BottledDog

Why? Why ? Are we on Portsmouth level attendances ? No. Are we overstocked with overpaid players ? Take away Smith and maybe half a dozen others, no. I find it odd we are losing money at all, let alone half a mill a week Other teams like Villa aren't so how come we are with higher attendances, less money paid out on fewer players ? do you mean exactly half a million every week...if so i agree. There are supposed to be a number of Prem and Football league clubs in financial danger. ALL of them are not exactly pulling them in through the gates. We are. I just find it hard to believe. Some are keen to accept it. I think we can ask why to that too. Had on, I thought Villa were still being subbed by Randy? I may be completely off here as well like but unlike Fat Ash, I'm pretty sure either he (or was it Gibson) is charging interest on his loans too.

anyone else think this sounded a lot like a Michael Owen transfer? I'll level with you I'm a huge fan of Robbie Keane and have been suggesting to mates and alike before we signed Owen that we tried to sign him when spurs had 47 striking options, could have probably got him for about £7-£8m at the time and got away with paying him about £40k a week. My biggest worry is we end up with Michael Owen again in the summer, and as ridiculous as that might sound, I wouldn't write it off straight away. Ronaldo..............try reading the thread next time, along with your mate, Johnny Hall, before either up your make numpties of yourselves with more ridiculous remarks. we have had too many cheque book happy managers in the past who won nothing, we have got rid of the high earners Is that why Colo is on 80k a week? Smith on 60k? Nolan on around the 40k mark? Even Xisco is on 45k a week. I thought the only actual proof of any wages was Guthrie who wasn't even pulling in 10k?

Simon Bird- Mike Ashley's biggest call yet: should he give Chris Hughton a shot at the Premier League or bring in a big name boss for next season? Clicky - http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/columnists/simon-bird/Newcastle

I think most people understand what a player and a manager does, this has become pointless. Yup. There is clear enough difference to see that sticking with Hughton barring any surprises is based on a whole different set of criteria as to whether or not a player can make the step up.

Was he ecstatic like? smiling his big fat face off and shaking hands in an almost 'high five' style Worra bastard!

Roeder did brilliantly for half a season to get us 7th but it was still pretty obvious to most that he wasn't the right man long term. I respect Hughton greatly for what he's done so far, he's got a long way to go to convince me he's good enough though. Hughton comes across a lot better (not just personality wise, or his reluctance to refer to himself in the third person, but in terms of talking sense) than Roeder ever did, in my opinion.

I not only brough up this comparison, I answered it in my last post. I would not get rid of Ranger if we go up. He is a promising player at the start of his career. I would have no problem loaning him out next season if we have better players up front. Hughton is the same, a promising manager at the start of his career, and, forgive me for repeating myself, for the lack of a load system for managers, unless Wenger fancies a challenge, he is worth a gamble sticking with. I have no answer to this as you're not making much sense to me, sorry. Besides the fact that the comparisons you are making are between players at the back end of their careers and took us down, and a manager at the start of his career, yet to develop and test himself in the Premiership (though had a cracking top flight stint a Tottenham ), managers are nothing like players and do entirely different jobs. A manager is there to buy and sell players within a budget, get a good support staff on board to help him get a team to work as a cohesive and hopefully successful unit both on and of the pitch, to man manage any issues his backroom team or the squad has, and to send the best group tactically onto the pitch to see us through 90 minutes give or take the odd sub. A player is there to be naturally sharp, fit, and canny enough at kicking a ball around to help the club win the game. I'm betting that the managers skill set may well be more transfererable between divisions than, say, a slightly balding ginger player with leaden legs.

People seem quite happy to compare performance in the Championship with possible performance in the Premiership, again chalk and cheese. Nope, all I see from the positive crowd are people speculating that as Hughton has done well it may not be diabolical to allow him to continue his progress as a manager if we get promoted. Look I dont agree with you, I like Hughtons influence on the club, but to help your arguement, rather than Nolan, why not compare him with Ranger. First proper season, part of a winning team despite the odd mistakes, and may not make the step up. The only problem is, we can't send Hughton out on loan. We stick by him or lose him. If we make it up, unless Wenger fancies a new challenge, I'd go with the first option.

