mrmojorisin75

Fuck me. The thought of going to Anfield soon scares the hell out of me is it possible the title race could bre over by the time we go to anfield? wouldn't matter, they'll walk around the pitch and bury us no bother

good article, spot on

I take it you mean me, because I disagree with you ? Who is right and who is wrong then ? doh To me, the trolls are those who still defend Ashley and are still convinced the Halls and Shepherd were s****, surely the penny ought to have dropped by now. Anyway, tell you what mate, ignore me and I won't reply to you ? Do you just deliberatly ignore people and read what you want to read? I can't see anyone defending Ashley. You like to set this arguement up as Ashley v Shepherd, when it isnt that. Critisism of Shepherd is not automatically support for Ashley. If being a good chairman was as easy as spending the clubs money and borrowing to back your manager who is in charge purely because of luck, then most people would be able to do it. Theres alot more to it than that. You know this but you're too far along the line now to admit it. People say I'm a troll, just because I disagree with them, right ? If people now accept that Ashley has been s****, and worse than the Halls and Shepherd, why not say so instead of continuing to attack the Halls and Shepherd for giving us our best league positions in 50 years, achieved because they backed their managers . If Ashley had backed Keegan, he would still be here and I have no doubt at all we would be pushing for a place in europe. Instead, he has gone and we are in the s***, because he didn't back his manager. Get some perspective. I don't want to patronise, but this is really so simple. Ive actually said that Shepherd was better than Ashley, even in Shepherds last few terrible years, but that doesnt get away from the fact he had lost the plot post 2004. they made a terrible appointment in Souness [which again, numerous people backed to succeed, and spend the money that he did], but it doesn't change the fact that their basic idea of how success is gained was correct. The basic idea in my opinion is appointing a good manager to spend that money. Whereas you think managerial success is down to luck. Liverpool ended up with Benitez, Villa with O'Neill, and we got Souness and Roeder. That isnt luck in my opinion. Well, it isn't you or me who chooses the managers. What do you think of Chelsea appointing Grant and Scolari and sacking them both after short periods ? Unlucky ? And what do you think of all the clubs who haven't qualified for europe as often as we did ? Unlucky ? Get real mate. Get some perspective. I'm not taking the piss, this is perspective. Nobody appoints winning managers all the time, its impossible, and I bet that when Wenger and Ferguson leave their respective clubs, mistakes will be made at those clubs too. so you were ok with appointing kinnear ? not my decision. But he didn't back him, just like Keegan. He can appoint anybody he likes, but if he doesn't give him the tools to do the job properly, then it won't get done properly. It won't get done properly if you appoint a s*** manager either. Who is spending the money is as important giving them money. aye sure. Abramovic must be a right tit appointing someone like Scolari, how did they not get it right every time, just like everybody else does ? Have you thought about sending an email to the owners of all the 87 clubs that didn't qualify for europe as oftern as we did telling them that they shouldn't be appointing the wrong manager so often ? Sorry like, but there isn't any other way to get this message across. He wasn't a 'right tit', but he made a mistake. He then sorted it out and appointed someone brilliant to replace him. Lets not kid ourselves though, Scolari was a far far better manager for Chelsea than Souness ever was for us. He still kept them in the top four when he was there. Souness destroyed us. People don't always get it right, but they don't get it much more wrong than Shepherd did. Not once, but twice with Roeder as well. There are more than 4 clubs who have appeared more than us in Europe since 2004 by the way. And most of the 80 other odd didnt start off that period of time as the 5th best club in England. you mean Abramovic made 2 mistakes, and didn't settle for mediocrity. Unlike Mike Ashley, who will gladly take mid table mediocrity as a success ? I'm not talking about 2004, if you do, you are cherry picking. Its like you saying that Shearer was shit for missing a couple of penalties. Clearly bollocks. Would you have replaced him with Ameobi on that basis ? Having said that, plenty of people said they would i don't believe some of the stuff i'm reading here, i really don't, i bolded a couple though: scolari was thrown out after a few months as abramovich thought he was going to take the club out of the top four, who knows how their season would have ended if he'd stayed? (either way) what point are you trying to make here? as for the NE5 part mike ashley has appointed 3 managers now, only one of whom to to date (keegan) was ostensibly intended to be a long term appointment, so was keegan the wrong guy? and is shearer the wrong guy now? is appointing shearer long term, imagining that's what happens, settling for mediocrity NE5? why is everyone else excused mistakes and not mike ashley? this summer will be 2 years of ownership of the club for him - shepherd and the board he headed made more than 2 years worth of mistakes in their time, souness accounting for that whole period essentially not discounting the roeder debacle and sacking robson etc... you've an agenda man - i'm gonna be delighted if we scrape up this season, appoint shearer long term and he gets 20m a season to spend however the fuck he wants until the finances recover and that amount increases just to see where you go with it after that chances are you're right, he's a dick and will fuck it up again this summer but shearer is the guy standing there saying "they've learned from the their mistakes" so we'll see won't we?

