merlin

Samuel's article pinpoints the growing(and sad)reality of English(AND European)Football - the power is becoming concentrated among a select gruop of clubs, reflecting the situation Scotland has had for years. Money talks in these situations, and although many do not like foreigners taking over English clubs, it is the only way any club with genuine ambition can realistically hope to break into the Top 4(or make it Top 6 again). Agents & the Bosman ruling have altered the game forever, and not for the better - the players have far too much power to manipulate a move if they so want one, and that is likely to be to one of the clubs perceived as successful. NUFC had a unique situation with Shearer, and one that is unlikely to arise again(unless the player concerned was an Academy product and happy to remain in the area). Whether you like him or not, Shepherd's stance on refusing to sell his shares under ANY circumstances will cost the club the necessary investment it needs to compete with the most successful clubs - he cannot compete financially with some of the huge money coming into the game(takeovers at L/Pool, West Ham, Villa already done, City & Spurs looking next targets - and who is to say Dein won't re-emerge at Arsenal, complete with another affort to dislodge Hill-Wood & Co?). There is now huge competition for the best players, and the old maxim applies - Big fish eat little fish, and Bigger fish eat them..... Clubs like NUFC need a really good academy production-line now if they are to remain a genuine long-term challenger to the Top 4 - the really sought-after Foreign players(like Huntelaar, for example) will always choose Man U, L/pool, Arsenal or Chelsea over us in a straight-choice contest - only long-term success will alter that. The situation with Spurs is slightly different - as a London club, they DO have a geographical advantage over us, but that is all.

Note that the report about Juve states that these players are 'thought' to be on the wanted list - Huntelaar is 'thought' to be on NUFC's wanted list(as well as that of every other decent club in Europe!), but we haven't a cat in hell's chance of signing him - if Ajax were prepared to do a deal with us of Huntelaar in exchange for Martins PLUS 5m quid, I'd snap their hands off - wouldn't you ? No comparison between the two as far as potential effectiveness over a tough season is concerned - I'd take Huntelaar every time, and to think we could have signed him for about 3m a few years ago when he starred for Herenveen against us......!

Said a few months ago that this kid could make it into the first-team squad next season - he is certainly making the right progress, and if Sam likes his style, I expect that he WILL make a couple of first-team appearances at some stage next year, AND save the club some money...

More expectation than for any of the previous 3 - SBR did better than I thought he would, as he was manager longer than I expected him to be. Allardyce has a good 5-10 years to make NUFC a real CLUB, not a collection of overpaid misfits. His record of doing the same at Bolton is beyond question - the only thing he hasn't done there is to have a big budget, or be expected to sign top-quality players. Nevertheless, this is going to be a long haul - we MIGHT get a pleasant surprise, and see the club qualifying for the CL within 3 years, but its a big ask. There is a huge amount of damage to repair, both on the field, and with fans/players' morale so miracles can not be expected. If we finish in the top 6 and get a decent Cup run next year(NOT a humiliating exit like the 2005 Semi with Man ure..),then Sam will have done fantastically well. Top 10 would be acceptable, anything less a cause for concern, but no-one should underestimate the size of his task, and how long it will take to get everyone at the Club pulling in the same direction. I just hope Shepherd has learnt his lesson - any interference in transfers etc would be catastrophic - heaven help the Club if Allardyce walks out, as there would be nowhere else to turn...... I wish him every success in one of the most difficult jobs in the game, but one that COULD make his name for all time if he succeeds.

Immaturity - at 22 Owen was 18 when he played against Argentina in the 98 WC and scored that great goal/won a pen. As for the comment about Bergkamp - that defies belief ; Bergkamp almost came to us in 1995 before he went to Arsenal, and he had just recovered from a bad injury. If you think there is ANY comparison between Bergkamp(already a seasoned Dutch International at that stage)and Martins, I despair, and even more so if you think our fans would have got on his back. Everyone knows he was a great player, which he proved many times after his Highbury move. Martins will never be in the same class, mate.

I suppose Dyer is staring to 'Mature' now..at aged 28 !! Gave up on this guy years ago - remember his outburst at Boro, the armband fiasco, refusal to play wide for SBR And 7 goals makes this OK ?? Give me a break..... And as for 'Average players not playing for the National side" - as someone said, what about the likes of Palmer ? England ARE an average side by World standards, and have been badly-managed to boot.

Butt is probably correct - the uncaring attitude of around half the first team outfield players has been there for all to see - too many treating SJP as an early Retirement Home, OR a place to take the P--- whilst picking up hugel wages in between stints in nightclubs.... Will stand out to him like a sore thumb after the professionalism of Man U under Fergie. The club needs a HUGE sorting-out from top to bottom, and I just hope whoever gets the job(yes, even at THIS late stage, you couldn't say its cut & dried..!!)starts sweeping with a very big broom ...

