Duo Ruled Out For Key Clash

Friday brought confirmation that Newcastle will be without defensive duo Daryl Janmaat and club Captain Fabricio Coloccini for the visit of Swansea on Saturday afternoon. It means that Benitez’s options in defence are limited and once again he will have to cobble together a make-shift back four for a crucial Premiership fixture. United’s failure to sign defensive cover during the January window has left them painfully short as horrendous injury problems have once again crippled the Newcastle squad.

Coloccini has been out since before Benitez arrived at the club and suffered a setback this week to remain side-lined with a calf injury. This means that Mbemba will more than likely partner Lascelles at centre half as Steven Taylor is also ruled out, although his form would have seen him benched anyway.

Benitez does have some decisions to make at full back though. Paul Dummett should start at left back if fit enough although Jack Colback’s return to the squad could see him play in that role. Kevin Mbabu’s return to the squad could see him replace Janmaat at right back but Vernon Anita is more likely to start as Mbabu is still short of match sharpness.

The most intriguing aspect of the game lies in midfield as Jonjo Shelvey lines up against his former club as captain of his current one. It would have been nice for Colo to have played to take the burden of captaincy away from Shelvey who has struggled for form since wearing the armband. But the added responsibility for Shelvey against Swansea could go in Newcastle’s favour as he will have a duty to keep his composure in a fixture filled with emotion. Jack Cork has tried to wind Shelvey up on social media and Swansea will probably try to antagonise the Newcastle captain further throughout the game. Newcastle need Shelvey to handle the situation and have the game of his life. What a story it would be if Shelvey could open his account at Newcastle by scoring the winner against Swansea. He will have dreamt it that way, although I’m sure he’ll settle for the three points, no matter how they come.

293 thoughts on “Duo Ruled Out For Key Clash

  1. Ice
    I know we don’t see eye to eye. But I can’t help commenting on that. WTF! They had to pay £40 for a month old baby? Have I read that right??????

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  2. Firstly, if I had to say “told you so” for everything I have been proved right on I’d be here all day and it would be boring after the first dozen examples!

    Secondly, Lascelles has ability, heart, passion and at this stage a lot of potential. He’s better than Taylor that’s for sure so he should keep his place until the end now.

    Finally, I have been looking through our fixtures logically and rationally and this is what I believe;

    City – 1 point (We have Momentum, City might rest a couple and will have at least 1 eye on Madrid.)
    Liverpool – 0 point (Just never get anything. Maybe the Rafa effect…?)
    Palace – 3 Points (They have nothing to play for and could have a Cup final to be looking at. If not, their season is finished.)
    Villa – 3 Points (Relegated and are *****)
    Spurs – 3 points (Will not have won the league and will be completely deflated with their players looking at the Euro’s.)
    Total – 38 Points.

    Don’t see why it can’t pan out like that. Although we could make it easier if we win our next three and put it to bed early. 🙂

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  3. Troy Stavers:
    Ice
    I know we don’t see eye to eye. But I can’t help commenting on that.WTF!They had to pay £40 for a month old baby?Have I read that right??????

    Yes £40 pounds with nowhere to see to the baby if needed,family club signs should be removed

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  4. I was surprised that picking Tiote worked as last time he played he was a bit of a disaster.

    Did anyone else notice we did not have a single defender on the bench? I think there were none available. Sterry was injured and I think Taylor has picked up a real injury (surprise 🙂 ). Still, to not have a single defender available when you are already playing a midfielder at right back is a travesty for a club of our size. Whether it is us buying crocks, not having sufficient depth, the lack of quality in the youth ranks, the board burying their head in the sand when in comes to defensive needs or the medical treatment, it is a disgrace.

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  5. Good win though. It appears obvious that if we get the first goal we stand a chance and if the opposition score first we fold.

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  6. York was not Lascelles’ first pre-season game. I saw him in Milwaukee and he had a nightmare in the first half along with the rest of the team. He gave away a soft penalty with virtually his first touch. I don’t think anybody wrote him off though. Rather, it was mentioned that we needed a good central defender with PL experience because Taylor was injury prone and Colocinni was past it. Lascelles had no PL experience and was relatively young for a central back and to rely on him seemed a stretch.

