Allardyce simply isn't brave enough and is too obsessed with his platform.

[BONTEMPI]

 

If I was BS i'd get shot of Milner and Zoggy in Jan!

 

They just will never be good enough, so we may as well cash in!

 

Everytime either of them get in a good position, they just hit and hope instead of trying to pick a player out, it's so frustrating!

 

We need wingers with real pace and the ability to whip great balls in, because were flogging a dead horse with these two

[junkhead]

 

If I was BS i'd get shot of Milner and Zoggy in Jan!

 

They just will never be good enough, so we may as well cash in!

 

Everytime either of them get in a good position, they just hit and hope instead of trying to pick a player out, it's so frustrating!

 

We need wingers with real pace and the ability to whip great balls in, because were flogging a dead horse with these two

who do you suggest we should buy then? Leo Messi?

[Parky]

With all SA's planning and the whole summer we've kicked off yet another season lacking a good compliment of players.

 

I'm happy what he's done/doing with the defence but that's it really.

[Optimistic Nut]

This quote is unbelievable it really is...

 

"Newcastle finished eighth-bottom last season. We didn't go there (Derby) expecting to win. A draw would have been a good result".

 

Where's that quote from?

 

Was in The Mirror. First sentence was something along the lines of "I didn't mention top-six finish blah, blah", but that was the line that caught my eye.

[Parky]

This quote is unbelievable it really is...

 

"Newcastle finished eighth-bottom last season. We didn't go there (Derby) expecting to win. A draw would have been a good result".

 

Where's that quote from?

 

Was in The Mirror. First sentence was something along the lines of "I didn't mention top-six finish blah, blah", but that was the line that caught my eye.

 

Did HE really say that I can't believe...Who have we hired Emo?

[Parky]

This quote is unbelievable it really is...

 

"Newcastle finished eighth-bottom last season. We didn't go there (Derby) expecting to win. A draw would have been a good result".

 

Why is this qoute unbelievable?

 

Surely all he's saying is that while everyone around him was expecting us to walk the game, he was expecting it to be very tough, hence "we didn't go there expecting to win."

 

And in the scheme of things, a draw would have been a good result, considering they it was always going to be a really tough time to play them

I think people are just picking at meaningless things.... YET AGAIN 

 

 

You're off your rocker.

[Optimistic Nut]

Because being happy with a draw at the worst team in the league is accepting mid-table mediocrity...again.

[ChezGiven]

Because being happy with a draw at the worst team in the league is accepting mid-table mediocrity...again.

 

We havent played Sunderland yet?

[BONTEMPI]

 

If I was BS i'd get shot of Milner and Zoggy in Jan!

 

They just will never be good enough, so we may as well cash in!

 

Everytime either of them get in a good position, they just hit and hope instead of trying to pick a player out, it's so frustrating!

 

We need wingers with real pace and the ability to whip great balls in, because were flogging a dead horse with these two

who do you suggest we should buy then? Leo Messi?

 

Yes exactly that!

 

Lets face it why be in the premier league if you have no ambition to win it!

 

And the money seems to be there to buy such talent, and yet we blow 6 mill on shite like smith!

 

 

[YankeeToon]

Because being happy with a draw at the worst team in the league is accepting mid-table mediocrity...again.

 

But that's the thing... thinking that we would do anything better than mid-table this season was certainly unrealistic, in my eyes. With all the upheaval at the club, with the past seasons of unrest and mediocrity and inconsistency, with all the changes that have happened and all the ones that need to happen still, a top-6 finish this season would have been downright miraculous. A top-8 finish would be a serious uphill struggle. Even top-10 will need determined effort. But I'd say, based on what Allardyce has said and done so far, that we should not be focusing on our position in the league as an indicator of success for this season. We should be looking for significant improvement in our defensive performances over the course of the season, and that's really pretty much it.

 

Allardyce obviously made the decision to focus primarily on strengthening our defence this summer, since it's generally been our weakest area. He brought in Viduka, Barton, and Smith to kind of pad out the front/attacking mid areas but didn't really work on strengthening our attack, because generally it's in much better shape than our defense was. Except for those 3, every signing we made was either a defender or a defensive mid. Some may argue that he should have been looking for more options up front instead of focusing almost exclusively on shoring up the back, but I don't necessarily see it as a mistake. I see it as a long-term strategy. A somewhat risky one, but a strategy nonetheless.

