quayside

Wouldn't expect anything less from a classy bloke.

There's loads of stuff talked about where it went wrong and why we are where we are and who was to blame etc etc. As far as I'm concerned post Keegan we made appointments that should have worked but didn't. But the board got it right when they had the good sense to appoint SBR and, when it had the funds, they backed him. But the sacking and especially the handling of it is where it went wrong and it's been downhill since. You'd like to think that a board of directors would stand by a manager who had done so much and that they would work out a succession plan with SBR who might just be capable and willing to help with such a plan - but they didn't. The board at the time had its own issues of unity I suspect - and sad to say we the fans applied pressure and cannot be held blameless.

The reports said that Keegan was verbally told he'd been sacked, it could be bollocks or it could be true. We could all say anything verbally then realise we'd dropped a bollock and pretend it didn't happen. My question still stands. If, as reported, he was verbally told he was sacked but it was never put in writing then it wasn't a formal sacking.

In the overall scheme of things its not a massive financial issue. But this issue (and the potential publicity it could bring) could have been a turn off for a potential buyer of the club. At the very least it probably hasn't helped those who have been working on trying to sell the club.

Howay man. Kinnear is our manager and Barton is on crutches. You'll get 4-4-2 if we're putting out or 4-5-1 if we're playing anyone decent.

Children lead charm offensive as Ashley fails to sell imo.

I've never seen a new manager come into at this club who doesn't slag off the the training methods of the previous regime. Can't be arsed to find all the links and quotes but it happens every time.

It doesn't matter how much is offered, it'll alway be that he's asking too much. If any sale doesn't go through, then yes. He says he's desperate to get away. How desperate? If he's desperate to sell he'll cover his losses or make a small profit and get the deal done. If he wants to keep the club he needs to start running it like a proper club and invest money. On the other hand if he wants to keep the club and NOT invest, he is just bleeding the club dry and putting it's future at stake. That's really all there is to it. Some thoughts on that: Keeping the club and not investing runs a substantial risk that his asset gets relegated and is worth a fraction of what he paid. Has he now got the ready cash to fund the club? Since the debt repayment bombshell/poison pill just after he bought the club has he ever had the cash to fund it?

He didn't spend money in the last two windows when he wanted to be here. So why will anything change when he clearly wants out?

I say its the endless running with his head down until he runs into a defender loses posession and the whole team gets caught on the counter. Or maybe the going to sleep at leftback costing goals regardless of his natural position. He doesn`t score many and for some reason like the rest of the team can`t take a corner or cross spectaculary. If we get good money I won`t mind at all. Agree with this. The only problem with selling him is that the money might not be left in the club. I'd rather have an asset on the field than in the pocket of Mike Ashley. Yes - good business for the club means Ashley trousers cash - why should we care about that? As I've said in my recent posts if the transfer money isn't going back into the squad then I'd rather keep the player.

I say its the endless running with his head down until he runs into a defender loses posession and the whole team gets caught on the counter. Or maybe the going to sleep at leftback costing goals regardless of his natural position. He doesn`t score many and for some reason like the rest of the team can`t take a corner or cross spectaculary. If we get good money I won`t mind at all. Agree with this. And if that money doesn't get reinvested? I don't think there's enough evidence to suggest it will be. I'd rather hang on to the first team squad we've got right now than watch decent assets get hived off tbh. its aposition in which we have strngth though and it does seem like gutierrez's stronger side. like every player at every club, he'll have a price. There is strength until we have an injury or two. Yes like every player he'll have a price but my real point is people are getting excited about doing "good business" for Zoggy. Its only "good business" if the squad sees the benefit by reinvestment of the funds. I'm not convinced that we have that situation going on here right now - despite what JFK may be saying. he's one of the few we'd get decent cash for without weakening the first 11. Says it all.

I say its the endless running with his head down until he runs into a defender loses posession and the whole team gets caught on the counter. Or maybe the going to sleep at leftback costing goals regardless of his natural position. He doesn`t score many and for some reason like the rest of the team can`t take a corner or cross spectaculary. If we get good money I won`t mind at all. Agree with this. And if that money doesn't get reinvested? I don't think there's enough evidence to suggest it will be. I'd rather hang on to the first team squad we've got right now than watch decent assets get hived off tbh. its aposition in which we have strngth though and it does seem like gutierrez's stronger side. like every player at every club, he'll have a price. There is strength until we have an injury or two. Yes like every player he'll have a price but my real point is people are getting excited about doing "good business" for Zoggy. Its only "good business" if the squad sees the benefit by reinvestment of the funds. I'm not convinced that we have that situation going on here right now - despite what JFK may be saying.

