And leaves you in charge of team selection for the Saturday game. How and who do you play?

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2000

Answers

I would go with a 4 - 4 - 2 for now as we don't have 3 central defenders and playing Barton or Lee in an unfamiliar postion isn't such a clever idea. You can't train old dogs new tricks

My Goalkeper would be Harper, He and Given aren't too far apart shot stopping wise, but Harper finds his man more often than Given as has the slight edge in my book. Central defence Hughes and Caldwell. there isn't realy any other choice. Even if the soft Spaniard is fit, I wouldn't use him, simply because I don't like him. On the left I would plump for Griffin ahead of Domi. Griff will be with us in 3 years , Domi won't

The right back spot goes Warren Barton, simply because my first choice right back is playing on the left.

Midfield is where we need the balance. The Hard Bloke in the middle is Acuna, Solano would play more central an attack more than either Lee ansd Speed do. Left wing would be Stephen Glass, until such a time that we can get another Ginola, I would stick with him. On the right of midfield Dyer. He has pace, and until we can get silly money for him he would be in the position where I think he would be most effective, the right wing. As for Speed and Lee, they can sit on the bench with Bassedas, I haven't been too impressed with Speed this season, he's scored a few goals, but missed dozens of chances. I'd rather have a lest winger in than Speed. As for Lee, not done a lot wrong but Acuna has more stamina. I would use either Speed, Basedas or Lee in the centre of midfield pushing Solano to the right wing once I cash in on Dyer.

Up front is a real problem at the moment. We can presume that Shearer is out of Saturdays game, so I go for the big lad Ameobi alongside LuaLua. Cordone to come on if LuaLua runs out of steam. In the long term though, I would make a decent striker a top priority or we'll simply not score any goals and end up drawing 0 - 0 or losing 1 - 0 if we continue with only two (both injured) first team strikers.

Well there's my pick for saturday, who would you play?

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2000

4-4-2. And tell the lazy gits that they'll get their wages docked to the statutory minium if we lose.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2000

I'd still go for Lee and Speed - for the very simple reason that I have yet to see anyone at the Club who is better than them.

However, I might just be temped to try playing Speed up front, a la Sheringham, and Dyer on the right of midfield instead of Solano where I feel he can get the time and space to be more influential. Experimental, but hey we have to try something. I'd like to try Griffin and Domi as FB's - especailly as Glass and Domi tend to play well together, but it looks as though sadly Domi has finally burned his bridges.

Given

Barton......Hughes......Caldwell......Griffin

Dyer.......Lee..........Bassedas........Glass

Amoebi........Speed

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2000

So we both go for two wingers and Ameobi as a big lad to recieve the crosses. Speed might be an idea, with his heading ability especially , but leaving out the second best crosser of the ball (opta stats),I wouldn't go with that one. And what do you reckon to Acuna?

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2000

Sell the teletubbie to Lazio if they are ready and willing to pay an inflated price

Not seen him myself save on the telly, but too many on here aint starting with him

Nuff said IMO

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2000

so no new additions allowed then?

One person NOT on my team is Big Al

REST REST REST

Send the bugger to the Bahamas

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2000

Alan - we've been down this road with our midfield before - and at least the last time it was over a pint when I thought we would get over run by Spurs

Too bloody light weight - total weight of wor lot = Dean Windas

Not suggesting cloggers, but just some presence

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2000

Are Lazio interested in Acuna, Pete? Any fee been mentioned?

Frankly, I don't rate him very highly - a reasonable squad player perhaps, and therefore not too bad an investment at £1 million. However, I don't see him as a permanent replacement for Rob Lee.

I think Glass is at least as good a crosser as Solano; he's faster and can beat his man at pace. I also believe Dyer is a far better all round player than Solano - hence my choices.

We must have some height and physical presence up front - Amoebi is raw and untried, but he seems a confident s-o-b, and although he's young, he's agressive and won't be pushed around by anyone - worth a punt IMO.

BTW, I have a horrible feeling Shearer will play, either on Saturday or in the following game. If so, I would expect him to last perhaps 3 games, and then be out for the rest of the season!

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2000

Clarky - have e mailed you.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2000

Speed up front?? Thats a fine idea in our current predicament.

Given Griffen Hughes Caldwell Barton Dyer Acuna Lee Glass/Solano Speed Luax2

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2000

>>>>>>I haven't been too impressed with Speed this season, he's scored a few goals, but missed dozens of chances

"He's scored a few goals" - there is no 'but' after a phrase like that - it's what the game is about.

According to the OPTA stats (and admittedly they have to be taken with large quantities of salt) Speed scored as many as Shearer(2) from the four games in November. Yes, he did miss loads. He had 14 shots on goal, three times as many as Shearer in the same period, and this from midfield remember. During his spare time he managed more passes (226 at a creditable 75% success rate) and more tackles(13) than any other player. So that's the most tackles, passes, shots and goals (equal with Shearer) of any player.

Even allowing for the possible subjectivity of the OPTA ratings, this sounds to me like a player we would be ill advised to overlook.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2000

Speeds worth his place - he just gets on with things. You miss him sometimes.

