Newcastle United

[Sparky]

Owen needs to adapt his game , he hasnt got the pace he used to rely on anymore. But i have still got faith that he will bounce back and will become a good Premier league striker again. If he manages to get himself a decent club that will supply the ammunition then Owen will score many a goal. Id like to see him at Everton

[Scow]

Despite the number of injuries he's had during his time at Newcastle, Owen's goal scoring record is still very good - 26 goals in 58 starts; almost one in two.

He's certainly not finished yet. As others have said, he needs to have an injury free run in a team. Sparky is right about what he says about Owen needing to adapt his game; to an extent I think he's already done that. He used to rely heavily on his pace, but his movement still gets himself into goal scoring situations and he's never lost the ability to finish - it's all down to confidence and fitness.

As for Newcastle in general, I reckon they could be in deep trouble. Even if they do get rid of most of their higher earners, they'll have the problem with trying to create a new team. As I've mentioned in another thread not so long ago, teams that have been successful in bouncing back are those who keep their better players and not make too many changes (West Brom, Sunderland and Birmingham to name a few). Teams like us, Derby, Leeds, Southampton have all been relegated in recent times, made sweeping changes and suffered as a consequence. I'm not saying teams that make considerable changes will always fail, but maintaining some consistency gives you a better chance.

[Wycombe Fox]

[keithweller]

why is everyone talking about an attendance drop next season at newcastle?

arent these the 'best fans in the country'?, if anything they'll need to raise money to spend on expanding the stadium

[Darkzzz_]

I really thought you knew your football. I wish I could score 40 goals for England and be crap. He's not been as good as he used to be, but that's down to injuries, If fully fit and given a proper run in a decent team, he'll be back to near his best.

A difference of opinion suggests I don't know football. Ok then!

I will retract my point about him being crap, he isn't crap and that was going a bit far, he can turn it round but I don't think he will be as good as he was.

[lookwhaticando]

Damien Duff just committed himself to Newcastle.

He says "I'm as loyal as they come and, whether the gaffer stays or goes, I'd love to try to get Newcastle back up."

beeb

[Thracian]

Owen needs to adapt his game , he hasnt got the pace he used to rely on anymore. But i have still got faith that he will bounce back and will become a good Premier league striker again. If he manages to get himself a decent club that will supply the ammunition then Owen will score many a goal. Id like to see him at Everton

Famous last words. Just look as his total of appearances since he left Liverpool, barely 20 per season over five years.

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

Owen's been a busted flush for ages and a massive waste of money for Newcastle.

How he ever got picked for England again I don't know but that was predictably disappointing too.

He should respect what his body has been telling him for a long time and follow Mick Channon into life as a racehorse trainer cos I'm quite sure he'd prefer it now. And good luck to him.

[lildave3]

Owen hasn't looked interested in his football for a while now. The rumours of him retiring soon aren't far off the mark imo.

[lavrentis]

Damien Duff just committed himself to Newcastle.

He says "I'm as loyal as they come and, whether the gaffer stays or goes, I'd love to try to get Newcastle back up."

beeb

Loyal my arse.

I'm sure he'd rather stay and get 60k a week for his troubles rather than getting 20k a week with Stoke.

[Matt]

I've gotta say i'm on the slag Owen off side, You can't deny his goalscoring record but I do feel he is slightly overrated certainly now, certainly over the last few months/years, I think alot of my bad thoughts of him are thanks to his fitness and injury proneness He gets fit, he plays and get form back then his leg falls off again.

He has to take a HUGE pay cut or retire now, I don't think he would re-sign for Newcastle and I can't see Villa or Everton pay his huge wages. The old question again, does he want to play or not? Is he doing it for the money or to play football?

[AyewJoking]

Great season. Leicester win the league, Leeds stay where they are and Newcastle get relegated.

[Matt]

Great season. Leicester win the league, Leeds stay where they are and Newcastle get relegated.

It certainly has been one of my favourite season on a whole when looking at what has happened with other teams and including ourselves.

[Guest]

why is everyone talking about an attendance drop next season at newcastle?

arent these the 'best fans in the country'?, if anything they'll need to raise money to spend on expanding the stadium

No. They are the best fans in the world, salt of the earth. Expect the Championship's first 120,000 gate.

