.

This time last year we were flying high in the Premiership as we  started  the season with an 11 game unbeaten run.

This season has been less spectacular - although it is not quite panic time we will wanted to address our slow start and look at how can kick start our campaign. Like I said we have not started terribly Draws away to Everton, Liverpool, and Sunderland are great results. Defeats to Cheslea and Man Utd are not the end of the world. I can think of our draw at home against Villa and our defeat to West Ham as our only poor results.

We certainly have not hit the heights of last year where really we over achieved. Our big players are currently not on the form we saw last year and Alan Pardew has struggled to get the troops going so far this season.

Following is my take on changes I would make:

I would get back to playing 433 - like we did for the second half of last season. For me a forward 3 of Ba on the left, Cisse in the middle, and Ben Arfa on the right offers us the best attacking option available. We have all seen that Ba and Cisse as a front 2 does not work, and Hatem Ben Afra is not a right winger where he is shackled by defensive duties.

I would also play a midfield 3 of Tiote, Cabaye, and Anita. Tiote would do his usual defensive duties allowing Cabaye to push on and support the front 3. Anita has taken a little longer than hoped to settle into the speed of the Premiership however he is a talented lad who will offer plenty to the team with his energy and passing ability.

Jonas would be dropped to the bench - though he is currently injured. For me Jonas wants to re-invent himself as a centre midfielder, however it is not as simple as that at premiership level. Jonas has a great engine and offers tons of work rate though this is not enough to just expect to fit in perfectly. There is a certain understanding needed to play in the middle of the park and after years playing as an out and out winger it really is hard to change. We saw his lack of awareness at Anfield where his slack passing was punished as Suarez grabbed the equalizing goal.

Maybe a spell at fullback might be an option if Jonas and Pardew feel he can no longer offer anything as a left winger. Truth be told Jonas has been ineffective as an attacking option for a few years now. For me if 442 is Pardews choice then Shane Ferguson, Sammy or Obertan are the better attacking option from a wide position.

Obviously suspensions have hurt us really bad this season - missing key players like Tioe and Colo has been key - also we dropped points from a winning position in the games they both received their red cards.

Consistancy is key - last season it seemed as though we never changed our starting 11 for weeks, whereas this season it seems as though we are chopping and changing each and every week - this makes it really hard to get any consistancy going on the pitch.

All in all it has been a mediocre start to the season - obviously we have plenty of time and games to turn it around and in my mind making a few changes could be a catalyst to kick start our season.

Returning heroes

Tomorrow West Ham United visit St James park with three former Magpies in their ranks. Former NUFC manager Sam Allardyce brings his Hammers squad north with former captain Kevin Nolan and local hero Andy Carroll in his team.

After Allardyces failure to win over the NUFC faithful, or produce the results on the pitch he is guaranteed a frosty reception from the home crowd - although in his defence as soon as Mike Ashley arrived with his new regime Big Sam's days were numbered.

Andy Carroll is no doubt going to receive a mixed reception from the Toon Army - there are many who still feel he loves our club, and that he was forced onto the helicopter heading for Liverpool - others however feel he deserves the Judas status for leaving his home town club for the big money on offer at Anfield. I have a feeling now Carroll is wearing Claret and Blue and not Liverpool Red his reception will not be as ferocious .

The off field receptions are all part of the drama of football and add a certain spice to this game - however for me they are really irrelevant to the outcome of the game. That being said it is the return of Kevin Nolan that I feel may have the biggest bearing on the game.

Nolan's abilities divide supporters. I am a big admirer of what he brings to a team, while I am also aware of his limitations. For me he led our team with the spirit and desire we require. He plays the game with the passion of a supporter and really understood what NUFC means to our city.

Kevin arrived at St James park in January 2009 in a 4m deal. He went onto make 85 appearance and scoring 29 goals. Nolan was appointed club captain for the 2010-2011 season and really did lead from the front with Newcastle winning the Championship at the first attempt.

29 goals is a great return for a midfielder in anyone's book. Nolan seemed to have a 6th sense which allowed him to be in the right place at the right time. So many of his goals came from Andy Carroll knock downs or goal keeper rebounds. Whenever a goal was needed Nolan would pop up and win 3 points for his team. For me this was enough to get him in the team each week and while we won the championship and then set out to remain in the Premier league Nolan was just what we needed.

