merlin

Good chance that this game will see the first sub - 35,000 attendance for years ; too much damage done now, and there is a crisis of confidence in both team and fans. Cannot see where the next win is coming from.

I have said before that the Prem is heading for crunch time - the Recession which is about to enfold the UK, together with the massive job losses in the pipeline, will do the trick.. Reality Time is about to dawn on a large number of overpaid footballers in the next 18 months....

At first, I thought this meeting may just be held in a phone booth, but then I realised there wasn't enough room - Ashley wouldn't be able to get in...

This is the sort of comment that makes other clubs' fans think that NUFC supporters have ideas above their station...Wenger and Ferguson's opinions carry a great deal more weight(justifiably)than this sort of remark on a fans' website. It also smacks of arrogance - despite disagreeing with your views, I still acknowledge that you are entitled to them , so it is a bit silly to say that these 2 top managers should 'keep their beaks out'.. In fact, such a comment could even be construed by some as being from a Board Ally.......! So do you think Ferguson was right when he said we should have stuck by Allardyce instead of sacking him? What has Allardyce got to do with Keegan ? There is absolutely NO comparison between the performances of the two managers either on OR off the field and that applies to both mens' previous stints at other clubs. What is more, Allardyce is a known friend of Fergie whereas KK is not as close, so Fergie's comments about KK are even more relevant... Do YOU think Wenger was also wrong? He never mentioned Allardyce's sacking, but he HAS commented about KK's. Truth is, you have basically lost the argument about whether KK should have left because of Board interference ; you believe in the so-called 'Continental' system which seems to be Ashley & Llambias' preferred option, whereas Wenger & Ferguson clearly don't - despite attempts by Ashley & Co to dress it up as an 'Arsenal' system. My point is that you think Ferguson's comment carry a great deal of weight, which funnily enough seems to be when they agree with your point of view. If we had a manager as good as either then I'd agree with them, since we've got no chance of getting one anywhere near as good then I'm happy to stick with our system. Your logic just doesn't add up - you say that because we haven't got a manager like Ferguson or Wenger, you want to 'stick with the system' ; 'The System' has NOT been proven to work in the Prem - do you think Aston Villa, for example, would wish to adopt 'The system' because they don't employ Fergie or Wenger? Absolutely NOT - they are in 4th place(a position most clubs in the Prem would die for), have stability, a good young side, have just signed one of our young players(who I predict will go on to win things with them), and have made steady and satisfactory progress since O'Neill took over 2 years ago.... Would you turn down the chance of having a manager who has achieved this sort of progress just because he wanted to buy & sell his own players? Don't tell me that the vast majority of NUFC fans wouldn't rather have O'Neill as manager , making his OWN decisions about players than some Continental Coach who they haven't heard of, because I just wouldn't believe it. If a new buyer was to take the club over and couldn't get KK back, you can bet your life that most fans would jump at the chance of getting MON - IF he was mad enough to accept such an offer. Fans are NOT interested in 'Systems' - they want a successful manager who makes decisions about his own staff - AND some stability at the club ; without that, nothing and no-one will succeed. They don't actually, they want a successful team and don't really give a s*** how that comes about. It certainly WON'T come about under the current system and you are wrong in that fans DO want a decent manager because they know that success won't arrive without one, even if Ashley & Co seem to believe that in their La La Land of Football...

Blaming fans for the club's situation is like blaming passengers on an aircraft because it crashes due to bad maintenance of pilot-error...!

