sempuki

Smith isn't in the 18.

Seconded - it's doubtful we could have handled this any worse.

Shock horror.

Sounds very interesting - I wouldn't rule anything out.

Both Donninger and Danquah is known from before. They haven't been on the bench though.

Nice goal from Babel.

Enrique out again?

Some real new names on the bench - Doninger, Danquah etc.

The Times amongst others: Latest twist in tangled plot descends into forlorn farce George Caulkin If, as has been reported this week, Mike Ashley truly has designs on building an empire in Hollywood, his spell at Newcastle United will have served as a decent rehearsal. No plotline would be too implausible, no cast-list too jarring, no finale too dramatic and if the finished product would lack cohesion, somehow — in spite of everything — it would make compulsive viewing. Into the combustible mix of maverick billionaire owner, charismatic manager, a passionate support and decades of yearning, has been thrust what would surely be the mother of all sequels. If, of course, the pitch is right. Kevin Keegan IV: this time it’s personal. While an extraordinary prospect appears less certain this morning, if Keegan were to return to Tyneside after the events of the past fortnight, after the briefings and counter-briefings, the threats to sue, the tears and anger, nothing in the game could be held sacred or secure. But then this is an extraordinary club, populated by unconventional people, located in a febrile city. While last night’s meeting between Ashley and Keegan broke up without a satisfactory conclusion — one senior figure in the club’s hierarchy maintained that the discussion was aimed at settling the dispute over Keegan’s contract, in spite of the curious public forum — Newcastle has again been electrified. With protests planned for today’s home match against Hull City, perhaps Ashley will have succeeded in subtly altering the mood. It was only nine days ago that Keegan said: “It’s my opinion that a manager must have the right to manage and that clubs should not impose upon any manager any player that he does not want.” The inference was obvious: Dennis Wise, the club’s executive director (football), was buying and selling players. On transfer deadline day, Michael Owen and Joey Barton were made available. It was that, coupled with the failure to reinvest on experienced players the £12 million that Newcastle brought in from the sale of James Milner, which pushed Keegan to the precipice. Ashley and Wise were the villains of the episode and fans were propelled towards mutiny, but little at a club famed for its monochrome stripes is black and white. The main protagonists are hardly mundane. For those students of Newcastle history, there are parallels. In March 1992, shortly after his first return to Gallowgate, Keegan walked out, remarking that the “job hadn’t turned out as the brochure had advertised”. At his home in Hampshire, he took a call from Sir John Hall, then Newcastle’s chairman. “There are only two people who can save Newcastle United Football Club,” Hall said. “And we are talking on the telephone.” Did Ashley reach a similar conclusion as he surveyed the wreckage of his tenure at Newcastle? As he confronted the reality of a fan boycott of club merchandise and his Sports Direct outlets? As a man who has regularly worn his replica strip in away ends and stumped up for drinks in quayside nightclubs? As he imagined the sound of heated demonstrations outside the main reception of the ground? One of the more intriguing elements of Newcastle’s latest descent into self-laceration has been how trivial the club’s search for a new manager has appeared. The issues have been Ashley’s ownership and Wise’s influence. A shortlist of candidates that featured Gus Poyet, Paul Ince and Didier Deschamps, all close associates of Wise and therefore tainted, fooled no one. Given that Ashley has consistently denied reports that he would contemplate selling Newcastle — Anil Ambani, the Indian billionaire, called a halt yesterday to his attempts to purchase the club — he has had to confront the absolute necessity and near impossibility of winning back trust. Keegan would not guarantee it, but would serve as a balm to open wounds. That talks took place at all suggests that Ashley, for all the distasteful elements of his regime, from a crass lack of communication, the failings in the transfer market and the disgraceful attempts to rubbish Keegan’s reputation, has stumbled upon recognition. The impasse that resulted confirms that, for all their willingness to contemplate the unthinkable, he and Keegan are stubborn men. Wise and the existence of an acquisition department, headed by a de facto director of football, has always been the cause of most disagreement; it seems unreasonable to suppose that the dispute has moved on. Ashley is wedded to a model that will bring younger, hungrier (and therefore cheaper) players to Newcastle; Keegan does not operate well under restraint. He is a blue-skies manager.

Does Roy Keane abuse canines?

I wake up to this - what a totally mental football club. Seems to me like Ashley's bottle has gone and as someone previously mentioned he knows he can't run the club with everyone on his back. Farce after farce.

Don't doubt it for a second - shambles is not the word. They (Reliance) said they hadn't been able to have a serious discussion with anyone at the club re a takeover. Sad if true.

