Following on from an article penned by Newcastle-Online outlining 10 reasons to be optimistic ahead of the new season, readers of this website have sent in their views in response and having read everyone of them it seems United fans are quite optimistic about 2004-2005. Check out the responses.

Gary L - This is a make or break season for so many reasons. Big Al’s last season among us after so much pleasure over the years. Sir Bob’s last season and how richly he and we deserve our day in the sun with a bit of silverware. Hopefully at last we shall have a decent surface on which to play the beautiful game we all love. There are a lot who must step up to the plate and show they care about the shirt they wear and are not just here for the money. With having so many good youngsters around we need the experienced hands to lead the way. A big season for Bowyer, Shearer, Kluivert and hopefully at last Robert. What better time (if it is to be only once in living memory) to win some silverware with Big Al lifting the cup in his last game for the Toon and breaking the all time goalscoring record and what better retirement present for Sir Bob to take into his golden Years. This is the year of the Geordie.

Justin - I believe we can do well and I agree to everything in the main article above. What was most noticeable last season was that hunger and desire to win. The season before last it was there, we trailed a hell of a lot of matches which we then ended up winning. We climbed up on top, all because we had that hunger and belief that we could achieve anything. It’s all about team spirit and confidence in the end. That’s essential for any team to do well and last season it was missing badly. There were some very bad under performers eg. Dyer, Jenas. This was extremely disappointing as I and many expected so much more from the promising youngsters. Hopefully they will all wake up and smell the bacon and prove to us that they are still good enough. If they do perform much better this season (which I think they will now that Milner’s here) I believe will will have an amazing season, especially with the likes of Kluivert and Milner giving us more depth and another dimension.

Speaking of the new signings I do feel we have bought two very good players. First Milner which I think is a very good buy, ok he’s another youngster but this kid has bags of potential and looks like an excellent prospect. Considering he can play almost anywhere he will definitely put pressure on the first team. Kluivert, very talented and classy. When this guy is on top form he can be as good as Henry or any other top striker. The only problem with Kluivert which worries me, is his inconsistency much like Robert. And if we are going to depend on him once Big Al retires, its a problem. Hopefully all will be well and he seems to have committed himself to United and not the money. I just hope this is our season of silverware, which we all have been waiting for so long. Do it for Shearer who has given his all to achieve something with his beloved Newcastle with no success. The poor guy, lets just make it happen this year which sadly will be Shearer’s last

COME ON LADS!!!! TEAMSPIRIT!!!! WE CAN DO IT!!!!

Steve - Too many heads swelled and too few drives engaged last season after the previous season of excitement…the players let themselves down; as was proven by the fact that we had one of the poorest Premier player numbers in the recent Euro 2004 Champs. Those same players don’t need money, but they do want recognition by their country; I believe this will result in a fantastic season for the Toon. Bowyer has been fantastic in the centre since the final few games of last season; Wooody is world-class; Robert had a “bad” season scoring 12 goals? If he has a good season then bloody hell! We desperately need a more capable right-back than Hughes; and another top draw centre-back. Otherwise I genuinely believe only Chelsea have a more impressive squad of players. 10 reasons to be optimistic were very good. My 11th is by far the most positive. We will not have the away form of last season (bottom 6) and will therefore be vying for the Top 3 not 4 to 6 spots this season. Lets surprise a few people - especially at 50-1 odds!

Jim F - I think your ten points above are spot on,and if rumours are correct and we get Nicky Butt we should be a force. But, although I am a fan of fellow N. Ireland man Aaron Hughes I believe like Sir Bob, we need a hard right back. If (A BIG WORD) the two signings I suggest are made, I think silverware would be a great possibility. Looking forward to the new season with great anticipation. HOWAYTHETOON! Regards Jim.

