The Newcastle United Blog

59 responses so far ↓

• 1 Hammy // Jan 3, 2008 at 10:27

  Hmmnnn don’t like the tone of this one……
  should we be happy with a top four spot in the championship? Bobby Robson was sacked for finishing 4th and 5th respectively, we have went backwards and wasted millions since, expectation goes hand in hand with investment and we have certainly “invested” plenty in players, what have the fans got in return?
  nowt……For a team collectively earning about a million pound a game we can’t string five passes together…….I’m shite fu***ing sick. We are abysmal, I wish it was May.

• 2 LeazesEndLoyal // Jan 3, 2008 at 10:28

  We have to lower our expectations? Why should we? If we have to lower expectations, they should lower prices!

  What a defeatest attitude!

• 3 Marguerite // Jan 3, 2008 at 10:29

  My expectations are zero. My fear is relegation Someone cheer me up.

• 4 LeazesEndLoyal // Jan 3, 2008 at 10:33

  http://stats.football365.com/dom/ENG/PR/oform.html

  The current form table!

• 5 Black Caesar // Jan 3, 2008 at 10:34

  What can I say, Eriksson is a top manager! 6 months in charge at City and he has transformed them from relegation battlers to Champion’s league contenders!! No nonsense talk like players need time to adjust to the PL and he’s new to the job so he ll need time to build his team - Rome wasnt built in a day nonsense. Proof indeed, if one were ever needed, that you can build Rome in less than a day in football if you re a good manager!!!

  Anyway, I still retain some hope for the future, and it is that NEWCASTLE FANS will finally learn their lesson and stop clamouring or championing mediocre managers like Allardyce. Newcastle is a big club and we the fans should think along those lines - we should demand a world class manager, and stop silly talk like Shearer for manager. At best, Shearer at NUFC will only be another experiment.

  We should go for proven quality. I advocated Capello before he went to England, and now I champion Hitzfeld! Such a man would eat his own intestines rather see his team languish in midtable, something which Allardyce and co. accept too readily.

  I said I was optimistic for the future, but as long as we have fans like DRAGONER on co., if indeed he is a fan at all, in our midst, am afraid we ll continue to be mediocre like we currently are!

• 6 thelongshanks // Jan 3, 2008 at 10:35

  this is freddy sheppards fault,he should have never sacked bobby robson.Never should have bought owen which i think has crippled us financially along with others eg. luque and boumsong.This is prob worse season and i think souness and rodoer did a better job.at least thier teams had wingers and at least one attack midfielder.

  Sry day for the toon when u seen comments like these.

• 7 Hammy // Jan 3, 2008 at 10:37

  LeazesEndLoyal
  At least we are not in the relegation zone…

  yet.

• 8 steve // Jan 3, 2008 at 10:39

  51 points - no chance!

  My expectation is 14th-16th spot, if I lower them any further we’re relegated, maybe thats the plan, at least we’ll be the biggest club in the Championship

• 9 Kash2 // Jan 3, 2008 at 10:50

  Erriksson has kept his football very very simple, wingers with pace and flair get down the wings and get the ball into the box. What more do you want from a team? BSA has tried to be complicated and it hasn’t worked! Play players in correct positions, buy players for positions we’re lacking and please please please please please buy some flair players who go and create for strikers and win games for us!!!!

• 10 Tom // Jan 3, 2008 at 10:50

  Its not a good day at all, i fully expected us to take something from last nights game with city’s poor away form. Its getting pretty desperate and the next 4 games dont look too promising either, Man United will probably turn us over, as will Arsenal, Stoke wont be easy at all (whether Fuller plays or not), and Bolton will have a point to prove. Will be interesting to see if we do bring anyone in over the course of this month. Ben Haim and Wes Brown are a must!

