Carroll nervous. Shearer pessimistic.

72 Responses

1. Grrrr hate these dongles Grrrrr

   Agent Andy should be welcomed – I’m sure he’ll miss from 3 yards just like he did at Anfield….

   “Hen-Ricky” as Sir Bobby Moncur calls him – on the other hand, should get the full treatment…..

   Now – getting big Andy back – think they’ll accept Leon Best plus a book (full) of green shield stamps?

2. “They’ve played football, they’ve scored goals…”

   Nee shite, Big Al. It takes almost superhuman levels of insight and eloquence to be a pundit nowadays.

3. Won’t have a word said against Sir Alan….turned down the Media’s “United Babes” to play for the real UNITED, his United….

   Sweated blood for the cause, scored some great goals….

   A Geordie Knight and a great United Legend

   Are you a secret Scumchester Fsn Worky??

4. UTD111 says:
   March 28, 2012 at 9:30 pm

   “Won’t have a word said against Sir Alan….turned down the Media’s “United Babes” to play for the real UNITED, his United….”

   Nothing against Big Al, but that’s a Geordie mythological tale, UTD111. Jack Walker wouldn’t sell him, couldn’t sell him, to Manchester United. Unlike our current owner, Walker was a proper Blackburn gadgie, and much loved by Blackburn fans for obvious reasons. Nonetheless, if he’d sold him to Manchester he may have been strung up from a lamp post. It would have been like Freddy Shepherd selling him to Sunderland!

5. what u doing up the cheviots united111? you looking for a better satelite signal for the match on Saturday?

6. Stephen C says:
   March 28, 2012 at 10:12 pm

   “what u doing up the cheviots united111? you looking for a better satelite signal for the match on Saturday?”

   I think being stuck up the Cheviots with a dodgy dongle is some kind of euphemism, Stephen. Best not to pry ;-)

7. Hope his hair Explodes.

8. or maybe he is just pointing his I.P. address there to fool the authorities.

9. Any news on Marveaux? Must be back soon – would AP play him with Cisse, Ba & HBA? What a thought!

10. SJT – head or pubic?

11. sirjasontoon says:
    March 28, 2012 at 10:47 pm
    Hope his hair Explodes.

    that is an absolute disgusting thing to say.

    how dare you come on here and wish people harm.

    how dare you.

    worky i think it is time you stood firm with such post.

    ban SJT from further malicious contact.

12. Stephen C says:
    March 28, 2012 at 11:43 pm

    “ban SJT from further malicious contact.”

    I’m thinking about banning myself for my pathetic attempts to wind up UTD111 about St.Alan and St.Kev. It never works.

13. i havent noticed those.

    i guess my attempts to knock sjt from top spot of the prediction comp have failed?

14. worky ive sent you an email

15. Aye, I’ve just read it Stephen. Site getting better! Will write a reply.

16. cheers worky off to bed matey speak soon.

17. Stephen C says:
    March 28, 2012 at 10:12 pm
    what u doing up the cheviots united111? you looking for a better satelite signal for the match on Saturday?
    _________________________________

    Mainly sitting outside a caravan in the sunshine! Oh…and occasionally hitting this dongle with a hammer….:(

18. Tino has been talking about Dalglish as responsible for dismantling one of the most successful Newcastle sides ever and for playing a style that was “alien to most of us” and selling star players like Ginola, Ferdinand and Beardsley.

    But was it all Dalgleish’s fault. As the official NUFC website confirms, at the time the change to a PLC and balanced books was a key issue – which I believe was the principal reason for the sale of Sir Les.

    Despite this there were several top signings including Gary Speed, Shay Given, Stuart Pierce and Dietmar Hamann.

    I have always thought that the problem was principaly the injury to Shearer after the poorly judged sale of Sir Les; without which the team we had would have gone on to great things.

