Next season - my views, expectations etc. (chip in with yours)

[Dragon55544]

Very good lines from SA...If only he came after SBR left, who knows where we would have been by now...if only...

 

Im glad FS has stated that SA has his fully blessing to bring in who he wants, I hope to god he sticks to his word.

[Syrette]

I'm willing to be very patient with Sam because I believe he will improve us if he gets enough time and resources to do so. All I've read today, and all I've heard on nufc.co.uk and regarding the press conference fills me with optimism; there is not a thing he has said that worries me and he has come in with quite a critical eye which shows he knows what needs to be improved and I'm sure based on his experiences at Bolton, he knows how to actually go about improving things. Stuff like talking about the sorting out the culture amongst the playing staff ("looking forward in the morning to go to training", "smiley faces" etc) and all this stat/science talk interests me greatly. Of course, there is a massive difference between talking and doing, but I believe in the guy enough to follow through with his plans as best he can, with his backroom staff and help from the board and players.

 

I think he's the man we need (and actually less of a risk than SGE or Houllier) and I'm amazed at a time where I'm not feeling too happy about things in general, it is of all things the club that has cheered me up a fair bit. So used to them being a source of great depression, nice to have a good feeling about things now, though it's going to be a huge, huge task for him. Almost everything at the club needs improving, though with that said I think Sam proved his shrewdness with transfer dealings at Bolton so even improving the club might not cost all that much.

[Raconteur]

...and Michael Owen often uses a helicopter to scurry to and from the club to which he is lucratively contracted.

 

I always thought that was one of those myths that has no basis in reality but gathers strength through repetition? Can anyone confirm or deny?

 

Any excuse to stick the boot in though...

 

[Cronky]

I'm very, very excited. Suprised at Shepherds excellent act to get rid of Roeder and bring this terrific scientist of a football manager in. We'll probably start off very well like Aston Villa did with O'Neill. Some kind of a crisis will occur sooner or later, and then Sam should be a good enough manager to guide us into Europe during the spring. I think we'll progress in the League Cup like Tottenham did this season. Allardyce is here for the long term, I don't expect or require immediate success at all.

 

The sad thing for Newcastle was that SA never accepted the job when it was offered to him before.  The years of Souness and Roeder have put the club back years.

 

If you believe the stories, Sam wasn't the only one to turn us down at that stage, and you have to wonder why. It looked to me like Souness, Roeder, and Robson in his last season, weren't really in charge.

 

But I think that's changed. It may take a long or a short time to get back to where SBR took us, but a corner has been turned.

[brummie]

If things are as screwed up at the club as you posts here indicate, then I wouldn't expect miracles next season.

 

If he wants to put his stamp on the club, and sort it out from top to bottom (which is what good managers do), then that is going to take time. Surely it is best that he gets this time and does it properly rather than patch over the problems in an attempt to get some kind of result quickly? Europe would be great, obviously, but you really need him to build proper foundations for long term success.

 

I'd expect a season of consolidation / slight growth followed by a push for Europe. Not unlike another similar underachieving, until-recently-fucked-up club 

[brummie]

If I was SA, I would start telling FFS that day to day administration is the manager's job, not the Chairman's.  I don't understand why FFS wants to put all discussions/negotiations etc in the public domain.  Just leave it to Big Sam, he gets paid a lot to sort things like that out, preferably in private, let him get on with his job!

 

Been a problem for years.

 

That's an indication of the sort of problem he's going to have to surmount. FFS shouldn't be saying anything in public about playing staff.

 

On the bright side, I don't think for a moment SA is the sort of manager to put up with that shit, and will soon stamp it out if it happens in the future.

[Kitman]

This is what I hope for:

 

- players picked for their form not their reputation

- players playing in their best position, not covering someone else's badly

- players knowing what their position is and where they should be on the pitch at all times

- players available for selection rather than being injured all the time

- gutless gobshites run out of toon

- shit fat washed up Irish right backs run out of toon, preferably tarred feathered and with a giant leek rammed up their arse

- set pieces where we know what the fuck we're doing

- a set piece taker who can actually deliver the ball

- throw ins where we keep the ball instead of giving it away

- an organised defence that can defend set pieces

- some pace skill and aggression in attack

- a team that plays like a team

- Plan B if Plan A isn't working

- someone who knows what substitutes are for and how to use them

- players who never give up and try their hardest all the time whoever they're playing

- signings that we get some value out of instead of losing a huge amount of money

- no more bloody excuses about injuries and bad luck

- some entertaining football once in a while

- a bit of fucking luck for once when we really really need it

- a real trophy God forbid

 

I don't expect it, I'm just hoping for it 

[Raconteur]