• 11 SuperShearer // Jan 3, 2008 at 10:57

  I agree that looking at our situation at the moment this season is a write off. But lower our expectations….sorry but F**k off. We’re Geordies for crying out loud. Under Robson we finished top four. How in the hell have we come down so far. Shepard has to be the obvious answer. My concern is that people are saying we need continuity and I agree with that but is Sam the continuity we want? He hasn’t exactly inspired much has he, the football is dull, the fans are angry, the players don’t like the tactics and yet he still plays people who don’t earn the shirt. Milner, Taylor and N’Zogbia should be the only untouchables in our side. They are the only ones ho seem to play with any passion and energy. As a fan I’m depressed, if I was Mort….I’d be outright stumped as to what to do next. Sorry Sam but you just haven’t shown us one ounce of anything to tell us you are the right man for the job.

• 12 UTD111 // Jan 3, 2008 at 11:01

  Given our record so far, I dont think expectations are that high for this season anyway Ed. My thoughts are - rebuilding takes time and doesnt happen overnight (people are pointing at the Errikson turnaround of Man City but he didnt inherit a team with such a thin squad as ours where we had to play kids at centre half and Carr at left back!!).
  However - we should rightly expect to see improvement and better results between now and the end of the season, building a foundation for a few more signings in the summer to be in a much stronger position to compete with the top teams next season.
  Thats when Sam should be judged - not through the current press hysteria which is just undermining the clubs efforts or by the knee-jerk reaction to every adverse result we are seeing from some fans at the moment.
  Cheers

• 13 Kash2 // Jan 3, 2008 at 11:01

  Even if we went and signed John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Ashley Cole and Micah Richards, we still wouldn’t improve our form. We’re defending far too much which is due to lack of possession play and hardly any attacking play. Whats the point of buying more defenders if we can’t create chances or score goals? We don’t need world class strikers to put away half chances, we need creative players to create clear cut chances! Milner is RUBBISH, Barton is a CRIMINAL, Emre is INCONSISTENT, Duff needs TIME, N’Zogbia is played OUT OF POSITION!

• 14 doc // Jan 3, 2008 at 11:02

  We have no class strikers

  Europe, no chance, hope to avoid relegation

  Lower our sights, hmmm
  Derby 1 Toon 0
  Wigan 1 Toon 0
  Toon 2 Derby 2
  if we get any lower we will be playing leeds

  Its easy for the tv pundits to say we have to be realistic, but our players are some of the top earners in the league, because they are supposed to be top performers week in week out

  go buy me crouch, lend ben tal hiem, and sidwell,

  duff will save the day

• 15 Kash2 // Jan 3, 2008 at 11:05

  Sign a good Left Back and 2 Creative players with pace and accuracy of final ball, and play them in the correct positions! I can guarantee if this is done we’ll start winning games witha bit of style. However, the heart wrenching feeling is that BSA won’t do this and he’ll keep playing rubbish football! SICK

• 16 Graham // Jan 3, 2008 at 11:05

  I for one never expected a European spot when we played Bolton back in August - hope, yes but not expectation.

  What I did expect was unity and solidity - somthing which was promissed from Allardyce from the begining of his reign. Unfortunately neither of these have materialised, and if anything, we are a less united squad than this time last year - at least the players who weren’t playing were injured and not spending Christmas and New Year at Her Majesty’s pleasure.

  So, my expectations now - i honestly just hope we dont get dragged into a relegation battle because we simply don’t have the passion within the players at this moment in time to start fighting with the Wigans, Boltons and dare i say it… Sunderlands of this world.

• 17 James // Jan 3, 2008 at 11:06

  Owen was class last night. He looked like Torres coming on to play for Derby. His positional play, link up play, and working the channels for the team was an example to every other striker at the club.

• 18 TOONNUTTER // Jan 3, 2008 at 11:09

  Last nights football was the best I have seen NUFC play all season.

  Its the finishing that is poor, we need better providers and better finishers.

  I was impressed with Faye, but he is now off to the ANC, so that light is out for a month or so.

  He needs to bring in a striker or two and it was very good to see we had wingers playing last night .

  Looked like we have some sort of formation .

  It look like we are now going in the right direction its just going to take time and plenty of it.

