Well Im not ordering my Bellamy shirt until it's a certainty.

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That's a good idea, I mean if Bellamy decides he wants 9 or 11, I'm sure the club will give it to him without question.

Is he going to start tomorrow or come as a sub? Alongside Kuqi? Will we be seeing any of Jansen?

I like the way this discussion reads and agree with many of the points raised. Where do I find out more about BRISA and how can I offer my support?

It's still too early to think about most of the numbers. We're sure to be bringing in another defender and we're apparently still interested in Cole and now with links to Andy van der Meyde.... God only knows who is going to get what. Pretty sure Bellamy will take 10 though and Brad will keep 1.

Can't believe the odds on Newcastle!!! They'll be lucky to finish in the top half!

Who cares about fair play/bad-boys if we finish high up the table? If rivals are complaining about us it's only because they fear us!

  couldn't resist

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I don't know what you can possibly find to laugh at this summer, Newcastle are in trouble and without a few major signings you'll struggle to finish in the top half. Infact if you suffer a couple of long term defensive injuries, you'll be fighting off relegation. I hope a conservative 3-6-1 formation suits you

The fact that this season we can argue about who would get the coveted first eleven numbers is surely a good sign that our squad is more flexible and prepared than this time last season.

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And there's no dispute about who gets 4 and 5 as there are only 2 players to choose from

Hope JW and MH have another trick up their sleeve.

Whiging old scottish fart.....

http://skysports.planetfootball.com/list.a...nel=premiership

I hope Bellamy keeps his mouth shut and refrains from replying in his usual fashion. Come on Bellers, prove him wrong and show us all that you're finally growing up!

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Just going back to mention this briefly, Souey's comments are exactly the sort of things Bellamy used to be so quick to retaliate to. I haven't yet heard of anything Bellamy has said - well done for ignoring it!

If Bellamy can keep the ball forward like Henry does (ie by gaining territory) then I'll be happy.

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Back to my initial point, be careful not expect too much from Bellamy, he's a good player but certainly can't be compared to Henry, yet

Probably Kuqi or Dickov..... Basically players who can hold the ball up.

When you get a player as good as Bellamy he can make up for the player next to him, though Kuqi and Dickov aren't bad....

Don't you remember the Quinn/Phillips strikeforce.

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It didn't get Sunderland into Europe though. I just hope Kuqi is good enough, because in my opinion, Dickov (as hard as he tries) just isn't.

Bellamy isn't going to be asked to lead our frontline at all.

Hughes isn't that stupid.

Just because he's our best striker doesn't mean he has to lead it.

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Who is going to lead our front line? That's my point, there's noone good enough. If we'd brought in an out and out striker then we could play Dickov or Gallagher (maybe even Jansen if he proves worthy again) off him but we've got noone good enough to fill that role. Everyone on hear was talking about us qualifying for Europe but we really don't have two good enough strikers yet.

Redknapp: 'Crouch is worth 8 million'?...utterly ridiculous!

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The fact that nobody has bid £8mil for him means he's not worth it. He'll be sold for less because he wants premiership football and nobody will pay that much. I think there are many better options available though for £2/3mil less.

Didn't answer the question though. You seemed upset that some people thought Bellamy was better than McCarthy. Saying "at least he is an out and out centre forward" doesn't mean much. Ashley Ward was "reputedly" an out and out centre forward.

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Similar questions can be raised about Bellamy. He is going to be asked to do a job for us he has never done before, lead our front line. All I'm saying is McCarthy already leads Porto's attack, Bellamy has never led an attack, he runs off a stronger striker and provides for him. Bellamy is a quality player and I'm delighted he signed but who is he going to run off and provide for at Rovers? Gallagher? Dickov? They aren't a good enough partner for him. I hope Kuqi becomes a success otherwise I think we may need to sign another striker to play with Bellamy.

I take it you are sure McCarthy is a better bet for Rovers. Why? How can you be sure McCarthy will adapt to the English game?

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At least Benni is an out and out centre forward. Bellamy can't do the same job. He's good (infact he's VERY good) at providing for real strikers like Shearer (or perhaps Benni) and making runs off them but can he really lead a front line? Me thinks not.

Don't get me wrong though, I'm delighted we've signed him, he is after all a proven top flight player but I think we need to sign another to play with him. But you never know, maybe Kuqi will be good enough at all, he wouldn't be the first to impress after a move from a lower league.

Souness admires Amoruso, so here's Rovers chance to offload the overweight tub of lard on our hapless former manager.

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We'll give Amoruso to him!!!

Just referring to the results of the poll, who claimed Bellamy was their number one choice??? Bellamy was an excellent signing but second on the wanted list behind McCarthy!

Bellamy is a great signing for us but we must be careful not to expect too much of him. He has only averaged about 10 goals a season previously and that was when he was playing alongside far better strikers than whom he'll be playing with next season. We still need another top striker!

I thought this was supposed to be about Bellamy... Tugay? Sukur? Emre? How did it move on so fast?

Oh, and it's amazing to see what the signing of Bellamy has done for people's optimism on here... had this poll been conducted a week ago half of the board would have had us in the bottom three.  Nothing like a big signing to up morale, huh?

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I think it's the positive statements by John Williams and Mark Hughes that have worked the most, particularly concerning future transfers of which their will be at least one more I'm sure.

1 Chelsea

2 Arsenal

3 Man United

4 Liverpool

5 Spurs

6 Everton

7 Aston Villa

8 BLACKBURN ROVERS

9 Bolton

10 Birmingham

11 Middlesbrough

12 Charlton

13 Newcaslte United

14 Manchester City

15 Wigan

16 Portsmouth

17 West Ham United

18 Fulham

19 West Brom

20 Sunderland

I don't think Wigan will go down, they've got plenty of money and am expecting to see some late transfers. West Brom will NOT be so lucky this year.

ROVERS for the FA Cup!!! it's nice to dream

you mean players that souness has SOLD 

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That surely makes Souness a worse manager. Consider Newcastle's transfers this summer: 1 player in, 8 (yes that's EIGHT) players out of a club that was already short in reserve. You've got no defenders, you've got no good strikers (legend that he is, Shearer really is beginning to get past it now) after selling Bellamy for only £4mil. Newcastle are going down unless they sack Souness.

Those 60,000 fans, think they'll still be there to watch Championship football?

Got a few Geordie mates and they are all very concerned at the number of players Souness has allowed to leave the club. A few of them are even disappointed that Andy O'Brien has gone - only due to the lack of cover mind. Souness is the most hated man in Newcastle now.

We don't have an unrecovarable reputation yet, far from it. With Dickov, Savage and now Bellamy, it may be messy at points in the coming season but I think referees are under a lot of pressure at the moment NOT to condemn players for previous exploits.

And if it gets us results, who cares anyway?!?! Let's see what happens.

Whiging old scottish fart.....

http://skysports.planetfootball.com/list.a...nel=premiership

I hope Bellamy keeps his mouth shut and refrains from replying in his usual fashion. Come on Bellers, prove him wrong and show us all that you're finally growing up!