My view

[Charlie_Darlo]

I didn't want to join the thread about yesterday's "game", but friendly or not, a 2-7 defeat is totally unacceptable and fully illustrates the weakness of this squad.

I know Colin Todd is very limited by his budget, but I get the feeling he panicked a bit and tried to put a squad together too quickly.

If there aren't legally binding agreements in place, Todd must change his mind about the likes of Starosa and James. I'm sorry, but these two are absolute gash.

A mate of mine is a Newcastle fan and he went to yesterdays game. He said he felt embarrassed for Darlo fans. He thinks Newcastle will struggle next season, but he fears we will be the whipping boys of league 2.

The way we are heading, I can see us still having single figure points by Xmas and getting tonked week in, week out.

Todd, please sort it out now!

[hodgie1]

as per usual an over the top response by charlie darlo, yeah it was disappointing but we r lucky to have a club FFS quit moaning and get behind the team, yeah we may finish in the bottom half, but i hear theres some loanees coming in shortly so perhaps one should wait until we see the side todd puts out at bradford PA - that should be the team that starts the season i think that

knight

starosta
james
miller
foster
lumsdon
convery
g smith
windass
main
gray

isnt a bad side plus like i said we'll get a couple of loanees in - hopefully a midfielder to replace lumsdon and a forward as cover for windass we have to accept the days of top half football are probably gone for a few yrs, the club needs rebuilding from top to bottom, end of

[PierremontQuaker03]

Newcastles team was a settled 11 from last season.
Our squad is completely new and a few trailists.
Puts it in perspective!

[oldboyhaughton]

Yesterdays performance was poor and no one can sat anything different however it was only a pre season fixture we did not lose 3 points and we have time to put things right its too earlier to comment on the team yes at the moment we look weak in certain ares but I feel sure these things we be addressed the thing that was poor yesterday was the corner bar 20 mins to wait for a beer with people walking out without being served this needs sorting as we are losing income

[Charlie_Darlo]

I don't think it is an OTT reponse, hodgie1, I'm just being realistic. I don't expect anything like the play-offs from this season and lower mid-table is fine.

However, on the last two performances we are going to finish bottom 2 (probably bottom) for certain. I can see us being like Sunderland in their two nightmare relegation seasons, where nearly every game ends in defeat.

My mate said the only player in the Darlo team who came out of yesterday with any credit was Windass and I've got to agree with him on that.

I expected struggle this season, but I will not accept total capitulation game in, game out. Other clubs such as Macclesfield, Accrington and Aldershot can manage on very tight budgets, so we should be able to.

[spymans piles]

I agree with Charlie-Darlo hopefully Todd can get some loanees in to bolster the squad.

[loan_star]

Charlie, your mate cant have been watching much of the game if he thought Windass was out best player. Smith had an excellent game in midfield.

[QuakerCL85]

Who was the guy with longish hair in midfield, Smith i presume?

[I_were_a_mascot]

Long hair fella was Smith, it's led me to try find some stuff on him and apparantley he was more thought of than Keith Andrews as a midfielder while at MK Dons... so he must be a decent sort, I wonder what he is doing here then!

[wylam_rangers]

Go back to sleep Charlie.

Yes there are problem areas but we will compete in league 2.

Todd had no time to assemble a squad from scratch then pitch them against Premiership opposition. We haven't played any of the loan cards yet.

And your opinion is even more questionable as you weren't there in person.

[StevieMardenboro]

Todd panicked? FFS he has had three weeks to pull a team together. Am getting bored of reading hysterical negative posts. We're doomed, we are definitely going to finish bottom two, Starosta is gash. Its ridiculous.

I think we will finish somewhere between 12th and 18th which given the state of the club when Todd took over will be a minor miracle.

How many teams in our league have players of the quality of Windass and Foster? Not fucking many.

[al_quaker]

Single figure points at Xmas, you must be joking! We have recently played 2 very good teams (in comparison to ourselves anyway) without our best player and captain, and with a squad that has only known each other for a few weeks. We'll compete, not in the top half, but we'll be an OK L2 side. Unless we get a few long term injuries. Then we are going to struggle.

[KCChiefs]

What a ridiculous post, i too am sick of all these knee jerk reactions - judge the team and manager 15 or so games in.

Windass the only one to emerge with credit yesterday?, get a grip - Gary Smith was quality yesterday and he was up against Barton, Smith & Nolan

[Redcar_Quaker]

Some people on here need a reality check and quickly. We have just played 2 teams who were in the Premiership last season. Newcastle's team yesterday (first and second half) was very strong and Darlo's first half defence contained 4 trialists. In my opinion the game at Blyth was probably the closest so far to L2 opposition. OK, there are 2 divisions between us and Newcastle and us and Blyth but the gap between the Champ and L2 is much bigger than the gap between Conf North and L2, so that's probably the best game to judge on so far.

