sicsfingeredmong

The arsehole's running - and general lack of ambition..... the profit making & recent Jan transfer window encapsulates the direction the club has taken under Ashley's watch, and he sets the financial constraints & Llambarse/Wise Co simply work within these consigned boundaries - of the club will feature heavily in the editorial pieces which will inevitably pop up when we go down.

They'll amount to obituary pieces, such is the headline grabbing nature of today's press gallery - particularly amongst the tabloid element.

There will be a common theme though, and it will run along the line of 'how to destroy a big football club'.

Whilst there was obvious & personal slant to Whelan's comments re- Ashley, he was absolutely right in his assessment. 'Pile em high, Sell em cheap' Ashley has stripped a proud club of it's dignity.

When it comes to acquiring & cheapening/devaluing another well known brand, the Ashley Effect has run it's cycle yet again .

Didn't pick this up via the telecast - as i was away from my viewing set, on a couple of occasions - but i refer to the The Independent's post match review.

 

This observation and i'm paraphrasing ,"Mike Ashley, in the directors box, chuckled as Shearer was teased by the home support with the 'You should've stayed on the telly' chant.

 

Disappointing to say the very least, if true.

 

why is it disappointing when Shearer himself acknowledged the kop, came out of the dugout, and gave them a wave and a smile?

 

  :omg: MIKE CHUCKLED!!

 

Shearer out tbh.

Acknowledging your obvious tongue in cheek response....................... isn't it about time that you remove your tongue from Wor Mike's arse.

Didn't pick this up via the telecast - as i was away from my viewing set, on a couple of occasions - but i refer to the The Independent's post match review.

 

This observation and i'm paraphrasing ,"Mike Ashley, in the directors box, chuckled as Shearer was teased by the home support with the 'You should've stayed on the telly' chant.

 

Disappointing to say the very least, if true.

 

why is it disappointing when Shearer himself acknowledged the kop, came out of the dugout, and gave them a wave and a smile?

 

  :omg: MIKE CHUCKLED!!

Shearer acknowledging, and taking the piss out of the opposition - whether it be The Kop etc - isn't that unusual. Top players & managers alike cop it all the time, they exchange in the banter exchange, and ironically enough they tend to come out on top. Witness Bellamy's performances at SJP amidst the groundswell of abuse and booing he's received since his forced departure. With an ambitious board/owner in tow Shearer - as manager - might just harness the opportunity of inflicting the last laugh. Can't see it happening during Wor Mikey's ownership though.

At least you can see the funny side with regards to that 'breath of fresh air' - Big Mike - still being able to enjoy his leisurely afternoon at the football, amidst the club's current predicament thanks to his running of it over the last two years. Much like the sight of him sporting a broad smile while out of harm's way in the protective custody of the director's box at WHL, with the score at 0-1. Funnily enough i don't.

Didn't pick this up via the telecast - as i was away from my viewing set, on a couple of occasions - but i refer to the The Independent's post match review.

This observation and i'm paraphrasing ,"Mike Ashley, in the directors box, chuckled as Shearer was teased by the home support with the 'You should've stayed on the telly' chant.

Disappointing to say the very least, if true.

Mike Ashley: best owner in the club's history, because he put in his own money and hasn't taken a penny out.

Don't agree with you Yorkie mate. For me it was an even game, you managed to create the better quality of chances, but Pompey spurned a fair few good situations themselves, a few of which were very dangerous indeed. Don't take the "they played for a 0-0" rubbish.

Agreed.

Over the first twenty minutes or so Pompey kept things tight & and slowed the pace down, in effect taking the crowd out of the game. An early goal conceded - on their part - against a side in a must win game & against a side looking to establish an up-beat & dominant tempo could've led to a landslide defeat, considering they would've been facing the proposition of defending against minded attacking 433 team with a new found sense of confidence with a crowd onside for the ride.

It's getting quite easy to write articles about how bad things are at this club. Is there actually a realistic solution?

 

dont give him your money, if everyone does that he'll be forced into either selling or pulling his finger out

 

So what if he is skint? Then how are we going to buy and improve? Also, who would want to buy a club where there are no ticket sales, no merchandise being sold, no quality squad, no quality manager or coaching staff, etc?

 

The most realistic solution is to weather the storm, and instead of pushing parts of the club apart we need to all pull together and gain some stability, financially, in a positional sense in the table and in a moral sense.

 

how are we going to buy and improve with no funds for new players and joe fuckin kinnear managing the s**** we already have? if we stayed away and didnt buy merchandise it would be obvious that it was because of the ownership and prospective buyers would know that would soon change once they stepped in.

