merlin

If there is any justice, Beye SHOULD have his card rescinded - he made an excellent tackle by reaching the ball before colliding with Robinho, AND he tackled from the side, NOT from behind. Styles has become infamous for this type of decision and this incident merely affirms my view that there should be a Ref in the stands with access to instant TV replays of these events, and who can then radio his confirmation INSTANTLY to the ref via the ref's headphone/ear-piece ; all grounds should have a screen which can then replay the incident so fans can see that the correct decision has been made. I totally disagree with those who use the 'it will spoil the game' argument - there is very little time delay,and the game can be seen to be above suspicion.....of course, FIFA etc wouldn't like it - anyone with any reason why....!!!!

It appears that attitude has been one of Carroll's problems for quite a while - my main gripe with him was that he seemed cumbersome and lazy ; his efforts to put pressure on the City defenders was half-hearted at best..his having had an injury in past weeks is no excuse - I cannot believe even Kinnear, with his so-called Crazy Gang reputation, would put an injured player on the bench AND bring him on. He obviously wanted to get a look at him under match conditions, and, if he shared the same thoughts I had,he would have been unimpressed. Some of these kids coming through are an embarrassment when you compare them to the likes of Gazza, Nattrass & Kennedy from past years and our Academy/Scouting system needs a huge kick ip the backside.

If KK really IS in line for a come-back as manager, he will certainly have to ditch this supposed compensation claim - a separate action against Ashley would seem to be the best he can hope for ; obviously, any new owners are NOT going to employ a man who is taking their new investment to court for millions of pounds, so he will have to ditch his action against NUFC..failure to do so would undoubtedly ruin any chance of his being reinstated as manager - and rightly so in my opinion ; if he has as much feeling for the club and its fans as he claims, his argument is with the previous owner and NOT the new ones... I would NOT wish to see him back as manager IF he continues this suit against the club.

December might be too late - unless Kinnear can get the team picking up results between now & then , we could be all but relegated by the end of December. This takeover, if it IS indeed coming, needs to be done YESTERDAY - we cannot afford relegation esp in the current financial climate. We need a new Board in place , the managerial situation sorted out, and a big budget for players come December...even then, it will be tough to escape if we are still in the bottom 3 or 4.

Can't speak for Carlisle but i'd regard York as North East. In the grand scheme of things. You wouldn't find many of the citizens of York would agree with you - they are Yorkshiremen first & foremost., although not in the same way as, say, Leeds people are(people from W.Yorks brag about it more). To me, the North East probably ends at Scotch Corner in the south, Bowes in the west, and Berwick in the north.

This is a classic case of TINA - There Is No Alternative.... If Ashley can't find a buyer by end of Nov, he's in a cleft stick - he risks relegation unless he agrees to strengthen the side in the Jan window, but can he give any funds for that to a temporary manager whose buys may not be either wanted by his successor(which Ashley will have to choose if he cannot sell the club)?? If he doesn't take action, the club could go down and his Investment is immediately worth much less. I can see that he WILL have to re-appoint KK(or a new full-time manager)within a month unless the club is sold. Time will tell - maybe, if results pick up, he will even appoint Kinnear until the end of the season.