  I just wish it did not take time and we had the success that city are now having.

  Lets just battling away and supporting our team.

  Good article Ed, but lets look up not down .

  We are used to been disappointed so , lets aim high and see what happens.

  Happy New Year

• 19 Hammy // Jan 3, 2008 at 11:09

  did he score?

• 20 Hammy // Jan 3, 2008 at 11:11

  Toonnutter…you trying to cheer us up?

• 21 wsq // Jan 3, 2008 at 11:13

  this reflects the exact attitude in the player’s mind..
  we are so typical of a mid table team.

  fact is: we are mid table team

  Doesn’t mean we should change our expectations. So what if I expect my team to win the premier league or whatsoever.

  What’s important is what the players think they should be able to achieve as a team. Do they languish in mediocrity and pick up their wages or fight for honours?

  Btw,

  our problem does not lie in defence, it’s our attacking impotence. cannot create leads, maintain leads by a strong midfield and finally no sharpness and confidence.

  I personally believe in football a strong midfield will always win matches, a solid combative creative midfield wins matches.

  For now, although we see nicky butt giving his all it just aint enough because we still have leave huge gaps and spaces for the opponent to exploit . I don’t mind him doing the sitting job, because he can do that successfully but when you ask for more from that guy you’re bound to get something in negative in return there are compromises.

  With this defence, and last season’s attacking play, we’d be in a better position.

• 22 Graham // Jan 3, 2008 at 11:21

  I’ve just had a quick look at our remaining fixtures - how’s this for lowering expectations based on our current form…

  Man Utd (a) - 0
  Bolton (h) - 1
  Arsenal (a) - 0
  Middlesbrough (h) - 3
  Aston Villa (a) - 0
  Man Utd (h) - 0
  Blackburn (h) - 1
  Liverpool (a) - 0
  Birmingham (a) - 1
  Fulham (h) - 3
  Tottenham (a) - 0
  Reading (h) - 3
  Portsmouth (a) - 0
  Mackems (h) - 1
  West Ham (a) - 1
  Chelsea (h) - 0
  Everton (a) - 0

  That gives us an extra 14 points leaving us on 40 and i fear with a large negative goals difference.

  Things need to change and they need to change soon - whether its the manager or the players. But it has to happen quickly!

• 23 milner fan // Jan 3, 2008 at 11:29

  Mayb we will finish in a shocking position this season. No different to last couple of seasons. i think BSA needs to get rid of Carr and other back up players who just collect wages and give nothing, until he removes them and brings in a quality mf to create chances for a full fit owen (i wissh) or maybe martins then we may start winning. Also i think we need another decent cb to go with Taylor and Faye.

• 24 steve // Jan 3, 2008 at 11:37

  Ed - How can you even think about europe is beyond me, I think most people here are thinking of staving off relegation!

• 25 Neil A H // Jan 3, 2008 at 11:41

  My expectations were lowered as soon as I saw Faye and Butt in midfield. Emre should be starting with Barton in jail. A UEFA cup place was definitely a reasonable expectation for the season. We are a bigger, and should be better, club than the likes of Man City, Aston Villa, West Ham, Blackburn, Portsmouth, and Everton. The reason all these managers support Sam is because they like us as the impotent club we currently are. It serves the 19 other teams in the league for us to keep Sam. What a pathetic two weeks!

• 26 Leo // Jan 3, 2008 at 11:45

  am sick of having to lower expectations i lowered them enough already. we are still doing worse than i expected.

• 27 thelongshanks // Jan 3, 2008 at 11:47

  given

  beye,taylor,cacapa,enrique
  faye
  milner nzogbia
  arshavin
  martins huntelaar

  Two signings and abit of a change around.

  The reason we conceding goals is not just defense.if you attack it moves the opposite team back.With faye there it is great cover for the 2 centre backs.Enrique and beye get forward for support and with zog and milner we have attacking mids.

  Arshavin will keep service to strikers and will get a few goals aswell.

