It's fantasy football time!If I could use one word to describe the last week or so since the real football stopped and international football took over , it would probably be – boring.
Never fear though, the real football is back this weekend, and that also signals the return of our fantasy football competition.
It’s fair to say that I am not doing too well so far, and I am currently languishing in around 300th place.
No matter, much like I do with my lovers, I start off slowly and build up to a frenetic finish! Smuttiness over, I have to make a decision. Jermaine Defoe is now out for 6 weeks, which leaves me with just Hugo Rodallega and Carlos Tevez to score the goals for me in his absence. Not good, and I may have to change things around a bit, but such is life in the world of football management eh? (more…)
Shola - Ten years on.....Love him, hate him, or you may just even be not bothered by him, but Shola Ameobi is no doubt a player that divides opinions on Tyneside.
On this day, ten years ago, Shola Ameobi was given his first-team debut against Chelsea by Sir Bobby Robson.
Ten years? It seems like yesterday! But given the fact that Shola has now been with the club for ten years shouldn’t he be due a testimonial match? I mean ten years is the standard time requirement to be considered for a testimonial match isn’t it?
Whichever way you look at it, through a bit of luck and a failed medical at another club, Shola has been a fantastic servant to us, and I think that now is the time to reward him for that service.
Now I very much doubt we could expect a testimonial along the lines of the Alan Shearer one. He was a one-off, a legend in his own right, but Shola has also had some fantastic moments in an injury plagued Newcastle United career. He is our second highest Europen goalscorer ever, behind Alan Shearer, and he has scored against some of the best teams around, like Barcelona for example. (more…)
Andy Carroll, Newcastle's number nine! La la la laThere have been a few bits of news throughout the week regarding the fitness Andy Carroll, or lack of it depending on which way you look at it.
The Gateshead lad apparently hasn’t trained all week but should be fit to face Blackpool at the weekend.
Carroll was struggling with an ankle injury before the Wolves game. He played in that but he had to come off in the second-half, although by then he had already done the damage and scored the equaliser. Then he got sent home from England U21 duty because of the same ankle injury, and he hasn’t trained since. So just how he can be fit to face Blackpool at the weekend is slightly confusing then. (more…)
An old photo of the current signs.I have stayed pretty quiet with regard to these new advertising boards we could possibly end up with outside St James’ Park, until now.
There seems to be a movement that is dead set against them, which is fine as everyone has their own opinion and that, but I honestly don’t see what all the fuss is about.
The NUST, True Faith and a number of other sites are gearing up their own various bits and bobs to raise objections to it, including giving everyone the link so thay can make an objection to the planning application themselves. The theory being that the more people that object to the planning proposal, then the greater the chance of the proposals being rejected. In the interests of balance, you can e-mail any objections you may have to planning.control@newcastle.gov.uk. (more…)
Hughton - To sign or not to sign?Most of us are aware that our current manager only has a contract that will take him until the end of the season.
He is paid peanuts (reportedly £5,000 a week) in comparison to most, if not all, Premier League managers, yet he just does what he always does and gets on with the job in hand.
There is no doubt that Chris Hughton has been just what the doctor ordered to calm down the mad house that was Newcastle United. He won the Championship last year at a canter and has brought a calmness and togetherness to Newcastle that hasn’t been seen on Tyneside for many a year. He has worked within a small budget and got the best the players he could with what was available, and he seems to be in a position where the vast majority of fans are backing him. So surely it would make sense to tie him down to a new contract now, wouldn’t it? (more…)