howay man robster, fuck that talk I know its very defeatest mate. I was in such a bad mood on monday morning and most of it is because of this bloody football club. Driving me insane i see that side of it, going down to a league we might compete in after clearing out heaps of the shit at the club and hopefully rebuilding with a young, hungry, vibrant team to come back up to glory but fuck thinking like that until it's done dude

see my previous post to jj7. Quite amazing what you lot who are intent on defending Ashley to give ammunition to your desire to demean what the Halls and Shepherd did will stoop to.........still, I can't even pm you can I and discuss it off board, because you've blocked me for disagreeing with you Who is defending Ashley? You know, and ignore my thoughts on Ashley purely because I think that Shepherd and Hall had already started us on this journey before they sold up. Therefore as I do not agree 100% with you I must be an Ashley sympathiser despite what I say. The part in bold is irrelevent tbh. NE5 point is quite simple imo, i dont think it needs that much discussion as it does. He argues good chairmen back the managers which they appoint, this backing in the past has got us to Europe. It is not a fool proof way to get there but it does make him a good chairmen. The appointment of managers is never guaranteed success. NE5 admits himself that Souness, Allardyce didnt work. They were appointed for the right reasons though, and it was never in Shepherds mind that it would be counter constructive. We were in debt but most clubs are, especially the successful ones. No one knows the state of the finances really, he didnt sell up because was running out of options in fact he fought against the sale by Ashley. Thats a brief summary i have no idea, why that generates so much discussion on this board. you have no idea, really? If you look on every thread over 5 pages pretty sure this discussion is brought up. Its way OTT a brief synopsis: on a random thread NE5 pops up with a snidey post that turns the tide towards how good the old board were and how we all lived in carlsberg commercials and had supermodel birds when FS was around people bite to prove him wrong and show that it wasn't always so great he never listens to a word anyone else says it goes to hell in a handcart

see my previous post to jj7. Quite amazing what you lot who are intent on defending Ashley to give ammunition to your desire to demean what the Halls and Shepherd did will stoop to.........still, I can't even pm you can I and discuss it off board, because you've blocked me for disagreeing with you Who is defending Ashley? You know, and ignore my thoughts on Ashley purely because I think that Shepherd and Hall had already started us on this journey before they sold up. Therefore as I do not agree 100% with you I must be an Ashley sympathiser despite what I say. The part in bold is irrelevent tbh. NE5 point is quite simple imo, i dont think it needs that much discussion as it does. He argues good chairmen back the managers which they appoint, this backing in the past has got us to Europe. It is not a fool proof way to get there but it does make him a good chairmen. The appointment of managers is never guaranteed success. NE5 admits himself that Souness, Allardyce didnt work. They were appointed for the right reasons though, and it was never in Shepherds mind that it would be counter constructive. We were in debt but most clubs are, especially the successful ones. No one knows the state of the finances really, he didnt sell up because was running out of options in fact he fought against the sale by Ashley. Thats a brief summary i have no idea, why that generates so much discussion on this board. you have no idea, really?

howay man robster, fuck that talk

46m and they're still pretty fucking shit

http://www.journallive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2009/04/21/enrique-and-barton-to-face-portsmouth-61634-23430403/ I think after seeing our shambles of a team fail to respond to his efforts, Shearer is going to play his better players whether they are match fit or not. I don't blame him, Mark Viduka even overweight was so much better than the majority of his team mates on Sunday it was embarassing. right! i'd totally forgotten the lazy class viduka has man, he should have been a legend that bloke the stupid fat bastard...what a player though