  Now whats the big problem?besides getting arshavin and huntelaar(i wish).

• 28 JoshI // Jan 3, 2008 at 11:49

  Its gotta happen sooner or later, i am sure Sam will leave before the season is out.

• 29 Johann // Jan 3, 2008 at 11:54

  Well here I go again. Been a bit busy in my personal life to criticize Given(to answer Eve) but god knows how much I could write. I´ve wondered a lot why people think he´s good at all. It´s though quite simple, given his judged on a different scale. When he makes a fantastic save it´s only a normal and a easy save for other big goalkeepers. I feel last game he could and ought to have done better. I don´t exactly think harper is world class but still he´s better than Given. It´s there for everyone to see. Just see the games Given has played. We have got a goal against us in every single one of them except fulham !!!! Who have no attack threat at all and we didn´t even win that game.

  I just can´t see why people don´t see Harper is better. He´s not just that the whole team plays better. He gives clearly more confidence in the defense. Given for me is playing is own game and feels undroppable. I think it´s time to show him otherwise. Given has not given up, he just aint good enough anymore(if he ever was). We need a better keeper to every challenge to the top again, that´s very clear to me.

  Second, now many of you were happy with the team last night, well hey we lost. So maybe time to realize it´s not that easy to be a manager. I´m all for givening Sam more time to get in better players. I don´t think he sees Butt as our midfield anchor. He´s not that bad though. He´s clever and set up Viduka with a clever pass. Butt just excells when we are attacking, that´s always been his game. Spreading passes with no pressure on him.

• 30 Kevin Lawson // Jan 3, 2008 at 12:00

  We have 26 points so far this season. Last year we finished on 43. I actually expect us to pick up another 20ish points between now and the end of the season. Putting us on about 50 - 55 ish points. In my eyes that IS progress. The sort of sustainable progree that Sam has talked about.

  I don’t care how we play this year (long ball, long pass, dirty football, etc) all I want to see is more points on the board. It can take a long time for a manager to stamp his mark on a team and the way they play.

  Sam still does not have his players out there. Please we’ve got to learn to be patient and not sack our manager every year. We will never get anywhere doing that.

• 31 Bobby Ollox // Jan 3, 2008 at 12:04

  Dont think Mort has really picked up on the passion of the supporters with comments like that.
  For some people winning at the weekend is everything - it changes their outlook on the entire week ahead - the mood of the entire region is influenced by how the team played.

  To say lower your expectations, he might as well tell the tide to not come in.

• 32 Whumpie // Jan 3, 2008 at 12:06

  I think you’ve got a point, Ed. Last night we weren’t far off being a decent side (first half, anyway), and the comments above cover off what’s needed pretty well to make up the difference. But we have to accept that BSA did pretty much what we’d been clamouring for, and it still didn’t work. Painful, but it shows that there’s a lot more to it.

  So here’s my take on this season:

  Continue to get the backroom stuff working, the scouting network and academy building our future properly, and bring some consistency to the defence. Do all that in one season, while avoiding relegation, and I’m happy. Next season you then go for a European spot.

  The likes of City started with some basic but easily rectified problems given some dosh and a competent manager. The same can be said of some of the other teams above us. Our problems are far more engrained and while we may be getting some terrible results on the field, other things (like our injury record) are improving dramatically.

  This season is a write-off. I’m not convinced that BSA will be here for another one. But I also believe he is doing a good job on the behind-the-scenes stuff.

• 33 Steeley // Jan 3, 2008 at 12:09

  Well, we’re going to have to lower our bloody expectations arent we!? Was it too much to think that we could have at least finished in the top half??

  Well, to all you Big Sam supporters, I’m sorry, but he’s not good enough! First season or not, there’s no way we should have done so badly! It’s only our negative tactics that have got us here, and it’s all Sam’s fault!

  He needs to go, before we end up in a relegation scrap!!

• 34 Hammy // Jan 3, 2008 at 12:15

  Hey Ed, can’t you e-mail this site to Chris Mort?
  I’m sure this site with over 2 million hits may just nudge him in the right direction? hint hint.