    But, one good game eh…

    All you have to do is look at teams in the top half. Even the next bright young thing (Stones) is struggling and Mangala and Otimendi found it hard to adapt at Citeh and they are highly rated. Putting all of your eggs in the Lascelles basket did not seem like a good idea, although I think they were hoping that Colo could mentor him. But, since he had one good game the board have obviously been proved right in their decisions. Strange that we are still 2nd bottom with the second coming of Bobby Moore in the team.

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  7. Well imo the young c/h was motm by a mile Swansea used two c/f and still got no joy from the kid Gomis did give him a problem for while but he won every high ball played up to Gomis who got no chance of flicking it on,well done kid imo a future captain in the making

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  8. Ice: I think Lascelles has shown he has potential and showed a lot of courage to call out some of the senior slackers. I also think he made a big difference yesterday and I hope it continues. I was just responding to another poster who had said Lascelles had been written off on here.

    BTW: of the starters yesterday only 4 started the last Citeh game – Wijnaldum, Sissoko, Anita and MBemba. Actually, only MBemba even played in the same position as yesterday.

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  9. Stu. No need to tell us, we all know you’re the champ at “told you so” ?

    We’ll see how good our new centerhalf pairing is when City rock up. aguero will require good fast feetwork as well as balls in the air to stop him scoring

    My predictions Toon 0 city 3
    Liverpool 2 toon 1
    Toon 2 palace 1
    Villa 0 toon 1

    My hopes rest on Sunderland and Norwich gaining hardly any points

    Stuart79:
    Firstly, if I had to say “told you so” for everything I have been proved right on I’d be here all day and it would be boring after the first dozen examples!

    Secondly, Lascelles has ability, heart, passion and at this stage a lot of potential.He’s better than Taylor that’s for sure so he should keep his place until the end now.

    Finally, I have been looking through our fixtures logically and rationally and this is what I believe;

    City – 1 point (We have Momentum, City might rest a couple and will have at least 1 eye on Madrid.)
    Liverpool – 0 point (Just never get anything. Maybe the Rafa effect…?)
    Palace – 3 Points (They have nothing to play for and could have a Cup final to be looking at.If not, their season is finished.)
    Villa – 3 Points (Relegated and are *****)
    Spurs – 3 points (Will not have won the league and will be completely deflated with their players looking at the Euro’s.)
    Total – 38 Points.

    Don’t see why it can’t pan out like that. Although we could make it easier if we win our next three and put it to bed early.

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  10. I see Liverpool have made ten changes today! No doubt that means we get their strongest 11 next Saturday!

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  11. Ice
    That is staggering.
    I’m still not sure I’ve read it correctly. £40 for a month old child who doesn’t take up a seat.
    It’s the seat you buy. The parent buys the seat. You don’t need to buy a seat for the child. I’m not accusing you of lying, I’m just clarifying I’ve understood what you are saying.

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  12. Gashley
    I’m not having that Stu is the champ of “I told you so”.
    I am the Predictor and I’ve never been wrong once!
    Stu would spend a day telling you when he’s told you so. I could spend a week.
    Think of all those Aussie rants and huffs I predicted. Countless!
    😀

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  13. Troy Stavers:
    Gashley
    I’m not having that Stu is thechamp of “I told you so”.
    I am the Predictor and I’ve never been wrong once!
    Stu would spend a day telling you when he’s told you so. I could spend a week.
    Think of all those Aussie rants and huffs I predicted.Countless!

    I normally skip past your posts mate so I wouldn’t know 😛

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  14. You’re right, Troy. You are the King of the “I told you so.” It’s just that you always say it (even when you’re not right) and I just don’t say it because I don’t like rubbing it in with the posters. They know who they are. The ones who constantly express opinions against me for being “negative” when in actual fact “I told you all so!” 🙂 😯

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  15. I am a bit worried for Leicester, although I am not predicting a loss. The reason I am worried is that NBC have sent over their whole crew and have 3 reporters on the pitch like it is a cup final and another 3 in a UK studio. They have never hyped a match as much as this one, ever. They also had a one hour documentary about the story of Leicester and are trying to invoke finding the remains of Richard the 3rd as a Leicester destiny story (almost forgetting that he was actually killed on the battlefield before being buried in Leicester, meaning it would probably be more meaningful if they collapsed). I am not even superstitious but this looks like setting them up for a fall.

