Newcastle United’s Greatest Ever Premier League XI of the 2000’s

With a lofty league position and takeover talk swirling round at the minute, it’s hard not to get even little bit excited as a Newcastle fan at the moment. After all, in recent memory opportunities to do so have been few and far between.

Here at the blog its got us reminiscing about former players and best NUFC XI’s over the years. To make it interesting, what do you feel is our best ever XI from the 21st century?

We had a go here, complete with subs bench which will no doubt cause much debate but here goes!

(4-4-2)

GK: Shay Given

One of our longest serving players and a rock in between the posts for over a decade. A great shot stopper and what he lacked in distribution and aerial prowess he made up for in match winning displays.

RB: Warren Barton

Another great servant who left the club in 2002. Signed for a British record for a defender when he joined Newcastle, Barton was an excellent full back and is an area we have struggled with historically since.

CB: Jonathan Woodgate

Woodgate, when fit of course, was an outstanding defender; the best I have seen as an NUFC fan. His ability to read the game and commanding presence made such a difference to the squad that were flying high under Sir Bobby. If he had stayed fit we may have even won a trophy and his ability was rewarded with a move to Real Madrid.

CB: Fabricio Coloccini

Left under a bit of a cloud a few years ago but Coloccini at his best was a classy centre half. Took a while to adapt to English football and arguably was at his best when we finished 5th under Alan Pardew, culminating in him being voted in the Premier League team of the year. He was classy on the ball, read the game superbly and was a calm influence at the back.

LB: Olivier Bernard

Tough call with Bernard and Enrique but when on form his final product was a little better. Always linked well with Robert on the left hand side and was physically strong too. Faded badly towards the end of his time here and retired early due to poor fitness, but in his prime was a great player and key part of the team who enjoyed Champions League football.

RM: Nolberto Solano

Nobby was one of the few positive things Kenny Dalglish brung to the club when he signed for a bargain £2.5m. During two spells at Newcastle he won the love the Geodis nation with his great work rate, understanding of the area and understanding delivery from the right wing.  A clever player that could always be counted on.

CM: Gary Speed

The late Gary Speed was a genuine leader and brilliant box to box midfielder. He could play in the front of the back four, pick a pass and was outstanding in the air. His experience got the best out of our young side that qualified for the Champions League and could be counted on in big games.

CM: Yohan Cabaye

Cabaye is rightly vilified in Newcastle after forcing a move from the club and also for a horror challenge last weekend on Yedlin, but it is easy to forget in his prime at NUFC just how good he was. The heartbeat of the side that came 5th, he was a class act and a set piece specialist.

LM: Laurent Robert

The flamboyant French winger just edges his compatriot Ben Arfa for a place in the side in my opinion after delivering over a longer period of time. Scored some truly spectacular goals and although inconsistent at times, he still racked up an impressive amount of goals and assists during his time of Tyneside. Those two strikes against Spurs will live long in the memory.

ST: Alan Shearer (C)

Who else? Of course Shearer makes the team; our record scorer carried the team for the decade he was at his boyhood club. Still the Premier League’s top all-time scorer, it is hard to imagine we will ever be fortunate enough to have a player of his ability lead the line in our lifetime.

ST: Demba Ba

Ba gets the nod for his lethal few seasons in front of goal while at Newcastle. 29 goals in 54 appearances says it all and the Senegalese scored all types of goals. I always remember him terrorising Manchester United during their 3-0 drubbing on Tyneside. One of many to leave and struggle elsewhere but when at NUFC, was superb.

Substitutes:

Tim Krul, Jose Enrique, Nikos Dabizas, Hatem Ben Arfa, Kieron Dyer, Kevin Nolan, Craig Bellamy.

What would your team be?

About Simon Riddlesden

Lifelong Newcastle United fan and East Stand season ticket holder. Observations from a supporter who has followed NUFC during Champions League participation and through relegation, taking me from Milan to Scunthorpe.

122 thoughts on “Newcastle United’s Greatest Ever Premier League XI of the 2000’s

  1. Premandup from the last thread. It is almost impossible to predict who we could get in January:

    1. Hardly anybody moves in January

    2. Prices are inflated.

    3. Rafa has his own ideas and we usually don’t know about them until they happen.

    4. Will there be a takeover and more money?

    The ones mentioned are loans for Ings (possible), Batsyuai (unlikely) and Tosun from Basiktas (who knows?).

