Taylor Swift

Is it dived or dove?

But it doesn't matter. The point indi's making is that sentimentality shouldn't be a requirement for being our manager. If Shearer ticks the other boxes then fine, appoint him. But don't appoint him because he ticks the sentimentality box. It's like when KK was hired, everyone was happy but the appointment was obviously based on sentiment. And look where we got with that. Indi's saying be logical and ruthless, and have a proper criteria (based on past success, based on 'reputation', based on football his team's have played, based on success in transfer market etc.) for appointing managers which doesn't include sentimentality. We won't have the best managers from the world wanting to manage us but we will, for sure, have people interested in us. What indi is saying is that he hopes the board doesn't judge these other managers based on sentimentality, but judge them based on a proper criteria.

I've only one douche friend who messaged me saying 'hahaha' but he's a Spurs fan and we've always given each other shit so I expected that. Apart from him, every one else has been 'sorry dude '.. even the Man Utd fans who know my hatred of their club have said that they're sorry.

Agreed, which is why I hope they press Shearer for an answer by the end of the week, latest. And then we move on from there. To be honest, we should keep tabs on all up-and-coming managers around the world. We should always have an updated list on managers who we believe would be successful at the club. The club hasn't been proactive about seeking out managers in a long, long time and that's partly why we ended up with the likes of Souness and Roeder. I also think all our managers from now on should be forced to keep an updated list of players at each position that they like which is supplemented by continuous scouting, but obviously our chosen method is scout for what we need and then buy to cover our needs. That means we're always left in a desperate situation. But that discussion is for another time.

Nedved, Figo and Maldini retiring. Damn, not a lot of players I grew up watching are still playing.

We've sort of reached a Nash-equilibrium with Shearer as manager. It's the optimal move just because he's our manager already. Damn, never thought I'd actually get to use that concept ever again.

How long do you suggest we go look for a better manager then? I think this summer is our most important summer since '03, so we can't afford to waste time. If the board spends a month looking for a manager who we all know is better than Shearer but don't get him, that's a month wasted. And if they end up with someone similar to Shearer's quality, then that's a month wasted plus he'd have no idea of the quality of the players in our squad. He might actually keep players based on their reputations, which would just about guarantee an extra season in the championship for us. I argue for Shearer because it's important that we start plans for next season immediately. There won't be an international tournament this summer so transfer activity will and should begin right now. There's no time to waste if we want to get back up asap. He knows the weaknesses of our team and he's shown enough, for me at least, for me to believe that he can be a quality manager. If it wasn't any other summer, if we had actually survived or finished in mid-table, then I would argue against keeping Shearer. But we can't waste time and we can't afford time for the new manager to get to know the squad and get rid of the shite unless we know for sure that he's better than Shearer.

DJ is gone, crazy munda

Indi, I posted this in another thread. and That's my argument for keeping him.

Did anyone hear his press conference? He actually contemplated making a defensive sub to keep the score at 0-1 Is there actually any reason for him to do that? What's the difference between 2-0 and 1-0 in that situation? Nothing, am I right? What a moron.

He's the best man in our current situation. We're relegated, we have no time for a new guy to come in and assess the squad. We need someone who knows who's good and who's bad, and which areas need fixing and which areas are fine. If we could get Rijkaard then go for it. I'd obviously want the club to sound out some other managers if Shearer refuses, but because of the situation that we're in and based on what Shearer's actually shown, I think Shearer's the best man for the job. Edit: I'd obviously like the board to actually think about other candidates too, and not just think 'If Shearer says no then we go back to Kinnear'.

I disagree re: Jonas. He keeps the ball, he moves, he looks to make intelligent passes but it's a real shame that no one in our team actually makes intelligent runs. I think he's been used in the wrong way and we're expecting him to be wayyyyyyy more than what he actually is (or could be). He's good enough for a top 10 team, easily, imo. Just because the whole team stopped movin when he got the ball on the halfway line isn't his fault. Look at other teams who we thought we were challenging and all of them will have these similar players - players who don't have a lot of end product but is the 'glue' behind the team. Look at Park. Look at Flamini for Arsenal a year ago. These guys can't really cross, can't really shoot but it's their 'intangibles' that counts and makes them valuable. If it was all about the ability to put in a good cross or shoot then why is Park even getting a game for Man Utd? Why is he already pencilled in to start the CL final against Barcelona?