    At this point I think I will be happy for them to win the League as it is not a bad City even though I had a bad experience going to a match there once.

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  16. I do know I told everyone not to sack SM for clarky..it had to better…to which most said it wouldn’t happen ?

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  17. Stuart79:
    You’re right, Troy.You are the King of the “I told you so.” It’s just that you always say it (even when you’re not right) and I just don’t say it because I don’t like rubbing it in with the posters.They know who they are.The ones who constantly express opinions against me for being “negative” when in actual fact “I told you all so!”

    Lol very true. Troy is the king on contradictory terms ?

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  18. Troysta: I love it when you bring up huffs. You are king of I told you so and also king of the huffs.

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  19. Oh cone on lads!
    Ouch! 🙂
    Lads, I’m never wrong. It’s just everyone is so far behind me, time will eventually show I was always right. 🙂
    I do love rubbing people’s noses in it like. Especially Pyschs little pug nose, Gashleys gibbon nose and Stu pigs snout. 😆
    Btw I have a perfectly formed nasal passage. 😎

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  20. Troy: there was a time when you agreed with just about everything Stuart said and would quote him to AMF. Have you forgotten?

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  21. Clarkie is on a roll now. Another great call by me. He’s dragging the mighty Killie off the bottom.
    Next season will show his real ability though.
    Another top prediction. I told you say waiting in the wings. 😀

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  22. Troy: you are a homunculus, Latin for “little man”, a fully formed miniature human.

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  23. We desperately want Leicester to keep winning. Nothing on the last game for Spurs is what we need!

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  24. Kilmarnock had a good win yesterday. That makes it won 2, drew 1, lost 5. Troysta, Killy were 2nd bottom when Clark arrived and are, erm, second bottom now. No dragging them up by their bootstraps yet I am afraid.

    I have nothing against Clark. I just thought it was a ridiculous suggestion from Troy that he should be Schteve’s successor at NUFC.

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  25. Troy Stavers:
    Ice
    That is staggering.
    I’m still not sure I’ve read it correctly.£40 for a month old child who doesn’t take up a seat.
    It’s the seat you buy.The parent buys the seat.You don’t need to buy a seat for the child.I’m not accusing you of lying, I’m just clarifying I’ve understood what you are saying.

    That was my point and I told them so on the phone,the baby would be carried by a parent and asked to speak to some else,they said they would email me,which they did to confirm I have to buy a ticket for baby,it stinks

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  26. troy

    Btw I have a perfectly formed nasal passage

    I had to put my glasses on there to read it correctly..

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  27. I was quite concerned when I saw the team we seemed a bit compact in the middle of the park with Swansea having two very pacey wingers that tore us to bit last time but we coped well,I know dummy was rusty but got though it but in six attempts to cross the ball he failed every time,they say Swansea had nothing to play for but imo they were really up for it and fought for every single ball maybe it was the Shelvey thing but they were very committed

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  28. Ice: Montero either tears a team a new one or is anonymous. Yesterday he didn’t trouble Anita.

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  29. Eric Sykes:
    Ice: Montero either tears a team a new one or is anonymous. Yesterday he didn’t trouble Anita.

    I think hes been dropped a canny bit this season mate. been sussed..

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  30. Pyschs
    You have to lower the tone don’t you. 🙄
    Gash
    I’m just amazed you can get specs to fit on your gibbon nose. 😀
    Pyschs
    I agreed with Stuart cos he did have the same opinions as me, in fact, he copied off me. 😉

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  31. Ice
    That is absolutely incredible!! You should write a letter to the chronicle and journal to embarrass them.
    The fact they have no changing facilities for a so called modern club, tops it off !
    YCMIU. 😯

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  32. Troy Stavers:
    Ice
    That is absolutely incredible!! You should write a letter to the chronicle and journal to embarrass them.
    The fact they have no changing facilities for a so called modern club, tops it off !
    YCMIU.

    My son has emailed the the rag already with his Malta email address so wait a reply

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  33. Yes Troy: you were really keeping it high brow with the pug, gibbon and pig nose stuff 🙂

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  34. Gashley: I think hes been dropped a canny bit this season mate. been sussed..