    I would go for a loan for Ings as he doesn’t fit for Klopp but an outright buy would be risky with his injury record.

    Knowing Rafa something will occur from out of left field.

    BTW: the origins of that phrase supposedly are that there was a lunatic asylum at the Chicago Cubs original baseball ground behind the fielder at left field. There would be screams that would come from the nut-house and disrupt play and that is supposedly the origin of out-of-left-field. Could be an urban legend.

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  2. Barton still loves NUFC. He is a pundit for Fox Sports over here and any time we are mentioned there is a glint in his eye.

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  3. Rob Lee was better than Speed. When Speed was beaten that was it but Lee would get back again and again.

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  4. Icedog:
    http://www.shieldsgazette.com/sport/football/newcastle-united/amanda-staveley-s-bid-for-newcastle-worth-up-to-500m-and-backed-by-arabian-gulf-and-chinese-investors-1-8826445

    Surely jabba cannot refuse if true of coarse

    Ice: isn’t that just the same story that was published a couple of weeks ago but packaged in a different way to make it seem newsworthy. The old story was 300 million selling price plus up to 200 million over 2 windows for players. TOTAL SPEND 500 MILLION.

    Shields Gazette are looking for clicks.

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  5. Why would anybody pay Ashley more than he is asking for unless there is a bidding war and there are no signs of that.

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  6. Had to laugh Tues night,Roy’s team got beaten 4-1 a defender thrown his shirt to Palace fans,they threw it back at him lol

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  7. Olly: you say according to Nolan NUFC getting relegated was the best thing that could have happened to the club? How so? Ashley strung along Shearer, then sacked the one person who kept the club together 6 months after promotion. He hires Pardew, which leads directly to Ashley walking away and leaving the club to Carr and Charnley which gives us Ugly John, Schteve and another relegation. How is that good?

    The only saving grace is that Rafa saw potential and called Charnley who at least was smart enough to see that it was the only way to save his own skin. BUT, there wasn’t enough time to avoid relegation. So I repeat KEVIN NOLAN. How was the 2009 relegation the best thing that happened to NUFC. And hiring Rafa was in no way a consequence of the 2009 relegation.

    Time to retire and become a pundit Kevin because you will love it in the studios because you are already spouting shyte. How about an auto-biography from a mediocre player who played for mediocre clubs. And I include NUFC in that because that is what we were when he played for us.

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  8. Icedog: Very true,would love to see their *** kicked out https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/4767642/west-ham-london-stadium-e20-stadium-llp-bust-administration/

    That’s bad. Kimtoon will be chuffed. There seems to be no other solution except to throw more taxpayer money at it.

    The Sun mention that West Ham may become homeless (doubt it). That is quite appropriate though given the way Bilic looks at the moment – unshaven, unkempt and disheveled.

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  9. Icedog:
    Did Nolan not get picked for England?,then again England are a mediocre team like

    Not sure Ice. I am just shocked at another rewriting history. We were a mess when we went down and he was accused of not trying. It was Hughton who turned it around, not the player committee. They were more interested in negotiating bonuses for promotion.

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  10. Eric Sykes:
    Olly: you say according to Nolan NUFC getting relegated was the best thing that could have happened to the club? How so? Ashley strung along Shearer, then sacked the one person who kept the club together 6 months after promotion. He hires Pardew, which leads directly to Ashley walking away and leaving the club to Carr and Charnley which gives us Ugly John, Schteve and another relegation. How is that good?

    The only saving grace is that Rafa saw potential and called Charnley who at least was smart enough to see that it was the only way to save his own skin. BUT, there wasn’t enough time to avoid relegation. So I repeat KEVIN NOLAN. How was the 2009 relegation the best thing that happened to NUFC. And hiring Rafa was in no way a consequence of the 2009 relegation.

    Time to retire and become a pundit Kevin because you will love it in the studios because you are already spouting shyte. How about an auto-biography from a mediocre player who played for mediocre clubs. And I include NUFC in that because that is what we were when he played for us.

