dustynrg

I find myself hoping that Hull DO go down, even ahead of the Mackems, just to upset the horrible Phil Brown and Brian Horton. Wouldn't it also be ace to see the mighty Sam Allardyce relegated, the little sensitive flower that he has suddenly become.

Wasn't he offered twice the wages he was getting here? No other club (even in the top 4) would offer him that. It was probably a case of come now or don't come at all. And wasn't his father telling people (in Donegal) in November that he had negotiated a move to Man City (that was on the Man City forum back in November when it became news on there).

I think his heart will still be with us, and the Man City fans are going to tire of his bleating on about Newcastle United sooner than later. Still, his massive wages will compensate him a little bit for now.

Too bad he's back to his dirty cheating ways. On TalkSport this morning, Ronnie Irani said he was at the match and at one point, Drogba was injured, OFF the pitch but then rolled himself back on to get the game stopped Ronnie Irani must be the worst broadcaster the world has ever heard, how in God's name is he still on the radio? He is absolute and total and utter w***. Of course he would have a great view of the pitch from his free corporate seat, glory hunting Man U fan if I remember correctly. But if a freebie is offered he'll be there like a bullet, whoever he "supports". Every time I see Drogba I think of how he murdered us when he played for Marseille.

Those brainy members of the PFA, Football Players playing in the Premier League (or is it all of them in all leagues I'm not sure).

A draw is surely the best we can hope for, only Man U, Chelsea and Everton have won at Stoke this season. Shearer's a Manager not a magician. It would be great if we won obviously.

Wheyse Keyse Louise in talking sense shock http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/apr/09/alan-shearer-newcastle-survival-hopes Alan Shearer: staying up would be my biggest triumph • Avoiding relegation would be career highpoint • Injury problems dog preparations for Stoke trip * Louise Taylor * guardian.co.uk, Thursday 9 April 2009 22.48 BST Alan Shearer Newcastle manager Alan Shearer says he has spoken to Kenny Dalgish, Kevin Keegan and Sir Bobby Robson about his new job. Photograph: Scott Heppell/AP After only one week as Newcastle United's manager Alan Shearer is not only facing his first "injury crisis" but has freely ­admitted that avoiding relegation would be the biggest achievement of his ­illustrious career. "Yes, without a doubt, it [staying up] would be my biggest achievement," stressed the former England captain whose goals swept Blackburn Rovers to the Premier League title in 1995. "We've got one left-back and oneright-back at the football club. It doesn't take a genius to work out that you need more than that. It's most definitely, ­without a doubt, the biggest challenge of my career." Only Chelsea, Everton and Manchester United have won away at Stoke City, Newcastle's opponents on Saturday, in the league this season but, fearful of being cast adrift in deep relegation waters, Shearer hopes Newcastle will shortly join that rollcall. "A good result is imperative, it really is," he said. "We need three points." With Steven Taylor, like Mark Viduka, out through injury and the influential French defender Sébastien Bassong doubtful it will, however, not be easy against Tony Pulis's formidably physical and direct team. "You know what you are getting at Stoke but can you handle it," mused Shearer. "Can we be big, can we be brave, can we be strong, can we play our football, can we win? Can we take Stoke on at being physical? Probably not. But can we take them on at football? Probably, yes." In an attempt to discover some definitive answers Shearer has spent much of this week on the phone: "I've spoken to Kenny [Dalglish], I've spoken to Kevin [Keegan], I've spoken to Sir Bobby [Robson] and I've spoken to a few other coaches," he said. "It was good chatting to them. They all said 'welcome to the madhouse'. "I haven't been able to switch off at all.Not at all. Not one bit. Bang goes your relaxation time. I've not spent too much time in the house. If anyone tells you that they can do this job and switch off and relax then I certainly don't believe them. It takes over your thoughts. Every waking moment. Every second, not just minute. I'm picking teams, 4-4-2, 4-3-3, 4-1-2 whatever. But it's been great, I've really enjoyed it." So much so that, although it is very early days, few at St James' Park expect him to relinquish the post next season. Last week Derek Llambias, ­Newcastle's managing director, made noises about Joe Kinnear returning in July but the former manager's contract expires at the end of May and no one believes he will reappear on Tyneside. Yet Kinnear, who underwent a triple heart by-pass in February, could have lost his life managing Newcastle and, acutely mindful of this, the club are handling the 62-year-old's inevitable departure with suitable sensitivity. "Joe's on the mend – in two months time he should be fully fit," reported Llambias on Wednesday. Rather more significantly, Llambias's insistence that Dennis Wise, the club's recently departed director of football, will not be replaced is likely to have ­disappointed Kinnear who dropped heavy hints that he coveted the role.