The down side of Kevin's game is his lack of mobility and energy. No one would call Kevin a box-to-box midfielder and he relied heavily on his team mates to cover his defensive duties. He has been accused of carrying too much weight, although Nolan has never been a top athlete - he is an old school footballer who relies on grit, determination and passion to get him through each game.

As Newcastle looked to step up to the next level and push for a European spot it was obvious that Kevin was going to be left behind. The direct football style played under Chris Houghton was being phased out and with that Kevin's place in our team was under threat. The arrival of Cabaye, Ba, and Cisse,  the return to fitness of Ben Arfa and the importance of Tiote meant Nolan would struggle to get in our team. Alan Pardew's style is a fluid game based on pace and power which relies heavily on a pass and move game. Kevin did not fit into this model so when West Ham made a offer for him it really suited all parties. West Ham are likely to be battling for Premiership survival after achieving promotion and are adopting the same style Newcastle did during our first season back in the big league. Nolan would be ideal for any team in the bottom half of the Premiership.

The double act of Carroll and Nolan is working well for the Hammers this season and they currently sit in 9th position after a surprisingly bright start to the season. No doubt the direct style can cause some problems. Our centre half's will have to deal with the aerial attack from Carroll and our midfielders will have to pay close attention to Nolan as he drifts into the "hole" and takes up positions off Carroll and feeds of his knock downs.

Of course the focus will be on Andy Carroll coming home - especially after Alan Pardew again publicly stated his desire to bring Andy back to the club - however for me Kevin Nolan will be the returning hero who I feel can have a bigger impact on the game.

Over the last few months I have watched the fly-on-the-wall documentary Being: Liverpool. Below are my thoughts on this ground breaking program.

The first episode starts in the Liverpool changing rooms with Brendan Rodgers asking his players to huddle around him so he can offer his final words before the first pre-season game. "Today's the start of a long hard journey for us," he tells his player. "You can only trust yourselves, no one else, you can trust the supporters because they're the best and you can trust your family at home." This is the first of many Rogerism's we hear throughout the series.

For Liverpool fans a behind-the-scenes look at life at Anfield must be a real treat. Fans see inside the homes of Captain Gerrard, Lucas and Brendan Rodgers. The camera is allowed into the unseen headquarters of Melwood - and even venture into Chief executive Ian Ayre's inner sanctum. In terms of a football documentary Liverpool are breaking barriers and setting a new standard.

Being: Liverpool however feels like an hour long promotional video for the club - From narrator Clive Owen and a local Scouse playwriter all we hear are stories of Liverpool's glorious past and how in twined the local people are with their football club. Both of these are very admiral and gain nothing but my respect.

Much of the series focuses on new manager Brendan Rodgers. It must be said that Rodgers comes across as eloquent, intelligent and above everything, determined to succeed. It feels as though Liverpool are determined to show their new manager as a cutting edge leader of a new pure football revolution. It is as if Liverpool are trying to convince themselves that they have hired one of the worlds top managers when in reality Rodgers is unknown outside of the UK. It could also be argued that even on our shores he has limited experience or success. As a club Liverpool seem desperate to raise the reputation of their new manager.

It is obvious that Rodgers picked up so much from his time at Chelsea working under Jose Mourinho - the certainly listened hard during his time at Stamford Bridge. "It's not just about winning, it's about how you win on and off the pitch," Rodgers explains in a of sit down interviews. "It's not just about training players, it's about educating players. You train dogs," he says in another. "We were brought up not with the silver spoon but the silver shovel," he says of his upbringing. You can imagine Jose Mourinho coming up with many of Rodgers footballing quotes, however the difference being that Mourinho is one of the greatest managers ever, and has a CV to back that up. Brendan Rodgers does not. Rodgers comes across as a likable guys, however for me there are many cringe worthy moments during his interviews. Rodgers talks a great game

For me Liverpool fans with enjoy seeing their hero's in a different light - and if this was a Newcastle documentary there is no doubt I would be fan. However I can see the older fans feeling this is a sell out for their once glorious club. Liverpool are one of the biggest names in the footballing world and for them to be the first to allow TV cameras access to one of footballs true cathedrals will not sit right with football purist. I could not imagine the bastions of old - Shankly, Paisley, or Souness posing for the TV camera, especially during a time when the current squad fall way short of Liverpool teams of the past.

Team of the week

Julio Cesar - QPR
As expected the QPR goal was peppered all afternoon with shots coming from all over the park. Cesear make a handful of top saves and was only beaten by a dubious offside goal from Mikel Arteta.