    Fair point mate. 2016’s relegation has more potential to have been a turning point?

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  11. Do you know who Nolan’s vaunted player committee were?

    Nolan: who was accused of not trying after his transfer in January of the relegation year. It was said he didn’t want the transfer.

    Nicky ****: had one good game against Boro for us. Was way past it when he arrived just like most of Ferguson’s cast-offs. Retired at the end of the season.

    Harper: good lad but perennial understudy.

    Alan Smith: another foisted on us by Fergusson and never recovered from a broken leg. Did he even play?

    Sure they had a lot to say and were senior pros who were sort of successful in their day but I would hardly say they were the best thing ever to happen to NUFC.

    I think Barton was still yapping as well, not sure though.

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  12. Chris Hughton is the one that got NUFC promoted, not a committee of has-beens and never-weres. In fact, Hughton was sacked because the Fatman believed he had given too much power to those players and he hired a cockney gob-***** to get rid of them. I think Hughton would have purged the club of those players given a few more months as he forged his own team.

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  13. Olly: I hope you don’t mind me being so opinionated. Some of it I just say for effect. Sometimes it gets quiet and I like to move things along even if it is just talking to myself and seeing if anybody else cares about the subject. I could easily start a fight on Uncle Ed’s but they do that anyway. At least on here everybody is relatively calm unless I get in a mood and rile them up! Where is Troy, that used to be his job!!!!!

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  14. I think making specific weekly predictions is pretty tough sometimes so I’m going to become Paul Merson’s Giant Balloon Head and see how I do. I will be shocked if I get 50%, but here goes:

    Man U – Spurs = Draw
    **** – Swans = Home Win
    Palace – West Ham = Home Win
    Liverpool – Huddersfield = Home Win
    Watford – Stoke = Home Win
    West Brom – Man City = Away Win
    Bournemouth – Chelsea = Away Win
    Brighton – S’ton = Draw
    Leicester – Everton = Home Win
    Burnley – NUFC = Draw

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  15. It may seem that I slag the 3 stooges off because I think making predictions is easy. Wrong. I castigate them because I think they are biased against NUFC and in favour of former teams.

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  16. Now Lawro is predicting a NUFC win. Our points total was getting to be so far away from their predictions that they have to predict a few wins to get back to having any sort of credibility. It doesn’t matter what the actual result is, it matters that their points total gets closer to our actual total. Then they cannot be accused of writing off a world class manager and knowing absolutely f-all.

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  17. Ice: have a look at Olly’s latest on NUFC takeover. It clarifies the BS/clickbait that the Shields Gazette put out yesterday.

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  18. Eric Sykes:
    Ice: have a look at Olly’s latest on NUFC takeover. It clarifies the BS/clickbait that the Shields Gazette put out yesterday.

    Eric Sykes:
    Ice: have a look at Olly’s latest on NUFC takeover. It clarifies the BS/clickbait that the Shields Gazette put out yesterday.

    Will do mate

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  19. 2000s Kim – all gone by then. Personally I’d prefer Dyer and Speed from that 2001 team and Bellamy to Ba. Don’t think Ba would be able to play with Shearer if he couldn’t with Cisse. Strange little article though Simon.

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  20. All pre 2000 Kimtoon but you have listed some cracking players there! Same for Rob Lee, played post 2000 but was past his best then, he was great in the 90’s

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  21. Dyer was great in his prime wasn’t he and I was torn with Bellamy too. As you say as a partnership him and Shearer were great. We were just chatting about former sides so thought we would see who everyone would have in their team, always interesting to see who people prefer!

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  22. Simon Riddlesden:
    All pre 2000 Kimtoon but you have listed some cracking players there! Same for Rob Lee, played post 2000 but was past his best then, he was great in the 90’s

    Simon – Rob Lee was with us up until 2002, so would be on that list – but probably past his best by then to be fair. However as my joint favourite toon player with Beardsley, he’d at least be on the bench.

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  23. Yeah that was my thinking for leaving him out, purely as post 2000 his best days were gone but at his peak he walks into the team as you say!

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  24. Why wasn’t Kevin Nolan on the list since he saved NUFC. I didn’t mind Nolan in The Championship and he scored some important goals but I hate it when players rewrite history and make themselves out to be more important than they were. Yes, he helped get us promoted but he also helped get us relegated.