Looking at RTG - they all seem conviced that they're going down. Mackems Boro West Brom Nailed on.

I think this too, they hate their manager, the fans are very nervous, the team is shiter than ours. Even Quinn looked nervous on MOTD. Let's have a bit of positive thinking here lads.

The two of them were sounding suicidal before Ronaldo scored, Gray will be wanking himself silly if Man U score again.

Bad Karma tbh. When you hate something or somebody so irrationally it'll come back to haunt you. Just think how shite they will feel when we stay up and they go down in our place. It will happen.

I'vev done that Predictor thing twice in about 6 weeks and got the same result both times. Sunderland Middlesborough West Brom

"cajones" (KA-HONIES) actually BAAALLLLSSSS to me and you

Let's just take one step at a time eh. They probably don't know what's going to happen either.

Dowie fACTOID He's got a Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Shearer and Dowie are friends from Southampton. I would think Shearer picks his own staff, although I'm surprised Lee isn't one of them (still time I expect).

I think it will be Rob Lee - only because he was whoring himself all over the meeja a few months back and saying "we" a lot in ref to NUFC, as if Shearer had said get out there and do some PR. Hopefully Gary Speed anarl.

aH HA On his way to meet Ashley no doubt - historical spot!

If I remember rightly (I'm sure someone will correct me) Capello picked Owen at Real (for a change) and he scored 4 in a Cup game - he was dropped the next game and hardly played again under Capello. He just doesn't "fancy" little Mikey as those oldie footballers insist on saying. And Owen must know that, the news that Capello was to become England Manager must have been very bad news indeed to him.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/newcastle/5076835/Newcastle-United-say-relegation-from-Premier-League-wont-mean-administration.html Newcastle United say relegation from Premier League won't mean administration The Newcastle United hierarchy have angrily denied "upsetting" suggestions that the club could enter administration if relegated from the Premier League this season. By Rob Stewart Last Updated: 2:34PM BST 30 Mar 2009 The top brass at St James' Park insisted that the relegation-threatened club was financially healthy enough to withstand the blow of dropping out of the top flight and falling into the Championship. Derek Llambias, the Newcastle managing director who runs the club for owner Mike Ashley, has hit out at weekend reports suggesting the club could follow the likes of Leeds United into administration. "It's ridiculous, unfair and unfounded, and it's upsetting because there is no truth in it," Llambias said. "We're in a situation fighting relegation where we need everybody behind us. "There is absolutely no truth in the story whatsoever. It's ridiculous, it's usually based on a rumour and I don't know where these things are hatched." Llambias added: "We'd have to restructure our own business plan like everybody else. But our finances are strong, and there would be no threat of administration. "Mike has been affected by the credit crunch - why should he be different to anybody else? The club is not for sale and we've made it clear. It's not where we want to go." Meanwhile, Newcastle manager Joe Kinnear, linked with a boardroom role over the weekend, is "desperate" to return to work following triple heart bypass surgery. "I'm just desperate to be back and do what I can for Newcastle," Kinnear said. "I still think we have enough quality players to see us through this. "Obviously I look forward to next season, and I want to say that what's happening now will never happen again. Whatever happens I will have an input. It's as simple as that. "If I can't do certain things, I will be speaking to staff and players at the club and working at the training ground during the week. I'll still have a major say to the players too. We'll work it that way."

