Paphos People

I am going for top 6, with an outside chance of the Champions League Qualifiers. OOpppps better have another pint of Keo!

It'll be just like last time we got promoted surely - top 3 finish nailed on!

I was reading this morning that Ipswich want Michael Chopra and QPR want Darren Ambrose and I thought to myself that it was a sign of the progress made at the SportsDirect.cOM Arena, that your ex players are now out of your reach.
You couldn't bid for them !
Gary

Can't imagine why we would we want Chopra or Ambrose?

Sensible spending is the way forward these days - think we're all just going to have to get used to it.

They would both get in your team !
Gary

They would be in our squad currently, certainly, but just wait until you see all our new summer signings....

You know, I just can't wait !
Gary

It's looking like it might be long wait!



We're obviously just waiting to see who does well at the World Cup, so we can pick up the cream of the crop....

Newcastle Who ?

Interesting. Cheered me up anyway.
http://www.nufcblog.org/2010/06/newcast ... ames-park/
Gary

It's been used as security against the overdraft - no big deal IMO.

Ha Ha Ha, you owe money left right and centre.
You better pray your players do it on the pitch or you've had it.
Gary

I see Andy The Hit Man Carroll has pleaded Not Guilty to the alleged glassing and his trial is set for this October. If found guilty he could go down 3 times in 12 months !!!!!
Gary

If Andy says he's not guilty then I believe him.

Let's start a "Caroll is Innocent" Campaign! It is obvious the guy walked into the glass which was being held by Wor Andy and it was lucky Andy did not get injured (again).

PS what was he doing in the Bigg Market anyway (Andy that is).

You could get Joey Barton to go round the bars with a petition.
Gary

Poor attempt by discopants to deflect attention from the fact that the mackems were the dirtiest team in the league by a massive margin last season.

Dirty mackems.

Yes well at least the dirty Mackems were not running around public highways and public houses assaulting all and sundry and I can't remember the last time Cana or Cattermole used a glass on anyone.
So stick that where the sun don't shine.
Gary

Allegedly, Gary, allegedly. Don't want AC's lawyers onto us now do we!

Read it again, there's nowt there to worry about.
Gary

Yeah, well - I bet you wouldn't say it to his face!

You obviously don't know me.
If he set his lip up I'd pull his hair and mess it up and he'd burst into tears.
Then again, I could tell him I'm a Mackem and he'd run away as all geordies do.
Gary

Craig Gordon out for at least 3 months with a broken arm. I suspect someone has rushed him back following the removal of the steel plate from his arm.
In fact I am beginning to suspect there is some thing wrong with our medical staff with the number of players who return from injury too soon.
So you may have that advantage by the time we play you lot.

I'm honestly finding it tricky to muster any enthusiasm for the new season - still in World Cup mode I think!

I'm getting nervous, it's only 3 months till we meet.
Gary

I've heard we are signing Titus Bramble.
Please Lord.....No.
Gary

I know Martin is due back and will be full of doom and gloom so here is a little reminder of what it used to be like, a bit of an appreciation of Alan Shearer, before your next season in the Premier starts.............
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7aYnISPyQk
Just to cheer you up Martin, it can't be as bad as this !
Don't miss the end !
Gary

I'm still not massively optimistic for the new season, and honestly think we'll do very well to avoid relegation with the current squad, but don't worry, for the purposes of this thread I'll continue to be the deluded arrogant mag you expect me to be!


By the way, I remember a chant used to be heard in St James a few years back - "We've got Titus Bramble, he's better than Sol Campbell"

He wasn't.

Happy to finish 4th botto and to get 4 points off the mackems.

Martin back tomorrow the 2nd - see you soon for the Toon games!

I think it's nice of Martin to pay homage ( via his avatar) to the geordie who took the geordies down.
Well Done,
Gary

Glad you've made it back - think Joe was starting to worry about his dog-sitting requirements!

Seriously, I don't dare change it - my avatar pictures since this forum started have been:

Big Sam
Keegan
Oba Martins
Shearer

And they've all left shortly afterwards - it's like I'm cursing them!

I'd have thought you would have had Mike Ashley up then and what's this from Roger, only 4 points off us ?
You are slipping.
Gary

Can't bring myself to do it - the urge to punch the screen would be too much!

Why ?
He's your saviour isn't he ?
He's just sanctioned the signing of Sol hasn't he ?
Without him you'd really be in it !
Gary

First silverware of the season in the bag!



