The next few weeks will be very important to Newcastle," Lee added. "They play Arsenal and Liverpool away but if they come through those games unscathed, they have a wonderful chance to win the title. "Their fans like to watch good attacking and flowing football and they don't really tolerate 1-0 wins. But, at this stage of the season, winning is the important thing."

I wish people would stop saying we don't tolerate 1-0 wins. When will someone understand that we just don't do 1-0 well and without heart attacks all round. Mark Lawrenson is always saying this, too.

-- Anonymous, February 27, 2002

Answers

God I know it annoys me too! It's one of those Toon myths' such as ' we'd prefer to lose 4-3 than win 1-0!!!!!!!!!! Has anyone ever said that? Or that we can't defend. Or that we never had any fans until KK was the manager............etc

-- Anonymous, February 27, 2002

That's the point though isn't it....we don't do 1-0 very well so we aren't happy until we're 3-0 up? I know it's definitely true of me!

-- Anonymous, February 27, 2002

I think we were all happy with 1-0 on Sunday? :-)

-- Anonymous, February 27, 2002

3-0 would've been nicer still :-)

-- Anonymous, February 27, 2002

it comes from years of having stronger attackers than defenders, if we try and defend then we are depending on the weakest link, we're far happier playing in the opposition half of the field.

I'd love to win the next 14 games in a blur of magnificent football, but I'd take 14 1-0 wins as well. We've reached the point where every game is a cup tie and it's the result what matters, not the performance. Footballing wise we probably won't match the Villa or Leeds at home, but I'd take Derby performances and 1-0 wins with great satisfaction.

-- Anonymous, February 27, 2002

I'm only ever happy with 1-0 wins after the whistle has gone....

-- Anonymous, February 27, 2002

so you can rush back to your half empty pint ?

-- Anonymous, February 27, 2002

Exactly! god i'm missing that half empty pint at the moment ;))

-- Anonymous, February 27, 2002

What pisses me off is that people say we won't tolerate them. Any fan would prefer a 5-0 to a 1-0 anyway, but we just don't do 1-0 very well. If we had Liverpool's back four, we might be happier with trying to defend a 1-0 lead but as things are, we need to be about 3 up before I can relax.

-- Anonymous, February 27, 2002

How's Lee doing at Derby, Barton n'all come to that?

-- Anonymous, February 27, 2002

Barton keeps getting named Man of The Match and appears to be attracting a lot of praise. It seems to be going a bit less convincingly for Rob Lee who got a lot of 5/10s from the Sundays on the weekend.

-- Anonymous, February 27, 2002

one thing we'll NEVER be accused of... playing for a draw....not in our nature! Seriously though 1-0's require extreme prejudice in midfield to defend at all costs...not that I see Lolo or Nobby as poor defenders... just not the meat and potatoes needed for such a job. We have tried that before and failed miserably. Stick with the gameplan I say.

-- Anonymous, February 27, 2002

I "tolerate" 1-0 wins, but I'd rather have a 4-3 win.

If we get a 1-0 it means something is wrong up front as we nearly always create chances (obviously there are exceptions).

Of course 1-0 wins are NEVER preferable to a 4-3 defeat. Why would you want 3 points when you can have none?

-- Anonymous, February 27, 2002