 

I'd expect Allardyce's plan for this season was to focus on defensive improvements, trying to stop us from leaking goals and organizing our back line and in dong so, trusting our existing midfielders/strikers to get enough goals to give us a semi-decent league finish, a stance which I think is backed up by his deliberate efforts to play down any speculation of a top-6 finish this season and by quotes about needing several years to really implement his plans for Newcastle. I'd say he's not going to be looking at a high league position this season as an important goal, merely shooting to finish slightly better than last season. What he's really looking for is a tighter defense that works as a team and concedes fewer goals. I really think he'd be happy with even a 12th or 13th place finish as long as our defense looks competent and composed by season's end. If we do finish top-10 or even top-8, so much the better. But if we don't, it's not a huge problem as long as we show definite signs of improvement where we need to.

 

Fix the defense this season, worry about the midfield and attack next season. Don't try and rig a half-ass solution to all our problems all at once. Focus on them one at a time, fix them completely, and then move to the next. Incremental steps forward. I'm just not sure most fans are patient enough for it. It's an unpopular viewpoint, I'm sure, to think that we shouldn't be focusing on pushing up the table, but I think that putting too much emphasis on results undermines efforts to really address the underlying problems with the team. Don't make it about must-win games, make it about improved performances in target areas. If we do that, then the results will come in due time. Assuming we're patient enough to let Allardyce see things through, that is...

[Parky]

Because being happy with a draw at the worst team in the league is accepting mid-table mediocrity...again.

 

But that's the thing... thinking that we would do anything better than mid-table this season was certainly unrealistic, in my eyes. With all the upheaval at the club, with the past seasons of unrest and mediocrity and inconsistency, with all the changes that have happened and all the ones that need to happen still, a top-6 finish this season would have been downright miraculous. A top-8 finish would be a serious uphill struggle. Even top-10 will need determined effort. But I'd say, based on what Allardyce has said and done so far, that we should not be focusing on our position in the league as an indicator of success for this season. We should be looking for significant improvement in our defensive performances over the course of the season, and that's really pretty much it.

 

Allardyce obviously made the decision to focus primarily on strengthening our defence this summer, since it's generally been our weakest area. He brought in Viduka, Barton, and Smith to kind of pad out the front/attacking mid areas but didn't really work on strengthening our attack, because generally it's in much better shape than our defense was. Except for those 3, every signing we made was either a defender or a defensive mid. Some may argue that he should have been looking for more options up front instead of focusing almost exclusively on shoring up the back, but I don't necessarily see it as a mistake. I see it as a long-term strategy. A somewhat risky one, but a strategy nonetheless.

 

I'd expect Allardyce's plan for this season was to focus on defensive improvements, trying to stop us from leaking goals and organizing our back line and in dong so, trusting our existing midfielders/strikers to get enough goals to give us a semi-decent league finish, a stance which I think is backed up by his deliberate efforts to play down any speculation of a top-6 finish this season and by quotes about needing several years to really implement his plans for Newcastle. I'd say he's not going to be looking at a high league position this season as an important goal, merely shooting to finish slightly better than last season. What he's really looking for is a tighter defense that works as a team and concedes fewer goals. I really think he'd be happy with even a 12th or 13th place finish as long as our defense looks competent and composed by season's end. If we do finish top-10 or even top-8, so much the better. But if we don't, it's not a huge problem as long as we show definite signs of improvement where we need to.

 

Fix the defense this season, worry about the midfield and attack next season. Don't try and rig a half-ass solution to all our problems all at once. Focus on them one at a time, fix them completely, and then move to the next. Incremental steps forward. I'm just not sure most fans are patient enough for it. It's an unpopular viewpoint, I'm sure, to think that we shouldn't be focusing on pushing up the table, but I think that putting too much emphasis on results undermines efforts to really address the underlying problems with the team. Don't make it about must-win games, make it about improved performances in target areas. If we do that, then the results will come in due time. Assuming we're patient enough to let Allardyce see things through, that is...

 

I stopped at the first sentence what do you mean by upheaval? They has the builders in? The players were distracted by the buyout? They retrained as electricians...?

[Mick]

 

Was in The Mirror. First sentence was something along the lines of "I didn't mention top-six finish blah, blah", but that was the line that caught my eye.

 

Well I expected us to beat Derby, even if he didn't.  I think most were expecting a win, at least the comments made suggested that they did, the lack of quality was worse than the points dropped.