Kyle Walker - Spurs
Walker plays with so much energy and pace. Against Southampton he played almost as an out and out winger. The link up play between Walker and Aaron Lennon led to a lot of what was good about Spurs and gained them 3 away points.

Ivan Ramis - Wigan
Along with dealing with the physical presence of Andy Carroll Ramis scored the first goal of the game with a superb volley finish to set Wigan on the road to 3 big points against West ham. At 2-1 Wigan endured a nervous end to the game, however Ramis was able to guide his defensive partners to the final whistle.

Michael Turner - Norwich
Last week it was Seb Bassong who stole the show against Arsenal, this week it was his defensive partner Michael Turner who was the stand out performer for Norwich as they gained a big point at Villa park. Turner looked solid in defence while also managed to grab the equaliser with a smart headed finish.

Gareth Bale - Tottenham
Bale seems to improve each week and while this was not a show stopping performance he is capable of he caused problems for the Southampton defence all afternoon and opened the scoring with a bullet header on his return to St Mary's.

Juan Mata- Chelsea
Although they ended up losing a hugely important game against Man Utd Mata had another great game and capped his performance with a neatly finished freekick. If he had taken the chance to give his team a 3-2 lead they would have grabbed the headlines instead of Mark Clattenberg!

Mikel Arteta - Arsenal
Whether or not his goal should have been given offside Mikel Arteta deserves the credit for being in the right place at the right time. Arsenal endured a frustrating afternoon but must be given credit for playing to the final whistle.

James McArthur - Wigan
Last week West ham beat Southampton largely due to their strong midfield. Against Wigan on Saturday the Wigan engine room of McArthur and McCartney out battled West ham and gave Wigan the platform to win the match. For me James McArthur was the stand out player.


Robin Van Persie - Man Utd
The Dutchman looks imperious with Rooney, Tom Cleverley, Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia behind him. Two of United's goals came as a direct result of Van Persie's excellent movement off the defender. The way he left Gary Cahill on the deck before firing his shot home was poetry in motion.

Luis Suarez- Liverpool
Whatever you think about this player and his antics you can't deny he is a menace for opposition defenders and a dream to have in your team. He terrorised Everton in the Merseyside derby. He scored one and could have had another if Raheem Sterling had looked up, and might possibly have completed a hat-trick if a perfectly good goal had not been disallowed.

Dimitar Berbatov - Fulham
The Bulgarian looks likes he's enjoying his football again. There aren't many strikers who leave Manchester United and rediscover their best form. His goal was sensational. It wasn't just the finish but the way he collected the ball in the box and shifted the defender to make room for the finish. Now that's a striker.

Premier League team of the week

Joe Hart - Man City

 Hart made some huge saves to help his team grab all 3 points away at the Hawthornes. This despite being down to 10 men for the majority of the game. Joe proved once again why many see him as the Number 1 keeper in the league.

Sascha Riether - Fulham

Riether is making an impressive start to this career in England and was part of a solid defense who's hard work gained Fulham a clean sheet and 3 points at home against Villa.

Sebastien Bassong - Norwich

Norwich's 1-0 win against Arsenal was the surprise result of the weekend and Bassong played a huge part in keeping out the in-form Arsenal forward line. Bassong proved why he has previously played for Spurs and Newcastle. With more performances like this the question might be asked as to why he is now playing for Norwich?

Fabricio Coloccini - Newcastle

Is there a cooler centre half in the premiership? Captain Coloccini once again stood out for his calm and cool performance as he led his troops to a valuable point in the Lions den with just 10 men.

Juan Mata - Chelsea

For me Juan Mata is currently the best attacking player in the Premiership. Yet again we saw him grab hold of a game and lead Chelsea to victory. 2 more goals to add to his collection and to add to his growing reputation.

Mark Noble - West Ham

4 second half goals won the game for West ham with 2 of those coming from their home grown, hammers fan midfielder. Along with Kevin Nolan he controlled the midfield and the game. He was rewarded with 2 goals and a place in my team of the week.

Raheem Sterling - Liverpool

Sterling seems destine to be the young break through player of the 2012/13 season. He is the only bright spark in a struggling Liverpool team and was really on the only player who look capable of breaking down at determined Reading side.

Yohan Cabaye - Newcastle

Grabbing a 3rd minute lead for his team in a local derby with assure he goes down in folklore. Controlling the game even after losing Tiote - his midfield partner show just how important Cabaye is to Newcastle United.

