Offshore

All managers of Wimbledon had to adopt seige mentality with the press, they and their players thrived on it, not sure if ours will though.

If, and its a big if with the toon as always, we could get everyone fit we'd have a fairly competent side. One that top 4 apart I wouldn't feel too worried about. All falls down when we get the inevitable injuries and suspensions due to being wafer thin in cover. Goalies..........more than happy with what we've got. Back 4............Beye, Colo, Taylor (or Bassong, like what i've seen sor far), Enrique Midfield...........Guti, Gutrie, Barton, Zog Up front...........Owen, Martins We've lost to some very, very ordinary sides who this lot would have matched and probably beaten.

Surely the lack of confidence in this thread must fill you with some hope?! Not really, we look equally as bad at the minute and have just put in the least spirited derby performance I've ever seen. You've got a new boss coming in that could give you an initial boost. Plus, Michael Owen is a t***. Maybe we'll just gift each other a few goals and draw 3-3 or something. Everyone's focussing on Newcastle's chaotic anarchy at the moment, but in the background our season is falling apart before its begun. Defence is shocking, UEFA group stages is more unlikely than likely, leaving us out of 2 competitions at the start of October. And Phil Neville is still in our first team. 1-1. We'd snap yer hand off right now for a draw.

Catch22. Can't get who we (they) want as stop-gap manager as he wants it on a longish-term basis, and we can't do that as the club is up for sale............

For a short term fix - he's about the best we can realistically hope for. We need someone competent in asap, Houghton may be a fine coach but he needs help, and quick. Just keep him away from the petty cash box though!

Wish i'd bought more cans.

He has to with our midfield, i'll be suprised if theres a slower and less creative one in the premiership just wait for the jonas and the return to form of duff Jonas, aye.....Duff, he's probably playing the best he's ever played for us now. Winters starting early.

He has to with our midfield, i'll be suprised if theres a slower and less creative one in the premiership

I would suggest a pitch invasion to get the game called off. But don't think there's enough of a crowd for it to be noticed!! Pretty gash (game, not crowd)

Thought Storey & Young were very good last night in what looks like a very solid back 4, considering I thought they were dodgy panic buys at the time.

Bring Sven back from Mexico, its about time he changed clubs anyway.

not KK the problem is.... we have concern is this new setup... appointing wise was pointless.... sack wise appoint another good manager ... we'll happy with.. KK in and out is next owner choice... if it still want DoF position... pls try to find someone who can communicate to the manager.... Ii is a fact that Wise is never should be appointed as DoF. This has been done to death (and no-one knows or is telling) but the easiest way to solve a problem is to remove the cause of it, why do you think the chairman, owner et al have stuck by Wise and not bowed to pressure to sack him and bring back Keegan? As I said, this has been done on umpteen threads, but I for one don't put it down to a 'cockney-mafia' plan. Oh, and for the record, there is no way on earth that Roman will ever get his money back at Chelsea, no way at all. Ashley got the highest position in his business.. for smart business men he should be manage the problem. Problem: - It is a fact that wise can't work properly. prove: clash with manager recently: - It is a fact that Keegan is stubborn. He won't change his vision. Just sack them both.... and get new employee to fill in and can do coorporation with each other. it is as easy as that what ashley. but right now what he already done just keegan character killing yet he still stick with wise. dramatizing all event. i suspicious he want to sell NUFC now for a short time to get short time profit. how can roman will not getting his money back? do you have backing evidence? or imagination of simple minded fella opinion? Must be me being simple minded then.

It'll more than likely be Houghton as care-taker until a new owner is found. No-one would be mad enough to take the job on a full-time basis knowing the club is to be sold and they probably won't be the new owners 1st choice.

If he'd come out and said similar about a week ago, maybe this could have been avoided or if he'd promised to sell then maybe we wouldn't be looking so unownerable and unmanageable.

not KK the problem is.... we have concern is this new setup... appointing wise was pointless.... sack wise appoint another good manager ... we'll happy with.. KK in and out is next owner choice... if it still want DoF position... pls try to find someone who can communicate to the manager.... Ii is a fact that Wise is never should be appointed as DoF. This has been done to death (and no-one knows or is telling) but the easiest way to solve a problem is to remove the cause of it, why do you think the chairman, owner et al have stuck by Wise and not bowed to pressure to sack him and bring back Keegan? As I said, this has been done on umpteen threads, but I for one don't put it down to a 'cockney-mafia' plan. Oh, and for the record, there is no way on earth that Roman will ever get his money back at Chelsea, no way at all.