    Have a look at Dalgleish’s transfer dealings over 2 seasons and you see a small profit –

    Season 97/98

    Carl Serrant £500,000 Shaka Hislop Free
    Garry Brady Free Darren Peacock Free
    Stephen Glass £650,000 Jon Dahl Tomasson £2,500,000
    Lionel Perez Free Jimmy Crawford £50,000
    Stephane Guivarc’h £3,500,000 Paul Brayson £100,000
    George Georgiadis £420,000 John Beresford £1,500,000
    James Coppinger £250,000 Faustino Asprilla £6,000,000
    Paul Robinson £250,000 Peter Beardsley £450,000
    Nikos Dabizas £2,000,000 Les Ferdinand £6,000,000
    Gary Speed £5,500,000
    Andy Griffin £1,500,000
    Andreas Andersson £3,000,000
    Paul Dalglish Free
    Ian Rush Free
    John Barnes Free
    Paddy Kelly Signed
    Bjarni Gudjonsson £500,000
    Brian Pinas Free
    Stuart Pearce Free
    Alessandro Pistone £4,300,000

    Total £22,370,000 £16,600,000 £5,770,000

    Season 96/97

    Temuri Ketsbaia Free David Ginola £2,000,000
    Jon Dahl Tomasson £2,200,000 Robbie Elliott £2,500,000
    Shay Given £1,500,000 Lee Clark £2,500,000
    Des Hamilton £1,500,000 Paul Kitson £2,300,000
    Darren Huckerby £1,000,000
    Jimmy Garrity Free

    Total £5,200,000 £10,300,000 -£5,100,000

19. oh dear, sorry about that table of transfers, it should have been 2 columns – in on the left, out on the right – sometimes the wonders of science beat me!

20. a further point – on of the reasons Dalgleish had to make so many signings was to restart our reserve team which KK has scraped.

    I remember one surreal, cold wet night at an almost empty SJP for a 2nd division reserve match against (I think) Southend – they (being top of the league) brought a “crowd” bigger than ours to beat a poor scratch NUFC team marshaled by Barnes & Rush (which was the main reason he brought them in).

    Recalling those two in b&w stripes at SJP is a weird memory!

21. How is saying he doesn’t think we will finish in a champions league place pessimistic? Surely saying we would drop out of the top 6 and miss out on Europe would be pessimistic and he didn’t say that. What he said was realistic.

22. Although a great goalscorer, Shearer has proven to be a bit of a bore as a pundit.
    As for his futile attempt at management, the less said the better.
    I suppose he is still waiting for someone to beg him to take either the Enland managers job or at least a role with one of the top sides.
    If he has any ambition to manage, he should find a lower league club and start learning the job, like others have.

23. One thing Pardew and Shearer have in common is they both are of the opinion the squad is both small and lacks quality in depth, wow! no shit Sherlock.
    But when we get big bucks for Tiote and Ba, we can bring in all the younger, better and cheaper guys we need.
    Sign em all to six year deals and sell em off for a major profit next year,to be repeated, ad infinitum.
    In the meantime our Silver Fox suprempo, will lead us to the first of many PL titles, kick the be-jaysus outta the Barca’s and Real’s on our way to becoming European Champions and re -name the stadium, St. James’ Park.

24. chuck says:
    March 29, 2012 at 3:13 pm

    ” As for his futile attempt at management, the less said the better.”

    Iain Dowie was doing most of the real managing during that period, Chuck. He was driving the players mad with too many ice baths, funny diets and so on and they were alot of Dowie tactics out on the pitch. I never really got the point of the Shearer charade, unless he was supposed to be some kind of PR figurehead.

    When Hughton took over it was “please boss, no more ice baths! no more ice baths!” Then they immediately fell in love with him when he said “no more ice baths.” :-)

25. chuck says:
    March 29, 2012 at 3:37 pm

    One thing Pardew and Shearer have in common is they both are of the opinion the squad is both small and lacks quality in depth, wow! no shit Sherlock.

    Chuck contrary to what women have told me, “size” has nothing to do with it. Newcastle United’s first team “roster” as you call it over there is actually larger than Manchester City’s and Chelsea’s, and the same as Manchester United’s. It’s all about “quality” and “depth” and if you asked any manager if they wanted more “quality” and “depth,” they would ALL say “yes.” Even Mancini moans about it.

26. Reserves lose 4-1 to Baggies

27. To be fair we had a few 16 yr old academy players in there, but a pretty avg performance.

    Jeff henderson at CB looked good, Alex kitchen CB looked ok, Pat Nzunzi RB was good but gave ball away to concede, Micahel ORiley LB looked best player, Airey up front bitched about lack of service (true) and at least looked physical…..

    Not much else to get the pulse racing, do we reckon any of these Defs will make the bench on Sunday?

