe bullard or skjelbred in january then i think we can keep climbing the table. Three points away to wigan and a point at home to liverpool would do our chances the world of good. Look up guys, not down. For what its worth, i dont think zog will leave, nor owen, i dont think anyone of note will leave in january and i think we'l spend about 10mil and keep climbing the table. Come end of the season...6th or 7th......its not beyond us!!

I hear you bro but i thik we could do alot worse tbf!