Tonights Chronicle stuff (long post, lots of articles)

[Skirge]

http://www.icnewcastle.co.uk

 

There's Sam work to be done

May 7 2007

By Alan Oliver, The Evening Chronicle

 

Freddy Shepherd faces several hurdles before he can install Sam Allardyce as manager of Newcastle United following the resignation of Glenn Roeder.

 

But Shepherd is determined to get the man who turned United down in the summer of 2004 - despite the fact that some fans are opposed to his appointment.

 

Even though Allardyce walked out on Bolton Wanderers last Sunday after eight years in charge of the Lancashire outfit he still had two years left on his contract and the question of compensation is bound to crop up.

 

So will the question of whether Gary Speed, who will have the dual role as player and coach next season at the Reebok Stadium, will be given the chance to return to Tyneside.

 

And two of big Sam's former coaches, Phil Brown and Neil McDonald, have North-East connections. Brown, the current manager of Hull City, is from South Shields, while McDonald, who is now cutting his managerial teeth with Carlisle is, of course, a former United player.

 

Allardyce's successor Sammy Lee has already urged any Bolton players tempted to follow Allardyce out of the door at the Reebok not to act in haste.

 

Allardyce, who also snubbed Sunderland 12 months ago, is one of the managers who spoke against Roeder taking over as United boss because he did not have the Pro-Licence - even though he himself does not have it.

 

But this would not stop him from replacing Roeder because his long service as a manager means that he has been granted exemption, along with the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho, until 2010.

 

Shepherd will know that he will not have 100% backing of the United supporters in his decision to bring in Allardyce in the wake of the Panorama bung allegations. Those claims were vehemently denied by Allardyce and no evidence was presented to prove any wrong-doing.

 

The Chronicle would never presume to speak for the supporters but those I have spoken to fall into three categories - those who would accept the appointment of Allardyce with reservations, those who are dead against it, and those who wanted to see the end of Roeder and are pleased that he has gone regardless of his replacement.

 

However, while Shepherd still has a lot to do to install Allardyce as his manager, he will not face competition from Manchester City regardless of any take-over at Eastlands.

 

One of the first phone calls I took yesterday afternoon, as the news started filtering through about the resignation, was from Ray Ranson, who wanted to pass on his good wishes to Roeder.

 

The former United full-back is confident that his £90m bid to take over Manchester City will be accepted. But after talking to him I got the distinct impression that if he did take over, he would not be installing Allardyce as his manager, leaving the way clear way for United.

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Pearson asked to take charge for final match

May 7 2007

By Alan Oliver, The Evening Chronicle

 

Nigel Pearson has been asked to take charge of Newcastle United for Saturday's final game of the season at Watford, (writes ALAN OLIVER).

 

But if the man who has been Glenn Roeder's No2 since September decides against it, then United will turn to coaches Lee Clark and Terry McDermott.

 

Clark was dramatically recalled to Tyneside yesterday from Paris after news of Roeder's resignation broke.

 

The reserve team coach was on his way to Argentina with goalkeeping coach Adam Saddler and education officer Jimmy Nelson to have a look at players.

 

A visit to Boca Juniors had been arranged to try to unearth another Nobby Solano after the popular little Peruvian was picked up for a bargain £2.25m from the Buenos Aires outfit by Kenny Dalglish back in 1998.

 

But the recruitment of players will now be the job of Roeder's replacement, which looks set to be Sam Allardyce.

 

However, both the former Bolton boss and United themselves will have been taken aback at the level of opposition from some quarters today to the appointment of the man who came within a whisker of managing England.

 

Pearson was very close to Roeder, and it remains to be seen whether the man who was in charge of the England Under-21 side in their last game takes up United's offer to take the team to Watford.

 

For Pearson must know deep down he will only be in charge for the one game and that he will have no place the backroom team of Roeder's replacement despite being so highly rated by the Football Association.

 

Indeed, United's backroom staff as a whole must be wondering just who will be coming in following Roeder's resignation.

 

But I believe that, irrespective of who comes in, Clark will stay on in his current role as reserve-team coach because Shepherd considers him to be the archetypal Geordie who was brought back to the club to show the young players what it means to wear the black-and-white shirt.

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Shearer will not be next in line

May 7 2007

By Alan Oliver, The Evening Chronicle

 

Alan Shearer will NOT be in the frame to take over from Glenn Roeder as manager of Newcastle United.

