TRon

The only thing that concerns me is that the players might not appreciate everything that goes on in training being made public. Having said that, they were doing fuck all when it was being kept behind closed doors so what the hell.

I said during the Euros the time to sign him was after he'd had a quiet tournament.

JFK isn't just communicating, he's singing like a canary.

I think its a clever way of pinning keegan to the club. May make it harder for him to walk again if he ownes a steak in the club. Perhaps he will have a greater say what goes on at the club, if so You think giving him a share in the club worth £15 million is clever? It would make Keegan look at transfers from a business point of view so it would be interesting to see if this affected his view to future signings.

Interesting thought. I'd be amazed if Keegan agreed to work with Shepherd. Absolutely gobsmacked in fact. Given the absurdity of the last month, nothing would surprise me now. I realise you are saying that only half seriously, but given Keegan's stance on holding up his principles it would be a hell of a turnaround.

Interesting thought. I'd be amazed if Keegan agreed to work with Shepherd. Absolutely gobsmacked in fact.

I think Shola might just fit in with the way JFK wants to set his team out. Shola can be a handful on his game which is admittedly on very few occasions. Kinnear will soon find out I expect, but who knows...maybe Kinnear will get something out of him for a couple of games?

Joe fighting back through a quality local paper http://www.journallive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2008/10/02/kinnear-fights-off-the-negative-vibes-61634-21944773/

Good news, but it's a disgrace it's got this far. Would it have been so hard for Llambias and Owen to organise a meeting like or Hughton, Wise et al. Ridiculous but well done to Joe for sorting it. Have to say I've been impressed with everything he has said/done so far. The lack of communication showed an embarassing degree of ineptness. Hopefully Joe's enthusiasm will rub off on the players, and I'm confident it will given half a chance.

Just wanna add, I think this guy would be very good for us. I'm a Saracens season ticket holder, and since he got involved things have certainly looked good. He's got Eddie Jones in as manager (Former Austrailia manager when we beat them in the final), and signed England captain Steve Borthwick, former Wales captain Michael Owen and a big named South African (Van Heerdan). Talk of 2 of the biggest players in South Africa coming in next season too. Seems like he knows he has to invest heavily at the playing level to get results, anyway. Not so much the youth approach that Ashley has gone for. Hope you are right then

I think when managers work with them on a day to day basis and see their commitement etc in training their vision of their on the field performances can sometimes be blurred. It's alot easier for Butt to look class in a training session which is obviously not at the tempo of a league game and managers always want experience in their sides. butt is very similar to david batty. wins the ball,organises and keeps his ditribution simple. if he has no options and is forced into trying hoddle style passing he'll look worse than he is. There are only two ways Butt can be effective in midfield for me: 1) He has three other highly mobile midifelders around him who will provide lots of options. 2) We bypass the midifeld and go long ball in which case he just becomes a ball winner to break up the opposition play. I've a feeling Kinnear will go towards option 2 if he's talking about using Shola. He obviously hasn't realised Ameobi has got a head like a 50p coin. the mobility has always been the thing for me. all the good teams and football at its best to watch is built on movement and the player with the ball having options. not just from the midfield but the forwards and increasingly in todays football,the fullbacks. If Duff, Guthrie and N'Zogbia are the three other midfielders then Butt's role is more suited to what he can actually do. That's depending on the other three providing lots of movement and wanting the ball to start with, and providing end product in an ideal world. You are right though, if the forwards and full backs do their part, it makes a hell of a difference to the flow of the team as a whole.

That midfield has a fairly well balanced look and also should provide plenty of movement in theory. Will be interesting to see if they provide it rather than go hiding.

I think when managers work with them on a day to day basis and see their commitement etc in training their vision of their on the field performances can sometimes be blurred. It's alot easier for Butt to look class in a training session which is obviously not at the tempo of a league game and managers always want experience in their sides. butt is very similar to david batty. wins the ball,organises and keeps his ditribution simple. if he has no options and is forced into trying hoddle style passing he'll look worse than he is. There are only two ways Butt can be effective in midfield for me: 1) He has three other highly mobile midifelders around him who will provide lots of options. 2) We bypass the midifeld and go long ball in which case he just becomes a ball winner to break up the opposition play. I've a feeling Kinnear will go towards option 2 if he's talking about using Shola. He obviously hasn't realised Ameobi has got a head like a 50p coin.