Yes, this about sums it all up ; West Ham were not a good side but they were made to look like one by the timid ball-surrendering midfield of NUFC : As Novocastrian says, Duff is finished and couldn't beat an egg, never mind an opposition defender - Chelsea definitely saw NUFC coming when they sold him to us for 5m.. Novo is also on the mark about N'Zogbia, and, as I said at the time of Milner's sale, I would rather NZ had gone instead because Milner at least gave 100%. Taylor was simply awful, and there was no understanding between him and Coloccini, who also struggled. The only moment of class from the side was when Owen brilliantly turned Neal and bent in his goal ; There is no doubt that Owen WILL get a decent club when he leaves in Jan or season's end because he is the only true Prem class player in the side at present. Apart from a brief flurry after Owen's goal, NUFC were never in this match as serious contenders ; morale is obviously rock-bottom, team selection poor(but limited by size of squad and injuries)and there is only one way this side is going unless the club is sold and turned round quickly - and that is towards the Championship. Further humiliations lie ahead - perhaps much worse - as long as the current set-up remains . All the work that went into making the club into a force in the Prem in the 90s has been a total waste of time and everyone involved should be ashamed of themselves for bringing the club back to this level.

Absolutely right - a team without any real conviction, very little grit or motivation, and scandalously lacking in depth, with no possibility of improvement in the foreseeable future. Almost certain to be bottom of the Prem after today's games and likely to remain there. Unless there is a takeover soon and a decent manager installed , relegation is almost a certainty - at the very least, there will be a re-run of last season's escape but with less leeway this time... The NUFC chickens are coming home to roost in flocks....

This debate is now outdated - unless there is a HUGE change in the club's ownership, running, and fortunes by January, he will be off to pastures new by the season's end and who would blame him for escaping the madhouse that is NUFC , where many fans , as was said on this site recently, 'wouldn't recognize a class player if he walked up and kicked them in the nuts' - one of the most telling and accurate comments I have seen !....

This is the sort of comment that makes other clubs' fans think that NUFC supporters have ideas above their station...Wenger and Ferguson's opinions carry a great deal more weight(justifiably)than this sort of remark on a fans' website. It also smacks of arrogance - despite disagreeing with your views, I still acknowledge that you are entitled to them , so it is a bit silly to say that these 2 top managers should 'keep their beaks out'.. In fact, such a comment could even be construed by some as being from a Board Ally.......! So do you think Ferguson was right when he said we should have stuck by Allardyce instead of sacking him? What has Allardyce got to do with Keegan ? There is absolutely NO comparison between the performances of the two managers either on OR off the field and that applies to both mens' previous stints at other clubs. What is more, Allardyce is a known friend of Fergie whereas KK is not as close, so Fergie's comments about KK are even more relevant... Do YOU think Wenger was also wrong? He never mentioned Allardyce's sacking, but he HAS commented about KK's. Truth is, you have basically lost the argument about whether KK should have left because of Board interference ; you believe in the so-called 'Continental' system which seems to be Ashley & Llambias' preferred option, whereas Wenger & Ferguson clearly don't - despite attempts by Ashley & Co to dress it up as an 'Arsenal' system. My point is that you think Ferguson's comment carry a great deal of weight, which funnily enough seems to be when they agree with your point of view. If we had a manager as good as either then I'd agree with them, since we've got no chance of getting one anywhere near as good then I'm happy to stick with our system. Your logic just doesn't add up - you say that because we haven't got a manager like Ferguson or Wenger, you want to 'stick with the system' ; 'The System' has NOT been proven to work in the Prem - do you think Aston Villa, for example, would wish to adopt 'The system' because they don't employ Fergie or Wenger? Absolutely NOT - they are in 4th place(a position most clubs in the Prem would die for), have stability, a good young side, have just signed one of our young players(who I predict will go on to win things with them), and have made steady and satisfactory progress since O'Neill took over 2 years ago.... Would you turn down the chance of having a manager who has achieved this sort of progress just because he wanted to buy & sell his own players? Don't tell me that the vast majority of NUFC fans wouldn't rather have O'Neill as manager , making his OWN decisions about players than some Continental Coach who they haven't heard of, because I just wouldn't believe it. If a new buyer was to take the club over and couldn't get KK back, you can bet your life that most fans would jump at the chance of getting MON - IF he was mad enough to accept such an offer. Fans are NOT interested in 'Systems' - they want a successful manager who makes decisions about his own staff - AND some stability at the club ; without that, nothing and no-one will succeed.

