Abacus

Yes. And it's a good job he only worked for them for 26 years before they rapidly spotted how bad he was.

We may have campaigned for the takeover, but there's no evidence it made a blind bit of difference. Perhaps if we'd actively campaigned against it, they may have withdrawn, I suppose. Though, I think those 'campaigns' amounted to a vote in an online survey, and a few people writing to their MPs, who then got routinely ignored for 2 years. Watching the league collectively go into meltdown over it has been hilarious, however. And I'm in the same camp of having hoped for it to go through and having no regrets whatever that it has now - just being excited instead. My issue with the article was the idea that we've always been uniquely singled out and victimised as a fanbase and as a club even before this. That's complete nonsense, and I don't want others to speak on my behalf saying that kind of thing either. This reaction to the Saudi led takeover is not some continuation of a nationwide grudge against Newcastle. There are different concerns here, both sporting and otherwise. Whilst I think a lot of those concerns are hypocritical or misjudged, I certainly don't think it's all part of some long running paranoid anti-Newcastle agenda.

It's also quite refreshing that we're not just appointing someone Ashley has met in a pub. I'm as impatient as the next man to find out who it is, mind.

I'm veering back to wanting Ragnick as manager short term, then stepping up as a DOF to set an overall vision. Because I think we need to decide on a style of play, and then bring in managers who can deliver that style. At the moment, they'd have a fairly blank slate since we're a formless mess, so I'm open to whatever that is. But I guess if you look at Man United as an example of what not to do, they've appointed managers in a fairly scattergun way recently, each with very different ideas about how they should play, and therefore buying players to fit. Which, after two or three different managers gives you a real problem in terms of how your squad fits together. It doesn't help that they've also gone for a few statement signings, seemingly as much for name as any football logic. Hope we manage to avoid this pitfall too.

I don't care if ten Hag will be the next Man U manager or not. Not least because they've proven they have no idea how to appoint a manager, so they are completely irrelevant. I'd take him at Newcastle straight away, and let the Mancs squabble over Lampard or Bruce.

I can't read enough about Newcastle right now, particularly from people that care about the club. But actually my interest in football in general has come back too. So, it might not work, but it's surely worth a shot.

That's a fair point. You could argue though, that a bit like Ferguson, he left behind a really unbalanced squad. Ferguson won the title with the sheer force of his personality, but then left a mess where he hadn't strengthened in key areas and almost the whole squad needed refreshing by the time he was done. Likewise with Wenger, except he managed them into decline. Fine, he didn't have the resources Ferguson had, but he also did not strengthen in the right areas even when he had the funds to do so. Certainly, every Arsenal fan I knew wanted him gone long before the end and he was given more than enough time, to my mind. Great manager in his day, they played some of the best football you've seen, for a period, but think his time is past.

It would be a big no from me for Wenger. Watching him unravel at Arsenal suggests his time has long passed - maybe as a DOF, but even then I'm not convinced. Take his 2 yearly World Cup plans for one thing, as to his football ideas. He achieved great things, but that was on a defensive bedrock that was already built for him, and which we don't get to start with. Give him a Viera and a Petit in midfield, then yes, but those kind of players don't come around every day and for the last 5-10 years of his time at Arsenal, the only thing you could hear from the Emirates was the sound of their fans complaining.

Ten Hag > Emery > Rodgers > Benitez > Fonseca > Favre > Howe > Gerrard > Martinez/Lampard.

He's certainly not the long term answer, but I'm already much happier now with him in as a caretaker. It's good to hear someone give actual reasons for their team selection even though I didn't agree with the line up, particularly in defence. You'd hope the new permanent manager brings in their own coaching team, but hopefully Jones can help bridge the gap as he does at least know the players and can point out where we need strengthening from day 1. Although, if he starts Shelvey next week after his ban, I'll take it all back and want him fired into the moon.

He's on the bench, though.

A capable operator indeed. Let me put you on hold while I find the right department Mr Messy. Oh no, Amanda! I cut them off again!

Seems like every man and Harry Redknapp's dog has an opinion on this.

True, but the whole point is that it's sort of a fiction anyway because there's no way of demonstrating how much naming a stadium is actually worth, still less the order of the words. They can pretend it's worth X amount, buy whatever players they want and we still get to have it as St James' Park.

I think you just call it "St James Park with XXX" I'd be fine with that.

I'm in 5 out of 10 flip of a coin territory. Firstly, we're already 3 points adrift with a squad with a few obvious weaknesses and there's a huge rebuilding job here. Also, I do think most other teams will be gunning for us now. On the other hand, with Bruce finally gone and talk of various competent managers instead, we should be doing better than we are. It's a lower mid table squad, but I'd honestly take 17th right now if offered it. And hopefully, we act early in January to plug those gaps, before a proper rebuild in the summer.

The level of personal abuse has been less than the norm, though. Chants of 'we want Brucey out' are hardly personal abuse. The Twitter stuff, fine, I don't know what that is. But 'stupid, inept cabbage head' I don't see what part of that isn't even just factual. More than that, for someone who bragged about not being able to use a computer, not paying attention to social media, having a thick skin, and loving the abuse 'in a sick way', he's remarkably precious. And can have presumably only been told about it by his own son, who does use social media.

I think it'd be great for Brucey and the Steves to get another job on the back of this, completely mismanage everything yet again, and set another set of fans raging. I would actively look forward to watching his press conferences and laughing my head off, knowing we've wiped him off our shoe for good. Please don't retire, Brucey!

I thought the statement was fair enough and politely worded. You don't get the sense they were offended at all, but are responding to and seeking to head off wider criticism. Pretty sure it was just a day 1 celebration thing anyway and you wouldn't have seen much or any dressing up at the next game regardless. Maybe the odd daft stag party every now and again.

Well, obviously I'm not everyone's cup of tea and it'll be very very difficult, but hopefully I can get more points than the mighty Bruce.

We're world news now. No problem with sponsorship at all.

He'll probably have to tell Janet to stop making his packed lunch in time, hence the delay. There will be supply chain issues with that, and lorries jacknifing back up the A1.

What a way to destroy that nation's love for the sport.

Phil Brown

The more I think about it, the more hilarious I find it that after making such a song and dance about his 1,000th game that he marks it forever more by putting in such a completely shit performance. A goal head start, a full strength squad, the world's cameras on you and playing in front of your new bosses. You've even put on a suit. And then, over the course of 90 minutes you demonstrate to literally everyone just how utterly inept you are, with an unfit team that doesn't know what it's doing, gets ripped apart at will and making bizarre decisions that make things worse, like having his hopeless little pet substitute first of all make no difference and then get sent off. Hahaha! Mind, I can laugh about it now, but I won't be if his gormless face is still there at Palace.