Novocastrian

I don't think he is a liar. I think he is genuinely in the dark like the rest of us. That is difficult to comprehend for some people who have JFK as Ashley's mouthpiece feeding the fans and press disinformation to throw them of the scent as Ashley plots in the background. I really think JFK has no idea of Ashley's intentions, just snippets picked up from within the club and the chaotic and labyrinthine "management structure" which is presiding over the disintegration of the club.

Pompey are nailed on for relegation in my view. Adams will be lucky to last until the end of the season.

I dont really think we have a problem with our away support. when the team needs us behind them, we'll get behind them. there is an issue with getting tickets fo an away game, its done on a loyalty thing so is a closed shop to most fans, its the sam few thousand you see everywhere. day tripping isnt really an issue with away fans, as to qualify for a ticket, you need a certain number of credits, like at your place last week, you werent entitled to a ticket unless youhad a minimum of 8 away credits from last season. the game last weekend was an odd one atmosphere wise, we never really got going, even though we were twatting you. why? i dont know, maybe a combination of kick off time, hangovers and the freezing cold. Also the team were coasting on the pitch and the support seemed to coast along too. At Anfield this season the atmosphere has been very tense at times. there is a growing feeling that we may be about to launch a serious challenge for the league, and the atmosphere is getting tense and its affecting the players on the pitch. a few of the 0-0's we played out last month, had we sored the roof would have come off the ground. Our fans are desperate to win the league this season, but it isnt helping the atmosphere. infact, unless its a big European night at Anfield or the derby, the atmosphere is poor, but i have found that the same in most grounds over the past few years. the other difference between our fans and most others is we actually sing about our own team and our own players. there have been a few on here praising Man Uniteds away fans, but do you actually listen to what they sing?. the vast majority of their songs are about Liverpool. Scousers this and scousers that, Hillsborough this and Heysel that. even when they won the European Cup last year, they were singing "are you watching Liverpool" when they lifted the trophy. singing about them when we arent playing them is something you wont hear from our fans. Never heard an anti-Sunderland song when were playing Bolton/Portsmouth/West Ham/etc etc? He's a scouser, I think he was on about their support and singing about Man U when they play the likes of us. Surely that's the same as us singing about Sunderland when we play Liverpool or Man Utd. I often hear Sunderland songs at random Toon away games.

I dont really think we have a problem with our away support. when the team needs us behind them, we'll get behind them. there is an issue with getting tickets fo an away game, its done on a loyalty thing so is a closed shop to most fans, its the sam few thousand you see everywhere. day tripping isnt really an issue with away fans, as to qualify for a ticket, you need a certain number of credits, like at your place last week, you werent entitled to a ticket unless youhad a minimum of 8 away credits from last season. the game last weekend was an odd one atmosphere wise, we never really got going, even though we were twatting you. why? i dont know, maybe a combination of kick off time, hangovers and the freezing cold. Also the team were coasting on the pitch and the support seemed to coast along too. At Anfield this season the atmosphere has been very tense at times. there is a growing feeling that we may be about to launch a serious challenge for the league, and the atmosphere is getting tense and its affecting the players on the pitch. a few of the 0-0's we played out last month, had we sored the roof would have come off the ground. Our fans are desperate to win the league this season, but it isnt helping the atmosphere. infact, unless its a big European night at Anfield or the derby, the atmosphere is poor, but i have found that the same in most grounds over the past few years. the other difference between our fans and most others is we actually sing about our own team and our own players. there have been a few on here praising Man Uniteds away fans, but do you actually listen to what they sing?. the vast majority of their songs are about Liverpool. Scousers this and scousers that, Hillsborough this and Heysel that. even when they won the European Cup last year, they were singing "are you watching Liverpool" when they lifted the trophy. singing about them when we arent playing them is something you wont hear from our fans. Never heard an anti-Sunderland song when were playing Bolton/Portsmouth/West Ham/etc etc?

Wins help you avoid relegation though. Draws dont. Thats why the win ratio is more significant. absolutely true. just pointing out that you can see it in different ways. he's at least made us hard to beat Agree there WTF. Can also see O-N's opinion. I just fear that over the course of a season, that kind of average is more likely to make relegation a possibility. Definitely not going to agrue against how pleased I have been with our recent spate of clean sheets Given our position when he took over you could be right, but over the course of a season our form under Kinear would get us near enough 49 points. Not particularly impressive, but a total we've only beaten once in the last 4 years and only 7 points less than when we finished 5th several years ago. I don't want Joe long term, but considering everything when he took over, our current form shouldn't be underestimated. We are still flirting dangerously with relegation. I just wish Kinnear had the decency to put a considerable air gap between ourselves and the relegation threatened teams before he started talking himself up. His record is average at best.

