Nev

Evra own goal.

Anyone in red will have their limbs torn off by me.

Right, pub tomorrow. Game kicks off at 8, so I'd suggest congregating in Ma's around 7.30.

So far we have:

Nev

Murrr

Edd

Soul Captain

Dave M

(possibly) Woods

So, three Newcastle fans and three Dave's. Anyone else?

I don't think they'll finish in the top 4 until whoever is in charge can step back from the transfer market and work on what they've got.

THIS! THIS THIS THIS!

Nail on the head mate. New signins are all well and good, but Chelsea's success was built on a steady bedrock, and Manure continually only bring in two or three players each season, and generally sign youngsters who they break in gently.

Continuity off the pitch brings the same on it, and we lack both at the moment. Signing players for the sake of signing players is a poor move.

That said, I'd rather have Yaya than GazBaz. Just because.

Why are you so against Mancini? I think his team choice is generally pretty good. He got the formation right today, although AJ should have started in place of SWP obviously. A team with new faces was never gonna threaten spurs at home so he played defensively, gave Yaya as much support as possible with DJ and Barry next to him to break him in.

Bellamy is never happy. If he's playing all the time he starts going off the boil after a few games in a row, then if he's not picked he starts moaning. As much as I like the guy and think he's a good player (although he'll never last an entire season at full speed), Bobby Manc is boss so good on him for telling him to get tae. Best time to sell him too... he's only got a few good seasons left, clubs will have last season fresh in the memory and with the new arrivals was not gonna be likely to repeat that form.

I really don't think any other manager could have done/be doing much better. His signings have been decent and bar a few off games last season (Everton at home, a couple nil nillers and spurs x2) they'd be playing champs league football after one of the most competitive top sixes for years.

I dislike Mancini because he plays too defensively (we have 5 defensive central midfielders on our books and play them rather than the likes of Ireland), has consistently refused to play our best players (Ireland, AJ today, Bellamy), hasn't yet punted Roque Santa Cruz and just generally doesn't grab my imagination.

I can't question his signings because they look solid, albeit Balotelli seems like a bit of a nutter and will have to prove himself, but tactically he seems naive. I've yet to see any confirmation the defence in front of Given/Hart will be any stronger than it was last season.

Christ, Hughes spunked 18 Million on RSC and 24M on Lescott. Stevie Wonder's transfer policy would be better.

In summary. Mancini has never been, in my eyes, the right man for the job. Hughes wasn't either. Who is? Fuck knows, not my decision. I simply can't see the board's goals being matched by the ability of Mancini.

Football. Fucking football.

This, very much this.

City 0-0 to be expected. That fuckwit Mancini picked SWP (he's in our 25-man squad and yet we're getting rid of Bellamy? Fuck off!) to start for fucks sakes, so we were never likely to score, and Joe Hart is immense so we were never going to concede.

It'll take a few games for the likes of Silva, Tevez, De Jong etc to get up to fitness after only being back for the last week of pre-season and then going away on fecking international duty. Don't expect us to be any great shakes for 3 or 4 weeks yet.

So yes, other than having the wrong fecking manager in the hotseat, reasonably happy with 0-0.

Peterhead, though. Fucking Peterhead. Score 6 goals in midweek, then look toothless in attack against Forfar. Our fucking captain cost us a goal for the third game in a row, and we'd already lost a really scrappy one.

We only started playing when Forfar's keeper got sent off. Unfortunately they still had a sub to throw on, so we weren't treated to a central defender pussying away from every shot like me when I play in goals.

Fuck football.

Looks more like Nigel Mansell...

I'm probably heading out to my folk's after the game but will be able to give you a lift into town Scorge..

Diesel's out, RossP in.

Aye, THE Mark Perry. He can't make it tonight though :-(

Sent out a text to 9 peeps this morning, 2 no and 1 maybe back so far...

Bobby's injured, but Mark Perry may have been asked...

We're home to Stenny in the Does Cathy MacDonald Still Present All Those Programmes With Subtitles Cup which means we don't to play on their plastic "take all comers" pitch. Which is good, cause they've dicked us and Dundee there in the past week. Fuck, they dicked Dundee worse than they dicked us. Impressive.

Much more importantly, we have to follow up our 6-1 win on Tuesday with a win over Forfar on Saturday. That'd be nice. Will Martin Bavidge score against his former club? Probably not, actually.

Lizard is off home for the weekend so won't be joining us. Boo. I might have just asked someone who's proper good if they want a game...

I asked G to play tomorrow, he said no. I'll ask the lizard as well.

Monday night - probably Ma's or somewhere similarly well served for TV/seating ratio. Suggestions?

Is it Manc's fault though? From what I heard, Bellamy has been openly criticising him. It doesn't matter too much. You've got David Silva, who is is silly good.

Yeah, Manc's been trying to get rid of Bellers since day one, and Bellers has criticised him as a result. Vicious circle.

Davie Silva down one wing and AJ down the other fills me with hope, but then with Bellers out in the cold, the backup would appear to be Robi and SWP. A moody lazy arse and a midget clown.

David James for player/manager.

I've been telling people for weeks that Celtic would be signing Bellers on loan, looks like it might finally come to fruition... I will say again. Bobby Manc must go.

In better news, Mark Hughes stupidly wants to sign Roque Santa Cruz. Again. Bet he won't spend 18M again though, the tosser.

Space for two more then?

Guys, Monday night. Anyone fancy the pub for the Newcastle game? After Dave's aborted attempt at raising you all for some beers a couple of weeks back, it'd be nice to have some sort of congregation!

When's the retirement PQ? Can't be far off now...

Thistle grimly holding onto a 2-1 lead at home to Berwick in the Telefios Cup.

This season is going to be about as much fun as a cricket bat up the japseye.

(Thank fuck for small mercies like Stenhousemuir beating Dundee 4-1. Ha ha!)

I dunno, this Donnie Murdo Cup malarkey is a piece of utter piss by the looks of things. Just the six tonight after five in the last round...

I don't think East Stirling like us somehow: Peterhead vs East Stirling - all time results | soccerbase.com

The carpark outside my flat looked to be a river, and we've got a wee garden bit between our block and the next block of flats which was completely flooded in seconds.

I was tempted to go outside and take some photos but wimped out cause I didn't want to get wet before bed. [insert joke here]

That was ace. I love weather, me.

Yes. Friday.

Binned...

So, tonight:

Nev

Woods

Soda Jerk

Calum

Vega

Dave M

Dave M's mysterious schizophrenic creation, Neil.

Edd

I make that 8.I think we need 10 to make it worthwhile, so I'll give it til the end of lunch and dinghy it if we don't have ten

Dear me...

I only just realised Take A Worm For A Walk Week took their name from the same place...