• 35 Bosck // Jan 3, 2008 at 12:18

  I have been a strong defender of allardyce for some time, but my patience is rapidly starting to wane, though i still hope he can come good.

  However if things don’t improve by the end of the season, but hopefully we avoid relegation then there is one bit of very interesting news today, albeit in the star so reliability is an issue.

  It appears that Ottmar Hitzfeld will be leaving Bayern Munich at the end of this season when his contract runs out. Seeing as this is the man that i and i think many newcastle fans wanted ffs to go after when he appointed roeder this could be very interesting news indeed.

  If i am not mistake, at the time Hitzfeld did suggest that he might be tempted by the job but Shepherd failed to do anything about it.

  If we are still in the premiership, and Allardyce is to be sacked at the end of the season then for me there is only one man to replace him and would also be available - Hitzfeld.

  Mourinho would be great but unlikely and personally i’d still prefer OH. Though i will be trying to stay in support of SA for the rest of the season if possible.

• 36 Whumpie // Jan 3, 2008 at 12:19

  Ok, here’s a bit of optimism: Sam tried what we’d all been asking for last night, and for a while we looked good. Credit to City - they were excellent, expecially in defence, and snuffed out over a dozen good chances. Richards in particular was amazing. If we’d played like that against Derby, Wigan, or even Chelski, we’d not even be having this discussion and we’d have a lot more points on the board. Things change, even if the points tally doesn’t show it sometimes.

  So - what if Smith comes back, but (and I’m probably dreaming here) BSA sticks with the attacking formations and the sensible selections?

  It could happen…

• 37 Whumpie // Jan 3, 2008 at 12:20

  Ooh, interesting one, Bosck. Get BSA to do all that back-room stuff he’s good at, then get in the tactician to turn it into results. I’d settle for that…

• 38 I_McP // Jan 3, 2008 at 12:22

  Given
  Beye Taylor Hyypia Enrique
  Faye
  Zog Duff

  Arshavin

  owen crouch

  Milner didn’t look good last night, and would love to see crouch and owen as it helps england too!

• 39 stjames // Jan 3, 2008 at 12:31

  Ed as ever the positive one. Maybe not always realistic, but positive.

  We made 17 points from our first 10 games. We got 9 points from our last 11 games. How is that for statistics. I think most of us are not expecting anything spectacular this season Ed, but we are going down at this rate of “improvement.”

• 40 Steeley // Jan 3, 2008 at 12:37

  stjames - we are also only 9 POINTS OFF THE DROP!! If we remain on this form there is a real possibility of relegation!!

• 41 Tom_Toon // Jan 3, 2008 at 12:38

  buy a fookin creative midifielder and a right winger: Arshavin nd Nicolita (yes he can can cross)

• 42 iain // Jan 3, 2008 at 13:06

  to suggest sam tried what weve been asking for last night is not true.

  he came close with 2 dfmf and the zog at lb.

  but by the time emre/enrique got anywhere near the team we the game was over.

  oba even though he missed chances should of stayed on with owen. the lads confidence must be rock bottom thanks to sam.

• 43 Jamie // Jan 3, 2008 at 13:13

  Attack is the best means of defence - Please Sam put more focus on attacking the opposition, scoring some goals and get the team more confident again! I mean how good do the defenders have to be at Newcastle? We have Beye, Taylor, Cacapa, Enrique/Rozy. you put that defence in the Man Utd team with their attack and they will still win as many games. We need to get real and start playing football on the positive. Without goals you dont win games, bring back Keegan mentality!

• 44 thelongshanks // Jan 3, 2008 at 13:19

  The issue we are not addressing is making this club attractive to players we are interested IN.What if owen,nzogbia and martins leave at the end of the season among others,because we are not performing.I know arsenal have been chasing nzogbia for the last year and if wenger did approach what would be the outcome.

