afar

I know everyone thinks their club is the best but come on, get real please. It's not 1996, there is nothing special to an outsider about Newcastle United these days. I have to agree. What glamour? What mystique? This is not the mid 90s any more. Bentley would have been, what, 10 years old then? Footballers these days just want to play at the highest level. If you're not in the CL, there's a f****** huge gap to bridge. The only club outside the top four with a chance of signing him, imho, is Spurs, and that is because they are in London, which is more of a factor these days than it was before. And that's still asking him to put his faith in a club which is struggling to break the top half of the table, let alone the Champions League. Mock all you want but I still stand by the statement that Newcastle United is a bigger pull than the likes of Villa or Everton. We still have that Mystique, whether you like it or not, that your clubs just can't match. The media is actually a good barometer for this. TBH the goings on at Villa or Everton hardly register on the interest level but when the tea lady at NUFC sneezes there's a story written about it. Did Milner almost go to Villa as a step up ? What about Nobby's remarks when he returned, having been at both clubs he knew damn fine which one was the bigger. Arteta's complaing in the papers today that he would be in the Spain squad if he played for a bigger club. Spurs are the only team outside the top four that is a bigger draw than us at the moment. Most people inside and outside of football reguard the likes of Villa and Everton as also rans, they are not in the foreseeable future going to challenge for the major honours. While the likes of Spurs and ourselves have the potential under the right circumstances to break the top 4 dominance. Villa and Everton are very much "so what" clubs in my mind. That may sound condersending but I really don't give a damn what happens to them unfortunately for you guys my feeling is not uncommon. Leaving out any previous support for their club and assuming both clubs are in Europe or not in Europe, the player has no preference for which manager he plays for or area he lives in and the same assurances have been given on first team football. Do you honestly think most players would choose Villa or Everton over Newcastle ? I seriously doubt that would be the case, in fact I would be a little embarrased if I were a supporter of one of those clubs that despite NUFC atrocious form over the last few seasons and the upturn in form shown my own team, that my club still can not out draw them !!

Back then 4-0 wins were pretty rare, certainly from us. I remember walking away from that game thinking Michael O'neill was going to be an absolute star...How wrong I was, unfortunately it didn't get much better for him than that day.

I was in the Leazes end that day, the showboating was hilarious stuff.

All depends on who's in for him tbh. I could see any of the big four being interested but none will guarentee him first time football. That doesn't mean he'll not go to one of them though, I think depsite his exit from Arsenal he would still be tempted to have another go at a top 4 club. Assuming none of them make a bid, then IMO he'll still be off. If Spurs have an offer accepted for him, there's a good chance he'll end up there. Even if they qualify for the UEFA cup again, I don't think Everton have the money or the glamour to attract him , despite their respectable performances in the league for the last few years, they are still not a club that players feel honoured to have joined. Both Villa and Man City need Europe to attract him and he's not going to leave Blackburn to go to clubs like Portsmouth or West Ham. So for us, we have that glamour, that mystique, that despite what they do in the league clubs like Villa, Man City and Everton just can't match. In the last few years Spurs have rebuilt that glamour too, so I could see him going there if they make a bid, but if they can't match the fee or his wages then I think we'll have as good a chance as any outside the top 4.

Football's a strange sport in that there are so many other factors outside of the ability of the players your club employs, that effect the performance of the team. As a manager you have to build up the confidence of your team. You have give them an environment they can thrieve in. You have to build a team spirit and you have to make sure they are given every opportunity to contribute to the overall goal. The manager also has to ensure that the fans feel you can bring them the success they desire. That they retain a level of trust in you. Keegan does all these things so well and it's why he's been successful before and why he'll hopefully be successful again.

Don't know about you but I'm more bothered than anything about what our players do on the pitch, clearly their lifestyles off the pitch mean more to you. So dragging the good name of the club through the crap and being the worst of role models means nothing to you then? I always laugh when people try to hold footballers, rock stars etc. up as role models. No wonder people bang on about moral decline if that's the case. Not that I'm happy with the way Barton has behaved of course. So true footballers, rock stars etc as role models. What a laugh. Let's be honest Barton hasn't really done anything worse than half the people who watch Newcastle will have done at some time in their lives. It's easy to sound sanctimonious but we've all done stupid things in our early twenties that we'd be ashamed of later. Unfortunately Barton's profile has meant he's paid a higher price. It would be nice to expect exemplary behaviour from these highly paid young men but in the real world it isn't going to happen. Although it's debatable whether he should have been in that burger place in Liverpool in the first place, he was seriously wound up and (allegedly) defending a friend. The kid was set up to some extent. Barton comes across as quite lucid and intelligent ( by footballer standards ) when he speaks, and what he said about Newcastle fans earlier this season was very accurate and well put. Well put, the problem is more from society's point of view for turning these young men with money to burn into role models. Unfortunately responsibility and maturity does not go hand in hand with footballing talent. I think Barton probably needs that fire in his belly to play effectively, if you took that away from him his game may suffer however he needs to control it and that where I guess the older members of the squad and the coaching staff come in. Off the field, I hope he's learned that there are aspects of your life you have to sacrifice where you become famous. Some of the things you enjoyed doing, some of the company you kept, you just can't do anymore.

