It's absolutely crucial we stick by Sam during this period.

[James]

 

Being deaf, its enough of a daily struggle communicating with people in English thank you, so dont accuse me of lacking effort.

 

I suggested to you what you suggested to him, I don't see what being deaf has to do with any of this either.

 

Because you accuse me of lacking effort, when the truth is that when engaged in verbal communications, I am putting in a hell of a lot of effort in going through my own translation process, and thus I feel entitled to ask others to do the same when they entering a place which has its own set language.

[Guest Ridzuan]

Newcastle United chairman Chris Mort says that he understands the supporters' frustration following Saturday's home defeat against Liverpool but is confident that the Magpies can turn things around in the coming weeks.

 

The Geordies go into their hectic December schedule hoping to rediscover that early season form which had seen them record their best start to a campaign in more than 12 years.

 

And United chief Mr Mort believes that Big Sam and his Toon charges have what it takes to get the black and whites back on track with Blackburn first up this weekend.

 

"Sam is a very experienced manager, and I am sure he will work hard to get his best team, and how they can work together in the best way," he said.

 

"Hopefully we'll see that come together in the weeks to come.

 

"It certainly does not surprise me to have supporters voicing concern.

 

"You pay decent money to watch a Premier League game these days, and if someone has paid their money to watch a game, then they're entitled to voice their concern if it's not going right.

 

"It was a disappointing display and a disappointing result.

 

"But we need to get the team together and move on.

 

"All games in the Premier League are clearly going to be tough games. It's the biggest league in the world, and the next two games are going to be particularly tough.

 

"We have to gather the troops together, move on and go into Blackburn away and do the best we can."

 

http://www.nufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10278~1176304,00.html

 

We hope so too Mr Mort,we hope so too.

 

 

[Willow]

 

Being deaf, its enough of a daily struggle communicating with people in English thank you, so dont accuse me of lacking effort.

 

I suggested to you what you suggested to him, I don't see what being deaf has to do with any of this either.

 

Because you accuse me of lacking effort, when the truth is that when engaged in verbal communications, I am putting in a hell of a lot of effort in going through my own translation process, and thus I feel entitled to ask others to do the same when they entering a place which has its own set language.

 

I generally don't agree with anything Harry writes on here but I can understand his points just fine.

 

I bet if you agreed with his points you'd have said nothing about his spelling or grammar.

[Willow]

Newcastle United chairman Chris Mort says that he understands the supporters' frustration following Saturday's home defeat against Liverpool but is confident that the Magpies can turn things around in the coming weeks.

 

The Geordies go into their hectic December schedule hoping to rediscover that early season form which had seen them record their best start to a campaign in more than 12 years.

 

And United chief Mr Mort believes that Big Sam and his Toon charges have what it takes to get the black and whites back on track with Blackburn first up this weekend.

 

"Sam is a very experienced manager, and I am sure he will work hard to get his best team, and how they can work together in the best way," he said.

 

"Hopefully we'll see that come together in the weeks to come.

 

"It certainly does not surprise me to have supporters voicing concern.

 

"You pay decent money to watch a Premier League game these days, and if someone has paid their money to watch a game, then they're entitled to voice their concern if it's not going right.

 

"It was a disappointing display and a disappointing result.

 

"But we need to get the team together and move on.

 

"All games in the Premier League are clearly going to be tough games. It's the biggest league in the world, and the next two games are going to be particularly tough.

 

"We have to gather the troops together, move on and go into Blackburn away and do the best we can."

 

http://www.nufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10278~1176304,00.html

 

We hope so too Mr Mort,we hope so too.

 

 

 

Good ol' Mort, I like him because he doesn't jump on the tabloid bandwagon. He has patience and common sense about him which is what we've lacked severly in the past. In tough times you stick together, you don't sack people left, right and centre.

[Mick]

 

Because you accuse me of lacking effort, when the truth is that when engaged in verbal communications, I am putting in a hell of a lot of effort in going through my own translation process, and thus I feel entitled to ask others to do the same when they entering a place which has its own set language.