This is what I hope for:

 

- players picked for their form not their reputation

- players playing in their best position, not covering someone else's badly

- players knowing what their position is and where they should be on the pitch at all times

- players available for selection rather than being injured all the time

- gutless gobshites run out of toon

- shit fat washed up Irish right backs run out of toon, preferably tarred feathered and with a giant leek rammed up their arse

- set pieces where we know what the fuck we're doing

- a set piece taker who can actually deliver the ball

- throw ins where we keep the ball instead of giving it away

- an organised defence that can defend set pieces

- some pace skill and aggression in attack

- a team that plays like a team

- Plan B if Plan A isn't working

- someone who knows what substitutes are for and how to use them

- players who never give up and try their hardest all the time whoever they're playing

- signings that we get some value out of instead of losing a huge amount of money

- no more bloody excuses about injuries and bad luck

- some entertaining football once in a while

- a bit of fucking luck for once when we really really need it

- a real trophy God forbid

 

I don't expect it, I'm just hoping for it 

 

Imagine the shock on Roeder's face if he saw that!

[BONTEMPI]

I believe this time round we can be patient! Because the last 2 managers had no faith in them from the start, so as soon as the results started to dip, we had an excuse to call for there heads!

 

This time round though were happy with the appointment, so this will enable us to cut him some slack if things don't improve right away, but I know they will!

[Gallowgate End]

Berbatov won't be sold for a while.  Spurs reported £20+m profit for the last 6 months, it'll probably be around £35m for the year.  If it doesn't get spent beofre the end of the tax year, the taxman will be taking a big chunk out of that.  That's why Spurs are looking to sort out some the bigger deals asap.  I think Spurs will be spending all, or very nearly all,  of that £35m this window.

 

Berbatov staying is not dependent on the good Spurs financial position but whether the player makes himself the move to Man United just like Carrick did last Summer.

 

However the positive is his Agents seems decent and has said positive things regards to giving back to the Spurs fans which is encouraging for your Club also the fact supposedly bigger clubs came in late when you tried to buy him and Berbatov and his agent stuck to there word of joining Spurs.

 

That situation could prove key to Michael Owen future here as only the Big 4 can buy either Owen or Berbatov hopefully for us the over hype of Berbatov this year gets him a move to one of the Big 4 rather then Michael Owen.

 

[Martin Lol]

If things are as screwed up at the club as you posts here indicate, then I wouldn't expect miracles next season.

 

If he wants to put his stamp on the club, and sort it out from top to bottom (which is what good managers do), then that is going to take time. Surely it is best that he gets this time and does it properly rather than patch over the problems in an attempt to get some kind of result quickly? Europe would be great, obviously, but you really need him to build proper foundations for long term success.

 

I'd expect a season of consolidation / slight growth followed by a push for Europe. Not unlike another similar underachieving, until-recently-f*****-up club 

 

I'm very, very excited. Suprised at Shepherds excellent act to get rid of Roeder and bring this terrific scientist of a football manager in. We'll probably start off very well like Aston Villa did with O'Neill. Some kind of a crisis will occur sooner or later, and then Sam should be a good enough manager to guide us into Europe during the spring. I think we'll progress in the League Cup like Tottenham did this season. Allardyce is here for the long term, I don't expect or require immediate success at all.

 

The sad thing for Newcastle was that SA never accepted the job when it was offered to him before.  The years of Souness and Roeder have put the club back years.

 

If you believe the stories, Sam wasn't the only one to turn us down at that stage, and you have to wonder why. It looked to me like Souness, Roeder, and Robson in his last season, weren't really in charge.

 

But I think that's changed. It may take a long or a short time to get back to where SBR took us, but a corner has been turned.

 

I think SBR lost the dressing room when FFS announced that he was going at the end of the season.  Without that, I think there would have been a smooth transition.  But once the players were able to get away with it then, they saw the opportunity to do their own things with Souness and Roeder, and with neither of them showing true managerial ability, the problem just snowballed.

 

I can't see SA allowing anything like that to go on, and once the problem players have gone, it should be smoother sailing in the future.  I agree with you, the corner has been turned and it should be progression from now on.  How quickly that happens is debateable.  Brummie says that Villa are taking the steady route, a season of consolidation/slight improvement.  Arnesen's way at Spurs was more akin to a bull in a china shop, change took place at a huge pace.  It still took 2 years to get Uefa football and that is the type of timescale I see for both Newcastle and Villa as well.  The problem is that in a couple of years there will be too many teams seriously expecting Uefa or CL competition.  It will be interesting to see how the teams that miss out handle the disappointment, sacking the manager and starting again won't be the answer.