 

i'm not suggesting we pull anything apart, i'm suggesting that if, come the summer, ashley appoints kinnear (which is bad enough in itself) AND continues with giving players like ameobi new contracts while not spending enough to keep us progressing, then we say right thats enough thanks mike, we've had it with you and we're gonna force you out. banners dont force out owners, losing money does, and fast. (disclaimer - no i dont have a better owner in mind)

 

 

 

...................... although too much water has flowed under the bridge imo.

 

 

 

 

 

Ok then lets just kick the s*** out of him instead.

Somebody might just try it, a disillusioned & disenfranchised supporter perhaps.

And for the record, i'll post one of these -  - if such an event ever takes place in the future re:Ashley.

It's getting quite easy to write articles about how bad things are at this club. Is there actually a realistic solution?

 

dont give him your money, if everyone does that he'll be forced into either selling or pulling his finger out

 

So what if he is skint? Then how are we going to buy and improve? Also, who would want to buy a club where there are no ticket sales, no merchandise being sold, no quality squad, no quality manager or coaching staff, etc?

 

The most realistic solution is to weather the storm, and instead of pushing parts of the club apart we need to all pull together and gain some stability, financially, in a positional sense in the table and in a moral sense.

 

how are we going to buy and improve with no funds for new players and joe fuckin kinnear managing the s**** we already have? if we stayed away and didnt buy merchandise it would be obvious that it was because of the ownership and prospective buyers would know that would soon change once they stepped in.

 

i'm not suggesting we pull anything apart, i'm suggesting that if, come the summer, ashley appoints kinnear (which is bad enough in itself) AND continues with giving players like ameobi new contracts while not spending enough to keep us progressing, then we say right thats enough thanks mike, we've had it with you and we're gonna force you out. banners dont force out owners, losing money does, and fast. (disclaimer - no i dont have a better owner in mind)

...................... although too much water has flowed under the bridge imo.

On the subject of including Celtic & Rangers in English top-flight football, and with it exposing them to a higher standard of football on a week-to-week basis. In essence giving Scottish footbal a leg-up on the whole, by fast tracking their better players' development.

IMO it would herald their reemergence on the international stage in the mid-long term, and therefore it compromises our qualification paths to major tournaments in the future - under the proviso of qualification groupings. For this reason only i've always been against this idea, and always will be.

Our so-called must win games & survival run-in commenced in early January, when there were winnable games on our schedule ie. before we hit some of our tougher fixtures.

This coincided with an emerging injury crisis, amidst the board not sufficiently bolstering the squad with depth & with a hint of quality early in the aforementioned period. The points we dropped during the first 2-3 weeks in January have cost us, and the damage was inflicted early in the peace imo.

Add to this the players who are out of a contract. Out of these I'd like to see us keep Viduka if he is reasonably fit and wants to stay, he could be great in the championship imo.

Viduka being reasonably fit would never happen and I couldn't see him wanting to stay if we were relegated (unless it was on the same insane wages which it wouldn't be).

Re: Viduka.

To borrow an Oliver'ism, the word on the grapevine is that he's currently being courted by clubs in Australia.

The optimism on here is astounding i mean its going to hurt like hell WHEN we go down because for me we are doomed theres not a cat in hells chance we will win 3 games out of 5 when

 

we have won 6 out of 33

we have won 1 in 17 yes thats nearly half a season and that was against west brom the only team below us

we havent kept a clean sheet in 16

we have won 4 times at home in 15 losing to the likes of Hull and Blackburn and failing to beat Wigan and Stoke

 

Face it lads even the most optimistic have to wake up smell the coffee its bye bye premier league for us after 16 seasons, the management of the club should hang there heads in shame for the monumental errors that have caused this because i dont think we will be back for a long time

The point i've underlined is key for me - if Ashley doesn't sell-up & bugger off - taking his brand swallowing black hole/sports retail empire with him.

The rough & tumble of the Championship - and we'll be a 'marked team' from the outset - will prove to be a tough litmus test for untested youngsters in Kadar, Tozer etc.

If Ashley won't muster up the funds necessary to steer a club through a relegation fight - ie. our recent profit making January transfer window, a shocking indictment of non-ambition on the part of the Ashley regime - what are the odds of him sufficiently financing a promotion challenge? Judging by the aforementioned Jan transfer window there's a higher likelihood of us selling key/necessary or in-form players, if we're in the promotion mix come next January.

Speculative of course - a crux point for one particular hindsight queen here - and going by the recent Jan window Ashley is more likely to offload a Nile Ranger, provided the player's form in the Championship warrants attention from EPL suitors........................ 5m in the coffers is guaranteed good news for the spreadsheets, for the short term. Shame about the bigger picture though.