28. Milner, wasn’t Nzuzi supposed to be a victim of the “night of the long knives” at NUFC’s academy and shifted to Derby to make way for new livestock?

29. Aye, he appears to be a sheep shagger now.

    “Derby fielded a trialist at right back in 19-year-old Patrick Nzuzi, who has been released by Newcastle United after being at the club from the age of 13.”

    http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/goals-lively-Derby-table/story-15431232-detail/story.html

30. Workey
    The roster may appear on paper as large as that of Citeh and Chelsea, but both sides can muster squads of almost equal strength.
    Whereas we find it impossible at present to field a decent back four.
    In fact Shearer is right, there’s no way without both an increase in size and quality that this club can compete at a higher level.
    And the truth is IMO that the side although having some decent players, flatters to decieve.
    Yes it’s nice to win games and be up there in the league, but one must also be realistic and face the fact we are as yet not capeable of competing as a top four side.
    However with a few quality additions and time we could very well be.
    After all we competed under SBR, with such big spenders as Man.U.,Chelsea and Arsenal, not to mention Liverpool.

31. I don’t get it Milner, you’re not wrang, but neither am I, seemingly. Does the Academy now have the abilty to clone players and if so, have they cloned Beardsley himself yet?

32. im not sure if newcastle could clone anyone, but the local uni and the freeman hospital might.

    which gets me thinking what do you think of genetically modifying genes from shearer and pedro to create a conveyor of Shedros reaping havoc on the prem.

    maybe instead of investing in the academy ashley should be investing in a group of scientists able to create the perfect newcastle player.

    worky ive sent you a reply

33. Worky, I saw him with my own eyes, it was defo Pat Nzunzi, they were calling him Pat, and he defo responded to the name “Pat”.

    However, the game was supposed to be behind closed doors (i snuck in thro an open gate), so maybe that was because he’s either been cloned, or given that Beardsley wasnt there on the touch line, maaaaaybe, it was beardo wearing a Pat Nzunzi mask (aka Mission Impossible)?

34. chuck says:
    March 29, 2012 at 6:33 pm

    ” Whereas we find it impossible at present to field a decent back four.”

    Midfielders and strikers such as Ben Arfa, Cabaye and Cisse are the order of the day, Chuck, as they have the best potential for profit on resale. Defenders are more steady, though of course, there are exceptions.

    In terms of investment in their squads, Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool (in that order) are way ahead of everyone else, but we are one of “the best of the rest” along with teams such as Everton and Aston Villa.

35. Milner says:
    March 29, 2012 at 8:37 pm

    “or given that Beardsley wasnt there on the touch line, maaaaaybe, it was beardo wearing a Pat Nzunzi mask (aka Mission Impossible)?”

    Milner, it would indeed be “Mission Impossible” to hide Pedro’s real chin under a mere mask.

36. worky,

    divn’t mash chuck’s dreams mate!

    Shearer got dowie in ‘cos he’s ‘like that’ (crosses fingers) with him.
    I know his agent & he told me before it happened what the set up would be.
    dowie with ‘more’ experience helping Shearer.
    Shearer was better off as Roeder’s ass. It made more sense.

37. i fancy ben arfa to arsenal to be honest he fits their style.

    if he doesnt go at in the summer and he continues the way he has done i think even man city will come knocking.

    it seems to me he is over his trauma both mental and physical and we will see a bigger and better ben arfa game after game until the inevitable ring ring and caching caching sounds. if he continues like he has over the last 3 or 4 games. will £25 million be out of the question?

    if he tears enrique apart and leaves the liverpool deffence in tatters there is no limit to the value he could reach. if pardeux gets the tactics right an we out perform liverpool the players in question could give themselves a hefty price-tag.

    it was the liverpool game last season that got the name andy carroll a household name, so with so much value to be made on a game like this im sure it will have ashley and lamearse drooling at the idea.

    will ben arfa still be here at Christmas? not if he is playing like he did at wolves he wont be.

    so my advice would be enjoy him while you can because sooner or later man city or arsenal will come a knocking.

38. Stephen C – who’s genetically modifying genes for the perfect 5under1and player then ?

39. Arsenal tend not to spend stoopid money so I can’t see him going there. If other teams really fancy him then it’ll be one of the clubs that doesn’t seem to care about the dosh that plumps for him.