I don't think he'll make anywhere near that many changes for a number of very good reasons: He's already gone on record as saying, he only needs 2 or 3 more first teamers and some squad filling. He would loose the players confidence after talking them up only to make wholesale changes in the summer. They'll not be able to trust a word he says again. IMO he genuinely believes what he says about the team being not that far off. The only thing I can see changing this is if his hand is forced by players wanting out and I don't think too many will want to jump ship in the summer. My prediction as I said in another thread is 3 to 4 players capable of fighting for a first team spot will be brought in, with some potential stars being brought in to fatten the squad a little.

Still not convinced about Dunne, I agree we need a leader at the back with presence but the way we will be be set up next season Dunne lack of mobility will be exposed.

I've never been fully convinced about Dunne tbh. I think there are better options out there. Think this is just a case of lazy jornos putting 2 and 2 together and coming up with 8. Player not signed new contract, his former manager on the look out for centre halfs.

Firstly let me say, I really dislike ManUre, the team, their whining players over the years, their manager, the majority of their fans and Bobby fucking Charlton. Have done for yewars and always will. However I really do hope they win the champs league this year, imo they are the best team in Europe by a long way, I really think they deserve it. So good luck to them and all the other English teams, the PL is clearly the best league in the world right now, I don't think too many people can argue with that.

Not quite true. A lot of the opinion pieces have been utter s****. But I couldn't really argue with any of the match reports that said we were s*** the last few months. Of course Martin Samuel, Jimmy Greavous and the rumour mongering twats will be in no way compelled to chow down on humble pie. I remember in the season we went up, Ian St John and Jimmy Greaves were still doing that Saturday morning preview show. They had just showed highlights of us beating yet another team and extending our lead at the top further. Ian St John ask Greaves about it and all he said was "Well the best team in that league is the 'appy hammers". That comment has stuck with me for a long while we won that championship at a canter and when given the opportunity to praise a truely worthy achievement, a cockney biased w****** like Greaves chooses instead to promote a lesser team from his neck of the woods. f*** me, I thought I hated Jimmy Greaves, but your resentment goes back over a decade. Top stuff. Yeah I've read that back, jeez I do sound ever so petty but it was just one of those little comments that has stuck in my mind. I wounder if I ever bumped into him (well his zimmer frame probably by now) and said "Do you remember when you said...." he would have a clue what I was on about ?

Load of bollocks. lol

I'm as guilty as the next guy of being a knee jerker, I was convinced only a few weeks ago that we were dead and buried. But the turnaround in form since the 2nd half against Brum has been amazing. I honestly couldn't see us winning another game before that. Perhaps your right we all need to take a step back and not get carried away by two decent result but I'm just loving the positive feeling I have about where the club is going now after so many years of clearly going backwards.

As others have said and I'll not even attempt at being original Giles Barnes is about the only player worth taking a look at. Off topic a little, isn't it strange that within a couple weeks, the relegation fight has gone from looking like being one of the most exciting in years with up to 8 teams being in danger to a bit of a snorefest, with the little chance of the bottom 3 altering before the curtain comes down. Sure Fulham or Bolton could catch up Wigan or Brum, but neither team appears good enough to string any form together.

One area we don't need to worry about is goalkeeping, Harper and Given are perfectly capable premiership keepers, add to that the potential of Krul, Forster and Soderberg. Surely there are more pressing concerns than the GK spot ?

Yeah, completely agree he has been terrific in the last few games, the part he played in the Martins goal typifies what he's been about, winning tackles and then setting someone up. lets hope any jail term, and I think he'll probably get some, takes place during the closed season. Not going to be an easy summer for the lad and I hope he's learned his lesson at last.

Bugger, am I the only one still debating on this thread Well it's make a pleasant change to be not riddiculed for my ridiculous statements

Not quite true. A lot of the opinion pieces have been utter s****. But I couldn't really argue with any of the match reports that said we were s*** the last few months. Of course Martin Samuel, Jimmy Greavous and the rumour mongering twats will be in no way compelled to chow down on humble pie. I remember in the season we went up, Ian St John and Jimmy Greaves were still doing that Saturday morning preview show. They had just showed highlights of us beating yet another team and extending our lead at the top further. Ian St John ask Greaves about it and all he said was "Well the best team in that league is the 'appy hammers". That comment has stuck with me for a long while we won that championship at a canter and when given the opportunity to praise a truely worthy achievement, a cockney biased wanker like Greaves chooses instead to promote a lesser team from his neck of the woods.

