All this 'messiah' stuff makes me laugh. It's a media mis-conception which gets blown completely out of proportion once idiots latch onto it.

Apart from the 12 year olds that get interviewed bouncing up and down outside Shearer's bar, the majority definately don't see Keegan as a messiah, they see him as someone who understands the fans, the club, and someone who had us playing decent football. That is the way it should have continued.

From what I've read of your posts recently, you've got the whole situation bang on from my viewpoint.

We/He could have had that, but he took the easy way out.

Where as you have been shi'ite all season?

Yep. And we're still only four points behind them.

three behind hull city

Thankfully ahead of them on goal difference too.

Next weekend is huge. Our game against the smoggies is simply a must win.

whoever losses are relegated for sure

So, Ash, with the big crunch game coming up, who would you like to see play? Formation and team, like.

If fit:

4-3-3
GK: Harper
RB: S.Taylor
CB: Beye
CB: Bassong
LB: Enrique
RCM: Jonas
CM: Guthrie
LCM: Lovenkrands
ST (hole): Owen
ST: Martins
ST: Viduka

Bench: Krul, Edgar, Coloccini, Duff, LuaLua, Carroll, Ranger

If Taylor and Enrique don't make it:

4-3-3
GK: Harper
RB: Beye
CB: Coloccini
CB: Bassong
LB: Duff
RCM: Jonas
CM: Guthrie
LCM: Lovenkrands
ST (hole): Owen
ST: Martins
ST: Viduka

Bench: Krul, Edgar, Tozer, LuaLua, Smith, Carroll, Ranger

Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nahhh, Nicky Nicky Butt, Nicky Butt, Nicky Nicky Butt!

I'll give him twice the abuse on Monday to make up for your absence.

That is quite an attacking side. Lovenkrands in midfield? Centre midfield?!

Why Beye at centre back and not Taylor? Surely it would be right to play both in their natural positions?

What's up with Kevin Nolan, by the way?

I was thinking more something like this:

Harper

Beye
Taylor
Bassong
Enrique

Nolan
Guthrie
Smith

Jonas
Duff

Martins


But yeah, I'm not too sure on your injury/suspended situation, and I expect to see Butt in there.

We need to win and need to attack from the off. That team actually has a bit of pace in it too.

Lovenkrands has pace which is what we seriously lack as I've mentioned above. He works hard for the team and can also hold up the ball pretty well.

Taylor has been very impressive at right back this season filling in for Beye and a lot of people would like to see him make that position his own as he can be a liability at centre back. Beye has also done really well when he played centre back for a few games, so that is why I'd play them like that.

Kevin Nolan is gash. He has gone missing far too easily when he's played.

You can't play him his tackling technique is gash.

Whilst I agree you do lack pace, from what I saw of Lovenkrands the other day, he had absolutely nothing defensively or tactically in him. He just seemed to swan around looking lost, whilst most of your players did that as well, considering he 'works hard', I didn't see enough the other day warranted him a place in the middle of the park. I know you need to go all out and attack, but 'Boro are an alright counter-attacking side, surely trying to get the balance right is the way forward and trying to boss things is the way forward, I just don't see how you'd control things with one centre midfielder.

As for Taylor and Beye, maybe if it was the start of the season but again I'm not too sure how good a decision it is to move players around. I guess it goes on preference but in these times of struggle, I'd have thought Shearer would try to get the basics right, by playing players in their position with a pretty standard formation.

To be honest you could see he looked off the pace yesterday but I didn't expect anything else after missing every game since Chelsea through injury. If we go for Butt and/or Smith in midfield, we just have no mobility. I can handle Butt playing in a 4-3-3 but he needs the hard-working Jonas and Guthrie alongside him.

Yep, can understand that. As long as Taylor is fit, I'm not fussed where he plays. We just need to get him back in the side as we have missed him.

Looking at the bottom of the PL I am starting to think Newcastle will now go down. Hull are struggling for points but have them on the board already and I fancy them to best Stoke at home and maybe get a point at Bolton. Boro look down and so now do Newcastle who to me look a truly clueless side.

I actually fancy Boro to beat Newcastle next week and I think Fulham will get a draw at SJP too.


Great win for us at Boro, Giggs and Scholes were excellent. A big week coming up, two wins would be amazing but I think the likely outcome is two draws. I also fancy Utd to draw with Arsenal in the league meaning we will have to win at Wigan and Hull to win the title.

Boro are truly awful. I can't see where their next point is coming from TBH. They have no fight and no bottle. I expect Newcastle to beat Boro, and can see Hull getting a point versus Stoke at the most.

WBA and Boro are down IMO, the other place is between Newcastle, Hull and Sunderland.

Strangely, Hull's best chance of picking up a point or two is versus United should we have the League wrapped up and we're in the Champions League final.

Next weekend is the biggest weekend of the season for the relegation battle, every team simply has to win to give themselves a chance.

It's going to be really tight between Hull and Newcastle.

I'd say the winner will be the team who wants it more but in the past few months I think we've been shown enough evidence by both teams that neither want it at all. Either that or they just don't have it to begin with.

I think if Newcastle stay up, they'll end up mid bottom of the table next season. If Hull stay up, Birmingham and Wolves will see them as the best target to replace them in the relegation zone as I feel they're going nowhere.

Thought we played ok last night but again it was a stupid mistake from Boateng that cost us but Myhill kept us in it with some fantastic saves and was our MOTM, Cant believe Brown took Geovanni off for Barmby at half time as they should of been on at the same time as they are our two best attacking players.

We was the far better side in the last 20 and did some decent stuff but just lacked the killer punch, Hopefully Brown will start with Barmby, Geo and Mendy on saturday as we have to win.

Where does this "owen in the hole come from" he's at his best playing on the shoulder of the last defender with either a big man or a ball player alongside/just behind he is nowhere near creative enough and is wasted there, he is your best chance of a goal at any time.

I take your point about Boro but have you seen Newcastle!! Boro did okay against Arsenal & Utd defensively and I can't see Newcastle troubling them too much as they seem a bit clueless going forward. It will be close but I have a sneaky feling Boro will do Newcastle but they will still go down. Hull have been battling quite well recently without getting any luck and with Stoke looking safe and having a few injuries I can see Hull doing them at the KC. That could be enough to keep them up.

I don't think Utd will have the title wrapped up in time for the Hull game as I can't see us beating City and Arsenal at home.

He's not good enough, like the other 2 players we brought in during the January transfer window, whilst letting an excellent goalkeeper leave, and a left winger who could go on to international honours for France.