Yes and so is the UK. I wouldn't go to Australia to have my ankle looked at just like you wouldn't come to the UK to have your ankle looked at. Anyway, I'm not talking about the NHS. Can you imagine a footballer on a six month waiting list for an operation? People are talking bollocks. Private e.g. BUPA hospitals (like the one's who do all the player medicals for transfers) is where these players go. Are people trying to tell me the UK isn't one of the top 10 countries for medicine? Don't be silly. oook... im telling you, UK is not one in the top 10 countries in the world.... when it comes to medicine there will be some things we have speciailists in the UK who are top in their filed, for other things the aussies will have the top people in their field. however unless he is going to see a world renowned specialist i don't see the pointing of him going round the world to see someone when he could get just as good in the UK or europe. "Chuck another shrimp on the barbie Sheila"

He's also talking up Taylor and Coloccini, you wouldn't really expect much else from a new manager trying to raise morale. Good interview in the Journal:

Eight million! Give over, thats only 16,000 season tickets, peanuts for what he did for this club this year. I'd be embarrassed if i was Keegan and came back after this debacle. I always assumed Keegan loved the job so much he'd happily negotiate a settlement which would allow him to come back.

Brian Kilcline, Gavin Peacock, John Beresford, Paul Bracewell, Scott Sellars (a few of Keegan's first signings, from the top of my head, im sure theres plenty more) weren't bankrolled, they were pretty prudent IMO and Keegan gelled them into a team that absolutely annihalated the opposition in getting promoted. This wasn't chequebook management, and that is what I mostly remember Keegan for. That promotion season, 10 in a row, chanting "Newcastle United will never be defeated" with absolute belief. This was what Keegan does, it was all built on optimism hunger and a desire to play great football, not money. Of course money follows success, but buying then unknown Andy Cole for a hefty sum (was it 1.7m or similar?)was hardly Keegan flashing the cash was it? Having proved himself to be an excellent manager money was then made available to him, he happily spent it but our success back then wasn't built on a chequebook. In my opinion calling Keegan a chequebook manager either shows ignorance or a pandering to the populist view created by the media. Some of the players you mentioned there were bought in the 2nd division. During our promotion season I would imagine we still outspent most of our rivals in that division. Nothing wrong with that either, I agree that there was a lot more to it than that, but it should still be pointed out. Any consortium wanting to re-instate Keegan should be prepared to back him fully in the transfer market. I'm a bit concerned that KK is being offered a share in the club though. He might start looking at future signings through Ashley's eyes in that case.

Sounds like South Africa's answer to Mike Ashley.

I'm banking on loacal hero Shepherd to save the club rather than plough his money into some mediocre Spanish outfit near a beach resort. you're losing your rag aren't you No I believe you. That is why I'm banking on Shepherd and Halls to step in and save our club from these profit-motivated sharks. Between them they owned the club, so no doubt can own it again rather than sell out for a profit. Like you, I believe in Hall and Shepherd.

of course. I wonder how long it will be for those who defended Ashleys prudency [and encouraged the Halls and Shepherd to keep spending] will do yet another u-turn. Probably when the penny drops that the Halls and Shepherd approach was the best one, although hopefully it won't be on the back of a relegation. We have needed a striker in this top quality bracket for the last 3 transfer windows Hopefully the Halls and Shepherd will spot that the club is for sale and buy it, then show Ashley how it should be done. Hopefully someone will come in and do as well as they did, aye. I would like that as well, but unless Hall and Shepherd are ready to put their hands in their pockets and do it now, then it's a waste of time even mentioning them, unless this is the 4th installment of Back to the Future. so how long do you think it will take to replace the shite directors that gave us our best league positions in over 50 years ? The club is for sale for whoever wants it most. SJH and Shepherd will step forward and save us...I have faith just as you do I'm sure.

I'm banking on loacal hero Shepherd to save the club rather than plough his money into some mediocre Spanish outfit near a beach resort.

I'm convinced Hall and Shepherd will buy the club back and re-appoint Keegan. This is the only way to block the plans of these profit-motivated cockney bastards.

The OP isn't that far off tbh.

of course. I wonder how long it will be for those who defended Ashleys prudency [and encouraged the Halls and Shepherd to keep spending] will do yet another u-turn. Probably when the penny drops that the Halls and Shepherd approach was the best one, although hopefully it won't be on the back of a relegation. We have needed a striker in this top quality bracket for the last 3 transfer windows Hopefully the Halls and Shepherd will spot that the club is for sale and buy it, then show Ashley how it should be done. Hopefully someone will come in and do as well as they did, aye. I would like that as well, but unless Hall and Shepherd are ready to put their hands in their pockets and do it now, then it's a waste of time even mentioning them, unless this is the 4th installment of Back to the Future.

There's a fair few in the first post tbh. Allardyce would have turned it round for example. What... by getting back the £6m he wasted on Smith?