Wayne Rooney - Man Utd

Things started badly for Rooney with an early own goal, however 2 goals and an assist show why Wayne Rooney has been a top player in the Premiership over the last decade.

Edin Dzeko - Man City

Dzeko will hate to be labeled as a super sub, however this is exactly what he was on Saturday as he emerged from the bench to grab 2 goals and 3 points for the Champions.
Dzeko will be desperate to show his manager he deserves a spot in City's starting 11 - with many more performances like this it will be impossible for Mancini to leave him out.

Blog Re-brand

I have decided to add a new focus to 'My kind of toon'. My main focus will always be NUFC, however I have decided to broaden my blog to include all Premier league, European, and International football.

With modern day technology you can turn on your TV and see football from all across the world and it can be said that we all follow a truly global game.

With that being said I am launching my new blog - The football world as seen by a Newcastle United fan.
I will cover any major news stories from around Europe as well as my thoughts after each round of games both in the Premier league and Champions league / Europa league.

I will select a team of the week after each Premier league weekend highlighting the top performers and also those who failed to live up the the high standards required!

Club v Country: The Ultimate Debate

We are 7 weeks into the current Premier league season yet it really has been stop-start due to the scheduled 3 International breaks.

As fans, we wait all summer for the big August kick off only to be frustrated weeks later as our players jet off around the world to represent their countries. Being chosen as one of the top professionals in your country must be one of the highlights of a players career and no doubt it fills them with immense pride, however for us fans it raises the ultimate questions: Club or Country?

Although I am currently living in the United States I am a fiercely proud Englishman who loves seeing the Three Lions roar to victory - whether this be in Football, Cricket, Rugby, or any other international competition in which England or Great Britain compete.

 I am equally proud of my Northumbrian heritage and although I am not a Geordie by birth - Newcastle is my city and Newcastle United my team. Nothing would make me happier than seeing England dominate the football world, conquering many World cups while Newcastle United consistently ruled English football. However if I had to choose between success for England or Newcastle United then I would have to nail my Black & White flag to the mast.

Supporting a club whether it be Newcastle, Liverpool, or even Carlisle United can dominate the life of a fan - every Saturday following the game, every day reading the newspapers, websites, listening to the radio and being glued to Skysports absorbing as much information as possible. Club football provides day-to-day drama and excitement to the fans and for me this is why the majority of fans have a deeper rooted connection with their chosen club.

International football is unique - it offers the fan an opportunity to watch the worlds best footballers together on the same pitch. There really is nothing like a World cup to unite a nation. England really is at its best when St Georges flags are hanging from every window and fans from all different clubs are uniting to support the national team.

Outside of major tournaments, international matches are very few and far between. Fans will follow their countries during the international break, then switch off and return to follow their clubs with a much stronger passion.

With the World Cup only played every 4 years an England victory in my lifetime would be massive, bigger however as a Newcastle United fan ending the decades long wait for a trophy would be beyond my wildest dream.

Wonga - why all the fuss??

Has a sports team sponsorship deal ever caused as much of a media stir as that of Newcastle United's announcement to team up with the UK based financial company Wonga?

As an avid listener to Talksport radio, I have spent the last few days hearing the presenters, fans, ex-professionals and even local Members of Parliament comment on the deal with Wonga. One word that I have heard over and over again is 'ethics'. Wonga are seen in the public as an unethical company who prey on people who are struggling financially. Do Newcastle United have a moral obligation to stay away from companies with such a negative public reputation?

I personally feel that the public perception of Wonga is unfortunate and may be unjust. Wonga is a short term money lending company - not a loan Shark. Yes they offer ridiculously high interest rates (currently 4214%) , however this is a company who only offers a max loan of 400 GBP - we can all agree this is not an amount of money which will lead to financial ruin for anyone. Our previous Sponsor - Northern Rock who have strong roots in the city of Newcastle actually can be accused of having a large part to play in the banking melt down over recent years. Many people suffered as a result, yet there were no complaints regarding their connection with NUFC.

Looking at the moral obligation of NUFC - an argument could be made that dealing with Alcohol or betting companies breeches more ethical boundaries than the current Wonga deal. Unfortunately, many more lives have been ruined through Alcohol or gambling addictions - yet no moral high ground is taken when choosing to agree to sponsorship deals with companies in this sector. Numerous Premiership clubs happily plastered the logo of a Beer company or Betting websites across their shirt without little thought for the impact on society - yet NUFC are accused of neglecting their fans by teaming up with Wonga? I just don't get what all the fuss is about.

