Bangor City  FC?
  or Caernarfon?

Welsh team?

 Llanfairpwllgwyngyll FC perhaps?

Not good enough.

Same points total as this time last year. We may be in the CL spots but we won't stay there if the Gaalacticos continue to underperform like that.

Carrick pretty much the only bright spot of the day.

United at the moment remind a bit of City when they first got money.

Bought lots of very good players (Santa Cruz, Robinho, Benjani, Elano) but they played like individuals - not like a team.

It wasn't until Yaya Toure joined in 2010 that they became a team.

I understand and agree with the comparison with City in the sense that it that it can take a while for the new players to bed in  and a true trophy competing team to establish itself. City got the new owners at the start of the 2008/2009 season and it wasn't until 2010/2011 that they became a real force. Also agree that YaYa Toure was a big part of that along with Silva who arrived at the same time
to build on the platform of the likes of Kompany, Tevez,  Lescott & Barry. Many will scorn at the last 2 but they were both instrumental to City's early success.

With United now I'd suggest there is an absolute inevitabily they will be competing for the title again very soon. Probably from next season. Progression to establishing " a team" again will be quicker and so it should because they are starting from a far stronger base - 7 of the 9 players this season with most minutes played were an integral part of the 2012/2013 league winning side.

Incidentally, Benjani and Elano were pre the Abu Dhabi money. Santa Cruz was a crock at City - think he only started about 10 games in total.

[/quote]

How manny of hose teams with the changes were not
Favourites to win the game? Changing players against Dover, yeovil or Leeds is different to another premiereague team.

[/quote]

All I'm saying is it is "standard" but as I've also said if I supported Newcastle I would want them to play the strongest team.

But let's also remember you were playing the bottom team in the Premier  who have won  1 of their 9 home league games and also lost at home in the League Cup. Then they rotated heavily as well and were significantly weaker. Guess that made you favourite to win the tie even with your changes...

home to ipswich..

Southampton
23 Forster
16 Ward-Prowse
06 Fonte
05 Gardos
21 Bertrand
08 Davis
04 Schneiderlin Booked
12 Wanyama
11 Tadic (Isgrove - 65' )
07 Long
19 Pellè

Presumably you have posted this to refute my position that large rotation for early FA Cup matches is standard.  Why post the one exception to the norm?

Having said that it is an interesting example because you might recall Southampton fans were up in arms last season when they were knocked out of the FA Cup with a weakened team when totally secure in the League.

Looking at all Premier teams yesterday in the Cup:

Number of changes from starting 11 that played on New Years Day:

QPR 7
Sunderland 6
Villa 5
City 6
Stoke 7
United 6
Chelsea 8
Arsenal 5
Southampton 2

The arguement about being safe so giving the cup a go is irrelevant for the Ashley 'model'. Each league place is worth £750k so the finances would always be directing towards the league as an extra place is worth nearly as much as a final appearance in the FA cup (and 7 times more than a League cup win!).

Let's get a head coach in who can motivate and develop players and has a style of play that moves the ball round nicely with a focus weighted on scoring goals.

Having been hit with JFK in recent times I would not even bother suggesting or wishing for names...

Interesting and a plausible explanation for the Ashley model.

One correction tho - in 2013/2014 the prize per place in the Premier League was £1,236,083 which reinforces your argument. 10th place was worth 13.6 million for Newcastle and compares to about  4.9 million for 17th.

If I was a Leicester fan I would understand the decision to field a weakened team since they seem very likely to be in a relegation battle in March-April and survival is obv more important than a cup run in a competition that is going to be very hard for them to win. Swansea's manager fielded a weakened team as he believed the side was strong enough to get the win and they did. Newcastle currently sit on 27 points with 18 games still remaining, we are very unlikely to end up in a relegation battle in March-April (look forward to someone bumping this in a few months ), the bookies have NINE teams at shorter odds then us to go down, we won't get into Europe through the league so we look very likely to finish 8/9th-15/16th. So other than the possible exception of the Sunderland game in April this game today, in many fans minds, myself included, was the biggest game left in our season and we see fit to not even attempt to win it.

John Carver now has the image of a liar after being caretaker manager for two games since I and many others find it very hard to believe that Colo/Sissoko/Colback etc wouldn't have played today if it were a league game, great start to a new era (I fully expect him to be here until the end of the season at a minimum).

