Topic: Newcastle - RIP Jamal Khashoggi; Free Salma al-Shehab

[Matt8Pie]

He's still been insane, goals conceded isn't everything, Al Habsi has been better than De Gea yet I'd imagine De Gea has conceded less goals...

We have the best defence in the league, or 2nd best whatever, so naturally Reina will of conceded less

That's the thing though, we have the second best defence in the league and Pepe is part of that. Newcastle and Wigan's defences aren't so good which gives Krul and Al Habsi more work to do so more people can see the saves they make and claim how much better than the ones not getting the spotlight are. Don't get me wrong, both are very good keepers but Reina and Hart are the two best keepers in the league. Vorm has been excellent but still doesn't look all that confident half of the time. Clean sheets isn't everything, you're right, but Pepe's distribution is second to none in the league and his speed to react is probably the fastest in the league as well as his game intelligence. I wouldn't swap Pepe for any keeper in the world but because he doesn't have to pull off worldies every game like the others doesn't mean the others are better keepers at the moment.

[-Willo-]

Ben Arfa? Is this the Ben Arfa that has played just 450 minutes all season? Give me Bellamy over him any day. As for their striking options, you mean Ba? Cabaye and Tiote have been brilliant, while our midfield have been up and down all season.

To be fair you're right regarding Ben Arfa, if I was to have an 11 based on this season it'd probably have more of our players in it, but the thing is their 'other players' (ones who miss out in this 11) have been far superior to the ones who miss out out of ours...

Krul
Johnson Skrtel Agger Enrique
Guttierez Cabaye Tiote Bellamy
Ba Suarez

["Nookie".]

We should hire Alan Carr.

Planning some shit standup nights?

[Hunter Thompson]

Planning some shit standup nights?

Gayist.

[Fiasco]

But I thought you couldn't sign nobody in the January window becuase people don't want to leave and clubs won't sell? This is a miracle.

[Rohit]

They have a good goal keeper in Krul one of the most consistent and talented keepers in the world, they have a strong back four, which might not be as strong as ours but they are certainly no mugs, their midfield and strikers piss on ours, even with Gerrard & Suarez in our team, and they paid peanuts to build their team.

The fact that Cabaye, Santon and before them Tiote and Ben Arfa left their clubs who happened to play in the CL to go to Newcastle, a club on the outside was in turmoil pisses on the idea that you have to buy overrated, overpriced British talents as the ones from the continent won't come. A lot of people on here, totally disregard the fact that the PL as a league in itself is a lure for many players to come play in it.

Yet when someone mentions a decent player to us they are shot down with the no chance he has champions league. Suarez wasn't an anomaly juventus did it the summer and newcaslte have got good players from clubs in europe. They did it on peanuts aswell and credit to them.

[-Willo-]

Matt I wouldn't swap Pepe for anyone either, but I still think Krul has been better this season even though all your points are correct, I don't think Pepe has been great compared to his standards usually, whereas every game Kruls played (as far as I can remember anyway) he hasn't fucked Newcastle up with big mistakes, if anything he's gained them a hell of a lot of points, whereas Reina has really made some blunders when it matters (Fulham, Man City @ 0-0).

[please, I have my reasons for it but...]

Cabaye and Tiote are not better then Lucas and Gerrard. Holy fuck. Wingers. Mneh. Bellamy is hardly worse then Ben Arfa/Guiterrez. And up until today we had Suarez to there Demba Ba. Nowhere near "Miles better". There's being silly and then there's being stupid.

Lucas won't play a game till next season and we don't know if Gerrard will keep his fitness till the end of the season. Bellamy can't play every game, Ben Arfa/ Jonas can, and Demba Ba scored 15 goals compared to Suarez's 5. With the addition of Cisse and most probably Yohan Benalouane, they'll have a better chance of finishing higher than us on the table.

[wardides]

Lucas won't play a game till next season and we don't know if Gerrard will keep his fitness till the end of the season. Bellamy can't play every game, Ben Arfa/ Jonas can, and Demba Ba scored 15 goals compared to Suarez's 5. With the addition of Cisse and most probably Yohan Benalouane, they'll have a better chance of finishing higher than us on the table.

I don't understand the game. Is it just who can put a better starting 11 out now? Because if so, then come back to me when Ba is suspended for 8 games,Tiote misses the whole season and Cabaye misses 3 months with a hamstring injury.

