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Guest Tyson

 

Sir Bobby's as of now, but I think we could certainly ask again after the Summer. We are about 4/5 signings away from being better imo.

 

Given then was better than Krul, although the latter has the potential to surpass him

 

Hughes, Distin, Dabizas, R Elliott, O Bernard. I would take Distin and Bernard but Colo is superior and Taylor probably on par with Distin. Hughes is roughly the same as Simpson. Elliot is a poor mans Raylor, who in turn is a poor mans Santon.

 

Solano, K Dyer, G Speed, L Robert, C Acuna  - Just an incredible midfield that had everything, we have a very different look now. We just dont have anyone to match Robert, few clubs do, he was insane. I think Ben Arfa is closer to Dyer than anyone else but far better. We haven't seen the best out of Cabaye yet so I would prefer Speed. Solano matches best with Guti but the former was far better. Tiote everytime over Acuna naturally although Clarence was very underrated.  We do have greater squad depth though with Marveaux, Guthrie, Ferguson, Gosling and Obertan waiting in the wings.

 

LuaLua Bellamy, Shearer.  - We just don't have anyone in the Bellamy mould, and will anyone ever come close to filling Shearers boots? add Ba and Cisse to that strike force though and wow.

 

If we add another play maker close to the same league as Solano/Robert, a decent LB/RB and striker in the Bellamy mould I would say this team is much stronger.

 

Acuna was a top little player. Street-wise scrapper, efficient mover of the ball. I'm not saying he was better than, because the authority which eminates from Tiote in the engineroom is obvious. But Acuna had a greater positional awareness in front of goal (in the scrambles in the box, when a reargurd failed to clear their lines ie. from a setpiece). Underappreciated player, especially towards the end of his run under SBR.

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My combined XI would be:

 

Krul

 

Hughes

Coloccini

Distin

Bernard

 

Ben Arfa

Tiote

Dyer

Robert

 

Shearer

Bellamy

 

So the SBR side still ahead for me, although if Cisse keeps up his scoring rate much longer Bellamy will be out on his ear, and a couple of decent summer signings (especially at RB) could tip the balance...

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Tiote wouldn't get in a combined team. Speed was the more all-rounded MF and Dyer is a must-start in a fantasy team like this. If you had to pick a team for a season then Dyer's a more questionable pick, but he would still be a starter. Woodgate would be Coloccini's partner, not Distin. Krul, Coloccini and Ben Arfa would get in from our current team. It says a lot about how good SBR's team was.

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Hughes was immensely underrated. He was good in defense and in attack. Simpson dreams of being as intelligent as Hughes. Who sold him? Souness, wasn't it? Prick.

 

100% agreed. Hughes was just miles ahead of Simpson on the ball and also reliable in just about every position at the back. I can never see Simpson being involved in the sort of attacks Hughes played a part in.

 

The one that especially springs to mind was when him and Solano combined and he crossed a half volley for Bellamy to head in at home to Bolton (01/02). He also finished off a brilliant move at home to Southampton in 02/03.

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Tiote wouldn't get in a combined team. Speed was the more all-rounded MF and Dyer is a must-start in a fantasy team like this. If you had to pick a team for a season then Dyer's a more questionable pick, but he would still be a starter. Woodgate would be Coloccini's partner, not Distin. Krul, Coloccini and Ben Arfa would get in from our current team. It says a lot about how good SBR's team was.

 

Aye, I was torn between Tiote and Speed but when I realised how attacking the rest of my midfield was I went for the more solid defensive option! Left out Woodgate as he wasn't in the teams the Mirror article used which isn't really a massive surprise given his injury record.

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Tiote wouldn't get in a combined team. Speed was the more all-rounded MF and Dyer is a must-start in a fantasy team like this. If you had to pick a team for a season then Dyer's a more questionable pick, but he would still be a starter. Woodgate would be Coloccini's partner, not Distin. Krul, Coloccini and Ben Arfa would get in from our current team. It says a lot about how good SBR's team was.

 

Aye, I was torn between Tiote and Speed but when I realised how attacking the rest of my midfield was I went for the more solid defensive option! Left out Woodgate as he wasn't in the teams the Mirror article used which isn't really a massive surprise given his injury record.

 

As if your actually going to play that team at some point :)

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Hughes was immensely underrated. He was good in defense and in attack. Simpson dreams of being as intelligent as Hughes. Who sold him? Souness, wasn't it? Prick.

 

100% agreed. Hughes was just miles ahead of Simpson on the ball and also reliable in just about every position at the back. I can never see Simpson being involved in the sort of attacks Hughes played a part in.

