and therefore clueless but can one of you blokes explain to me the difference between the "beguiling pace" of Michael Owen that underlines Liverpool's "tremendous" counter-attacking style and the "woeful variation on route one football" underlined by Craig Bellamy's pace? Just wondering as the men of the press seem to think there's a difference.

-- Anonymous, October 29, 2001

Answers

Anti-Toon Press?

-- Anonymous, October 29, 2001

FINISHING !!!

-- Anonymous, October 29, 2001

I guess we will have to buy Bellamy a Finishing Rod!

Although I think that Bellamy has a better first touch. When YMO receives the ball with his back to the goal he is lucky if it stays withing 6 foot of him!

Some of my passes do not go that far.

-- Anonymous, October 29, 2001

I've seen on more than occasion a through ball hit the oh-so-genteel YMO on the heels and f**k it up. Bellamy just can't do one-on-ones...bit keener on the group scoring thing. If he can learn to beat the keeper he'll make magic. Piff-paff-poof! (as the Great Suprendo used to say)

-- Anonymous, October 29, 2001

PLUS Bellamy has TWO feet as opposed to MO who has to twist his body around to get the ball on his right.

Pah!!! Sick of the press and their bias. Where did you read this Dougal? We've had some terrible write ups in the weekends press, I had to keep remeinding myself we won 3-1.

-- Anonymous, October 29, 2001

go and watch Beardsley's goal from 1983 on NUFC.COM today, an afternoon of sheer joy

-- Anonymous, October 29, 2001

I gauged it less as a comment on the respective skills of Bellamy and Owen as on Liverpool's smash and grab counter-attacking game and ours...I just wondered why it is acceptable for teams to have 5% of the possession and go away with "three well-deserved points" from SJP, while we are "mediocre bordering on wretched" when we do the same thing.

-- Anonymous, October 29, 2001

To be fair Dougal (as Beardo would say) I think Bellamy has surprised a lot of people this season, including the press, and as far as I can tell he's recieved some fairly glowing praise from all quarters in the past few weeks. I take your point re the anti-toon stuff though, I don't think we're alone with these thoughts though, speak to any fan who doesn't support Man U, the Arse, Liverpool or Leeds and you'll hear a similar story. If any of these teams is playing on a Saturday you can guarantee they'll be main game on ITV's Premiership.

That said, with our TV record maybe that's no bad thing.

-- Anonymous, October 29, 2001

Add Spurs to you list Dave, they are the media's favourite underdogs this season, especially since Fulham's burst into Premiership football failed to materialise

-- Anonymous, October 29, 2001

Why is no one going on about Ipswich's failure to recreate last season's glory?

-- Anonymous, October 29, 2001

Probably because it is so predictable. Can you really say that you're surprised that Ipswich have gone bollocks down (ie tits up) regarding footballing matters?

-- Anonymous, October 29, 2001

Dear Dougal,

Its generally a good sign when the press anti-NUFC gets shrill. If we are middle of the league and going no where then we get the "Ipswich" treatment, i.e., ignored. Now it seems we have improved to the point where we might not go away - and that's a worry for the press. Generally (with the KK kamakazi type football excepted) we do not generate a secondary market for newspapers. The people who support NUFC are very much Geordies. So, imagine if we won a lot (YES, IMAGINE) then they'd all be putting their pencils in their ears. WE are also despised as an "old-fashioned" team, i.e., hords of local supporters. It worries them ... thank goodness!

-- Anonymous, October 29, 2001

let's just quietly go about our business of winning games and let the media lok after themselves or their favourite underdogs or whoever.

The 'press'-ure is off.

suits me.

-- Anonymous, October 30, 2001

DOUGAL

I didn't knaarr you were a bird like.....

-- Anonymous, October 30, 2001