Minhosa

mackems.gif Shame I know more than you, for being around longer eh Still, the two bits I've put in bold, prove - again - you're more bothered with personalities including perceptions than facts. Oh, the bit in italics is the stupidest thing I've read in ages. If you really think that Newcastle United needed money from sky tv to show they are bigger and better than being a team constantly relegated, selling its best players, and regularly playing teams like Oxford, Southend, Port Vale etc etc....it proves you know absolutely nothing about the club nor any idea of the performance of the old board during their time in charge. So, as from this point, my conclusion is that there is absolutely no point in discussing this with you any further. You aren't booboo in disguise are you mackems.gif I've had a season ticket for 15 years by the way. When are you going to answer my original questions? Do you need me to send you some reading glasses?

Are you so stupid, you think everyone should agree with you. Fact is, I've seen more of you. I understand the club pre-1992. I also have a perspective, and know a shite board when I see one. The last board is far from being a shite board. I think its fantastically hilarious you talk about "defending honour", positive proof if it were needed, that people like you are simply talking about personalities, rather than factual information about the football club and its league positions and standings in the last decade and a half. There is optimism, and blind optimism. Nice post but you didn't answer any of the questions posed. You compare your friends reign with other 'shit boards' and consider it positively yet what you fail to mention, time after time, is the opportunity for success we had under Shepherd that his management inabilities failed to capitalise upon. We didn't have anywhere like that potential under the previous 'shit boards' you refer to. The reason we had the opportunity was due to the SJH involvment in building the platform and the perfect timing in terms of promotions into the 'sky tv' era and the excesses of cash floating around. Oh, and patronising people is a sure sign of insecurity so thanks for that old man.

Ashley is paying for Shepherds financial mistakes at the minute. No-one can dispute that oh dear. If Ashley the businessman had paid due diligence when he took over, he would have known about the clubs accounts, or maybe he did and saw it as part of the overall package to buy the club ? What do you think, or are you one of those daft enough to suggest that he's done it for charity. I've got some news for you, he hasn't done it for charity, he's done it to add to the value of the club. Do you disagree ? You could also tell us your opinion on the current state of all football clubs, including manu since the Glaziers took over. Do you really live in cloud cuckoo land you ignore the real world of football so much. If you want the football club to put financial stability first, and not take risks and show ambition, stand by for more seasons of mid table mediocrity and average cheap footballers, but it seems people like you will NEVER understand this until it hits you on the head. Whoever bought the club shouldn't have had to do it all tbh. If the business was ran with integrity. Big fucking if though - as we all know. Did Freddie run it as a Charity then? What was it called - 'the Bruce Shepherd Foundation'?

What is it with the constant agenda in relation to justifying the Fat Bastards reign NE5? Does it really bother you that much, that you feel you must defend his honour every day? Surely we should all be looking forward with optimism and in support of the new Owner & Management Team? What difference does it make that most people have nothing but disdain for the previous regime? Genuine question, do you know Shepherd?

Jamie Redknapp gets right on my bell with his constant wittering about fucking Lampard and his old Liverpool chums.

It'd be better not to have to see the big nosed twat at all tbh.

quite shocked you are stooping to this level mate. The answer is no, by the way. Sir John was though, but resigned when the initial flotation failed due to lack of interest, failing to raise half of 2.5m quid. This is fact by the way, because I put in to buy shares, and had my cheque returned. You know me, I admit I can't stand FS and regard his time here as an ultimate failure. I admit my bias. However, if you are claiming FS as part of the board under Sir John Hall deserves credit for those years then by your same logic, he deserves criticism for being part of the old board before SJH which he was. You are quick to highlight how FS played a role in KK's arrival and use that to defend him, but what about the role as a director or member of the old board he played in the club's woes pre-SJH? Anyway, just to show how much of a turncoat FS was, he was very much on the side of the old board until SJH flashed him some money. Oh and I just can't defend a crook. Did I say crook, sorry I meant cock. Sorry mate, you're showing your selective memory, guilty of putting personalities before judgements like some others. lets hope Ashley and Mort back their managers more than the old board shall we ? I hope you don't claim they are "better", until they have proved it. Having said that, if the old board were such "cocks", they should be doing better already, for an example see the mackems since Niall Quinn took over from cocks, or for another example, see our own takeover in 1992 when they took over from cocks. I hope you can understand this, but I have my doubts I must be honest. Honestly NE5, I can't defend the man or turn a cheek to what I know. For sure he has done good things and I'm sure he isn't alone in footy but for me, as a so-called NUFC fan, well, I don't know how he can live with himself. SJH was never like that yet he had more scope to do what FS did, not even DH was like that and he had good reason to. Do you not find it suspicious how the takeover all came about like it did and why the Halls wanted out like they did, behind FS's back? They didn't want to be dragged down with it because that's what was going to happen. Only in years to come will we realise what an escape we've had thanks to Ashley and co. I dread to think what would have happened if FS was allowed to carry on or worse still, buy the club for himself. I'll give you a clue, the warehouse carry on, but x10. I'm not surprised MA enlisted the help of a legal expert, the mess... The last thing you want to do is for something you've just bought for all that money to be confiscated by the old bill and investigated... I'll say no more. FS good for NUFC? He had us on the road to ruin man. Good words.

