Magnificent Seven Pre Match Interview: Newcastle

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1. Here we are seven games into a new Premier League season and Newcastle sit in the relegation zone going into the game against City. An almost unthinkable situation when you consider the euphoria that surrounded Kevin Keegan's return to the club. We've witnessed stunning developments at what is being labelled 'Sid James' Park.' What next?

This season really has seen some epic story lines in NorthEastenders! Short of Ken Barlow or Dot Cotton being drafted in after Kinnear I can't see how it can get any more stupid. Over the last four years, since Sir Bobby left, we've seen a gradual slide into the lower reaches of the Premier League. Something like this was bound to come along sooner or later. The team have two choices - sink like Leeds or bounce back and climb up the table. As yet no-one knows which we'll be.

2. What did you make of Joe Kinnear's incredible appointment and his recent public tirade?

I thought the BBC was wheeling out April Fool's 6 months late/early when I heard the news. Un-frickin-believeable. However JFK hasn't done a bad job at all so far and his Mike Bassett England Manager rant was the most quality effort I've ever heard. Newcastle fans detest the press, especially the London hacks, and Kinnear came out of it with a far better reputation with Newcastle fans, even if the rest of the country thought he'd basket cased.

3. How did you rate Newcastle's transfer dealings this past summer?

Started off ok and then plummeted. Gutierrez is a class act, Coloccini is decent, Guthrie is passable but Nacho Gonzalez and Xisco are a million miles away from being Premier League players. Losing Milner was a blow but getting shot of the likes of Carr, Emre, Ramage etc was the right thing to do. The big two negatives were not selling Shola Ameobi and not getting in a left back.

4. Here come Manchester City. Smell the fear or relax with a beer?

Wright-Phillips has historically tortured us in City colours and I really rate Stephen Ireland as a player. The likes of Elano and Robinho, if on the ball, will p*ss themselves at having to take on our defence. On that basis I'd say smell the fear.

5. Who of Manchester City's relatively young squad would you love to see in a Newcastle shirt and who would you like to send us in a part ex?

Let's fit up a quality Micah Richards-Geremi swap. To be honest you could easily trade Geremi out for Viduka, Ameobi, Smith, Edgar, Duff...The list certainly does go on.

6. YOU are the new Premier League Chief Executive. You have been granted three measures / ideas which will go unopposed by all 20 clubs to improve the top flight game in England. Choose them wisely....

1) I'd love to see an NFL style draft in football whereby young players get an education, perform at schools/collegiate level and then are split amongst the sides. I reckon it would help balance the league and improve the national side by exposing more young British players to top flight action. An education would help the players who don't make the grade too.

2) Six British and five foreigners in the starting line up.

3) Ticket pricing caps - the game is dying on it's legs outside of the 'Big Four' (god I hate that Sky-coined term) and it'll soon get worse once we're all credit crunched.

7. Go on then. Monday night's result?

1-1

Many thanks and respect going out to Ross and the Vital Newcastle team.

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