Shay - A refreshment new season is coming soon! This time round I will believe that NUFC will play a great better performance next season, we had 2 new players and now we had to target 1 more new player that is on Right-back position, this is a case that I quite worry for it because when we failed to get any new player on the right-back, then Dyer will be the one who gets that position which I really don’t want him to be there. All I wanted him is on Midfield, that is the only place for him to performing the match well. I heard that Magpies is targeting one of the Right-Back player who is played for Spurs and this is Steven Carr, but we wait whether he was in touch to joining us - this is the time I am praying hard for him to joining us. A new refreshing season is coming soon. I believe the Magpies will perform even better than last season. See if Magpies will do well and will finally win any trophy since last 35 years.

Garry W - From the far reaches of the Pacific North West (USA). A lonely Geordie yurns for the meat pies and soggy sausage rolls of SJP. Well at least there’s Fox Sports channel and the NUFC web site. Watching flickering, low resolution highlights of games won and lost. Yes, this will be the season were all the ingredients come together and we bake us a cake. A cake we can adorn at the end of the season with something large and sparkling, yes a trophy. Please. It wasn’t just yesterday when we last won something, I was five and completely unaware of the moment. Lets win something!

Michael B - I think this season can be a very successful one if our players stick together and the fans get behind them. The squad is as good as it has been in ages and I am very excited. this will be the year we win that trophy, which it will be I don’t know. We have a good chance in the UEFA Cup and the domestic cups. I doubt we will win the league but 3rd position is a possibility. To achieve this our players will have to be at their best. Robert will have to stop being so lazy. Shearer and Kluivert will have to form a great partnership and bang in the goals - I am still getting used to saying Kluivert in the same sentence as Newcastle, its just a brilliant signing. Our defence will have to be at it’s best and as long as Woodgate doesn’t get injured I can see that happening. But the main thing we have to improve on is our away record if we do this 3/4 place will be in the bag. So come on Toon fans get behind the team as always and this will be a successful season. Howay the TOOOOON!!

Byran B - I feel fairly confident but I do still feel we need a right-back and a top class midfield general to allow our other more attack minded players to do what they do best (attack obviously). I feel with a proper DM or even Jenas properly coached will FINALLY bring the best out of Dyer and a few others. Milner will prove to be a great acquisition as he is versatile and has a good attitude. If (and its a big if) Woodgate and Bellamy stay fit, if JJ plays like we know he can (ditto Dyer), if Bramble proves he can concentrate (or better still Bobby gets a RB and Hughes is switched to CB) and PK proves he isn’t a mercenary and scores at least 15 goals along with Shearer’s customary 25+ there’s no reason why we cant make an impact this season (and win a bloody pot!). So yes on the whole I am very optimistic starting on August 14th. I don’t know about you but I think those Smoggie buggers need to be put in their place don’t you think?

Dev - Kluivert is in the bag and deep down we are all as pleased as punch, even the critics who claim to have supported NUFC for millions of years. With the addition of Milner (yet another English super-talent) the next 5 years look very good for our club. Milner, Ambrose, Ameobi, Jenas, Woodgate, Dyer, Bramble, Bowyer, Chopra and Taylor are some of the finest players this country has coming through. If we can keep them together they will become the back-bone of what will become a great football team for many years, each of them will play a part in the England National team set-up. Newcastle does not have the money that some of the other big clubs have at the moment but by being patient and with the help of the footballing mastermind Sir Bobby Robson, NUFC will be the team to watch. What we have is superb, what we are is Great. Let’s get behind our team. The Toon Army is also in pre-season vocal training right now, let’s turn St. James’ into a fortress again. TOON TOON BLACK AND WHITE ARMY!

Brian D - I think you have put a good case for the defence (excuse the pun!) but I am seriously worried about the size of the squad. We have shipped out a lot of players in January and this summer. Where are the quality replacements? No right-back, no cover at left-back, what about holding midfielders? Can Jenas do it and if he can what happens if he is injured? Look at the 1st team squad listed on Nufc.com, 24 players, 2 transfer listed, one a 3rd choice keeper, one with no squad number and talk of Michael Chopra off on loan. That leaves 19 players! Bobby has recently been quoted as saying that a squad of 22 or 23 players can challenge. Where are the other 3 or 4? Someone reassure me!

