TRon

Could you please appoint this top bloke as your next manager when Moyes leaves? Thanks.

With the players we have, we should be top of the league. I would say he has done what should be expected of him to be honest. I'll bet if Shearer had thought we'd be top of the league he'd have snapped Ashley's hand off when offered the job. At the time he was warning of rooms burning every day he wasn't offered the job IIRC.

Sam Allardyce is moaning about foreign imports which is a bit rich considering his record of signings: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1239663/Sam-Allardyce-bemoans-shrinking-English-talent-pool-warns-bleak-future-national-team.html

it wasn't just the run (stopping onside) it was the vision to see the possibility. he's not feet quick but a little nouse can go a long way and a great spot by nolan aswell. it's funny to me when everyones goes on about pace when you think of our better players in the premier era only gillespie and bellamy had pace to burn, all the rest had guile,nouse, technique and intelligence. Our two most successful periods in the premier were under Keegan and SBR, and both relied heavily on attacking players with pace. Keegan's key players: Ginola, Cole, Ferdinand, Lee were all quick. SBR: Dyer, Bellamy, Robert. We won tons of away games because of our lightning quick counter attacks. Lee had a great engine but I wouldn't exactly say he was quick and Ginola wasn't quick either. They weren't slow either. Both of them could motor when they needed to. But not what you would call quick. How about quick enough?

Seeing as most on this site consider Coloccini a waste of money surely that should be a popular transfer window?

I would have more faith in Shearer than Hughton. Not saying much, like. I'm sure Mick can expand on it?

I'm scratching my head trying to think who would be the best midfielder of the last decade, the fact no central midfielder really springs to mind says quite a lot.

I would rather see Pancrate given a start in a balanced line up. Hughton has picked unecessarily young line ups for the cup matches throwing too many in all at once, and usually with a lightweight defence behind them. It's almost as if he wants them all to fail so he can keep selecting the influential senior players and have an easy life.

It probably had more to do with the fact that Zog was still a teenager trying to make his name in England and hadn't had a chance to grow too big for his boots yet.

it wasn't just the run (stopping onside) it was the vision to see the possibility. he's not feet quick but a little nouse can go a long way and a great spot by nolan aswell. it's funny to me when everyones goes on about pace when you think of our better players in the premier era only gillespie and bellamy had pace to burn, all the rest had guile,nouse, technique and intelligence. Our two most successful periods in the premier were under Keegan and SBR, and both relied heavily on attacking players with pace. Keegan's key players: Ginola, Cole, Ferdinand, Lee were all quick. SBR: Dyer, Bellamy, Robert. We won tons of away games because of our lightning quick counter attacks. Lee had a great engine but I wouldn't exactly say he was quick and Ginola wasn't quick either. They weren't slow either. Both of them could motor when they needed to.

I think it's harsh to judge anybody on 8 games, Shearer may well still go on to make a very good manager yet. However you can't just gloss over the fact that he got some key decisions wrong. Dowie as assistant was possibly a bad choice, someone with a bit more experience might have made more sense. Also he seemed to like the spotlight on himself rather than the players, he had none of the motivational magic or loyalty that Keegan could generate for example. His players clearly couldn't be arsed for him.

Good call. Seconded.

A club like Blackburn couldn't afford Shearer. Sounds like bollocks.

There's absolutely no need to put out a stupidly inexperienced team. Pancrate, Tatlor and Guthrie have all had limited opportunities in the midfield so the can all start. Stick Ranger and Lovenkrands up front and we'll coast it.

You're kidding? Did you read the OP?

Forgot to include...more SBR club-wrecking signings: Milner Ambrose absolute disasters the pair of them.

Especially when combined they cost less than £5.5 milllion and brought in almost three times that. Imagine if that waster Bellamy was included...another Robson disaster signing.

Fuck off man. Grow some balls.

Ha ha..Greg's deleted his post

Quite funny to see that N'Zogbia and Jenas were considered over-rated when we sold them for more than double what they cost. Even funnier when you consider both are far better than the players who are playing in their shirts right now and wouldn't fetch a quarter of the price.

How you think he'd perform in the PL next season if we go up? Depends on the midfield really. The fact is still there, our midfield bar maybe Smith provides little cover, Jonas helps Jose out, but through the middle we have one man trying to do 2 mens work. The best teams are teams that move together as one unit. Strength, good positioning, experience. How can Colo be compared to Campbell anyway? The reading of the game, if you can read a game well it CAN allow for a lack of pace , Fabio Cannavaro proved that. I have hope for Coloccini, people forget Vidic and Evra took time to settle. He played 38 games. He is doing well in the Championship now though.. lets all delude ourselves that his flaws wont be exposed in that league again. At least he doesn't throw sickies every time his national side plays unlike the bloke in your avatar.

Quite funny to see that N'Zogbia and Jenas were considered over-rated when we sold them for more than double what they cost. Even funnier when you consider both are far better than the players who are playing in their shirts right now and wouldn't fetch a quarter of the price.

It has nothing to do with the fact that we're almost certain to go up and if he gets to play he gets to play infront of 50k people in Newcastle rather than sitting on the bench in Blackburn watching some of the worst football this country has to offer? If I had the choice I'd rather sit on the bench for Newcastle rather than Blackburn - lack of drive doesn't play into this at all. Ok change that to lack of options then.

it wasn't just the run (stopping onside) it was the vision to see the possibility. he's not feet quick but a little nouse can go a long way and a great spot by nolan aswell. it's funny to me when everyones goes on about pace when you think of our better players in the premier era only gillespie and bellamy had pace to burn, all the rest had guile,nouse, technique and intelligence. Our two most successful periods in the premier were under Keegan and SBR, and both relied heavily on attacking players with pace. Keegan's key players: Ginola, Cole, Ferdinand, Lee were all quick. SBR: Dyer, Bellamy, Robert. We won tons of away games because of our lightning quick counter attacks.

We might get promotion without one, but we'll struggle to stay up unless we get a midfielder who can dictate in the centre. I have a horrible feeling that Hughton will decide that with limited funds the long ball route is our best chance of survival though.