  Some of the players allardyce wanted were worried cause of lack of european football and it looks like we are headin down that road again.What i wouldnt give for solanos crosses in the box and roberts long range free kicks.

  Bottom line newcastle are an attacking team,always have been.fair enuf we would let in two but we would score four.I think formation and general approach of a game is what we lack.We have good players and we cant contain teams if we dont look dangerous in front of goal.

  So change it sam,your stubborness is killing our team.

• 45 Jamie // Jan 3, 2008 at 13:23

  Completely agree mate

• 46 TOONNUTTER // Jan 3, 2008 at 13:46

  I Think we can talk and talk and talk on this.

  This season does not make for the 50 odd that had gone before when we have won nothing.

  So whats new.

  I hope and know what I saw last night was something that I have not seen all season and that was a team that give it all but good not kill of a team.

  We need strikers and a creative midfielder and if he does not want to play the young spanish lad at left back then get someone in who can bloody play at that postion and get charles playing in the right postion.

  I aint no states man, but playing players in the wrong position does not make a balance team.

  I killed myself laughing on saturday when sky were saying that charlie was in the chelsea penatly areae and he is playing like a winger. ( the fact is he is a fcuk winger) its BSA who want to play him somehere he does not want to play .

  get 3 players in of good quality and if you want to push the boat out get players in to cover those who have to go and play in the ANC.

  It just bemuses me that somthing that happens in Africa can further fcuk up our season, when I saw small signs of improvement last night.

  Everyone keep your heads up !!!

  We are the best supporters around !!!

• 47 ObaFan2 // Jan 3, 2008 at 13:58

  My expectations: BSA would be a good manager.

  Lowered……………. well.

  He wasn’t my choice but I honestly thought he’d do better than he has done, we thought we had trouble with Boyer, Bellamy etc and dressing room unrest, I don’t see much difference atm.

  First half was good to watch with Duff running the show with great support by Faye n Zog, Butt even made some good passes to the left especially, Milner again his work rate is excellent but he cannot cross the ball fgs, he’s a winger who cannot cross !!!!!!!!!

  Feye again was best defender but I think if anything our defense has improved in as much as it’s not the weakest area of the pitch for us now, midfield is.
  Oba ran his heart out and tracked back and worked harder than I’ve seen before but isn’t getting the goals , Owen had 1 great chance and was unlucky.

  The season is nearly a right off and by February we could be fighting relegation. I hope not but with this form it’s looking that way.

  Keep with the 442, If we had from the start of the season we’d be performing much better as a team now and maybe things would be so much different.

• 48 Chicken // Jan 3, 2008 at 14:10

  Ed - it would be interesting if you could dig up that poll you did at the start of the season about where everyone thought we’d finish. Most plugged for top4-6 I think.
  Seems laughable now. I was a bit more realistic by going for a top 8 finish. I still don’t think that is out of our grasp and would be a significant improvement on the last few seasons. What people don’t seem to realise is that the Prem is much more competitive than ever. People seemed to think we had a god given right to finish above Pompey, Everton, Aston Villa, Blackburn etc. But all of those teams, and many others, have significantly strengthened their squads - and, more importantly, they’ve all had a manager in place for a few seasons.
  As much as I am dismayed with BSA tactics and selections I honestly don’t think we will move anywhere but backwards if we sack him now.

• 49 Eve // Jan 3, 2008 at 14:13

  Ah Johann there you are. I was getting a little worried..what am I saying, no I wasn’t. People don’t see that Harpers “better” cause, well, he’s not.

  It’s so typical though, if a girl comes on and talks constantly about a player she most fancy him, you come on all the time and bitch about Given, complain when plays well, waits for him to make half a mistake and exaggerates things and crap like that, rants about him, clearly loves Harper and not a words said to you. Typical.

  And what’s your problem with Given anyway, you seem to really like, dispise him. Did you cheer when he got injured at West Ham last season. Normally I wouldn’t ask cause no one, no matter how much they disliked a player would be happy with that but, did you cheer when he got injured, like yes a perfurated bowel, that should give Harper lots of time, kinda thing. Cause if you did, I’d be worried.