As fans we have the choice to form our own opinion of the clubs new sponsor, however no matter what the club sponsor may be one thing remains the same - We are still Newcastle United, the club we all fell in love with and continue to support.

If all else fails and you cannot stomach the connection between Wonga and our beloved NUFC - I urge you to at least find some joy that we no longer play at the Sports Direct Arena!

Europa League - Our best path to sucess

Thursday Night saw Newcastle United defeat the French club Bordeaux 3-0 in their second group game in the Europa league - (UEFA cup to us real fans)

No Football cup competition splits opinion amongst fans more than the Europa league. It can seem that some clubs view the competition as a bit of a hindrance even though they battle through a long domestic season to reach this reward. Over the last few years we have seem many English clubs use this competition to play their reserves or to blood young players - and I think this is great, however by under estimating this competition, clubs are throwing away the chance to win one of only two Europe wide club competitions.

Aston Villa, Liverpool, and Tottenham have all featured in the Europa league over the past few season - all without much success due to not taking the competition so serious - for me this was strange move as these three clubs should be taking every opportunity they have to collect a trophy. Last season also saw the two Manchester clubs drop into the Europa league after failing to quality for the later stages of the Champions league - only to then fail to make the later stages of the competition even though they undoubtedly have the squad to mount a serious challenge. Obviously Sir Alex and Roberto see no merit in winning this competition.

The English mentality towards this competition is holding back many clubs - however this is not the case on the continent where winning the Europa league is high on the list of priorities. This can be seen in the recent quotes from Spurs boss Andres Villa Boas, "The profile of the competition is raised in other countries, but not England. I don't understand it."

"I respect the competition. I certainly think it is viewed as a punishment in England and I cannot understand why. It is a traditional trophy."

For me NUFC spent all last season battling hard to make a European competition for the first time in 8 seasons. In a ideal situation it would have been the Champions league, however a good run in the Europa league can be viewed as a stepping stone to bigger things. The truth is the Europa league is far and away our best chance of winning a piece of Silver wear this season.

Along with respecting a competition that we have a serious chance of winning I also see the huge benefit of having the extra European games to blood the young members of our squad. Already this season we have seen how much Rob Elliott and Shane Feguson, to name just two, have benefited from the extra games. Now that we have been dumped out of the Capital One cup we have the Europa league to allow our squad to gain massive experience that can only be a positive for the future of NUFC.

Ba, Cisse and the 4-4-2 problem

This season has started at a stuttering pace for NUFC and we currently sit 10th in the Premiership with 8 points from our opening 6 games. One of the main discussion points for fans is: are we best suited to a rigid 442 formation or should we continue with the fluid 433 which served us so well in the second half of last season?

The on / off transfer drama surrounding Demba Ba filled many newspaper columns and fan message boards. Thankfully we were able to hang onto our top goal scorer. Ba has started this season just like last year and currently leads the premier league goal scoring charts. However, my concern is that we have adapted our formation and the way we approach each game to fit to Demba Ba's style.

Much was made this summer of Ba's wants / demands to play a more central striking role rather than playing to the left of a front three alongside Pappis Cisse and Hatem Ben Arfa. I have no doubts that Ba  benefits massively from playing in a front 2 in partnership with Cisse - but this is a team game and we cannot sacrifice the greater good of the team to meet the needs of one player. Pappis Cisse is yet to get on the score sheet in the Premier league this season and he really looks like half the player he was last year when the goals seemed to come so easily. Hatem Ben Arfa is easily the most talented player in the NUFC squad who certainly enjoys the freedom allowed to him in a forward 3. As part of a 442 a higher level of defensive work is needed from Hatem - that certainly is not his forte. For me the more time Ben Arfa spends with the ball at his feet running at defenders and threading balls through for Ba and Cisse the better.

I do not want to underestimate the importance of Demba Ba and can easily see what he brings to the team. Overall I actually think he is a better, more complete player than Pappis Cisse, however Cisse is the superior goal scorer.

Alan Pardew has some big decisions to make in the coming weeks especially as we have massive games against Man Utd and Sunderland coming up. Ba, Cisse and Ben Arfa all deserved to be in our starting 11 week in, week out - Pardew is paid big money to make the decision as to how and where they fit into our team.