Richard J - I think this season will be a success if Woodgate and the rest of the players stay fit and with Kluivert and Shearer up front I think we will do well this season, I think we will win something.

James - I think that we need to bring in some more big faces if we want to put a serious challenge for the title.

Paul H - Absolutely agree with the above article 100% Far too long we have been moaning minnies whinging about this and that. Things take time, especially in the Premiership. It’s great to see some optimism, hell you’d think we had just fought a relegation battle last season and just managed to win it. We finished 5th, we had a bad year. I remember when Arsenal got stuffed 6-1 at Old Trafford and Man Utd won the League by 16 points or something. What did Arsenal do the next year - they won the League. Not saying we will because I don’t think we will but we have our biggest and best squad, certainly since I’ve been following the Toon (22 years) and we now have option all over the field. Sad to see Speed leave but if we can get Nicky Butt he’d do a good job and all those slagging Hughes, he’s not that bad. Much rather have him than some quick winger who looked crap for Portugal. We have Dyer for that we don’t need top splash out 8m or something. Steven Carr would do. Lets get behind the lads and roar them to success. HOWAY THE LADS!!

John C - It’s good to be optimistic ahead of any new season but lets not get carried away here. We still have problems depth wise and our injury history doesn’t fill me with confidence that Woody & Bellers will suddenly play a full season. We will have a better season than last but so might Liverpool and those around us. A change in tactics are needed too. We can’t continue to play the long ball and Bobby has to stop being stubborn and stop playing players who out of position. I’m hopeful but I’ll not get too carried away. Been there, done that and bought the shirt too many times before.

Paully - The article pinpoints many things that went wrong last year so I do tend to agree that this season can be much better however I have my doubts for a number of reasons. Can SBR motivate the younger lads? Can PK play on a cold December night? Can CB and JW stay fit. Can AS continue to defy age and tired legs? If we can sort out some problems and add one or two new faces I’ll be much more optimistic but I’m still worried. Very good article nonetheless.

Andrew B - I’m not too concerned about this season as I feel our bad luck will change from last season. No team could have coped like we did with the injuries we had and like you said we can’t continue to have lots of players all under performing at the same time so I think we will have a big big season and I’m excited unlike many a previous year. I feel the lads will want to prove us all wrong and to ram those boos down our throats I feel Big Al will get his wish of a trophy and he and Bobby will bow out in style. Paddy K will set this League on fire and he too will want to prove his critics wrong. Milner, I was probably a handful of Toon fans happy about him - he is one of the best young players in the world and he will delight us with his kill and attitude. A few signings just to beef up the squad would do nicely but we have a better squad then for a long time and I just feel good things are around the corner. Howay the Toon!!!!!

Martin P - Can we get any worse than last season, I think not. It was a wonder how we finished 5th in the end so from that point of view we can only go upwards and onwards and I’m backing Sir Bob and the boys to do just that. Dyer will come of age, Bellamy and Woodgate will get fit, Bowyer will bang them in, Robert will play with fire in his belly, Shearer will break Milburn’s record and Kluivert will grab 20 goals. We will have success, it’s our turn and what better year to do it with Sir Bob and Shearer coming to the end of their careers. COME ON NUFC! DO US PROUD! WE ARE RIGHT BEHIND YOU!

Tracy M - Of course we will do better this season. Do you think Bobby and his team went out to play as bad as they did? No they didn’t, it was a freak season in which nothing went the way of Newcastle. We are developing and learning all the time, last season was a good stepping stone and I’m confident we will be rewarded this time out. Kluivert is just the player we need, he will be a great player and I can’t wait to see him in the black n’ white shirt. Lets get behind the team and show our support because this will be a great season for us.

Thanks to everyone who wrote in - N.O team.