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  25. Robson put together a decent team if Dyer could have stayed fit. I can’t remember, did we have any defenders?

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  26. Dyer was brilliant for us until SBR signed Jenas, probably as his replacement. As for defenders do Bramble and Dazibas even count? Wasn’t Barton way past his best then too?

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  27. I still can’t believe that twitter is a thing. I understand it is an open forum, but it is not moderated and any threads I read on football/NUFC are populated by idiots. Then you have the people with the most followers – c8nts like Joey Barton, Donald Trump and Peirs Morgan. Then there’s reality TV stars.

    I suppose there are a few out there who are OK although don’t we get enough of Stephen Fry on TV?

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  28. Oh, and Nolan said that relegation was good for NUFC because it got rid of the big time Charlies who weren’t interested in grafting for the club. The loyal players stayed. More like nobody wanted them on the wages they were on. The player committee – Harper, Alan Smith, Nicky **** and Nolan – Fatman would have shifted them in a heartbeat if anybody would have them. And Barton was poison at that stage. Remember Shearer said he would never play for the club again under him.

    Sorry to dwell on this but a bit of time passes and ex-players spout shyte and nobody questions them on it.

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  29. 2009 was the Financial crisis remember. Fatman was trying to sell NUFC for 100 million and would have jumped at the chance to unload Kevin Nolan, self-styled future savior of the club.

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  30. At least the Daily Star have a sense of humour. They report Amanda Stavely met with NUFC officials in London this week to discuss Rafa’s budget. He’s got £100m for January and names such as Luke Shaw, Ross Barkley and Andy Carroll were discussed… 😯

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  31. What I find amazing this season is we have now only one player injured (dummy) what a great change,Rafa and his team are really on top of this,what a difference proper medical care does

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  32. Stuart79:
    At least the Daily Star have a sense of humour. They report Amanda Stavely met with NUFC officials in London this week to discuss Rafa’s budget. He’s got £100m for January and names such as Luke Shaw, Ross Barkley and Andy Carroll were discussed…

    Do you not think we could get them under new ownership? They all have issues though. Barkley is talented but seems to only turn up one game in 3. Maybe Rafa could fix that. The problem is I think he wants 150k a week. Mourinho seemsto think Luke Shaw either hasn’t recovered or is lazy. Andy Carroll is always injured. However is 10 games of Carroll better than 38 of Joselu?

    There must be other options for the money they are talking about. If they did actually meet that has to be a good sign though.

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  33. Eric Sykes: Do you not think we could get them under new ownership? They all have issues though. Barkley is talented but seems to only turn up one game in 3. Maybe Rafa could fix that. The problem is I think he wants 150k a week. Mourinho seemsto think Luke Shaw either hasn’t recovered or is lazy. Andy Carroll is always injured. However is 10 games of Carroll better than 38 of Joselu?

    There must be other options for the money they are talking about. If they did actually meet that has to be a good sign though.

    Yes, Eric I do think we could get them with wealthy backers and clear project for success ect… Although I think they’re jumping the gun a little bit.

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  34. I know it is Ryder, but he is quoting another source saying Stavely’s initial bid will be 300 million. Also, more debunking of Miles Starforth’s outrageous claim yesterday that NUFC would cost 500 million (he didn’t train under Lee did he?).

    Anyway, if Fatty wants 380 million as has been reported, then why not split the difference. That is one Oxlade-Chamberlain or a fifth of a Neymar extra.

    http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/newcastle-united-takeover-amanda-staveley-13818314

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  35. Thinking back, I think Fenway got Liverpool for 300 million. I know there was a refinancing issue so they got them on the cheap but the value is 1 billion now. Man U were 800 million if I remember right and are now valued at close to 3 billion. If there is really a valuation and prospective offer of 300 million I doubt an extra, say, 50 million would kill the deal.

    Facebook and Amazon are looking for content so I doubt there will be a reduction in TV rights payments and overseas rights are set to go up substantially.

    It may sound farfetched about Facebook etc. but American Football has taken a 20% hit in viewers over the past few years and I think they will be looking for a truly worldwide sport as they push into China and other places. American sports don’t really translate overseas and I don’t see much of a market for baseball or Hockey.

