PRL

Was an absolutely top class save that unfortunately fell to their striker. was thinking just that as I watched... Should have plucked it out the sky on his left foot and banged it in the top corner of their net on his right

don't you mean in total? Mick Lowes just said it was goals at home. don't think we average 4 a game :-)

What?! Yobo? 5 million pounds!!?? This better be a wind up. The next post suggests we try and snatch Chamakh from Arsenal, so I'd assume not. Also: I really hope he didn't say 'wasn't' there, sounds more like the shit Harry Redknapp or Del Boy would say. It's 'weren't' Chris.

Same, he thinks he's great and will be an England keeper, and should play for a top 4 club. Sounds good. A few of my league 1 mates have said similar too, although my uncle is a Swindon season ticket holder and he swore blind that Ben Tozer was the next Rio Ferdinand when we signed him!

I have an awful feeling whichever one leaves will go on to become phenomenal, just hope as long as one stays they do the same.

Have you been to Fulham, great little club, fantastic stadium but you are never going to achieve much. Dangle the prospect of managing in front of 52,000 fans and saying he has full control over the football side would tempt him. Any manager with ambition would know that if he had full control of the football side of things at the club and did well that the possibilites are endless. If not him there would be others, I’m sure of that! As things stand, Fulham are a bigger club than us. He wouldn't leave for anyone, let alone Newcastle. Wrong - as things stand, Fulham are CURRENTLY a more successful club ; they haven't won as many trophies, haven't got anything LIKE the stadium of fanbase, haven't been in European football as often...this is a worse statement than if someone had tried to claim that NUFC were a bigger club than Liverpool back in 1993 simply because we had a better team spirit at the time. Fulham will NEVER be a bigger club than Newcastle United - just as we will never be a bigger club than Man U. The issue about Hodgson is really nothing to do with the relative size of the clubs - he is not a young man and is unlikely to want to have the task of taking over a club like NUFC, although I very much doubt he will be given the chance. Newcastle = Newly promoted side, big expectations, alot of deadwood still remains in the team. Fulham = Established top half side, playing European football, decent playing side. That's how a manager sees it. They don't go "ooo that's a big ground'" or "Well they've won more trophies than that team in the last 100 years". Whether Hodgson is 18 or 80, he won't touch 'the poisoned chalice' when he's doing so well at Fulham. Why else have our last few managers included Graeme Souness, Glenn Roeder, Sam Allardyce and Joe Kinnear? ...so why did Shankly leave a comfy post to join a run-down Liverpool ? Simply because he could see that the potential was much better than where he was and that is EXACTLY why a decent manager would join NUFC. The reason why we have had all the names you mentioned as manager is because Shepherd had made such a mess of everything and our name was mud after the way he treated SBR ; in the case of Kinnear,you only need to be able to recall events with Ashley/Wise etc 18 months ago to see why we got HIM. We would not attract a top manager right now because there is too much uncertainty surrounding Ashley's ownership and running of the club - if we were taken over by a major concern run by the likes of Makhtoum there are very few managers in the game who would turn the job down. Sorry, but they DO look at things like the stadium, support base and financial standing when deciding to join a club and in the circumstances I have described, we would be looking at bigger names that Hodgson. As things stand, the club has little choice but to persist with Hughton AND give him the proper support in the market ; if the club struggles after that, they will have to look at replacing him because relegation once more would be a disaster. Based on this thread, I think it's pretty clear that the consensus expectation for next season is not merely survival. Because survival is going to mean struggling, playing poorly, losing and living with the prospect that you might go down again. That is what it means to be in the bottom fourth of the league. And if that is the story of 2010/11 it will be because of team selection, tactics and Kevin Nolan. We know this already. If Hughton wants to survive, he needs to do what Reading managed in their first season in the Premiership or Birmingham are doing this year. 2010/11 needs to be comfortably mid table, with a very strong start. Because if his support is lukewarm now, the knives are going to be out when we drop points at home against mid table teams. People might say their expectation is survival, but it won't play out that way. Anger, fear and frustration at a return to bad results (which everyone might acknowledge before the season begins) will build quickly, and he'll be hated again when reality sets in. You can practically hear the intake of air before the giant 'I f***ing TOLD YOU SO, HUGHTON OUT' and a return to the good old days of speculating whether Curbishley or Mark Hughes would be a better option, before they sign up Gary Megson or Joe Kinnear. Exactly what I was saying! When things go belly up, the same people who are now having a w*** over Hughton will get on his back and things will get ugly again with blame pointed in all directions. This will bring us back to the instability of 2008/2009, a situation that Hughton has proven to be unable to cope with. Barring the Carrol-Taylor fiasco, this has been a quiet seson for Newcastle, do we really expect the same will happen next season with more eyes and cameras following Premiership players/teams. Hughton has done well in the Championship and we owe him that. But if we can get a good replacement (Hughes would be just right), offer Hughton a coaching/assistant manager role and he refuses that, then it's thank you and goodbye. Tell me you do see the irony in what you're suggesting? You don't want to go back to the instability of last year, so your solution is to replace our manager who has just got us promoted to the Premier League with 6 games to spare and is seemingly immensely popular with the whole staff? Yep, that would bring players and a new manager leaping to join us. f***ing hell, people wonder why this club is a circus when we've got clown fans like yourself. Why would replacing Hughton with a manager who has proven himself in the Premiership lead to instability? If you think players are going to be so severely affected by a change in management that their performance will be so drastically affected, then you're the one who belongs in a circus (and not as a clown too). Cut out the personal insults and I'll engage you. There is a saying that often sticks with me: "The only lesson we learn from history is that we do not learn from history". Who are the only two managers who have made a success of managing at SJP in the last however many decades... I'd say Keegan and Robson. Tell me, had either of them managed in the Premier League prior to their appointment? Actually, I'll tell you, Robson hadn't managed domestically in England for close to 2 decades when he joined up, Keegan had never managed anyone. How about all those 'established premier league managers' we went for? Wor Kenny, Big Sam Allardyce, Sexy Ruud Gullit, Graeme fucking Souness? Yep, that went really well didn't it? You're right as well, players aren't affected by changes in management and instability at the club, we didn't get relegated last year as a result of this and the last 11 months have just been a big illusion.