And so it begins http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/240255/WERE-ALL-IN-THIS-TOGETHER-BUTT-Toon-stars-think-were-too-good-to-work-hard.html By MARTIN HARDY, 28/03/2009 TWO Lamborghinis arrived at Newcastle's training ground last week. One came from Scotland for former Rangers forward Peter Lovenkrands - finally, after two months, reunited with his £150,000 motor. The other came north, brand new, for Danny Guthrie. Around the corner from the car park, in a small side room, Newcastle's most decorated player spoke of collective responsibility. About looking in the mirror. About taking the blame for the implosion that has propelled the club to the brink of relegation. Nicky Butt never once spoke of cars. "I am a player. I am part of why we are where we are," he said. "It's p****d me off. We have 20- odd lads who are p****d off. We will all have different reasons as to why it has gone wrong. "It's definitely in our heads. We think we're too good to be working as hard as a Hull or a Bolton. We HAVE to work as hard as them and then our ability will kick in. "Maybe we think we don't need to do that, that we're too good. We think: 'We've got Michael Owen, we've got Oba Martins, we've got Gutierrez, we've got Damien Duff - we've got all these great players, so we don't need to work as hard. But the fact is we do. "I'm part of it. We're all in it together. We're going out for games and we have the thing in our head that we are much better than him, the person we're playing against. "We think: 'I'm a much better player and I can take it easy today.' Everyone is part of that and we have to get rid of it. "It's not work ethic, to be fair. They are all good lads who work hard in training and give their all. It's something inside your head. I'm no different. You think: 'I'm playing against this lad today, and I'm better.' You might think once or twice a season: 'I can take it a bit easy today' - but you can't." Clearly. Newcastle sit on the precipice. Defeat to Arsenal last week struck hard after their drop into the bottom three. More significantly, it destroyed much of the remaining belief on Tyneside that they could emerge from a catastrophic season still in the Premier League. There was the whole Kevin Keegan business. There was Mike Ashley. There was the sale, then the no-sale. There is Joe Kinnear's illness. And then there is Butt's honesty. He added: "It was all a bit of a distraction but it's not an excuse for the players. It's easy to blame the situation or someone else. Sooner or later you have to look at yourself in the mirror. You have to say: 'Hold on, mate. It's not his fault. It's me who's not performing.' "We all have to do that and try to turn it around for the last eight games. I hope the players are coming round to that way of thinking." Butt is loath to hark back to his Old Trafford days. But he still demands the standards Sir Alex Ferguson expected, a self-reliance currently missing on Tyneside. Butt reflected: "Taking it easy wasn't allowed at Manchester United. You have so many players fighting for your position. This season we've had injuries and maybe even if you don't train well you still play. "At the top clubs, if you're not training well in the week, the coaches will see that and someone else will play. If you've got people threatening to take your position, players as good as you, you know that if you take your foot off the gas for a fraction, you'll be out of the team." It seems Butt's whole Newcastle career has been spent fighting fires, trying to find a semblance of the success he had in Manchester. His first year at the club, 2004-05, was a bitter disappointment. He failed to recapture the form that had seen him win six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, the Champions League and 39 England caps. A loan spell at Birmingham was similarly dark. He could easily have walked. Only a comment from his dad stopped him. "He's my hardest critic," Butt explained. "But when it looked like I might be leaving Newcastle, he said to me: 'You know you're better than what you're showing, better than the players taking your place. You have to be a man and show them.' What do you think? Leave your comments below "He said: 'It's easy to walk away when people are slagging you off - but there's a choice. You can show them how good you are and stick two fingers up to your critics.'" So Butt did - and his own resurrection followed. The 34-year-old explained: "It's easy to walk away, especially nowadays, with the amount of money in the game. If I walked away now I would be set up for life. But there is something inside that says you don't want the easy way out. I didn't want to do that." Butt has bought in to Newcastle, its working-class core, its anger at failure, its ability to implode. He said: "We've the potential to be a big club but we're not. We're going backwards. And I came here to challenge for the top four. Everyone is Newcastle daft up here. Even the girls and the grannies go around in black and white shirts. That makes it different. "You always associated Newcastle with big signings and trying to get over the final hurdle. The last two seasons have been disasters and I feel for the fans and everybody involved. At the minute we are nowhere near challenging where we should be. We are inconsistent, we've got no confidence and we need to get it back. "Playing at St James' is something we should thrive on. We should be looking forward to playing in front of our fans. If we get the structure of the club right, we can get there. But it will take years and no one wants to hear that. You need to get the academy running right, you need to get players coming through the club who bleed it, players whose grandparents loved the club. "I feel for this club now. I feel for Newcastle. I love the place, I love the attitude of the people around it. It's just football, football, football. Our position hurts me because this place means something to me. We have to keep the club in the Premier League." In its hour of need, Newcastle clings to such spirit.

Could it be that the club insurance wouldn't cover JFK coming back? Or his insurance? He can defy his wife/family/pet dog but if the insurance brokers say no he can't return. But would that leave us with the gruesome twosome? Or would it give Llambias an excuse to bring in someone decent (well as decent as he could find and try to persuade to join us).

This is all true, I've noticed a shift in the reporting too in our favour. Cue a few dodgy pens coming our way*, fingers crossed. Allegedly*.

:smitten:

Someone make him captain FFS. He'd be head and shoulders above the present one (literally and spiritually).