How cool is that trophy??

That's 2 trophies in 4 months for Chris Hughton - on his way to being our most successful manager ever!

That's a big naff trophy, but I'm sure there's plenty of space for it in your trophy room !
Gary

It's OK to admit you're jealous of the trophy - I would be!

Yes Discopants only 4 points this year from the Mackems as we are feeling our way into the Premiership.

Martin what a lovely Cup - when did the Dark Side win one?

Meeting up Saturday for the game?

Have to admit this has totally passed me by - didn't realise it was on the telly!

Where you watching it?

Yes with Jo in Julies - not too bad but weak up front so I think we may have some problems coming to us (if you know what I mean).

Staying at Jo and Helen's from Sunday for next two weeks looking after the Baby. Where are you going for the Man U game as I would like to meet up. Give me a ring (or I will ring you) 99157175

How is my old mate Discopant doing? Roll on the 31/10 (two days after my Birthday) when we get the first 3 of our 4 points from the Mackems. Nice to see thay have made space for Darren Bent in the England team by sacking all the other Strikers!

After a couple of days with Shay I reckon you'll be too knackered to come to the pub!

Think we're going to wander down to the Stone House for this one - will probably be in quite early as will need a few beers to be able to sit through what Man Utd are going to do to us.....

I expect a good performanc e and a point, so do not share your pessimism!

See you at the Stone House. I will get there circa 9'ish - keep me a seat!

I'm liking the positive thinking - not sure how it'll work without the natural counterbalance of Joe's crushing negativity though!

Kenwyne Jones off to Stoke??

Is this a sign of the owners getting sick of shelling out loads of money for no return and tightening the purse strings....

I don't know the reasoning behind it and find it a bit odd. We'll have to see what developes, your theory might be right. If it is well we are not the only club being careful these days.
Reading between the lines I think Bruce has lost patience with him cos on his day he is brilliant but he only has his day 2 or 3 times a season.
He has been useless in pre season and was given stick last week in Germany.
I thought we would get more than 8m for him mind. He might well do a great job for Stoke and may suit their style of football.
To try and be posistive and to bring you up to date we have signed Simon Mignolet from Belguim, a goalie who looks like he'll get first team action quicker than he expected, Angeleri, a right back from Estudiantes, Al Muhamadi an Egyptian right sided player, Titus Shambles, John Mensah, Cristian Riveros from Paraguay and Onuora from Man Citeh and all for a cost of 4.5 million.
We have sold Cana,Jones, Murphy and Fulop for 15.25 million.
Gary

It's a strange one - be interesting to see if he gets the rest of that money to spend...you're more vulnerable than ever to an injury to Darren Bent!

Doesn't take long to summarise our summer dealings:

Dan Gosling (Free, injured until next year)
Sol Campbell (Free, not fit)
James Perch (1 million, not very good)

There's been talk of Hatem Ben Arfa joining, but that would be an absolutely fantastic signing so won't happen.

It's going to be a looooong hard season....

Well I'm just going out the door on my way to The Stadium of Light.
Meeting up with friends in The Fort then a swift one in the ground then a home win I hope.
Haway ! Haway ! Haway !

Well we had a good day out at the match, met up with friends we haven't seen since May.
Got to the ground and found that the club have reduced the prices for pints and pies............... yes really !
I'll be honest, I feel gutted to have lost a two goal lead but also I am worried after that performance which some Mackems are really pleased with, I am not one of them.
Cattermole didn't deserve to be sent off. Both his tackles didn't warrant the yellow card but having said that he is a liability and I don't know what Bruce is thinking of making him Captain.
I believe he now misses 3 games !!!
Our forwards were powder puff.
John Mensah was like a rock. He really is a world class defender. Titus was pretty good too. Onuoha at right back I'll tell you I wouldn't like to go into a tackle with him what a monster.
The Egyptian Beckham was good in the air but I have my doubts.
Our young goalie was the weak link, glued to his line all afternoon and could have done better with both goals.
Bruce's ability to fix problems has always bugged me and again today when we were under the cosh with 6ft7" Zilic on he replaced a forward with a forward when we had 10 mins left and Paulo Da Silva, one of the best defenders at the World Cup sitting on the bench.
Needless to say they equalised.
My worry was that our midfield didn't do the biz and our forwards were in effective.
Miss Kenwyne ? Yes.
Am off to WBA next week, here's hoping.
Gary
PS Ben Arfa is in Newcastle for definate. Looks like you'll get him.