The tail wagged the dog last saturday, regardless of who you believed 'lied' once you have 'fan-power' deciding things then the only path from there is a downward spiral. What happens when the next owner doesn't bring KK back............another march, banners and protest for another? I am really and seriously worried about the club now.

didn't think of that one, and I can see the point perfectly. Ashley would be meeting with Anbami not Keegan if this was the scenario (unless this is all bollocks of course) I think Baggio is saying that he suspects Ashley realises the club is more saleable if Keegan is back and all this trouble is brought to an end - ie the reverse could also be true, but who knows. It's Ashleys call. Only he knows. Fair point, just don't see KK bailing out Ashley if he thought he'd been shit on by him. He could/would wait this out.

didn't think of that one, and I can see the point perfectly. Ashley would be meeting with Anbami not Keegan if this was the scenario (unless this is all bollocks of course)

Unfortunately Tsunami you're exactly right, some fans here are happy to cheer the balanced books at the expenses of any hope of success on the pitch. We've gone from a team who were challlenging at the top, to a team who where challenging for Europe, to a mid table team, to a team that's statisfied to remain in the top division. This clinging on to the hope that we'll be another "Arsenal" is fanciful in the extreme. Just how long ago was it since we were challenging at the top, you can't put that on the present set-up can you? What the hell has my statement got to do with your point ? It's about the diminishing expectations of fans. You implied that as the club is to be run as a business, within its means then it'll never be anything other than a bottom half club. We've tried throwing money around and that didn't work so what do you want us to do? Carry on doing so in the blind hope it works? Its not how much you spend, its what you spend it on that counts, we've been hitty-missy for what seems like years on this score, so maybe, just maybe there are other ways to try. You still haven't mentioned supporters expectations in any of that, and that's the point Tsunami was making and I was agreeing with. This is not another Ashley rant, it's about how we seem to have accepted a lowering standing than really we have every right to expect. The only supporters expections Tsunami was referring to was those who are swimming against the tide on here saying that we're accepting that Ashley is only in it for the profit (we're not) and that we'd be happy to be an also ran in the league (we certainly don't), and that we accept that we'll never ever get anywhere following that path (again we don't), and you agreed with him. I give up. You are obviously having difficulty reading. Give over man, try reading it yourself from the 1st quoted post.

Unfortunately Tsunami you're exactly right, some fans here are happy to cheer the balanced books at the expenses of any hope of success on the pitch. We've gone from a team who were challlenging at the top, to a team who where challenging for Europe, to a mid table team, to a team that's statisfied to remain in the top division. This clinging on to the hope that we'll be another "Arsenal" is fanciful in the extreme. Just how long ago was it since we were challenging at the top, you can't put that on the present set-up can you? What the hell has my statement got to do with your point ? It's about the diminishing expectations of fans. You implied that as the club is to be run as a business, within its means then it'll never be anything other than a bottom half club. We've tried throwing money around and that didn't work so what do you want us to do? Carry on doing so in the blind hope it works? Its not how much you spend, its what you spend it on that counts, we've been hitty-missy for what seems like years on this score, so maybe, just maybe there are other ways to try. You still haven't mentioned supporters expectations in any of that, and that's the point Tsunami was making and I was agreeing with. This is not another Ashley rant, it's about how we seem to have accepted a lowering standing than really we have every right to expect. The only supporters expections Tsunami was referring to was those who are swimming against the tide on here saying that we're accepting that Ashley is only in it for the profit (we're not) and that we'd be happy to be an also ran in the league (we certainly don't), and that we accept that we'll never ever get anywhere following that path (again we don't), and you agreed with him.