    American football is unwatchable. It is one play and then 3 minutes of ads. People online just wouldn’t put up with that. They did a study and found that in a 3 hour game there was only 14 minutes of actual action. I have watched 1 American Football game in the last 3 years because I met friends in a bar for it.

    I have been to bars for El Clasico and there are more people in than for American Football. There is room for La Liga and the PL so I don’t think 350 million is an outrageous valuation.

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  36. I suppose basketball translates overseas but the players are all Yanks whereas “soccer” is international. Anyway, basketball is only interesting for the last 5 minutes as the rest is them running up and down the court shooting and scoring about 80% of the time – it gets monotonous . It is either a blowout or they get serious in the last 5 minutes. As you might guess, I don’t watch that either – not since Jordan anyway.

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  37. I’m afraid I know as much as the cronicle about the Newcastle take over which is absolutely nothing. People are getting a bit carried away if you ask me. Dont get me wrong I want Ashley gone as much as anyone.

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  38. Sorry if I am boring anyone with the finance but that is what the takeover is about, whether the parties can come to a compromise on price. Previous valuations and possible new rights deals come into it. Man City used to pull in about the same as us in commercial revenue and now it is about 5 times since they have had a bit of success and have world class players. They are almost self-sustaining now, apart from this years Pep splurge. Same with Chelsea, so there is a blue print for how to do it.

    Man City make about as much money as Bayern Munich. Can you believe that?

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  39. Are any of these reports true ? Apart from Amanda Stavely attended a game.

    I hope she buy’s Ashley out obviously it could easily be a smoke screen .

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  40. Stem:
    I’m afraid I know as much as the cronicle about the Newcastle take over which is absolutely nothing.People are getting a bit carried away if you ask me.Dont get me wrong I want Ashley gone as much as anyone.

    Well, we are up for sale and there are 5 interested parties doing due diligence so this is as close as it has ever been to Fatty selling.

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  41. Apart from the global reach of football there are other reasons why the overseas PL rights might be attractive to Amazon or Facebook – the playoff system in American sports. The extreme example is baseball that has 162 regular season games. People just don’t have any time to watch anybody but their home team. Most individual games are rendered relatively meaningless because there is always another game tomorrow. The only time they watch other teams is in the playoffs.

    European football has CL and relegation to keep it interesting. There are also super-teams like Barca, Madrid, Man U and Bayern that almost transcend international boundaries. Last time I watched El Clasico I was in between an Arab and an Israeli in the bar. Really, I was.

    Amazon and Facebook are competing for world domination so I think there will be more money in football. I think Stavely and her pals will be able to see this and that is on top of any publicity that some sovereign Arab nation or Chinese billionaire might want.

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  42. I could go on, but there really is a case for why NUFC could be worth 350 million as long as we achieve a bit of success. Football has been trying to crack the American market for years and it finally looks like it is getting there. Part of it is the time difference. The games are shown from about 8am to 3pm when there is hardly any competition. When NBC shows Man U – Liverpool the other networks have infomercials for hoovers or exercise machines. There is a void.

    I think I have made my point. Now what is this Stavely chicks number?

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  43. And, there can’t be that many people watching the exercise machine infomercials. Have you seen the fat-fcks in middle America.

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  44. Sorry Simon, I misread the article, makes sense they weren’t listed now 🙄

    Have we been sold yet 😉

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  45. kimtoon:
    Sorry Simon, I misread the article, makes sense they weren’t listed now

    Have we been sold yet

    Rare you make a mistake mate,nee body perfect

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  46. Ice: watching Keys and Gray on Bein Sports. I had to turn the sound down as they had Big Fat Sam on and were kissing his ****. Then they had the worst football writer in the world on (John Cross – his Daily Mirror column is titled “Even Worse than Lee Ryder”) and they kiss his **** every week.

    I don’t know why I bother.

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  47. Ryder is not the worst football writer in the world. As I said, there is someone even worse, John Cross, but even worse than him is Neil Ashton of The Sun, formerly of The Daily hateMail. They both have weekly bits on US TV so I have to suffer or turn them off.