One day it shall and I'd love it to be from someone inside the club actually saying what did go on behind the scenes during the Shepherd reign. Maybe Mort and Co. could write a book detailing what they found during their first months in order to generate some transfer funds from the book sales - seen as they're not showing the same backing as Shepherd would have. Shame, they'd be too professional for that.

Great pic Nobby. Wor Bobby in his pomp. Class. Love that.

LOVE IT!!! its not meant to be serious, but I fear it could be if it signals that this square pegs into round holes mentality is deliberate ..... I know, I just liked the terminology I guessed that mate. I've seen players play on the "wrong" side before and do well, but only if they have pace ... Didn't Waddle end up on the opposite side to which he started? Genuine question, not a wind up. Yes. He played both sides though. Nowt against players doing this if they have the pace, but Milner hasn't, Chris Waddle had far better skills and dribbling ability than Milner too. Waddle wasn't fast. I don't remember him being that much faster than Milner tbh. He did have tremendous dribbling technique though, no doubt. FWIW I really don't think Milner has let anyone down this season. I rate him and think he gets a fair bit of unnecessary stick on here.

LOVE IT!!! its not meant to be serious, but I fear it could be if it signals that this square pegs into round holes mentality is deliberate ..... I know, I just liked the terminology I guessed that mate. I've seen players play on the "wrong" side before and do well, but only if they have pace ... Didn't Waddle end up on the opposite side to which he started? Genuine question, not a wind up.

Jason Wilcox

My Dad went to that school, and was in the same team as Francis and got to the Plymouth Schools Cup Final with him. My Dad was inside left, and Francis was centre forward. Also, my Grandmother lived about 100 metres from this school, and when I was younger, I'd spend many Saturdays in Pennycross playground, or the nearest park, or the adjoining cul-de-sac playing football with the local kids - there is a fair chance that I could have played with him at some point. This does mean though that Tozer lived in a part of Plymouth where he wouldn't have had much access to football on flat grass until he moved on to Plymstock aged 12, so he would have learnt his early skills in a very compact concrete environment with kids that could be described as slightly rough. This could hopefully mean that Tozer is a mentally strong and technical player. Genius. That's what that is. Are you one of Sams new scouts Jimmy lad?

I'd have;- Beardo Batty Ginola

I thought this was gonna be about some kind of sick sex toy. Thank God.

You've got to admire his style though. He fucking waltzes in, builds an empire, floats it, gets loads of other people's money yet maintains control and treats it like he always has - as his baby. His problem looks like he can't take having to answer to others. Think of the money he's made. He doesn't have to float any of his other companies or interests so he doesn't really need the markets backing as he can't lose. If it's worth fuck all - he'll take back full control for relative peanuts. If the share price improves he'll be seen as a miracle worker who turned himself and the business around in the eyes of the city and he'll have access to them all to do all over again (in the long term). I think the problem the city has with him (and therefore Sports Direct) is that they didn't really see him coming (or rather his poor communication and don't give a fuck mentality). Everyone bought in on the back of a great balance sheet and a cracking business model. Nobody considered the whims of the bloke controlling the place. It's like arriving at the airport and hiring a driver with a Ferrari to give you a lift home instead of an Octavia. It seems like it's going to be best drive home of all time but the Driver's a complete twat, drives at 175mph, nearly crashes 5 times and mounts the kerb twice - by the time you get home you wished you'd played it safe and stuck to the regular taxi. You hadn't thought about the driver when you bought the use of the Ferrari..........you just looked at the model and expected an awesome experience and to look the bollocks in front of all of your mates. The fact that the bloke driving the Ferrari like a knob has now been able to order another 15 as a result of your order makes you want to hang the fucker...................especially after you got out of the motor at home for all of your mates to see you puke up and shake like a shitting dog. He's beaten them at their own game and they've got the arsehole. Thats what it comes down to for me and I say fair play to him. He's now a Billionaire and he's earned the right not to have to worry about what other people think. But best of all............he can't lose and he knows it. Clever Bastard.

What about Habib? Due to my irrational hatred of Carr I'd rather he was replaced by some kid from the youth team than an expensive signing.

Isn't he a forward?

Given Beye Cacapa Rozenhal Enrique Butt Barton Milner Smith N'Zogbia Viduka I'd have the two wingers dropping back into wing back type positions when out of possession and moving upto wide forward positions when the ball gets upto Viduka to give him an load of options (play the lay off back to Smith or Barton bombing on, to Jimmy or Zog at either side.

Des Hamilton had a pretty bad injury record didn't he? Or was he just in the shite camp too?

VDV being Dutch would be alright with it. I have doubts about Deco flourishing in the PL too. Arshavin as you say would be the best of both worlds. Thank you Parkenstein. Why the fuck am I the only one voting for him? The shavin ars campaign starts here and it starts now.

Incidentally, VdV reminds me a bit of Viana. He likes time on the ball, is technically very sound, has vision but you wouldn't fancy him away to Bury on a windy winter night in the Carling Cup.

One of the stand out qualities of Arshavin for me is that he appears really suited to our type of league. By that I mean, he'll not be put off by the fast, powerful, end-to-end nature of our football whereby someone like a Deco or Van Der Vaart might be. Playing for Russia (I've never seen him at club level mind), he looks like a little battler with a turn of pace and a touch of quality. That makes him less of a risk imo and hence the reason he got my vote.

Yeah. I think the converse almost applies to Mikel. In a shite team, he'd stand out imo.

Happy Days. Didn't know about this being on TV. Good news.