    Mind he did put a good effort in with no joy but I must say Townsend worked back really well to help out,Townsend fit is a canny player good grafter

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  35. Icedog: Mind he did put a good effort in with no joy but I must say Townsend worked back really well to help out,Townsend fit is a canny player good grafter

    aye he’s coming on great Ice. He was ridiculed at spurs for cutting in every time, he does it a lot up here but has mixed it with decent corners and balls whipped from the wing

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  36. Gashley: it seems that Townsend has figured out that he has to have another string to his bow other than cut inside and shoot. Santon had the same move but never varied it and defenders just showed him the outside knowing he would never take it and all the attacks down that side came to nothing. I am not the biggest fan of Jonas but he did have to babysit Santon quite a bit under Pardew’s instructions so I think his scoring and assist stats suffered.

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  37. Tiote played ok but God he hasn’t got a clue how to play a forward ball and a few times y/day he just stood dumbstruck with the ball at his feet ended up playing ball about ten feet sideways,Colback isn’t much better big hoof is his way but they got the job done I suppose,but was happy the way the two centre backs played what a nice change from Colo and Taylor,hope Colo stays injured and Taylor well words cannot describe him

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  38. It’s real nice to see us score from corners how long has it been since we could say that nice to see,we defended corners quite well too another change

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  39. The Ref gave a dive when there was contact. That “hold” by Morgan is also not called 90% of the time. Of course, all of the pundits love West Ham so will agree on both decisions.

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  40. What the hell is this ref on?!!! He’s making it up as he goes along by the looks of things!

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  41. Terrible refereeing. A sending off when there was contact. A call that is not given 90% of the time. Then does not give the same call for Huth, then does a makeup call on a “foul” that is let go 90% of the time.

    You could say it was a fair result despite the Ref but I don’t think that Vardy should have been sent off. The ex-players and pundits and journalists all love West Ham so they will all say in unison it was a sending off. Why do you think there has been so little said about the tax-payer gift of a Stadium to West Ham that basically penalises every other team in football who paid for their own grounds. FFS a lot of our debts under Shepherd were from the mortgage on the new stands.

    If we were gifted a stadium Hall and Shepperd might not have sold to Ashley. Think about that 🙂

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  42. It is often said by the media and pundits that West Ham won England the World Cup in 1966. There weren’t any other players on the pitch were there. Bobby Charlton and Gordon Banks didn’t contribute at all 🙂 Now there is a movement in Parliament to change the law to make Bobby Moore posthumously a knight. I bet there are quite a few in history that you could make that argument for but nothing happens until it is a West Ham footballer. YCMIU

    It is no wonder the team is owned by a couple of porn merchants because the whole of the media sucks their dicks.

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  43. It is almost as bad as hearing about “that night in Barcelona” ad infinitum. It was 1999 Martin, 17 years ago. Give it a rest.

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  44. How about making George Stephenson or Robert Louis Stevenson or many, many others a knight? No, we will change the rules for Bobby Moore, he is obviously the most deserving case 🙂 YCMIU.

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  45. How about Charles Darwin, the most influential Englishman save Newton. No, let’s change the law for Bobby Moore who single-handedly won the World Cup so is obviously more important. What team did he play for again Motty?

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  46. Actually, there is a better football example – Bob Paisley. I would say he is more deserving than Moore but he didn’t manage West Ham.

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  47. I am not even saying that Bobby Moore is not deserving, just that it is typical that the media make him their posterchild to change the law when there are so many others in history they could have chosen.

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  48. Part of my rant against the media and West Ham is that I believe they do the opposite to NUFC. They seem to revel in any failure and love to tag us as deluded Geordies and a comedy club (the latter phrase is actually appropriate for the last few years). It stands in stark contrast to their portrayal of West Ham who have been on a pretty similar path to us until the last couple of years and must have the most odious owners in football (including Abramovich who criminally raped a labour force and constituency to steal his billions). That, and the bongo boys business, is conveniently forgotten by the London media.

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  49. There is actually quite a lot said about Ashley in the media about zero hour contracts and the like. But they give a free pass to Abramovich and the West Ham owners. Some might think that the porn industry is harmless and think of playboy and the like. That is a tiny part of it. What about kidnapping eastern european girls and making them virtual slaves, the underage and child sex business, drugging and beating girls to keep them in line. I am not saying Sullivan and Gold do this but they are part of that industry. Are their hands clean?