Lesson to Fat Boy Grin, Speculate to Accumulate.  Absolutely no chance of him taking any notice whatsoever.

 

 

You're clueless, why are you even allowed to post?

....................... and he hit the nail on the head re: Glorified Cheap Merchant Salesman/Fat Boy Ashley, and some posters/members fell and have fallen by the wayside amidst similar & clueless criticism for raising just the above.

And last time i checked - ie. the Forum Guidelines - having one's tongue firmly entrenched in Ashley's arse wasn't the rule of necessity in terms of being allowed to post here.

disgusts me that he's been benched in favour of the likes of Duff and Nolan this season. Clear bias towards reputations tbh, hope Shearer puts it right

Nah yesterday Shearer hit the nail on the head, he used him as an impact sub.

 

yeah, after we'd not threatened once all game, genius, he clearly got it wrong man

Right, when Jonas was on how much was he kicked and battered ? You put him on from the start, and you'll have a crocked player after 20 minutes. Jonas doesn't take the physical game well, it was the right decision, if it wasn't for his poor decision to start Carroll over Shola we would have won.

 

 

The best managers LEARN from their mistakes..lets see

 

That's if you think Shearer made a "mistake" by not starting Jonas.  He clearly was using him as an "impact" sub and it worked great.  Let the workhorses like Duff, Nolan, Guthrie run the defence tired and then let Jonas who has a bit of real pace come on and run at them some more when they are already tired.  Jonas would have not been as effective had he started yesterday.

That 'impact sub' role you speak of was best suited to a youngster - in Lua Lua - now on loan. Through poor squad management, the same player has been inadvertently placed in the shop window under the proviso that he impresses during his 1st team spell down the season's stretch.

When Nolan was signed, I said that the fact that Bolton were prepared to release him for the fee paid indicated to me that they thought they had seen the best of him, and they had reasons for letting him go apart from the money - I still believe that, and his performances since have borne out the fact that he is nothing like the player he was about 2-3 years ago...

As far as R. Taylor is concerned, he is a player that falls between 2 stools, neither a RB or a LMF player ; in the past, players such as Madeley at Leeds were able to fulfill several roles in the team because they had enough ability to do so - Taylor clearly hasn't and was signed, in my opinion, on the rounds of price and the fact that he had scored two free-kick goals against NUFC....both of these facts being an indictment of the club's scouting AND buying policies.

KK would have signed NEITHER of these`players and neither would SBR...which is another illustration of why Kinnear & Co are at NUFC......

KK would have most likely vetoed such moves, just as he did on the final day of the Jan transfer window - last season - when he quashed a couple of Wise's incoming transfers, one of which involved a Brazilian central defender from Spanish club Getafe.

At the time KK declared that while he was manager he wouldn't sign players he deemed 'were not good enough to play fro Newcastle United'. Although it was early in his short reign, imo this was the first indication that were cracks appearing in the respective ideologies of how Keegan has handled transfer matters in the past and that of our new direction undertaken - in the area of player recruitment - under the Ashley Regime. This early warning given by Keegan imo acted as the catalyst as to why certain moves, for players Keegan didn't want, occurred over his head in the transfer market during the Summer window. He even lost operating control with respect to coaching appointments & departures as well.

On a similar note - ie. pillar type/target-men centreforwards - i think Everton have unearthed a gem in Fellaini.

 

 

 

Unearthed a gem? You make it sound like they signed some obscure kid and he's come good.

 

He cost £15Million!

Still it's a gamble, abeit an expensive one, taking a reputed talent from a second tier league and he is only 21. But that's what the transfer market revolves around - gambling, speculating on talent and sometimes it's costly.

Or you can settle for spending a few million - in total - by scouring the Eastern block nations while adopting a scattershot strategy of signing kids enmasse for a few hundred thousand quid each, or even cheaper, in the hope that maybe just one will come good ie. Kadar etc.

The step-up, in terms of the difference in the respective strength of the league, in class and the related transition as to whether the player/youngster will cut it at the EPL level is one intangible worth considering. Belgium as a feeder league to the top cpmpetitions ' ie. Spain, England, Italy - is nearly on par with Holland ie. a top heavy league where good youngsters impress at a higher level than the leagues mentioned above, due to the lack of overall depth outside the likes of Anderlecht and a couple of other European competition regulars. A kid like Fellaini look like absolute monsters - in terms of dominant & consisitent productivity - early on, but it's another thing for a top club to undertake such a gamble, lets say when they're 18 or 19. Especially so given the scarce impact and overall inconsistency when speaking of both league's - ie. Belgium & Holland - representation in Europe's club competitions in recent years.