40. Stephen C says:
    March 29, 2012 at 11:10 pm

    “if he continues like he has over the last 3 or 4 games. will £25 million be out of the question?”

    Yes. He could be worth far more than that, though he has lost so much time. As his old Lyon manager, Gerard Houllier, recently hinted when he asked Ben Arfa a question in Benny’s latest interview for France Football, he’s just turned 25 now and he doesn’t have much more time to lose at all. He needs the right coaches around him too as he still has room to develop.

    His value started to skyrocket in 2007-8, then plummeted again due to bad advice and him being such an “enfant terrible.” He was at the bottom of the market when we bought him, then it flatlined for obvious reasons. Now it’s starting to climb again markedly and I really think that his temperament thing is over.

    When he first came to the club, my jaw dropped and I thought that he could be the best Newcastle United player since Peter Beardsley, but, after doing a hell of alot of research on him since, I’ve revised my opinion. I’ve written this before but alot of people still don’t seem to appreciate quite how good he really is yet and that isn’t just because of his last few games. If things had gone a different way for him, he could have been one of the world’s most sought after players by now, but he still needs better coaching IMO.

41. Supermac says:
    March 29, 2012 at 11:49 pm

    “Stephen C – who’s genetically modifying genes for the perfect 5under1and player then ?”

    I think it’s this gadgie, Supermac.

42. Just by wild chance here: Anyone got a ticket in South Stand/Gallowgate middle- (block K), Row D?

    Who’d be willing to swap for my ticket in the same block, but back a few rows in Row R….

    I know it’s a long shot, but just thought I’d check, as my Dad has a season ticket in row D, and the closest I could get to him was Row R. I don’t get to see many games with him, so I’d love to get a bit closer to him.

    I’d be happy to chuck someone a few quid to make it happen!

    This is my 1st trip up Toon this season, last season I saw us tonk the scum 5-1, and the arsenal 4-4 game….this one has a lot to live up to!

43. worky – “I think it’s this gadgie, Supermac” – isn’t that Titus Bramble having his knee fixed ?
    Those physios at the Stadium of Shyte have all the latest gear I see !

44. PL table by net spend over the past five seasons 2007/08-2011/12 =

    Manchester City: £430.77 million

    Chelsea: £159.7 million

    Liverpool: £99.25 million

    Sunderland: £57.6 million

    Tottenham Hotspur: £49.4 million

    Manchester United: £47.25 million

    Swansea City: £8.25 million

    Everton: £5 million

    Newcastle United: -£30.25 million

    Arsenal: -£31.3 million

    http://hereisthecity.com/2012/03/29/the-staggering-disparities-of-the-premier-league-top-10-by-net-s/

45. worky at 25 years old he will burst the market by the time he is 27. two years still gives him a lot of potential.

    yes its a shame he had the long lay off he would be worth two messi’s by now im sure.

    but even at 28 with the long lay off sure his career will prolong and he wont burn out at 32 like some.

    he is teetotal so the lack of alcohol can only be a winner.

    and some people forget the “enfant terrible” was down to benny being groomed by a muslim cult and brain washed. we are lucky to have benny on board as im sure he would have been mingling with those alleged promised virgins, if the cult had its way.

    and to be honest that guy looks more like peter crouch, just a bit shorter. crouchy looks taller and older now. do you think he been giving himself traction on that thing?

    and milner your best bet is to sit next to your father when you get to the game, get to the game early, and when the guy whose seat you are in turns up offer him some cash. or get to your own seat and offer the guy next to you a few quid.

46. Milner says:
    March 30, 2012 at 10:38 am

    “This is my 1st trip up Toon this season, last season I saw us tonk the scum 5-1, and the arsenal 4-4 game….this one has a lot to live up to!”

    Lucky! Wish I was there.

47. its a sell out maze

48. Stephen C says:
    March 30, 2012 at 1:27 pm

    “and some people forget the “enfant terrible” was down to benny being groomed by a muslim cult and brain washed. we are lucky to have benny on board as im sure he would have been mingling with those alleged promised virgins, if the cult had its way.”

    It was because of several reasons Stephen and the gadgie you’re referring to is a rapper, Abd al Malik. Benny’s father, Kemal Ben Arfa, once accused his adviser, Michel Ouazine, of being like a cult leader with Ben Arfa too, and his relations with his father are complex.

