Shak

Exactly, fucking pisses me right off that the majority of Irish people choose to overlook Keane doing this or see him as some sort of fucking hero for it. All because they're clueless bloody Man U fans. They'll tell you he was making a statement, trying to get the FAI to change their ways and become more professional. Or that the team McCarthy had put together was a shambles. Well, if they were, how did they make it through a very tough group without their best player? Or how did they push Spain all the way in the Last 16, only losing on penalties after being much the better side during the game? Had Keane bothered to stay around and play for his country, I fancy we could have beaten Spain. We'd then have played Korea in the Last 8, and Germany, who we already proved we could match in the group stages, in the semis. So all Keane's walkout did was probably cost us our best ever World Cup performance, whre we could have actually possibly gotten to the semi finals. Or an outside chance of the final. But no, Roy had to make his point. Shay wants a pat on the back? Coming from a guy who tried to martyr himself? Fuck off. And what change did he bring about with his big statement? Steve Staunton is the current manager of Ireland. Fucking says it all. Stupid fucking cunt, Sunderland is the right place for him.

Not very clever alerting other clubs to our interest. I thought Roeder was all smoke and mirrors these days. He is, this is just a double cross to throw you off. Nelson would give us a great attacking full-back, he gets up and down the wings brilliantly. Not sure what he's like defensively though.

Much as I'm not keen on giving Shearer the job, I do feel that it's a case of the sooner it happens the better. It's obvious Shepherd has his eye on Shearer as a future manager, and while that remains the case I just can't see us appointing a top European manager, one with a proven track record and with the qualities tmonkey listed. I firmly believe its why Souness and particularly Roeder were appointed, as they'll be very easy to get rid of when Shearer decides he wants the job. So the sooner the better IMO, shite a situation as it is. Maybe he'll succeed, or more likely he'll not fo a whole lot. Either way, it'll be over and done with.

Eriksson couldn't see it either. I'd agree that Lampard should be dropped in favour of Gerrard in the middle, my point was merely that Carrick starting ahead of Hargreaves seemed a logical choice to me, given that Lampard was never likely to be dropped. Hargreaves has been very good no doubt, but he excels in the tougher games where England need a scrapper in the middle of the field. Kind of like Parker at Newcastle. I definitely agree that Lampard is the bigger issue though, surely McClaren has to at least try puting Gerrard in the middle alongside Hargreaves/Carrick.

Was Carrick injured? Seems a no-brainer to start him over Hargreaves in a game where England are likely gonna have the greater share of possesion and will therefore need better passers of the ball. Still think you'll qualify though.

Martins, with Milner second. Solano has done well, but I'd expect him to be as reliable as he has been at RB when asked to play there. Given, Butt and Sibierski (given his limitations he's played very well) deserve credit for their seasons as well. Aside from that, most of the players have been wank.

Aye, should have been booked. Not according to David Platt, who reckoned "I don't think Frank has dived there, I think he just anticipated the contact". I hate International football these days, can count on one hand the amount of truly thrilling games I've seen between countries in the last 5 years. And Steve Staunton makes McClaren and Roeder look like Mourinho and Wenger tbh.

I'd agree. I do rate Emre, but if Bayern did bid 8m for him last summer as was rumoured, then it was madness not accept given that he and Parker don't look capable of forming a partnership. Then again, who could form a partnership with that Parker fella? (just kidding by the way folks, lets not let this become a Parker thread. Though really I do mean what I say.)

Bit like Ronaldo actually. Ronaldo's only young tbh, and his performances in big games is improving from what I've seen. Totti never seemed to do so.

I stopped watching the Italian league a few years ago, but I've never thought much of Totti. Awesome player against poor opposition but whenever I see him play in really big matches he always seem to be quite poor. The games against Man U will be a good test, hope he proves me wrong.

Re: Spurs. They didn't simply get a good manager and a few good signings, they were taken-over by ENIC in 2001, who came in with a proper plan for the club and money to back it with. If Spurs still had Sugar I'd be highly dubious that they'd even be in the Premiership, let alone near the top of it. However, that's not to be said ENIC got it right straight away, either. Not saying this will happen at NUFC, but I'm just saying that Spurs didn't "just" get a good manager and made some good signings. In fact, ENIC seemed to take a while to "strike it lucky" with Jol, after the Santini debacle - but they certainly seemed to have a vision for the club and backed it with cash. As Gemmill has said, we're looking for some of that from Shepherd this summer, because at the minute everything about the club is being questioned from all angles. I never said they "just" got a good manager tbh. But you get the point anyway, they went from being mired in mid-table mediocrity to being CL contenders within two seasons. So everyone saying we're doomed to the midtable for the foreseeable future and that we should resign ourselves to it are being too negative in my opinion.

