Consortium of one

We have to score first, before the 10 minute mark, IMO. If we do that first, we in 2-0 or 3-0. Put all the pressure on them. fast.

You have a point 4 managers in one season is going to effect any player. However I look at Bassong and Guthrie and see them both as being of this type of player we need to be targetting. Yet one has taken his chance to shine in the first team and the other has not. Guthrie was given the opportunity to stake his claim for a regular first team spot, due to his own good preseason form and injuries and suspensions to other central midfielders. But he's failed to take that, and when I see him play I just get the overwhelming feeling that he lacks the hunger, he's anomimous in many of the games he plays, he's got the talent so there's something missing there. You have a point, too. Guthrie hasn't exactly siezed the opportunity the way Bassong has. Still, a stable year under a more demanding manager may help him.

But Guthrie is a young player who has played for four managers this year. You almost have to throw this year out when evaluating a young player. Even a seasoned veteran would be unsettled with what has happened this year. Guthrie fits the profile almost perfectly. I think he'd be fine as the holding midfielder. Put him out there for a run of games and see how he does. In a better environment, some of that hunger may come out as he gains a little confidence.

I think it's essential for Shearer to stay in order to move forward. I say Shearer, but any manager who is willing to continue with the no bullshit policies that he's started will be essential because the type of players the club should look to bring in should be younger, more hungry players who can be molded. Add in some older players, who are professionals and do it the right way, ie: Habib Beye and you might have something to build on. So I'd lean quamtity over quality, as long as the players brought in are younger and haven't established themselves yet. In the right environment, competing for playing time makes everyone better. I'd like nothing better for Shearer to sit down both Xisco and Carrol and say, "Andy, stop being a dick, work hard in training and you can be the focal point of this offense. Xisco, the slate is wiped clean, you'll get a chance to show what you've got and win a starting role. Who ever works harder gets a leg up." I'd let Owen go and bring in a couple of young strikers to compete with Oba. I'd bring in some young wingers to compete for right and left and push Jonas who has to start finishing play more. I would try to bring in an experienced guy to be playmaker in the midfield, though. In short, bring in quite a few players with some talent, looking to get established and sprinkle in some experience. The squad has to be pretty much completely revamped and to pin the hopes on 1, 2 or 3 big money players is foolish. I say it's better to go for quantity over quality at this point and hope that we can build a foundation from which we can build on in the following years.

Harper Beye Taylor Bassong Duff Guthrie Butt Jonas Owen Viduka Lovenkrands My big fear is that the club will work hard, miss some easy chances again, go into a shell and draw 0-0. If the club can find net early, they'll gain confidence, win 3-0 and carry momentum into the Fulham match.

This.

If Joey Barton is indeed the best player at the club it's more of an indictment of the club than anything else. Joey Barton may have talent but talent unrealized is equal to no talent at all.

Newcastle -16 gd 36 pts. Sunderland -20 gd 35 pts. Hull -25 gd 35 pts. Boro -31 gd 31 pts. WBA -36 gd 28 pts.

To stop clubs doing what Leeds did, ie, wait until they were confirmed as relegated before going into Administration, and getting the points docked then. Ahh, ok, didn't think of that. That makes sense, Thanks

I don't see the reasoning behind an either/or assessment of the 10 point penalty. I would think it's logical to assess the penalty for the season in which the move into administration occured, irrespective of where the team finishes in the table.

OMG, Islanders. That says it all. They are bereft of hope right now. I feel for you. As I said above stick with it. When they do win (if they don't move on you), all the agony and pain gets washed away in seconds. At that moment it will have all been worth it. Then the next season starts and the pain begins again

I can relate to this. I never knew this article existed until today but I have to admit I used the same basic method to choose Newcastle as the team I would support. Plus the fact that there is "stottie" bread (which is almost like my last name) clinched the deal. I've watched English football off and on since the 70s (WPIX in NYC used to have a prepackaged game of the week show) and quite a bit more since the advent of FSC. I couldn't watch these games any more without picking a team to root for and Newcastle was a natural fit. I actually feel bad because me rooting for a professional team is like the kiss of death. The New York Mets and New York Jets are heartbreaking teams to root for. Poor management, epic choke jobs and dreams of glory dashed upon the rocks have become routine. I mean, you guys can blame me for Allardyce and the ensuing mess simply because I started rooting at that time. And I know you guys will never look at me as a true fan. I'm not a fan like you when it comes to Newcastle but I am a fan like you when it comes to the American teams I grew up with. I've lived and died with the Mets and Jets for 40 years so I know how you feel about your team. Quite frankly, if Newcastle are relegated I would never be able to root for someone else. Even after just a couple of years i could never turn away because I've already invested too much emotionally to walk away. That's the kind of fan I am. All I have to say is thank God for the UConn Huskies because after 20 years of rooting for them, they ve given me two NCAA championships in the last decade. I guess I'm not a total loser It's only my second year of affiliation, but I must say I am quite happy with the level of success. haha, I started following them when the Big East started in 79. I used to listen to them on the radio as St John's, Nova, Cuse, Gtown, etc used to thump them. All those years made winning it all in '99 so damn sweet. The Mets winning in 86 was sweet. If the Jets ever climb the mountain again, it will have all been worth it.

