Blog on the Tyne at the match

it has got so bad i have actually got a bet on city tonight, mearly so i can have a form of compensation when we loose.

BrandonBlock city are sh!te man no better than us, they got humped off forest 3-0 and thats even worse than our 3-0 humping off blackburn and much worse than the hammering we got off liverpool.
so i hope you loose all your money for being
a defeatist.
"when" eeeee here man! them vibes spread and it doesnt help matters 1 bit so packitin will yi.
and while im at it,
the lads lucky enough to be going to the match tonight, nee booing ANYBODY in black n white eh? we all know zogs a d!ck but he still our player, by all means boo him when he's p!ssed off but he is still wearing our shirt remember that.

alreet man TERRY its not groundhog day kidda ;-)

What can you say? City have spent a shedload and are poor beyond belief but they still beat us. Barton was given the most important role in the game and he didn't show. If Jonas was fit enough to come on after 20-odd minutes, then he should've been on from the start and Coloccini should've been benched or in defence. As for bringing on Lua-Lua when he did... Well, kind of sums up JFK, doesn't it. Clueless - like his lord and master.

what a terrible 1st half against man city.not a lot better in 2nd.has J.K lost the plot with his selections geremi slower than me at 68. colocinni midfield? like a fish out of water.jonas appears as if he is just going through the motions.duff should have scored in 2nd half but duffed the last part of a good attack.barton should be captain unless he is on way out also gives his all.got to beat the makkems this week or it championship football next year.what a big loss beye has been.howay the lads show some guts

bonnielad's right, he's just said what I've been saying for weeks - the start of this plummet came when Habib Beye was injured. It's not rocket science from where I'm sitting that he was the leader of the back four and it was with him that we had our best defensive spell for ages.

Speaking of injuries, Sky Sports are saying that Barton's out for 10 weeks, Owen for six. That leaves us with defenders in midfield and midfielders up front...

ahem....SAVIOLA....ahem.

Barton gives his all? You think so? He was terrible.

Saviola can stay put for all I care - we need proven pl-players, not has-beens looking to revive their careers...Saviola might still be able to perform, but mind you, he's always played for teams with a star-XI who play possession-football...not a free-fallin', dicouraged squad that gets beaten week in week out. He's a mood-player that will inevitably struggle in any other team than the big 4. Rather spend the money letting everyone into SJP for free - Ashley owe's it to the fans, and the team could use the backing...

F...ing captcha!

No doubt we will hear the usual bleating about injuries. The balance of the squad is nowhere near being addressed. Last night we finished with 3 left wingers on the field a centre half playing central midfield no recognised right back and a rookie centre forward as the only recognised strker in sight.Wise and co have now had 2 whole transfer windows to put this right and failed miserably.We even hear talk of signing a replacement for Shay when the only good thing to come out of this should be that Harper is recognised for what he has been for ages -Ix6 Englands best keeper, and we have 2 good young uns for back up

The really sad thing is - on the strength of the matches this year - the Championship would be too much for us. Many of those teams are not far off PL quality - and lets face it - if we struggle against Hull, Fulham, Stoke and the mediocre sides of the PL - then the same will also be true in next years lower league. And I can see the same old emotions this year carrying over to next - only a little more desperate - and a little more frantic - and a whole lot more depressing.
This team has a losing habit, the club has a losing habit - and is unable to break it.
I've supported this team with my heart and souls through four decades - four cup finals - and all I got was a lousy goal from Alan Gowling. No woman ever broke my heart or hopes like this club.
I am dreading the week-end - I couldnt bear losing to them again this season.

jokin ear said it all on Sky TV insomnia instead of N'Zogbia!

Dave B - you have a fair point. During the heady days of "the entertainers" - I was working in HOng Kong - and was appalled a the amount of local people who were wearing toon kit, numbers and names on the back and everything.
If I am honest - I resented this kind of thing - "where were they" i thought to myself "when the cages wenbt rount SJP". "How heartbroken were they when KK hammered two past us in '74" - how dare these people wear my shirt without the requisite generations of suffering.
How I miss those days now !!!!!!!

