[pig]

Originally Posted by zokka

Newcastle have great outside UK support, most likely cos of Kevin Keegan

Ah yes, I think the moment Kevin Keegan came out with the "We are everyones second team" I wanted to throw up.

I never really thought of Aston villa as a big club but apparently they 4th most successfully club in England.

Don't worry. I don't think Newcastle are a big club. A club with an ego? Yes. A club who think they are better than they are? Yes. A club who live in the clouds? Yes. No one mention the 80s to Newcastle fans.

Sunderland. Now they are a big club. They don't shout about how great they are. They are humble. And in all honesty they have just as many supporters. Just because half of devon don't support them on Sky tv doesn't mean they are not a big club. (Of course I am baiting you, but there are some things that I have put down which is truthful.)

But having said that pig are you really happy with Villa's 11th place Newcastle finish 13th with the worst injury criss ever and the manger goes. Whilst Martin O'Neil is proclaimed the best thing since sliced bread.
I'm not bating you or anything pig I highly rate him too and was so disappointed when i heard he was turned down for the England job!

Let me see Aston Villa (as many posters have pointed out) haven't finished anything higher than 6th in the last ten years. We were almost relegated last season. We have one of the smallest squads in the premiership. And for a large part of the season we have been playing with half of our youth squad.

At the start of the season we went 11 games unbeaten, end of the season we went xyz games unbeaten it was in the middle that let us down. If we would have sorted the middle part out, forget uefa cup, we would have been looking at Champions League. The failures in the middle part of the season (November to February, Villa didn't play a league game in March) was down to a lack of strikers.

We lost Luke Moore which was a big hit for us. We were playing 4-3-3, and had to switch 4-2-2. We lost speed and width. When we started losing, and drawing it hit many of the young lads hard. Very hard. We had a weak strike force. A mis firing Baros and Angel. Chris "I have an injury" Sutton and Our Academy graduate, gabby Agbonlahor. Incidentally Gabriel Agbonlahor played every minute of every game bar 2 I believe (Substituted at Reading, rested at another.)

Baros was sold in January, Carew was brought in. Young was brought in. But confidence was still low. We started to play well, but we just couldn't win. Newcastle was a prime example. We went up there and lost 3-1 even though we were a better team on the night. Bolton at home, we outplayed them for 89 minutes. We drew. We weren't playing bad football. Only a couple of games I can truly say we played badly, it was against Liverpool at home (0-0). We gave the big guns a run out. Chelsea didn't beat us in the league. Arsenal we held at the emirates and in the second half we certainly played better than them at home.

In fact we played well.

O'Neill is still putting his stamp on the team. He inherited a poor team and turned it from one which finished 16th to one which finished 11th (and not all to far off top 6 either).

So yes I am happy that we finished 11th. Especially if you look at the players Newcastle have. You also have the best support in the world right? If Carlsberg were a football team they would probably be Newcastle.

Big Sam spend next to nothing at Bolton so i dunno where the impression splash the cash came from?

Did you not read my post.

Wages. Wages. Wages.

He brings in mercenaries, close to end of their tethar and pays them a shitload to play for him. Other than Anelka (who was still a bargain, which indicates he probably gave the young man a shitload a week) the Botlon squad was built up of players who were good for a couple of seasons but picked up a nice bumper wage before ****ing off to the MLS.

Newcastle will suit him though. Am I reet? Dyer on £80,000 a week. Owen on £110,000 a week. Jesus Newcastle are a joke. Paying players like that, that kind of money.

No one goes to Newcastle for the stadium and fans. Wake up and smell the coffee. They go because they are being paid a shitload.

P.S someone tell Big Sam he can spend some money if he wants to
Ok lets try to get back to the purpose of the thread.

I'm actually more excited about Mark Viduka than Joey Barton i rate Viduka very highly and he is a proven player and i'm still worried about Owen. Also can you guys tell me what you think of Tal Ben Haim? As i know nought about any football club outside of Newcastle

That's the one. Buy a 31 year old. He will have a good season or two in him. Really forward thinking stuff Newcastle.

Newcastle should stop looking at these one season wonders and build a team of young, hungry players. Barton, if he is managed, the arrogant little shit will be a wonder for Newcastle and will give you some much needed bite which you miss at the moment.

Ben Haim is a pretty sold defender. Decent in the air, fairly versatile, can chop down his man. Nothing special, but there are few special defenders in the game.

If you were going to sign a Central Defender, I would much rather sign Curtis Davies who is shit hot. You won't go wrong signing Villas Liam Ridgwell either, he is a good, young defender who has a head for goal.