Howay the Lads

NUFC v THFC

Saturday evening saw Newcastle start the premiership campaign with a home win over fellow top 4 rivals Spurs. For me any win against a top club is huge and the level of performance almost becomes irrelevant  - this was definalty the case on Saturday as we came out victors in a closely contested game. 

Missing our captain Fabricio Collocini we struggled to get going early in the game and Spurs started bright with their high energy and dangerous counter attacking style led by Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon. We survived numerous first half scares when Bale and Defoe rattled the post and Bar while Newcastle struggled to create and goal scoring opportunities. 

For me it was a tactical battle that was won by the new Spurs boss AVB with his fluid 4-3-3 formation out smarting the flat 4-4-2 line up Pardew selected. We were over run in midfield and our creative player were shackled meaning Cisse and Ba had very little service in the first half. Credit must be given to Pardew and his staff as we made the changes at half time which was us revert to the 4-3-3 foramtion which served us well toward the end of last season. Cisse played through the middle with Haten Ben Arfa and Demba Ba taking up the wide roles. 

Ba scored a cracking goal to give us the lead with a beautifully curled shot which really came out of nothing. After this we looked very comfortable and seemed to have grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck - until we switched off at the back with Danny Simpson giving Aaron Lennon too much time and space and he was able to pick out Defoe at the abck post who bundled the ball into the net at the second time of asking.  At 1-1 the mood and changed and both side felt they could have taken the 3 points. At that point up stepped the best player on the pitch Hatem Ben Arfa who singled handly won and scored a penalty which secured the 3 points for the home team. 

Summing up this game I would say it was a close battle fought by 2 good teams who will both push hard for a top 5 finish - Luckily for us Newcastle fans it was won by a moment of skill and the coolest of finishes from Haten Ben Arfa. 

Season Preview 

So as we stand on the eve of another Premier league season I wanted to take a minute to share my thoughts on the coming season and also give my thoughts on our summer transfer business. 

As of now we have brought in 4 players and out of them I only believe Vurnon Anita will push for a regular first team start. I like the look of the younger lads brought in and they will certainly add something to the squad and give us options from the bench while also having a chance to shine in the earlier rounds of both the Europa league and domestic cup competitions. We can also add Marveaux to that list as after over coming his injuries last season he will add so much to the squad - I fully expect him to push hard to make the starting 11. 

I also think this is a big season for our young home grown lads - I think of Sammy, Shane Ferguson, Tav,and Harris Vuckic. They are now a the age where they need to be progressing into solid premiership players - for me Vuckic needs to have a big year and fulfill that promise and potential we have all talked about for years. 

I have heard Pardew and many pundits saying that the most important thing this summer was keeping hold of all our big names and without tempting fate we have managed to do just that. All the rumours of Ba and Tiote especially leaving have come to nothing and we will see the benefit of these lads growing together and developing into an even better side. With a  spine of Krul, Colo, Tiote and Cisse we look great and when you add the quality of Cabaye, Ben Arfa, Stevie Taylor and Ba to that we have a very strong side. 

Looking ahead to this coming season I feel that we can achieve another top 6 finish. I also feel we can go far in the Europa league if we pay the competition the respect it deserves and also a good cup run in either of the domestic competition. A lot will depend on how Pardew juggles the squad with the added European games. We will also need a little bit of luck with injuries if we are to maintain a solid push on all 4 fronts. 

Of course are still a few weeks to run in the transfer window and personally I would like to see a forward join the club. With Cisse and Ba we look great, however beneath them we only have Shola and then youngsters. Personally I would still love to see Big Andy Carroll return in whatever kind of deal best suits NUFC. No doubt his move to Liverpool has not worked out for whatever reason, however the lad does not become a bad player over night - think back to the good times he had at NUFC and every  fan would like to see him back in the Black n White. If we are priced out of a move for Carroll them maybe a moved for Loic Remy is a good option - my thought however are that we have one of the best partnerships in the league with the two Demba's so realistically we are not going to be signing anyone better than either of these guys. I personally would look for a top young up and coming striker who will compete with Shola for the striking sub position. Someone like Jordan Rhodes would be great - or I am sure Graham Carr has found plenty of options on the continent. 

Always interesting to hear what the national journalists think out NUFC

Great stuff Shola!

Hopefully we are going to see a lot more of skills like this!

Skills School!

NUFC paintball

Magpies V Canaries

Quality advert!

Just another week in the life of NUFC

Spurs V NUFC video blog

The Blog is Back!