Tsunami

Has to be red lettering. A red number 9 on a white panel was the dogs - check out Supermac in the early seventies - classic. We nearly got some licorice all-sorts socks going too. The sponsor looks crap as it's on velcro and can be taken off and replaced in 2010 for the new sponsor name free of charge.

Orient 0 Yeovil 0 on the day we drew 1-1 at The Emirates (take your pick, both were utter rubbish) and I traveled down without a ticket. Also saw a poor Sunderland team beat a couple of sides 7-0 when they were in the 3rd Division; now that was crap. Still, I can still smile as I remember standing in the Fulwell End as Tony Cascarino scored ........ :iamatwat: There were a few other Mags there as well. A treasured moment, more so as they laugh at us now; they thought they'd survived - oh no they hadn't.

I'd play Owen in the role he took up late last season. We currently hold no forward threat from any midfield position and we become predictable and slow in our game.

We'd lost 5 on the trot and were in a relegation place with 2 games left. The game was heading for a draw when Kelly hit a belter into the Gallowgate goal with time running out. That took us to 49 points and results on the final day meant that we stayed up (regardless of our last result) as 48 points went down. As it happens we won at Leicester which was a game in itself after blowing a lead and then getting the winner almost on the final whistle. We already knew by the time the winner went in that we were safe due to other results. The Pompey game was do or die and we very nearly died. Had we not won that it would have been unlikely that we would have beaten Leicester and we would have gone.

Seems that unless you are the ever optimist that you are open to ridicule around here. No-one wants to see us do badly but many have held the opinion that we were heading for a fall and some just couldn't/ wouldn't see it. The rest of the country laughs at us as this is the perceived opinion of all of us. The signs of what was possibly to come have been there from the first couple of months of Ashley's reign.

We need Liverpool, West Brom & Wigan to do the business next weekend. I'd have been happy to have seen West Brom win today against City. That would have given them a real incentive and confidence to take into the mackems. Blackburn have a derby & we can hope Wigan get something. Liverpool have only the league to go for now so that can only be good news for the Hull game (and bad for when we play them). Shearer's true test? Pompey at home.

I realise that we need to win at least 3. What I'm trying to gauge is where people view the tipping point for us.

For me it is Pompey, win that and we stay in touch and can look forward to 'boro at home. If we draw or lose against Pompey we have Liverpool next and will look cut adrift by the time we play 'boro on the Monday night. Anything we get against Spurs is a bonus. Pompey is the game; deja vu.

The atmosphere should be much better. We will know what we need to do so either way it should be louder and more intense. If the players can't raise their game to match we're fucked either way.

Couple of things: Newcastle Brown Ale - it isn't called "Newcastle" or "Newcy". Ask for "Broon" or "Dog" and ask for a half pint glass if you're getting it from a bottle. If your local bar man looks confused when asking for these things; keep asking until they get used to it. This may sound stupid and parochial but it is important. It shows that actual know what you're drinking. The article was written with more than a touch of poetic licence but I'll forgive that for entertainment value. Hang on, he obviously didn't bother to take a look at the stadium unless he was mistakenly given a late 70's photo along with a similarly dated photo of the Quayside. Cheeky git...........................

For me this is the moment; 30 Aug 2004. Newcastle boss Sir Bobby Robson has been sacked by the club after their poor start to the Premiership season. Robson, who was due to leave at the end of the season after the club opted not to renew his contract, has overseen two defeats and two draws this season. We had drawn 2-2 at 'boro when JFH had punched in the equaliser in the last minute, we had lost 1-0 at home to Spurs when we'd stuffed them, we'd drawn 2-2 at home to Norwich after coasting at 2-0 and we'd lost 4-2 at Villa, we'd been 2-1 up at half time. Shearer had been dropped & robson got the push - hmmmm. There'd been rumours of discontent however, we'd finished the previous season in 5th, 4 points behind Liverpool & we could well have finished 4th but for injury problems at the end of the season and only winning 2 away games (12 draws) all season. We were playing decent stuff when SBR got the push & Shepherd got it wrong by not sticking to the agreement in place and what would have been invaluable advice in picking the new manager. SBR said this after the last game of the previous season - a 1-1 draw at Liverpool: "We have had to play four games in 10 days - nobody else has had to do that - and we were on our knees at the end. I do not think we could have played much longer. "We had weary legs. It has been a tough time and we're bushed, for sure. And we have done it despite losing so many players lately through injury. "In the end it was a dramatic day and we were able to give something back to our wonderful support. We are grateful to them because those travelling fans have only seen us win twice away this season. That is inexplicable. It has been painful to watch." "If we had picked up a few more wins away we would have had this place, and probably fourth spot, tied up a long time ago. But we have drawn our last two away games at Southampton and here, and in the end those two points have got us into this position and back into Europe." We appointed Souness and ended that season 14th, 17 points off 4th. We'd blown a great position in the Uefa Cup against Sporting & were blown away in the FA Cup semi by Man U. Yes, we had injury problems again but there was a clear down turn in performances. We finished 7th the next season, 12 points off 4th but by then Souness had taken away the counter attacking threat we'd held and we were becoming slow and predictable. We have struggled ever since. I remember how annoyed I was when SBR got the push and how hurt he clearly was by that decision. Forget Shepherd's other mistakes, he'd also made some very good decisions, getting rid of SBR & appointing Souness was when we became an also rans. SBR was getting us into the Champs League & Uefa; Souness was near the sack at Blackburn. FFS.

