2001-02

[Guest Pie]

Bellamy was ridiculed as a signing. We needed legs for a slowish, but exceptional scorer. Bobby bought them.

We had a very good midfield missing a left winger. Bobby bought one.

We don't have anywhere near the level of talent we did then. It's fairly obvious really. Clutching at straws in this post.

Keegan needs the foundations built. Bobby already had them there.

 

Speed, Dyer, Shearer, Solano, Given and a shit back four including Hughes and Dabizas got us into the top four. That ain't going to happen with two signings. The players mentioned who were already at the club are better than anything we have in their position at present. Long road ahead I'm afraid!

 

[Guest want_nufc_to_be_big_club]

I remember the close-season very well, we were linked with a whole host of players, lots of big names, lots of lesser known names. We ended up signing unknowns in Bellamy and Robert mainly with Distin arriving on loan too. We lost out on our number 1 targets Jeffers and Zenden. The mood in Toon was one of pessimism. We'd finished 11th the season before and had spunked £10m on an unknown French bloke and £6m on a player who struggled at relegated Coventry. No-one was impressed. Rumours circulated that Bobby had no money to spend or that the then board were pissing about too much in the transfer market. In pre-season we looked a mess too, collapsing at home to Troyes in a 4-4 draw which drew angry responses from the crowd.

 

Our first game of the season was away at Stamford Bridge against a Chelsea side kitted out with £35m plus of talent (Zenden included) and were being talked about as one of the faves for the title. Many expected a hammering, especially given our injuries and what appeared to be a totally lopsided team that took to the pitch that day (Given, Barton, Elliott, Hughes, Dabizas, Robert, Acuna, Bassedas, Lee, Ameobi, Bellamy). WE DREW. We performed stoically if not brilliantly. That give people a little bit of hope. It disappeared a few days later when Troyes won on away goals in what was a pitiful performance however.

 

Another wasted season then...

 

It didn't quite turn out like that though did it?

 

Today in 2008 that very season gets looked back on as perhaps one of the most memorable we'll ever likely to witness. I know it ranks as one of my faves, perhaps even eclipsing the season we missed out on the title. It was a great season, the entertainers were back and we finished 4th against all the odds.

 

This close-season reminds me so much of that one. A messy pre-season in terms of matches, transfer market frustration, rumours of financial prudence, the manager a mere face to placate fans and Man Utd away on opening day. The mood isn't great is it?

 

Me?

 

I truly believe we'll have a very good season and starting at Old Trafford where I predict a rare win for our boys.

 

I'm sick of all the doom and gloom. People citing Guthrie as a nobody for example. He is a typical KK signing believe it or not (Guppy, Allen, Mathie, Lee even), as are the others and we haven't finished yet. There is no power struggle, the club isn't to be sold and we are making progress in many ways in all areas.

 

The trouble with fans today though is they are ultra impatient and have allowed themselves to be consumed by all things black and white (with the media acting as cheerleaders) leading to no gray areas on all issues concerning the club. Hysteria is common place these days, at both ends of the spectrum.

 

This for me has been the worst summer of the lot for all that nonsense. Just look at on here and its the same on every Toon forum. We are in good company though because all over the web on rival fan forums the same hysteria and lack of gray matter is prevalent.

 

Roll on the season.

 

My predictions:

 

Guthrie will turn into a steal.

Spiderman will have us on our seats.

Owen will contrinue to score goals.

Martins will excite and frustrate equally, mostly excite.

Collocini will be a beast.

SJP will become a fortress again.

Beye will be Beye.

Given will return to form.

We'll score goals.

We'll win games.

We'll do well.

We'll finish top 8.

 

I haven't looked so forward to a season (and you all know how optimistic I can get) as this one in ages. We know KK inside out but there is still enough of a surprise element there (the switch to 4-3-3, Owen in midfield) to keep us all on our toes. f***ing hell, we are starting a new season under KK, KING KEV. Who would have thought it, eh? Just like 2001-02...

 

COME ON THE TOON!

 

Can't wait. 

 

PS WE WILL ENJOY IT. I f***ing will.

 

this is way to optimistic considering we got beaten 6-0 and 5-1 last season by man utd

hope you are right though and we have great season like the one with SBR although i think SBR is/was twice the manager KK is.

[Mowen]

Have many people seem this?

