AlanSkÃrare

I'm not sure McClaren wants to do this. It's hell for any manager now. Ashley's been shamed in the media over these past weeks, there's an awareness of his principles, his purpose and his use of NUFC that wasn't there prior to Pardew going. It unmasked the whole thing. Anyone who signs up for doing his job now will have to answer a f***ing load of questions on Ashley and how they consider working for him. This will apply to McClaren and basically anyone else. He will also know how easy it'll be for the fans to turn on him, the cards are on the table from the off this time. With Pardew, very few knew the details. It's a posionous job, at least in the way Ashley sees it.

Jonas? Ah, he's back? Nice. Been off the grid for a while? I wish.

Jonas? Ah, he's back? Nice.

In those pictures, who the fuck is JG? Is that Yoan Gouffran?

Balls would be quitting, no?

Most accurate description of him I've seen in the press.

When we lose his first game in charge to a Dean Whitehead goal and Vurnon Anita plays 90 minutes he'll probably be stabbed to death.

Is that real?

I struggle to care for anything other than the issue with Ashley and the people doing his bidding. Us winning or losing is irrelevant. The analysis starts and ends with him because he's killed it.

Everything against me? He's the most fortunate motherfucker alive to be in the job.

77. http://www.nufc.com/html/records.html Really interesting page, that. Needs to be updated with a few of Pardew's finest memories.

I agree McClaren is better than Pardew. My point was that his potential appointment has similarities to Pardew's. I remember there were people presenting the same sort of argument about him at the time, how he'd done well previously etc. and "deserved another chance". Another similarity is that there's a lot of much more appealing options for us but whoever manages us must be indebted to Ashley, so McClaren fits the bill.

Same could basically be said about Pardew when he was appointed. There's a reason they've both ended up in lower leagues. The 19th richest club on the planet shouldn't be run as a charity for mangers who want another chance. Okay sorry but there was NO way that could be said. Pardew before he came here had the reputation of not knowing how to play his team. He added on that by being even worse that though. In all fairness to McClaren he does have quite an enviable bit of trophyware for an English manager. I reckon there was a perception of Pardew that was similar to that, among some and not all of course, but might be wrong. Some people argued he was a decent guy and pointed to his results with West Ham as well as bringing players through at Southampton. Of course it was horribly wrong, but appointing McClaren has its similarities to me. A coach whose reputation mainly consists of vague perceptions and old merits looking to resurrect his former standing in the game.

Same could basically be said about Pardew when he was appointed. There's a reason they've both ended up in lower leagues. The 19th richest club on the planet shouldn't be run as a charity for mangers who want another chance.

While I agree with the gist of your general sentiment, where I would differ is comparing him to Pardew. While McClaren generally comes across as an uninspiring figure who never amounted to much despite early hype, I do think he's on another level to Pardew because at least he seems to have some genuine coaching credentials. By that I mean there is probably some respect within the game for that side of him. Pardew on the other hand is seen mostly as wide boy who will probably never seriously be considered for the national job. I get the feeling McClaren teams will be boring and functional but probably not as blatantly horrible to watch as Pardew's. Centre forwards playing at left back and what have you. I agree with that, McClaren is (or was) by many accounts a better coach. That's not the reason we might appoint him though, which makes the appointment equally as uninspiring for me.

With McClaren, I feel it's easy to point out why his possible appointment would be as pointless as Pardew really. Like Pardew, he wouldn't be appointed based on sporting merit. If we were looking to attract someone who could develop NUFC as a football club, we would not dive into the Championship after reviewing 80 applications or look to the continent. Like Pardew, he fits the profile of being instantly and endelssly indebted to Ashley. Thankful for being up-hoisted from a lower league and given the chance to redecorate his reputation - despite no other Premier League club reaching for him, but turning to the likes of Chris Ramsey, Tim Sherwood, Tony Pulis and Alan Pardew. That's his standing in the game. He's not a forgotten managerial talent that we can magically resurrect on the cheap. Like Pardew, he'll be brought in to pick up whatever is thrown at him, do Pardew's job of advertising vulnerability in the transfer market and act as a human shield whenever recruitment or cup policy is being questioned, while being ever so thankful of having job that one of his main priorities will be staying in the job, a job he wouldn't have without our self-constructed crippled reality. He'll threfore need to actively reinforce that with the same rhetoric Pardew used, as any other reality would signal that he should have never even been considered for the job. Like Pardew (well...), he'll have just enough to keep us ticking over, earn praise from colleagues for picking up the odd unexpected win and manage a club that is virtually impossible to manage; subsequently restoring his reputation. I'm quite sure that's the approach they'll use when trying to sell the job to him, if they don't stop the charade and just go with Carver. In which case they're not even interested in disguising our pointless existence anymore.

Ashley said himself in a statement that he would sell so there was "no need to protest anymore". Edit: here. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/n/newcastle_united/7615655.stm

Our best midfielder.

Cissé was horrible for most of Pardew's tenure, Tioté deteriorated in spectacular fashion, Sissoko limited to robust winger for long spells. There's also the Obertan for Routledge wreckage and never understanding how to use Anita.

Don't doubt for one second that Ashley listened to Pardew. He listened to Kinnear. Pardew kept everything in order for him, the four years he was at the club are probably Ashley's favourite period of owning us.

Superb post tmonkey

Newcastle - Liverpool 1-5 in 2008. David Edgar scored and Geremi hit the bar. Gerrard hit a DJ afterwards but murdered us. Kinnear brought Kazenga Lua-Lua on.

HSV are Germany's equivalent of NUFC. Getting it right there is like getting it right at NUFC.

Congratulations Lee, proving that you don't understand the definition of the word "boycott." Basically this piece condenses to "Some fans will boycott, other fans won't boycott. It's up to each fan's personal opinion." What a f***ing retard this guy is. Still no sign OF intelligent life in his body.

What the fuck could that theoretically even be? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/11514670/I-wanted-to-attack-Paolo-Di-Canio-when-he-did-his-knee-slide-against-us-admits-Newcastle-manager-John-Carver.html