A very wise bloke on here put a plea out last week for all the like of Aaron Hughes, Fat Cat Freddy, Dabizas etc to refrain from making any “We are FAR better than Sunderland” comments in the lead up to the derby. Can’t remember who it was, but get a look at this little gem from the worlds very best, Craig Bellamy (From The Newcastle Journal)

"The difference between the two teams is that we have the better players and I don't think there's much doubt about that.”

Well hang that on the away team dressing room at SJP & thank you VERY much!

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

Answers

Discuss…? (Or is that too much to ask if I’ve started the thread vicars?)

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

Yup it's a stupid comment...however the day is early, i'm expecting more later :))

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

You're welcome. Be honest, do you think a stupid comment like that gives you any advantage at all? As if any of the 22 players will need any extra incentive to try and win the match.

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

I cringed when I read it this morning. Music to every mackem's ears. I remember Supermac saying something similarly daft before the '74 Cup Final ;( we never ever learn do we? That said, it'd be interesting to do a man for man comparison between the 2 sides - very little between them. If we had our full strength team available (and that's a massive IF) I'd reckon we'd edge it but seeing as we haven't had that luxury since before the first world war I'd say the mackems will have the stronger 11 on Sunday.

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

AARRGHHHH! NO!!!!

Poor dougal will not be happy :(

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

I dunno Geordie, she seems to be on different tablets these days cos her postings have definitely taking a turn for the upbeat....i'm the manic depressive around here these days ;))

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

You know, Barbara is absolutely right on this one.

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

Can't criticise Bellamy for telling the truth can we? :-)

I agree with Lynda on this - the players should all be psyched up to the max anyway. Dunno what on earth difference such a comment could make.

Good to see you in such civilised form Barbie! :-)

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

How about this for a man for man comparison?

Sorensen v Given = Sorensen Haas v Barton = Draw Gray v Quinn/Hughes = Gray Dabizas v Thome = Draw Craddock v O'Brien = Craddock Kilbane v Robert = Robert Lee v Schwarz = Draw McCann v Speed = Draw Hutchison v Solano = Draw Ameobi v Laslandes = Ameobi Phillips v Bellamy = NOT(Craig Bellamy)

I make it 4 Sunderlands, 5 dead-heats and 2 Newcastle and NB I have been very generous to your lot here. Of course, it's a derby and class counts for sod all but we've empirically disproved Professor Bellamy's theory QED.

ML3

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

Sorensen v Given = Sorensen (only on recent form, but we have Harper as well)
Haas v Barton = Draw. Haas v Griffin = Griffin
Gray v Quinn/Hughes = Gray (fair enough)
Dabizas v Thome = Draw
Craddock v O'Brien = Craddock. Craddock v Hughes = Hughes
Kilbane v Robert = Robert Lee v Schwarz = Draw. What about Acuna? McCann v Speed = Draw
Hutchison v Solano = Draw (You are joking aren't you?)
Ameobi v Laslandes = Ameobi
Phillips v Bellamy = NOT(Craig Bellamy)

Hmm..presumably you have deliberately avoided injured players so I won't mention Shearer, Dyer, Cort. And you wisely omit Robert, due to lack of equivalent. By the way, we normally play with 11 on the pitch. I suppose due to Sunderland's style, they have to plan for playing with less...

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

How about this for a man for man comparison? Sorensen v Given = Draw; Haas v Barton = Haas; Gray v Quinn/Hughes = Gray; Dabizas v Thome = Draw; Craddock v O'Brien = Draw; Kilbane v Robert = Robert; Lee v Schwarz = Schwarz; McCann v Speed = McCann; Hutchison v Solano = Draw; Ameobi v Laslandes = Ameobi; Phillips v Bellamy = Phillips

But as you well know 'better' players don't make winning sides, otherwise you lot wouldn't have won at Newcastle for two years :0)

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

Oops. Can I retract. I've just realised how you've formatted it. Holidays turn your brain to jelly.

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

Ill have a go, (picking the teams that will probably play on Sunday 4- 4-2)

Sorenson V Given = Sorenson Haas V Griffin = Griffin Thome V Hughes = Hughes Craddock v Dabizas = Craddock Gray V Elliot = Gray Hutch V Solano = Draw McCann V Speed = McCann Schwarz V Lee = Draw Kilbane V Robert = Robert Laslandes V Ameobi = Draw Philiips V Bellamy = Phillips

I make it 5/3 to us, and to be fair, Arca would push Robert for a draw & as the season ticks on, i can see Haas & Laslandes beating Griffin & Ameobi

Id say we have a much better team infact Mr Bellamy. Sorry!

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

What about the injured players??? Carl Cort on crutches vs Niall Quinn not on crutches = Quinn of course.;o)

As for Aarson Square-un being better than Thome or Craddock, one of THE meanest centre back pairings in the premiership...LOL :oD

MacBeth, Conan and me are the only ones taking this seriously. :o>

ml

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

PS That's Aaron Square-un. Freudian slip.

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

HAHAHA Barb Lillian Laslandes was branded an Alcoholic by his own fans at bordeaux, hell fit in well with the rest of the p*** heads in Blunderland, Hes not got magic feet hes just Pi***d.

