SATURDAY matinees will soon be a thing of the past for Wisey when Keegan's dropped into the lions' den


LISTEN for the crash as Terry meets his old mate Eboue again


WHY does sulky Berbatov never get subbed - is Ramos scared of him?

He was not to born to be Newcastle manager a second time and it cannot be long before Dennis Wise is transferred from the Lion King into the lions' den.

• Yesterday's HATCHET MAN

Wise, who was recently spotted seeing the Lion King musical (Hatchet Man rating: 10 out of 10) in London's West End while the club were fighting relegation could be forgiven for believing the whole Newcastle experience is like one bad show.

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But in that second half against Birmingham, with the team trailing 1-0, perhaps the shoots of recovery began to sprout.

A cohesive second-half performance, including a rare goal from Michael Owen, might have just put the brakes on the runaway train.

One point is no reason for throwing a big party, but they created chances and played as a team. It was an important point and one that might inspire more.

The black and white beast may have been saved from extinction just in time but Wise should keep his Saturdays free. Just in case.

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It can only end in tears. John Terry suffered a broken ankle the last time they met, when Emmanuel Eboue's dangerous late tackle put him in hospital.

Now, as Chelsea and Arsenal prepare for a re-match, with the two teams head-to-head at the top of the table, you would think the game would be awarded to a strong referee.

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Mark Clattenburg has not had a good season. He made the wrong call on the Dirk Kuyt kung-fu kick in the Merseyside derby, when he lost control of the game and had to be told by Steven Gerrard who to send off.

Now he has been given the powderkeg clash between Chelsea and Arsenal this weekend and Steve Bennett will take charge of Manchester United versus Liverpool.

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Howard Webb, the best referee in the country, is nowhere to be seen, because Keith Hackett doesn't want to make a celebrity of one official after Graham Poll became king of the cards.

If Clattenburg is the next best referee after Webb then we really are in trouble. How about a red card sweepstake for Sunday?

Take a look at some kung-fu football even Clattenburg couldn't miss:

Online Videos by Veoh.com

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On the subject of officials, why do referees find it so easy to give free-kicks outside the area for a Maggie Forbes (otherwise known as a Gentle Touch), but when the heat is on in the box, they bottle the big calls?

A foul is a foul.

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Robbie Keane has been substituted in seven of the last eight games. We don't like to see stroppy tantrums but he might just have a point.

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Does Ramos have a problem with his captain, because it seems like he is giving sulky Dimitar Berbatov preferential treatment?

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Seeing Eduardo limping around on crutches before Middlesbrough's game at the Emirates on Saturday acted as a reminder of how much Arsenal are lacking in firepower.

Martin Taylor's tackle might just have been the moment the trophy was inadvertently kicked from their grasp.

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A bad weekend for David Beckham. When Fabio Capello's right-hand man travels 10,000 miles to watch you play and doesn't stop to say "hello" perhaps it's time to realise it's all over, old son.

Tattoo with number 99 on it, anyone?

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In the East End of London, where they have a good habit of lifting players from Barking and Beckton, they have appointed a Director of Football from Brescia.

West Ham, the club that least needs a foreigner to head up its player recruitment, have followed the typical trend, because everyone else is.

You can hear it now. "England has one, Ireland has one, even Manchester City has one. Why can't we have our own Italian?"

I am shaking my head so hard, it feels like it will fall off.

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To Fratton Park, where David James saves, Glen Johnson hits a stunning 60-yard pass and Jermain Defoe lobs a shot into the back of the net for his sixth goal in six games.

Fabio Capello was watching and who said there are no English players left in the foreign fields of the Premier League?

Excellent work from Portsmouth.

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I am guilty of maybe getting carried away about Fernando Torres and Javier Mascherano, two of my favourite current players.

After all, you must expect them to be good, given that the pair cost not much less than £50million! Even some big Premier League clubs have to build a team for that sort of money, like Everton.

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Some of Manchester City's most ardent supporters believe Nedum Onuoha, another player from their impressive production line, is a better bet than Micah Richards. If that's true, we should keep an eye on them as a team for the future.

••••••

Easy, easy, easy. I enjoyed our web chat yesterday and will be back for more in the future, especially after being given such an easy ride. Thought you lot were tougher than that. Wimps.

Missed it? Don't know what I'm talking about? Catch up with yesterday's webchat below

• WATCH THE TACKLES FLY: Read the full transcript here