Have you been to Fulham, great little club, fantastic stadium but you are never going to achieve much. Dangle the prospect of managing in front of 52,000 fans and saying he has full control over the football side would tempt him. Any manager with ambition would know that if he had full control of the football side of things at the club and did well that the possibilites are endless. If not him there would be others, I’m sure of that! As things stand, Fulham are a bigger club than us. He wouldn't leave for anyone, let alone Newcastle. Wrong - as things stand, Fulham are CURRENTLY a more successful club ; they haven't won as many trophies, haven't got anything LIKE the stadium of fanbase, haven't been in European football as often...this is a worse statement than if someone had tried to claim that NUFC were a bigger club than Liverpool back in 1993 simply because we had a better team spirit at the time. Fulham will NEVER be a bigger club than Newcastle United - just as we will never be a bigger club than Man U. The issue about Hodgson is really nothing to do with the relative size of the clubs - he is not a young man and is unlikely to want to have the task of taking over a club like NUFC, although I very much doubt he will be given the chance. Newcastle = Newly promoted side, big expectations, alot of deadwood still remains in the team. Fulham = Established top half side, playing European football, decent playing side. That's how a manager sees it. They don't go "ooo that's a big ground'" or "Well they've won more trophies than that team in the last 100 years". Whether Hodgson is 18 or 80, he won't touch 'the poisoned chalice' when he's doing so well at Fulham. Why else have our last few managers included Graeme Souness, Glenn Roeder, Sam Allardyce and Joe Kinnear? ...so why did Shankly leave a comfy post to join a run-down Liverpool ? Simply because he could see that the potential was much better than where he was and that is EXACTLY why a decent manager would join NUFC. The reason why we have had all the names you mentioned as manager is because Shepherd had made such a mess of everything and our name was mud after the way he treated SBR ; in the case of Kinnear,you only need to be able to recall events with Ashley/Wise etc 18 months ago to see why we got HIM. We would not attract a top manager right now because there is too much uncertainty surrounding Ashley's ownership and running of the club - if we were taken over by a major concern run by the likes of Makhtoum there are very few managers in the game who would turn the job down. Sorry, but they DO look at things like the stadium, support base and financial standing when deciding to join a club and in the circumstances I have described, we would be looking at bigger names that Hodgson. As things stand, the club has little choice but to persist with Hughton AND give him the proper support in the market ; if the club struggles after that, they will have to look at replacing him because relegation once more would be a disaster. Based on this thread, I think it's pretty clear that the consensus expectation for next season is not merely survival. Because survival is going to mean struggling, playing poorly, losing and living with the prospect that you might go down again. That is what it means to be in the bottom fourth of the league. And if that is the story of 2010/11 it will be because of team selection, tactics and Kevin Nolan. We know this already. If Hughton wants to survive, he needs to do what Reading managed in their first season in the Premiership or Birmingham are doing this year. 2010/11 needs to be comfortably mid table, with a very strong start. Because if his support is lukewarm now, the knives are going to be out when we drop points at home against mid table teams. People might say their expectation is survival, but it won't play out that way. Anger, fear and frustration at a return to bad results (which everyone might acknowledge before the season begins) will build quickly, and he'll be hated again when reality sets in. You can practically hear the intake of air before the giant 'I f***ing TOLD YOU SO, HUGHTON OUT' and a return to the good old days of speculating whether Curbishley or Mark Hughes would be a better option, before they sign up Gary Megson or Joe Kinnear. Exactly what I was saying! When things go belly up, the same people who are now having a wank over Hughton will get on his back and things will get ugly again with blame pointed in all directions. This will bring us back to the instability of 2008/2009, a situation that Hughton has proven to be unable to cope with. Barring the Carrol-Taylor fiasco, this has been a quiet seson for Newcastle, do we really expect the same will happen next season with more eyes and cameras following Premiership players/teams. Hughton has done well in the Championship and we owe him that. But if we can get a good replacement (Hughes would be just right), offer Hughton a coaching/assistant manager role and he refuses that, then it's thank you and goodbye. Tell me you do see the irony in what you're suggesting? You don't want to go back to the instability of last year, so your solution is to replace our manager who has just got us promoted to the Premier League with 6 games to spare and is seemingly immensely popular with the whole staff? Yep, that would bring players and a new manager leaping to join us. Fucking hell, people wonder why this club is a circus when we've got clown fans like yourself.