This is the sort of comment that makes other clubs' fans think that NUFC supporters have ideas above their station...Wenger and Ferguson's opinions carry a great deal more weight(justifiably)than this sort of remark on a fans' website. It also smacks of arrogance - despite disagreeing with your views, I still acknowledge that you are entitled to them , so it is a bit silly to say that these 2 top managers should 'keep their beaks out'.. In fact, such a comment could even be construed by some as being from a Board Ally.......! So do you think Ferguson was right when he said we should have stuck by Allardyce instead of sacking him? What has Allardyce got to do with Keegan ? There is absolutely NO comparison between the performances of the two managers either on OR off the field and that applies to both mens' previous stints at other clubs. What is more, Allardyce is a known friend of Fergie whereas KK is not as close, so Fergie's comments about KK are even more relevant... Do YOU think Wenger was also wrong? He never mentioned Allardyce's sacking, but he HAS commented about KK's. Truth is, you have basically lost the argument about whether KK should have left because of Board interference ; you believe in the so-called 'Continental' system which seems to be Ashley & Llambias' preferred option, whereas Wenger & Ferguson clearly don't - despite attempts by Ashley & Co to dress it up as an 'Arsenal' system.

The Arsenal comment was clearly about bring through and buying youngsters as a model for the future, nothing to do with who goes out and gets them. Then why use it as an example when it is so clearly different to the circus that is currently the SJP system?

This is the sort of comment that makes other clubs' fans think that NUFC supporters have ideas above their station...Wenger and Ferguson's opinions carry a great deal more weight(justifiably)than this sort of remark on a fans' website. It also smacks of arrogance - despite disagreeing with your views, I still acknowledge that you are entitled to them , so it is a bit silly to say that these 2 top managers should 'keep their beaks out'.. In fact, such a comment could even be construed by some as being from a Board Ally.......!

You think THIS is bad? Just wait until another 2 weeks has gone by and we are still looking for a decent manager, because no-one who is any good will touch the club with a bargepole until Ashley has either sold OR(it could happen) withdrawn the club from the market because nobody will meet his outrageous valuation.

I'm sorry but from my point of view this has nothing whatsover to do with the Hull game. The old blokes on here have seen this before. The really old blokes remember only too well the off the field problems of 77/78, which no matter what anyone says effect hugely the team on the pitch. The slightly younger old blokes like me remember some 20 odd years ago when we were last relegated. We had a shitty board back then, who had no ambition whatsover, crappy manager who had done a Roeder, the crowd were chanting sack the board and trying to organise themselves. We were an absolute mess off the field and we went down. We can't go on the way we are at the moment for too much longer, if we don't get a proper manager in, have some resolution to the ownership situation, the turmoil will continue and I don't care how good the players are their performances will be effected. said this last week. nailed on, apart from really old Sadly, NE5, we ARE really old compared to the majority on this site ; however, that gives us more experience of things NUFC and therefore I can tell them that we really ARE likely to end up in the relegation dogfight after the events of the past 2 weeks.

Absolutely agree - perhaps now those who were quite happy to have a 'Continental' system(because its 'cool') may see that the 2 top managers in the Prem don't share their views... We may also hear less from ignorant fans of other clubs blaming both KK and NUFC fans for the club's current predicament - Ashley has messed up big time.

IF there has to be a temp manager(and it is beginning to look as if this is going to be necessary), it has to be one who has loads of experience AND will be willing to step aside as soon as a new Board is in place ; O'Leary doesn't fill either of these categories for me. Although it doesn't look glamorous, I would rather have someone who seems capable of steering the team clear of relegation, which, despite the optimistic comments to the contrary, is a very real prospect due mainly to the thin squad but also to the rock-bottom morale in the Dressing Room. This would seem to bring the likes of Venables into the equation and whilst many on here object because of his origins, he DID succeed in keeping Boro up when asked by Robson to assist. His coaching capabilities are beyond serious question, and that is what the club needs right now...sadly, I don't believe the club is going to be sold quickly, so there is a real chance of any decay becoming deeply-ingrained among both players and fans unless results are respectable.