Oh God, don't get me started on the Knicks. Isiah nearly killed them for me. I'm almost to the point where I can watch them without gagging.

I can relate to this. I never knew this article existed until today but I have to admit I used the same basic method to choose Newcastle as the team I would support. Plus the fact that there is "stottie" bread (which is almost like my last name) clinched the deal. I've watched English football off and on since the 70s (WPIX in NYC used to have a prepackaged game of the week show) and quite a bit more since the advent of FSC. I couldn't watch these games any more without picking a team to root for and Newcastle was a natural fit. I actually feel bad because me rooting for a professional team is like the kiss of death. The New York Mets and New York Jets are heartbreaking teams to root for. Poor management, epic choke jobs and dreams of glory dashed upon the rocks have become routine. I mean, you guys can blame me for Allardyce and the ensuing mess simply because I started rooting at that time. And I know you guys will never look at me as a true fan. I'm not a fan like you when it comes to Newcastle but I am a fan like you when it comes to the American teams I grew up with. I've lived and died with the Mets and Jets for 40 years so I know how you feel about your team. Quite frankly, if Newcastle are relegated I would never be able to root for someone else. Even after just a couple of years i could never turn away because I've already invested too much emotionally to walk away. That's the kind of fan I am. All I have to say is thank God for the UConn Huskies because after 20 years of rooting for them, they ve given me two NCAA championships in the last decade. I guess I'm not a total loser

With that face, a lot. I dread the thought of him going down on anything with that face.

I don't have a horse in this race but scouseman's post from the Taylor report says it all, to me. The police supervisor did not adequately prepare for the event and then reacted poorly when the crush started outside. It was poor planning that led up to the situation and poor decision that made it a matter of life or death. The police supervisor had the wherewithal to see the big picture as the situation enfolded. The fan, with a ticket or not, had only his own view, therefore an extremely narrow view of what was happening. Sure, one can say that the ticketless fan had a role in what happened but efficient police work would have and should have averted that.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/mar/15/hillsborough-disaster-survivors

It's hard to soar with the eagles when you play with a bunch of turkeys. Who has he played with consistently? The midfield has been a mess and our healthy forwards have been awful. He has very little talent around him week in and week out. Whenever he does have talent arounf him, they're coming back from injury or about to be injured. He's a good support player with nothing to support. He needs a creative central midfielder to play off of and a couple of good, healthy forwards to pass to.

I think it's going to shake out very simply. Assuming there is a cash shortage it may come down to how the Keegan constructive dismissal case works out. If Keegan wins, settles for a high figure or is not resolved in time, JFK gets an extended contract at a low price. If Ashley wins and Keegan gets nothing or little, the club look for a higher profile, more expensive gaffer.

sweet start

I have two questions: 1) does Joe Kinnear have a wife? 2) does she love him? If he has a wife who loves him perhaps she would convince him not to manage because of the health implications. If she doesn't love him perhaps she'd push him to sign that contract.

I can see us squeezing 14 points out of the rest of the schedule.

nowt to say then ? Just joking man, I'm pretty bored, we all know spending money improves your chances of doing well, but it's not a given, you need the right manager, the right scouts and the right amount of money but you can do well without spending massive amount if you have the right manager e.g. Moyes and Everton. on the other hand, if you are lucky enough to get a decent manager, and it IS a lottery, and don't back him, he'll be off. Like Moyes, unless Everton are taken over or it all suddenly goes tits up for him. When you say "do well", how well do YOU want to do ? It's a lottery getting a good manager? No it's a skill, not an easy one but it is definately a skill. is it now ? We'll see how easily Arsenal replace Wenger and ManU replace Ferguson. Or Everton replace Moyes .......... Even a "good manager" isn't necessarily the "right manager", which I suppose adds credence to NE5's "lottery" theory. Bit simplistic on the whole though, as usual. Man U will appoint a good successor to Fergie because I bet right now Fergie is invovled in identifying him and monitoring them over a decent time span. Joe Kinnear

Interesting responses from Llambias. As someone pointed out earlier, he talked the talk but now the club has to walk the walk. I can understand why they would be wary of any supporters group, at this point. Interesting that he would admit that the failings were pretty much chalked up to them not knowing how to run a football club. I like the honesty but they need an experienced hand at the tiller, no? reading between the lines, anything and everything to do with Keegan was a complete clusterfuck. I get the feeling that Joe coming back is lip service. I think he's not a long term solution and everyone knows that. I think the talk of him potentially getting a long term deal is so that he isn't a lame duck coach. I don't think Kinnear wants the pressure of coaching at this level. I think he wants to use this job as a platform to take a club on a lower level with less stress and expectations. He's not good enough at this level and even he must see that (I hope). The management structure isn't changing. The business model isn't changing. They'll look to cut off some deadwood, grow the roster from the bottom up but Ashley will dig into his pockets if the right purchases are available. One of three things is possible: they're bullshitting the fans, they're bullshitting themselves or they're going about it the right way. Only time will tell.

scrape it 2-1