 

The one that especially springs to mind was when him and Solano combined and he crossed a half volley for Bellamy to head in at home to Bolton (01/02). He also finished off a brilliant move at home to Southampton in 02/03.

 

Couldn't believe we had sold him really. It's not like he was over the hill or anything - he's played another 200 odd premier league games. Would probably have nearly got that many here.

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Interesting read.

He seems like a good, down to earth man. Like it.

 

http://www.journallive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2012/04/18/alan-pardew-sheds-light-on-managerial-philosophy-61634-30782618/

 

Alan Pardew has shed some light on the managerial philosophy that has helped Newcastle United surprise the football world this season. Chief sports writer Mark Douglas reports

 

 

 

FOR Alan Pardew, it has always been about laying the foundations.

 

From his days as an apprentice glazier working on a building site in the City of London in the late seventies to today’s incarnation as the most successful Newcastle manager since Sir Bobby Robson, he has always made sure that the bases are covered.

 

Down at the club’s Benton training base there are all the signs that Pardew’s “vision” – a philosophy that he set out to the United board from his first interview for the job – is being adhered to. From mobile phone etiquette to the way everyone has bought into the new “culture”, there is a goal and purpose about the club nowadays.

 

But it is not just about the metaphorical building blocks that have helped return structure, drive and success to Newcastle United. It is also about his own personal back story – about traversing the route less travelled into the world of professional football.

 

In a revealing interview with ‘The Manager’ – the official trade magazine of the League Managers’ Association – Pardew (pictured left) draws a direct correlation between his life before professional football and the way he is able to work with mavericks like Hatem Ben Arfa.

 

It is a personal story that he believes gives him a unique perspective – and advantage – over some of his managerial rivals.

 

The United manager says: “It was a very important route because you understand the workplace and what the media represents to the working man.

 

“When I was a glazier I was reading the newspaper every day and that was my only insight into the football world. When you play in non-League football you meet a cross-section of characters that you don’t meet in professional football.

 

“You might have a company chief executive and a dustbin man playing side-by-side in the same non-league team.

 

“So you come across many characters from different walks of life whereas in professional football you have football-focussed individuals who have based most of their upbringing on football because it was going to be their career from day one.

 

“Due to the playing route that I took I’ve experienced diversity of character, so when I come across what may be classed as a ‘difficult or enigmatic character’ in the football world it’s not much of a problem for me.”

 

Zig-zagging from his past to the present, Pardew talks of the importance of the “clarity” of his vision.

 

It is about making sure people know what is expected of them – but also about nailing down the specifics of everything from player behaviour to the way the team is expected to play the game.

 

It is a fascinating insight, especially when the Newcastle boss speaks of convincing the United board with his philosophy of encouraging his teams to stay “on the front foot”.

 

He says: “When a football manager joins a club, he needs to make sure that he is looking at the whole club and he’s putting down a foundation and a clear vision of where he is going, because that clarity and communication can actually buy you another game.

 

“If you don’t do that and you lose four or five consecutive matches there’s a good chance that you are in big trouble.

 

“If the club can see you are trying to work with the budget that they have presented you with, trying to inspire people, trying to create a good work ethic at the football club then it might buy you an extra game.

 

“If I was a chairman I think I’d want to hear that type of clarity coming from my manager from the outset and what my manager was going to bring to this football club. I’ve always gone into interviews and said that I can over-achieve because I believe that I can by creating the environments where I can achieve.

 

“Sometimes you are not given the time, issues can arise that affect things. If there’s any advice that I would give a young manager it would be to get the clarity of their vision and ability across from the start.

 

“You must convey clearly and concisely the brand of football that you want to play and how you are going to achieve it. My brand of football has always been the same – to try to win the game whatever the odds, within the tactical game plan that we have.

 

“This is usually on the front foot and making it very, very difficult for opponents.”

 

That “clarity” has been the same at Newcastle – even if it hasn’t always been popular.

 

“I do think that the clarity of the budget is important,” he said.

 

“Some fans may not be entirely happy with the amount we have to spend but at least they know the whole picture. When you look at the world economy and where football is at the moment, we’re seeing some really tough times.

 

“We’ve seen examples of Portsmouth and Rangers in Scotland that show if you overstretch you are going to find yourself in serious trouble and you are putting the club’s future at risk. At Newcastle we’ve got a good foundation and a good financial model and now the question is whether we can bring success within that model?

 

“That’s the challenge that I accepted when I joined the club and so far we are doing well and can hopefully continue to grow as we go along.”

 

Pardew adds that he is grateful for a staff that have “bought into” his vision.

 

He said: “First of all you start with your staff, because if they don’t have the same passion as you to convey the message then you are not going to be able to do it on your own.