Milners problem was most NUFC fans wouldn't know a quality player even if they were kicked in the n*ts by one. This is also beginning to look as if its true - but then, how many quality players have fans under the age of 20 seen in the last 10 years, assuming they started going to games at the age of 8 or 9 AND can remember those games..

What the hell are you on about? I assume you CAN read, son ? The sentence is quite clear, as is the meaning ; Owen has received massive stick on this board because he has been injured playing for his country; can you manage to see the connection now, or do you need it spelling out in BIG letters...? So what the hell were YOU on about ?

Wonder if he'll get as much stick as Owen if he gets fit, plays for the Argies again, and gets another injury..!??

Totally agree - over-hyped both talent-wise and as an England Captain ; a typical product of tne Tat-&-Trivia society simply because he married a Pop star who was similarly over-hyped - both of them had far less talent than the media projected and Beckham was basically a one-trick pony ; George Best's famous description summed it up 'Apart from the fact that he can't dribble, can't beat a man for pace, can't head the ball or use his left foot - he's not a bad player..!!' Should never have even made the England squad after his pathetic performance in Euro 2004.

What do you mean dare you say it not even Shearer? Shearer will never be as loved as Keegan is. This is just not true - if Shearer came in as manager and led the club to a trophy win, he would be every bit as popular ; he has spent more time at SJP than KK and is the club's record scorer - he also came to the club in his prime instead of Man U, so you are wrong.

So people that dont support Ashley should stop supporting the club? Maybe go and pick a new team to support like Man Utd? What you said is aload of rubbish. You can't just stop supporting your team. The supporters are the club, we will be here long after the fat b****** has gone. So you think the thousands of fans who HAVE stopped attending matches(and there ARE thousands - there used to be 20,000 on the waiting list for season tickets and there sure aint now!)over the past few years are, to quote your opinion, 'a load of rubbish'?? Do you really think these people have stopped being interested in NUFC because they disagreed with club policy?? If so, its YOU who is talking 'a load of rubbish'... People have EVERY right NOT to pay their hard-earned dosh to a company they think is not making the best use of their money, or is being cavalier with its staff... As to the usual quip about supporting Man U, just how many of THOSE fans would be turning up at OT if they had had 53 years without a Domestic trophy, and Fergie, who got them within an ace of winning the title 12 years ago had returned to save them from relegation and then been fired a few months later..?? The Boards of successful clubs know better than to abuse their fans' trust because they know the fans would be gone - the days of unquestioning financial loyalty are over and I think you are in for a shock with attendances at SJP if the team starts struggling after all this. Times are hard, and getting harder financially for lots of people and jobs are going.....

He will only win if fans keep backing the club - without that, he hasn't a product OR a saleable business - even M & S had to back down on GM foods when customers boycotted them...at NUFC it probably won't happen, so he'll be laughing his socks off at the trapped clientle and be there until it suits him

The club have brought this on themselves, and as for saying ' I support NUFC not Keegan, Ashley etc' and using that as an excuse to keep backing the owners, that is just burying heads in sand.. Like saying you would still go to Germany during WW2 because you liked the country but didn't back Hitler.. ! Those in charge of NUFC ARE the club now, whether you like it or not, and if you disagree with a company's policies(or a Country's come to that), you shouldn't back it.

This is a great post, and sums up my views ; apart from all the a/m info about Ashley's business affairs, he reputedly gambled a large sum of money on Bradford/Bingley shares going up quickly during the early part of the Credit Crunch and lost 100m pounds - money that could have built us a really good side.. there are also tales of maverick gambles of that coin guessing game in order to settle bills etc., so if these stories are true then he IS a chancer and he took one too many in his gamble with KK...