ironically the premiership is experiencing a huge boom due to the TV money so it will take a couple of years, when tv rights are renegotiated, to see if this has any effect. crowds might fall a bit but this is less important than ever. As long as people can afford current sky/cable prices/going to bars and watch advertising for products they then purchase, it will all be fine. That's the whole point, though - as unemployment rises(which it will, and in a big way ; I know of firms in the UK who are laying off thousands of workers),one of the things which will have to be sacrificed is Sky TV. Energy costs(heating, electricity) are also going to rise steadily... I don't think many people have realised just how serious this recession is going to be. As I said before, there will be HUGE repercussions for Prem clubs. I agree there will be huge repercussions for premiership clubs but your recession facts aren't quite right. The only good thing to come for us is that energy and food prices should come down.....everyhting else will get more expensive. That is why Abramovich et al are losing money. The cost of a barrel of oil is falling massively. This will pass on to customers eventually bringing down the cost of food and petrol. As long as there is a global recession the confidence in the commodities markets will be low. Are you not aware of how serious the Electricity generation situation in the UK is? In a minimum of 6 years, 40% of the current generating capacity is due to be shut down, either because of EU rules on emissions(Coal-fired Power stations like Drax)or because the old Nuclear stations are worn out(the one at Hartlepool is indeed out of action NOW because of corrosion which is making it dangerous). The UK Govt sold off Westinghouse to Toshiba of Japan in 2006, yet they were the ONLY UK manufacturer of Nuclear Power stations...and just a few weeks ago, the UK Govt begged and pleaded for EDF(the French Nuclear Plant builders and energy company)to buy up British Energy...how stupid is that ? Toshiba now have 19 orders for new power stations....... It will take EDF 9 YEARS to get cracking on building new Nuclear Power stations...in the meantime, the UK is dependent upon Russian Gas supplies BUT - the former Energy Minister admitted that it was 'highly likely' that there would be Power cuts this winter in the UK if a cold snap occurred..also, the lack of storage for Gas means that UK has to buy it at excessive prices from the Continent in winter... Upshot of all this is higher bills - regardless of Oil prices, and DON'T expect those to stay where they are now - will be close to $100 p.barrel again as soon as US winter heating season starts. I am NOT wrong about Recession - wait and see ; I KNOW that a famous firm in the Building trade HAS laid off 2000 over the past few weeks.People are in denial of what has happened over the past few months - there has been a MASSIVE failure of the world's Financial system and the likes of this has not happened since 1929...confidence has been lost in the whole system(as has many people's savings/Pensions), and the UK no longer has the manufacturing capacity to recover as it did in 1929...to a lesser extent, this also applies to the USA and the World has seen through both countries after their attempts to build an economy on Debt and rising house prices, which failed as soon as wages failed to keep pace with house prices. That is why this stockmarket sell-off has been so severe...there is NO confidence.

ironically the premiership is experiencing a huge boom due to the TV money so it will take a couple of years, when tv rights are renegotiated, to see if this has any effect. crowds might fall a bit but this is less important than ever. As long as people can afford current sky/cable prices/going to bars and watch advertising for products they then purchase, it will all be fine. That's the whole point, though - as unemployment rises(which it will, and in a big way ; I know of firms in the UK who are laying off thousands of workers),one of the things which will have to be sacrificed is Sky TV. Energy costs(heating, electricity) are also going to rise steadily... I don't think many people have realised just how serious this recession is going to be. As I said before, there will be HUGE repercussions for Prem clubs.

When all the panic dies down and there has been a big shake-up in the Prem, NUFC will be in a very strong position to advance ; the club is very fortunate to have a large fan-base despite decades of under-achievement and far less liabilities than clubs like Arsenal, for example(the Emirates to pay for). Players wages will HAVE to fall, as will transfer fees(anyone seen just how much money Abramovitch has lost over the past 2 weeks..!??)so in the long term , clubs with the big fan bases will rise to the top because sponsorship will be reduced significantly - as will Sky income....

Always said that this crisis would affect the Prem - BIG changes on the way, wouldn't be surprised to see some clubs in receivership, which means relegation... Whatever Ashley's faults, at least he has put NUFC in a relatively solid financial position and it WILL be an attractive sale once the crisis starts to ease...but this may take a year or so, maybe more. Unchartered waters lie ahead for English football as we knew it....

What's wrong with Perth? it smells Of what? nah just jokin. problem with perth is its isolated from all the other main cities. Dif time zone and its generally not as cool as the easten cities =D ..Which have more unemployment, worse State Governments, and worse climates...!! Western Australia is the State which props up all the rest ; ESP New South Wales, which is broke.. OH YES - that's 'COOL' allright....plus, WA is 4 hours less flying time to the UK.

I'm glad you added 'lol' to that comment - there is NO way we'll finish above them this season ; sad as it is to say, they are far more of a TEAM than NUFC, and it is teams that win matches, NOT individual talents. As things look now, NUFC will definitely be the bottom NE team in the Prem this season and its looking as if Everton are going to be the next English club taken over, while all the talking about NUFC is proving to be hot air. Potential buyers are either waiting until Ashley has to sell more cheaply(as the club struggles)or are having difficulty raising the money. Neither scenario is going to help the club finish in a decent position.

