the rest of us have to ask the question whether, at least for the forseeable future, the rest of us are going to have to scrap for things like the Worthington and European places and forget the league. Discuss.

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2000

Answers

And Surly Alex mentioned their loss to us in Feb as the thing that woke them up so they could go on to win the league. Great.

I don't think forgetting the league is really the right way to think of it. Bobby surely won't think so, nor will a few other managers. They will be knocked off the top one of these seasons and there's plenty of teams that will battle to be the one to do it. I'd like to believe we'll be that team, but realistically the next league winner is more liekly to be Liverpool, Leeds or Arsenal.

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2000

Dougal, that's analogous with the "Tiger Woods syndrome" in golf - as recently as a month ago his fellow pros were "throwing their towels in", before the start of each tournament. This "syndrome" has already been blown out of the water, I'm expecting the same to happen with your "Manure syndrome"!?

I have to agree with Ciara; next season's champions could well come from one of this season's bridesmaids: L'pool and Arsenal both have a surplus of strikers (we have 1.5 at best), Leeds and Arsenal both have world class 'keepers, L'pool, Arsenal and Leeds all have an excellent mid-field, Arsenal have the best defence (albeit ageing)...etc., etc.

I'm afraid we (the Toon) are not even 2nd. best, in any dept., we've a lot of unsalable dross being paid ridiculous salaries. I'm a huge fan of YBR but, how can even he get rid of, and replace, that lot in 3 or so months? :-(

-- Anonymous, April 22, 2000

Well, I think Manure are there to be beaten. Maybe it won`t be us next season, but it will happen at some point, and it will make winning the league twice the achievement. I will be very interested to see what happens when Taggart finally retires too, `cos though it sticks in my throat to say it, he`ll be a hard act to follow. (:o)

-- Anonymous, April 23, 2000

So much has been made on here of the Heath youth policy. If it was so good I can't see why they needed to buy, York, Nistleboy, Stam, Silvestre, and others including that memorable Italian keeper whose name I've forgotten.

It is becoming more and more clear that the Scholes, Giggs, Beckham, Nevilles were all part of an extremely lucky batch and part of Taggarts pact with the devil. There must surely be a pay back time coming.

In this morning's Sun (That's THEE Sun, not the National Daily rag) YBR says that we can win the Premiership and Heath can be toppled. Who am I to argue with the master?

-- Anonymous, April 23, 2000

Thanks Jonno for a huge laugh from your last posting. No mean feat either given my state of mind today - the end of five days holidays over Easter and ANZAC Day.

-- Anonymous, April 25, 2000