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  50. I know we won 3-0 yesterday, and yes there were some encouraging performances from a couple, but over all, we were just as shyte as we have been all season.
    I saw nothing that would even hint at a sniff of survival.
    Sorry no that’s not fair on young Lascelles, who was clearly mom.
    But in the 2nd half we could easily have been pegged back and out of reach but for some woeful finishing from swansea.
    Now on to Tuesday night, feeling like all is fine and dandy, because Rafa got us a win.
    Well I don’t, and can truly see another 5 goal hammering coming our way. sorry n all that, but we are way way below the class and skill level of Man city.
    De Bruyne will tear us to ribbons imo. And we will never score against them with our powder puff forwards.
    As for survival, I still can’t see it.
    Lose at Liverpool
    draw with **** palace
    draw at villa
    lose at home to spuds
    2 more points, and nowhere near enough.
    Of course I could be wrong, as I was this weekend. 😳
    after all, it’s a funny old game.
    ” to the championship and beyond”
    HtL

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  51. There is no way we avoid going down. Our only hope of getting a point again this season is the Villa game. We have no chance in any other game.

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  52. Arsenal playing like a bag of **** and who’s their next game against? Sunderland!!! Although they’ll be under presurre for the top 4 spot so they shouldn’t be on the beach!

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  53. aye Funky J – to think otherwise would be madness and delusion beyond belief.
    This team is really so bad, it honestly doesn’t deserve its status as a PREMIER (ha!)league team.
    Did Gini Wijnaldum do ANYTHING of any value yesterday ? seriously wtf is wrong with these guys.
    Sissoko scored a bungled goal, but barely did anything else of note all game.
    Tiote is half asleep
    Cisse still couldn’t hit a cow’s **** with a banjo
    Anita – garbage
    MBemba – a poor mike williamson
    and still NOTHING at all from De Jong, colloshitty, and the rest.
    How many players do we have to carry every match ffs ❓

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  54. I am going to be more optimistic on our points tally and say that we will get 4 points from our remaining games leaving us on 32 points for the season — and relegated.
    I fully expect Sunderland to win 2 and draw 1 of their remaining games leaving them well safe on 37 points.

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  55. Thankfully, BB, Sunderland and Norwich aren’t any better so as long as we are within touching distance of them we have a chance. All three teams have two tough fixtures coming up so we could be as you were in two weeks time, but after than I can see us picking up points against Palace, Villa and Spurs (providing Leicester have won the league by then).

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  56. BB: I think you are being very harsh on Anita and Sissoko’s goal was a clean hit. Gini did disappear though and we all already know that Cisse contributes very little unless he scores.

    People are getting slightly carried away with one result but you don’t have to have faith to have hope. I will repeat that, you don’t have to have faith to have hope.

    We have a top manager who just maybe has instilled a bit of fight and belief in a group that has had neither for the season so far. Our players are no worse than Sunderland’s or Norwich’s and we have a better manager. I am going with the glass being half full for at least another week. If we get stuffed by Citeh and Liverpool that might change.

    25% on the Stuart-O-Meter for me. Oh wait, that is only quarter full 🙂

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  57. You know who MPs are saying should get a knighthood now? Claudio Ranieri. I like him and all but maybe Dalglish, or Stephen Hawking might be ahead of him. Way to pander and jump on the bandwagon our elected officials. Why not give every Chairman of every bank ever a knighthood or every top civil servant. Oh, you already did that.

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  58. Actually, I think all of the honours are a crock. Lord Jeffrey Archer 🙂 I am OK to give Sir Bradley rides-his-bike-fast recognition but still think it is ***** and very much jobs for the boys and old school tie for the most part. Sir Trev of Brooking played for West Ham you know and has 10 O levels.

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  59. Dame Barbara Windsor 🙂 I think they got a bit confused as she had the same surname as The Queen.

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  60. I don’t hold much hope for survival as the team is poor.
    Could of been different had Swansea put one of their chances away…but we won and some good performances to boot

    I can’t see any points v city & pool. We need points v palace, villa and spurs.

    Our only hope is Norwich and Sunderlands season is finished all ready

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