From the indy report "Habib Beye, seizing on an error by Jonathan Woodgate – who played as if the mere sight of a black-and-white shirt awoke nightmare memories of his own time in Newcastle's notoriously porous back four" Although the general report is positive, it's the baseless, un researched, pradicatable crap like this that gets my back up. Woody's himself would say that his time with us was far from a nightmare.

Erm... Eh? No they weren't. Oh, it wasn't a precise finish then? Dragged us into the match? f*** off. No idea what to say to this. It's simply a lie. Stunned? Not really, we battered them second half. We got the whole game on tape delay here in Canada, they had some stats up at half time and in the first half (as well as the end of course) we had more shots, more possession and more territorial advantage than Spurs, so it hardly a surprise when we scored. The 2nd half was one way traffic, it really could have been a lot more.

I agree with the general sentiments, Owen's goal and the general play in that 2nd half has been the catalyst for our upturn in fortunes. I remember at halftime thinking "we're going down" I was sure of it. But the turn around in the 2nd half was amazing and Owen's ability to sense a chance saved our bacon. I have been hugely critical of Owen since he came to the club, but to prove I'm as fickle as the next guy, got to give it up for the guy, he's been fantastic lately.

When he scored with that header against us yesterday. I thought exactly the same but outside of the goal I was very unimpressed, touch seemed heavy at times and often fails to see the best option. KK however could be just the manager to mould him. Spurs would not let him go for anything under 10mill IMO and even then it would be a huge loss for them.

One thing that gets overlooked with KK is that he is an excellent judge of when a player needs replacing. He will know when the time is right to do that, he can be pretty ruthless about it too, examples: Kelly, Bracewell, Killer, Sheedy, Venison and of course Andy Cole. The only thing I hope is that KK is not overly influenced by what we fans say and continues to do what he think is right as his judgement is way better than any of ours.

500k if that is what it is for 6 games seems very high but at the same time the rewards for getting into the prem are incredbile, promotion is worth 30mill or more so 500k is nothing if it means the difference between going up or not. We all have fun at the Mackems for paying 5 mill for Chops but if you take into account the crucial goals he's scored for them, 5 mill may not be as bad a price as it appears. There's probably a few more but last minute goals to grab wins against Villa and Spurs and salvage a point at Brum, is worth 5 points, they'll not be 5 points clear of the bottom 3 by the end of the season so he could have saved them loosing 30mill by being relegated.

If we look back at KK from the past to get a clue what he'll try to do in the future it's interesting. I would say in his last spell, he bought players on their reputation more than anything else. And to be perfectly honest it was a tact that worked out wonderfully well. I don't doubt that had he been the manager at the time the likes of Butt, Owen, Duff, and even Smith would still have been purchased. At first he brought in a lot of players who many regarded as past their sell by dates. The likes of Brian Kilcline, Kevin Sheedy, Paul Bracewell and Barry Venison. But what he was really successful at was getting them all to make a contribution. Killer gaves us that leadership we were missing at the time. Sheedy gave us guille and quality we needed. Bracewell filled the DM spot for a couple of seasons and Venision was his biggest success firstly giving the experience at right back then going on to gain England honours with his work as a DM. After the ship was steadied he went on to buy only players who had made a name for themselves, he was guilty in some case of buying players who had just been in a rich vain of form. Paul Kitson and Darren Peacock or 2 that spring to mind. But by and large he would buy names, some people will try to fool you into thinking Rob Lee and Andy Cole were un-heard of before joining us, but Lee had was easily Charlton's best player and had already made a name for himself before we bought him. Cole had left Arsenal reserves and joined Bristol City where he was on fire for them before we came in for him. What KK did with these 2 players was take their talent and push them on to the next level. That was not the norm with his signings though. Because once we got to the prem, he rarely took a risk on an unknown or up coming star they were mostly established English players or big reputation forigners: Ferdinand, Beardsley, Batty, Shearer, Albert, Tino and Ginola for example. Again what KK was so good at was ensuring that these big names produced the goods. Will he follow this tried and trusted formula the 2nd time around ?I'm not sure, we certainly can't attract the modern day equivalents of Sir Les, Ginola and Shearer right now and we are a little ahead of situation we found ourselves in when KK took over last time. What I think he'll go for is the players with the biggest reputation that are either not good enough yet or not wanted by the big 4. Bentley may come into that category, Sidwell, Bridges and Riise are cast offs we could well end up with. It wouldn't surprise me to see him bid for Ashton, Arteta, Downing, Wheater or Kuyt. But I think to get true value and quality we need, he needs to look abroad, I expect him to take a close look at the summer Euros, I wouldn't be surprised to see a star or 2 of that tournament end up in a black and white shirt next season. He's also going to have to rely heavily on his new scouting team to identify that untapped talent. I have the feeling he'll make a few more mistakes this time around but if he can be half as successful with his signings this time around we be in much better shape.