IMO if Fellaini was a 6ft+ & athletic attacking midfielder competing in Spain or Portugal for example - of Spanish, South American descent...... a product of a noted scouting network ie Sevilla/Sporting/Porto - he would've been poached by one of the bigger European clubs at an earlier age, and quite possibly for a similar fee.

Whereas, and the exception in this instance, a teenage Obi Mikel received a higher degree of international exposure - in the wake of the Youth WC, and his development in the Nigerian youth system - and was well known to scouts who earn their quid by tracking Africa's top up & coming talent, even before they hit the continent/those lesser so-called feeder leagues which are often the first destination for Africa's hopefuls.

Main problem with martins is that when he isn't scoring goals, his all round game and overall contribution is not good enough. It certainly doesn't warrant the adoration he seems to get on this forum. Admittedly, the midfield is s**** but that doesn't mean martins has to run around like a headless chicken. A good player would use the ball not lose it.

 

I actually think he keeps and uses the ball much better than he used to. Still not great like, and Saturday's woeful showing is definitely not good enough.

 

As I said before, I think half of the reason people like Martins is due to his quirkiness.

Put Asprilla into that category as well. Technically gifted, no doubt. Had a wow factor about him, no doubt. Eccentric, no doubt. Ultimately though - too laconic, lazy and half-arsed in terms of work-rate.

For me Asprilla's overall effectiveness, because his goal ratio certainly didn't offset his suspect work rate/effort, totals less than half a dozen games.

Yet the same player is unfairly adored when compared with some other vastly underrated & more influential players - ie. Gavin Peacock - and some of whom are unfortunately & unfairly despised to this day ie. Robert & Bellamy.

On a similar note - ie. pillar type/target-men centreforwards - i think Everton have unearthed a gem in Fellaini.

got nowt to do with being a foreigner. everything to do with being thick though. dont tarnish our overseas fans cos one of them made a laughably ignorant statement, plenty of geordies come out with  rubbish too.

 

I know, but quite a few foreign/none Geordie based fans talk a lot of crap where this club's history and especially where figures like KK are concerned. Oh and I'm aware I come out with a lot of crap doesn't excuse comments that basically say KK isn't an NUFC legend when he most certainly is and always will be. It irks me that no-bodies who do something daft in a match (ketsbaia) or score a hat-trick in a big game (Tino) get classed as legends. No people, they are not, not even heroes, its the likes of KK, Sir Bobby, Moncur, Shearer, Harvey, Wor Jackie, Hughie Gallacher, Super Mac et al that are heroes and legends.

 

I'm allowed to think that Keegan's a cowardly prick for what he did in September while still acknowledging his legendary achievements in the past.

 

he was the only person with the guts to take over in 1992 though - maybe its YOUR comment that doesn't make sense

And Shearer, amidst the club's current plight, falls into a similar stanza, and *the current predicament is more precarious than 1992 imo. Despite any misgivings i have for him - ie. reasons i have posted previously: in some very old threads - as a manager he's shown a healthy amount of intestinal fortitude by stepping into Ashley's induced shower of s***, and for that i tip my hat off to him.

*fewer games in hand. In the wake of Kinnear's season of anti-football there's no luxury of having a necessary adjustment period ie. re-educating this team in the simple art of playing effective passing football with shape, width & movement. There was an adjustment phase last season, as the manager re-educated the team, all the while as the team was in the initial phase of adopting the necessary confidence & belief needed to execute the gameplan on matchday as it was coached on the training paddock.

And the results were there to see, we copped some floggings early on during Keegan Chapter Two. Keegan emplored them to play football - as noted above - against the big boys, before the results eventually swung our way in the must win games against the sides who were thereabouts with us on the table.

And our revival wasn't immediate - although the arrival of Kilcline delivered some much needed authority & leadership to a consistently slaughtered back 4 - during the survival campaign of 92 as well, and Shearer doesn't have that same luxury on his doorstep ie. the ability to make such an impact signing ala Kilcline.

Chicago...

 

Says a lot.

 

Yeah, f*** me what do I know.  Although you do have SBR calling Keegan yesterday's man as well, but he's just a mouthpiece for Ashley as well.  Poor old King Kev, misunderstood by everyone.

 

Newcastle have had one legendary manager

 

[glow=red,2,300]You wouldn't be supporting the club if it wasn't not for KK man.

