TRon

I see that other headless chicken N'Zogbia is doing really badly with his pace, power, movement and shooting prowess at Wigan. Not good enough to earn a first team slot for us mind.

we have players who are plodding at this level, whats going to happen to them with a step up. Well we have some good youngsters who might be able to step up and challenge the old guard. Kadar, Krul and Ranger all look like they can offer some fresh legs and enthusiasm. We could buy in more and ship out the deadwood. We might have done it with Geremi, unfortunately Nicky Butt looks like hanging on til his last pay packet. guthrie,nolan,shola,r.taylor,barton,pancrate,butt,smith. when was the last time one of these played a game that made you think they'd survive in the prem ? Guthrie offers some movement, Shola has scored goals in the premier, Barton tries to pass to feet as does Smith, Pancrate can run. Nolan, Taylor and Butt should all quit and sign new lucrative contracts as soon as Joe Kinnear gets appointed as manager of a leading club.

Sounds like the sort of neandrethal thinking Shepherd was well known for. Fucking hell man, look at the buildings he would like to knock down and the glorified scaffolding he'd put up in it's place.

we have players who are plodding at this level, whats going to happen to them with a step up. Well we have some good youngsters who might be able to step up and challenge the old guard. Kadar, Krul and Ranger all look like they can offer some fresh legs and enthusiasm. We could buy in more and ship out the deadwood. We might have done it with Geremi, unfortunately Nicky Butt looks like hanging on til his last pay packet.

really? I remember that. SJH had a lot to learn back then. mmm, why was he commenting in match programmes in the 80's, when he had nowt to do with the club then? My memory is that it was during the period of power struggle between the McKeag board and the Magpie Group. I don't think SJH was on the Board at that point, but McKeag invited him to put forward his plans in the match programme, knowing that it wouldn't go down well. Things changed, particularly after Keegan took over, but initially Hall only wanted to involve himself as a businessman, and he made no secret of that. He wasn't driven by sentiment at all, in that period. Madras may be right - it may have been just a ground share rather than a full merger. Either way, it was one of those inconvenient facts of history that doesn't sit comfortably and has been quietly forgotten. Hall was reluctant to get involved but once he was he was in all the way. In my opinion it's no coincidence that once he took his hands off the wheel and entrusted the running of the club to his clueless son and his drinking buddy Shepherd things went downhill.

Bad crack for Peter, just after he'd finally got into the frame to start up front as well.

One thing we have really missed from his good years here is the movement. SBR used to say he was like a man with two hearts. These days we are lucky if we can get 15 minutes before everyone runs out of gas and drops back to our own penalty area for the rest of the game to save their lungs.

The photo does emphasise just what a monstrosities modern football stadiums can become. While it's great having the club bang in the city centre, it's hardly in keeping with the surroundings is it?

You should have stuck to your guns on that one. It's true even though people won't like you saying it.

Yeah I remember that...tree hugging bastards!

Good OP. While I've slagged of Shepherd plenty on these board - and with good reason - both he and especially SJH were men with big visions. The execution might have left a bit to be desired but you can't knock the conviction. Personally i thought things went downhill when SJH stepped aside and Freddie took the reins, but we have a lot to be proud of it's true.

With Simpson as well as Kilgallon possibly holding out for better wages it seems that player agents are having a hard time coming to terms with the financial reality facing most clubs these days. A lot of these players are pretty ordinairy as well.

They'll get the chance to relegate us again next season, just you wait...

This only without selling Smith. Think he really does well in his position and is a natural leader. Can't believe how many here would like to sell Nolan. He's probably been our player of the season so far and has played in the Premier League for years so I don't see a problem with him. I also think we can't sell so many players like some on here would like to do as we will never ever buy that many players under Ashley. There will only be very small changes imo. Because apart from his goals he offers very little to the team. Yeah, yeah it sounds ridiculous but it's very true. He's playing the position where it's important he can be actively involved in the middle and look to be the one player to pass and dictate play. He seems a sound guy but apart from his ability (in this division) to take goalscoring positions and convert chances he really does have a negative output on the team, which I have no doubt will stick out embarrasingly for him/us next season - just like it did the back end of lasts season. I still believe he offers enough to be kept at least as a squad member. Maybe not as an automatic starter what he is very much at the moment. Nolan is playing in the most important part of the team, everything we do should be dictated through our central midfielder. The fact he gets rings run round him even in this league says it all. He won't stand a chance in the premier.

Stick Jonas on there and you're not far off. I hope he has a good World Cup so we can flog him and bring in something with a vaguely creative streak. Wasn't hard to leave him off the list. Not hard to leave any of them off the list tbf, with the exception of Enrique.

I'd get rid of Nolan and probably keep Barton.

:clap: If you want to destroy your carrier as a footballer, sign for Newcastle United. If KK had stayed as Newcastle manager and Milner still had been a Newcastle player I think Milner would have been the same player he is for Villa now. Milner was starting to be a different player under KK. Thank you again Ashley The two managers who got the worst out of Milner were probably Souness and Allardyce, both Freddie Shepherd appointments. We have made some absolutely disastrous managerial appointments. If Ronaldo was at Newcastle he'd probably have ended up playing left back so we could accomodate respected pros like Nolan up front.

Feed it pie and chips and he'll be back in his Newcastle era shape in next to no time.

Poor Roger gets so stressed at dealing with sub 100 IQs on this site. ooh the strain...

This is what i love about these sort of places. No hint of irony at poo-pooh-ing Dyer's technique, one of our CL players while we are sitting in the Championship with players who can't string two passes together without tripping over their own feet.

One of our best players in the last decade. Our football was light years ahead of the plodding stuff we have witnessed since SBR's lightning quick team was dismantled. We definitely sold him at the right time though.

While I agree with that in principle, it's depressing that we've had a succession of British managers who have failed to use Milner effectively. Milner who is as British as they come had to go to Villa to play football while our British managers were too busy making room in their squads for salt of the earth Nicky Butts and Ryan Taylors. If we are going to appoint a British manager let's hope we can get one with a brain rather than some thick former centre half who would be better off running a pub.

Sounds like he's priced himself out of a move here. Journal reckons that he is holding out till the summer when we can offer him premier wages.

I doubt Hughton thinks he'll be in charge next season if we go up. If he is then prepare fully for a relegation of mackem proportions. We'll sink like shit. Not sure why people don't seem to get that. He is a good coach who gets on with the nuts and bolts and that is all. It's easy to overlook what Hughton has got right, and his man management has been pretty good, I like the way he lets the players take the glory and just gets on with the job. I'm not convinced Shearer got that part of it right in his short time in charge. At the end of the day though I am usually impressed by manager's whose sides football shows their influence. Watching Newcastle it would be difficult to be impressed by the turgid stuff we see week in and week out.

This game is there for the taking. WBA are looking a bit nervous, we are coming off a good win. I just hope we don't go too cautious and end up drawing a game instead of dealing a real blow to Albion's campaign.