The Newcastle United Blog

News, Views and Comment On Newcastle United Football Club By A Proud Geordie And Lifelong Fan


The Newcastle United Blog header image 2
View stats for The Newcastle United Blog





No Starting Place for Oba Martins?

Friday March 14th, 2008 by Ed Harrison· 73 Comments

We expect Joey Barton to return to Newcastle’s midfield for the game at Birmingham City on Monday night.

joey-barton-21.gif

Joey Barton - due a good performance for Newcastle

But it’s also looking like Oba Martins will not be in the starting line-up on Monday as reports suggest Keegan will start Owen and Viduka up front.

It was Barton’s bail restrictions that made him unavailable for last Saturday’s game at Liverpool. He is not allowed to play in the City where his latest altercation occurred. That also means he will miss the Everton game, which is our last game of the season on 11th May.

But by then we should be well clear of the relegation zone.   :D

Australian striker mark Viduka is still expected to be fit to start at St Andrew’s. But if Keegan starts Viduka, which seems likely, that will mean there will be no starting spot for Oba Martins, which would be ridiculous.

While we don’t expect Kevin to drop his captain Owen, we would prefer Martins to Owen on Monday, if he wants to play a big striker and small striker together.  We are now getting concerned about what Kevin is thinking for the line-up on Monday night.  :(

If Oba cannot make the team for these remaining games don’t be surprised if he wants out come the summer. He looked very very menacing in the second half last Saturday against Liverpool and hit the cross bar from fully 40 yards.

That shot reminded us of that fantastic goal Oba scored against Tottenham last season, when he hit the ball with his left foot like a guided missile past Paul Robinson, into the top left corner of the net.  Those are the type of goals that can turn a season around.

We think Oba has earned his starting place for Monday - but Mark Viduka has not.

Kevin said today:

“We knew we couldn’t play Joey against Liverpool, and we know we won’t be able to play him against Everton in the last game of the season, and we have known that for a long time,”

“He’s a player who, a little bit like Mark Viduka, gives us something we haven’t got.

“With the small squad we’ve got, we need everybody fit and trying to get into the side and making the competition tough, and I’m delighted to have him back.”

Let us know what you think if Viduka and Owen start - who do you think Kevin should start up front on Monday?

Comments very welcome.

Tags: Newcastle News · Obafemi Martins · Michael Owen · Joey Barton · Mark Viduka






73 responses so far ↓

  • 1 Tom_Toon // Mar 14, 2008 at 19:13

    what an idiot!

  • 2 tdt // Mar 14, 2008 at 19:32

    martins and carroll would be way better!

  • 3 Dan // Mar 14, 2008 at 19:34

    start martins over owen! at least martins wants to play..

  • 4 Doctapaul // Mar 14, 2008 at 19:36

    I’m cool with 4-3-3.

    Oba-EMO and V up front with Oba and EMO willing to drop back and work the midfield.

    It is more important that we take the game to Brum rather than do a Sam type “let’s go for 0-0 and try to nick one”

  • 5 Hadji // Mar 14, 2008 at 19:40

    We’re simply asking for trouble.

  • 6 Doctapaul // Mar 14, 2008 at 19:42

    huh? pls explain H

  • 7 Jamie // Mar 14, 2008 at 19:43

    share stupidity to leave him out! what is kk thinking?

  • 8 Gazzatoon4 // Mar 14, 2008 at 19:44

    I believe that viduka and owen should be giving a start together as although they lack the pace of martins, ability wise they are proven goalscorers and have potential to combine into a great attack force if provided with the service.

    Another thing is that owen is more likely to score than martins if given a chance as i believe martins although a great player with huge potential is still very inconsistent when he does play he tends to score a wondergoal one week then not hit the target for another 3. the same can be said for viduka as he often is lazy and lacks motivation but playing with a striker like owen could bring out the best in him!

  • 9 Penalty-Spot // Mar 14, 2008 at 19:47

    Got to be Oba/Owen followed by a 65min sub for Vids/Caroll should we need the big people.