[Guest redmayne]

bit carried away here like its only 6 games in or something not even xmas and doom and gloom all round

 

hadaway and shite man....

[Mick]

bit carried away here like its only 6 games in or something not even xmas and doom and gloom all round

 

hadaway and s**** man....

 

If you're happy watching a shite performance then good luck, if it's a spade, I'll call it a spade.

[Dave]

The quotes are as he told Setanta, and read badly without tone. He specified that we didn't expect to win there, as in just turn up and take the points, as in we didn't prepare badly for the game.

[YankeeToon]

I stopped at the first sentence what do you mean by upheaval? They has the builders in? The players were distracted by the buyout? They retrained as electricians...?

 

Yes, Parky. That's exactly what I mean, all our players retrained as electricians. I'm surprised you don't remember Martins' DIY advice column about re-wiring your kitchen on a budget... 

 

I mean, among other things, the musical-chairs approach to managers the club's used the last 3 seasons, the mid-summer takeover, and Allardyce's efforts to rebuild the squad and completely restructure the backroom from the ground floor up, along with trying to integrate an unfamiliar playing formation. If that doesn't count as upheaval in your book, fine. But if you think that stuff has no effect on players' mindsets, you're smoking some serious crack.

 

You should read the rest. I'm sure there's plenty of other confusing sentences in there. Hell, I don't know what half of 'em mean, and I wrote the bastards.

 

None of that's meant as a defense of our performance on Monday, by the way. It was absolute shit and embarrassing to watch. But that doesn't change the fact that, judging from what Sam's said and done, he has his own priorities for this season, and I don't think a high finishing position is necessarily one of them.

[Dr. Nguyen Van Falk]

 

If I was BS i'd get shot of Milner and Zoggy in Jan!

 

They just will never be good enough, so we may as well cash in!

 

Everytime either of them get in a good position, they just hit and hope instead of trying to pick a player out, it's so frustrating!

 

We need wingers with real pace and the ability to whip great balls in, because were flogging a dead horse with these two

 

That's going in the sig.

[Guest K9]

 

If I was BS i'd get shot of Milner and Zoggy in Jan!

 

They just will never be good enough, so we may as well cash in!

 

Everytime either of them get in a good position, they just hit and hope instead of trying to pick a player out, it's so frustrating!

 

We need wingers with real pace and the ability to whip great balls in, because were flogging a dead horse with these two

 

 

Sad sad boy

[ATB]

Because being happy with a draw at the worst team in the league is accepting mid-table mediocrity...again.

 

But that's the thing... thinking that we would do anything better than mid-table this season was certainly unrealistic, in my eyes. With all the upheaval at the club, with the past seasons of unrest and mediocrity and inconsistency, with all the changes that have happened and all the ones that need to happen still, a top-6 finish this season would have been downright miraculous. A top-8 finish would be a serious uphill struggle. Even top-10 will need determined effort. But I'd say, based on what Allardyce has said and done so far, that we should not be focusing on our position in the league as an indicator of success for this season. We should be looking for significant improvement in our defensive performances over the course of the season, and that's really pretty much it.

 

Allardyce obviously made the decision to focus primarily on strengthening our defence this summer, since it's generally been our weakest area. He brought in Viduka, Barton, and Smith to kind of pad out the front/attacking mid areas but didn't really work on strengthening our attack, because generally it's in much better shape than our defense was. Except for those 3, every signing we made was either a defender or a defensive mid. Some may argue that he should have been looking for more options up front instead of focusing almost exclusively on shoring up the back, but I don't necessarily see it as a mistake. I see it as a long-term strategy. A somewhat risky one, but a strategy nonetheless.

 

I'd expect Allardyce's plan for this season was to focus on defensive improvements, trying to stop us from leaking goals and organizing our back line and in dong so, trusting our existing midfielders/strikers to get enough goals to give us a semi-decent league finish, a stance which I think is backed up by his deliberate efforts to play down any speculation of a top-6 finish this season and by quotes about needing several years to really implement his plans for Newcastle. I'd say he's not going to be looking at a high league position this season as an important goal, merely shooting to finish slightly better than last season. What he's really looking for is a tighter defense that works as a team and concedes fewer goals. I really think he'd be happy with even a 12th or 13th place finish as long as our defense looks competent and composed by season's end. If we do finish top-10 or even top-8, so much the better. But if we don't, it's not a huge problem as long as we show definite signs of improvement where we need to.

