Mick

According to you you're not a Keegan bandwagon jumper. More sensible, knowledgeable and realistic, that's not for me to say, I wouldn't be so sad or arrogant as to make such claims. A case for going backwards is proven, you put the league tables up and they prove that, no matter how you try to dress it up. Who has ever said that we've got a divine right to stay there forever? You're the only person who ever says that. You're trying to make out that I'm a bandwagon jumper, is that because everybody now knows that your comfort blanket is your brother? You denied it for ages and were shown to be a liar, now you are trying to make it look as if I didn't support the team when we were shit, it's your attempt to regain some credability, keep it up, you look ridiculous. You're also a hypocrite because you never once tried to defend Shepherd while we were in the minority of those against Souness, you're pathetic. You were too busy sending me pm's trying to get me to stalk Ozzie like you did, I didn't bite though. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the person I wanted to become manager after Keegan was Bobby Robson. I think we would have won something if he took over the team Keegan left behind. It’s a pity that he was more honourable than the person who told him that he and 5th in the league was no longer good enough. I would think that most directors would have considered 2nd to be a success, 1st or 2nd makes little difference. The league positions before 1992 were crap, what do you think I was going to say? Why do you keep banging on about the major shareholders? Is it so that you can hide Shepherd behind others even though Shepherd has complained that the major shareholders have no involvement with the day to day running of the club? If they have no involvement then I can't see any justification for them taking any blame for w

The board isn't the same as in 1992, you're wrong. I think only two of our current board members were on the board in 1992, Douglas and Freddy, the chairman was also different. I think Shepherd is as bad as those chairmen you mention, I agree with that. They didn't have his windfall, the Sir John/Keegan legacy to work with. I don't think for one minute that Shepherd would have done any better if he'd been chairman when they were, he's done as badly as they did but he had a massive advantage over them. Maybe you could try and explain how him taking us backwards is any better than when they did it, try doing it without sending most people to sleep. Same bollocks different day, sad old man.

Good post, don't expect the same in response, expect something along the lines of 5th best over the last decade, would you be happy with a chairman like Doug Ellis? Etc etc etc zzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZzzzzzz.

Well done, you've proven once again that boredom has no limits when it comes to your posts. Whats up ? Is it your sister and not your brother ? What is your "opinion" on the league positions I posted, as I see you have not commented on factual information, as usual I didn't comment on the league placings because commenting would have been stating the obvious, since Shepherd became chairman we've gone backwards, fact. As you've correctly pointed out in the past, league placings are what we should be measured on and by that definition, Shepherd is a failure, thanks for reminding me. Happy now?

I thought the game was a good advert for football and our attacking play was as good as I've seen under Roeder. We looked like we enjoyed playing most of the game, pity they got two away goals as that's enough to give them hope in the next leg. I don't think the games over by a long way, we're good enough to win it but so are they.

True. Fatman & Hitz. It sounds like the name of a TV programme.

Well done, you've proven once again that boredom has no limits when it comes to your posts.

At least I didn't interview him.

The horses mouth although he could have done something after this. Do you think that he did approach him? http://www.nufcmismanagement.info/shepherd-scam1.html Freddy hitz out at bets on boss By Mark Buckingham , 19 Feb 2006 Newcastle United chairman Freddy Shepherd insists there are no plans to ask Ottmar Hitzfeld to be the club's new manager. Shepherd is undertaking the quest to find Graeme Souness' successor on Tyneside, with Glenn Roeder currently in caretaker charge. The likes of Martin O'Neill, Sam Allardyce and Paul Jewell have been linked with the role, while Hitzfeld's name was thrown into the fray earlier in the week. Reports had claimed that the former Bayern Munich coach was heading to the North East for a meeting with Shepherd. But Shepherd has reacted frostily to the speculation and believes the rumours are being engineered as part of a betting coup. The Magpies supremo remains committed to taking his time before appointing Souness' replacement and is adamant Hitzfeld is not under consideration. "There have been stories sweeping Tyneside about who I'm supposed to be meeting and where," said Shepherd. "It is highly organised and designed to make people a lot of money. "There was even a 'leaked' full colour brochure doing the rounds in Newcastle which laid out Ottmar Hitzfeld's CV and his record as a manager. "It's amazing the lengths people will go to to start a rumour which means they can bet for or against a certain person getting the job. "But I can state here and now that there has been no approach to Hitzfeld and there are no plans to approach him. "I've said all along we will take our time over this appointment. We've rushed into things before and we've made mistakes, I admit that. "That's not the case this time. Glenn Roeder is an excellent caretaker, a really safe pair of hands, so we can afford to make sure we appoint the right man without the necessity of being hurried into it."