  • 10 nomis_jade // Mar 14, 2008 at 20:03

    From all the interviews coming from KK it does seem like he will start with dukes on Mon. To be honest im quite happy bout that, and im surprised nobody seems to ahve ponted out that it will surely mean smith is dropped to the bench! That at the very keast is something to chear about!
    Id be more inclined to play big man little man at the moment considering we really dont know how well martins and owen would work. So the question is, will it be Martins or Owen. Obviously KK will not drop owen as he is captain so it will be owen and dukes. I like what Docpaul said about 433. Without milner on the right wing, maybe playing 3 in the middle would be more balanced and it would mean we could have dukes, owen and martins up front! Now how good would that be!

  • 11 Tommy // Mar 14, 2008 at 20:08

    Jesus wept..

    Like someone here said, at least Martins wants to play.. And if there is anyone in the squad who gives something a bit ‘different’ then it is Martins..

    I said at the very beginning that KK was a bad appointment, and I’m still sticking by my guns..

  • 12 Mighty Mouse // Mar 14, 2008 at 20:15

    Oba and Charlie to start!

    If he benches Oba and Zog I might puke~!

  • 13 Yeomsta // Mar 14, 2008 at 20:19

    I for one am getting sick of the continuous selection of deadbeats, if KK can’t see that the selections he is making aren’t working then he isn’t fit to be to be a premier league manager. I agree that he has been left with Sam’s squad which, lets face it, isn’t up to much, but there are key changes he could make. Pure pig headedness by our “manager” is going to be our downfall and if we do go down then the blame must fall on his shoulders.

  • 14 Hadji // Mar 14, 2008 at 20:30

    Viduka just came back from injury and he’s putting him in the starting line up while Oba had 25 min against Liverpool and almost scored which would have been a goal of the season.
    I don’t understand this”Big man & Small man”
    Owen and Martins is a much better choice,just remember the game against Wigan.Then Alex Ferguson must be crazy for starting Rooney & Tevez cause they’re almost same height as Owen & Martins.

  • 15 cloudstrife // Mar 14, 2008 at 20:33

    just read that KK has two games to save his job. righy now i think that’s two games too many. what is wrong with the man?!

  • 16 ObaFan2 // Mar 14, 2008 at 20:44

    This is speculation tbh, he hasn’t named his team as yet.

    I’d be disappointed if Oba doesn’t start but Duke is a big improvement over Smith.

    Considering Duke has just come back from injury he should maybe be on the bench with a 25 to 30 minute run out at the end of the game.

    That means Oba+Owen to start (with luck) or maybe as suggested already a 4-3-3 with Duke-Owen-Oba together! wow.

    Unfortunately we have to wait till Monday for the team and for their display……. whatever the team lets hope they play well and play the Brumms off the pitch.

  • 17 JP from The Rock of Gibraltar // Mar 14, 2008 at 20:52

    Why on earth does KK keep praising our worst players?????? That really pisses me off!! It should be Martins and Viduka up front, so what if Owen is captain he hasn’t impressed much, on the other hand Martins has. And Carroll must be wondering what the hell he has to do to get into the team. Barton in midfield for Fu*k sake!! I bet Smith will play too. This is the reason we’re are sliding down the table…more BAD DECIOSIONS!!!!!! AAAAARRRRGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • 18 Kevin // Mar 14, 2008 at 20:56

    nomis jade -
    it HOPEFULLY means smith will be benched - but this is another possibility:
    Owen - Smith
    Duff - Barton - Butt - Smith
    Enrique - Taylor - Faye - Beye

    This would be horror.

    Please do your job King Kev and put out the side best equipped to do the job and get a difficult three points away from home. Please do NOT go with personal ties, or with previously favored big names, or with players with “special” clauses for playing time in their contracts. PLEASE listen to the fans and your heart and field a side that will go in, suprise, and completely DESTROY Birmingham.

