chicago_shearer

Who do you have in mind? We were in a much better position when SBR was appointed. It was a good club with a bad manager. Now we are a bad club with a bad manager. What's changed? The Chairman is the same, financially we are not that much worse off (Robson was hamstrung by a much tighter transfer budget in his first season compared to Roeder for starters), and the facilities are a damn sight better. A top manager and his staff can still make a hell of a difference. The squad. Robson had a better team.

Who do you have in mind? We were in a much better position when SBR was appointed. It was a good club with a bad manager. Now we are a bad club with a bad manager.

They were fine defensively, but going forward Carr and Babayaro were as poor as the rest of them imo. Easy targets, but they were OK by their standards today. If Parker, Dyer, Martins and Butt had done their jobs then we might have had a chance.

Don't say that just yet. Them losing a playoff final at Wembley is the one thing I have left to hope for this season.

I agree, a good manager could make a huge difference even with the poor players we have. Because in the summer he would have the influence, experience and support to make the big decisions and big signings that the club requires. But who wants to work for Shepherd, managing a team in the bottom third of the Premiership, with no money to spend? Mediocre managers.

How do we get back up? Pattison? Ameobi? Huntington? Because thats what would be left. Plus whoever our new manager Nigel Pearson could attract given our prospects. Although we might have a bit more money when the stadium is sold off.

If we got Coppell or Newell or whoever he would have about half a season before the booing started. At most. Roeder needs to go, but this team isn't one new manager away from success.

Who then? If clubs with lots of money from board takeovers like Villa & West Ham can only attract domestic managers like O'Neill or Curbishley then why should we have a chance with the Hitzfelds, Lippis, Koemans etc.? And since Shepherd doesn't look like leaving can you even assume he will look abroad?

Shearer is the realistic alternative. I'm not going to pretend he is the sort of manager to get us back into the top 6 or playing well, but if you are looking at an appointment to win over the vast majority of the supporters and stop the booing, then Shearer is it. He will have a longer learning curve just because of his popularity. And he will certainly be more of a presence in the dressing room. I know I might get slated for that and I would personally love to have a Van Gaal, a Hiddink or a Hitzfeld. But I don't realistically think that a) we can attract them or b) Shepherd will go for them. I'm not even sure we could look at someone like Allardyce given our position. I think that when Shepherd pulls the trigger, Shearer will be the first choice and probably the best available choice given the position of the club. Shepherd will look at the bump Keane has given the mackems and follow suit. I'm not happy about it, I'm not optimistic, but without a board takeover then it's the best of some very poor options and probably the best we can hope for.

I haven't heard a single person in favour of keeping him beyond the end of the season. I was until today. Sacking him would lead to another boring, embarassing and ultimately disappointing manager hunt which I don't think will solve anything. But after this last result, I'd rather just get it over with. I don't see an alternative.

I could actually see Roeder being sacked in the next 48 hours. The financial results released this week make it clear that the club is dependent on season ticket renewels.

Supporters OUT.

Jesus...and we came to play did we? With two defensive midfielders and zero real chances in the second half until we went behind? He's lost it completely.

For all the people that think this thread is kneejerk - have you looked at the numbers and the form table? Just do the math before you dismiss it as impossible.

Realistically, 41 or 42 should do it though. Watford are as good as down, and even though West Ham won today it doesn't look good for them (seeing as we are 11 points ahead and contemplating it).

Yes, we could go down. It is not likely (4-6 points would keep us up) but it could happen. You are a fool to just dismiss the possibility.

The last three matches I have watched have been Israel v. England Andorra v. England Newcastle v. Man City and I'm starting to think football in general is just a bit overrated. I need to adopt a really good second-team to watch on a regular basis cause I'm starting to get bored. Any good La Liga games on this weekend?

I wouldn't keep Bramble under any circumstances. He is a poor player and has had ample chances to prove otherwise. But I wouldn't automatically keep Onyewu either. Setting up a choice like that doesn't make sense. Either one or both of the players are good enough, or are they aren't - in which case we are compelled to buy replacements for both.

Big bad Glenn the bully picking on our poor multimillionaire players who can't string together a pass against Charlton or maintain a 4-2 advantage in Holland. FFS. Roeder has made some stupid decisions and done nowhere near enough in the transfer market, but a new manager won't change the fact that some of them just aren't good enough. A good manager wouldn't stand by players like Bramble & Carr or magically transform them into Premiership quality....he'd sack them and replace them with better ones.

because he's an arrogant cock who is never gracious in defeat or victory You could say the same thing about Wenger and Ferguson.

Probably Martins, because without him we would have less than no attacking ability. But a close second is Solano - not a spectacular right-back but a competent one....which easily makes him the club's best defender.

I don't think they were bothered at all. When there are 2 minutes left in an important qualification match and you are still passing the ball backwards against a side that has shown less than no attacking ability or intent for the entire match, you obviously want a draw and a nice holiday in Barcelona on Wednesday. No pride, no aggression....just boring.

Anton Ferdinand is so shit, I hope to hell we don't sign him. He is probably the one defender that could actually make our back four worse. Milner coming on btw.

;D They can't even get the kit launch right. What a club.

Classic Newcastle. Even the kit Classic Newcastle tbh.