Anyway we'll see at Derby as he's suspended.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2000

Seeing I have had a lot to say of late I shall not sit on the fence. Even though its for the short term, and stranger things have happened I know Colin Hendrey would come to the toon,he is so desperate that he wanted to pay £30.000 outta his own pocket to go to Bolton,still in the balance, he is gettin past it but still has a prescence. With Hughes and Caldwell, 4 4 2 is out, get Hendry,alongside Caldwell with Arron tyding up behind them, Griffin and Domi , Given, Dyer, Acuna/Bassedas , Glass, Amoebi and Speed up front (seeing as I first mentioned it, glad to see other`s agree . It all goes to ratchit if YBR does not get Hendry, for the likes of Glass and a few others I would say, hey young man, you are in for the next 3 games make it hard for me to drop you. The likes of Domi, I would go out with him before kick off , make him look around the ground, say "Son if you can do better than this, Ill release you but if you let this support down by lack of effort, you will be playing in the stiffs for as long as it takes. I look at Newcastles bench sometimes and wonder where the passion is going to come from, after watching O`Neills dervish antics on the touchline with Celtic, this does from experience galvanize players. Its gotta come from above

If as reported Bobby goes for Rod Wallace I will really blow a fuse and question his methods , surely not ,? panto season has not started yet hi ho hi ho!!!!

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2000

How long has he re-signed for? I thought he was on a "rolling year" contract. BTW, I don't expect Clarky's selection for the Teampick to be anything like the one he's posted here. So, on the same basis, here's what I would do: Given<br> Barton Hughes Marcelino Griffin<br> Solano Acuna Speed Glass<br> Delveccio Cordone<br>

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2000

Damn - I'll get the hang of the xmp tag one of these days. :-(

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2000

Screacher, you'renot allowed to use Delvecchio this week, he dosent sign till next Wednesaday.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2000

Nah, you're talking about the real Delveccio. I'm talking about the guy with the Ice Cream business in Whitley Bay. I hear there's not much call for ice cream just now and YBR says if we're in for a licking, then Havaluca Delveccio's just the man.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2000

Your pretend-something-dramatic's-happened-thread-title wordplay is losing some of it's comedy lustre.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2000

Given

Barton, Hughes, Caldwell

Dyer, Solano, Acuna, Bassedas, Domi

Ameobi Lua Lua

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2000

I believe Hendry's signed for Bolton, Buff - pity as he could certainly have done a job for us for a spell. I presume we're now just going to wait until Hughes or Caldwell get injured before we really panic - as with the striker situation presently.

Agree with you regarding Wallace - a 32 yr-old midget is just what we don't want right now. If that's the best Newcastle United can do, then frankly I'd rather stick with LuaLua, or Jamie Coppinger come to that.

Days & weeks go by; players are changing Clubs every day - decent ones at that - and NUFC is apparently paralysed in a morass of indecision & inactivity.

Hey Nero, why don't you get out that ol' fiddle; I sure smell some burning!

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2000

Here is my team selection:

Given

Barton Caldwell Hughes Griffin

Dyer Acuna Speed Glass

Ameobi Lua-Lua

Sub: Harper, G.Caldwell, Bassedas, Solano, Coppinger/Chopra

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2000

Chopra on the bench? Bit optomistic for a lad who's not yet signed a professional contract :-) Be good to see soon, though

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2000

Given

Griffin Hughes Caldwell Domi

Dyer Acuna Bassedas Glass

Ameobi Lua-Lua

A balanced side, which may leave out a few favourites but I've gone for formation not shoving players in to different positions just because they're good. We will need to, at one point, see how good Acuna and Bassedas are and why not now, it's not as if the others are performing miracles. Solano is unlucky to be left out, but I feel we should be sticking Dyer on the wing and make him stay in that area, so we don't expect too much of him and his team-mates don't get confused.

Also they will know in Glass and Dyer that the outlets are there for spreading the play wide, which is needed to make their defence spread out.

I'd want Griffin and Domi to push up when necessary, to support the wingers, simple.

Ameobi gets the nod because of his height and Lua-Lua has the pace and trickery to trouble defences. With Dyer and Glass are out wide it should prevent Lua-Lua wandering out to the wing like Shearer does and keep him in the middle where he should be.

It's all a bit simple and basic, but after the way we have been playing I think we have been over elaborating and getting confused over the roles we play.

The only trouble I have is if Domi or Glass gets injured, elsewhere we have the cover for people like Barton, Lee and Speed to fill in positions.

-- Anonymous, December 14, 2000

8 out of 11 Brits as well!

-- Anonymous, December 14, 2000

"Your pretend-something-dramatic's-happened-thread-title wordplay is losing some of it's comedy lustre.

-- Getting a bit tired (of_rik's@bull.shit), December 12, 2000. " The last thing in the world you should do is admit to me what annoys you. Annoyiong people is what I live for, you're gonna be realy sorry that you posted that.

-- Anonymous, December 14, 2000

Well Rik, at least you're safe in the knowledge that whoever it was chose to hide behind a false e-mail....

-- Anonymous, December 14, 2000