And this is what his home crowd thought of Bernt Haas. (get a translator haha) 1. Kartoffeln (Bintje oder Charlotte) am Vortag in der Schale kochen

2. Bratbutter verwenden, ja keine frische Butter!

3. Die geraffelten oder gescheibelten Kartoffeln nur einmal mit Salz und der Butter in der Pfanne durchrühren; nicht zu viel herumstochern

4. Mit der Bratschaufel zu einem Kuchen zusammendrücken, kurz anbraten, mit einem passenden Teller oder Deckel zudecken und zwar so, dass kein grosser Hohlraum entsteht; die Temperatur senken und langsam weiterbraten

5. Sind die Kartoffeln trocken, etwas mehr Butter verwenden und vor dem Zudecken mit wenig Milch beträufeln

Marianne Kaltenbach, Kochbuchautorin, Luzern

Ken

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

Sorenson isn't that great. Only better than average I would think. Solano is a much better player than Hutchison. Much of a muchness anywhere else.

Different if Dyer was in there, class above everyone else on the pitch.

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

Kennyboy - you can take any number of out of context quotes from boo- boys to prove a point. Laslandes was the scape-goat for Bordeaux's poor season last year - there are plenty of positive quotes about him from sensible supporters in this month's ALS. I would quote you a few, but I won't because it would just be out of context.

His French Div 1 record speaks for itself: 239 matches, 94 goals. He hasn't completely blown me away with his skill so far, but he has shown definite signs of class...

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

You can only play one right winger Lynda, now what?

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

Scape goat eh!!! ours is ussually Barton but thats cos he's sh1t..........

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

i thought you could also play your left winger out of position on the right if you wished ?

We don't really know what Dyer's best position is, source of much discussion on here over the summer. Apparently he doesn't know what th ebest position is and often has to video his various attempts to try and analyse which comes out best

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

Yet only last year he should have been playing for England. This football's a fickle game you know.

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

Who BARTON hahahahahahahahaha now i know your a makem!!!!!

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

Don't be soft - why would a mackem want a mag to play for England? It was your lot that were saying as much.

Definitely a case of heart ruling head in this one doctor...:OD

ml

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

I think Barbarian's analysis is closest to that of my own....I'd argue the Solano V Hutch one mind...there's no doubt Hutch has got more bottle but Solano is a much more creative player.....I'd got for an edge on Solano on that one....still brings it out 5/4 in their favour mind...

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

So what do we expect Bellyboy to say? "We're worse than Sunderland"? Yes, mebbes he should have kept his gob shut, but once it was open, you might as well tell the truth ;-))

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

My first thought was "Craig Bellamy: f*cking idiot". Do members of our own team really have to go writing Peter Reid's team talks for him?

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

Barbarian - I think we could put Dyer in behind the strikers, free role blah blah.

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

that means youd be playing 3-5-2 which is shit and solano couldnt play in a 3-5-2 anyway. now what?!

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

What`s all this one to one with the Mackem and Tackems , correct me if I am wrong but football is still a team game ain`t it , prepare as a team, play as a team , have team spirit in abundance , follow your managers instructions commonly known as team tactics , get this near enough correct and you may have a team that will get a result. Fact is of late Sunlun to the causal observer are applying the basic formula better than Newcastle , one to one comparisions are silly,lets leave that to the sports journo`s.

To prove the above , how about this , Craig Brown named his squad today to face Croatia and Belgium in two vital World Cup games to be played. His attackers consist of Billy Dodds (5th choice at Gers, no games played), Paul Dickov (not on the bench at Man City). Scot Booth, ok playing well for Twente enschede they tell me), Kevin Gallagher, remember him, 3 months loan at Preston , reported to be having a great influence in the dressin room, Steve Crawford (ask Mac) and last but not least, the red and white who bleeds black n white, until he put

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

What`s all this one to one with the Mackem and Tackems , correct me if I am wrong but football is still a team game ain`t it , prepare as a team, play as a team , have team spirit in abundance , follow your managers instructions commonly known as team tactics , get this near enough correct and you may have a team that will get a result. Fact is of late Sunlun to the causal observer are applying the basic formula better than Newcastle , one to one comparisions are silly,lets leave that to the sports journo`s.

To prove the above , how about this , Craig Brown named his squad today to face Croatia and Belgium in two vital World Cup games to be played. His attackers consist of Billy Dodds (5th choice at Gers, no games played), Paul Dickov (not on the bench at Man City). Scot Booth, ok playing well for Twente enschede they tell me), Kevin Gallagher, remember him, 3 months loan at Preston , reported to be having a great influence in the dressin room, Steve Crawford (ask Mac) and last but not least, the red and white who bleeds black n white, until he puts the dark blue on , yes Donald me man from Sunlun whom wee Craigie rates as his no 1 attacker.

Moral being if Brown had ever compared man to man and broadcast it, do you think Scotland would ever win a game,sees the weaknesses,plays to the strengths,gets results , why? how?, bliddy teamwork that`s how *****Surprised he has not been down to see the reserves , might have got young Colin McMemain in squad,not feared to play Caldwell tho

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001

Agreed Buff - in one-off games one to ones are meaningless - they will only make a difference over a season. Otherwise, how come West Ham put the Mancs out of the Cup last year? How come Livingstone have drawn with Celtic and Rangers already this season? How come Fulham beat the Makems ..... oops sorry - blown me argument up there!! ;-)

-- Anonymous, August 24, 2001