Jesus wept, Nugent has been consistently doing well for a few years. Chopra has had a good half-season, that's it.

I'm not sure resigning ourselves to mid-table mediocrity and Premiership survival for the next few seasons is the way forward. If that's our target then we're setting dangerously low goals. Top 4 next season is almost certainly beyond us but with a good manager and some wisely spent money we could be challenging for, if possibly not achieving, a Top 4 finish within 2 years. Take Spurs 3 years ago. They were much like us, struggling with some good players but no real direction. They get a good manager and a few good signings and bam, they're one dodgy dinner away from a CL spot. Shay is a top keeper, and Krul looks to be a potential succesor. So we're set in goals. Taylor I believe can be a good defender if he isn't stuck with the likes of Bramble for a partner. A couple of good full backs and a solid CB can be got if we have 15-20m to spend on them. We've got two very promising wingers in N'Zogbia and Milner, and in Parker we have a player who can do a job if moved back to being a DM. What we desperately need is a Scholes, Fabregas type player, someone to really make us tick in the middle of the field. That player will be hard, and likely expensive, to find but if we find him our midfield could be quite good, with Dyer, Duff and Butt also capable of contributing too. Emre would be able to, but I'd expect he'll be gone in the summer. Then add a bigger, more physical striker to give us a different option to Owen and Martins up front and we'd be pretty good tbh, assuming we get a good manager. I reckon all that could be bought by the start of the season after next. Obviously it won't be easy and odds are we won't get it done, but I don't buy into the idea that we're fucked for the next few years and should go about dismantling the team and starting over. We just need a good manager.

NE5, I'm sure everyone is well aware that there have been worse seasons in our history than those listed in the poll. But can you not just let it go and let people answer the question asked? I'm sure a large part of the reason the poll starts in 1993 is that the majority of the posters on this board are, through no fault of their own, quite young and unfamiliar with the years before it.

I'm just thankful that no Man U fans have gotten wind of this thread tbh, them invading the boards and watching some of our own posters trying to say Martins is better in response to them would be beyond cringeworthy.

Oh ffs. Why so bothered? Presumably because we have just moved another point further away from 6th. Unattainable given our current state of affairs, so I'm not really bothered. Sad as it makes me to say. That Wullie is ever the optimist though.

Oh ffs. Why so bothered?

Thread is starting to lose direction just a bit.

Don't know how you'd know that seeing as we've never bothered with them roeder is a tactician

It's not like he'd be struggling to make ends meet giving up his twelve grand a week. He'd still be on upwards of 40k a week I reckon had he gone to PSV, as I'd imagine he's being quite well paid here. And please don't anyone say that it's a short career and players have to make money while they can. That was true a few decades ago, but with what they earn now the likes of Luque were set for life after about two years of their career. Unless they're throwing money away. Personally I'd be gone as soon as possible if I were him, given his situation here, and I'd gladly take the pay cut to do so.

Souness Mk 2. f*** off Glenn, f*** off now, you utter utter arsehole. Can't believe the t*** has the nerve to come out with that s****. > At least he has stopped referring to himself in the 3rd person, something to be grateful for. This bit really pisses me off though "Conceding two goals," he added when asked where Newcastle had lost the tie. "We needed to score one and we did not. It is as straightforward as that." What sort of pathetic attempt at an answer is that? How were we going to score a goal the way the team was set out? Don't you think its likely we'll concede two goals if we sit back and invite a team with a great record of scoring goals at home to come at us? Given how shite we are at the back, is it ever wise to just sit back and rely on our defence to win a tie for us? When we needed a goal towards the end was it really the best idea to play a narrow 4-3-3 system, given how effective our wingers were against the same team a week ago? Given how badly bummed we were getting throughout the game, we could have been four or five down with twenty minutes left. No Glenn, you bottled it. You put out a team that was begging to get beaten and you got what you asked for. It's as straightforward as that. Ya clown.

ITV still hoping to get a word with Roeder, but they're locked in the dressing room apparently. Really can't see Roeder having the stones to actually criticise anyone.

Got to agree about his set pieces. Took a few good ones when he first came here, not a good one since. How on earth he pulls rank over Solano at such a crucial time is beyond me. Still prefer him in the middle to any of our other options though.

Jesus weeping on a bike tbh. A truly incredible thread. I love Martins, think he'll be a superstar for us, but Rooney will ultimately prove to be one of the best players of his generation. He's having a bit of a slump by his own standards this year, but that's gonna happen with any player whose been around for as long as he is and is still so young. Some people have some short-ass memories. Rooney's vision, passing, movement, touch and finishing are all streets ahead of Oba, only thing Oba has on him is pace and is possibly better in the air.