 

 

First of all, I accused you of nothing, I suggested that you did what you were asking somebody else to do.  If you put a fraction of the effort into reading a perfectly legible post that you must put into verbal communication then you wouldn't be having a go at somebody else.

[jackyboy]

I wonder if Big Sams super duper computer programme that produces all the statistics tell him how many times we thump the ball up the middle from our own half. I'd love to know that figure.

[James]

Right, I need to calm down and take my own difficulties off the forum.

 

I must apologise to Mick for accusing him of something he didn't do.

 

Most importantly though, I must apologise to Harry-Norway for that post which was malicious and patronising.

[Guest alex]

Fair play James

[Rocker]

Everyone needs to get laid or have a wank, me thinks. Far too much tension on here.

[Willow]

Everyone needs to get laid or have a wank, me thinks. Far too much tension on here.

 

blueyes.gif

 

Deffo, Monday morning tension!

 

Get some good porn on the go lads and lasses!

[Mick]

Right, I need to calm down and take my own difficulties off the forum.

 

I must apologise to Mick for accusing him of something he didn't do.

 

Most importantly though, I must apologise to Harry-Norway for that post which was malicious and patronising.

 

I wouldn't worry about it, it's no big deal and you have no reason to apologise to me.

[ohmelads]

Things won't start going right for us until we go back to basics. It sounds like a meaningless cliche but I'm talking about tactics and team selections which make any sense at all. Every week we're left confused by the team Sam has picked, we watch them go out and lack any sort of gameplan, and you wonder just what on earth he's trying to do. I'm not sure the players know either, and there's where the problems start. I don't know if the praise at Bolton went to his head or his tactics have simply been found out (I remember reading that his post-christmas run last season was worse than Roeder's). But there seems a genuine reluctance by Sam to go back to the common sense approach which many fans are screaming for. He likes to think he's his own man and that could be a weakness if he lets his ego get in the way of the job. Considering we only have two full backs and two wingers, it's quite remarkable to think that they've only started one league game together (Everton, h). And when you consider that was arguably our best performance of the season, you can see why fans are getting restless. Half of this team picks itself, but Sam's his own man. If he goes down this road too long I fear he'll lose the respect of the players as well. When players are getting hammered for their performances playing (needlessly) out of position, they inevitably turn to the manager for answers.

 

The players look just as confused as we are and now more than ever we must go back to basics. Wide players in wide positions, central players in central positions, and some continuity of team selection to give the players a chance to gel. If he carries on with what he's doing he will get heavily criticised and rightly so, because right now I'm not convinced even he knows what he's trying to do.

[Toon Amy]

True Faith says - stick.

 

(long article) (not sure if I am supposed to post it all, if not let me know or edit it down)

 

CERTAIN PEOPLE I KNOW 

Monday 26th November 2007

 

With seven goals shipped in the last two home games and unhappiness at several other results this season (i.e. Derby, Reading and the Mackems) it's abundantly clear there are problems aplenty at NUFC where confidence in Sam Allardyce is draining. It is an extremely worrying situation though it has to be said emphatically that those calling for Allardyce to be sacked are offering few suggestions as to who might replace him. As we all know to our bitter experience, we are a club that has found it very easy to sack managers but has little clue as to how to appoint the right man. NUFC appears to be stuck in a perpetual Groundhog Day scenario of sack-a-manager-appoint-a-manager-sack-a-manager with the club treading water whilst those around us put down proper foundations and move forward. With every managerial appointment that fails, the undercurrent is one of decline. It just can't go on.

 

I looked at the league table this morning (nice to see the Mackems slip into the bottom three by the way) and couldn't help but be struck by the sight of those clubs with a modicum of stability making progress up the table. Everton have had some stop-start seasons under David Moyes but after four or some such seasons look like a pretty handy Premiership side. To our pleasure last Saturday, the Toffees did very well. O'Neill has only been at Villa a season and a bit, hasn't spent spectacularly but there are clear signs of progress. Redknapp has been back at Pompey, spent wisely, built steadily and are widely tipped to for a UEFA Cup spot.

 

But the real example of clubs getting it right and getting it wrong was at SJP on Saturday.

