the club is in? Transfer requests, trying to borrow strikers as though we're Hull City or someone, injuries, suspensions.... A club that has such a large, loyal support should not be in this position. I honestly think that we are in as big a mess as we were in Ossie's day. Views?

-- Anonymous, January 10, 2001

Answers

I think that we now more about the club than we ever did in the good old days. We get the information before the club has the opportunity to sort it out and keep it quiet. The internet and increased television exposure has brought downsides too.

Negative stories are often more interesting and sites like TeamTalk know it.

With regard to the actions of the players I think Domi is a fruitcake and we're better off with him in Paris and Given is a big baby who needs to grow up and accept that Harper is as good as him.

The srtiker situation is a funny one. We've spent a lot of money on Shearer and Cort as our two 'aerial' strikers and they both get injured. That's just bad luck. It'll all be great when we beat Cov on Saturday.

-- Anonymous, January 10, 2001

We have enough quality at the club to make a push for Europe, I didn't realise this until I saw our performance v's Leeds then MANU. Loan deals are not as bad as they seem with the current uncertainty of the transfer market.

Like I say we have players coming back in the guise of Cort, Shearer, Gallacher & Rob Lee, Dabizas must be on the horizon aswell. It is not all doom & gloom.

-- Anonymous, January 10, 2001

Are we witnessing the resurgence of Doom and Gloom Dougal? A new season's resolution down the pan!

-- Anonymous, January 10, 2001

In light of the mighty Crystal Palace outbidding us for that Chinese bloke I can't help thinking Dougal has a point!

Once we get our walking wounded back however - and those daft suspensions out of the way - we'll be ok.

I don't want to even contemplate a defeat on Saturday, but just to cheer everyone up, I'm taking my missus who's yet to see us win.

-- Anonymous, January 10, 2001

I hadn't witnessed an away Newcastle defeat this century until I saw the debacle at Derby so I wouldn't worry about it. Take her along and tell her to sing loudly.

-- Anonymous, January 10, 2001

>>>>A club that has such a large, loyal support should not be in this position.

I've been saying the same thing for 39 years apart from a short interval at the start of the 90's. And you can't "cheer up-it might never happen" - coz that's precisely what you're worried about!

>>>>I honestly think that we are in as big a mess as we were in Ossie's day.

Haway pet, a little perspective is needed here. The squad is worth at least three times as much (even allowing for rampant inflation since), we've got a bigger, better stadium, turnover is up twelve- fold, we're in a higher divison (two higher than the one Ossie was taking us to), and we no longer have Kevin Brock in the squad ....

Just try and get yourself in the frame of mind you were in when you said this a day or two ago:-
>>>>>IMHO, after playing out of our skins for three games in a row

>>>>>Can we please look at the lovely lads who have been showing the commitment ... Not one can be criticsed for attitude

Wrong side of the bed this morning? I know the feeling - I do it all the time ....

-- Anonymous, January 10, 2001

I have the answer to all the problems!

Move the bed to beside the wall. Duuunnnnaarrrrrggghhhh!

-- Anonymous, January 10, 2001

B*ll*cks. Do you really really honestly believe that, or am I rising to some piss-take bait? Ossies reign = ossies 'babes'...cr@p ground...suicidal board...Howie playing up front...Division 2 and the ZDS cup .

9 years ago today we had just played Bristol Rovers, Southend (a fantastic 4-0 reverse on New Years Day) and Bournmouth. Remember? Our only hope was the bloody ZDS.

Loans are a temporary neccesity in an uncertain transfer market, transfer requests are not exactly new, and believe it or not, neither are injuries or suspensions.

I'm off for a lie down.

-- Anonymous, January 10, 2001

Jonno - I still maintain that the players are beyong criticism. It's the higher management that's the worry. Shagga - having most of your first team squad injured isn't normal, being about the only club still going on about transfers isn't normal and having four players wanting to leave isn't normal. I'll buy this being a transition time but things are very shay at the moment and the only real difference between now and Ossie's time is that we have further to fall.