I can actually see this issue being a major stumbling block to a return to the club by KK ; a new owner, quite rightly, would NOT want to pick up any tab that KK wanted as Damages, and Ashley will not been keen to pay up unless forced by the Courts... KK has many characteristics, some good, some bad(like us all),and one of these is stubbornness - if he digs his heels in about pursuing this, it could rebound on him.

Not particuarily because if you read the question the thread poses, it says would you take 17th right now. All I wanted to do was to see what people thought our ambition for the season should be during this crisis. For me that was and still is survival, we for sure can't be expecting a challenge for Europe or even mid tible at this point in time. So to conclude I don't think anyone that posted that they would take 17th would look stupid if things start to turn around and at this moment in time IF is an extremely big word. although i agree with your sentiments, i think most people who are saying yes are probably the kneejerkers that become stereotype. personally, i thought wed finish 8th at the start of the season, im now going to go for 12th or 13th. i think some people are assuming that every match for the rest of the season is going to be like the previous few, but arent thinking rationally, as we are all a bit down with the current situation, myself included Your comment about 'knee-jerkers' is so far off the mark - it indicates to me that you haven't actually witnessed a relegation campaign ; how do you know that those who would take 17th now haven't seen a relegation side and know what one looks like ? I HAVE, on 2 occasions, and believe me, this side is showing ALL the signs - it will take a monumental effort by all concerned(even after any takeover)to prevent the club staying in the relegation zone. To make matters worse, none of the promoted sides look as bad as Derby last season, so there are definitely 3 places to be filled, not 2. I reckon WBA will climb away from trouble, Stoke will get a number of wins at home via their very physical approach and system(which seems to work for them),and Hull are building up confidence after a good start which will keep them going. Of the 3 promoted sides, I reckon WBA are the best bet to stay in the Prem and improve as time goes on. If the other 2 keep picking up results and DON'T go into a losing streak as NUFC have done, they will be very hard to catch ; and we can't strengthen the team until Jan - even then, its very difficult to get really good players as clubs want to keep them either to stay within touching distance of winning something, OR to avoid relegation....IT'S A TOUGH JOB.

Ashley : GOOD POINTS - Got rid of decaying Shepherd regime Paid off some of club debts Brought in Chris Mort as Chairman FINALLY got rid of Allardyce(but should have done so immediately as he wasn't 'his man') BAD POINTS - Brought in Wise & Co(thereby allowing KK to be undermined about players/contracts etc) Did NOT have hands-on approach to club Did NOT take the correct decisions when all the problems blew up Has caused the club to be placed in a critical position at a very difficult time, esp financially Conclusion - a necessary evil who didn't have evil intent ; proved himself unsuited to owning a club the size of NUFC, and also, something of a poor businessman when times are tough. The best EVER Chairman/Owner? Absolutely NOT..that has to be SJH because the club would have gone into receivership without him agreeing to take over and, despite his faults, he had genuine feeling for the club and region ...we also went from almost going into Div 3 up to being a couple of wins away from being Prem Champions during his time as Chairman.

Tend to agree with this - too many questions about it all..

Agreed - it needs BIG bucks and a totally professional approach ; NOT the seat-of-the-pants stuff that Ashley put in place to replace Chris Mort....

Wenger is no fool - he knows full well, as does Ferguson, though he would never admit it - that NUFC is the last so-called Sleeping Giant that could be made into a Top 4 side - CONSISTENTLY. Sadly, the chance of him taking over are less than zero, unfortunately ; he is at an age when he doesn't really need the hassle that is NUFC(there isn't even a decent crop of youngsters for him to build on), he has a job at Arsenal until he retires, and has everything there sorted. Now if Dein was to join us.........

I think what you have said reflects more on the people attacking him than anything else...

Beye - very good RB, needed back in the side Guthrie - better than Geremi & Butt(more mobile), but NOT outstanding for a Prem midfielder Jonas - has LOOKED good in early appearances(attacks defenders FROM DEEP, helps defence out),but I am not totally convinced about his effectiveness in the last third of the field - i.e., attacking the opposition goal.. Enrique - was impressed by what I saw of him, esp in some of games at end of last season ; good left foot, passes the ball well, doesn't panic at the back - has gone back a bit since then, but the talent is still there. Someone will make a good player out of him, but the mess that we are right now will not help....