That was all true last season as well but Keegan kept faith and he scored the goals which kept us up. He's useless up front but he offers more as a midfielder than Nolan. There's an argument that Guthrie should play but he doesn't offer a goal threat and hasn't convinced in the pressure games. We definitely need Owen playing against the likes of Burra, Pompey etc, especially in the 4-3-3. It has to be done. As last season proved. couldn't agree more - we have 3 chances to save ourselves at home with 2 pretty un-fucking-likely shots at the unexpected away from home now is not the time for fear; 4-3-3 with owen, viduka, martins, guthrie, jonas + a.n.o. anything else is tantamount to the white flag imo

Perhaps that's why Wise is no longer on the board. It's fairly obvious that he wasn't behind last window's transfer dealings. Also, as a football person, he probably wanted his team to do well -- surely he wasn't the one who decided it was more important to make a profit on transfers. nolan and taylor? what point are you trying to make here?

I really disagree with that. Owen has never been a technically gifted player. His touch on the ball and his passing isn't particularly good at all. In the past, he's relied on his athleticism, but now that he's lost the edge off his pace, the reality is he's just an average Premiership striker. I keep hearing about 'the service' being poor, but it didn't seem to stop Martins getting on the end of a few chances. bang on bollocks people keep mentioning owen doesn't make goals for himself and other such pish, that's not his game - you can't have 11 fast as fuck yet unpredictable nigerians in your teams, you just can't it's an alternative thing imo - the alternatives to playing owen are; to play 4-4-2 with viduka & martins and somehow hope the wingers suddenly start beating people (duff) or being able to cross (jonas) and the midfield remember how to pass or play 4-3-3 with viduka & martins and someone else taking the owen role in between mid/att, i mean who's that gonna be? smith? carroll? do me a fucking favour ---viduka------martins--- ------------owen----------- jonas---smith----guthrie not playing that will cost us our league status imo although i'd be willing to accept one of butt/nolan for smith, just even though he's more mobile and looks like he can knock it to another B&W shirt (maybe he's also not as weighed down with the baggage of this season as butt having missed most of it on the pitch)

wow, post of the year?

no? He's had one or two apps, iirc. was kidding

actually it's because we threw away heaps of winnable points under when all the pie heads said we couldn't go down 'cause there were plenty of games left where are they now? but i presume you're taking a narrow recent view with that post

As the article says though, playing three in midfield when we only have the likes of Nicky Butt and Kevin Nolan to play centrally weakens us significantly. There's no mobility there. Geremi - Butt - Barton incredibly immobile as well, really. I agree in a 4-4-2 he looks done in our team but play him where KK did last season with Oba and Viduka as the flair/spearhead and he'll still score the goals. Nolan - Butt - Guthrie is probably "more mobile" than the 3 played last season, incredibly. Barton is slow as treacle as well (he seems to have become a great player again since his injury, when I tend to think he's been pretty dreadful for us when he has been on the park). I disagree on the comparison to last year. Barton is more mobile than Guthrie in my opinion (though I know exactly what you mean about him getting better and better the less he plays), Geremi though slow had a better touch and offered far more offensively than Nolan does, and Butt is playing worse than ever at the moment. Jonas works hard but can we afford to have an out-and-out attacking player in there? I'm thinking Jonas - Butt/Smith - Guthrie maybe? Conversely, it might be said that our midfield is so weak that we can't afford to waste an extra man on it - its not as though we've got incisive wingers, so we'd be playing Jonas and three of Butt, Guthrie, Nolan and Smith; what's the point? Re: Jonas, I don't think he is an out and out attacker, actually - almost a problem that he's so dutiful in going back, at times. More importantly than what I've just said, the added threat (and even moreso, the blend of threats) offered up front by Martins, Viduka and (hopefully) Owen will more than compensate by reducing pressure on the midfield area (giving Jonas room for manoeuvre) and, ultimately, gives us a better chance of scoring some point-winning goals than a midfield which contains Nolan et al. I find it more damning of the team as a whole than I do simply Owen. He's undoubtedly got his problems - his physical weaknesses meant he wasn't going to single-handedly create situations which added to our midfield/defensive difficulties, but IF he can still do something with service (we shouldn't forget he did score a good goal against Chelsea), then some responsibility must lie with those behind him, who were also incapable of creating something without outside assistance. They presented him with no opportunity to get into the box (its not as though Owen was on the half-way line while the ball was bobbling on the goal line). Basically, my position is we rely upon Martins and Viduka to facilitate the rest of the whole team. Now, even with them, we haven't got a great team of goalscorers (while Viduka's handy (though lazy), Martins is erratic, Jonas still hasn't scored yet etc.), so if we can, as we did last season, create such havoc as a TEAM, we may be able to unlock Owen's hopefully still intact instinct and convert some of the resultant chances. One final thing; not that I think it should be our first port of call, but no one has mentioned a 3-4-3, yet. I think it should be in mind as a resort, as and when circumstances conspire. P.S. Can the poll be changed to offer options re: two and three man partnerships? er, this - nutshelled up: we don't have the midfield for 4-4-2 but in viduka and martins we have 2 strikers who like playing together and will create havoc and space for owen to exploit owen is made of glass, and i'm his biggest detractor, but he's a natural born goalscorer and GIVEN OPPORTUNITIES will score them parrelells of shearer pre-euro '96 for me, and shearer will know that...pompey is massive now - owen to score, nailed, in fact i'm gonna bet on it if there was a viable alternative it'd be different, but there isn't