  • 19 GP // Mar 14, 2008 at 21:13

    Smith playing two positions at once? He can’t even handle playing one.

  • 20 Gazzatoon4 // Mar 14, 2008 at 21:17

    kevin.. smith playing two positions at once is he??? also teh people who have been suggesting 4-3-3 im doubting this would work as we do not have the players to suit this formation martins vid and mo upfront wud definatley not suit this as this would mean playing owen on the right wing almost which would mean taking the best parts of his game away which is goal poaching our best bet is to play 4-4-2 with owen and oba upfront!

  • 21 Egar // Mar 14, 2008 at 21:37

    Age of multitasking finally caught up with football???

  • 22 daiv // Mar 14, 2008 at 21:38

    Where will SMITH play because he surely will. KK has unfinished business to get us relegated. KK inherited a bad team but he is picking the worst players in the squad. The mackems are paying his wages.

  • 23 Toon Andy // Mar 14, 2008 at 21:43

    IMO Smith will be played on right wing to replace Milner. This may not necessarily be bad as we do need his work ethic to rub off on other players, even though he has lacked cutting edge (to put it mildly).

    It will be a travesty if Martins does not start. If I had to rate our strikers out of 10, only Martins would score above a 3. It’s that ridiculous.

    Having said all that, Birmingham will play 5 in midfield (or at least 4, with McFadden dropping deep off the striker to assist) and no doubt some big fellas at the back so we need to make sure we compete as well as providing a greater creative edge. I would play the following, albeit with a strong temptation to replace Viduka with Carroll:

    Harper; Enrique, Diatta/Cacapa, Taylor, Beye; Duff, Emre/Barton, Faye, Smith; Martins, Viduka

    I think we need Faye in midfield to win the second ball and provide some general solidity given that Butt, although fantastic early this season, clearly lacks the stamina to play every single game. Faye needs to match two men just to help Barton/Emre pick out passes, which is all either of them have shown a willingness to do.

    Beye and Enrique are must-picks: not only are they our only players worthy of the name in their position but they have potential, especially in the short-term in the case of Beye, if they can complete their adaptation to the English game. As KK rightly points out, if they’d gone to Liverpool in the Summer they’d be making their debut about now, such is the luxury some clubs have in introducing foreign imports.

    This season has been more of a mess than it should have been, thanks to “Big” Sam (God knows why he’s called that when he’s clearly a small-club manager…), but it was never going to be easy and we can escape if we get behind the lads. That includes still supporting them if we draw on Monday, which will be more enough if we win our winnable home games (Reading, Fulham, mackems) and Bolton have their predictably nightmarish run (their manager is deliberately exiting Cups, a la the chap we took from them, which says it all!)

  • 24 obamagic // Mar 14, 2008 at 21:51

    OMG… if oba doesnt start…. i’m afraid i have lost hope in the king…. someone needs to stage a coup!!!

  • 25 wat u reckon // Mar 14, 2008 at 21:52

    wat u reckon to dis
    owen viduka martins
    n’zogbia emre(if fit if not butt) duff
    enrique taylor diatta beye
    harper

  • 26 Andreas // Mar 14, 2008 at 22:08

    nomis_jade, unfortunetly it will mean Smith at RM and Oba on the bench = disaster.

  • 27 Scott Hodge // Mar 14, 2008 at 22:16

    I couldnt manage a football team if i tried but surely up front you need some pace , strength and if possible some height. That would mean Martins (pace) and for height well I’d go for Carroll. I think Owen is struggling to adapt his game post injuries. If we want to play a forward who can hold the ball up well then it wouldnt be Owen it would be Viduka. I dont know where that leaves Smithy, wherever he wants I suppose cos he’s automatic choice. I still think we’ll be safe…….Derby, Fulham and Bolton for the drop !!