 

Those supporters who chanted the former United skipper's name at St James' Park on Saturday after the defeat by Blackburn Rovers do not seem to appreciate the situation regarding the greatest player to wear the black-and-white shirt.

 

For quite simply Shearer, who was at Saturday's game with Rovers, is not interested in managing his beloved United at this moment in time, although it would not surprise me if he took the reins one day.

 

When I last spoke to Shearer a fortnight ago he was in Barcelona.

 

And the very fact he was in Spain - in his role as a sporting ambassador for Umbro - is the reason Shearer will not be a candidate to replace Roeder.

 

For Shearer told me that his life at the moment could not be more pleasant than it is, and revealed just how much he enjoys his role as a pundit with the BBC's Match of the Day.

 

As it happens Shearer (pictured below) could not actually take a job as a manager at United, or any other club in the Premiership for that matter, on a permanent basis because he does not possess the Pro-Licence.

 

He is just completing his A licence and, perhaps ominously, told me from Barcelona: "I can now take my Pro-Licence - if I want to."

 

The betting has already started on Roeder's replacement, but the likes of Louis van Gaal, Sven-Goran Erikkson, Steve McClaren and Shearer can be quickly discounted.

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It's all Rover now as Roeder exits

May 07 2007

By Alan Oliver, The Evening Chronicle

 

Let's hope it is a busy summer. That's all you can say after Blackburn Rovers capped a miserable end-of-season spell by Newcastle United with what has become their customary victory at St James' Park.

 

Quite clearly some of the United players are simply not good enough and just as clear is the fact some have no pride in wearing the black-and-white shirt.

 

And while Saturday's performance and result sealed Glenn Roeder's fate, let's hope that those underachieving players follow him out of the door.

 

When Rovers won here last year the United supporters called for Graeme Souness to be sacked.

 

On Saturday there were chants mostly against the United board and also some against Roeder.

 

The Rovers Press corps joked that every time they come to Tyneside there are calls for someone to be sacked, but it isn't a laughing matter for United and their frustrated fans.

 

You could also have some sympathy for Roeder. American international Oguchi Onyewu knows he is going at the end of the season and on this performance he looked determined to make sure his manager went with him.

 

For his eight-yard header at the start of the second half, which flew over the top of the goal when it was easier to score, was the sort of effort which gets managers sacked.

 

And Roeder must have already known it wasn't going to his and United's day when Michael Owen fired over when Brad Friedel was lying on the ground just before the interval.

 

Throw in other simple first-half chances squandered by Kieron Dyer and skipper Scott Parker, and another great opportunity put wide by the left foot of Oba Martins near the end, and this just about summed up United's day.

 

To add to Roeder's agony, Benni McCarthy looked offside when he grabbed the ever- so-vital first goal, but to be fair after that there were times when Blackburn were wrongly flagged up, particularly when the impressive David Bentley was clearly onside when he put the ball into the net just before the interval.

 

Speaking of McCarthy and talk of summer buys at St James' Park, on the evidence of Saturday, Blackburn know how to pick up a bargain or two.

 

Their 22-year-old South African striker cost only £2.5m from Porto, and when you think of the money Souness wasted at St James' Park, one of his last signings for Rovers, the Norwegian Morten Gamst Pedersen, was a snip at £1.5m.

 

And what about Blackburn's Christopher Samba, who cost £250,000 in a deal with German outfit Hertha Berlin? Samba is a pal of Lomana LuaLua's from the Congo, and his goal-line clearance, which denied Owen before Jason Roberts' 73rd-minute clincher, had to be the best since Barry Venison's spectacular effort in the FA Cup fourth-round replay defeat at Luton back in 1994.

 

At least Owen looked like he might score, which is more than can be said about Martins. The 17-goal striker has only managed one goal in his last nine games and he has looked completely shot in recent weeks. And on the evidence against Reading and Blackburn, his link-up with Owen does not look as though it is going to work.

 

Yet McCarthy and Roberts always looked dangerous at the other end.

 

Roberts' goal in the 73rd minute, when he got between substitute Peter Ramage and Oguchi Onyewu, showed just why United desperately need a commanding central defender for next season.

 

The crowd had wavered a bit after McCarthy's opener but they stayed with United in the second half, even when they knew Roberts' goal meant curtains for Roeder's side, and they were nothing short of brilliant.

 

The jeers at the end were predictable but so understandable.