 

I remember vividly being at Anfield (it was roasting and the uncovered pale skinned amongst us collected some uncomfortable sun burn to go with the NUFC headache associated) in the Anfield Road End on the last day of the season when we were seeking a point to ensure UEFA Cup qualification in a season where its fair to say we blew two Champions League campaigns in one go - namely SBR's last full term of office. The Partzan penalty shoot out pisser and a campaign which unravelled through a lack of discipline from the brat pack. We hung on and got the point and UEFA Cup football the following season and Liverpool squeaked into the Champions League. The striking thing about that game however was what it meant to both the managers. Gerard Houllier, identified as past his sell-by date, who had brought numerous trophies to Anfield over his five year reign (though no title) was shown the door in a dignified and well ordered fashion. Clearly, the Liverpool board had been doing its homework and appointed Rafael Benitez as his replacement in an effortless succession. Benitez arrived, began bringing in a core of his own players and prepared for the following season. Shepherd made some lame comments about not wanting to be the man who shot Bambi - meaning he lacked the balls to shuffle a clearly shot SBR into retirement. We had a close season of rancour and rumour. SBR, with responsibility but apparently no authority did little to prepare the team for the following season and appeared, in my opinion, to be wholly undermined by Shepherd, who it has been alleged assumed control for the purchase and sale of players. The contrast in the management of Liverpool and Newcastle United could not have been more stark.

 

The following season, Liverpool, though far from the finished product and carrying enough luck to sink a battleship won the Champions League on a mental night in Istanbul. Newcastle United on the other hand had sold Woodgate to Real Madrid with no replacement lined up, made a bizarre bid for Wayne "only-going-to-one-place-and-it-certainly-wasn't-NUFC" Rooney, sacked SBR early in the season and attempted to appoint a replacement. It is alleged the club was turned down by Steve Bruce, who had signed a new contract with Birmingham in the previous summer and Sam Allardyce who did not wish to leave Bolton during the season and who it is further rumoured could not come to an agreement about building a coaching set up at NUFC similar to the one he had at Bolton, with Shepherd. A return to football for Martin O'Neill as he did the right thing and stayed by his wife's side through her illness didn't happen and further rumours the job was offered to Alan Shearer but was declined also did the rounds. Rumoured to be three games from the sack at Blackburn, the job was offered to Graeme Souness, who naturally accepted. Souness turned NUFC into a joke, his buying of players predominantly via one agent, foolhardy to say the least as the club began to revolve around his supreme vanity and out-dated understanding of the game, man-management and even modern life. He was sacked inevitably and to everyone's amazement Roeder appointed. You all know what happened in the close season - Shepherd went after O'Neill, failed miserably and we stumbled into last season ill-prepared with the inevitable results. Roeder, lamentably out of his depth led NUFC through a car crash of a season.

Years and years of poor management, lack of planning, fluffed decisions, wasted resources and our club run by bluffers, greedy bastards, bull-shitters and inadequates. That cycle has to be broken if Newcastle United is ever to have a future of progress.

 

This isn't something a lot of you reading this will agree with. There is a hang 'em high mood gathering pace amongst supporters who now have identified Sam Allardyce as the devil incarnate, the root of all of our woes and if we could only get rid of Sam ... You know the rest. Fair enough, far be it from me to act as Allardyce's defence counsel but I will ask the question - if not Sam, then who?

 

We're busy putting the next issue of true faith together (its out for the Birmingham game) and the editorial team have a major problem. We know there is a strong element of our support who wishes it had never clapped sight on Allardyce. We've given a platform for those views via true faith and we'll continue to do so. We edit the fanzine, we don't censor it. But we've invited several of Allardyce's most vitriolic of critics to put together a piece which might act as a short-list of potential successors to Sam Allardyce. We're after five names. So far, his critics, the lads and lasses calling for Sam's bollocks to be nailed to the top of The Leazes, have fluffed that opportunity. Those of you reading this who think you could oblige need to know one thing - we aren't after a wish-list of celebrity managers. We want a list of names who could realistically be attracted to Newcastle United at this moment in time, whose contracts would allow them to join us and whose career records suggest something approaching success but who may regard coming to Newcastle United as an opportunity. Its easy to rattle down a list of names; Shearer (how many times are we going to ask him before we get the message?), Mourinho (ha-ha-ha), Jol (just left Spurs third bottom), Hitzfeld, Lippi, Capello and any other Euro high achiever who might think its a great idea to come and manage a club which has an unenviable reputation as a managerial graveyard, where there is a huge amount of uncertainly regarding the dosh available to strengthen the squad, which isn't in London or the Champions League, which hasn't won a domestic honour since 1955, with a financial situation which is far from ideal and with a following, though totally devoted, clearly well out of patience.