Good post and I understand the argument. If I was a NUFC fan I'd be pretty hacked that there wasn't a concerted attempt to chase Cup glory.

I repeat however that weakened teams for early round FA Cup games are pretty standard albeit in your case due position in league etc it seems the standard should be ignored.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2894975/John-Carver-play-Newcastle-s-best-XI-against-Leicester-bid-win-silverware.html



‘Four years ago, I was in Tenerife watching the game against Stevenage and let me tell you, I was really disappointed - and I had a few beers as well,’ he said. ‘Listen, there has been an awful lot made about cup runs so let me say this: Every game I go into I want to win, so I will put the best team on the pitch that I possibly can to win the game.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2894975/John-Carver-play-Newcastle-s-best-XI-against-Leicester-bid-win-silverware.html#ixzz3NnJ5UAex
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‘I know exactly how much it means to the fans to have a cup run because I am one of them.
‘I have been to an FA Cup final and a semi-final and I will never forget that reception. Although we lost to Manchester United in 1999, when we came out of the tunnel at Wembley, with our fans were behind us, it was quite emotional.
‘So I know exactly what it means. I have actually been in the stands when we lost to Arsenal in the final in 1998, so I know what it is like and how important it is. So to get back there is one of the most important things in my eyes.’


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2894975/John-Carver-play-Newcastle-s-best-XI-against-Leicester-bid-win-silverware.html#ixzz3NnJ38P2k
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‘There’s no extra significance,’ said Carver, who has lost defender Steven Taylor for the remainder of the season with an Achilles injury. ‘I know how important it is to win a Premier League game and how important it is to win an FA Cup match too, so I have not thought of it any differently if we had won, drew or lost against Burnley.
‘I need to see what we have available and I will pick my strongest available side. But if I have three or four players who are carrying things, then that is obviously an issue. The team might pick itself.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2894975/John-Carver-play-Newcastle-s-best-XI-against-Leicester-bid-win-silverware.html#ixzz3NnJCmsIf
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Again I'll reiterate. We know we're never going to compete in the premiership, thats normal with the way money works. What we would really love is to give it our all in the cups, if the club doesn't do it then we can moan at Ashley or whatever, but when we have a new manager who comes in and fills us with false hope and optimism then that is something different all together, especially when he's supposed to be one of us.

Looking at those quotes your expectation of a stronger team is understandable. Amazed he has come out with that and then selected the team he did. 

But did he really fill you with hope and optimism? In light of your earlier comments about Carver I'd be surprised if that was the case.

At the end of the day the selection was standard which is a great shame for fans of all clubs who now seem to discount the FA CUP particulalry in the ealry stages. 

So Leicester made wholesale changes from their team that drew at Liverpool 48 hours earlier. In fact 6 of the subs at Liverpool started today. Understandable really - player fatigue, rotation, squad players get game,  Premier League more important  etc.

So Swansea made wholesale changes from their team that drew at QPR 48 hours earlier. In fact 6 of the subs at QPR started today. Understandable really - player fatigue, rotation, squad players get game,  Premier League more important etc.

So Newcastle made wholesale changes from their team that drew at home to Burnley. In fact 6 of the subs at home to Burnley started today. Understandable really - player fatigue, rotation, squad players get game,  Premier League more important etc

I understand disappointment with the performance and the result but the team selection appears to be pretty standard to me.

[Premier League Position:]

Premier League Position:
10/11   12th - became manager half way through the season
11/12   5th
12/13   16th
13/14   10th
14/15   10th season to date

Net Transfer Spend last 5 Seasons

17th - Newcastle   Total £6.25million  Average per season £1.25 million

Conclusion? He overachieved.

Seems he was right about Ben Harfa as well and my god he was hammered for that.

Hmmm, not sure if many of these posts are trying to level Iron. 

England deserved to win no doubt but it was hardly emphatic.  That was England at their best imo, they don't get much better as has been seen in the last number of major tournaments they have been in. 

The entitlement that runs through many England fans is astonishing.  You have the most over hyped leage in the world, your best players aren't that great.  I generally can't recall the last world class player who was home grown who actually achieved anything, Becks perhaps? 

At least we Scots know we're shit and accept it.  But if there was a fair split of the revenues going into Scotland/Wales/NI leagues and Sky hadn't bankrolled the EPL things would be far dfferent. 