You train all week, you work on the formation and tactics. You go home after training on the Friday and Martins reports a groin injury at 11am on the morning of the match. Shearer had every right to look pissed off. They wouldn't have worked that hard on Friday - Martins has stuck the finger up to us on this one. I wouldn't be surprised if he was asked to pull wide right as part of the tactics and he took the huff. That's how I'd have used him against Stoke, he mustn't have fancied being Shola's supply man.

Shearer was limited in his choice of player and style of player yesterday. I would have settled for a point before the game. Knowing Harper wouldn't command the 6 yard box left a huge responsibility on Edgar & Bassong. We could have been down and out within an hour. Win our 3 home games and we stay up, drop any points & we go down. Our central midfield is the biggest worry as we have a complete lack of pace and creativity in that area.

He was woeful yesterday; least he didn't cry off injured. Carroll will get in ahead of him now which is a positive. If he does have to come in any remaining games, do not boo him; you are booing the whole team & if Shola is on, we are most likely losing.

We have to pray that 'boro win. If we finish above Hull we stay up; if we finish above 'boro and below Hull either us or the Mackems will be down.

Gary Messie

We need to get some things in context here; nobody expected us to get points today, next week and the remaining 3 home games will determine our fate. Blackburn winning like they did was a pisser but they' be safe anyway. The other results were ok. Not that it would have made any difference but from where I was sitting (close to the linesman) it was a clear goal. I haven't read if it was, but I was out of my seat celebrating; not in hope but in absolute belief that it was in. We've had a shit load of bad linesman at the Gallowgate end this season. Butt & Nolan can't start together again. Guthrie needs to come in. I'm sure Al learned a lot today. I don't think Stoke will beat us.

Atmosphere was poor; team was much worse. Strong words needed come Monday.

Would be good if we could run out to the tune from Local Hero tomorrow.

Ashley has given us a chance with this. Something had to be done and to his credit he has gone out and taken decisive action - at long last. Some on here had dismissed any suggestion of getting someone in as too late; it aint over yet, let's see what this produces. Scarves out on Saturday let's get the atmospehere cranked up. :indi: :indi: :indi: :indi: :indi: :indi: :indi: :indi: :indi: :indi: :indi: :indi: :indi: :indi:

This ticketless fans issue is of relatively minor importance. Fans with tickets pushing to get in was of far more importance. And that was of much lesser importance to the decision making of the police. Many of us will have been in that end around that time. We usually played down there around holiday periods, we took large numbers and you didn't need a ticket. The police and the public didn't have a good relationship and police and football fans less so. Access to that end is narrow and poor, once in you head down the tunnel and into the centre section. Every time I have been in the centre sections get filled before the side pens get opened. I think the police were used to seeing fans getting a bit of a crush and that happened every time I have been there. The fans outside have no idea of the situation inside and you naturally push forward. The police could have controlled the crowd outside with horses and queue calming measures. The decision to open the gates was fatally flawed. The fans unwittingly contributed but they weren't doing anything unexpected.

I well remember watching this on Grandstand & have also been in the Leppings Lane end a few times. There is a narrow walk up to it and once in there are narrow entries into the pens. It isn't well planned and needs good policing. We always take good numbers down there and the policing has always been a bit harsh. As a 16 year old I nearly wasn't allowed in for being "drunk", I hadn't had a drink & we'd been in a convoy escorted from the motorway by the police. They'd park you up and the fans were left to make their own way to the ground. Once at the ground the police were arrogant and disinterested in good policing. All the ingredients for a disaster were already there. The police must take the major share of the blame for incompetence in not taking control. But as hard as it may be to accept there was a large number of Liverpool fans who turned up late, many without tickets and did what was normal; tried to force their way in. They clearly didn't mean and have any idea what was to happen, but it did happen. If you had been to Hilsborough around that time you will know what that end was like. I'm not having a go at the fans but you unfortunately have to consider what contribution some of their actions led too.

Babel Fish translation Coloccini = Almost Bramble, nearly Boumsong. The way he fell over in the box yesterday brought back memories. He is better than his recent performances suggest - I think.

We have an international break and that gives Ashley the time to get someone in.

I put this thread up after being at the match, and then the pub, having again witnessed us drop precious points through the lack of a manager. We do not react on the field when other teams start asking questions of us. Hughton stands on the touchline making gestures but never gets his point across or any reaction from the players. Some of the players then hide, keep their eyes to ground and we crumble into chaos. For 20 minutes in the 2nd half the team were all over the shop. That should never happen, at any level. We still have a chance of stopping up but we will need to get at least 9 points from the remaining home games and not lose at Stoke. That is the bare minimum requirement and we will not get those points under Hughton. Ashley made a monumental mistake with Kinnear and has gone on to compound this with subsequent actions. You will only ever get anywhere by not accepting what is wrong and by attempting to take the right actions to make improvements or at least stop the slide. We still have enough games to stay up but he must make a short term appointment and have a long term plan for a permanent manager. I'm not too bothered who the short term manager is; anyone would be better than Hughton. JK may feel he can come back but there is too much pressure now and if I were his medical advisor I'd be against coming anywhere near us. That Ashley couldn't/ can't see this is beyond belief. Curbishley, Robson, Venables in fact any out of work manager should be invited in.