  • 28 daiv // Mar 14, 2008 at 22:16

    IF kk picks Smith, I’m putting a contract out on the Messiah. The problem is God is indestructable so we will get relegated. Whats the chances of Butt and barton playing as well. Its all very well blaming sam for the squad, but KK picks the worst players in it. The best 11 would do OK, but the worst 11 (many of whom are chosen by KK) will get us relegated.

  • 29 cloudstrife // Mar 14, 2008 at 22:31

    maybe KK is hoping to get fired early so that he can get the money he’d lost thru his soccer circus without doing the job for the full time?

  • 30 daiv // Mar 14, 2008 at 22:38

    KKs job is safe if we lose at Brum. It will get very interesting if we lose to Fulham. Keep him (and probable relegation) or sack him in desperation? Over to you MA but I bet he must regret appointing KK. The owner must be having nightmares now when he thought he would be sleeping soundly.

  • 31 baiaorp // Mar 14, 2008 at 22:40

    Martins is the best player we have. he has skill, pace, agility and can hit the ball hard. he is better than viduka and owen put together

  • 32 CJ // Mar 14, 2008 at 22:58

    Where is Gp the racist little bastard.

  • 33 Daniel Petersen // Mar 14, 2008 at 23:28

    Oba on the bench is insanity! We are the only team that benches someone for scoring goals. This is ridiculous. This slide toward relegation started with the benching of Oba for Owen by big Sam. We are the only club I know of that benches their leading goal scorer.

    I just want this season over with.

  • 34 richie // Mar 14, 2008 at 23:34

    cj cant agree wit u enough

  • 35 richie // Mar 14, 2008 at 23:35

    viduka owen maybe starting off wit martins at the ready..4-3-3 perhaps

  • 36 Toooooooooooooooooon // Mar 14, 2008 at 23:46

    its pure stupidity….martin can score from 40 yards and owen can’t even got any opportunity in a matter of 90 mins…whats wrong with the KK?

  • 37 CJ // Mar 15, 2008 at 0:04

    I prefer Martins than Owen but i think KK may go with Martins Owen upfront against Birmingham.

  • 38 CcB // Mar 15, 2008 at 0:22

    I’m thinking Oba in for Milner is a probability, with MO and Viduka up front.

    And it’s a bit early to slagg KK off for a bad choice he is yet to make…

    Besides I think we’ll win.

  • 39 AdamCF // Mar 15, 2008 at 0:42

    I’m at a loss as to why KK isn’t prepared to start Martins..

    KK!!! Doing the same thing over and over again expecting something different is STUPIDITY!

  • 40 Leo // Mar 15, 2008 at 0:48

    i can deal with martins not starting, if viduka can go well like he did against west ham… martins can come on in the second half and fire up the team some when we need to be very thretening

  • 41 Jon // Mar 15, 2008 at 0:59

    Oba all the way!!!!!!!

  • 42 Sims // Mar 15, 2008 at 1:01

    wat u reckon // Mar 14, 2008 at 21:52

    wat u reckon to dis
    owen viduka martins
    n’zogbia emre(if fit if not butt) duff
    enrique taylor diatta beye
    harper

    To whoever posted this……..wat do we reckon ?…………….I reckon that is the most stupidest line-up I have ever heard:

    Owen can’t play unless it’s in a 2 up front scenario. Same with Martins (SA tried it) plus he hasn’t played a full game for for over 2months. Viduka hasn’t played since New Year. Zog has been dropped and doesn’t look interested. Emre has not played for a month. Duff is guff but we got no-one else. Diatta, well he’s adapted to Prem already hasn’t he? and plays ahead of Faye anyday !! I’m surprised you never put Shay back in goal !!!

    Sims

  • 43 Michael // Mar 15, 2008 at 1:19

    Martins is no doubt erratic, he takes shots on goal when one is not on, but can get a goal which are very fortuitous. A Fortuitous goal is as good as a well thought out goal.