    That stuff about Muslims waiting for their their “72 virgins” – I think you’re referring to is “Houri,” or “Huriyah,” but the stuff about the virgins is a misconception BTW. It’s cobblers, basically.

49. Used to be everyone on these blogs was some kind of a beancounter.
    It now appears many have taken to the pyschiatric field, as we have recently had more opinions as to where HBA’s head is at, than opinions on his footballing ability.

50. On Andy Carroll, can anyone imagine the pressure he came under from, Ashley and Derrick, not to mention his agent, Mr. 10%, when they realised there was thirty five big ones available ?
    Sure there was more money in it for him too and what was commonly considered playing for a bigger side.
    But the kid must have had mixed emotions, between a rock and a hard place, with the window about to close and no real time to consider, the pressure was probably too much for him.
    My point, we all made some dumb ass decissions at that age and i hope he does’nt get booed because of it.

51. Why is it that Islam gets a constant bad rap ?
    As workey mentioned the bit about being in Paradise with any number of virgins, is nonesense.
    It may in fact be related to the sect of Assassins and its leader Hassan-I-Sabah, who cultivated young followers, keeping them drugged with hashis.
    When awakened they found themselves in what they believed was the garden of Paradise, plied with wine and a sumptuous meal by virgins, then removed and imprisoned, with the threat they would not be allowed to return to paradise unless they obeyed whatever role Hassan-I sabah demanded, usually an assassination.

52. Chuck,

    “72 virgins”

    The concept of 72 virgins in Islam refers to an aspect of paradise. In a collection by Imam at-Tirmidhi in his “Sunan” (Volume IV, Chapters on “The Features of Heaven as described by the Messenger of Allah”, chapter 21: “About the Smallest Reward for the People of Heaven”, hadith 2687) and also quoted by Ibn Kathir in his Tafsir (Qur’anic Commentary) of Surah Quran 55:72, it is stated:

    It was mentioned by Daraj Ibn Abi Hatim, that Abu al-Haytham ‘Adullah Ibn Wahb narrated from Abu Sa’id al-Khudhri, who heard Muhammad saying, ‘The smallest reward for the people of Heaven is an abode where there are eighty thousand servants and seventy-two houri, over which stands a dome decorated with pearls, aquamarine and ruby, as wide as the distance from al-Jabiyyah to San’a.[62]

    However, regarding the above statement Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf has said: “The narration, which claims that everyone would have seventy-two wives has a weak chain of narrators.” [46]There is also a theory that the promise of 72 virgins is a mistranslation from “72 white grapes”.[63]

    Alternative views

    Margaret Nydell states that mainstream Muslims regard the belief of 72 virgins in the same way that mainstream Christians regard the belief that after death they will be issued with wings and a harp, and walk on clouds.[64] Another interpretation of the relevant passages of the Qur’an is The Syro-Aramaic Reading Of The Qur’an written by Christoph Luxenberg. In respect of this particular point, Luxenberg argues that the relevant passage actually translates to a portrayal of paradise as a lush garden with pooling water and trees with rare fruit, including white raisins (considered to be delicacies at the time that the Qur’an was written), not virgin maidens,[65][66] although this claim has been heavily contested on linguistic grounds.[67]

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houri

    It should be stressed that this comes from a Hadith – Something which was ascribed to the Holy Prophet in his teachings and sayings, falsely or correctly, after the event. It is NOT from the Qur’an itself.

53. to be honest chuck i find the whole arabic way of life disgusting.

    althought quite different from each state their fundementals lack freedom and equality.

    althought their people are probably better off than most i still find their agression and disrespect towards women is poor behaviour, their laws lack any understanding and it seems anyone with half a decent life time and and ounce of respect can hang a man women or child for the most petty of reasons.

    i know more is known about islam now thanks to the bombing of the twin towers, not much was known at all. but it certainly doesnt seem like a fair of forward thinking religion. it lacks scope and compassion.

    muhamed when he was alive seemed to spend more time fighting. its seems the agression he showed to his doubters is being passed down the same way to generation beyond. but at least he got to live and leave evidence of his existence, unlike poor jesus who didnt fight anyone, liked the odd drink, was kind, loving and showed compassion, seems to have the better working relationship amoungst his peers and imo wasnt a man you didnt need to fear but who you could love.

    a guy who has spoken so many true words it could only mean he exsisted.

