Nate

Commentator on Owen's 'goal': "And for Nigel Pearson, that decision could be the difference between him being given the top job full time and being unemployed in a couple of weeks."

This formation could be working if Butt and Smith weren't so poor is possession.

I thought Pearson would at least play an attacking 4-4-2 and have a go, what have we to lose?

I wouldn't put it past us to get something here, looking forward to it after all the off-field chaos of the last few days.

Wolverhampton 0-3 Crystal Palace. Warnock has to be applauded for the job he's doing there, very good Championship manager. ...and Barnsley 1-3 Norwich.

...just a bit. To sack Sam at such a ridiculous time without, now we find, anybody at all lined up is scarily reminiscent of Shepherd's decision to sack Bobby. Yet what would have happened if they'd tried to find out for sure about Redknapp before sacking Allardyce? We'd have a situation where we approached another manager with Allardyce still in charge, had that manager turn us down publically as Allardyce sits in the background still Newcastle United manager. What would people say then "Its a shambles, they should have let Allardyce go if they wanted another manager, now he's been undermined and we have nowhere to go from here but to sack him". How can they win with some people around here? There's a way of doing things. Ashley's best friend is very well acquainted with Redknapp, i'm sure it wouldn't have been difficult to find out if he was interested without the press getting hold of it.

Yes but Rozy, Cacapa & Enrique have been a waste of time, you could include Geremi in that as well. So 2 out of 6, not great is it? No, it's not great, but he didn't make a solitary 'decent' signing in midfield or attack.

'Alot of his signings, certainly the defensive ones, haven't been good enough.' - Paul Walsh. Sam's only decent signings were defensive ones.

Harry confirming he met with and was made a massive offer by Chris Mort last night. Good interview from Redknapp, to be fair, hold no grudges against him.

...just a bit. To sack Sam at such a ridiculous time without, now we find, anybody at all lined up is scarily reminiscent of Shepherd's decision to sack Bobby.

The club reiterating the fact they want an experienced manager appears to be a blunt message to Shearer. Now i'm clinging to the faint hope that experienced manager isn't Redknapp.

The bookies have closed for the day. This shit takes me back. Its like mancityfans.net circa June '07.

http://www.oddschecker.com/football/football-specials/next-newcastle-manager/next-permanent-manager All betting suspended, or is that an error?

Get sam faaackin' brains intyaaa, Keefaz.

Mort and Redknapp probably wouldn't be saying anything to Oliver either way. The press conference will be telling.

It just doesn't add up, from what we know about Mort. Either they have somebody else lined up and this is infact a smokescreen, or in Mike Ashley we have another Freddy Shepherd who sacked Sam on a whim. The latter is currently looking more likely...

Good news. Would he really be holding a routine press conference if we had made an official approach this morning?

Harry fucking Redknapp. Cannot believe it.

A woman on Skunkers, whose husband is The People's David Kidd & 'Akabusi' on Toontastic, who broke the news that Allardyce had gone before the media.

Several years. Mort and Ashley can justify sacking Sam so soon because he was never their appointment, but I now expect them to be very patient with their own man in order to avoid being tarred with same brush as the previous board (not that it should require a great deal of patience not to sack the manager, if they make the right appointment in the first place).

I agree. This is such a crucial period in the Premier League, it's now arguably the most attractive and richest league in the world, with a queue of top managers very keen to come here. To merely continue the cycle of average british managers would be massively disappointing and i worry would leave us miles behind Sven's City and Ramos' Tottenham, along with currently established top four, over the coming years. This is Ashley's first and most important appointment, it has to be a 'special' one. :parky:

Redknapp wouldn't say this morning 'There's nothing in my being linked with the job. I am happy down on the South Coast.' if he had already agreed to take it.

A few reasons why i think Mourinho is not completely out of the question.. - He loves England and the Premier League. - AC Milan, Real Madrid and Barcelona have obviously not shown a firm interest in him as his agent has continued to entertain links with the Liverpool and Bayern Munich jobs. - Ashley is capable of offering him a very lucrative contract and large transfer budget, similar to the conditions he went to Chelsea under. - Due to his relationship with Sir Bobby he does appear to have a genuine respect for the club. - The challenge of managing the sleeping giant, the perennial underachievers of the league would surely appeal to the man's ego? I know people will label it pie in the sky, but look at the state Man City were in when they attracted Sven, Tottenham when they got Ramos. We have one of the largest fan bases, in the most attractive league in the world and a billionaire owner. People should believe we can do better than Harry bloody Redknapp.