    If Keegan is looking for something different he should not expect this from the same players

  • 44 Matt Lacey // Mar 15, 2008 at 1:34

    God damn it - Martins really deserves the start, I can’t imagine what’s gonna convince Kev of this! At least if the Duke is given the start then Smith is on the bench, that’s one positive. Still, I think it’s the wrong move - does anyone think Owen might be half-useful as an impact sub?

  • 45 azza jones // Mar 15, 2008 at 1:38

    Wat you reckon?????

    I reckon your a muppet…..

    That is honestly the worst line up I have seen, why not bring in Smith in Goals for Harper!!!!

    the line if KK had the balls should be as follows

    Carroll Martins

    Zog Butt Barton Geremi

    Enrique Faye Taylor Beye

    Harper

    Bench from Owen, Viduka, Smith, Duff, Edgar, Diatta, Foster

  • 46 azza jones // Mar 15, 2008 at 1:42

    Owen is like shearer was in the last couple of years, too big a name to be dropped and were suffering for it………….

    Owen has to go in the summer hopefully Man C renew there interest, Martins needs to start playing cause HE is the FUTURE and anyone else that disagrees see you in the Championship cause thats were we are heading under the leadership of little Michael Owen.

    I wonder if Shearer and him will stay mates if we get relegated????

    On the plus side Owen might f*ck off!!!

  • 47 Espen V B // Mar 15, 2008 at 2:04

    I’m bloody tired of watching Michael Owen up front, he’s useless. It’s time for NUFC to realise that they’ve made a terrible buy when aquiring him from Real Madrid, sell him on to someone else (City?) and play Martins who’s far better.

    Owen is terrible now, he’s slow and has no guts, please drop him.

  • 48 ScottyT // Mar 15, 2008 at 2:41

    jesus .. honestly we are relying here on a thug who doesnt deserve to play football and is shit anyways and a fat overpaid aussie who doesnt seem to give a shit nd only plays when he fancies it

    two example of players who shouldnt be playing for our club

  • 49 ObaFan2 // Mar 15, 2008 at 3:04

    All this “why isn’t Oba playin?”

    Have you seen the team sheet for Monday? Nope cos there isn’t one yet!

    KK can’t say Duke’s crap and wouldn’t want to play him is he?

    All speculation, we’ve got to wait for Monday and hope at least Smith’s dropped!

  • 50 eX FILES UNITED // Mar 15, 2008 at 3:20

    OK WE NEED HEIGHT!!!!!! I WOULD START WITH CARROLL AND VIDUKA, then if needed bring on MArtins and/or Owen!!!

    HARPER, Beye, Faye, Diatta,Taylor, Butt, Smith, Duff, Zogs, Carroll, Viduka

  • 51 Elfer // Mar 15, 2008 at 6:23

    senseless, they won’t risk VIDUKA from the beginning and therefore I’m confinced MARTINS will start with OWEN up front…then see what you get and make a change if needed.

  • 52 andyc290 // Mar 15, 2008 at 6:30

    if keegan doesnt start with Oba and Owen I will eat my hat.

  • 53 Eric // Mar 15, 2008 at 6:49

    Start with Martins and put on Carroll when Owen fails yet again to impress. KK has got to see that Smith, Viduka, Owen, Butt and Barton, will not repay his loyalty to them when they take us down into the championship. Rats leaving a sinking ship? They have already left! Give Lua Lua a go on the right wing too.

  • 54 Ryan Syahril // Mar 15, 2008 at 7:40

    As long as KK keeps his faith with Smith and Butt - I don’t think he will taste his first 3 points. Come on KK! Oba deserves a place in the 1st eleven! My team:
    Oba / Owen
    Duff / Barton / Geremi / Zogbia
    Edgar or Enrique / Faye / Taylor / Beye
    Harper

  • 55 Nick Dryden // Mar 15, 2008 at 8:19

    Smith instead of Martins - you might as well give the opposition a goal start!! This isn’t the KK
    I remember. If in particular Mssrs Smith & Owen spit the dummy, point to their appalling records.
    Smith an alleged striker who never scores, doubling up as a midfielder who never ” assists ” and owen whose priorities obviously seem elsewhere and both on obscene crippling wages.