 

Yet as I made my way out of the Press box and the United players made their way dejectedly down the tunnel, I had a lump in my throat at the way a good number of fans cheered them all the way.

 

It's a crying shame United just cannot seem to do it for them.

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Goals drought is a major concern for us, admits Ramage

May 7 2007

By Lee Ryder, The Evening Chronicle

 

Peter ramage feels that Newcastle United's final home game of the season was very much the story of two sets of chances.

 

For Newcastle it was a tale of missed opportunities, but it was the complete opposite for Blackburn Rovers, as Mark Hughes' side demonstrated the same hunger in front of goal to win the game as their manager did as a player.

 

The 2-0 victory for Rovers also hammered the final nail into United's European coffin, with the flimsy hope of Continental football via the InterToto Cup now totally wiped out.

 

Ramage told the Chronicle: "It's massively disappointing and not the way we wanted it to happen.

 

"We went out there to try to finish it off and send the fans away happy for the summer.

 

"But the game just summed up the way it has been going in the last couple of weeks."

 

United failed to pierce the Rovers defence despite the return to action of Michael Owen at St James' Park.

 

It was Owen's first game at Gallowgate since the end of 2005, but he could not prevent another unwanted blank for Newcastle's misfiring front-line.

 

Emre's penalty at Portsmouth during the 2-1 defeat last month is Newcastle's only goal in the last five games..

 

Ramage went on: "Had Kieron Dyer's header gone in then it could have been a totally different game.

 

"And had Michael Owen's effort not been cleared off the line it could have been different again. We might have nicked it then, but neither chance went in and they took both of their chances and won the game.

 

"They took the only two chances they had and scored, which is bitterly disappointing.

 

"The lack of goals are killing us.

 

"I don't know how to put it or how to make it better, but we haven't scored goals in games."

 

Geordie defender and Academy product Ramage tasted his first piece of first-team action since the 2-2 draw with West Ham in January when he limped off with a hamstring problem.

 

However, after making a recovery and appearing in Lee Clark's reserves, Ramage admitted it was great to be back even though his 20 minute cameo failed to stop the Toon rot.

 

He says: "It seems years ago when I last played in the first team.

 

"It's great to be back though and just a shame I couldn't mark that with a win."

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Harps: Players have to take some blame

May 7 2007

By Lee Ryder, The Evening Chronicle

 

Steve harper today accepted that he and his Newcastle United team-mates must take their share of the blame for the club's nightmare campaign which left the Toon Army furious after the home defeat against Blackburn Rovers.

 

Both the United board and Glenn Roeder were targeted after the final game of the season at St James' Park ended in disaster as Rovers triumphed 2-0.

 

Yet the United keeper and the rest of the Magpies squad had to puff their chests out after the lacklustre loss at Gallowgate to embark on a lap of honour which saw them endure a mixture of applause, boos and jeers.

 

And long-serving keeper Harper was quick to express his feelings for the Geordie public.

 

He told the Chronicle in a frank interview: "The fans pay a lot of money and want us to be scoring goals and playing good football.

 

"That's not happening so they are bound to show their frustration. It's equally frustrating on the pitch - believe me. Do the players take responsibility? Very much so.

 

"At half-time we were very disappointed and we aimed to show a bit of togetherness and get out there and score the next goal.

 

"We dominated for half an hour and then gave away an easy goal, and we have shot ourselves in the foot.

 

"But for a couple of half-chances, we haven't created any clear-cut efforts, and there lies the problem."

 

Harper was furious with the officials after Benni McCarthy netted in the first half, even though he appeared to be offside.

 

Yet Harper was equally frustrated with the time and space an unmarked Jason Roberts had to convert the second.

 

And Harper was even less impressed with the goal drought that has haunted Newcastle recently.

 

He added: "It is very, very disappointing. That is now 12 weeks since we scored at home in the Premiership and the stats speak for themselves.

 

"We knew it would be tough, we knew they would travel up here and be up for it. We knew what to expect and we've fallen to a couple of sucker-punches.

 

"By all accounts we were told the first goal was offside. But still he was left in a lot of space.

 

"If he's not offside there, he should be and the second goal was an easy goal. We don't get easy goals when we go forward, we have to work hard for them.

 

"The guy is unmarked and he is not going to miss from there. We then failed to score."

 

[JH]

You missed the long article at the front of the paper Skirge mate:

 

Sam's the man

By Alan Oliver, The Evening Chronicle

 

Sam Allardyce is the man Newcastle United want as their new manager.