I say its the endless running with his head down until he runs into a defender loses posession and the whole team gets caught on the counter. Or maybe the going to sleep at leftback costing goals regardless of his natural position. He doesn`t score many and for some reason like the rest of the team can`t take a corner or cross spectaculary. If we get good money I won`t mind at all. Agree with this. And if that money doesn't get reinvested? I don't think there's enough evidence to suggest it will be. I'd rather hang on to the first team squad we've got right now than watch decent assets get hived off tbh.

Indeed there's nothing there we haven't heard before prior to a player's exit. Surprised at JFK saying he doesn't know who puts these stories out - wasn't it Zoggy himself saying he wanted to play more football and was flattered by PSG interest? I'm not sure he'd be anything other than a squad player at PSG as well tbh.

Yup a lot worse than Hughton - the previous temp solution

I'd find it more amusing if I didn't think that there's a decent chance that Redknapp will be funded by the Spurs board to hunt down Shay Given in January. And that if we have the current ownership and a decent profit is on the table they will take it.

Martins Ameobi Jonas Butt Barton Duff Enrique Bassong Coloccini Beye Given Owen off the bench at some point.

JFK is giving it large on the ref costing us. But on another day Shola's goal could have easily been given offside tbh. It's always a seriously ugly game at Craven Cottage but there was more football played today than in others I've seen there (last year anyone?). We deserved to get something from the game today though.... Everyone is blaming Cacapa but in a defence that talks to one another someone (Given, Enrique) would shout at him to leave the ball alone and the first goal does not happen.

Shearer had been crocked at Sunderland in the match before. With that side we drew 0-0 away at Brum which got them relegated and next match we beat Chelsea to finish 7th in the League. Surprising really...

It sounds like JFK is sticking with the same starting line up that beat Villa and there's nothing wrong with that. A bench containing Owen, Guthrie, Zoggy, Bassong, Geremi and Harper is way better than some we've had this season.

The big word there is "if". In all the years he's been getting first team games his form has gone up and down like a whore's knickers. True he has just strung a few decent performances together but that has happened before and ended up getting filed under "false dawn". I'd want to see a sustained run of a couple of months before I'd think about his contract tbh.

If Souness was telling the truth then no, a DoF would have made no difference. To be fair to Souness (can't believe I just typed those words) Luque's own version of how he got transferred from Deportivo would suggest that he was Shepherd's signing.

who are the player, owen aside, who have done anything of note in that time? It's true there aren't many, but N'Zogbia has been a massive under achiever in the last two and a half years. Strange that he's still so popular tbh. His popularity is based on what he's produced in the past and is capable of producing, in theory anyway. I like Zog but he's got an attitude problem. There are times when he looks like he can't be bothered and that's probably the reason he has been consistently over-looked by successive managers. It started to go wrong for Zog in the season when Roeder assumed control without Shearer at his side. Up until then he had shown a lot of promise and was starting to look like a player. Duff was signed and became a lock for the wide left slot and Zog went into reverse. Clearly there were attitude problems coming out as well and Roeder couldn't deal with him (in much the same way that he couldn't deal with Luque).

Apart from his credentials in the private sector - property/property development - his football CV is rather thin. Being an executive director of a London-based football player agency doesn't warrant the sort of Galacticos 'recruiter' status some have bestowed upon him. Just back from holiday hence the long delay in responding; anyway hands up its a fair cop, I must admit to rather gullibly believing what someone said regarding TJs previous employments and on now doing some research it would appear that he was anything but qualified in respect of his position at NUFC. With this in mind its more than likely a good thing he has gone. What he done before he came here is irrelevant anyway, in his short time here he's negotiated some quality deals for the club including getting what looks like a top class Argenitian International to sign for us on a free and to pull off a £12 million deal for an average player like Milner. The Milner price was very good work. But we won't know what Jonas cost us until February I think. None of us knows enough about what Jimenez did or didn't do and whether he's a loss or not. I'd like to know more about what happened during the final days of the transfer window and why it went so very wrong before I pass any judgement on any of the people involved.

We'll appeal and we'll lose. If we win the appeal Styles looks like a nob (too many sh1t decisions this season) - and we wouldn't want that would we?