To summarise what I have seen on here today.

We have no consistent formation and with that comes no consistent team selection. We have no consistent team selection due to injuries and it would appear that when the foreigners arrive here they are used to rigorous training and are fit lads. Then we get hold of them and reduce their training scheduel because of the number of games. They now pick up injuries because they are essentially 75% fit. Our British lads continue to plod around in training so are never really fit and therefore pick up injuries easily. Only players who play with injuries are seen as not-injury prone but end up getting seriously injured. All this fitness shite makes them last to every ball and unable to command a match, thus appearing to have a severe lack of commitment. We can't step up the training now or we'll have no players left, so we're buggered either way.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2000

Answers

Aah divvent knaa why wi bother.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2000

Another key thing that folks are dancing around, but seems to be just as big a problem as who is/isn't fit/good enough is TEAM work and TEAM spirit. IMO, we've got a collection of individuals, some of whom are paying alot of lip service to working as team. I just don't see it, though. And I've no idea how to get them to truly work as a team. Perhaps Bobby's suggestion of sending them on an outward bound adventure(with or without the live ammo ;-)) ) isn't so far off? That's the one aspect frustrating me more than anything else.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2000

"We're doomed I tell you, doomed!" - Corporal Fraser, Warmington-on-Sea Home Guard (August 3, 1942)

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2000

On the subject of team spirit, YBR is the man who takes full responsibility for this. When he came he said he knew "how to build winning teams". I took that to mean that he emphasised the concept of a team as being more than the sum of it's parts.

IF they are not playing as a team and not working or fighting hard enough, the job of motivation (either by carrot or stick) is Robson's and he should be giving a tongue lashing to any not pulling their weight. (BTW I don't doubt that he has done so.)

IMHO too much is being made of the Arse game. We fielded a badly depleted team on a day when Arse just happened to click (eg Parlour's 3 were his first of the season & his first ever hat-trick - such a thing would normally be described as a fluke). For long periods of the first half we matched them and both goals came out of the blue. At no time in the game did they lay siege to our goal. On the debit side, we looked very unlikely to score at all, although one or two chances were created.

It's time to be talking the team up and I'd like to hear some positive stuff coming from Robson himself who has the task of lifting these players so they can stuff Bradford and start to make the Arse game history.

Forward.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2000

Jonno - we need more than one forward. But it would be a start! As for Saturday, we will win, and I thin k we'll do it comfortably. But the gist of this thread is about team spirit and motivation. I've been going on (and on) about that for a long time. I honestly believe that the majority of players who make it to the EPL (ok, Des Hamilton excepted) are pretty decent players. What makes the real difference is between the ears, or behind the breastbone. Witness Henry. A few weeks back, he couldn't have scored doon the Quayside. Now, with that little bit of missing confidence returned, he looked awesome on Saturday. We need the awesomeness to return to a few of our lot - Dyer, Speed and Corblimey for starters.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2000

And for me it's not just the Arse game. That's just another in a string of rotten displays. S******d, Birmingham, West Ham. Those only come immediately to mind cause I saw them. The common memory of all these games is a bunch of individuals running around without seeming to have the first clue on playing as a team, or not caring to play as a team. Not sure which. You're right Jonno, about that responsibility resting with Bobby. Also with his staff. Maybe he's showing his frustration a bit too much and passing it on to the players? Just a thought.

Can't say I'm as confident as Screach of a win on Saturday. We should win, even without Shearer. But it does mean whichever 11 Bobby puts out there has to do more than just turn up. Bobby's job is to try to get it into their heads. The players' job is to clean the wax out of their ears and heed his words.

And of course on Saturday I'll be sitting by my computer speakers joining in the singing led by Min...unless I feel too nervous and start cleaning again. At least my apartment is seeing some benefit of this slump! ;-)))

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2000

Last Saturday could just be the kick up the arse we need (no pun intended - ok so it was)

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2000

Mate, hasn't Mick Wadsworth used that cliched remark after every tonking or bad game we have? I think it's been used at least 3 times already. I can't imagine there's much more arse left to kick. There being a global arse shortage at the moment...

...or was that global short arses...

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2000

......could that be why we appear to have more short-@rses at the Toon than any other PL Club??

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2000

Why do we have such a short arsed team? A few years back we had Howey, Peacock, Albert, Watson (later Dabizas) - the midfield was stocky - Clarky, Lee, Batty (later Speed) - and upfront Shearer, Ferdinand (later Dunc).

The Arse match was v notable for one thing, an apparent lack of bottle from our lads. However (playing devils advocate here) they were simply too small to hold onto the ball. Barton didn't win a ball in the air at any point, so all they had to do was pump the ball forward and they'd retain possession. Lua-Lua tried to hold the ball up - but what's the point if he doesn't find a teammate with it? Everywhere else on the pitch Solano, Barton, Hughes, Caldwell, Acuna, Griffin and Dyer were so terrified of getting barged off the ball they never tried to beat their man.

The ref didn't help by penalising any Toon indiscretion and playing on when they hacked our lads down - even in our own penalty box at one point. With time on the ball our lads look awesome. Other managers must have realised now that the way to beat us is to not allow us that time or space and hassle us until the lads give up.

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2000