  • 56 Eric // Mar 15, 2008 at 8:30

    Beginning to feel the appointment of KK was nowt but Ashley and Mort’s psychological ploy. We must stick with him but even though he was lumbered by Fat Sam’s shite why does he stick with them? We need to get behind the lads on Monday more than ever. KK you must unload and reload. The honeymoon is over and time to kick Butt, Barton, Smith, Viduka and possibly Owen out of the bedroom. A new broom went into the boardroom time now to take one into the dressing room! Too many has-beens in the team, standing with their hands out waiting for the candy man. Harper/Beye/Diatta/Cacapa/Enrique/Geremi/Faye/Nzogbia/Duff/Martins/Carroll. Bench? Forster/Taylor/Lua Lua/Troisi/Edgar. Too bold, too innovative!

  • 57 andyc290 // Mar 15, 2008 at 8:31

    lets be realistic now, we’d all love Joey Barton to be on our side if it came down to it at Maccy D’s at five in the mornin, but the relegation battle that we are in is too much for him at the minute, hes got his own problems, lets look to Habib Beye, Abdoulaye Faye, Nicky Butt, Michael Owen and Obafemi Martins to show their class and get us out of the shit! Whatever happens everyone needs to stick together.Fans, players, chairmen, owners and Alan Oliver(Dickhead).

  • 58 faustino // Mar 15, 2008 at 9:19

    If Viduka starts I will take it as categoric proof that the fat one has been sitting out the ‘tricky’ games and waiting for the realtively ‘easy’ run-in to try and score some glory. How can he go from being seemingly un-curably injured too within a week, having heard no previous recovery time or real diagnoisis, be on the team sheet?

    In my world he wouldn’t even get on the bench ahead of Carrol. Odious player.

    HAve to face it boys - we will see Owen, Butt, Barton and Smith on the field until Emre is fit and then only Butt will be dropped. Maybe.

  • 59 JJ // Mar 15, 2008 at 9:25

    Oba is a far better player than Owen.
    All these people talking about how Owen is far more consistant, your right.
    He has scored about 3 goals in 15 games, he has been consistantly useless since his arrival at Newcastle and was never really that good in the first place.
    Oba has done as well as hie has without ever getting a consistant spot in the starting lineup. If he did get some games , his confidence would grow and he would be lethal.
    PLus he has pace and power. Owen has bad knees and hamstrings. Thats about it!
    Drop Owen play Oba, end of story!

  • 60 Dragoner // Mar 15, 2008 at 9:28

    we need faye and maybe try diatta in order to deal with the height and strength presence of kapo and jerome…expecially kapo

  • 61 Dragoner // Mar 15, 2008 at 9:30

    Eric “Beginning to feel the appointment of KK was nowt but Ashley and Mort’s psychological ploy”…LOL! You are just seeing that NOW!?!

  • 62 toonhitman // Mar 15, 2008 at 10:05

    this cannot be true,not playing oba is maddness even keegan can see this,but if it is god help us

  • 63 hanzemre // Mar 15, 2008 at 10:23

    KK must play Martins with Owen from the start with Viduka/Carroll to play some part in the 2nd half. No Alan Smith in there. Must have 2 CFs who could actually threatening their defence all the time with supports from both flanks. If we play 2 DMs in Butt & Smith (likely to play no matter how much we dislike) then we’d use Duff/N’Zogbia & Milner/Geremi to provide the services to our CFs. Just hope whatever the tactics all systems go well. keep the faith!

  • 64 Tony Smith // Mar 15, 2008 at 10:35

    If he does want Owen and Vid up front, Martins on the right wing wouldbe a good idea. He’s come on before an played there…layed up a good goal for Owen from there earlier this season. I wouldn’t want Martins supporting a full back like Zog (not that he’s a full back), but Beye would give us a bit stability dfending on the left.

