Wullie

Keegan didnt know everything about Wise's role but how do we know Kevin wasnt told "that whatever Dennis does, he is completely under your control and he isnt in any way a threat to you" or perhaps "Dennis role doesnt infringe on the 1st team at all" ? If that was the case he would have no need to be anything other than happy and he certainly wouldnt be contradicting the Allardyce comparison. Your as guilty of making assumptions as anyone else. "Dennis will assist the Board on football-related matters, including the development of the Club's Academy and player recruitment. He will report to the Chairman. Tony and Jeff will also assist in player recruitment. The arrival of these three new recruits follows on from the recent appointment of Kevin Keegan as manager. Kevin will be responsible for all matters related to the First Team." "With Kevin able to devote his efforts to developing and running the first team squad, Dennis, Tony and Jeff will each help us to secure success for Newcastle United Football Club at all levels and for the long-term" http://www.nufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10278~1227633,00.html pretty clear imo. How do first team transfers not relate to the first team then? Sorry but to me those comments are pretty clearly saying that Keegan makes all final decisions relating to the first team which would include transfers and that Wise merely helps to finalise the deals. Wise himself said something similar around the same time. Selective reading. You can't get much clearer than "Dennis Wise will assist the board on football-related matters, including the development of the Club's Academy and player recruitment. Did anyone claim that he had nothing to do with it like? No, but it's selective interpretation. Nowhere in that statement does it say, "Keegan will be in charge of signing players", whereas it does say that's what Wise's role was. No it doesn't, if we're going to get into pedantry. It says Wise will 'assist the board' and that Keegan will be in charge of all matters relating to the first team. I think signing first team players comes into that category. Call me crazy. "With Kevin able to devote his efforts to developing and running the first team squad, Dennis, Tony and Jeff will each help us to secure success for Newcastle United Football Club at all levels and for the long-term" ie. keegan manages the team only. "devote" - 1. To give or apply (one's time, attention, or self) entirely to a particular activity, pursuit, cause, or person. Fuck me. What sort of dense interpretation is that?

What the fuck is Zambrotta doing? Tit.

Keegan didnt know everything about Wise's role but how do we know Kevin wasnt told "that whatever Dennis does, he is completely under your control and he isnt in any way a threat to you" or perhaps "Dennis role doesnt infringe on the 1st team at all" ? If that was the case he would have no need to be anything other than happy and he certainly wouldnt be contradicting the Allardyce comparison. Your as guilty of making assumptions as anyone else. "Dennis will assist the Board on football-related matters, including the development of the Club's Academy and player recruitment. He will report to the Chairman. Tony and Jeff will also assist in player recruitment. The arrival of these three new recruits follows on from the recent appointment of Kevin Keegan as manager. Kevin will be responsible for all matters related to the First Team." "With Kevin able to devote his efforts to developing and running the first team squad, Dennis, Tony and Jeff will each help us to secure success for Newcastle United Football Club at all levels and for the long-term" http://www.nufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10278~1227633,00.html pretty clear imo. How do first team transfers not relate to the first team then? Sorry but to me those comments are pretty clearly saying that Keegan makes all final decisions relating to the first team which would include transfers and that Wise merely helps to finalise the deals. Wise himself said something similar around the same time. Selective reading. You can't get much clearer than "Dennis Wise will assist the board on football-related matters, including the development of the Club's Academy and player recruitment. Did anyone claim that he had nothing to do with it like? No, but it's selective interpretation. Nowhere in that statement does it say, "Keegan will be in charge of signing players", whereas it does say that's what Wise's role was. No it doesn't, if we're going to get into pedantry. It says Wise will 'assist the board' and that Keegan will be in charge of all matters relating to the first team. I think signing first team players comes into that category. Call me crazy.