If Hughton deserves to stay because of what we've done so far this season then so does Nicky Butt, so does Alan Smith and so does every other player who as pulled on a shirt for us this season. Will you and others be happy for us to start next season with the same squad as we have now because of what the players have done in this division? Brilliant post. It really isn't. How can you compare a manager at the beginning of his career making a very positive start to two senior players (who Hughton himself has shown no fear in dropping) who are apparently on the wane. Chalk and farking cheese.

Hughtons Tottenham stint - 6 games 3 wins 2 draws 1 losses Hughtons first - 4 games 0 wins 0 draws 4 losses Hughtons second (exactly the same as Shearer did stats wise) - 8 games 1 win 2 draws 5 losses Total = 18 games 4 wins 4 draws 10 losses in the Premiership. All caretaker games though, and mean sod all in my opinion. If we go up, I'd have no problem backing the club in giving him a crack as manager in the top flight if that is what they decided to do.

Ha. that would've been nice but we still lost. It was an away game though.

there'll be many on here that'll need a smiley tacked on there to understand it. It was put very badly to be fair. I'm liking the new tack of NUSC apparently piping down and just going for more fan representation these days while toning down their more offensive members though. Those figures are just downright scary. Good on Ashley not bailing if true.

If Ashley has a problem keeping the club going, I hope to fuck a proper organisation like nusc take over soon and sort it out.

Routledge out, Guthrie on the right, Smith centre.

Butt for player-manager!

Very few complaints about his team at Derby iirc. How many away games have we had? He's played a balanced, attacking side in one of them and that was the Derby game which we promptly lost 3-0, meaning he's immediately sacked off that idea and gone back to the hit-and-hope, possesion squandering anti-football, with which we've lucked our way to draws and a few narrow wins. That really isn't a great arguement. How? No-one can deny that there's a number of away games where we've been extremely fortunate to leave with any points. "draws and a few narrow wins" > "promptly lost 3-0" One defeat from one balanced, attacking teamsheet. Four defeats from fourteen unbalanced, hoofball teamsheets. Ergo; too soon to sack the balanced line-up off, too defensive and rigid away from home. I wasn't actually against the teamsheat that most at the time wanted to see. Just pointing out that your post came across as... not the most persuasive of arguements for it.

Very few complaints about his team at Derby iirc. How many away games have we had? He's played a balanced, attacking side in one of them and that was the Derby game which we promptly lost 3-0, meaning he's immediately sacked off that idea and gone back to the hit-and-hope, possesion squandering anti-football, with which we've lucked our way to draws and a few narrow wins. That really isn't a great arguement. How? No-one can deny that there's a number of away games where we've been extremely fortunate to leave with any points. "draws and a few narrow wins" > "promptly lost 3-0"

Good point. I hope he's dogshit next match. Ashley would probably be short sighted and see this as a quick profit maker and that we can just go and splash another £1.5m and find another Guthrie with ease. Aye, cos Asley has proven this season that he he is all up for asset stripping our better players for the sake of the balance sheet.

Good point. I hope he's dogshit next match. Aye the worse he plays, the more chance of keeping him. /Actually sod that, I'll be livid if Hughton doesn't drop him just to protect our asset.

Very few complaints about his team at Derby iirc. How many away games have we had? He's played a balanced, attacking side in one of them and that was the Derby game which we promptly lost 3-0, meaning he's immediately sacked off that idea and gone back to the hit-and-hope, possesion squandering anti-football, with which we've lucked our way to draws and a few narrow wins. That really isn't a great arguement.

So after the undroppable Butt, and tonight, Smith again. Surely the myth regarding Hughton not dropping senior players for the sake of the team has well and truely been exploded now, no? Whatever, overall he has shown his nous, and well done to the lads on the pitch again. Hell of a home record.