brummie

I don't think he is seen outside Newcastle as a failure. I think the general perception of outsiders is that it is a decision made out of emotion rather than cold, hard pragmatism, which is what you look like you've needed for a while. Look at the response from a lot of people on this site, and on the pictures of SSN, it has clearly struck a resonant chord, but outsiders (well, the ones I know) see it as similar to the parading of the trophy signings - distracting from the real problems by getting a short term lift. To be honest, I don't think the fact he has been out of the game for a while will have that big an effect - the game has changed, but not that much. I like Keegan, he's an honest bloke, he's also a pretty popular bloke - he managed to survive failing with England AND remain popular, which is some achievement. I hope it works out for you, but when the dust settles from this evening and his first few games back, will it look like the clever appointment? I guess his results will decide that.

We were talking in the office today, saying how Deschamps was going to be a good appointment, how the choice showed foresight and, well balls, and how although he wasn't who we'd have expected Newcastle to go for, we thought it would be a good move. Then I'm on the way home and hear you've appointed Keegan. WTF? Proper WTF territory.

Well written, but how much truth? Genuine question - I've no idea. Where are the assumptions / untruths in it? (I mean the Black Widow article quoted a few posts above)

Martin Laursen has signed his new contract with Villa. That is for us a very, very important signing.

Is he going to go anywhere that hasn't got a manager? You need to sort this appointment out asap, or you're fucked. Obv you all know that.

Did Oliver say Redknapp was a cert only to see him Walk On By? You might actually get Jose, if you all Say A Little Prayer

Ha ha, very good indeed.

Two for the price of one. http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/05_01/bassettDM1205_468x394.jpg LEFT: "hole in the ground? luxury" RIGHT: "Gawd blimey, ap the apples and pears, hit it long! Hit it long!"

Has anyone ever noticed the similarity between north east holder of the finger on the sporting pulse Alan Oliver and one of the world's finest ever songwriters, Burt Bacharach? http://www.gthomas.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/anal01.jpg http://www.nndb.com/people/300/000023231/bacharach1-crop.jpg Obviously, you younger people won't have a clue who BB is, just take it from me, the man's a genius. Burt, not Alan.

As an outsider, I can't believe anyone thinks getting Keegan back is going to work. Emotions. Bad, bad, bad.

First bolded bit - Man United fans still do tell people what a big club they are, though - listen to their fans go on and on about their away support, for a start. Like they need to prove anything. They're a mega club, but their fans are frequently very, very smalltime. I think part of it is insecurity borne of the fact that their ground these days is full of once-a-season daytripping southerners, coach parties from Dublin, corporate prawn-botherers, Singaporean glory hunters and retards frantically taking photographs every ten seconds. There's an element of all the above at almost every PL ground these days, but obviously much worse at Man U. Second bolded bit - to be fair, the reason they sign dross like that is because they can't attract better players due to their shit league, but also because they've not got a pot to piss in, financially. Celtic get 2m a year telly revenue from the SPL. This year the relegated side from the PL gets 30m. I don't really care about Scottish football beyond the fact that Villa have traditionally had strong links with the country back to our foundation, and a lot of our great figures were Scots. Modern Scottish football doesn't really interest me.

How awful for Robinson. Nobody deserves that. Good to see Spurs tackling their most pressing deficiencies first, too.

They're a massive club! Have you seen their official club diary for this year? They've won EVERYTHING! http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/mail/news/tm_headline=football-club-s-inquiry-over-diary-blunder&method=full&objectid=18434823&siteid=50002-name_page.html

Good move, that.

I don't really want to get into this whole 'they think we think that they reckon we really think that we're a big club' thing, but what I don't understand is - well, actually, I do partly understand it - why the same accusations don't get levelled at Tottenham and West Ham. West Ham in particular are turning out to be horrible johnny come latelies, larging it up about what great fans they are because they usually sell out a 35k stadium for the first time in years, neglecting the fact that they've never actually won the league, and are the perfect definition of a yo-yo club. Tottenham's press coverage seems to imply they're some kind of institution despite finishing in the top six a massive two times in almost two decades and having amassed a gigantic two league championships in their history, the last of which was not that far off half a century ago. Now, regardless of the validity or not of any of the things levelled at Newcastle, if you look at the two above cases, why don't their clais of greatness get treated with the same opprobrium? I wonder, just wonder, if it is to do with the "L" word?

good track record, lots of money to spend, playing good football, you can see why Haven't City been averaging about one shot on goal per game for a month or so now? (that's an exaggeration, obviously). I think Sven is a fantastic manager, and will do well there, but their position at times has been a little bit flattering.

I don't think Villa will finish in the CL places this year (oddly, in a way I hope we don't, we're not ready), but of late I have been increasingly convinced that we will finish above Manchester City this season. I know that's short term, but hey ho. Everton worry me more.

Yeah, an ITK mate of mine heard Ron said he'd love to manage the Black & Whites... Well, to be perfectly accurate he did say he'd only want to manage the white half... I loved his team when he managed us. The only other time i enjoyed watching us as much as Atkinson's team was the 1981 side. He had us playing some great football. We once started a match with 9 black players under him, too. All English as well, I think. Not that strange now, but it was then.

Holy fuck.

How old is Don Howe these days? He's one of the original 'please, god, not him' posse.

SNAP! Indeed. I feel ill just looking at the loathesome, pignosed, clueless, self-obssessed, backstabbing wanker.

How the fuck did I forget this cunt. Available now. http://www.teamtalk.com/Images/David_O'Leary_AloneITV.jpg

http://m.gmgrd.co.uk/res/224.$plit/C_71_article_1006965_image_list_image_list_item_0_image.jpg

McLaren is the new Souness. Souness was the new Howard Wilkinson. Managers who make supporters of managerless teams sigh "please god, not him".

In fairness, laughing at Sunderland's signings has been a pretty safe indulgence of late, but he does stand out as looking worth the money. Slow market this window, Speccy ... Even Sven taking his time. Any rumours?