Keegan didnt know everything about Wise's role but how do we know Kevin wasnt told "that whatever Dennis does, he is completely under your control and he isnt in any way a threat to you" or perhaps "Dennis role doesnt infringe on the 1st team at all" ? If that was the case he would have no need to be anything other than happy and he certainly wouldnt be contradicting the Allardyce comparison. Your as guilty of making assumptions as anyone else. "Dennis will assist the Board on football-related matters, including the development of the Club's Academy and player recruitment. He will report to the Chairman. Tony and Jeff will also assist in player recruitment. The arrival of these three new recruits follows on from the recent appointment of Kevin Keegan as manager. Kevin will be responsible for all matters related to the First Team." "With Kevin able to devote his efforts to developing and running the first team squad, Dennis, Tony and Jeff will each help us to secure success for Newcastle United Football Club at all levels and for the long-term" http://www.nufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10278~1227633,00.html pretty clear imo. How do first team transfers not relate to the first team then? Sorry but to me those comments are pretty clearly saying that Keegan makes all final decisions relating to the first team which would include transfers and that Wise merely helps to finalise the deals. Wise himself said something similar around the same time. Selective reading. You can't get much clearer than "Dennis Wise will assist the board on football-related matters, including the development of the Club's Academy and player recruitment. Did anyone claim that he had nothing to do with it like?

What a chance.

Aww nuts.

They top the group as it stands.

I think they're both overrated tbh, Blackburn have conceded three more goals than us. Would certainly improve our options of course.

He'll have been training for over 2 weeks come the weekend, but with Carroll scoring for the Reserves last night I would actually be surprised to see him on the bench. PhysioRoom has him down for a return on Saturday and I've read a few bits and bobs in the papers/on the official site recently saying that it could be possible to have him back in contention come the "derby", but definitely no more than a bench appearance. He'll be chomping at the bit (ha!) to be involved for 'Boro, so suppose we'll see. Oh man. That'd be phenomenal.

Seen a few people say that they reckon Shola will start ahead of Oba. Can't see it myself. There's no way Vids will be involved, more's the pity. I'd give anything to see him score the winner against this lot that he was denied last year.

Not really the point but I'm willing to bet that Fergie didn't expect to end up with a winger who scores 40 goals a season and sets nearly as many up.

I don't think the comparison between the 20 year old N'Zogbia and the 20 year old Ronaldo is ridiculous at all. Ronaldo in his first two seasons, while clearly a cracking young player, was a million miles from the phenomenon that we see today. In his first season, it was a running joke that he would get to the corner of the box, do fifteen stepovers and more often than not, a defender's leg would come out, nick the ball and leave him in a heap. Over time, he's done away with the nonsense and is just sheer end product - I doubt even Fergie saw him becoming what he is now. If you really believe that if after his first season, if Fergie had thought "bit short down the right, Ronaldo has his flaws, I hear Damien Duff's going cheap, he can play there", benched Ronaldo then selected Duff every single time he was fit from then on, limiting Ronaldo to appearances at right back or ten minutes at the end here and there, that Ronaldo would still be arguably the best player in the world today, you're living in a fantasy land imo. I'm not saying that N'Zogbia would be as good as Ronaldo despite the amount of straw men popping up about the comparison - in terms of product alone, Ronaldo is probably the best player the Premiership has ever seen ffs - but Sir Bobby Robson said of Charlie: "he was one of the most naturally gifted players of his age that I had ever seen" and I wouldn't disagree with him - how many 19 year olds can score a goal like Charlie's in the derby? We should have nurtured that talent and we didn't. EDIT: Shak. You're right, it is too depressing to think about. When I think about what I thought Charlie could and would become, it makes my blood boil to see the hash we've made of the whole thing.

And then binned despite being our best player the season before. If you think that is the right message to send out to a young player, one which will give him confidence and make him a better player, then you must think Arsene Wenger is a right no-hoper.