 

Without being drawn into a tedious debate about what constitutes a "big club" (yawn) I think we all have to acknowledge, Newcastle United does not have the cachet it might have had under KK or even under SBR. I'd love to delude myself the top players and best managers all over Europe are out their pissing themselves about coming to NUFC but they are not. The best will want to go where they have the best opportunity for success, where they will be developed and where they will be paid the most. Newcastle United, at this moment in time is not that kind of destination and I hate myself for coming to that conclusion. But it is the reality. We've got lots of supporters, we've got a nice stadium but fuck all else. The Academy? Nothing coming through to get excited about and a squad largely made from cast-offs from the bargain basement of European football - that is all Allardyce was able to bring in with the budget he had available.

 

Any of you out there who fancy getting five names to us as Sam's potential successors, which won't make us piss ourselves laughing, with a strong explanation as to why they would come and how they would succeed, without saying - "give Jose £6bn and I'm certain he'd come here for a couple of years and win the lot" and we'll consider it for publication. Its an 800 word limit. Its got to be well-written and it hasn't got to carry any amount of pre-conditions. Its got to be a workable list. Fancy it? Well done if you are because plenty others have passed on the opportunity - [email protected] - Be quick because we need it sharp.

 

*

 

We were a shambles at home to Liverpool. It was a different kind of shambles to Portsmouth and Derby but a shambles nonetheless. Like many I sat on my Mag perch at SJP on Saturday and was utterly bewildered by what I saw. I couldn't tell you what formation we had out and keep a straight face, what the substitutions meant or what the game plan was. I looked at Nigel Pearson on the touch-line and couldn't help but think of those grim photos we used to laugh at of him next to Captain Lager down at The Beasts and West Brom as events overcame him. I looked at Terry McDermott and wondered what this bloke is bringing to the party. Coach? I don't know. There is no doubt Allardyce lost the crowd on Saturday or rather those who love a bit booing and think its okay to join in with the taunts from the away end. Welcome to Celebrity Big Brother Football. We just need Davina McCall outside the main stand at The Milburn bringing out the next sap who has incurred the wrath of the boo-boys into the flash-lights. I'm sure I wasn't the only one to compare the incomparable support we had at Anfield in '84 for that FAC tie on the Friday night and the fractious SJP on Saturday.

 

We're all entitled to be unhappy at performances like that but I just don't get how allowing yourself to be framed abusing the manager for the idle entertainment of the SKY generation counts as supporting the club. If that sounds sniffy, its not meant to and once again, those who have been booing at SJP since Villa this season can contact us at true faith and make their case as to how its helping Newcastle United Football Club.

 

*

 

To quote the manager its a tough period and we have to dig in. He didn't mean the support, he meant the players but he could have been talking to us. Whatever anyone thinks of Sam Alardyce, and remember we aren't his defence counsel, he doesn't talk shite. He has held his hands up and admitted the team were gash when they clearly have been.

 

We can go two ways. We can delight the club's enemies in the media and give them a nice new juicy story by continuing to slaughter Allardyce, which will have the specific result of making matters much worse or we can get behind the lads as in the days of yore; the away following is beyond compare in its excellence but we can turn SJP into a bear pit, where there is rage and venom in every nook and cranny but it is turned against the opposition rather than in ourselves. Its up to all of us.

Now is the time for good men and women to come to the aid of the club we all love!

 

Keep On, Keepin' On ...

[Parky]

"Now is the time for good men and women to come to the aid of the club we all love!"

 

 

Count me in.

[Willow]

Count me in too! 

