Fergie saying "Europa league is our punishment" - a tad harsh, especially when you consider the last time Benfica knocked them out of the group they didnt even manage third spot and were elimated from Europe completely!

Great point about Nasri, I have just stole that for facebook Baff. Good banter!

Apparently Lyon didnt have their 2 best players on the pitch as they knew Madrid were playing a weak side against Ajax. But when they saw Madrid were winning on came Gomis and he scored 4 goals. Ajax were going to ask for an investigation but a UEFA advised them not to. So I dont really no whats going on with that.

Fergie is just sulking. He really did mess up. He didn't need to beat them so it was foolish to go away in the Champions league to a team who scored 3 against you at home. Team selection was awful and the bench was oh so very dry. Uniteds youth has failed them so they've pinched Smalling, Jones etc but they still lack.

City fair to say were unlucky. But Mancini shouldnt of went to Munich and basically expected a win. Draw would of been a good result. Mancini rushed it. He is no Mourinho .

Am I right in thinking that the worse draw for Chelsea is AC Milan in the last 16?

We cant get Madrid, Barca, Arsenal, Munich, Levekusen, Apoel, Inter or Benfica as they won their groups or finished 2nd to us.

So it leaves us, Basle, Napoli, AC Milan, CSKA Moscow, Lyon, Marsielle or Zenit St Petersburg. Right?

Basle crap, Napoli dangerous (Lezezzi, Cavani, Hamsik in particular) AC Milan massive club, getting back to their best in Italy, but their league is not great at the moment, CSKA Moskow are gash, but Russia is quite a trek, and very cold, same with Zenit, but they have better players IMO.

Lyon and Marseille are very winnable games as well, neither side that good these days tbh.

I'd want anyone but Napoli, Milan and Zenit out of that mob

Zagreb-Lyon was really a big joke....sold to any gambling company for sure. 1-0 up and then loosing to Lyon 1-7 is impossible.,Also taking into account that Lyon is a rather poor team this year. Zagreb goalkeeper and defenders could have stayed in the dressingroom in the 2nd half, they even helped Lyon scoring. Quite a disgrace to football.
Have a look yourself....

Well done Basel and Napoli...played for it!!

That to me sounds like a description of a midfielder. He's better than mikel I think so if I were AVB I would put him in DM position.

ty for the video harold. But to be honest, I don't see anything wrong with those goals. Only one of them resulted from an obvious defensive error.
There has been no irregular betting pattern concerning the Lyon game or progress (except of course derry's massive wager... ), so they won't investigate (UEFA said).

Well, the sixth matchday of the Champions League group stage has always been dodgy, when teams already qualified have no motive to win the game and sometimes perform ridiculously bad for their quality.

It's what separates a truly great team from a team with no honour imo, I remember some years back when my team AEK just needed a point against Anderlecht and Lille was playing AC Milan in San Siro and they shouldn't win in order for AEK to qualify. Result AC Milan 0-2 Lille. What a disgrace

On the other hand Real Madrid went to Amsterdam with no motive and crashed Ajax 3-0. That's because they are a truly great club with honour and history, not like the Italian muppets

El Classico tomorrow at the Santiago Bernabeu. Cannot wait!

Madrid are the bookies favourites. I've stuck £50 on Barca @ 2/1 with Will Hill.

A nice 100£ for Christmas

Come on Barca!

Big risk tho really Real Madrid are playing very well at the minute. I reckon it will be a draw.

I put £50 on barca and a further 50 on Sunderland.

The latter being a free bet though, and returning 45£.

Not looking forward to this Norwich game... I have a feeling it's going to be an embarrassing one.
We've got a makeshift defence which probably won't work at all.

Hopefully Santon shines today.
Simpson and Perch both playing CB, it just won't work.
Gutted Tiote isn't back, and Guthrie is out, but maybe Gosling can show us what he's made of. It'll be interesting to see how he partners up with Cabaye.

I really want to say that it'll be a 3-0 win to us, but my head is telling me we'll get beat 3-2.

Krul GK

Raylor RB
Simpson CB
Perch CB
Santon LB

Obertan RM
Gosling CM
Cabaye CM
Jonas LM (c)

Ba CF
Ameobi CF

I think Norwich will win that one tbh they are a decent team.

Awful first half. Our defence was all over the place, and Santon's inexperience showed. He's great on the ball, but as a defender, you want him to be equally as great off the ball. He's got a lot to learn.

Why Perch is still playing for us is totally beyond me. He and Obertan were just plain rubbish. It's like we're playing with 8 men on the pitch.

Hopefully Pardew will make a few changes in the 2nd half, cos it's just not working at the minute.

Having said all that, Ba's goal was superb. More of that and I'll be happy.

Are u watching the game via a link?

Not any more I'm not.
Haven't seen Newcastle play that bad in a long time.
Just an awful awful game for us.

Can't say I didn't expect it with the injuries we've had. Just go's to show how thin our squad is.

It was obvious Castle's good run was never going to last. I think they'll still finish top 10 this season tho!

WOW Demba Ba!

Yes, thank God that is over! We really do need to score more when we are dominant, because that could have come back to bite us on the backside!

Told you

Yeh I predicted they'd win 3-2, but credit to them they won 4-2.
We didn't deserve the win. They were the better team all game.

Injuries cost us the game. And I have to say, Pardews tactics failed today. Obertan should have been off for Barfa at 2-1..

I didn't watch the last 5 minutes, but am I right in thinking he brought on Alan Smith? Or was that just a joke?

To concede 4 against Norwich shows that we really need some new signings. Without Colocini, Taylor, Guthrie, Marveaux and Tiote, we fall apart.

Why weren't Vuckic and Kadar given a chance? Why didn't Best get a chance?

Bad day at the office. I just hope to god that Tiote is back for the game against Swansea, otherwise I can see us slowly drifting down to mid-table.

Newcastle are screwed without Steven Taylor and Collocini.

January can't come soon enough, I would guess.

As it stands now, we've just gone above you

Anyone seen Wood, he seems to have gone off this thread of late?