WhatTheFunk

Maybe this needs its own thread? http://www.nufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10278~1215710,00.html Chairman Comment: Manager Situation Addressed NEWCASTLE United Chairman Chris Mort addresses the vacant managerial position at St. James' Park in his Black n White matchday programme notes for Wednesday's FA Cup tie against Stoke City ... There has been a great deal of speculation in the past week over who will replace Sam Allardyce as the manager of Newcastle United. The most important thing now is to get the decision right - and lay solid foundations for the future.That is why we will take whatever time is necessary in making the decision. This will be our first managerial appointment since taking control of the Club, and if we are going to get it right then the new manager will have to satisfy a number of criteria, which include: - To have the team playing with the right balance of winning football and stylish football. This is probably the most difficult task. There are some clubs in the country where it is essential that the team generally tries to play football with some flair, and this is one of them.In the most difficult league in the world it is only the great managers that can combine that sort of style with winning. We appreciate we will have defeats and losing runs along the way but if the team is not trying to play football "on the carpet" as Sir Bobby Robson recently described it I think they will always struggle to win over the followers of Newcastle United. - We would like a manager willing to develop the youth side of the club. For too long the club has missed out on too much of the young footballing talent in the region and, these days, that talent also needs to combined with young talent sourced both nationally and internationally. - A manager that can speak English. There have been media suggestions that we would only appoint a British manager. That is not true. However, we think this is a big enough job without the manager having to operate through an interpreter, so the manager will have to be someone who is able to speak English. - We need someone willing and able to take on, and cope with, Newcastle United. As a big club with massive potential this is a fabulous club to manage, and some of the candidates we have talked to appreciate that fact. However, we are not currently a Champions League team, and in six seasons out of the last ten we have finished in the bottom half of the Premier League. That means we are not necessarily going to interest a manger who is already at a team playing Champions League football or whose only ambition is to manage a top team in, say, Spain or Italy. We have also seen over recent months the pressures placed on Newcastle United and its manager by some of the press and occasionally by some of the supporters - we need someone who is willing and able to handle that. ------------------------------------------------------- ...is what they're looking for. discuss

Chris Mort on the new managerial appointment. (FROM the official site) http://www.nufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10278~1215710,00.html *snipped. has its own new thread

That would definitely be a good thing. Not his style to lead from the front, but rather to prop up from the back.

In context, and in English football, yes.

can;t even imagine what that would be like!!!! I'd say 92% of it will be about Oliver himself, and what he'd been told today by (insert name of unwitting poor sod), 3% on Shepherd, and the rest on what a cunt Robert was

Houllier has no charisma whatsoever, and neither did his football. His approach will not be welcomed on Tyneside, and that will be proven, should he get the job, on the pitch. He is more of a professor, and lot less of a motivator/leader type. If you thought Big Sam was boring, wait till you see this guy. His knowledge and respect throughout the game however, make him the ideal foil for someone else (e.g. Shearer or KK) who would be in the spotlight. Are we seriously bothered about good football, though, if we win games? I take your point about the motivation issue. But you have to agree he is one of the better candidates for the job. I would say so, yes. I see how you bolded the first bit, yet apparently disregarded the second bit completely: "if we win games". I doubt anyone would be complaining if we got into the Champions League by winning 1-0 every week. Of course no one will complain! But in order to start winning 1-0 every week, we will have to lose 1-0 every week for a while (so to speak) as the new man finds his winning formula. IMO our fans will not put up with that.

See, I am all for the unspectacular rebuilding of the club. But that's what Big Sam would have done eventually!! and look how the fans turned on him. What I'm saying is, if we were a no mark club like Pompey or Boro or what not, then Houllier would definitely be an astute appointment to steady the ship. We're not!! We're f****** Newcastle United! Nothing here is that simple. We're in the media as much as any of the top 4, and more in some cases. We need as much character in the dugout as we can get. It's our only hope. Can you imagine the crisis the media would invent should Houllier's first 10 games be uninspiring? Crisis at the toon and all that s*** from SSN! The mongs amongst us would be out in force against the manager again, and we're back to square one! But with Shearer in there as well, time will be given. Its win win imo. Exactly!!! But only if Shearer is number 1. Only if he's the top dog, with Houllier working in the background.