[brummie]

I agree with Mr Jol.

 

I'd also say that the situation with finances is much changed, too. There are far more clubs with shit loads of money to spend, through the television deal for all of them, but for some of them through wealthy individuals buying them out (and there are bound to be more of these over the summer and next season, including newcastle, man city, everton, I'd have thought).

 

In a situation where almost everyone has got huge pots of cash, other than CL football, things like getting the structure of the club right, having the right manager, having top notch training and other facilities, having a really good youth academy and so on, are going to become the factors which make the difference, and I'd bank on SA being the sort of manager who would get all of the above right.

 

I think it will take time, though.

[Martin Lol]

Berbatov won't be sold for a while.  Spurs reported £20+m profit for the last 6 months, it'll probably be around £35m for the year.  If it doesn't get spent beofre the end of the tax year, the taxman will be taking a big chunk out of that.  That's why Spurs are looking to sort out some the bigger deals asap.  I think Spurs will be spending all, or very nearly all,  of that £35m this window.

 

Berbatov staying is not dependent on the good Spurs financial position but whether the player makes himself the move to Man United just like Carrick did last Summer.

 

However the positive is his Agents seems decent and has said positive things regards to giving back to the Spurs fans which is encouraging for your Club also the fact supposedly bigger clubs came in late when you tried to buy him and Berbatov and his agent stuck to there word of joining Spurs.

 

That situation could prove key to Michael Owen future here as only the Big 4 can buy either Owen or Berbatov hopefully for us the over hype of Berbatov this year gets him a move to one of the Big 4 rather then Michael Owen.

 

Berbatov won't be sold for a while.  Spurs reported £20+m profit for the last 6 months, it'll probably be around £35m for the year.  If it doesn't get spent beofre the end of the tax year, the taxman will be taking a big chunk out of that.  That's why Spurs are looking to sort out some the bigger deals asap.  I think Spurs will be spending all, or very nearly all,  of that £35m this window.

 

Berbatov staying is not dependent on the good Spurs financial position but whether the player makes himself the move to Man United just like Carrick did last Summer.

 

However the positive is his Agents seems decent and has said positive things regards to giving back to the Spurs fans which is encouraging for your Club also the fact supposedly bigger clubs came in late when you tried to buy him and Berbatov and his agent stuck to there word of joining Spurs.

 

That situation could prove key to Michael Owen future here as only the Big 4 can buy either Owen or Berbatov hopefully for us the over hype of Berbatov this year gets him a move to one of the Big 4 rather then Michael Owen.

 

 

I totally agree.  I wasn't trying to imply that Spurs' financial situation had a bearing on whether Berbatov goes or stays, I was responding to the points raised by Stevie.  Unless Spurs are lucky, Berbatov will go at some stage if we do not qualify for the CL.  However, he has settled in London well and has said he has of intention of moving yet.  Negotiations for a new contract started about a month ago and Dawson said on Monday that it's great news that Berba has signed his new contract, although there has been no official announcement as yet.

 

I think the difference between Berbatov and Owen is that Berbatov wanted to come to the Premiership, agreed the move with Spurs and then snubbed Man Utd when they came in late.  With Owen there is the belief that he never really wanted to join Newcastle, just wanting to get back to the premiership to play games before the World Cup.  If he was keen on the idea of playing for Newcastle he wouldn't have put the clauses in the contract.  The problem for him at the moment is none of the Big 4 are falling over themselves to get him, even at a knockdown £9m.  Rafa could have him to replace Bellamy, Fergie could replace Saha with him, they may still do, but my gut feeling is that Owen will stay on Tyneside and see out his contract.

 

 

[Gallowgate End]

I think the difference between Berbatov and Owen is that Berbatov wanted to come to the Premiership, agreed the move with Spurs and then snubbed Man Utd when they came in late.  With Owen there is the belief that he never really wanted to join Newcastle.

 

If he "didn't really want to join Newcastle" he would of stayed at that small club Real Madrid.

 

 

[Guest smoggeordie]

I think the difference between Berbatov and Owen is that Berbatov wanted to come to the Premiership, agreed the move with Spurs and then snubbed Man Utd when they came in late.  With Owen there is the belief that he never really wanted to join Newcastle.

 

If he "didn't really want to join Newcastle" he would of stayed at that small club Real Madrid.

 

 

How dare Newcastle have the cheek to sign a world class superstar. 

[brummie]

I think the difference between Berbatov and Owen is that Berbatov wanted to come to the Premiership, agreed the move with Spurs and then snubbed Man Utd when they came in late.  With Owen there is the belief that he never really wanted to join Newcastle.

 

If he "didn't really want to join Newcastle" he would of stayed at that small club Real Madrid.

