quayside

The point I was making (rather poorly) is that if we don't get the manager we want, we shouldn't write off whoever does get the gig You know how it is - results will ultimately decide the issue. IF Pardew gets the job and sticks some decent results in there will be a tolerance. If he doesn't there won't be much much patience from the fan base, simply because he will have done nothing to earn that patience (unlike Hughton). But IF he is the next manager what does it tell you about the vision and strategic thinking of those in power at SJP?

Been spotted in Gosforth.

I can't stand the thought that Ashley would sack Hughton to make way for someone like Pardew, Curbishley or even O'Leary. But I really can't see MON working for Ashley. MON is too intelligent and opiniated, and he wants money to spend. As for Jol, the only way I could see him doing it is because of Ashley's Spurs connections, otherwise I would think we can't give him what he wants. It does look dark for sure.....

Why won't he last? Mike Ashley quite clearly does not give a f*** what we think or what we do. He doesn't care if we attend games or not, he doesn't care if we protest and he certainly won't give a s*** if we get on the back of Alan Pardew. This is his club remember, not ours He wont last has if things turn sour quickley he'll be jacked. He has now forced out, not called and ejected three likeable people in KK, Shearer an now Hughton. Fans wont be best pleased if all the work and players have been put in is taken apart by Souness mark 2. Allardyce was sacked because he wasn't Ashley's appointment Keegan walked because he was undermined Kinnear would probably still be here if it wasn't for his dodgy ticker Shearer was offered the job after our relegation and never contacted again Hughton was sacked for seemingly no reason at all which one of those managers left because the fans got on their back? Of those only Allardyce was getting a shit load of stick, so its just possible the fans had some bearing on the decision to sack him. Otherwise none of them were getting anything out of the ordinary. Even JFK was sort of tolerated through gritted teeth.

Pardew was sacked 6 months before Dyer joined West Ham. It was Curbishley who recruited Dyer on that ridiculous contract.

You're giving him too much credit. I'm giving him nothing until I know how he's going to move on from here.

You'd like to think that Ashley realises that, having shafted Hughton, what happens next needs to be a bit special. The most important thing is that the new man has to be someone who is obviously a better choice. Although he is not a superstar manager Hughton had a lot of ticks in the credit box because of his relationship with our club and our players . Someone like Pardew clearly isn't a better choice because he is (at best) a below average manager with a track recod of falling out with players and boards of directors. Its a credibility test yet again for Ashley and his posse of spivs. And it better be good this time Mike....

Don't agree with that, coming in when moral is in the toilet the squad is in turmoil and no one really belives has to be harder than coming in when we are stable. I'm sure it wasn't easy. He found a way to empower some strong characters and he made it work well. However I have my doubts that he could repeat that at another club in another situation. But whatever ...let's see where he goes.

Horrific stuff. It really is. And the stuff about Ashley's anger at Hughton milking it after the 5-1 v The Mackems was in Golfmag's original post about a month ago.

I honestly would not say there is a strong case that he'd do well as a manager somewhere else. The reason he did well with us is that he stepped into a shyte situation, gave the "strong personalities" their say and got on with it. The squad liked and respected him because they could see the state the club was in when he took over. They (Hughton and players) were all in the crap together and together they came out of it and they did so fantastically well. For that reason he had a unique bond with the players and that factor, I would add, gave him strong credentials for being OUR manager. Put him straight into another club as manager and I'm not so sure it would work tbh....Deserves a job at a top club as an assistant manager imho.

In the last 4 months, Carroll has given every indication that he belongs and will excel at this level. Aye, my point exactly. In the recent past he was deemed not good enough, or too inexperienced for this league and the one below us. Hughton's had 16 games, man. He's looked up to it in about 4. We can't afford to continue to piss away points. I'd personally have given him another month or so, by the way. So let's say we have the best manager in the world. What do you think this squad is capable of if we had the best manager in the world? 12th

It does still need Pardew to be appointed for Golfmag to get into the ITK Hall of Fame though.

Should be ok under Pardew though....

Maybe. Certainly hope so. But doubt it because I was told from the same source that CH would go this afternoon and that wasn't a false trail. Why didn't you post it when you knew then? I did. He did.

One of very few appointments Ashley could make that would end up with him coming out of this with some credibility. Would destroy Golfmag's ITK status though

Ashley doesn't care enough about the fans to be too arsed whether we're pissed off or not. As I said on another thread he's done it because he thinks it's the best thing to do to protect the value of his investment. That is all he cares about. Seriously worrying if true, more like a massive f***ing gamble. Indeed it is a gamble, but he probably thinks that hanging on to Hughton was a gamble as well. His opinion is that there's more chance of the club staying up if Hughton is replaced. Btw and for the record I'm not defending the decision in any way, just giving my interpretation of why it was made.

Ashley doesn't care enough about the fans to be too arsed whether we're pissed off or not. As I said on another thread he's done it because he thinks it's the best thing to do to protect the value of his investment. That is all he cares about.

I am gutted by this but not surprised. The stupidity of some of Ashley's earlier mistakes was of such magnitude that I could never quite bring myself to believe that he wouldn't screw it up again. There was hope that he'd learned something from his time here and couldn't be that stupid again, but it was only hope. C*nts like Ashley make a success in one business sector and are arrogant enough to think they can do the same in a completely different area by applying exactly the same principles. It happens all the time sadly.

O'Neill, Moyes, Hughes, Bruce, etc etc. All much of a muchness, and none of them are any better than Hughton. None of them can coach or build a team into playing good, entertaining football, it's all about hard work, getting stuck in, getting players who are a physical threat, and buying enough average players with Premiership/top flight experience to ensure the squad isn't too exposed after a few injuries. Had we given Hughton time and a reasonable amount of money to replace substandard dross like Smith, Xisco, Lovenkrands, Best, Guthrie, etc etc, he'd probably have achieved what they did. 100% wrong. Otherwise, completely stunned at this news. Within context, I would disagree. Compared to what Keegan and Sir Bobby built for us, with all due respect your best team under Moyes doesn't come close in terms of attacking football. The team Moyes has now has been decent for years now, but nothing beyond above average. And I recall his first few years with yourselves (one was near relegation was it not?) involved putting out a team that essentially kicked players off the park at times, similar to Sparky's Blackburn, until he eventually put together a decent group of players who could match some footballing ability with the aggression. Where did I say our football matched Keegan's or SBR's? The point is, he has done exactly what you said he didn't: built up a team gradually, with good coaching and management, a relative lack of funds, into a team that plays pretty good football. I rate him above all the managers in your original post. Likewise - Moyes is too good a manager and too shrewd an operator to come and work for someone like Ashley.

A truly decent man who came in at a horrendous time in the club's history and restored some sanity and pride. We won't forget any of that. He's walking out of here with a far better reputation and a much higher profile than he's ever had before. I hope he gets the job he deserves at another club.

He sacked Hughton because he thinks it's the right thing to do to protect his investment. He won't give a toss about anything else. Hughton did a good job for Ashley in the Championship but Ashley doesn't think he's got what it takes at this level. Simple as.

Thats not who he means btw.

If it is Pardew then Golfmag is operating in a level of ITK not previously seen in my time on this board.

I've heard he's lost a yard or two since his ManU days....

why do you think it looks like he is on his way out? Because a load of people have put money on him? Doesnt mean bott all. String of bad results = odds slashed. Only Ashley knows how close he is to the sack, not the bookies. Anyone going to go there