    “let he who cast the first stone”

    even if neither man actualy did what they say they did i think i would rather chose to follow jesus. it doesnt matter what you beleive in your life wether you believe in a god or not, would it make you a better person for following jesus or muhamed? imo yes it would.

    but as fer as the extremist based bullshit i think id rather stick a rocket up my arse and explode a million miles from anywhere remotely populated.

54. Stephen C says:
    March 30, 2012 at 5:22 pm

    “i know more is known about islam now thanks to the bombing of the twin towers”

    No Stephen, more ignorant, distorted piffle has been spouted about Islam since the bombing of the twin towers, frequently from racists, but that is a different thing.

55. well to be honest work i would probably disagree with you.

    i have learnt all of my knowledge on islam from news at ten, when various statements are being backed up or quashed by evidence or lack of evidence after either an extremist or preachers has stood trial and statements have been made.

    i know a lot of thing that are claimed are pretty identical as the catholics and the protestants, no true christian would behave in such a way as to bomb another country, or religion simply in the name of God. so imo we will alway get extremists in all walks of life. islam is no different.

    the only difference here in the west we know and understand Chritianity a lot better and can relate to the teachings. so we are more inclined to tar all catholics or protestants with the same brush.

    but yes ignorance does pay a part, the extremist islam is often treat with much contempt here because we do not understand the foundations, it is alien to most of us and leads us to tar with a heavier, thicker brush using a more potent tar.

    but our behavior doesn’t have everything to do with ignorance it has a huge part in the love for our families, it keeps us on guard and keeps us alert.

    im not a racist or a fascist but i can understand why there is so much hatred and fear towards islam, but i can see why so many people from the islamic faith turn to extremism because there is little choice or compassion coming from anywhere half decent.

    community leaders , religious leaders and local authorities should do more to propagate communities into one but as long as extremism runs rife that task is impossible, lack of trust will fuel further hatred amongst youth and in 20-30 years we have have a society gilted by faith, or lack of it. now is the time for building but the extremists need to be shown a one way ticket out or shown a cell door. and the EU for the sake of future generations need to quit with this mammies boy human rights bullshit.

    im all for human rights but if you take away right or promote the taking then you deserve just as much back at you.

    which i do believe all religions cover. whether its “an eye for an eye” “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” or simply “karma” its about time we were all made to practice what we preach and were made to pay for our actions when we do something wrong.

    and its about time the EU got their act together too.

56. Cheers boys, yeh I think i’ll get there early and see if i can bribe someone out their seat into mine, with a pie perhaps.

    i’ve only been back up here a couple of days, and I’ve already been called ‘Pet’ a million times, seen a proper fist fight between 2 lasses, and had a 3 course meal for £4.

    U can keep ur 72 Virgins, I’ll take a trip back home any day!

57. “im all for human rights but if you take away right or promote the taking then you deserve just as much back at you.”

    You mean like the UK, France and now the US have in the Middle East (and elsewhere) for centuries Stephen? My great Uncle, along with others such as Balfour and Lloyd George was one of those people during the First World War, he believed in the Crusades, holy wars, like many “Christians” of his time. There are still such folk in the US Evangelical movement, who look forward with glee to a Middle Eastern armageddon as promised in a book which shouldn’t be in the Bible at all anyway. Should we judge all Christians by their example?

    In the modern world, we have sponsored Middle Eastern dictators who have tortured their own people and radicalised them. We overthrew the moderate, secular, democratically elected leader of Iran, Mohammad Mosaddegh, over the company which is now BP and replaced him with an unelected butcher. This led to a radicalisation which in turn led to the overthrow of the ghastly Shah by the ghastly Ruhollah Khomeini as well as many other crimes against human rights, not least in places such as Palestine and Iraq.

    But as you say, “you deserve just as much back at you.” ;-)

    If the Middle East, and several other parts of the world threw as much back at us as we have thrown at them, we would be living in hell right now.

58. Milner says:
    March 30, 2012 at 6:12 pm

    “U can keep ur 72 Virgins, I’ll take a trip back home any day!”

    Milner, even if you were Sherlock Holmes, it would take a fair while to find 72 virgins up there!