The only slight glimmer of hope I have is the fact that he has made this announcement now and not the day after the transfer window has closed. However, I'm so sceptical I will only believe he has the club's best interests at heart when he puts his fat gold sovereigned fingers into his tight George jeans pocket and starts investing in the playing side. Another window with 2 or 3 established players going out and cheapo untried Euro youngsters coming in will be the final straw.

From the thread the other day and I still think it's right. I'm a bit 'meh' about this news tbh. Part of me thinks it's good news; at least we know what's happening and can try to move forward. On the other hand it's obvious as f*** he's just been unable to find enough profit. He's got a long way to prove he really has the best for this club at heart. I don't trust the man, either in what he says in statements and via his official mouthpiece Kinnear. He has to prove to me that he's learnt from his mistakes over the Keegan affair, and that means spending more money improving the squad and communicating a shitload more with his [glow=red,2,300]customers[/glow]. If that means bringing someone like Mort back then so be it, but it needs to be addressed. At the end of the day I feel this lets us move forward, and that's only a good thing. Where we move to is a completely different question... I think that's half his problem.

Ashley must be delighted with the reaction from some of the mugs on here. When he's finally run the club into the ground, a process which is already well under way, maybe some people will see him for the incompetent and disingenuous chancer he is. As for Keegan, the club is heading back to where we were when he first found us. But at least Chris Mort will be here

Most sensible people could see O'Neill was a top class manager. Some people on here equated him to Souness.

As discussed in another thread, the most important attribute in modern football is intelligence. Viduka has it in spades, just unfortunate he has the body of a 67 year old.

Wise = Cunt Jimenez = Don't know him but probably a cunt Vetere = Don't know him either but probably a cunt Keegan = Flawed in many ways but has done more for this club than almost any other man in the last 40 odd years Allardyce = Cunt

To be fair to Venables he was once a first class coach and if he had concentrated on footballing matters could have been a massive success. Legendary player status means jack shit when it comes to management, I thought we would have realised that by now.

Can't be arsed reading the whole thread but Dunn is that speccy Scouse twat off the Sunday Supplement and he generally seems to have an anti-Toon bias so I take everything his so called news paper takes with a pinch of salt.

2-2 We are all over the place in the first half, could have been 4 or 5 down but manage to keep to 2-0 Second half we come out all guns blazing, get a goal back, ten minutes later we score another. The final 15 minutes see Pompey hanging on for dear life as we throw everything at them. It's a game of two halves you see.

I agree, he's a daft young lad who is enjoying the trappings of being a pro footballer. When he retires I'm sure he'll look back and think he could have done a lot more.

It's been obvious for some time that Ashley is waiting for Owen's contract to run out. He has no intention of keeping Owen on the wage bill. Then again, we are like mushrooms kept in the dark and fed shit, what do we know? I wouldn't blame Owen for leaving but I wish he was a bit more up front about his own intentions. Owen states that the club have not entered into contract talks with his people yet but he doesn't give any indication if he would welcome any talks.

Don't see what being "big" has to do with being "successful". The truth is most "big" clubs invariably have success, at least sometimes. We, sadly, are the exception.

I'd play him in a "nominal" 4-3-3. I say nominal because I think numbered formations are dead. Good teams move seamlessly between 4-4-2, 4-3-3 etc mulitiple times in a game depending on the tactical situation. So, Owen/Fat Duke Martins Jonas Barton Guthrie Butt The fullbacks can provide additional width, the three man midfield can drop in as required.

Fair weathers, it wasn't too long ago they were only getting 6,000 for home games.

It's very tight at the bottom and a couple of wins can make all the difference. Equally a couple of bad results may see us mired in the bottom three. Ashley has made a serious error. If Kinnear had managed to push us on and put some clear water between us and the bottom three teams I could sort of understand Ashley "rewarding" him with the job until the end of the season, if, as expected, the club isn't going to be sold any time soon. Fact is we are still in the relegation places and the appointment of Kinnear could be a huge mistake. If the wheels come off over Christmas/New Year and we are struggling for points/confidence where do we go from there?

Relegation is now a step closer. A team built around Ameobi, Butt and Duff is now the reality.

What happened to the Milner money? What happened to the three years of ST money I put in? The additional TV income? f*** all. It's been trousered by Mike Ashley. Mind you, he has paid off the debts you know..........

Owen staying until next Summer and then walking for nowt is worth more to us than £1 million in January.

Don't need to be an amazing scout to "find" two international players playing in one of the worlds top two leagues.

I was unaware games only lasted 65 minutes these days!!!!!!!!!!!! !!! !!!!! Our games usually only last 45.