 

 

 

I suspect the fact it was a World Cup year and he wasn't getting a regular game there had something to do with it, mind.

 

has he actually made any comment at all about this situation? Seems he's possibly getting stick for nothing.

 

[Guest smoggeordie]

I think the difference between Berbatov and Owen is that Berbatov wanted to come to the Premiership, agreed the move with Spurs and then snubbed Man Utd when they came in late.  With Owen there is the belief that he never really wanted to join Newcastle.

 

If he "didn't really want to join Newcastle" he would of stayed at that small club Real Madrid.

 

 

 

I suspect the fact it was a World Cup year and he wasn't getting a regular game there had something to do with it, mind.

 

has he actually made any comment at all about this situation? Seems he's possibly getting stick for nothing.

 

 

He would have played for England regardless IMO.

[Martin Lol]

I think the difference between Berbatov and Owen is that Berbatov wanted to come to the Premiership, agreed the move with Spurs and then snubbed Man Utd when they came in late.  With Owen there is the belief that he never really wanted to join Newcastle.

 

If he "didn't really want to join Newcastle" he would of stayed at that small club Real Madrid.

 

 

 

He wasn't playing much for Real Madrid, he wanted to play matches in readiness for the World Cup, preferably in the premiership.  Maybe I should have said I believe he would have preferred the option to move to one of the Big 4.

[Gallowgate End]

I think the difference between Berbatov and Owen is that Berbatov wanted to come to the Premiership, agreed the move with Spurs and then snubbed Man Utd when they came in late.  With Owen there is the belief that he never really wanted to join Newcastle.

 

If he "didn't really want to join Newcastle" he would of stayed at that small club Real Madrid.

 

 

 

He wasn't playing much for Real Madrid, he wanted to play matches in readiness for the World Cup, preferably in the premiership.  Maybe I should have said I believe he would have preferred the option to move to one of the Big 4.

 

The fact is he had a option of staying with Real Madrid or going to Newcastle United and he picked to come to Newcastle.

 

That does not constitute to this Myth "he didn't really want to join Newcastle United"

[brummie]

I think the difference between Berbatov and Owen is that Berbatov wanted to come to the Premiership, agreed the move with Spurs and then snubbed Man Utd when they came in late.  With Owen there is the belief that he never really wanted to join Newcastle.

 

If he "didn't really want to join Newcastle" he would of stayed at that small club Real Madrid.

 

 

 

He wasn't playing much for Real Madrid, he wanted to play matches in readiness for the World Cup, preferably in the premiership.  Maybe I should have said I believe he would have preferred the option to move to one of the Big 4.

 

The fact is he had a option of staying with Real Madrid or going to Newcastle United and he picked to come to Newcastle.

 

That does not constitute to this Myth "he didn't really want to join Newcastle United"

 

Of course not, if he really didn't want to come to Newcastle, then he wouldn't have done so, but it is also true that he needed match fitness and exposure which he wasn't going to get on the bench at Real,.

 

The screwed up thing here will be if FS really did agree to a release clause. Actually, not just a release clause, but one so low. If that turns out to be true, then it'll cast a lot of light on the situation, and also on FS's modus operandi.

[Guest Urban Fox]

I think scoring more than 1 goal every 6 games would be a start.

 

 

[Guest devlin_adl]

Berbatov won't be sold for a while.  Spurs reported £20+m profit for the last 6 months, it'll probably be around £35m for the year.  If it doesn't get spent beofre the end of the tax year, the taxman will be taking a big chunk out of that.  That's why Spurs are looking to sort out some the bigger deals asap.  I think Spurs will be spending all, or very nearly all,  of that £35m this window.

 

I don't want to turn this into a Spurs slagfest, but if you look at their accounts carefully, the idea that Spurs are going to generate a profit of £35m this year is fantastically unlikely, since Spurs seem to back load the majority of their costs into the second half of the year. Maybe a profit of £20m for the full year, which, after tax, leaves less than £14m.

[Guest Armchair Pundit]

My expectation for next season would be a top 10 finish, maybe a cup run but overall for the squad to bulk out and the team to play more solidly. I'm happy to give Sam a couple of seasons before entering the top 5 league places.

[Guest smoggeordie]

I reckon top 6 is not out of the question at all. Beat all the duckegg teams at home and you're right up there.

[Gallowgate End]

I reckon top 6 is not out of the question at all. Beat all the duckegg teams at home and you're right up there.

 

If you look at it also Sam Allardyce Bolton got 7 wins away from home last season thats more then Liverpool did and the most outside the "Big 4" Clubs.

 

A improvement on our away record will make a big difference.