 

“You need a staff that can take the message forward for you and continue it when you may be away from the training ground, dealing with other club obligations.

 

“If your staff don’t carry it through then there is a lack of continuity and it becomes ‘wishy washy’.

 

“If I saw a staff member ignore one of our players using a mobile phone in the treatment room and not dealing with the situation, then that staff member is going to be in trouble with me on that occasion rather than the player. I’m reliant on that staff member to realise the significance of the culture we are building within the club.

 

“I’m very lucky that I inherited so many good staff at Newcastle United who have completely bought into what we are doing.”

 

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I'm getting sick of all these 'the fans aren't happy with what we're spending' quotes from Pardew/and the media.

 

It's not the case at all with any sane fan you talk to.

 

Just some people don't trust the MD and Owner.

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I'm getting sick of all these 'the fans aren't happy with what we're spending' quotes from Pardew/and the media.

 

It's not the case at all with any sane fan you talk to.

 

Just some people don't trust the MD and Owner.

 

Seems a decent interview to me. As for repeatedly saying the fans aren't happy, this is from an interview in a trade magazine, so he's not aiming that comment at us particularly, but just look at the very first comment on the article at the Journal site - it's from a fan who is certainly not 'happy with what we're spending'.

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How good would a prime Woodgate and Colo be together.

 

We'd have 2 class CBs who read the game better than anyone else. Rarely going to ground just simply collecting the ball and playing it forward

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Guest Roger Kint

How good would a prime Woodgate and Colo be together.

 

We'd have 2 class CBs who read the game better than anyone else. Rarely going to ground just simply collecting the ball and playing it forward

 

Aye but Stoke have Geoff Hurst with Stanley Matthews playing off him..........

 

 

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Guest bimpy474

Hughes was immensely underrated. He was good in defense and in attack. Simpson dreams of being as intelligent as Hughes. Who sold him? Souness, wasn't it? Prick.

 

This was one of Sir Bob's very few mistakes i could never understand, he bought Carr in at right back, why he did that when Aaron was and is a vastly superior player i'll never know, then as you say the prick known as Souness sold him as he quite bizarrely prefered Carr at RB as well.

 

Only sold him for £1m too, never ever could get my head around it, especially seeing some of the defenders we signed at the time, Boumsong, Moore, Babayaro, all vastly inferior as well imo.

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I recall hughes had definitely stagnated at the time and not too many people were too fussed that he'd left. He just wasn't improving and so we got rid, I'm still fine with that decision myself.

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Guest bimpy474

I recall hughes had definitely stagnated at the time and not too many people were too fussed that he'd left. He just wasn't improving and so we got rid, I'm still fine with that decision myself.

 

I thought it was more the team and not just him, his versatility was so missed too. I just rated him highly and still do, even now he would play in our team ahead of Simpson or Williamson imo.

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Was Carr that bad? I can remember hating having him in the side but i've almost completely forgotten about him as a player; it was a thoroughly forgettable period in fairness. Him, Faye, etc - i know they were 'shit', but i probably couldn't tell you any more than that. :lol:

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Guest bimpy474

Was Carr that bad? I can remember hating having him in the side but i've almost completely forgotten about him as a player; it was a thoroughly forgettable period in fairness. Him, Faye, etc - i know they were 'shit', but i probably couldn't tell you any more than that. :lol:

 

Dont know about anyone else but thought Carr was utter shite, just one of those players that i couldn't and refused to like. I recall one game and i cant remember which player it was, but Carr made a mistake and had a go at the youngster playing ahead of him, trying to pass the blame. Just hated him form that game onward.

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Guest BooBoo

Carr was a player who arrived long after his peak and was happy to collect a hefty pay packet without breaking sweat.

 

He wasn't an appalling player but his attitude always seemed wrong. Pretty much a poster boy for the malaise of the 2004-09 era. So many pea hearts played for the club in those five years leading ultimately to relegation.

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Can remember Roeder labelling him 'brilliant'. I know that managers do that anyway, for morale boosts and such, but he then proceeded to give him the captaincy in the absence of Parker/Butt - so he probably actually thought that. :lol:

 

Fucking couldn't stand Roeder like. I know i've opened this can of worms before, but there's only JFK who was a worse manager in that downward spiral, imo.

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Guest bimpy474

Carr was a player who arrived long after his peak and was happy to collect a hefty pay packet without breaking sweat.

 

He wasn't an appalling player but his attitude always seemed wrong. Pretty much a poster boy for the malaise of the 2004-09 era. So many pea hearts played for the club in those five years leading ultimately to relegation.

 

:snod:

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