How was Drogba in his first year with Chelsea ? This was Martin's first season man...Give him a break will ya... 'First year' doesn't excuse lack of effort in running off the ball to find space for team mates to pass to you, OR lack of first touch.. Pace of game, yes, but he HAS plenty of that anyway..

Re; my post above - I would be happy to swap MARTINS for Bent or ASHTON(miss-spelling) - it also looked like I meant swapping Pele..! NO chance..!!

Never totally convinced about Martins - very in and out, in many ways a typical African player - they show flashes of great brilliance and athleticism, but seem not to be able to get into the physical grind and intensive effort that is the Premiership(witness his suspect first touch and lack of off-ball movement). Not all are like that(Drogba is more suited to the Prem than Martins), but bearing in mind the number playing in Europe , they should be making more of an impact. If you look at their performances during the World Cup, only Ivory Coast looked as if they were a 'team' in the true sense. Supposed experts have been claiming that ' this time, an African team has a real chance of winning the WC', or 'it can't be long until an African side wins the WC', but I first heard that around 1974 when Zaire were in the tournament, and over 30 years later, we are still no nearer seeing it... Incidentally, DON'T anyone start bringing up the 'Racist' tag..!! My favourite player of ALL time is Pele, and he is black - but - he's Brazilian ; that's the difference, they have a different mentality. Would be happy to swap him for Bent or Aston(esp if Owen stays).

Spot on Wullie - we get second best most of the time because the top 4 Clubs can pick & choose because of their success ; players WANT to play for them. Unless you're Shearer, NUFC is simply a Golden Goose employer.... Lets hope Allardyce can change that view, although it won't happen overnight, and we will probably need to win something before players believe things have changed.

Owen - 9m tops Martins - 10m tops Emre - 4m tops Dyer - 3m tops the others look about right. Cannot see Anelka as lone striker - better with a target man(Viduka?).However, both players are moody.. Would be a tough job to get Arteta away from Everton.

Collins has always hated NUFC, esp since we turned his beloved Man ure over 5-0 - he wrote about how disgusted he felt when neutrals expressed their dellight in seeing Fergie's mob given a hammering. He never misses a chance to have a go at the club, but, sadly, the way the club has appeared to the rest of the country over the past 3 years has given him plenty of willing readers. Whatever the merits or otherwise of Allardyce, you can bet your boots that Collins will be rooting for him to fail. Basically, this scribe is just a Champagne Socialist writer , based in London, but supporting Man U. He must have cringed in the 90s when it looked for a while , that we were going to seriously challenge his beloved Reds for dominance of English football. However, we cannot deny that the current Chairman has given him plenty of ammunition for fire at us - we are the laughing stock of the Prem., and it will take a few seasons of progress before the club gains respectability again. Lets hope we get the chance to ram Collins' words down his throat.... Over to you Mr Chairman & Mr Allardyce....

Will be astonished if anyone pays even 4m for Dyer - Campbell might be difficult to get if Pompey DO have him on a 2 yr deal. Viduka is possible , Bent maybe(IF Owen goes). We will all get some surprises by what Allardyce does - I remember Gordon Lee joining in 1975, and making Alan Gowling his first signing ; everyone was outraged, but the guy went on to score 30 goals that season, and we reached the LC Final. BS may see something in some of the current staff which has not been utilised by previous managers - Lee moved Cassidy to central midfield, Nulty to the midfield 'Free'man, and both moves paid off. Its going to be an interesting few months, and I just hope Allardyce can get his men in without too much hassle - some of the overpaid Prima Donnas at SJP will undoubtedly try to hang on to their nice, well-paid contracts, A' La Marcelino - it will be a difficult first year, and Allardyce will certainly have to earn his corn. Incidentally, talking of Lee and Tommy Cassidy reminds me of a great incident involving both these guys which took place in the Dressing room . Lee walked in and said he was recommending young Aidam McCaffery to the Irish Team manager for International honours - McCaffery said, 'I'm sorry boss - I can't - I'm English(already played for U-21s)' Lee looked disgusted, and said ' with a name like yours, you should be Irish' Supermac looked up & said 'just because his name sounds Irish doesn't mean he is' Lee replied ' Well, you're a fine one to talk - you've got a Scottish name, but you play for England' At this, Tommy Cassidy broke in ;'Does that mean that you should play for CHINA, Boss!!??' Lee stormed out, amidst great amusement.....!!

Great article Amy - as one of the older fans on here(and therefore presumed to be the most mysoginistic !), may I say that you are just as entitled as anyone else to have ANY opinion you like about the game - after all, some of the crap I read on here from supposed 'knowledgeable'male fans beggars belief. Felt sorry for Schalke - I DID know they were a hugely-popular club in Germany, and like NUFC, had not been very successful, but there , I think the comparison ends - we have nowhere near the sort of National following that they do, even allowing for the difference in size of population between the 2 countries , and I don't think the mentality of British fans lends itself to the sort of co-operation they seem to achieve in every aspect of supporting the club - no Chairman there could get away with the sort of nonsense that Shepherd has perpetrated over the past 3 years without some sort of revolt - something which will NOT be happening on Tyneside any time soon(and , to be fair, shouldn't at this time - we have to give Allardyce a chance, at least for a couple of years). Keep posting, girl !