See, I am all for the unspectacular rebuilding of the club. But that's what Big Sam would have done eventually!! and look how the fans turned on him. What I'm saying is, if we were a no mark club like Pompey or Boro or what not, then Houllier would definitely be an astute appointment to steady the ship. We're not!! We're fucking Newcastle United! Nothing here is that simple. We're in the media as much as any of the top 4, and more in some cases. We need as much character in the dugout as we can get. It's our only hope. Can you imagine the crisis the media would invent should Houllier's first 10 games be uninspiring? Crisis at the toon and all that shit from SSN! The mongs amongst us would be out in force against the manager again, and we're back to square one!

Spotty Onny

Really? To Hughes? I would say so yes. Hughes has never won anything. Hughes is also a lot younger, and has had less time in management. Nowt to do with winning things. Souness won things. Souness won things for several clubs in different countries. Must be better than Hughes then

shit manager, shit chairman. don;t care much for their slinging match glad we're shot of the pair of them fuckwits

Houllier has no charisma whatsoever, and neither did his football. His approach will not be welcomed on Tyneside, and that will be proven, should he get the job, on the pitch. He is more of a professor, and lot less of a motivator/leader type. If you thought Big Sam was boring, wait till you see this guy. His knowledge and respect throughout the game however, make him the ideal foil for someone else (e.g. Shearer or KK) who would be in the spotlight.

Get him in! I would suggest anyone looking to have Houllier in o his own, or as no.1 to have a quick look at his Liverpool career. Many of his signings were downright atrocious. So he's won a couple of cups. Big deal. Souness had done the same. IMO he lost a bit of "oomph" after his heart surgery (as did Souness). IMO, while he is a million times more knowledgable about football, Gerard Houllier's appointment as manager on his own would be equivalent to the French Souness. Uninspiring, and would only serve to divide the fans even more. Having said that, I'd have him in as Shearer's no.2

Only if Shearer is no.1 Houllier works better as an assistant imo

The bio written up about his Liverpool days doesn't make for much good reading. Personally dead against the appointment of Houllier myself.

It could be argued that Keegan was ahead of his time in not wanting to play reserve games at St James'. Chris McMennemy said he scrapped the reserves because we were new to the Premiership and didn't have the players needed to run the reserves. Sorry, Mick - Mcmenemy is wrong ; the decision to scrap the RES taken by KK in July of 96 - we had been in the Prem for 3 years and nearly won the title, so Mcmenemy's time-scale is way out.. Whatever anyone says, it was wrong - there is no way Arsenal would scrap their reserves,and I reckon Wenger is at least on par with KK when it comes to being ahead of your time - don't you..!?? To be fair i think that was before our training facilities were upgraded. Ginola said last night that they used to train at Durham University in those days. I think should Keegan get the post, he would be in for a major shock walking into Wee Benton

SSN talk bollox. iirc, the British thing was dropped just after it was announced. Way before Redknapp had given his answer.

Confidence confidence confidence Our entire team (and defence especially) are shorn to shit of confidence. It's the main thing Allardyce got wrong in his time here. Robbed it off the entire squad. I think we have more than adequate personnel in defence for now. Whoever comes in next will need to get our goalscorers scoring again so as to take the pressure off the defence, and let them gel and learn to work with each other. With Beye and Faye to come back in, I believe we're alright. Sam's insistence on containing the opposition added needless pressure on our defence, as we didn't have much in the way of attackng play.

I have every faith in my IKEA couch tbh

imo if its Shearer and/or Keegan we'll hear about it before Stoke. If not, it will wait till the weekend

Sod's law isnt it But something has to give. If that's what happens then so be it

David Ginola on Five Live now Talking about KK. Says he was the main reason he signed for us. When asked if he thinks KK should go back to NUFC, the frenchman says "Why not?". Was a joy to train under Keegan at Durham. Says the best thing about playing under KK at the time was the team spirit above anything else.

Sitting duck now We should get in there asap and snatch him out of that mess

this word for word

PSG have also had their bid accepted as well. Now up to the player Also Downing very close to agreeing terms with Spurs (needed that like a hole in the head!) and Diarra talking terms with Spurs tomorrow. If he still wants £90k pw fair to assume that is dead in the water before it even starts. Hope so. Don't want him here. Didn't want him at WHL either. Absolutely gutted as there are now 3 top notch ITKs saying it is nearly done. Even more so when they start talking about £12m!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That could include add-ons but Jeez, I'm staggered Levy would agree to that. Also heard €10m bid for Carlos Kameni of Espanyol. Cya Robbo. FYP Isn;t he away with Cameroon? Played at Wolves iirc