Nolan's shite. Butt at least offers some protection to the back four, even if it's woeful protection and still leaves them overexposed. With Nolan and Guthrie in the middle, we'd have been on the end of some horrific beatings. No attacking instinct, no protection for the back four. Guthrie can at least pass his way out of trouble (but lacks that cutting edge), but what does Nolan offer? What has he done? One good pass for Lovenkrands is all I remember. Don't mention the other 'assist' to Martins because there was no intent from Nolan to head it to Martins - it was just a general header to nowhere, as usual. The other argument that can be made for Shearer is based on stability. We need it. He's actually seen the squad and the players, so he won't need time in preseason to judge the players again. And this summer, it's even more important that whoever our manager is judges right, because we can't afford to keep shit players. So because Shearer's actually seen our players in training everyday, I'd rather he stayed because of that (on top of the other reasons that I've mentioned). Of course there's still a lot of doubt about Shearer. He's no Fergie or Wenger (yet...), he hasn't shown real tactical nous in changing the way we actually play (i.e. increasing width, or more passing and movement in general etc.), but I think it's way too early to judge him on a set of players who were known to be very shit and the fact that he had 8 games which is nothing. Give him two years. Let him clear out the squad, let him work the transfer market and let's see how next year's team does. If we clear out everyone and start again, then I wouldn't mind it if we only challenged for the playoffs but had a squad full of youngsters with potential.

Portsmouth game, and his first few games in charge, he had 8 games and he wasn't dropped till the 4th game in. Sorry but too much sympathy for an old friend. Today he put Shola on, another body up front was not what was needed. You could have 8 strikers on but without someone creating for them it's pointless. That and his persistence with Butt who was never working. 4 games in is too slow for you? It was quick enough for me and it was a very promising sign. And who do you think could have replaced Butt in the middle? For me, the pecking order in CM is, quite unfortunately, Barton > Guthrie > Butt > Nolan. Because Barton is Barton, Guthrie and Butt should have been the pairing in CM. But who then to play RM? Shearer did what he could to put the best players on the pitch. He dropped Owen for a few games and actually got Viduka playing again. That is a credit to his management. The only main disappointment I have is with how he handled Jonas: This was a guy who, if properly motivated, runs his legs off (Old Trafford, first match). But ever since Shearer's got here, his play has looked uninspired, and he just looks tired. Maybe he is tired, but I was expecting more from him and Shearer's gotta be partially responsible for the shit end to Jonas' season. Other than that, Shearer's been much better than I thought he'd be. He's not afraid to try different formations, even if some of them had bad results, but the attempt counts a lot in my opinion. He also gave up on them as soon as he found out that they didn't work, which again counts a lot. Shearer's obviously not the finished product and I imagine that if he does stay for the long term, he'll make some permanent changes to the backroom staff which will have a bigger effect on the way the team plays. I think he's shown that he can improve, and on that basis, I believe he'll get better as time passes. That, to me, makes me comfortable with the thought of him being our long-term manager.

Not gonna hit me for a while, I think. Exams, plans for a trip etc. will take Newcastle off my mind for the next month or so. Then we'll hit mid-June when preseason starts, then mid-August when the Premiership starts. That's when it's going to hit me.

Have any Mackems signed up?

What was Crumpy's banner then?

He sounds like he's going to tell Ashley what he wants, and if it's agreed to, he'll stay. He definitely looks like he wants to stay. It's just Ashley that needs to meet Shearer's terms.

Shearer will be here in August.

Do you take what Shearer says seriously? Because he said today that 'Kevin' is also to blame. Do you know what happened September 2nd? Some evidence would be lovely, thanks. Ashley's made mistakes, no doubt, but a lot of other people have made mistakes.

A part of me wished Villa would have scored a second and third early in the second half to kill us off for sure. The 1-0 scoreline still bothers me because if we had showed some fight, man, that 1 goal is really, really possible.

But there is hope. Tell Shearer that he'll do whatever he wants, keep the best players and get rid of the wasters. He'll lose a lot of money but if we get back into the Premiership, then it'll be worth it.

We should stick with him because a) stability, b) he's shown that he can learn from his mistakes, c) he will be ruthless and unsentimental and lastly, because from everything I've heard from him, he knows what he wants and what he's doing. I do think, however, that Ashley should offer him the full-time job tomorrow and give Shearer a few days to decide. Get a manager in before mid-June so whoever's managing us will have some time to think about the squad. I also think that Shearer has to take some blame for the ineptness shown in the past few matches. These guys are shit, we knew that. But they could and did have some good passages in certain matches because they were properly motivated and hungry. They weren't in the past two matches and Shearer's gotta take some responsibility for that. The gutless performance today is partially on Shearer's ability to motivate the team (or lack thereof).

I can't believe I supported this guy.

Viduka's contract is up so he's gone. I, for one, am glad. I'm glad that Owen will be off too. Edgar's contract is up and he's shit, so hopefully he goes. Ideally, we'd be left with about 7 players and the kids. And then it's Shearer's job to get some hungry footballers in. But that's in an ideal world. What I think will actually happen is that we're left with about 8 or 9 players but none of the ones that I listed in the previous post.