Damien Duff just committed himself to Newcastle.

He says "I'm as loyal as they come and, whether the gaffer stays or goes, I'd love to try to get Newcastle back up."

beeb

Players always say this. We've even been duped by the same promises in the past.

[dandannieldanok]

Players always say this. We've even been duped by the same promises in the past.

Yes, I could have sworn Iain Hume said something similar at the end of last season, only to bugger off weeks later to Barnsley.

[Guest]

Yes, I could have sworn Iain Hume said something similar at the end of last season, only to bugger off weeks later to Barnsley.

Gary Rowatt and Robbie Savage spring to mind as well.

[Matt]

Gary Rowatt and Robbie Savage spring to mind as well.

Paul Dickov?

[Edmund]

Take a look at the championship goal scoring charts, there are players in there who I would take over Owen. I would even take all of the league one top scorers over him. He is crap. Overpaid crap at that.

Totally agree. Can't believe some people are shocked by this. He is well past it now.

[Guest]

Paul Dickov?

I'm still fuming about that one, and couldn't bring myself to mention it.

[act smiley]

I hope they are in deep shit. Can't stand the whole Newcastle are wonderful hype that the media portray. They haven't won the league in over 80 years and the FA Cup in over 50 years yet they have this ludicrous expectation. Burnley won the league more recently then them but no one is going on about them as a sleeping giant etc.

Please, do a Leeds.

The expectation of Newcastle is that they're a big, but massively unsuccesful club who wanted to be doing what Villa are doing at the minute, and hopefully win a cup in the process. The Newcastle-are-wonderful hype is just hype so that when they do the look-at-the-silly-geordies articles they've got some weight.

Like any club they've got muppets who believe it (just look at the people on here ripping into League One before the start of the season), but they're no worse than any other club for that, and better than the likes of Spurs.

They've got a core of a good championship team in there, with Harper and Krul being top keepers, and Edgar, Guthrie, Carroll and Lovenkrands all offering something useful. The rest are all either completely disinterested, shite or not financially viable, which is an absolutely insane state to be in.

[lookwhaticando]

Players always say this. We've even been duped by the same promises in the past.

Indeed.

Now he's come out and said it, we know he's a dead cert to be at another premiership club by the end of the summer.

[TrickyTrev]

Newcastle will still have the biggest buying power in our division. If they get in a decent manager they should be favourites to win it next year.

Doubt it. They have a bunch of turds on over 50k a week which they aint going to be able to get rid of. They will have to settle for a squad of players that fail to attract a buyer.

Relegated again.

Also Steven Taylor, Andy Carroll and David Edgar are very bad footballers. I wish people would not assume they are good because they came through the youth system.

Habib Baye will move to someone in the top half of the premier.

[Fox You Forest]

I think Taylor is a more than decent defender and it has nothing to do with him coming through the youth system.

[Webbo]

Doubt it. They have a bunch of turds on over 50k a week which they aint going to be able to get rid of. They will have to settle for a squad of players that fail to attract a buyer.

Relegated again.

Also Steven Taylor, Andy Carroll and David Edgar are very bad footballers. I wish people would not assume they are good because they came through the youth system.

Habib Baye will move to someone in the top half of the premier.

They'll get rid of some, pay off some others and the ones they keep will be good players in the championship. They'll be the best supported team in the division and they'll have the parachute money.

But as I said it all depends on getting in a good manager. Shearer's been the worse caretaker since Ian Huntley.

PS. Andy Carroll will score goals in this division.

[Brainy]

Ameobi would be lethal.

Carroll and Ameobi should be their forwards next year.

[act smiley]

Doubt it. They have a bunch of turds on over 50k a week which they aint going to be able to get rid of. They will have to settle for a squad of players that fail to attract a buyer.

Relegated again.

Also Steven Taylor, Andy Carroll and David Edgar are very bad footballers. I wish people would not assume they are good because they came through the youth system.

Habib Baye will move to someone in the top half of the premier.

Taylor is a good but incomplete player, if he'd been somewhere with proper coaching the last couple of years he would be a really good player now instead of having treaded water at best - a move for him could be like Stearman's and really help him move on as a player. Carroll and Edgar are mediocre in the Premiership but will prove good if unspectacular in the Championship and are the sort of player they can actually afford to keep.