59. The eight centuries of Islamic ascendancy on the Iberian peninsula, was one of the most productive eras experienced by any European country.
    With a flourishing of poetry, the arts,science,language, medecine, architecture, agriculture, mathematics,astronomy, you name it.
    With libraries that were stocked with more books than existed in the whole of western europe combined.
    And I doubt very much, that news at ten will give anyone an understanding of Islam, more likely a misunderstanding.

60. As for aggression relating too religion, the three monotheist religions originating in that same area, known by Islam as the people of the book (the Bible)both Christian and Jew, have fought numerous wars between one another and also within each seperat religion, in regard mainly to authordoxy.
    I think for the most part religion has been an excuse to launch wars of aggression, for land and wealth (the Crusades)the invasion of the balkans, by an expanding Turkish empire and certainly the Arab and Moorish invasion of Spain.
    On the other hand the religions originating further east, the Hindu religion with it,s many offshoots, buddhism etc. are far more passiv, with the goal of nirvana, literately, to end it all.
    With Jainism’s ultimate goal to starve ones self to death.
    Which i would assume takes true dedication.

61. Stephen, Chuck,

    This is how all the kerfuffle started.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XmPJhurB0k

    “you deserve just as much back at you.”

62. worky you hit on the spot i was getting at.

    my comment on “you deserve just as much back” was at everyone. islam, the EU, the htpocrytes, the ignorant, everyone.

    people should be given the firm swift arm of the law no matter who they are, police officer, judge, juror, prime minister, publican, republican, you, me and my mate next door.

    we all need to stop passing the buck and get a grip. i hate the fact we are fight over, what is supposed to be a peacefull religion, i hate the fact its used as an excuse to recruit the week and vunrable people within that religion.

    to be honest this world needs to revolution of sence, we need to take a look at the way we look at things and the aproach we take.

    for instance, im a labour man, a tory MP states people should fill up their tanks and store a jerry can, all hell breaks lose. there was more humming and harring over what an MP said rather than education on the safety of storing a jerry can. no because the big story was about the MP rather than the safe storage a women has 40% burns. although im a labour supporter im also as neutral as you get. and i could see what the mp was getting at

    its about time we stopped this stupidity and blind love for the cause, we need sense and understanding not blind faith for the sake of blindness.

63. worky,

    just watched that video you posted.

    scary to say the least, to think it was a school kid who picked up the torch and carried it on, that is the point i was getting at earlier.

    20-30 years time the generation will be at war with themselves, there will be no trust, no faith just blind war.

    but imagine the damage bin laden did following on from one school kid comparing that to the damage that will be caused in 20-30 years time.

    let us not forget Mohamed Merah who chose to take 7 innocent lives, a guy who was only 23 years old. he followed the same guy at the end of the day.

64. Well is the so called Arab Spring not the culmination of all that took place from then to the present.
    If one looks at the results of the the recent elections, it appears rather than the people we have been listening too on tv broadcasts.
    Who for the most part sounded like a young educated group dedicated to a form of liberal democracy.
    The results showed that those (the Muslim Brotherhood) a more radical group , dedicated to Sharia law and every bit as authoritarian as the present military regieme, came out ahead.
    But if that is what the people want, then who are we to object, just as they may object to our choice of what we want as a society.

65. There are varying political groups in the Arab world that vary as much as the groups we are familiar with in the west.
    Are Wahhabi muslims more extreme than some of our radical Christian righ wingers?
    It’s interesting to know that for the most part those who were engaged in the WTC crash, were Saudis and Egyptians.
    So called allies of the US.
    No one from Iraq or Afghanistan was involved, draw your own conclusions!

66. chuck says:
    March 30, 2012 at 8:42 pm

    ” It’s interesting to know that for the most part those who were engaged in the WTC crash, were Saudis and Egyptians.
    So called allies of the US.”

    You’ve just hit the nail on the head, Chuck. But it isn’t the people who are allies, it’s the despots and torturers who are (or were until recently in the case of Egypt) sustained in power, firstly by the UK in my great uncle’s time, and more latterly by the US. Your Central Intelligence Agency over there have a term for it, it’s called “blowback.”

    Incidentally, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the architect of the 9/11 attack was born in Kuwait and also held Pakistani citizenship, two other so called “allies” of the US.

    Best speech I’ve ever heard from a journalist on the problems of the middle east, It’s by the great English journalist, Robert Fisk, with an introduction from his mate, the US academic and writer, Noam Chomsky.

67. worky you ever fancied yourself a political blog?