So nothing fundamentally wrong with his game, all thing which can be worked on, Ronaldo had some similar problems in his first year but was given the environment and coaching to iron out those weaknesses. I see no reason why Zog cant solve these problems, hes eternally confident in his abilty and always looking to attack. i see it the other way around. technique etc can be worked on. nouse,finding and using space,picking the right,simple pass etc is not so easily taught. he has the raw ball skill type talent but is severly lacking in the other major areas. How do you explain Ronaldo's transformation from ball carrying antelope to the player he is today? With his decision making and less ball carrying and creativity. I see a lot of similarities between present day Zog and 18 year old Ronaldo. What areas do you think that Zog severly lacks in that cant be worked on to make him the player he could be? Assuming LW is his strongest position. experience. ronaldo learns from experience,n'zogbia doesn't. Exactly, because he hasn't had any. Over 100 games like Disclaimer: According to wiki Half of those before Duff arrived and those since include sub appearances, central midfield, left back, even right wing on occasions, back and forth from one to the other. Young players just don't develop like that. You can't tell me that the Charles N'Zogbia who skinned four mackem players in the derby before slotting home or the one who made Brad Friedel look like a total clown would have developed exactly the same (i.e. not at all) if we hadn't bought Duff. He's gone backwards and the club is to blame. Total and utter mismanagement. right enough. last thing we should do is buy players for positions in which we only have one player,an experienced versatile international at that. some times young starlets don't develop the way you'd think. this is one such case. Big clubs don't buy over-the-hill wasters to replace their young stars. That's why they develop and ours hasn't. Duff, for all his faults, shows the sort of qualities that I think Zoggy lacks. He works hard, he communicates with his team mates, he looks for the ball, he shows initiative and passion, he's positive and tries to shape the game. It all boils down to this sense in football that you need 11 leaders, because when you're on the ball it's down to you to dictate things. A new young player who's just been promoted to the first team usually struggles to do that, but then acquires that confidence. Zoggy still looks stuck on the starting blocks. I know you're going to say that it's no good being enthusiastic if you cock everything up, and I don't want to get into a debate about how good / bad Duff is. The point I'd like to make is that if Zoggy had Duff's attitude he'd be a lot better player. I've not seen any of those "qualities" in Damien Duff for one single second. He is the biggest reason for the on-field malaise at NUFC imo and has been since he got here. Initiative? Passion? Positivity? Damien Duff? Has the world gone stark staring mad?

N'Zogbia wanted away long before KK arrived though, the rot set in a long time prior to that. I can't blame him for being unhappy - the irony is that often the same people who criticize Harper for not going will criticize Charlie for not wanting to sit on the bench. The idea that Duff wants to play for NUFC is absolutely ridiculous. The snivelling little coward.

So nothing fundamentally wrong with his game, all thing which can be worked on, Ronaldo had some similar problems in his first year but was given the environment and coaching to iron out those weaknesses. I see no reason why Zog cant solve these problems, hes eternally confident in his abilty and always looking to attack. i see it the other way around. technique etc can be worked on. nouse,finding and using space,picking the right,simple pass etc is not so easily taught. he has the raw ball skill type talent but is severly lacking in the other major areas. How do you explain Ronaldo's transformation from ball carrying antelope to the player he is today? With his decision making and less ball carrying and creativity. I see a lot of similarities between present day Zog and 18 year old Ronaldo. What areas do you think that Zog severly lacks in that cant be worked on to make him the player he could be? Assuming LW is his strongest position. experience. ronaldo learns from experience,n'zogbia doesn't. Exactly, because he hasn't had any. Over 100 games like Disclaimer: According to wiki Half of those before Duff arrived and those since include sub appearances, central midfield, left back, even right wing on occasions, back and forth from one to the other. Young players just don't develop like that. You can't tell me that the Charles N'Zogbia who skinned four mackem players in the derby before slotting home or the one who made Brad Friedel look like a total clown would have developed exactly the same (i.e. not at all) if we hadn't bought Duff. He's gone backwards and the club is to blame. Total and utter mismanagement. right enough. last thing we should do is buy players for positions in which we only have one player,an experienced versatile international at that. some times young starlets don't develop the way you'd think. this is one such case. Big clubs don't buy over-the-hill wasters to replace their young stars. That's why they develop and ours hasn't.

Why some people expect a player who has been totally shafted at NUFC to be grinning and smiling all the time is beyond me. I'm miserable as fuck just watching Damien Duff, never mind sitting on the bench at his expense.

