The last promotion side..

[merlin]

Bracewell,Lee and Sellars were key men in midfield last time around.With not much tinkering,virtually that same side finished 3rd in the Prem.

 

Sellars was extremely underrated in his time here, and looking back in history. Some of his one touch wing play was fantastic. Also that free-kick against the Mackems.

 

Totally agree...at the same time Turnip Taylor was picking Andy Sinton on the left of midfield for England...no wonder we didn't qualify for World Cup '94.Sellars imo. was the best left side midfield in England at the time.  

 

Sellars was/is one of my all time favourites, and my god if we can get someone half as good as him providing width then we will be very well served.

 

Yeah "Salty" was a good player. I happen to think we would have won the Prem that fateful season if we had kept him. Putting him  on when Ginola was fading in some games even, would have shored up the left side while still being creative, Liverpool being an example.

 

Reference to Thompson is interesting as I heard that Keegan practically ran him out of the club after a big disagreement. When he returned in a coaching capacity (probably another "unWise" decision) that was the first indication I felt that things were a bit strange while KK was back again, though maybe they had sorted out the disagreement through time.

 

That's a good point about Thompson actually.

 

People outside of Newcaslte supporters don't actually realise how much of a c*** Keegan could be as well if you crossed him. Which is what all managers need to be when the time arises.

 

True, but Thompson was a good player - was the highest-rated of all the below-20 players at the club but he broke his neck in a car accident just before KK joined.

[Thomson Mouse]

There has been some good stuff written on this thread, especially about the Keegan promotion team.

 

But,

 

that won't ever happen again.

 

Those players actually gave a shit, they actually cared (most of them) and showed it. They still show it know when you see them interviewed.

 

Times have moved on, players are paid too much and very few will actually care, when Shearer retired he was one of the last of a dying breed.

 

I'm sure we'll get some decent players in, some from the Champ and lower divs, but don't expect the same attitude from them.

[cp40]

There has been some good stuff written on this thread, especially about the Keegan promotion team.

 

But,

 

that won't ever happen again.

 

Those players actually gave a shit, they actually cared (most of them) and showed it. They still show it know when you see them interviewed.

 

Times have moved on, players are paid too much and very few will actually care, when Shearer retired he was one of the last of a dying breed.

 

I'm sure we'll get some decent players in, some from the Champ and lower divs, but don't expect the same attitude from them.

 

 

If shearer stays, i ahve doubts about his know how for the championship, but absolutely no doubt, he will find players that give a shit.

[timnufc22]

There has been some good stuff written on this thread, especially about the Keegan promotion team.

 

But,

 

that won't ever happen again.

 

Those players actually gave a s***, they actually cared (most of them) and showed it. They still show it know when you see them interviewed.

 

Times have moved on, players are paid too much and very few will actually care, when Shearer retired he was one of the last of a dying breed.

 

I'm sure we'll get some decent players in, some from the Champ and lower divs, but don't expect the same attitude from them.

 

 

If shearer stays, i ahve doubts about his know how for the championship, but absolutely no doubt, he will find players that give a s***.

 

I think we can hope for much better attitudes, attitudes that involve wanting to play for the club and Shearer more than the current players, and not just the money. Dowie has the experience of not only the championship, but getting promoted too. He will be very important if they stay.

 

We need to get momentum going, and keep building and building on that momentum, and the fans are involved in that too.

 

Everyone at the club needs a ruthless determination.

[Guest Phil K]

Venison was only 28 when he joined NUFC..

 

Didn't play too long after Newcastle though did he ?

[bealios]

Bracewell,Lee and Sellars were key men in midfield last time around.With not much tinkering,virtually that same side finished 3rd in the Prem.

 

Agree with the sentiment, but in actual fact I seem to remember Bracewell was injured for much of the first part of the season, and Sellars and Lee came in about halfway through. We put together that record breaking start without any of them (or Andy Cole).

 

I use this point when anyone criticises Keegan as a manager as requiring money. In that promotion season, the only players he added to the first team to get the 11 league game unbeaten run were Venison and Beresford. This is probably a lesson in itself - you can't underestimate the value of proper full back to the rest of the team. Playing players out of position there just leads to disaster....

 

 

[Tsunami]

Bracewell,Lee and Sellars were key men in midfield last time around.With not much tinkering,virtually that same side finished 3rd in the Prem.

 

Agree with the sentiment, but in actual fact I seem to remember Bracewell was injured for much of the first part of the season, and Sellars and Lee came in about halfway through. We put together that record breaking start without any of them (or Andy Cole).

 

I use this point when anyone criticises Keegan as a manager as requiring money. In that promotion season, the only players he added to the first team to get the 11 league game unbeaten run were Venison and Beresford. This is probably a lesson in itself - you can't underestimate the value of proper full back to the rest of the team. Playing players out of position there just leads to disaster....

 

 

 

Bracewell started the season and scored the winner in the first game of the season against Southend. It was a fantastic strike in a hard fought game. We had lost 4-0 at Southend the previous New Year & I remember Jimmy Greaves tossing himself off over it.

 

That promotion team puts the present team to shame and whilst the 11 on the spin was great, the way we finished the season was perhaps better. We simply tore teams apart culminating in the first half performance against Leicester. If Al can go anywhere near getting a team spirit like that we'll be ok.

[Guest westamfan]

Promotion and a title challenge, eh?

[Incognito]

Promotion and a title challenge, eh?

 

Why not?

[ujpest doza]

As you've said we had plenty of experience last time, and we had some very good youngsters in the team too. The likes of Clark, Watson and Elliot. Keegan was excellent in the transfer market too mind.

Watson and Elliott hardly played at all last time we were promoted. Venison Right back and Beresford Left back.

[ujpest doza]

As you've said we had plenty of experience last time, and we had some very good youngsters in the team too. The likes of Clark, Watson and Elliot. Keegan was excellent in the transfer market too mind.

Watson and Elliott didnt get a sniff under Keegan that year though. Alan Thompson fucked off that summer too iirc.

They were different times.

 

This all seems much more like the first season we got relegated in 1989. Flapping about and hoping to fuck we get back up.

 

Keegan was fortunate with some of the players he had here - Howey, O Brien, Clark, Peacock, Kelly, Pav and even Kevin Brock all played a fair bit. However, he bought experience and got shot of those who couldnt push on. Franz Carr played very well in the first few weeks until KK decided Rob Lee was needed. Nobody moaned though. Same with Sheedy and Sellars. Meant we had a bit of depth. Quinny played in the cup and scored but never got much time either.

KK was ruthless but he knew what he was doing. He also had the backing of SJH and there was an air of trust about the place.

 

Not so sure its going to be easy to build that again. Thats what worries me about the Shearer appointment. We seem to go for a messiah type of figure who has the charisma the fans want. If thats what gets us up short term then fair enough but hopefully he has seen the bigger picture. KK getting rid of the reserves knocked us back a bit and much as people say our youth set up is shite, we have been to more cup finals in the last 3 or 4 years than we did in the previous 20 (not sure if that is saying much though).

 

Place needs calm and reason not a whirlwind of change without rhyme or reason. Hope it happens, not convinced it will.

 

Aye I'm sure I read Thompson was a bit of a twat or something at the time, or was getting too big for his boots.

I'm sure it was John Beresford who recently said that Thompson just couldn't handle the pressure of expectation on him when playing at SJP and was therefore a bundle of nerves.