I'd take Hutton if we could get him. Not sure we could, mind.

Probably, but if it's a choice between Simpson and bringing Beye back....... Totally agree. Sure there are better options out there but if it was a straight choice between the 2 I'd go for Beye.

I think a lot of people are, but since we've signed Routledge, Smith and Butt haven't had too much of a look in when Guthrie and Nolan have been fit, which was a major test for me, and one that he passed by showing the balls to stick them both on the bench.

Sums up my thoughts far more succinctly than I managed. Agree 100%

They are not wanted nor needed by the club Sorry like lads but if we want 52,000 ay every game they are wanted and needed, aye its a pisser they walked away BUT I bet they watched every TV game bet they all still love NUFC just still hate Ashley. So as soon as we're promoted the hate for Ashley that's somehow been keeping them away suddenly vanishes does it? SJP does not need these fair weathered fickle fans. Give me 40k that care over 52k who just want to see top flight football. Admirable, but those 12,000 people paying £25 a game for 19 games next season would give us an extra £5.7m in revenue. I'd rather have the fans there and have another £4.5m player earning £25-30k a week.

So all of his success this season is totally qualified yet last season's caretaker record isn't in any way misleading despite the fact the club was being absolutely ripped apart from every angle? We could have got Capello in as caretaker last season and he would have likely struggled such was the state of the club. As for complaining re the players selected, after ONE transfer window he has remedied that almost completely with most match day threads showing people are pretty content with the line up. With regards substitutes, we moan about this all the time, yet time and again the player we're all saying should be taken off scores / gets an assist. See Nolan last night as a nice recent example. Also, see Pancrate at half time in the game before at Peterborough. A change was needed and Hughton made it. I genuinely cannot believe we are having this debate. Promotion sealed with 6 games to go and yet still people aren't happy. I was one of the nay sayers right up until the Christmas / New Year period but he has won me over. He has signed the right players, got the right results and instilled the right attitude. f*** knows what more you expect. But you're right, lets get rid now, have our reputations as laughing stocks restored and continue with our policy of screwing up any stability the club has had to chase a possible short term solution that likely won't even work. Brilliant. Right coz that's what I said that I am not happy with what he has done this season. Well done Try to calm down and read the post again will ya Err... Your suggestion is essentially to replace him or usurp him, changing the structure and clearly making him look and feel like he isn't trusted to do the job. He's the manager, he's chosen his assistant and coaching staff, so with your suggestion Ashley goes in over his head and says 'sorry Chris, we know better than you and don't think you're upto this, so we're bringing in x to work with you / monitor you'. Exactly what part of that sounds like a reasonable plan that wouldn't cause a massive amount of disharmony throughout the club?