 

Under increasing pressure, Glenn Roeder quit the Magpies last night after showdown talks with chairman Freddy Shepherd.

 

Former captain Roeder, 51, ended his 15-month reign at the club after angry fans protested following the club's 2-0 dismal defeat to Blackburn in the last home game of the season.

 

Today former Bolton boss Allardyce, who turned down the chance to be Magpies manager last summer, is the favourite to take the St James' Park helm.

 

The hot favourite for the hot seat

 

Newcastle will be Sam Allardyce's fifth club if he takes the hot seat.

 

Allardyce is favourite to take over from Glenn Roeder, who quit just days after Allardyce left Bolton, saying he wanted time out of football.

 

After hanging up his boots following a career that saw him turn out for Bolton, Sunderland, Millwall, Coventry, Huddersfield, Preston and West Brom, as well as a brief spell in Tampa Bay, America, Allardyce turned to management.

 

His first forays into the dugout were as a coach at Preston and assistant manager at the Magpies' arch-rivals Sunderland.

 

Allardyce then moved on to top Irish outfit Limerick but returned from Ireland to become manager at Blackpool, where he quickly established himself, taking the Tangerines from the foot of the Second Division table in 1994 to the play-off finals, only for them to lose to Bradford City in 1996. He left soon after.

 

And Newcastle will be the second set of Magpies Allardyce has taken charge of. He joined Notts County early in 1997, charged with the responsibility of restoring the club's fortunes.

 

He led them to the Third Division Championship, and automatic promotion to Division Two, in his first full season at Meadow Lane.

 

But Allardyce will be best known for his spell at Bolton Wanderers, where he spent seven-and-a-half years. When he arrived in October 1999 on his 45th birthday, the Trotters were in the bottom half of the old First Division.

 

In Big Sam's first season, Wanderers reached the semi-finals of both the Worthington and FA Cups and even salvaged a place in the play-offs, losing in controversial circumstances at Ipswich.

 

But they made it back to the big time 12 months later with victory over Preston in Cardiff and never looked back. Allardyce gained a reputation for signing big-name international stars towards the end of their careers.

 

He brought in the likes of Jay Jay Okocha, Youri Djorkaeff, Ivan Campo and Bruno N'Gotty. He was criticised for building on foundations of sand, recruiting players on loans and short-term contracts.

 

His unsuccessful bid to become England manager last year was a bitter disappointment, as was seeing his integrity questioned in the BBC's Panorama `bung' documentary in September.

 

Allardyce has already turned down the Newcastle job once, when Graeme Souness eventually took charge, and he came close to taking the Sunderland manager's job at the start of this season.

 

6th boss in 10 years

 

Toon chairman Freddy Shepherd has seen his sixth manager exit St James' Park in less than 10 years.

 

Glenn Roeder last night resigned from the Magpies' hot seat amid mounting pressure and speculation about his future, fuelled by an angry fans protest.

 

Roeder was at the ground yesterday following emergency talks after a dismal 2-0 defeat to Blackburn in the last home game of the season.

 

And just hours after Roeder cleared out his desk, with a reported £1m pay-off, Sam Allardyce was on the brink of being confirmed as United's sixth boss since Kevin Keegan left the club in 1997.

 

Today, fans gave a mixed reaction to the latest episode of the St James' Park saga. Many continued to air anti-board feelings.

 

Others voiced their concerns over the suitability of Allardyce for the Magpies following his involvement in the Panorama bungs scandal and his reputation for preferring a long-ball style of soccer.

 

Fans forum member Marion Williams said: "This has more or less made up my mind that I don't want to renew my season ticket.

 

"I had been wondering about it, along with many fans, but I would say I don't want to watch the kind of football Allardyce is likely to bring with him.

 

"Not only that, but I don't think I like the guy. I've never met him but the persona he gives off in football terms is not something I like.

 

"When you think the club got rid of Kevin Bond because of a slight involvement in the Panorama bungs programme and Allardyce was more featured than him and we go and go after him.

 

"Not only that but he's turned us down once. What on earth is going on in the minds of the board?"

 

Roeder is the third manager to have left the club on a Bank Holiday and was today believed to be in London. Ruud Gullit was sacked on a public holiday and Sir Bobby Robson left the club on August bank holiday 2004.

 

Roeder, 51, left the club 13th in the Premiership and on the back of the club's worst run of home results since 1951.