 

Fix the defense this season, worry about the midfield and attack next season. Don't try and rig a half-ass solution to all our problems all at once. Focus on them one at a time, fix them completely, and then move to the next. Incremental steps forward. I'm just not sure most fans are patient enough for it. It's an unpopular viewpoint, I'm sure, to think that we shouldn't be focusing on pushing up the table, but I think that putting too much emphasis on results undermines efforts to really address the underlying problems with the team. Don't make it about must-win games, make it about improved performances in target areas. If we do that, then the results will come in due time. Assuming we're patient enough to let Allardyce see things through, that is...

 

Totally agree.

 

Cheers mate!

[Guest Knightrider]

This quote is unbelievable it really is...

 

"Newcastle finished eighth-bottom last season. We didn't go there (Derby) expecting to win. A draw would have been a good result".

 

It didn't quite come out like that though, in tone or in context.

 

He was basically saying we weren't going there expecting to wipe the floor with them and that a draw was a more realistic outcome, or a win by a narrow margin as he had hoped and considered we were capable of with the team he put out.

 

These comments came because the daft bint reporting was basically incredulous because we never did a Liverpool on them (wonder who her father played for...) and also stated a top-6 side doesn't lose 1-0 to Derby, to which Big Sam said, err, we aren't a top 6 side, didn't you see where we finished last season. Or words to that effect.

 

And we won't ever be a top 6 side if cretins use such defeats as a yardstick in which to judge the manager and his team. Like I said judge things in May.

[Parky]

I stopped at the first sentence what do you mean by upheaval? They has the builders in? The players were distracted by the buyout? They retrained as electricians...?

 

Yes, Parky. That's exactly what I mean, all our players retrained as electricians. I'm surprised you don't remember Martins' DIY advice column about re-wiring your kitchen on a budget... 

 

I mean, among other things, the musical-chairs approach to managers the club's used the last 3 seasons, the mid-summer takeover, and Allardyce's efforts to rebuild the squad and completely restructure the backroom from the ground floor up, along with trying to integrate an unfamiliar playing formation. If that doesn't count as upheaval in your book, fine. But if you think that stuff has no effect on players' mindsets, you're smoking some serious crack.

 

You should read the rest. I'm sure there's plenty of other confusing sentences in there. Hell, I don't know what half of 'em mean, and I wrote the bastards.

 

None of that's meant as a defense of our performance on Monday, by the way. It was absolute shit and embarrassing to watch. But that doesn't change the fact that, judging from what Sam's said and done, he has his own priorities for this season, and I don't think a high finishing position is necessarily one of them.

 

 

I don't bother when a bogus excuse crops up on line one. They are professional footballers ffs! If they were ballet dancers then I'd expect them to be put off by a full moon or the lack of iced Evian.

 

Rebuilding the back room staff or buying a fridge the players have to stand in after training has nowt to do with bad tactics, visionless buys and rotten performances....

 

I do get your general theme but it isn't enough imo to explain the Derby came or the stuttering leading upto that game.

[Guest Knightrider]

Parky you've narf changed your tune mate. I'd hate to see you being interrogated. They'd just have to show you a poor game of football and you'd crack, spilling the beans and declaring you never liked the bastards anyway. Traitor.

 

[Parky]

Parky you've narf changed your tune mate. I'd hate to see you being interrogated. They'd just have to show you a poor game of football and you'd crack, spilling the beans and declaring you never liked the bastards anyway. Traitor.

 

 

He still has my full support.

 

But when he fucks up he'll have to deal with me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Count yersel luck I'm letting it out in here and not on the front page. :parky:

[Guest Sniffer]

At least you aren't keeping your head in the sand like HTT, parky.

 

He thinks ameobi just needs to get a few more games under his belt because he has the potential you know. He's still young...what about 22 or so....held back by Shearer...languid style can be misinterpreted...blah, blah, blah

[Guest Knightrider]

Parky you've narf changed your tune mate. I'd hate to see you being interrogated. They'd just have to show you a poor game of football and you'd crack, spilling the beans and declaring you never liked the bastards anyway. Traitor.

 

 

He still has my full support.

 

But when he fucks up he'll have to deal with me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Count yersel luck I'm letting it out in here and not on the front page. :parky:

 

Parky, these things are nowt man, and deep down you know it. If after a year in the job and we're still playing like that, and these issues are not resolved then fair enough but this is the 5th game of a whole new era that will take at least 3 years to come to light.