Of any future Scotland and Newcastle team, congrats to the Caldwells on being included in the Under 21`s, I still feel we may be putting pressure on them by writing them up in what is a very specialised position , where performances can only be judged by experience and games. The priciest player in opposing teams is usually the main strikers so most weeks they will be playing against a class player.

Teammates. media , pundits up here have a strong campaign going for the inclusion of Alan Thompson in the England team, he is playing left side at the present but prefers the "Speed Bollox" position,

Paul Robinson has not started a game for Dundee Utd yet.

McLeish to Rangers, Advocatt out, lot of talk Glasgow way, if Van Bronkhurst goes to Chelsea in the summer, which left sided player will that free up down there ?,is YBR still looking?.

As Fred Quimby was wont to say "That`s all folks", (LR knows!)

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2001

Answers

I share your concern over the Caldwell bros, Buff, but I suspect we'll finish up with a rather different problem.
I feel sure BR will not want to come to depend on these two young 'uns just yet, despite their promise, and will sign at least one, and possibly two CB's before the start of next season.

This is likely to leave Steve C., in particular, a frustrated spectator for most of next season, with Gary C. hardly getting a loook in.

Like yourself, I think Steve needs to be gradually and carefully introduced during next season, with the younger brother Gary beginning to make the odd appearance towards the end of next season - he's about one season behind his big brother in terms of development, but looks as though he could be a really goood 'un.

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2001

That's good to hear Clarky. I was wondering about the young brother.

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2001

Chelsea have just bought Gronkjaer for about £7 million, (I think that was the price anyway) and he's a left winger so if they sign Van Bronkhorst it may be for a more central role or left back even?

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2001

As an experienced observer Clarky your answer reinforces my long held belief as to the main problem with our set up, ie A Team out on the Park Business Plan. Everyone on here is very adept at nominating individual players for buying, in their opinion to fill a perceived weakness in the team without looking at the overall picture . I hope next season Bobby has a plan in place and we stop all these knee jerk transfers , except in a emergency situation.

I quote the Caldwells hopefully as an example , mainly relying on reports from your good selves. Steve has played for the first 11, is physically strong and in his mind the hard work has been worthwhile he is with a big club, lot to learn , but he is backed by the staff and his country, Gary is a year behind in development,can see the future at Newcastle, good reports from staff,fans,also his country.

The club saturated with center backs sell four in a season ,have one injured (Dabs) and one Marcellino (personna non grata). The mainstay of the defence has been AAron Hughes who his country feels is a more accomplished full back and IMHO that he has at present not got the savvy to influence a youngster in his first season.

Okay Bobby would like to go with three at the back next year,now Hughes. Caldwell,and a experienced buy would look good to me, wait a mo, to play this we require to top of the range wing backs, does anyone out there think that Grffin and Quinn are the answer?, start the merry go round again. On the other hand Bobby feels happier with 4-4-2, close season he has already bought a experienced defender (1) my friend Clarky suggested maybe 2 . We now have the buy , Dabs and Hughes plus Steve Caldwell vying for two positions. The rotation system played by other clubs only seems to concern strikers mainly apart from Man U and Liverpool`s midfield . Does Dabs feel left out? or more probably does young Caldwell, who has learned his trade at the club,wants to play for the club, think sod this I want away to play regulary and get a full cap, as in the past Gazza/Waddler are we fattening them up for a quick profit? We will myself included carry on naming players from far flung reaches of the soccer world but until we can get a group of people willing to work together = = (team) using a pre -agreed plan as reference we are going nowhere, and that applies to the board , manager,coaching,staff ,players etc.

I am not sure if we work like that, sure as hell got to learn, to stop this we got you ten million, spend it,knowing the toon a faded South American with dubious qualifications , or a Frenchman from La Sagesse High School for Girls would be recruited and the like of Chopra and Offyong sold to Fulham the next week. I live in hope

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2001

I believe undoubtedly that Robson has that sort of plan in place. He has had so much fire fighting to do this season that he has been unable to really get a settled team together that gels.

Dabizas is the problem here. He is experienced and always gives his 100%, but I'm sure many of us are not 100% confident enough to say that he and Hughes will be the centre back pairing next season. So does Dabizas stay? He won't like being second fiddle, especially after being out of the game for so long.

I've never been that confident about him and his ability to command a defence in the way Adams, Stam or Hyppia do, for example.

The shapeless unbalanced midfield is more of a concern to me.

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2001

Debuilder, Midfield, concerned , yeah , we have done that one lately, but quote "more of a concern", this is what I am trying to get across, obviously not, I am concerned, the team, the whole team and nothing but the team , 75% of teams in the premier I can roughly work out what the manager is trying to achieve in terms of teamwork, shape, style of play, formation and back up, my own bliddy team and heart on heart I have not got a clue what the bleedin team policy is , go on give it a try , Curbishly at Charlton - easy , Harry at the Hammers- doddle, 10 year old kid could disect Reid at cough - splutter.and theres more, I have laboured this point for months, if Bobby has a set policy , for the future , please have a stab at it and let me know

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2001

I share you thoughts!

I've said a bit of this on the Transfer rumour thread which has turned to " we need a left winger"

The imbalance is ude to the dependance on Dyer and Solano. Now Dyer is out of the equation we do not have a midfielder to which we can say you have a free role. This is the opportunity to play a 4-4-2. Glass or even Bonvin should be on the left wing so that Solano and that left winger can stretch the defences out.

-- Anonymous, March 15, 2001