As Hodgie says, we have the makings of a decent team and if we can get a couple of loanees in then we will be OK - yes, we'll probably finish bottom half but not in the bottom 2. Some people have got very, very short memories considering the situation we were in a couple of months ago.

[DL5]

The stupidity of some people

If we'd played Barcelona and got beat some people would think that meant we're destined for shitness in league 2

[Jimmy]

Posts like this really fook me off.

Charlie - were u not at the games this week?

People who've gone to the games have the ability to look at the players we have and draw sensible comments from it.

Even if you were not at the games, you must still be able to gather that:

- Sunderland's team was a premiership line up.
- Newcastle's was too...
- They've all played together for a long time (no new signings for both teams)
- 3 out out of our back 4 were trialists
- none of our first half line up were here last season.

Need I go on?

Anyone who knows anything about football knows that this weeks results have no bearing on how our season will pan out. When we gel, which will only come with games - we'll get better. We'll automatically get better when we play teams of our own standard.

We'll be nowhere where we were last season because we don't have the money - it's all about new beginnings for each person playing, as well as the new manager and new chairman.

Each darlo fan should be grateful for having a club to watch (if they chose to go, that is), and must realise that we have to start from scratch, which has meant assembling a whole new squad in very limited time

Your an absolute fool for thinking we'd be experiencing any different.

PS: Your mate sounds like a knob too!

[loan_star]

Lets not forget that if Charlie had got his way, we would have been planning for a season in the Wearside League where players like Convery would be looked upon as being the Kaka of that league.

[Feethams forever]

Whilst not fully in support of Colin Todds appointment at first, perhaps we should all forget the doom and gloom, n give the bloke a chance.

Newcastle have more problems than us, wonder what odds for Darlo v Newcastle in League 1 in the 2010 - 11 season !!!!!

[StevieMardenboro]

Obviously after shipping in 11 goals in two games the big worry is the defence but I don't think we will be doomed next season - far from it.
Foster coming back will make a huge difference but if he is out for a while then I would be reasonably happy with Miller and Plummer - just worried they might get bullied a bit.
As for the full backs: Arnison and Starosta have both been given the run around by premiership standard wingers but both played in league two in recent seasons. No reports from the clubs they have been at ( Bradford, Brentford and I think Aldershot?) suggest they have been out of their depth . . Brentford fans praised Starosta in the main. Bradford fans said Arnison said was solid but slow and good going forward.
Craig James I admit struggled at league two last time, and I know nothing about David Knight but I think any defence marshalled by Foster will do alright.

In midfield in some of the positions I think we could arguably be stronger or at least equal to last season's side except for the right wing and the loss of the class act that was Rob Purdie.

Upfront Windass will be a revelation, Thorpe will be a handful and I am sure we will see a lively striker and a right winger brought in on loan. We will also be playing passing football and hopefully living within our means. Lots of reasons to be cheerful!!

[Spyman]

- Sunderland's team was a premiership line up.
- Newcastle's was too...

No, Newcastle's was a Championship line-up featuring Damien Duff.

[Spyman]

If there aren't legally binding agreements in place, Todd must change his mind about the likes of Starosa and James. I'm sorry, but these two are absolute gash.

Regardless of legally binding agreements, we have to stick by the verbal agreements that we've made with players. If we expect the likes of Lumsdon and Smith to stay true to their word until we can get them to sign a contract, then we have to treat the likes of James and Starosta the same.

[Charlie_Darlo]

Sadly, my penultimate sentence was spot on.

I took a lot of flak for my post from some of the regulars on here for being OTT, but was right. For once in my life, I wished I had been wrong.

[Quakerz]

Some of the reaction to your post (which proved utterly spot on) is hilarious!

[DrDarloSAcape]

Looking at some of these posts,lets put them ,history and an appalling season behind us.Victory at Shrewsbury should produce a positive effect.

[wylam_rangers]

Sadly, my penultimate sentence was spot on.

I took a lot of flak for my post from some of the regulars on here for being OTT, but was right. For once in my life, I wished I had been wrong.

Smug b******

You and Quacks - get your applications in

[crapname]

I cant find my post from August where I predicted that Todd would be replaced by Staunton who would himself be sacked, only to be replaced by Gianfranco Zola.
Can anyone help?

[Hawkeye]

How many teams in our league have players of the quality of Windass and Foster? Not f***ing many.

Sorry, I know you're far from being the only one who overestimated what Windass could contribute (I did too), but it's hilarious reading that now.