-- Anonymous, January 10, 2001

Other clubs have their injury problems.

Currently we are without Shearer, Cort, Gallacher and Marcellino. Anyone else?

They are all in positions where you need the strength in depth. Other clubs have players out all over the pace yet we think we are the victims of some evil curse.

-- Anonymous, January 10, 2001

...so you were serious then... My ghast is completely flabbered.

-- Anonymous, January 10, 2001

>>>>>the only real difference between now and Ossie's time is that we have further to fall.

A strange logic - but straining mightily to be positive, not as far as Man Utd though eh? (And you still haven't acknowledged the absence of Brock from the squad) :-)

And to think I came on here this morning to cheer myself up...
:-)

-- Anonymous, January 10, 2001

Dabizas, Lee... The one thing I would say is that we clearly do have some strength in depth. Where would the Makems be with our injuries. Who has got our injury list in the PL? No one.

-- Anonymous, January 10, 2001

Will the real Pit Bill please own up.

-- Anonymous, January 10, 2001

Kevin Brock - what a loss - did a fine job @ Birmingham as a standin goalkeeper - included a bang on the head.

I reckon he was just another of those under-rated members of a squad.

-- Anonymous, January 10, 2001

Quite true Josh - I saw the game. He did a fine job. I was being facetious - and most unfair to Kevin Brock.

-- Anonymous, January 10, 2001

Mind you if you'd said John Trewick . . .

Why is it that this kind of player gets run down by everbody ?

-- Anonymous, January 10, 2001

John Trewick used to live along the Road from me - saw him playing tennis once in Souter Park with Simon Smith who's now our Goalie Coach, he was very hirsute. Simon Smith went to our School, he was a bit thick if the truth be told.

-- Anonymous, January 10, 2001

It was John Trewick who was hirsute, not Simon Smith. Simon Smith was more of a baby-faced Scandinavian type.

-- Anonymous, January 10, 2001

Probably still is, unless he's lost a bit of hair, that tends to happen with fair-skinned people.

-- Anonymous, January 10, 2001

John Bird also lived in our Street, but that was a bit earlier. He opened a Art supplies shop in Whitley Bay but I don't think it was very successful. He was a nice bloke though, gave us free tickets for a Coventry away game in the early '80's. A midweek affair that ended up 0-0.

-- Anonymous, January 10, 2001

Tony.....it's all well and good mate playing like you did against United and LUAFC and then thinking that you have the quality to make a push for Europe, but you gotta be able to that against the dross too...consistency is what it's all about. I'd say that there are one or two teams BETTER that MUFC on their day.....Chelsea being one of them, Arsenal being another...but what good is that?

-- Anonymous, January 10, 2001

lr, i couldn't agree with you more - pleasant though it is, getting points off man united and arsenal won't win the league or do anything close to it - beating charlton and everton and the smb at home will..

-- Anonymous, January 10, 2001

I'm to depressed at the moment to even string a response together. And having a Liverpool fan working next to me getting his knikers in a twist about deciding on the best front two of four to use did not help.

-- Anonymous, January 10, 2001

I thought Kevin Brock was a decent player, or at least the best of a bad bunch.

-- Anonymous, January 10, 2001

The point I was fumbling with is I really expected to get walloped from Leeds & Manu but I witnessed passing & movement which has been lacking for a while, so it raised my sights. I am well aware that consistency is the key but I think we are capable of stringing a few wins together.
We could be doing far worse!

-- Anonymous, January 10, 2001

Doog - if we'd got 3 points of ManU instead of losing 1-0 @ SJP a couple of years ago we'd have won the league.

-- Anonymous, January 10, 2001

Pete, I bet the Liverpool fan is enjoying deciding his front 2 even more today :-)

-- Anonymous, January 11, 2001

Aye, Josh and we beat them 5-0 the follwoing season and won f..k all.

-- Anonymous, January 11, 2001