So all of his success this season is totally qualified yet last season's caretaker record isn't in any way misleading despite the fact the club was being absolutely ripped apart from every angle? We could have got Capello in as caretaker last season and he would have likely struggled such was the state of the club. As for complaining re the players selected, after ONE transfer window he has remedied that almost completely with most match day threads showing people are pretty content with the line up. With regards substitutes, we moan about this all the time, yet time and again the player we're all saying should be taken off scores / gets an assist. See Nolan last night as a nice recent example. Also, see Pancrate at half time in the game before at Peterborough. A change was needed and Hughton made it. I genuinely cannot believe we are having this debate. Promotion sealed with 6 games to go and yet still people aren't happy. I was one of the nay sayers right up until the Christmas / New Year period but he has won me over. He has signed the right players, got the right results and instilled the right attitude. Fuck knows what more you expect. But you're right, lets get rid now, have our reputations as laughing stocks restored and continue with our policy of screwing up any stability the club has had to chase a possible short term solution that likely won't even work. Brilliant.

For me the reason we've looked rubbish without them is precisely because our Central Midfield offers very little. If we can get a couple of good CMs then we could cope at times with just having 1 of our first choice wingers as we'd have creativity in other parts of the park. Admittedly, one back up would be useful, but to spend big on two 'good wingers' which we'd have to do, would be to blow a budget better spent in other areas. Full back and CM / CF are the areas I'd like to see most dealings taking part. I'd even be tempted, in the event Jonas was out of the team, to give Kadar a go at LB and move Jose up to LM.

Who said that?

this. Same fucking question a thousand different ways. Fuck off. That aside, the polar opposite to how I felt 11 or so months ago, to be honest a lot closer to tears of relief now than I ever was to tears then! Fucking come on!

On bbc as 5 minute separate highlight now... Shows just how dominant we were really. Forest get no more than a couple of attacking moments. Although I'm sure Forest fans think that's just the biased media and their 'Geordie love in' though...

For me it's Williamson and A N Other. I just think he'll make the step up like the Brum lads have. Nothing more than a feeling so can't really try and argue my corner on it, other than to say I think he is the most 'no nonsense' of the lot and I think that's what we will need next year. I also think he's the one that strikers will least look forward to playing, he's big, strong and brave (you could say the same of Taylor, but I think Williamson is more actions less talk, which gets under strikers skin more)

I still have a sneaky feeling Colo will get caught out next season. I really hope I'm wrong as I love the guy, think he cares about the club and has been awesome this season, I just think sometimes when he appears to dwell on the ball or bottles out of 50/50s he'll get shown up far more regularly next season. In fairness, the same will apply for all our defenders, I just think with Colo being 'forrin' it'll get highlighted a lot more in the media and he'll end up losing confidence, being dropped and heading back to Spain. As I say, I hope I'm wrong and he turns out to be a fucking rock. He, Jose and Jonas are without doubt my 3 favourite players at present.

You guys obviously missed a few games last season then... http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/7788422.stm

This feels very similar to the annihilation we suffered to the scousers last year, every cross looks like Liverpool will score

firstly, other than the fact they had a fight, everything else is rumour, hot air and bullshit. if taylor has been a complete arsehole and carroll has snapped, that's a big difference to someone just attacking someone out of the blue. secondly, hughton's job is to get results for us. he could have got on his moral highhorse, banned carroll, and we'd not have beaten doncaster. or he could have played him as he's in red hot form, and watched him score the winner. which he did. good management. They represent the football club and are in a privelidged position, let's be honest, it's not the first time Carroll has spoken with his fists eh? Granted, Taylor might have been a prick but it doesn't mean Carroll had the right to chin him. It's nothing to do with Hughton getting on his 'moral highhorse', it's about him doing the right thing, you can't have the players scrapping with each other, whether it's off the pitch or not and getting away with it. I mean, the win at Donny was absolutely HUGE and I'm glad Carroll started, but he shouldn't have done given what had allegedly gone on. Besides, if he hadn't got the winner Leon Best would have. When Bobby was in charge did you think he should have been sacked because of ill-discipline within the camp? Plenty of that when Bellamy, Dyer et al were at the club. I was more than happy with the way he dealt with it behind the scenes and without the fuss. Alternatively there's the hard man Souness method. Remind me how that worked out for us again...

What is wrong with you? To not have faith in Hughton is one thing, but to suggest Mowbray as a better option is absolutely insane. His teams are never defensively sound and that will always be a major issue. Hell no! And at what point over the last 15 years has our team been defensively sound? Err, we've just kept our 19th clean sheet of the season and have the best defensive record in the league, with 2 of our defenders the top picks for fan's player of the year... So, this year?

The problem with the last line is that if Hughton fails, we either get relegated or then have to try to recruit a manager mid-season when the rules prevent you from poaching another club's manager - and the ones currently employed are most likely to be the best ones...... Eh? Have I totally missed a new rule being brought in that stops managers moving club mid season?