I don't think are any good at all. Worst england team I can remember. But this awful england team still made light work of Scotland.

How old are you George?

Graham Taylor picked;

Flowers,
Earl Barrett
Tony Dorigo
Pallister
Andy Sinton
Carlton Palmer
Ripley
Nigel Clough
Alan Smith

They were dark days indeed.

Interesting choice of players. Some pretty good IMO.

No doubt we will be able to look back at Hodgson's time and do the same thing. Amazing stat I heard the other night was that 60 players have won caps in his 2 1/2 years at the helm. Most are still playing in the Premier League.

http://www.englandfootballonline.com/teammgr/Mgr_HodgsonPlyrsApps.html

Luke McCormick (sp?) is captain of Plymouth - I peronally find that more repellant that Evans, but again he's served his sentence so it's up to Plymouth.

McCormack killed those children by accident.

The accident was caused by his negligence, stupidity and downright disregard for the drink/driving laws.

But it was still an accident when all is said and done.

Ched Evans did not rape this girl by accident.

Huge difference.

So footballers that are 100% criminals have been rehabilitated after serving their sentence when their crime involved killing people.  It is something that everyone convicted of a crime can do if they are sound of mind so why is the Evans incident different Keith?

What difference did it make that he apologised after serving his time for a crime he was 100% guilty of committing?

You seem to have forgiven him for killing people but you are annoyed Ched Evans hasn't said sorry when he is still in the process of appeal?

McCormack killed those children by accident.

It was his fault for sure and he was stupid and negligent but it was an accident.

To my mind there is no way someone who accidentally killed someone (no matter how tragic it is) should be treated as harshly as a rapist.

I would bet a lot of money McCormack will never drink and drive again in his life. if he does, he deserves to go to prison for a very very long time.

You can't rape someone by accident.

If Evans still maintains he is innocent he has not been rehabiltated.

Confronted with the same set of circumstances he is likely to do the same thing again because he doesn't think what he did was wrong. (Well, he wouldn't obv, because he has seen what happens when he does that. But if there was no chance of getting caught he is capable of doing it again).

Being devils advocate is it not possible Evans thought he was engaging In consensual sex at the time?  

I'm almost certain Evans did (and still does) think he was having consensual sex.

Ignorance of the law is not a defence though.

Does this not blow a hole in your argument about him choosing to rape verses McCormick having an accident?  McCormick was certain he was breaking the law when he got behind the wheel.

Yes, you're right.

I couldn't be further from condoning what McCormack did.

But every single person who drives their car drunk know they are breaking the law. And every single one of them could have killed those 2 kids.

But for the grace of God go they.

I don't think McCormack should be punished any harsher than a drink driver who had consumed exactly the same amount of alcohol and was driving at the same speed.

It's just a sick game of roulette which of them killed 2 children, so they should all be treated the same.

Well that is your view.

This is a legal view. You might get an answer to your questions here:

http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/s_to_u/sentencing_manual/death_by_dangerous_driving/

Camel you normally come across as quite a sensible chap but that last post is bullshit. 

I recall a post you made not so long ago about an incident when you were portrayed as a dirty old man, do you think you should have apologised for that?

If I was Chad Evans hell would freeze over before I showed any sort of remorse if I knew I was innocent.  Lets face it only 3 people actually know the truth. 

Agree with your point about not showing remorse if I knew I was innocent.

However only 2 people maximum know the truth - as I understand it the "victim" has no memory of what happened and there was no complaint of rape, no forensic evidence and no injury.

Luke McCormick (sp?) is captain of Plymouth - I peronally find that more repellant that Evans, but again he's served his sentence so it's up to Plymouth.

McCormack killed those children by accident.

The accident was caused by his negligence, stupidity and downright disregard for the drink/driving laws.

But it was still an accident when all is said and done.

Ched Evans did not rape this girl by accident.



I also think McCormack's crime was more abhorrent than the Evans "rape". Although not directly connected it is interesting that was reflected in the longer sentence he received.

Huge difference.

Good digging Ex

Selective digging though as Fabregas was at Arsenal for six seasons and you appear to have picked his three most injury-hit (including the one post Euros when he missed six months+ with a cruciate) whilst at Barca he was basically a squad-player and started far fewer games.

Maybe selective digging but to suggest he was basically a squad-player is a nonsense.

He had 40+ starts in the 3 main competitions in each of the last 2 seasons with Barca.