It would have been nice to have tried and failed.

Can't believe so many Toon fans wanted us to wait until after the world cup to chase after a manager who isn't interested in getting back into management full time, laughable really mackems.gif He's never said that he's not interested in getting back into football, he's probably doing the same as Roeder when he was caretaker here. The laughable thing for me is that people actually wanted Roeder as manager. mackems.gif

I think Nobby would make a good manager, he's a clever footballer, it would depend how he could adapt to moving away from his mates.

Pathetic, you do realise that the bandwagon you referred to ended something like 10 years ago, maybe you didn't. Thank you for the insight into the bandwagon jumpers take on fans who will stick with the club, like they did before Nice to see you think the bandwagon ended 10 years ago, you must mean they have stuck around since because the s**** board has gave them something worth " supporting " then ? Unlike the board you defend, who ran the club when we had crowds of 15,000, that you think is "the same as ....... " Whatever, I suppose that makes sense to you and that's all that matters.

Pathetic, you do realise that the bandwagon you referred to ended something like 10 years ago, maybe you didn't.

What are you on about now? You really are a sad old man, you think you know more than anybody, get a life. I haven't got a clue what you're on about, do you even know? You're wrong again, I couldn't care less if he's not a Geordie, I just wish he'd stop claiming to be one. Why does Shepherd feel he needs to tell people what he got up to in the playground? If he's trying to look hard then he needs to grow up. He'll only impress people like you and to be honest it would appear that you'd be impressed by anything he says or does anyway. Also, I've never claimed that I "would be happy with all these hedge funds from Jersey," you do understand that The Belgravia Group are not a Hedge Fund, don't you? I don't think I did reply to Macbeth, I wasn't really bothered one way or another about what he said, I don't reply to every post on here. You should seek help, you are totally clueless, is it an age thing? It's strange that you mention words like fact, you odviously don't even know the meaning of the word.

Guilty Seriously, I don't see many defending him, or even praising him, just being open minded and fair. I think most recognise his limitations and are on record saying he's average and not the right man for us long-term. I disagree regarding the differences between him and Souness BTW, I think he's different on many levels and a vast improvement, although that's hardly anything to shout about given just how crap Souness was as a manager. Since Roeder took over: Form - top 6 form bassed on points won in that time Given all the crap, like injuries, not strenthening the defence, pissing about in the transfer market, the sore defeats, the s*** performances, that's not a bad record post-Souness mess, I don't think many would be able to improve on that. Contrast O'Neill (the choice of many) and Villa, who have performed near enough the same under him, as they did under O'Leary, who was to them what Souness was to us. Makes you think like. This season hasn't been good enough and just isn't acceptable of course in the grande scheme of things, but by the same token, it was to be expected post Souness, especially with our squad and injuries, I actually thought we'd do much worse pre-season and during the season so he's overachieved and surpassed my expections in that sense, and that is why I'm cutting him some slack and being lenient or as I like to think, fair. He deserves it, as an honest man doing an honest job, a very very tough job he is ille equipped to do, a job he should never have been giving in the first place. I think too many people are quick to jump on his back here and are in danger of using Roeder as a punchbag or a scapegoat, quite a few think if we sack him, we'll just get in a better manager and things will be honkey dory, incredibly. Long-term, if this club is to go anywhere, then of course he has to go. But for the club to go anywhere, action needs to be taken not at his door, but at the board's door, first - it can only happen in that order. In short, it doesn't matter whether Roeder is manager or not, not in the state the club is in at the moment. I refuse to get pissed off with him or become bitter and twisted just because he said something daft in the paper I didn't like, or made a daft substitution, or chose the wrong team, etc. I'm saving all that up for the real culprits behind our demise, not someone handicapped who despite this is doing the best he can. Roeder is a good honest man, who deserves our patience, our respect and our forgiveness for th s**** that has been served up this season. IMO opinion. The question wasn't really to have a go at anybody, I'm just interested if it's the same people, do some people have more tolerance towards the manager? We're all different and want/expect different things. I don't know which side is right on this and we'll only know through time although I think I'm right.