ALL clubs that profess to be 'big' and 'ambitious' need as much support as they can get ; parochialism, as sometimes expressed by a minority of NUFC fans('you can't support the club if you're not a Geordie' etc etc) has NO place in today's Prem. Man U and Arsenal have much larger Financial turnovers than NUFC and a large part of this is sales of merchandise etc in countries where they have a large fan-base. ALL fans who want to follow the club are welcome, and should be made to feel so at matches...

That's because he's built a squad, like Dennis Wise was apparently employed to do. No I won't bother if that's ok with you. Right ok then. Lets try it. Take RB LB 2 centre midfielders one winger and 2 strikers which is what we are currently missing (I'll consider 1 if you don't see Viduka as first team). So thats, Young, Shorey, Reo-Coker, Barry Young Agbonglohor/Carew. Meaning this leaves you with the following villa team. Friedel. Cuellar Laursen Davies Bouma Routeledge Sidwell Petrov Gardner Harewood Milner Not quite top 6 team now is it. As is the same with most, look at how much ball riding Man Utd got when Tevez and Ronaldo weren't there. The team you have quoted would still pee all over our so-called 'second' team...O'Neill is a very good manager who has bought good players - Milner included...Get over it, I would have LOVED to have O'Neill at SJP, yes, even in front of KK. I would have bet every last penny I have that MON at SJP with a similar board to the one he has a Villa, would have been just as successful as he has been at Villa - even though they had some good young players(like Agbonlahor)when he joined them.

This is the reason the Arsenal model would never work here, tits like yourself shooting players down less than a month after they joined, I wonder if the Arsenal fans were on Adebayor's back this soon when he looked on par with Shola? If you think the Arsenal model would ever work here you sir are an idiot. It starts with being able to determine the potential in players, and excuse me, but so far nothing I have seen from Xisco suggest he is about to rip this league apart anytime soon. Re Adebayor, he got a lot of stick when he first broke into their team, but the potential was there (I definitley saw it) so he was worth perceveiring with. We paid 6 million for Xisco, about the same as City paid for SWP or about twice what Arsenal paid for Van Persie; who do you think looks more 'promising'..? Does anyone not ask themselves just why so many players from the Spanish League have been signed? Are there not small alarm bells ringing in anybody's head ? Does anyone REALLY believe, for example, that Real Mallorca actually received 5.8m for Marcelino whe he signed in 1998, and if not, where did the rest go...!? Xisco does not, up to now, look as good a player as, for example, a fit Viduka and he is at the end of his career....

There is NO way a player with Owen's quality would join NUFC until the club starts producing both on and off the pitch, takeover or no takeover - if he goes before the end of the season we will be odds-on for relegation.

Already, one-sixth of the League programme has been played - NUFC has 4 points.. There is little chance of major improvement before Christmas as Enrique has hamstring problem and that can take up to 6-8 weeks to put right(Beardsley was out for 8 weeks with one back in 86) ; LB is a major problem area, midfield is pedestrian and non-creative and Central defence is shaky because Taylor is NOT proving to have developed any further this season ; up front, only Owen looks like scoring on anything like a regular basis and Martins is out for 6 weeks..... Add it all up, PLUS Hull looking unlikely to blow up soon(bad teams do NOT beat Arsenal at the Emirates - when did NUFC manage it..??), and as has been said, Stoke look to be NUFC's target, NOT Everton, Villa etc. Even after a takeover, it will take time to sort this lot out and despite everyone waxing lyrical over Jonas, he has never looked like scoring, and, as far as I can remember, only really created one clear-cut scoring chance for forwards by his crossing - he carries the ball well and defends well(for an attacking midfielder),but the side needs goals from midfield as well as up front and NONE of the midfielders look like scoring.. Yes, as I have said before, I would take 17th place YESTERDAY,and I reckon most fans will be saying the same by end of October...This side has relegation written all over it.