 

It's good to know were still the 5th best team since the premiership started

 

http://www.epltalk.com/all-time-premier-league-table/1871

 

That table can't be right, surely, since we haven't been in the premiership for every season yet we're down as having played as many games as anyone.

 

Also, like the post HTT, think you got a bit confused here though:

"Martins will excite and frustrate equally, mostly excite."

 

How does that work?!

[Theregulars]

Comparisons definitely there, especially between the two managers who have the faith of all Geordies behind them and seem to understand what we need, or however the press like to put it. I reckon he's onto something there.

[Guest]

Have many people seem this?

 

It's good to know were still the 5th best team since the premiership started

 

http://www.epltalk.com/all-time-premier-league-table/1871

 

That table can't be right, surely, since we haven't been in the premiership for every season yet we're down as having played as many games as anyone.

 

Also, like the post HTT, think you got a bit confused here though:

"Martins will excite and frustrate equally, mostly excite."

 

How does that work?!

 

:lol:

[Guest soyt]

1 Manchester United 16 620 394 137 89

2 Arsenal 16 620 332 168 120

3 Chelsea 16 620 310 168 142

4 Liverpool 16 620 306 157 157

5 Aston Villa 16 620 230 187 203

6 Newcastle United 15 578 240 152

7 Tottenham Hotspur 16 620 223 165

8 Blackburn Rovers 14 544 220 145

9 Everton 16 620 211 167 242

10 Leeds United 12 468 189 125 154

[Cronky]

It really depends on who else we bring in. We were very short of pace last year, and I think Keegan is trying to address that. The big difference that Robert and Bellamy made in 2001 was pace. We became able to hit teams on the break, and maintain a threat with a long ball over the opposition defence.

 

But yes, nice to hear a bit of optimism.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

What we did with that team shows that with the right gameplan and motivation even a team half made up of average players can compete with the best. If you sprinkle a couple of real game-winners in there you will go places.

 

The difference then, and I believe this season, is that we won't go meekly into games against the top 4 just waiting to be spanked and sent home... we'll play our usual game and take it to them. We might still lose most, but we'll do it in the right way.

 

I'm cautiously optomistic about this season, certainly don't predict a pant-soiling flirt with relegation like last season.

[kirkwdavis2001]

I don't give a flying fuck what all the negative doom mongers think; they're normally wrong anyway!

 

All I know is that I fucking love Newcastle United, Kevin Keegan and whatever team he plays or players he decides to buy. I along with most of the rest of you will be chearing the Mags on against Manchester United on Sunday and for the rest of the season.

 

Howay the Lads!!!

[Elliottman]

what a cracking read that was, nice reminissing (sp)  too... 

[Guest Howaythetoon]

I'll like to add that we'll see a £5m player in Duff this season which is better than minus £5m which is what type of player he's looked since he joined, and that is being kind. I fancy him to have a decent season by his own poor standards. For me his technique and ability has never been in doubt, he has never looked sharp, fit, mobile nor confident in the black and white shirt though. When he played he did nothing really. That could all change as he looks sharp, seems full of running and certainly looks confident. Against Valencia he took players on, he ghosted into good spaces and was constantly running, twisting and turning. He offered himself as an outlet and carried the ball well, asking questions of the Spaniards' defence. He was never a great passer or crosser despite being a winger so I'm not looking at those areas of his game, his game was all about running, taking players on and getting into advanced positions, hence his healthy goal returns and high number of assists for Blackburn and Chelsea. I'm liking the look of him under KK if I'm being honest and I'm one of those who would have happily seen him peddled for free if necessary not so long ago. He could be the big surprise for me, the dark horse of our team and season. I'm not saying he'll deliver the kind of performances he did for Blackburn and Chelsea early doors, performances that made him one of the best in that position in the league, but I think he'll pleasantly surprise us in the way Nicky Butt did a couple of seasons back. I have more faith in Duff being managed by KK put it that way. Here's hoping.

 

Regarding the landscape outside of the top 4, I believe we are not a million miles behind those teams bracketed as second tier clubs, your Villas and Everton etc.

 

The lowered expectations could actually act in our favour where as I can see heightened expectations at Villa, Spurs, Pompey and Everton namely to rise significantly, enough to make life more difficult for these clubs the media and fans in general tip to do well.