So nothing fundamentally wrong with his game, all thing which can be worked on, Ronaldo had some similar problems in his first year but was given the environment and coaching to iron out those weaknesses. I see no reason why Zog cant solve these problems, hes eternally confident in his abilty and always looking to attack. i see it the other way around. technique etc can be worked on. nouse,finding and using space,picking the right,simple pass etc is not so easily taught. he has the raw ball skill type talent but is severly lacking in the other major areas. How do you explain Ronaldo's transformation from ball carrying antelope to the player he is today? With his decision making and less ball carrying and creativity. I see a lot of similarities between present day Zog and 18 year old Ronaldo. What areas do you think that Zog severly lacks in that cant be worked on to make him the player he could be? Assuming LW is his strongest position. experience. ronaldo learns from experience,n'zogbia doesn't. Exactly, because he hasn't had any. Over 100 games like Disclaimer: According to wiki Half of those before Duff arrived and those since include sub appearances, central midfield, left back, even right wing on occasions, back and forth from one to the other. Young players just don't develop like that. You can't tell me that the Charles N'Zogbia who skinned four mackem players in the derby before slotting home or the one who made Brad Friedel look like a total clown would have developed exactly the same (i.e. not at all) if we hadn't bought Duff. He's gone backwards and the club is to blame. Total and utter mismanagement.

So nothing fundamentally wrong with his game, all thing which can be worked on, Ronaldo had some similar problems in his first year but was given the environment and coaching to iron out those weaknesses. I see no reason why Zog cant solve these problems, hes eternally confident in his abilty and always looking to attack. i see it the other way around. technique etc can be worked on. nouse,finding and using space,picking the right,simple pass etc is not so easily taught. he has the raw ball skill type talent but is severly lacking in the other major areas. How do you explain Ronaldo's transformation from ball carrying antelope to the player he is today? With his decision making and less ball carrying and creativity. I see a lot of similarities between present day Zog and 18 year old Ronaldo. What areas do you think that Zog severly lacks in that cant be worked on to make him the player he could be? Assuming LW is his strongest position. experience. ronaldo learns from experience,n'zogbia doesn't. Exactly, because he hasn't had any.

Man that goal against Blackburn.

I'm not sure he needs an excuse to take money out, it's his club and he wouldn't be the first to do it. It's a pity that he mentioned putting £20 million a year to help the club, that is clearly bollocks. Mick, it looks like you're defending him and I can't for the life of me understand why. Shepherd and the Halls took a shitload out but Christ, at least he spent the club's money as well, didn't just pocket it.

I thought he had and the only debt was what we still owed on transfers which were spread over time. What he didn't mention is that every club owes money on transfers because that's how transfers are done. Any excuse to let him trouser more of NUFC's money.

On the other hand, none of the other sides chasing a top 8 spot won except Man City. Other? We're chasing 17th.

I would guess that the Milner money, Sky money and season ticket money is filling some of the void left over fron the £240 million that he's spent. So he's keeping the club's money? Like I said - the man is a leech.

Where has he said Wullie ? This Transfer window isnt going to be good “I spoke to Dennis last week,” he revealed. “I’m only really getting on board with Dennis now because the (transfer) window’s coming. When I first took the job I didn’t think I’d be here this long so I didn’t really get down to talking about finances and players. “Now it seems the club won’t be sold, certainly until after Christmas. I’ve got my eye on two or three players we need and two or three to sell. Dennis is now given the task to go and get them, simple as that – and the task of removing some of the players I feel are not good enough.” During his meeting with Ashley, Kinnear asked the businessman what financial backing, if any, he can expect in January. “The answer, truthfully, was keep the money you get for the players you sell and invest it back in the team,” Kinnear explained. “If there’s someone I desperately want he’ll possibly put his hand in his pocket providing he’s not near to selling the club.” When asked who might be sold, Kinnear said: “Not players here (at Stamford Bridge) today, fringe players who won’t be involved, in my opinion, in the first team but we’ve spent a few quid on. If we can get some of that back and replace them with quality players, the squad will be better.”