 

Sir Bobby would never have done what KK did, come to an ailing second division club on the brink of relegation and going bust and that's not me having a dig at the man, just putting things into perspective. In fact without KK there would have been no Sir Bobby. They are both legends, as is Harvey the last man who won us a trophy who you conveniently failed to mention. I can understand people still being pissed off about KK leaving but f*** me, its getting sillier and sillier to the point where its as if what he's achieved for this club (basically he saved us and paved the way for Sir Bobby and those high finishes and CL nights) didn't happen. You being a foreigner cannot possibly comprehend what KK means to the people of this club even outside of football matters so stick your s**** where it belongs.[/glow]

In agreement once again...................... a predicament so often scarce until recently.

As for the section placed in bold. Despite KK's impact, as manager, Robson still knocked back our previous advances - when SBR's  career priority was firmly planted over on the continent, whether it be in the dug-out or at the footballing front office level ie. Barca.

Robson deserves his level of praise for what he achieved here as manager, but he is by no means a shitless saint either as Chicago Shearer would have us believe.

I just wish Shearer had been appointed 16 months ago after Sam Allardyce was sacked. Instead, yesterday's man Keegan was appointed instead of tomorrow's man.

 

Interesting comment.

 

And completely accurate.

 

Newcastle have had one legendary manager, and his name was Bobby Robson, not Kevin Keegan.  One man was sacked and still turned up to see the club he loves despite being seriously ill.  The other f***ed off to play golf while we were sucked into a relegation battle. 

 

This thread should be titled 'I Love Bobby Robson.'  No buts about it.

 

Who's a special little boy...

 

If we were dead last in the Championship with over half the season gone and no players to buy or sell do you think Robson even answers the phone to manage us?

And Robson only accepted the our board's approaches - after having knocked us back once before - after the curtains had well & truly closed on his management days over on the continent imo. The Newcastle job, when he stepped into the hotseat, at his age was his last port of call in the management game, in terms of taking hold of the reigns at a big club. A club with the necessary ambition at boardroom level to match his own goals.

Now almost a 9 for me - getting cut adrift now.

And what was a minor buffer for us, in the way of goal difference, has now evaporated.

Relegation is approaching certainty status now.

Can we have Mort back now please Mr Ashley?

Why?........................... like Llambarse he struck me as being just another media mouthpiece for Ashley - adhering to the party line in terms of talking about plans etc.

In this facility the difference between the two - Llambarse & Mort - was that Mort was much more savvy in presenting himself in the media as a personable & trusting figure. He was very much the polar opposite to the arrogance conveyed by Llambarse, so in this respect i understand why many are calling for his return/re-appointment. However it doesn't make him any less 'full of s***' than Llambarse

So if Shearer keeps us up is everyone gona forget about everything that has happened this season and forgive Ashley?

No.

Ashley is still a w*****. We're in this position now, having to appoint an unproven manager to placate the fans and hopefully save our season, because of the way he's ran this club into the ground.

 

He's going to have to do more tha appoint Shearer and get rid of Wise to get me on side. He's shown his true colours over the past few months and I for one don't like them. The season wasn't a 'necessity', nor will it be a blessing in disguise if we do stay up. It's an unmitigated f***ing disaster and MA & DL need to take the vast majority of the blame for it and their completely negligent attitude towards the club.

 

I will support the team to the hilt, always have always will, but Ashley will be nothing other than a snake in my eyes. Too much water has passed under the bridge, too much damage has been done. In my opinion he still needs to go.

Absolutely agree, with just about every word.

As for blame, they're wholy responsible. Ashley's level/lack of ambition and the maligned football front-office structure were an unworkable mix for an old-school & ambitious manager, in the form of Keegan, who came back to complete 'unfinished business'. These two factors left us untouchable for any manager with pedigree on their side, and an unassailable challenge for any up & coming manager. Hence the appointment of Kinnear, a hack of his profession who was just happy to be 'in the job' at one of traditional big clubs.

IMO in the wake KK's departure the post was, and possibly still is, a resume wrecker for most managers unless you're a 'on your last legs manager' like Kinnear. The exception may be Shearer, it's a forgivable situation - ie. being appointed so late on, points adrift in the bottom 3, without the luxury of a transfer window to maneuver in/to make an impact signing - if he can't save us from the drop. He's a rookie and he's walked into the proverbial shitstorm, and for this i'll tip my hat off to him - and the current predicament is a baptism of fire in the extreme sense for any manager, let alone a rookie manager. 

In the event of relegation, if the likes of Blackburn don't drop many of points over the seaon's final stretch, and provided that he gets this team playing effective & organized football again - with some structure & shape, as Keegan did - it will bode well for any future career in the dug-out.

Taking onboard the slant adopted by Nial & Biffa - re Shearer's appointment - i hope there's an element of truth behind the 'other consortium' possibility, and this is indeed a precursor for Ashley selling up & pissing off.