I thought Stephenson was a cracking player to start with, could dribble, cross and beat his man. Went on to do a canny job at Hartlepool mind, but didn't fulfill his promise. Agreed - Stephenson WOULD have been a great winger, but he got a bad ankle injury from a tackle by Dorigo when we played Villa in Spring 86 - he had already made his mark with a fine debut at Liverpool, with even Bob Paisley drooling over his talent - speed, dribbling skills, eye for goal and a good crosser of the ball. A crying shame that he never recovered from that injury(bit like Kewell really). Was 18 when he made his debut in 85, so could still have been playing in KKs team in 95. Geoff Allen was another - late developer who was that rarity, a great Left winger.Took Van Der Hyde(Feyenoord's Right Back) to the cleaners in our first Fairs Cup game at SJP, and we won 4-0. Suffered Cruciate Ligament injury at Notts Forest(again, a bad tackle, this time by Hindley), and in those days, that was curtains.. Would probably have played for England.

I remain convinced that MON will do a great job at Villa, and that his input will start to show benefits from next season. I fully expect them to be challenging Spurs for 5th place. He is going to prove many people wrong on this site... We are at least a season behind them, and it will show next year.

Top 4 is unlikely for ANY Club outside it already(in the foreseeable future, which is not very long in Football..!) However, I think it is possible for NUFC to make top 7 under the right manager NEXT season. DON'T think they will finish higher than Spurs or Villa - both those clubs have more stability that NUFC, and I remain convinced that O'Neill will produce a much better side next season. Whether its Allardyce or anyone else, there is masses of work to do at SJP - the Bookies' odds on Relegation for the club(8/1)tell you that, and it will take the new boss a couple of years to put right even half of the damage Souness & Roeder have left(courtesy of the Chairman). In addition, I will be surprised if we even have the 25m that the Mackems are reputedly giving Keane to spend, so getting the players the new guy will want will not be easy. Its now the time that the Piper has to be paid, and unfortunately, it will be the fans picking up the tab...

It was always likely that Owen might leave if the club failed to progress whilst he was here - he has no regional loyalty as Shearer did, and the club has actually gone backwards since he joined. Yes, he has had a series of injuries, but that was always likely to happen - any fool could have deduced that from his past record - Oh Wait - one fool didn't....! The fee was outrageous, and the only reason he came here & not back to Liverpool, although I DO believe the lad was prepared to give NUFC a chance ; if he hadn't been injured, we may have done better, but not much - there is too much wrong, right the way through the club, and Owen will know that by now. He might be torn a bit because of his lack of appearances, but in the end, his desire to perform at the highest level for as long as poss will decide his future. As usual, the Chairman is ranting away, full of bluster in order to try to disguise the lunacy of allowing a player to put escape clauses in his contract. I can understand it when it covers relegation, but nothing else - how can you plan the club's future like that ? The only consolation for supporters would be that a SHREWD manager will use the money from any sale far better than any of the past 3 incumbents would have done - PROVIDED that he is allowed to spend it on the player of his choice....!! That will tell us far more about the new manager than anything else..

Agree totally - he would be a disaster, and people who should be out(like Dyer etc) would have a free reign under his weak management.Beckham and Neville virtually ran the show when he was England boss, and his timid and uninspired tactics always cost the team dear. Would rather have Houllier by a country mile, and Allardyce would have a much greater influence on this team of under-achieveing Prima Donnas...

Fans are NOT to blame - have been too tolerant, if anything. The blame lies with the unprofessional conduct of the Chairman , who has made some disastrous mistakes - firing SBR at the wrong time, appointing Souness, appointing Roeder, just for starters. NUFC have not won a domestic trophy for more than 50 years, whilst having consistently excellent attendances(which would be envied by many of the clubs who HAVE won honours during that time), so to say the fans are too impatient is cobblers of the highest order. There is a perception within both Football and the Media that the so-called 'Top 4' are to be worshipped unconditionally, and any one who could pose a threat to that bunch of sacred cows is to be treated with distain - clubs like NUFC & Villa both fall into that category, so don't be surprised when the sort of rubbish spouted by Gallacher is heard, esp if either NUFC or AV start doing well next season....

Dyer - sums up all that is wrong with Newcastle United ; Lazy, overpaid,unprofessional,no respect for fans or management(witness his display at Boro when SBR took him off), and gives the club a bad name with the media and fans around the country with his off-field activities. Should have been out of the door ages ago, and any decent manager will get rid as soon as he can, thank goodness. Definitely in the top 4 of worst value signings by NUFC, and not a coincidence that Gullit signed him - remember Marcelino and Maric....?

The difference is that Sunderland have an ambitious Chairman who will back the manager, plus the fact that Keane will get a sympathetic hearing from the media, just like a certain KK did for us....