More stirring for from The Hate Mail: It's tin-hat time at Toon as Newcastle stand-in boss Hughton ducks his media duties By Colin Young Last updated at 2:16 PM on 12th September 2008 Chris Hughton may be Newcastle manager for the foreseeable future, but the former assistant to Kevin Keegan is refusing to play the role fully this week. The former Republic of Ireland international, who was a coach at Tottenham for more than a decade, has refused to hold a press conference ahead of tomorrow's clash with Hull City. Instead, Newcastle are expected to release Hughton's programme notes to the media later today. Scroll down for more chris hughton Code of silence: Caretaker boss Chris Hughton takes Newcastle's players through their training session, but refused to meet the media Hughton is the sixth caretaker manager at Newcastle in a decade, following on from Terry McDerrmott, Steve Clarke, Nigel Pearson, John Carver and Glenn Roeder and it is the first time the club have not held a press conference for a league match under these circumstances. With Newcastle supporters threatening a full-scale protest following Keegan's departure last week, allegedly publicity-shy owner Mike Ashley and football director Dennis Wise have also refused to meet the media to appease fans descending on St James' Park for the first game without their Messiah. It is still not known if Ashley will attend the match in the directors' box, where he usually sits beside Wise. ashley demo Not welcome: Newcastle fans would rather it was Ashley and Wise who were being replaced Keegan walked out after a series of furious rows with the Newcastle board over his role at the club, and the influence of former Leeds boss Wise and his fellow director Tony Jimenez. Hughton, who was appointed as an assistant and first team coach before the end of last season, stepped in as caretaker manager earlier this week and will take charge of the side to face Hull along with Alan Thomson and Richard Money. As Newcastle continue to pursue numerous targets, including Gus Poyet, Didier Deschamps, Paul Ince and Marcelino Toral, Hughton could be in charge for the next three games. He is no stranger to facing the press. As assistant to Brian Kerr with Ireland, Hughton regularly held press conferences, although he preferred to take a back seat at White Hart Lane. Tomorrow, whatever the result, he will be expected to face the press and television cameras under Premier League rules. gutierrez Gutierrez: injured There were questions about who appointed Hughton when he joined Newcastle last season. Keegan always denied the former Spurs defender had been forced upon him by the board, although doubts will persist about those denials following the subsequent revelations about the way the club was run under his management. Hughton, who could be in charge for up to a month, faces the Hull game without Jonas Gutierrez, who suffered a suspected dislocated shoulder in Argentina's game against Peru this week, and full-back Habib Beye is also struggling to be fit.

Go have a read of the Ambani thread. It looks as if Ashley has made it perfectly clear ot them he's not selling. Read it - they are not the only ones out there and there is nothing to say they won't change their mind if given encouragement - Ashley may have his fat arm bent (broken!) after tomorrow. Not going to the game if reports are to be believed. I'd be absolutely astonished if he turned up - even with a platoon of Gurkhas, SAS, Ninjas whatever. He strikes me as a man desperate to be one of the lads and now he's totally fucked up everything he'll be hiding away in one of his big secure houses. To be honest I'd be impressed in a way if he turned up - he'd have bigger balls than I credit it him with but it won't happen, I'm sure of that.

Go have a read of the Ambani thread. It looks as if Ashley has made it perfectly clear ot them he's not selling. Read it - they are not the only ones out there and there is nothing to say they won't change their mind if given encouragement - Ashley may have his fat arm bent (broken!) after tomorrow.

I can see there being hell on tomorrow - hope the players can block it out for 90 minutes.

I'm still in don't care mode - intrigued about the demonstrations tomorrow and obviously want us to win but the whole sorry episode still lingers.

I'm thinking and hoping this current "board" won't be bringing anyone in as we'll be flogged to whoever fairly soon. Hence they don't care.

Will he be back in time to be in the squad for Saturday?

One of the better candidates imo.

No good at all as I mentioned on a previous post. His selections were quite often bewildering when he was in charge of Japan and I don't know where this attacking style nonsense comes from. Think of Souness, at least a Brazilian version and you won't be far off. I'd be gutted if Zico came.

If it's true and they are on about being more like Arsenal than Chelski I'd like to know if they really think Arsenal actually have a net spend of 12m yen or thereabouts every window. The tragedy is we didn't even get close to that pitiful sum - by Premiership standards - and were outspent by the other teams.

WE ARE DIAMONDS!!! I hate Urawa almost as much as Mike Ashley. Well too bad, because i I Can't help but falling in love with them Still scum Man U wannabees.

Rubbish this season. The motley crew I follow did the double on them already this season. Washington is one of the biggest cheats I've ever seen. Apologies for dragging the topic off on a tangent though I'm infinitely more satisfied with the 200 quid or so I pay for my season ticket (including 3 cup games) and what I get for it. I've tried to get my eldest son interested in Newcastle - bought him shirts, accessories etc. but he's having none of it. He plays for Omiya Ardija's junior team (the name of the professional team I follow) and won't be swayed at all. I blame last year's Derby County home game that I took him to - he told me (in Japanese) that we were rubbish and he was right.

WE ARE DIAMONDS!!! I hate Urawa almost as much as Mike Ashley.