I can't hang on any longer. I'm counting down already, and I feel an urge to talk about the Sunderland game.....

Last year we were divided, and although they won they weren't great. This year Bobby has got a team playing together which will be much harder to beat. This is the key thing, whereas Gullit thought it was just another provincial Derby match, Robson will be winding the team up all week. HE KNOWS.... They won last year because they were on the crest of the promotion wave, and we were a club divided by factions. Not now.

Mackems on RTG seem to think that their year's experience makes them better than they were a year ago. Well the league table doesn't lie, we have more points, scored more and let in less. We are the better sideand there isn't one Sunderland player, except the out-of-form Phillips, who would get into our first team. Soccernet are reporting Goma, Lee and Shearer will be fine by Thursday, and if Nobby's recovered we could be putting out virtually our 1st team bar Cort.

Am I behaving like an excited kid? Probably, so God knows what I'll be like on Saturday morning!

-- Anonymous, November 13, 2000

Answers

Acuna was quoted in the papers the other day as saying that all he hears the rest of them talking about is the Sunderland game. Either they have been put in the know about what it means (with Bobby and Shearer in the side you'd certainly hope so!) or they have been offered a stonking great win bonus (whatever it takes).

I'm expecting blood, sweat, red cards and the entire ground to be shaking with the noise. As one of those poor bastards soaked last year I demand nothing less than a win. Sunderland were shite last season and are even worse this time round. No excuses. Win or clearout.

-- Anonymous, November 13, 2000

Form, talent, home-advantage and the simple fact that they're just a pack of bas***ds all point to a win for the Toon. I just wish it was as easy as that. I've been supporting Newcastle too long to make rash predictions but must admit to being quietly confident. A convincing victory would be so, so sweet and restore proper order in the north- east......it would also shut those gloating mackem retards up, you'd think they'd won the bloody European Cup the way they kept banging on about their precious 4 points last season. Twats.

-- Anonymous, November 13, 2000

I know our team is better but I have so little faith in Mag luck and offialdom that I wouldn't dare hazard a prediction.

-- Anonymous, November 13, 2000

For sure, it's not a proper Derby match. Not as big as in Milan, or even Liverpool. I don't know what you're all on about. It's only one fixture in the whole season and the result of the Newcastle vs Sunderland match is not importatnt to anybody - believe me. I tell you, it's such an insignificant game, I'm not even going.

Damn - wish I was there!

-- Anonymous, November 13, 2000

What's officaldom gotta do with predicting the outcome of the match dougal?

-- Anonymous, November 13, 2000

I still maintain they were fortunate to beat us at SJP last season, when we were undoubtedly at our lowest ebb. I wasn't at the S-o-L, but believe we should really have won comfortably.
We've vastly improved over early last season, and they've gone backwards.
We must concentrate on controlling Quinn/Munchkin, and prevent them knocking in a stream of crosses for the beanpole. Other than that we need to be up for a major battle in midfield, and accept that they will try to kick us out of it - that's the only way they can beat us.
If it ever gets round to a football contest, they've got NO chance whatsoever.
Judgement Day - and I for one am really looking forward to it.

-- Anonymous, November 13, 2000

Was it not offaldom Gav ? another name for Sunderland.
Sundernads will try and kick our stars, they are not talented enough to play their way out of trouble we have got to make the home support count for a change, the dirty mackems will support their side for 90 mins I feel a win coming on, but then again I did v's Charlton & Everton.

-- Anonymous, November 14, 2000

It may be time for a local journo to ask Bobby what he thinks about Roy Keane's comments on the prawn sandwich eating brigade. Then he can go on to say that the crowd will have a very important role to play on Sat. We must out-noise the mackems.

-- Anonymous, November 14, 2000