• 50 Andreas // Jan 3, 2008 at 14:28

  I have to say that I have come to slightly change my opinion about N’Zogbia playing lb. In my opinion it seems that he gets more space and pose a bigger threat for the opposistion attacking from lb with Duff/Milner infront of him compared to when he’s on the wing (a question of him getting tighter marking in that position).

  Hence, if we’re playing a attacking formation (hmm, well it’s not likely under SA but you know what I mean) I reckon N’Zogbia should play lb (with a free licens to go forward) ahead of Enrique. However, for games when we need a slightly bigger focus on the defence I reckon Enrique should play lb since i rate him as the better when it comes to defending. N’Zog can then be playing mf or be rested.

• 51 Andreas // Jan 3, 2008 at 14:30

  Eve, I’m with you on this one. Given (when fit) > Harper (when fit), eos.

• 52 ObaFan2 // Jan 3, 2008 at 14:34

  Eve, I thought it was a little strange for someone to come on and criticize Given at this moment as there are alot more pressing problems with the Toon and imo Given is not one of them. Mr reliability and coming back from a horrendous injury.
  We all have opinions and it surprises me sometimes to think we all seen the same game.

• 53 James // Jan 3, 2008 at 14:45

  Lay off Given - if it wasn’t for him we would have been relegated last season. We finished 5 points outside the bottom 3 and thanks in large part to his amazing saves in big games.

• 54 Johann // Jan 3, 2008 at 16:21

  As a footballer I don´t cheer when players get injured. Still please stop talking about we getting relegated if Given hadn´t been there. For crying outloud you are no psychics. We could just as easily say we would have been relegated if it wasn´t for Oba´s goals. My personal opinion is there are many good keepers who would have done more good than Shay last season. The goalkeeper role is not only to save it´s to inspire and make the defense work. And in case it breaks be there for the rescue.

  And btw we really need a more commanding keeper, and hopefully we´ll get one soon.

• 55 Toon Barmy // Jan 3, 2008 at 16:32

  It is sicking as a suporter of NUFC to hear comments like this from Mort for fans to lower expectations, I thought we were owned by a Billionaire who was apparently asking barca about the availability & price of ronaldinho when he took over as he wanted to make the rest of the footballing world stand up & take note…WTF has happened, our fairytale of challenging again has turned into a mare.. If you (Mort/Ashley) don’t think allerdyce is up to it & lots of fans don’t, sack him dont ask us to lower expectations because he’s shite it makes the Management of NUFC sound happy to settle for a relegation fight, were not we turn up every game & pay our money. The least we can ask is for the club to be ambitious, after the shit that we have had to put up with these last few years is a insult.
  Did anyone hear Century phone in last night Bob Moncur saying he reckons allerdyce is playing for the sack, Super mac agreeing, Me too.

• 56 ObaFan2 // Jan 3, 2008 at 16:47

  Bobby Moncur tells it how he sees it so good for him, made me wonder too.

  Given has easily been in the top 10 keepers in the world for years and maybe only second to Cech in the EPL. Shame he isn’t English.

• 57 Eve // Jan 3, 2008 at 16:47

  Johann..last season, Given was injured, as we all know, when he was out we dropped dangerously low, just above the relegation zone, when he came back we moved up. And the fact that he did come back like, that took balls, he was injured like that and then the first thing he does against Arsenal was make a save right at the feet at one of the Arsenal players (also offside). Not a lot of players would have been able to do that.

  You don’t like him whatever, but there’s more then one player on the team and cheering and being happy if he makes a mistake, which you said that you did, is just wrong, that’s not a real fan. Not ever have I seen you come on and not complain about Given.

• 58 buy arshevin // Jan 3, 2008 at 17:39

  get arshevin in hes mint

• 59 AdamCF // Jan 4, 2008 at 9:54

  What about Hutton from Rangers? A 23 year old Right Back. Or Kewell from Liverpool?

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