68. Talking of the ignorant Steven, maybe you should research things a bit more thoroughly than sitting on your arse watching the news at 10 before condemning the “Arab way of life”. I don’t think they report stories such as, Arab man has quiet weekend enjoying the company of his family, but it happens. “would behave in such a way as to bomb another country” as has been mentioned above christians have gone to war over religion and if they had bombs back then they would have used them.

    I work in Saudi Arabia and have therefore seen the changes they are making first hand, yes it might seem a little backwards to us but at least their daughters aren’t 16 year old drop outs with a kid and another on the way. Its a hell of a lot safer to walk down the street here than it is in the UK. I will tell you that for nothing. D*ck

69. oooooohhhh some one has an attitude Dereck L.

    is there a problem Derek that you feel you need to insult me?

    are all those Derek Lamearse couldnt run a football club, comments coming back and resurfacing.

    derek mate. i couldnt give a flying f*ck about you or your attitudes. at least now we know where you get the attitude towards poverty from.

    and for the record i know more about islam than has been shown on news at ten matey, but i was trying to connect the resurgence of islam to the reports and educatation that was gained at the time of the terrorist attacks.

    im probably with the majority of western people who didnt feel the need to learn about islam, i wasnt even taught it at school, Christianity was always the make weight of education.

    so instead of insulting me with your futile comments read through what i said, D*ck. i said it has been more in the spotlight. how many honor killing do we have hear in the west compared to there in the east? arranged marriages seem to be rife or am i just complete wrong?

    and i was just talking about islam either you cretin, lets look at india who seem to think it is ok throwing acid in the faces of their wives so they can get divorced on “damaged goods” grounds, lets talk about the corruption in the governments there, let talk about everything we learn about their own way of life.

    and yes if you read my comments i said people there are probably alot better off there, i gave a whole argument not just a one sided personal rant because someone didnt know how to run a football club. D*ck head.

    women are repressed, beaten and often imprisoned at the say so of the husbands or fathers or simple just men.

    yes you are in saudi arabia but would you like to spend a little time in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia or Ethiopia?

    no!!! why not derek? why not? because there is nothing in it for you there, no money to be made, you greedy little man.

    and im sure as hell those pirates of Somalia would have your scrutum for a purse if it was big enough to fill more than a couple of gold pieces in.

    but can i ask a question my friend? before you insult a whole generation of 16 year olds here in the UK. what would happen to an unmarried 16 year old in saudi arabia if she was found pregnant with a child out of wedlock?

    http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20120110130912AACLiBy

    http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389×1149149

    http://www.womensviewsonnews.org/2011/09/asian-maid-fears-death-if-child-deported-with-her/

    http://www.duhaime.org/LegalDictionary/S/ShariaLaw.aspx

    so Derek when you read through all that you tell me why you support the execution of teenagers having children out of wedlock simply because they were raped.
    or simply because they had a child out of wedlock.

    can you justify the imprisonment of women for having a child out of wedlock.

    there are millions of women in the UK who burnt there bras, tied themselves to metal railing, starved themselves to death only for creatures like you to claim its safer if they hadn’t, its safer that women don’t get a say in the matter. its better we lock up or execute pregnant women for having children outside of wedlock for what ever reason.

    and you know derek the real ignorant person amongst this is you.
    go on Derek justify it? you ignorant freak. women deserve just as much say in their lives than any man. and because a girl is 16 does that mean she has no choices?

    you might find Derek per head of 16 year olds or per head of under 16 year olds only a small minority actually do get pregnant.

    and you will probably find the majority of those were down to male peer pressure or abuse.

    you ignorant D*ck head.

    and another thing Derek Lamearse still cant run a football club you fooking freak.

70. WORKEY
    Of course i’m familiar with the term Blowback.
    It’s the title of one of Chalmers Johnsons recent books, for the most part a critique of both US foreign policy and what was coined as “the military industrial complex” by ex president Eisenhower.
    If by chance you have’nt read this author, i think you will find him both interesting and educational.

71. As for Noam, course i know’m and thanks for the list of video entertainment from 66#.
    I read the Guardian while in Europe in the summer,is Fisk a contributer ?

72. you need to learn what the word ignorant means steven. Now i am able to label you ignorant and stupid. Well done for once again picking out the bad examples and generalizing the whole arab world in this way.