 

The Magpies have failed to score from open play since April 7 and at home since March 8.

 

The team were met with jeers as they did a final day lap round the pitch in front of a half-empty stadium. Fans for the first time turned on the boss, hurling "Taxi for Roeder" chants at him.

 

Mark Jensen, editor of fanzine the Mag said: "I think with Glenn Roeder it became a very sad situation with his past links to the club as a player, captain and academy manager, that it's ended up in this position.

 

"But, the simple fact is, it's been a dismal season.

 

"He did well last year, but this year, it has been dismal and it's been most dismal when he's had more players available and the match against Blackburn summed it up.

 

"There are so many people saying he had a negative team selection and it was a horrible situation on Saturday because people had no belief left in him any more to turn things around.

 

"The reaction against Roeder on Saturday was not something that just happened.

 

"The fans were totally demoralised and things reached a boiling point in Alkmaar, where, for me, Roeder lost Newcastle the tie with his team selection."

[shido]

One of the first phone calls I took yesterday afternoon, as the news started filtering through about the resignation, was from Ray Ranson, who wanted to pass on his good wishes to Roeder.

 

ffs Anal we don't care about you and your bloody phone clals to RAY fucking RANSON...

[Skirge]

My bad mate

To much  bollocks to read in one fkn day anyway..

[JH]

So will the question of whether Gary Speed, who will have the dual role as player and coach next season at the Reebok Stadium, will be given the chance to return to Tyneside.

 

hmm strangely the first I've heard of Speed coming back if we get Allardyce, suprised more people haven't mentioned it yet.

[Guest Hibbits left foot]

I like the bit where hes on about " I had a lump in my throat at the way a good number of the fans cheered them ( players) all the way" , hope its cancer Anal you twat!

[Gallowgate Toon]

According to Anal, Benni McCarthy is 22 when he is actually 29!!! clueless wanker

[Guest zombietoon]

Usual Anal diarrhoea.

[The College Dropout]

According to Anal, Benni McCarthy is 22 when he is actually 29!!! clueless w******

lol, would've liked to see him come to us instead of Duff... him and Martins would've been brilliant and he could work well with Owen.

 

**sighs**

[Guest Knightrider]

So will the question of whether Gary Speed, who will have the dual role as player and coach next season at the Reebok Stadium, will be given the chance to return to Tyneside.

 

hmm strangely the first I've heard of Speed coming back if we get Allardyce, suprised more people haven't mentioned it yet.

 

Typical bait line for fans, knowing he was a hero here and someone a few were against being sold, i.e. a softener.

 

Notice no assessment of the board's now wrong decision to appoint Roeder in the first place. Fucking cowards, but then Oliver is a club employee.

[ToonTastic]

Think Speed was seen as more of a Hero after he left Newcastle, got so much grief in his last year of playing for newcastle it was unfair.

[Tooj]

"But I believe that, irrespective of who comes in, Clark will stay on in his current role as reserve-team coach because Shepherd considers him to be the archetypal Geordie who was brought back to the club to show the young players what it means to wear the black-and-white shirt."

 

FFS.

[Guest Martin]

"But I believe that, irrespective of who comes in, Clark will stay on in his current role as reserve-team coach because Shepherd considers him to be the archetypal Geordie who was brought back to the club to show the young players what it means to wear the black-and-white shirt."

 

FFS.

 

Boils my pish!

I'm sure Anal does this to f**k us all off!

[Thespence]

If your hate for Oliver is that much don't bother emailing his bosses at Tommy House, as they are grateful to Alan because being clubs PR man also means he gets him the exclusives. That Paul New chap cannot see any conflict of interests  with Alan writing in the match day prog as a employee of the club & his day job.

 

So then here is the email addy of his big boss [email protected] , I have not emailed her myself, she can only be brighter than New though.

[Cajun]

Think Speed was seen as more of a Hero after he left Newcastle, got so much grief in his last year of playing for newcastle it was unfair.

 

Yep, one of those who the majority were quite pleased when he left but then suddenly he should have never been let ago shortly after.

[Keefaz]

"But I believe that, irrespective of who comes in, Clark will stay on in his current role as reserve-team coach because Shepherd considers him to be the archetypal Geordie who was brought back to the club to show the young players what it means to wear the black-and-white shirt."

 

FFS.

 

I just had some kind of seizure reading that. Jesus fucking Christ, piss off.