There have been any umber of games when we've been up against opposition (Fulham, Wigan spring to mind)in a similar position where we resolutely refused to attack until it was too late - and last night was another example. Jonas and Charlie playing more in defence and Guthrie virtually shadowing Butt. Granted, we're weak in the centre of midfield (sold have sold Barton to Portsmouth!), but Kinnear's tactically inept.

why dont you expose this lying irish bastard

I am completely depressed. I am by nature a fairly optimistic person but the only lingering hope that I'm left to cling to is that there are three teams in this league worse than us to cushen us from a mighty fall? I think the teams immediately above us, Pompey, Bolton & Spurs have enough in terms of battling prowess, skill & buying power, but as for the teams below us? Blackburn 7 games unbeaten and a great response last night coming back from 2 goals down, fighting spirit, creating chances and plenty fit quality strikers - they'll be safe. Boro and Stoke well I see big problems for both sides, not enough quality, not enough strength in depth I think they may be down and I think our future is in the hands of Tony Mowbray & West Brom, he's signed some decent strikers, they play for him and each other, they play good football and they're starting to put a good run together (baring the obvious Manure result)......have I just talked us into relegation?? I find it hard to see us coming out of it. Yes we are ravaged with injuries, but the squad has always been light, what the hell was the point behind Ashley being at last nights game, allegedly he was there to check on our status, to see 1st hand what needed to be done....too bl**dy late fella! We are clueless on the pitch, we are leaderless off it, all we here is outright lies or pitiful excuses, what we get to watch are players not even going through the motion of going through the motion, heartless, souless, brainless. I hate to say it lads but I look down the road with some envy, a board with vision and direction, a manager that appears to have the belief and backing of his players, a team who play for each other, a few creative energetic midfielders (Malbranque) and a pair of quality strikers the best of which has so much faith in the club he has just committed himself for another 4 years, and win, lose or draw they go out and give their all.....sounds like a dream to me, the only p*sser is it bl**dy Sunderland...the season gets worse. Still, I'm optimistic by nature.....you never know?

I reckon Calderwood has been brought in as Ashley is thinking JFK is about to walk. The cheapest of the cheapest, even the Faroes wouldn't offer him a job. JFK says he's having trouble signing anyone because clubs don't want to sell this late in the window - but he's known since October where we need to strengthen - we should have been buying on Jan 1st, not 31st - the club is managed by amateurs.

Lee its as simple as this, if we fail to pick up sick points in the next 2 games which is'nt likely we WILL be relegated. Take a look at the fixtures and start adding the points up you think we will achieve? Even thro' black and white eyes we look done for. Ashley and his men are at fault, they did not listen to KK because they thought Dennis Wise Knew better and they are not listening to JK. Their lack of action speaks volumes. I will be taking my boots on Sunday looks like I could get a game.

RELTON, what a load of garbage!

Would you believe it, the joker is still claiming the disaster that is toon is NOT ASHLEYS FAULT.

I hate to be defeatist but I would be amazed if we manage to win any of our remaining games now and if we dont finish rock bottom! Most teams down there at least have a fighting chance at this stage but fight is something this squad is sorely lacking and theres certainly a shortage of skill to make up for that! We look extremely weak compared to most teams and the midfield is consistently overwhelmed which just pressurises the back 4. Ive said it time and again, a battling centre forward (amongst other things!) is required when youre struggling like this and nearly every other basement club has one which at least gives em a punchers chance. Ok we have Carroll but he's not experienced enough and we cant expect him to do much at this stage. Im sure many fans would have a good chuckle at the idea of having a Jason Roberts type player but he's the type Im on about, puts himself about and grabbed 2 unfussy goals against us t'other week. Its not long ago that Champ Manager fantasists were on here suggesting we buy players like Van der Vaart and Arshavin. Ridiculous wishful thinking! Right now Id settle for any old clogger up-front who can get into the centre backs and put his foot thru the ball. Owen has looked lost for the duration he has been here, when fit he's clinical and would be the cherry on top of the cake for a team playing great football. Alas we do not have anywhere near the quality to guarantee him service, Viduka probs the only player who could adequately partner him and we havent had enough creativity going forward since the days of Robert and Solano to provide the desired service. Milner and Zog? Nee end product!
This is all stating the obvious but the squad should have been toughened up ages ago, instead of relying on flaky wannabees who have proved little (Zog...) Look at Everton. Not pretty much of the time but never pushovers and with an artist at the heart of it all - Arteta - surrounded by artisans. And of course Cahill. And how much were those 2? Neewhere near the arbitrary £6-10m we have habitually spent on non-entities! Anyway...

Zogs now refusing to play for us again while JK is here. A good solution is to send both of them on their way. I'm fed up of him moaning and trying to engineer a move away. Jk probably said a naughty word to him during training which he didnt like.

If he does go we must get a replacement in before hand. I agree with Restless Native, nolan would be a good signing. He has lots of experience dodging relegation and usually seems up for the fight. We need more than just him though. We are now haggling over £500k for ebondo (whatever he's called) or the deal could collapse. Just pay it!!!!

geremi is garbage