And Ben Arfa can not play every game. Jonas can, but so can Dirk Kuyt.

[Rohit]

Matt I wouldn't swap Pepe for anyone either, but I still think Krul has been better this season even though all your points are correct, I don't think Pepe has been great compared to his standards usually, whereas every game Kruls played (as far as I can remember anyway) he hasn't fucked Newcastle up with big mistakes, if anything he's gained them a hell of a lot of points, whereas Reina has really made some blunders when it matters (Fulham, Man City @ 0-0).

Heres the thing though mate how much of newcastle have you seen though to notice if krul makes a mistake or not?

Michel vorm fucked up against arsenal and gifted them a goal at emirate but I guess you don't remember that?

Pepe may have made more mistake than he has(3) than most other season but at times he has had to bloody play as a centre back and stopped us conceeding even more. His distribution is the best in the league as is his positioning and he is dominant in his penalty box. No other keeper in the top teams has to play as a sweeper bar pepe as they are all routed to there line.

Hart another some have said best in the league has numerous times pushed the ball in the danger area after making a save but it won't get brought up and his distribution is also average.

[Rohit]

I don't understand the game. Is it just who can put a better starting 11 out now? Because if so, then come back to me when Ba is suspended for 8 games,Tiote misses the whole season and Cabaye misses 3 months with a hamstring injury.

And Ben Arfa can not play every game. Jonas can, but so can Dirk Kuyt.

Thank the fucking lord some sanity in this thread.

[-Willo-]

I don't understand the game. Is it just who can put a better starting 11 out now? Because if so, then come back to me when Ba is suspended for 8 games,Tiote misses the whole season and Cabaye misses 3 months with a hamstring injury.

And Ben Arfa can not play every game. Jonas can, but so can Dirk Kuyt.

Theyre all ifs and buts, those things have actually happened to us though, they haven't to them, therefore right now they have a better team than us in my eyes, it's all well and good saying 'but we have Suarez out for 8 games', 'but we have Lucas out for a season', I don't think they'd be too arsed come May if they finish above us.

[please, I have my reasons for it but...]

I don't understand the game. Is it just who can put a better starting 11 out now? Because if so, then come back to me when Ba is suspended for 8 games,Tiote misses the whole season and Cabaye misses 3 months with a hamstring injury.

And Ben Arfa can not play every game. Jonas can, but so can Dirk Kuyt.

Bottom line is, when Suarez returns and so are their African players, they'll still have a better midfield and striking force than us with Gerrard and Suarez as the only exception and aside really from the odd game where both Maxi & Bellamy will play, while we'll still have a better back five.

And FYI, Ben Arfa CAN play every game, it might have taken him some time recovering from De Jong's horrible tackle but he's returning back.

[sinnermichael]

don't know why everyone rates guitierrez so highly. i don't care how many caps he's got for argentina or how good his engine is. he's got no end product, a bit like downing.

[smicer07]

Comfortably below us, is the answer.

[wardides]

Theyre all ifs and buts, those things have actually happened to us though, they haven't to them, therefore right now they have a better team than us in my eyes, it's all well and good saying 'but we have Suarez out for 8 games', 'but we have Lucas out for a season', I don't think they'd be too arsed come May if they finish above us.

So the answer to my question, "Is it who has the better starting 11 at the moment", is yes.


So if that's how we are going so I'll stil say you're talking shite.

Krul is having a boss season.Agreed.Not better then Pepe, but this year is just in that incredible form.
Back 4, nobody off Newcastle would get in.
Midfield, Newcastle only have Guthrie and Cabaye available. Stevie is better then Cabaye, and I'd argue a case for Henderson/Adam/Spearing being at least as good as Guthrie(that's being generous).
Gutierrez is good, but rather Kuyt-like. Not a difference for me. Ben Arfa is a talent, definately. Bellamy is boss though,as is Maxi just as good. Bellamy/Ben Arfa too injury prone though.
Strikers available are Leon best and Shola Ameobi. As shite as Andy has been, Leon Best isn't much of an improvement.

So you're own logic makes no sense, as I know you will probably argue this.

[-Willo-]

Na I won't argue it, you're right, we now have a better 11 due to the ACON coming around (Ba, Tiote and now Cisse gone), but when they're back they are back to having a better first 11.

[wardides]

And I'm not trying to say everything is great at the club or that we are any great shakes, but you're logic is just wrong. Wrong.

