not as bad as the Supegoals site makes it out and at least it shows he's no yes man but I'm sure Bobby will discipline him for this.

ALAIN GOMA has launched an astonishing attack on Bobby Robson's tactics in the wake of Newcastle's opening game defeat at Manchester United.

The former Paris Saint-Germain defender claims the Magpies never stood a chance of beating the champions because Robson got his game plan wrong.

Goma, 27, said: "Before the game we were hoping Manchester United would not be totally ready. But their players have been playing together for such a long time.

"As for us, we were not ready, tactically speaking.

"During the first half the tactical choice was to play with five at the back. But it didn't work because we had not worked this plan long enough."

Newcastle's #4.75million French international also admits he should not have played because of the knee ligament problems he suffered last season.

He added: "As far as I'm concerned, I am disappointed with my game. It might be because I was out injured for six months.

"A rehab period might be necessary. I mean that I still need time to recover all my physical means."

-- Anonymous, August 22, 2000

Answers

NORWEGIAN defender Ragnvald Soma has turned down a move to Newcastle United - because of English football's drinking culture.

He believes that booze is destroying the Premiership.

Soma, who has also attracted interest from Leicester and Middlesbrough, has been quick to distance himself from a move to England.

He said: "All the drinking at the English clubs doesn't tempt me.

"I'm not a teetotaller, and I can understand why a player wants a beer after a game.

"But when players are getting drunk and smelling of alcohol in training the next day the whole team suffers.

"I haven't experienced it but everybody knows that it happens. If I could choose between a English and an Italian club, I would definitely go for the Italian one."

-- Anonymous, August 22, 2000

You can only afford one beer in Norway, that's why.

-- Anonymous, August 22, 2000

Good grief, Norwegians are just about the biggest p*ss heeds in the world.

-- Anonymous, August 22, 2000

Whatever they drink, if you believe the story, we are looking at Centre Backs which is good news, along with the Belarrussian blokey who is on trial, the remedy may be round the corner.

I can't help feeling that Goma and Marcellino may turn out to be the new Perez and Maric respectively if we cannt offload them or get them playing football again.

-- Anonymous, August 22, 2000

i hate Norwegian players anyway

-- Anonymous, August 22, 2000

In Soma the name of the drug, the opium of the people, used in 1984 or Brave New World? Smirk

Re Goma, he's not really saying much more than Bobby admitted himself, if you ignore the comments by the author and stick to the actual quotes. It's not an 'astonishing attack on Robson's tactics', and fcuk knows where the bit about 'the Magpies never stood a chance of beating the champions because Robson got his game plan wrong. ' came from.

Goma says they hadn't played that formation much before, and that retrospectively it did not work. That NH were more prepared that they thought they might be. And that he's still not 100% fit and didn't play that well. Just your normal recognition of where things may have gone wrong, with the benefit of hindsight, and not an astonishing attack on the manager's tactics.

-- Anonymous, August 22, 2000

Spot on Windy, journalists putting their usual distorted slant on what a player has actually said.

-- Anonymous, August 22, 2000