Unfortunately Tsunami you're exactly right, some fans here are happy to cheer the balanced books at the expenses of any hope of success on the pitch. We've gone from a team who were challlenging at the top, to a team who where challenging for Europe, to a mid table team, to a team that's statisfied to remain in the top division. This clinging on to the hope that we'll be another "Arsenal" is fanciful in the extreme. Just how long ago was it since we were challenging at the top, you can't put that on the present set-up can you? What the hell has my statement got to do with your point ? It's about the diminishing expectations of fans. You implied that as the club is to be run as a business, within its means then it'll never be anything other than a bottom half club. We've tried throwing money around and that didn't work so what do you want us to do? Carry on doing so in the blind hope it works? Its not how much you spend, its what you spend it on that counts, we've been hitty-missy for what seems like years on this score, so maybe, just maybe there are other ways to try.

That's the way I see it too. What's been said by all parties has been so twisted by the media and fans that I don't blame them for keeping quiet. Provided they are making progress and we get the right man eventually then I don't care how long it takes or whether they leak pointless shortlists to the media (who, according to our friend on Sky Sports earlier, can no longer get any info out of the club) So because we won't believe them, it's ok for them to say nothing ? It's not OK in the slightest FFS. I would love to see that one work in a court of law, the prosecution makes it's case paints a pretty bad picture, then the judge tells the defence it's their turn, but they say " oh the jury wouldn't believe us, so we'll not bother". It's about respecting your customer base (since we seem to be talking about NUFC as a business now more than a football club), those senior members of the board have shown zero respect for the customers since this whole episode has blown up. I see what you're saying, but I just think the club would think there is nothing to be gained by commenting every few days, because of the reasons I've mentioned (as well as the media treatment they might get). There were official statements when anything was official, don't see the need for much else. On the countary their's everything to be gained, their reputation with the majority of fans is about as low as you can get right now. Any statement that explains their actions over the last few weeks could only possibly help fight their case. They can't really suink too much lower but there is a long way to rise. The official statements were faceless, incomplete and spoke not to the fans but to the media and lawyers. The thing is though: - they said that discussions were ongoing with KK, then we all went and said 'oh, he's already walked', or 'he's been sacked' or 'they're just working out his compensation', or 'they're giving Wise the sack and backing KK' ad infinitum. They said what was happening, and we speculated wildly anyway. - they said when KK had resigned, and that they had tried to work it out, the we all sided with KK and said he had been 'forced out'. They said what had happened and we speculated wildly anyway. - even down to Hughton saying 'training has gone well', then you going 'oh I don't believe that, maybe it wasn't a disaster but I doubt he would say if it was anyway'. So what's the point in saying anything more? It's a classic no-win situation for the club, the only thing that matters is who the manager is, when he's appointed. I don't know which alternate universe you are living on but there was geniune hope after the first statement, coupled with the one from KK via the LMA. That he may still be our boss, only some of the more cynical were talking about "it's just lawyers working out a compensation deal" The reason for all the speculation is a direct consequence of them not being complete with their statements, not explaining the situation throughly, not coming out and having the guts to face the public. That's all it boils down to, it's about showing respect to the fans and dsiplaying a strength of character to be prepared to fight for what you believe in. If they really think this DOF system is the way forward, then tell us why, tell us what they are looking for in a manager, tells us why KK was chosen to spearhead it originally and why he was wrong to leave the system. Lets hear their side of the story, is that really too much to ask ? I'll agree with you one that one. The longer they leave it to say something, anything, that explains what really happened, even if it shows them 100% in the right, the harder it will be for anyone to believe them. I would have thought that the short (and a bit puerile) statement was just a quick one to get the 'facts' across while the long winded one was being typed up.

Unfortunately Tsunami you're exactly right, some fans here are happy to cheer the balanced books at the expenses of any hope of success on the pitch. We've gone from a team who were challlenging at the top, to a team who where challenging for Europe, to a mid table team, to a team that's statisfied to remain in the top division. This clinging on to the hope that we'll be another "Arsenal" is fanciful in the extreme. Just how long ago was it since we were challenging at the top, you can't put that on the present set-up can you?

Can sympathise with both Warner and Keane over this tbh If Yorke said he'd retire from international football as a condition of getting a one-year contract and then says to the Trinidad FA that he's ok and wants to play, then he's the one in the wrong.

The only ones saying that he's only in it for the money are the same ones on your side of the arguement. The others, me included, acknowledge that the club is not being run a toy and so has to be run with a bit of business accumen.