[Guest Sniffer]

Do you think the players can be " counted in " as well?

 

I'm not sure that all of them can be.

[Cajun]

Only read the bits on bold but I agree with them.

 

I honestly don't think it matters who we brought in people would find certain things in their management style they didn't agree with and turn on them.

 

Bluf made a good point the other day, its not just the managers we turn on either the players get the same treatment.

[Guest BooBoo]

Good piece there by TF.

[BottledDog]

Good men indeed. What about debonaire rogues, with rather casual attitudes to both the ten commandments and the capital vices?

 

Count me out.

[Guest BooBoo]

What?

[Guest Spark]

Cracking article there. Count me in.

[Guest sicko2ndbest]

Good article.

 

I was one of Sams biggest supporters when he got the job, and thought he would do the business. I am still of that opinion, just think it will take a little longer than expected.

 

He was unlucky in the timing of his appointment, for a number of reasons, the takeover, top bosmans already had been agreed (eg, distin).

 

People say look at Sven and what he is doing. Man City had a back line that didn't need much help, and with the funds availible to him he was able to concentrate on midfielders and forwards.

 

Big Sam had a good front line, a decent midfield (3 of our best wanted out, Parker, Dyer and Nobby), a shit backline and decent keepers. He was only able to bring in players from abroard who need time to adapt due to funds availible to him, and i believe they will come good.

 

He is an honest, hard working bloke, with a good track record that should be trusted. Give him time

[Guest JamesD]

One thing that no one explains is how having more time will allow Allardyce to improve on the very basic mistakes which are causing problems at the minute.  Is the thinking that after many a pathetic attempt at trying squar pegs in round holes and trying to be clever, that eventually he'll settle on something that actually makes sense? Doesn't really inspire much confidence in me for Sam's ability for the long term, as we'll turn into the most expensive longball team around.

I'll also add that I don't think we should sack Allaryce immediately, just as I think it would be the same as going from Souness to Roeder and now seemingly Allardyce. All of them mediocre managers, and if Allardyce left now I'm really not too sure who would come in (Mourinho is a doubt, but certainly not as unrealistic as many of the patronizing assholes on here would make it seem), but hopefully Ashley and Mort would have a bit more in them to get a top quality replacement compared to Shepard who was reactionary and for the most part stupid.

[Parky]

One thing that no one explains is how having more time will allow Allardyce to improve on the very basic mistakes which are causing problems at the minute.  Is the thinking that after many a pathetic attempt at trying squar pegs in round holes and trying to be clever, that eventually he'll settle on something that actually makes sense? Doesn't really inspire much confidence in me for Sam's ability for the long term, as we'll turn into the most expensive longball team around.

I'll also add that I don't think we should sack Allaryce immediately, just as I think it would be the same as going from Souness to Roeder and now seemingly Allardyce. All of them mediocre managers, and if Allardyce left now I'm really not too sure who would come in (Mourinho is a doubt, but certainly not as unrealistic as many of the patronizing assholes on here would make it seem), but hopefully Ashley and Mort would have a bit more in them to get a top quality replacement compared to Shepard who was reactionary and for the most part stupid.

 

He's not a mediocre manager for a start.

[Guest Elan]

One thing that no one explains is how having more time will allow Allardyce to improve on the very basic mistakes which are causing problems at the minute.  Is the thinking that after many a pathetic attempt at trying squar pegs in round holes and trying to be clever, that eventually he'll settle on something that actually makes sense? Doesn't really inspire much confidence in me for Sam's ability for the long term, as we'll turn into the most expensive longball team around.

I'll also add that I don't think we should sack Allaryce immediately, just as I think it would be the same as going from Souness to Roeder and now seemingly Allardyce. All of them mediocre managers, and if Allardyce left now I'm really not too sure who would come in (Mourinho is a doubt, but certainly not as unrealistic as many of the patronizing assholes on here would make it seem), but hopefully Ashley and Mort would have a bit more in them to get a top quality replacement compared to Shepard who was reactionary and for the most part stupid.

 

Agree 100%, especially the bit in bold. Also add the fact he's wasted millions on plodders like Barton, Smith & Geremi