AyeDubbleYoo

We've got two classics on the staff now, that's for sure. http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/6679/dowie.jpg

This is a big plus, as long as it doesn't mean we get relegated of course.

To me that's the biggest advantage he will have (long term). Similar to Keegan the first time round, he will have a real pull with modern players (some of them will actually have heard of him).

And Smudger having a cheeky smudge in that pic! Probably just really happy to be getting on the pitch.

Depends, he could do quite well and we could still get relegated. Or he could keep us up but still not be the right man for the job. Either way, 8 games isn't long enough to decide. (Edit: Obviously (practically speaking) he will get the nod if we stay up)

By the way...

I hope a suit, for all our sakes. We need Mourinho Mk2 not Keegan Mk2.

I honestly never give any though to what Sunderland do, couldn't give a feck. As long as we stay up, that's all that matters now.

One of my mackem friends has already posted that on facebook, the amount of attention they pay to us is laughable!

Fuck, I just switched the radio off.

I still think it's 50/50, although we will have a much better chance in our home games now the atmosphere will be right behind the team.

Save it for the end of the season eh?

We don't know what his style will be really, do we? He was an attacker, and has played in a lot of good attacking teams, but he always strikes me as quite conservative as a person. May be he will try to keep it tight and scrape enough points to keep us up... who knows.

I doubt the club will make any changes to the system until the end of the season and they know whether Shearer will be the long-term manager. They won't be sacking Wise in the next 8 games.

Also, fair play to the club for rolling the dice and doing something. I've posted before that I didn't think they would act before the end of the season. Whether or not it's enough remains to be seen, but credit where it's due.

It's never dull being a Newcastle fan like. Fingers crossed Al will be able to lift the team enough to keep us up. I'm not 100% sure it will work out, but just imagine how immense it would be if he makes a success of the job!

What would 'backing' mean if the manager was rubbish though? Still letting them spend millions of the club's money on the wrong players?

There was a thread mind saying JFK should be made permanent manager. And nobody was really behind Kinnear, but especially during the aftermath of September plenty of people were all behind Ashley. This one? http://www.newcastle-online.org/nufcforum/index.php/topic,60776.0.html Question: Do you want Joe Kinnear to be NUFC manager permanently? Yes - 5 (2.1%) No - 236 (97.9%) Total Voters: 241 I'm sure there was quite a few people saying he should be though after Villa, Pompey etc. It was way before that though. The pompy away game was the worst, i remember a thread saying something along the lines of "lets all give thanks to mike ashley" WTF We beat a s*** Tony Adams side and people started giving each other cyber hand jobs. Wasn't the "let's all give thanks to Mike Ashley" purely about finances? I dont think it was mind. Whatever, it's pointless starting on this reviewing of past opinions. If we stay up and push on next season people might well look back at this thread and say 'look how people were slagging off Mike Ashley'. I don't think a football forum is the place to criticise people for short term reactions!

The new Ronaldo. FACT.

Capello would almost be better off picking somone like James Beattie if Cole, Crouch and Heskey are out. He doesn't seem to want to change the system, so I can't see a place for Owen even when fit.

Those quotes sound to me like he's talking about wanting to have an input this season. The idea he is hinting he wants to move upstairs next season has come out of nowhere.

If we stay up we won't struggle as badly next season. Even though we don't have a massive squad we have the quality to do OK if we can keep enough players fit. If we add another few signings of the same quality of previous ones we will be much improved. Not sure we will stay up sadly.

If this is a sign that Bruce is making noises, we should pull out all the stops to get him. Tapping up, media leaks, I don't care!

Dave Whelan is loco, no doubt.