You've asked how he didn't do better, who is he? I've mentioned 5 names so you'll have to give a little pointer as to who you're referring to. When have I ever referred to any board as being able to attract trophy winning managers? By the way, Joe Harvey was a trophy winning manager, the last one we've had at the club. You doubt very much that Sir John doesn't have more than a significant input, Shepherd moans that he's doing everything himself or words to that effect, I think he'll have a better idea than you.

The major shareholder was recently being slagged off in the press for having nothing to do with the running of the club, Shepherd was having a go at him. I don't see how he can be blamed if he has nothing to do with the club. It's premature to write off Roeder but it was OK to slag off Souness from almost day 1, double standards and hypocrisy considering the record of Roeder at previous clubs is worse, how long should we wait? Shepherd isn't a Geordie and is taking the club backwards. As for another Keegan, how about Bobby Robson, he's not called Keegan but he did a good job, Keegan isn't a 1 off.

Exactly, one was taking the club forwards the other is hiding behind it, he's also a Cumbrian who talks about being a Geordie.

It's the job of the chairman to appoint the right person, even you admitted that, Sir John didn't appoint a Souness or a Roeder as manager, do you not see any difference? Did you not say before we appointed Roeder that you thought Shepherd should go if he got it wrong again?

Yes. I've corrected your post, you obviously didn't understand the question.

It wasn't the current board who saved the club, you're wrong. It was Sir John who covered loans and put some of his own money in. Sir John has since taken his money back, and lots more. He's no longer on the board and as far as I'm aware the only person who put anything into the club other than through investing in shares.

What would it take to get the spark back? Firstly I'd like to see a change for the better at the top, another Sir John Hall would do nicely for me. He might have relied upon others but he produced and that is the job of the chairman, to appoint people who will take the club forwards. Shepherd helped to do this along with Freddy Fletcher and Douglas, it's not something he (Shepherd) has been able to repeat since taking over other than when he appointed Bobby Robson, he's got the most important decision wrong on too many occasions to be allowed to keep on doing it. I would then hope that the new chairman would re-structure the club and take it forwards, come up with a plan which set goals and go for it, Shepherd seems to have learned something with his latest appointment to the board but I've got no faith in him as chairman any more, I expect everything he does will turn to shit. A new manager would then be on the shopping list, somebody who we could look to and know we had a good chance of heading in the right direction again. We were able to see something in Keegan and Sir Bobby, we knew they'd move hell and earth to bring success to the club, I guess we could have that same faith in Sir John, I don't have it in Shepherd or Roeder. NE5 will probably take the piss out of this but we need to be financially sound, we're probably now seeing results of giving the wrong man too much money, the manager cocked up but so did the chairman when he appointed the manager in the first place. Roeder has nothing in his record to suggest that he's capable of taking us anywhere close to where we should be, not by divine right but on the back of 50,000 who turn up most home games and pa extortionate prices for the privilege. We pay "Rolls-Royce" admission fees so should be given "rolls-Royce" performances, both on the field and off it. Newcastle United FC is underperforming in everything it does and that’s not good enough. If people are happy to accept that then good, I’ll not and I don’t see why anybody should just because the odd person thinks that they should. If some people are happy to accept shite then that’s the choice they’ve made, it’s not my choice and it shouldn’t be the choice of others.

He must have a second job if he can afford that.

The club needs fresh blood and fresh ideas from top to bottom, somebody needs to go right through the lot of them and get rid of the drift wood, we've got plenty of that.