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  48. And, this may be a minor point to some but they have this John Cross guy on every week with an extreme close-up of his head on skype.Usualy from his basement or in a taxi. It is always taken from below on his computer so you can see his bad teeth and up his nose. You would think after months of this the producer would tell him to adjust the camera angle!!! I had to turn it off completely, I cant even watch with the sound down.

    I’ll stop grumping now 🙂

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  49. ERIC told you couple times I put tv on mute when Keys and Gray start gobbing I just like Bein sports because they show you every goal from every game and most country’s during the game your watching and a bonus I get is nee Merson and the other three none legends on sky

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  50. Ice: The JFK files? I haven’t paid much attention yet. I can only take US politics in small doses because there is almost a permanent election going on, either for Congress or President. I will watch for a day or watch some political comedian like the brilliant Stephen Colbert or Bill Maher but will have to decompress for a few days. Trump is such a total **** you cannot pay attention for long. He is taking complete credit for low unemployment and a good economy when it is really the result of the Obama administration. I studied economics and there is always a lag of about 9 months to a year before policy becomes reality, so none of this is down to Trump but like the blowhard that he is he is taking all of the credit.

    Governing by tweets is not a good thing.

    I’ll let you know in a few days about the Kennedy stuff because it is all over the news.

    The US government/election system is great but it has major flaws – there is not a leader of the opposition so the President can say what he wants with virtually no pushback. Then they have 18 months of selecting an opponent which means the election drags on. Then congressmen run for 2 year terms so with them you are in almost a constant by-election type mode.

    Sorry Ice, you might not want to know all this but it is why politics is on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on the news over here. I am sure you notice it when you go to Malta and watch CNN.

    The only break is when there is a mass shooting or a hurricane and that is a very sad state of affairs.

    Watching PSG on BEin and Cavani has a brace. Hatem Ben Arfa was laughing and joking with Neymar in the stands and the commentator said there was no way back for him though. I wouldn’t mind a punt on him. I think Rafa could control him.

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  51. Ice: or are you talking about the dosier from the British spy? Trump supposedly got a golden shower from prostitutes in Moscow.

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  52. Eric Sykes:
    Ice: The JFK files? I haven’t paid much attention yet. I can only take US politics in small doses because there is almost a permanent election going on, either for Congress or President. I will watch for a day or watch some political comedian like the brilliant Stephen Colbert or Bill Maher but will have to decompress for a few days. Trump is such a total **** you cannot pay attention for long. He is taking complete credit for low unemployment and a good economy when it is really the result of the Obama administration. I studied economics and there is always a lag of about 9 months to a year before policy becomes reality, so none of this is down to Trump but like the blowhard that he is he is taking all of the credit.

    Governing by tweets is not a good thing.

    I’ll let you know in a few days about the Kennedy stuff because it is all over the news.

    The US government/election system is great but it has major flaws – there is not a leader of the opposition so the President can say what he wants with virtually no pushback. Then they have 18 months of selecting an opponent which means the election drags on. Then congressmen run for 2 year terms so with them you are in almost a constant by-election type mode.

    Sorry Ice, you might not want to know all this but it is why politics is on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on the news over here. I am sure you notice it when you go to Malta and watch CNN.

    The only break is when there is a mass shooting or a hurricane and that is a very sad state of affairs.

    Watching PSG on BEin and Cavani has a brace. Hatem Ben Arfa was laughing and joking with Neymar in the stands and the commentator said there was no way back for him though. I wouldn’t mind a punt on him. I think Rafa could control him.

    ERIC political **** has never been my thing like religious things,I just wondered if he was going to release the bumping off of Kennady? .not sure about Benny a few managers have tried with him he seems fine for a little while then drifts off again poor lads head is just not there a lot of the time

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  53. Ice: Ben Arfa is 30 though. He has to realise he is in the last chance saloon. Maybe Puel at Leicester would roll the dice, he managed him at Nice. I just think he is worth a shot. I bet we could get him for 2 million Euro.

    I mean, 2.5 Ben Arfa’s for the same price as a Joselu. Speaking your language,e we could probably get 2 mil Euros for Ginger Jack and pay ben Arfa about the same wages. A straight swap in terms of money. You know it makes sense 🙂

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  54. Eric Sykes:
    Ice: Ben Arfa is 30 though. He has to realise he is in the last chance saloon. Maybe Puel at Leicester would roll the dice, he managed him at Nice. I just think he is worth a shot. I bet we could get him for 2 million Euro.