Just because you disagree Dave ? You do realise, I've been proven right about pretty much everything I've said over the last few years I take it ? god, sorry if this ends the thread but i can't help myself all you've actually said by your own admission is that good boards are hard to come by, you believe the last one was good and given we accept the idea that good boards are hard to come by there's a strong chance anyone taking over would not be as good as the last one ran by FS wup-dee-fucking doo here's my prediction for the next UK government: good governments are hard to come by and we had a decent one with new labour who are having a bit of a rough patch after a good period, however as i assert that good governments are hard to come by there's a strong chance the tories will be shit (considering they'll be taking the reigns slap bang in the middle of the biggest economic downturn in anyone's lifetime this probability increases but is not guaranteed) BUT if they do succeed i'm still right as i never stated they'd definately fail, just that it was probable any bells ringing for you NE5? thought not

perhaps the key to it all?

no?

the alternative to playing owen please? given we've no midfield worth a turd 4-4-2 with wingers that either can't cross or take people on as far as i can see Given how shite the team is in terms of keeping possession and playing it around I'd like to see us switch to the Bolton and Stoke tactics rather than trying to play a game that we don't have players or time for. Carroll/Viduka/Ameobi up front and just keep pumping as many long balls, crosses and long throws as possible and that way put them under pressure and generate at least some chances. That tactic has to pay off more than keeping Owen there and hope he'd get that one perfect chance and put it away. Put the four hard-tacklers Butt, Smith, Jonas and Barton in midfield and we'd have fair chances of winning the 50-50 balls. . i can't agree those systems work with players who are used to it and geared for it, ours are not having seen martins and viduka in the last 30 yesterday i honestly think that finishing team (minus duff & butt) is the one we should play...viduka seems to thrive on playing with martins and if they're causing havoc then i would personally back owen to exploit the space we have to play this at home, jesus, 'boro & pompey will be having wet dreams about us hoying balls up in the air at them rather than trying to play long ball has done nothing for us all season, why would it work now?

who the fuck has a perfect fitness record like? Sorry, that wasn't meant to be taken literally. The odd small injury is OK obviously, but nobody who has any hint of being injury prone or multiple long-term injuries. aye right enough we need some physical specimens imo, the likes of bouba diop...have said so for years, the game is going physical (watched barca and they play with keita & toure in the middle for strength) and it comes as no surprise to me that a team full of slow, overweight, small, injury prone players like the group we've got are doing so badly

i concur

who the fuck has a perfect fitness record like?

the alternative to playing owen please? given we've no midfield worth a turd 4-4-2 with wingers that either can't cross or take people on as far as i can see

just amused myself by looking at some quotes from Ra's al Ghul out of Batman Begins and how much they apply to us not sure why it popped into my head, for some reason i remembered the restoration of balance stuff and the fact that gotham is referred to as a corrupt, bloated corpse or something hopefully shearer will restore the balance rather than relegation