    Owen Vid/Carol
    Zog Butt Barton/Geremi Martins
    Enrique Taylor Diatta Beye

  • 65 scott9 // Mar 15, 2008 at 10:57

    i wouldnt be to unhappy if owen played with viduka but i think i would go with oba and owen owen cant be dropped that would be madness he will save us from relagation if anyone will.
    i would play this team.
    harper
    beye faye/cacapa diatta enrique
    duff barton geremi nzogbia
    owen martins
    faye has made mistakes these last couple of games thats why i would maybe be tempted to play cacapa but i wouldnt mind either way i definatley would rst taylor though he is making to many mistakes i would play geremi as i think he is a good leader and has that comunication with everyone and i think a player like him will calm the team down plus i think there is more to him then what we have seen he might be a bit slow bit he is a good passser decnt defencively and is very composed on the ball

  • 66 whitey // Mar 15, 2008 at 11:19

    martins does drift in and out of games but you cant deny the boys talent. i would play him with owen. im not sure about viduka at the moment, he seems to have marcelinoitis, foreign player earning stacks of cash and hardly playin. as for smith, the less said the better

  • 67 TooooooN // Mar 15, 2008 at 12:11

    Owen just started the last 9 games which we are WINLESS…..so why is MO better than martins?

  • 68 CRAIGG // Mar 15, 2008 at 13:19

    I dont know why youre all moaning, Barton and Viduka in may mean Smith and Butt out.
    The reason Owen hasnt been scoring is he has had nothing to feed on from the midfield and a Chocolate fireguard of a Strike partner.

    Playing with Viduka who can create chances for himself and his team mates is the right call.

    His inclusion is spot on in my opinion, Give Owen and Oba the same chances and Owen would come out on top 99% of the time.

    Barton Would give us a bit of creativity love him or hate him:

    Harper
    Beye Taylor Faye Enrique
    Duff Barton Butt N’Zogbia
    Owen Viduka

    Subs: Forster, Diatta, Smith, Martins, Carroll

    We are Nearly there, A fully fit Given, Emre and Milner is the line up we mostly wanted at the end of the transfer window and maybe rest Taylor for Diatta in the coming matches.

    We should be gratful that when Milner comes back then Butt and Smith wil be out of the side.

    I have just seen on Teletext are saying that KK is “relishing the chance to unleash martins against Birmingham”

    So once again someone in the media is Lying.

    Birmingham City 0-2 Newcastle United

  • 69 scott9 // Mar 15, 2008 at 13:48

    as long as smith isnt playing i dont care

  • 70 Taiwantoon // Mar 15, 2008 at 14:29

    I hope KK plays Martins.

    Owen can be a useful player for us but he is at the moment a luxury player for us to have considering the strength of our Mids. (If he is considered to be too limited for Liverpool by Benitez, it must also be true for us as we don’t have the miderfield that is as good as Liverpool’s.

  • 71 whitey // Mar 15, 2008 at 18:35

    barton creative!?! CRAIGG, what games have you been watching hes shite.

  • 72 jumppy // Mar 15, 2008 at 22:13

    can someone please tell our king kev, to kindly put down his ceremonial crown and put on His thinking cap.it’s so obvious our ‘kk’ has some serious selection issues.i beleive he is adding too much sentiments into his Job. And the irony is we the fans are not sentimental b’cos sentiments does not bring the points it brings relegation.And the sooner He realizes also that He does not have any excuse regarding this squad except He is a liar.He came up just after a few weeks to declare to the world that this is the most talented squad he’s ever had to manage an d all because His old motivational skills ain’t working he is now complaining about the squad.i am afraid we got it worst this time around.Martins and carrol to start 4 me.

  • 73 A geordiedoonsooth // Mar 16, 2008 at 17:48

    Why don’t all you doom and gloom merchants just p*ss off and watch the sh*te in Sunderland.
    I use to think we were the best supporters in the country but I don’t think so after reading the comments on here






Leave a Comment