 

Spurs for me are as much of a mixed bag as we are. They have lost their key player in Keane and could well lose their most gifted in Berbatov, and those they've signed may have cost a lot of money and may seem like really good players but football isn't played on paper. They still lack balance and seem lightweight. They will please the eye once more and are clearly building towards better things but like with Newcastle, that won't happen over night, regardless of how much they spend and indeed how much we do.

 

Villa for me are the strongest outfit outside the top 4, although not the best in terms of ability and squad depth. They are however the strongest "team", physically, mentally perhaps and in terms of game plan and  set-up. MON won't pull any surprises, you know what you get with Villa. They do lack a real goalscorer though and genuine creativity in midfield which could hamper them.

 

Pompey could be a case of after the lord mayors show. I don't know how far Redknapp can take them further myself, the FA Cup and UEFA football will be hard to top and a good number of players could well take their foot off the gas so to speak. Fans' expectations will be high too and in Defoe and Crouch I don't see the ideal partnership they appear to be on paper. Defoe is a very lazy player in terms of positioning, he's actually more of a lone man striker than you'd think given his small size. He excels going it alone or feeding off lapses in concentration at the back, he's a plays average for 85 minutes man and pops up with a goal every 2.5 games type striker. This is why he struggled to retain a regular place in the Spurs squad, he's one of those strikers who is hard to play alongside regardless. Crouch on the other hand needs a foil, a clever foil to anticipate those knockdowns and to take advantage of spaces and gaps that the defenders leave behind as they go to mark Crouch.

 

Finally Everton. How much longer can Moyes keep extracting an extra 20-30% out of his players? How much more success can he get out of his extremely tight, dogged and disciplined system? How much more can he indeed muster up to heed the challenge himself? Everton right now remind me of Bolton in Big Sam's final season and Moyes will perhaps feel like Big Sam did towards the end of that season... in need of a fresh or bigger challenge. Everton will always be hard to play against but where is the class? Where is the unique advantage over the others? Where is the depth?

 

And on that note, perhaps our biggest ally this season may be the very thing that one could argue has been a pain in the neck for us when it comes to trying to lure players here - EUROPE. All of the above will have grueling seasons abroad, we ourselves have been there and know how hard it is to sustain a European and league season successfully, the UEFA Cup taxes any squad and can take eyes firmly off the ball, from the manager to players, and even fans.

 

If we can add the right kind of balance to our team, under KK with his more attacking approach and positive attitude, backed by supportive and faithful fans who worship the ground the man walks on, I can see us doing good this season, a far more fun season for us and a far more comfortable one than last season's close shave with the relegation spots. Onwards and upwards as they say. We have nothing to fear really.

[mattypnufc]

HTT...

 

Thank you.

 

After a rather stale and boring week trying to keep my head up and not be surrounded by the usual negativity, here you come to offer a very worthwhile, well written and valued opinion.

 

It's a shame that you are one of few and that you're probably only going to be back on the boards for a short amount of time if what I remmember is correct.

 

Don't bugger off too soon!

 

[GM]

"History may not repeat itself, but it rhymes a lot." - Mark Twain

 

[OzzieMandias]

I think it's more like 2000-01. Squad in disarray after a quick succession of managers have each torn it apart and half put it back together again, necessary book-balancing being conducted, assorted South Americans coming in... it'll take KK more than one summer to sort out the mess he inherited, just as it took Bobby a while too. The added dimension this time around is the attention being paid -- at last! -- to the academy. But that will obviously have no bearing on the season about to begin. I'm not a pessimist, but it's unrealistic to expect fireworks.

[OzzieMandias]

"History may not repeat itself, but it rhymes a lot." - Mark Twain

 

 

What an excellent quotation! Never heard that line before.

[GM]

"History may not repeat itself, but it rhymes a lot." - Mark Twain

 

 

What an excellent quotation! Never heard that line before.

 

Aye, it's one of my faves.

[mrmojorisin75]

I think it's more like 2000-01. Squad in disarray after a quick succession of managers have each torn it apart and half put it back together again, necessary book-balancing being conducted, assorted South Americans coming in... it'll take KK more than one summer to sort out the mess he inherited, just as it took Bobby a while too. The added dimension this time around is the attention being paid -- at last! -- to the academy. But that will obviously have no bearing on the season about to begin. I'm not a pessimist, but it's unrealistic to expect fireworks.