    I mean, 2.5 Ben Arfa’s for the same price as a Joselu. Speaking your language,e we could probably get 2 mil Euros for Ginger Jack and pay ben Arfa about the same wages. A straight swap in terms of money. You know it makes sense

    Love that deal,I agree 100%

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  55. Ice: more on your friend Jack. I am finding it funny now that he thought he might win a battle of wills (wits) with Rafa. He declined a move to Wolves (fkin idiot as it turns out) and probably thought Rafa would relent.

    We might have both lost but much more so Jack, as he has not even been in the reserves for 6 months. Who is his Agent? Not a good career move to get into a fight with one of the top 10 managers in the world !

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  56. Eric Sykes:
    Ice: more on your friend Jack. I am finding it funny now that he thought he might win a battle of wills (wits) with Rafa. He declined a move to Wolves (fkin idiot as it turns out) and probably thought Rafa would relent.

    We might have both lost but much more so Jack, as he has not even been in the reserves for 6 months. Who is his Agent? Not a good career move to get into a fight with one of the top 10 managers in the world !

    Playing for Scum would have sapped all his few brain cells he once had

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  57. Icedog:
    Some reports saying a offer has been made for the toon and talks are on going,hope it’s right

    Lets hope so mate.
    Been decorating and viewing property so not been about much . think I might make an offer on a dorma bungalow I have viewed.

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  58. kimtoon: Lets hope so mate.
    Been decorating and viewing property so not been about much . think I might make an offer on a dorma bungalow I have viewed.

    Hope this one goes well mate and not like the last carry on that cost you a arm and leg for dog ****,plus it will help you and Lewis a lot

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  59. I’m very tempted Ice, just wish it wasn’t a dorma, area is what I wanted though off the main crescent so could be too quiet, I like busy 😀 . New build 2012, south facing garden and lovely inside. Going back for second look sunday with my brother cause I want to swap downstairs shower for bath for lew if I buy it.

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  60. kimtoon:
    I’m very tempted Ice, just wish it wasn’t a dorma, area is what I wanted though off the main crescent so could be too quiet, I like busy .New build 2012, south facing garden and lovely inside. Going back for second look sunday with my brother cause I want to swap downstairs shower for bath for lew if I buy it.

    It’s because you never had quiet mate,I was born and bred in Newcastle couple miles from city centre loved busy,traveled to many countries ( busy) met my Mrs a country bunkin,settled down in country small village thought I would never settle but grew to fall in love with the place and I now hate busy funny but you get to meet more friendly people than I ever did in the city’s,try it Kim you will soon fall in love with it Ime sure,good luck hope it works out well

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  61. Eric Sykes:
    Ice: Ben Arfa is 30 though. He has to realise he is in the last chance saloon. Maybe Puel at Leicester would roll the dice, he managed him at Nice. I just think he is worth a shot. I bet we could get him for 2 million Euro.

    I mean, 2.5 Ben Arfa’s for the same price as a Joselu. Speaking your language,e we could probably get 2 mil Euros for Ginger Jack and pay ben Arfa about the same wages. A straight swap in terms of money. You know it makes sense ?

    Eric – Ben Arfa couldn’t give a ***** if there is little future for him playing for PSG. The lad is 30yr old and know that even if he’s playing regularly and winning games – it’s highly unlikely he’s going to make the French squad for the WC – and at 30, this is his last one.
    He’s currently sat with the most expensive, best paid player in the world. He himself is getting paid €75k p/w for doing bot all!!.
    Why would he leave the glitz & glamour of PSG, rubbing shoulders with some of the richest people in the world, living the lifestyle and his boyhood club – to come back to the toon?! I just see no greater reward for him, coz he isn’t someone bothered about playing regular football. He strikes me as someone more in love with the wealth football brings than football itself.

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  62. We won’t be signing Luke Shaw coz he’s going to Spurs with Rose going the other way.
    Barkley will stay at Everton if Unsworth gets the gig, and I’m not even commenting on the Carroll link ?.

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