[wardides]

Na I won't argue it, you're right, we now have a better 11 due to the ACON coming around (Ba, Tiote and now Cisse gone), but when they're back they are back to having a better first 11.

When they are back Suarez will be back, and we may have signed another central midfielder. Or Henderson could come into the role a little more comfortable. If's and but's as you said.

[-Willo-]

When they are back Suarez will be back, and we may have signed another central midfielder. Or Henderson could come into the role a little more comfortable. If's and but's as you said.

Yup you're right, I actually forgot about the ACoN when I started posting on here tonight , if they had Tiote and Ba I think they would have a better first 11 than us right now, but they don't, so I think we edge it, which is a good thing of course.

[wardides]

Sanity as been restored. Everybody is happy.

[thegoodfella]

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/17012012/58/premier-league-newcastle-sign-10m-cisse.html

Newcastle have completed the signing of Freiburg striker Papiss Demba Cisse.

What a brilliant name!

[Saint Kopite]

Very good buy.

We could have definitely done with someone like him. I'm surprised that we were never linked with him.

[Shepnois]

Newcastle are showing how its done, you get good players with potential to be very good/great for reasonable fee's. The way they've spent the Carroll fee & other money recouped recently has been remarkable. I hope Comolli is taking notes.

[mbyx6cg2]

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/17012012/58/premier-league-newcastle-sign-10m-cisse.html

Newcastle have completed the signing of Freiburg striker Papiss Demba Cisse.

What a brilliant name!

According to wiki his full name is Papiss Demba Rodney Cisse.


Got to be made up, right? 

[RK7]

Good signing, they are the biggest winners from the Torres/Carroll saga. They have spent the money wisely, improved vastly to become one of our rivals and still have change.

[thegoodfella]

According to wiki his full name is Papiss Demba Rodney Cisse.


Got to be made up, right? 

Even better if that's the case.

[Juan Loco]

Na I won't argue it, you're right, we now have a better 11 due to the ACON coming around (Ba, Tiote and now Cisse gone), but when they're back they are back to having a better first 11.

So it's not company that misery loves, it's posting on RAWK.

[Matt8Pie]

Does this mean that perhaps Ba or Tiote will be moving elsewhere? Ashley dipping his hand into his wallet to buy a player seems a bit suspicious.

[Dick_Emre]

Does this mean that perhaps Ba or Tiote will be moving elsewhere?

With Ashley's track record, this wouldn't surprise me.

don't know why everyone rates guitierrez so highly. i don't care how many caps he's got for argentina or how good his engine is. he's got no end product, a bit like downing.

Done a sterling job backing up Ryan Taylor this season. Not got forward as much as he should have done but there you go.

[Upinsmoke]

I wanna punch that david Craig fella on sky, remember when he did the Carroll story last year, did my head in.

[xavidub]

Newcastle are showing how its done, you get good players with potential to be very good/great for reasonable fee's. The way they've spent the Carroll fee & other money recouped recently has been remarkable. I hope Comolli is taking notes.

And speed. Taking too much time over pennies costs millions in the end

["Nookie".]

And speed. Taking too much time over pennies costs millions in the end

We first went for him last summer. Offered £10m and they wanted £15m. We left it till now..

[Juan Loco]

We first went for him last summer. Offered £10m and they wanted £15m. We left it till now..

Impossible mate. Your lot are flavour of the month here at the moment. We'd be lucky to be in your position. Wish we had such professional bunch in charge of our club.

[sinnermichael]

cabaye's just been done for violent conduct against brighton at the weekend which is farcical. it wasn't even deliberate.

against us he went over the top of the ball and got nothing.

[bigbear]

cabaye's just been done for violent conduct against brighton at the weekend which is farcical. it wasn't even deliberate.

against us he went over the top of the ball and got nothing.

Can't believe that decision - you see a lot worse than that every week.

[Vidocq]

I like the fact you underestimate Newcastle this season!!

[Solomon Grundy]

I've been saying all along these aren't goin to go away. Time to take them seriously.

[iheartthetoons]

I've been saying all along these aren't goin to go away. Time to take them seriously.

muahahaha



nah its all good fun  still not getting me hopes up, you know what newcastle are like!

[Grobbelrevell]

...still not getting me hopes up, you know what newcastle are like!

To be fair, you're up there on merit and deservedly so.

We've still to visit 'The Sports Direct Arena' (sorry, couldn't resist) as well so that one could be interesting for both of us. What's your run-in like?