Allardyce Interview in The Times - transfers, season's targets and the fans...

[fredbob]

"it’s important the public realise they have a part to play. One of the things I’ve picked up on is that a lot of the players are finding it increasingly difficult to play at home.

 

“The fans are so demanding, and while we all accept they are the most passionate and supportive of all when things are going well, there is a downside, which is how they single out individuals for criticism in a way that becomes destructive. It doesn’t only affect that one player, it gets to the others too. They all think, ‘When’s it going to be my turn?’

“It was Scott Parker towards the end of last season and Nicky Butt before him. To his credit, Nicky has overcome it. He’s gone through it, come out the other end and now the fans like him, but not everybody will do that. The supporters need to understand we all want to be successful and are all trying all the time. It doesn’t matter whether you like a player’s personality or not, he will try his best.

 

“Sometimes, because of the pressure, it may not look like it. It can get to the stage where they can’t see beyond the end of their noses. Abuse can make you fearful of accepting a pass, let alone making one, and unable to express yourself. We need more of a happy medium. If we’re crap, of course everybody is entitled to say so. That’s fine, but don’t say we’re ‘diabolical’ or ‘it’s an absolute disgrace’ when we’ve been borderline poor. What we don’t want is a knee-jerk ‘This player should never wear a Newcastle shirt again’, because nailing somebody like that won’t make him better, it will make him want to leave.”

 

 

Well f****** said.

 

 

Out of all these posts i cant belive that only a handful of posters has pointed out the most important thing he said in that entire article...bollocks to the signings, its the quote above. It show how ignorant nufc fans are when they are unable to assess the effects of there booing on a players performnace. In the end, we're all supporters and thats exactly what she should f****** doing. In my humble opinion you support till the very last second. People are quick to point out how "we are the best supporters in the world" its the same people who seem to forget that at times, we can also be the most destructive.

Read the thread title mate, it tends to happen that people post about what the thread title is actually about.

 

Yeh mate thanks for proving my point, thats exactly what i mean, an entire thread has been made out of one tiny 'quote' and the most important part of that article has been missed by so many. How can you call yourself a supporter if ya dont fucking support??

As a nufc fan and as most intellignet fans realise this is far more important than us signing 2 more players.

[olliemort]

Id say our next signing will def be a rb especially since carr wos awful for anelkas goal yesterday!well hopefully anyways!also he said we need another goalie so my guess will be a keeper and a right back!Now that I think of it though,maybe a right winger since solano and dyer seem to be leaving.so prob right back and right midfielder!

[Guest BooBoo]

Id say our next signing will def be a rb especially since carr wos awful for anelkas goal yesterday!well hopefully anyways!also he said we need another goalie so my guess will be a keeper and a right back!Now that I think of it though,maybe a right winger since solano and dyer seem to be leaving.so prob right back and right midfielder!

 

Thats overly harsh. Carr was outpaced by Anelka, which is hardly a crime. I'm not a huge Carr fan, but he had a solid game. He wont be the last player to lose a sprint race with someone as pacey as Anelka.

[Baggio]

A right back should be top priority, then either a top class CB or a playmaker.

[Baggio]

Id say our next signing will def be a rb especially since carr wos awful for anelkas goal yesterday!well hopefully anyways!also he said we need another goalie so my guess will be a keeper and a right back!Now that I think of it though,maybe a right winger since solano and dyer seem to be leaving.so prob right back and right midfielder!

 

Thats overly harsh. Carr was outpaced by Anelka, which is hardly a crime. I'm not a huge Carr fan, but he had a solid game. He wont be the last player to lose a sprint race with someone as pacey as Anelka.

 

It wasn't that he got outpaced by Anelka that I have a problem with, it was that he played so deep that he had to try and keep up with him, the rest of our defenders were playing such a high line yet for some reason Carr stayed deep instead of pushing up with the rest.

[Skirge]

http://icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk/newcastleunited/sundaysun/tm_headline=newcastle-boss-given-green-light-to-spend-more%26method=full%26objectid=19612671%26siteid=50081-name_page.html

Newcastle boss given green light to spend more

Aug 12 2007

by Neil Farrington, Sunday Sun

 

SAM ALLARDYCE has the green light to make more big-money signings this month — regardless of whether he sells Kieron Dyer.

 

The Newcastle boss is confident his recent clear-the-air talks with chairman Chris Mort can reap further dividends in the summer transfer market.

 

Mort was keen to keep a strict cap on United’s spending, until Allardyce successfully argued otherwise.

 

And having since ignored the collapse of Dyer’s £6 million move to West Ham by splashing out on striker Alan Smith and left-back Jose Enrique, Big Sam is eyeing other targets ahead of the August 31 deadline.

 

Dyer remains for sale at £8 million, but a renewed bid from the Hammers appears the only possibility of him being sold this month.

 

Yet Allardyce insisted: “If Dyer didn’t go and we found someone suitable to buy, we would get him.

 

“That’s been proven in the last week by us spending the best part of £11 million on Smith and Enrique without Kieron going.

 

“That was very encouraging for all of us.”

 

Allardyce added: “I thought we would have got one player in — maybe two — this week. One of those players is now a no-go, the other one is still ongoing.

 

“I’m looking abroad now because there’s nothing left in this country.”

 

The Sunday Sun has learned that Newcastle have been offered new boy David Rozehnal’s former central defensive partner at Paris St Germain, Mario Yepes.

 

PSG have instructed a third party to find a buyer for £1.7 million-rated Colombian international Yepes, whose nickname in his homeland is “El Rey” — The King.

 

The 31-year-old has been in the French capital since 2004, having made his name at Nantes, but is unsettled after being told he will no longer be a first-team regular at PSG under coach Paul Le Guen.

 

Allardyce is likely to consult Rozehnal before considering any move for 6’ 3” Yepes, who has been linked with Lille and Werder Bremen but would prefer a move to the Premiership.

 

---------------------------------------------------------

 

Dyer can play his way out of depression

 

KIERON DYER can play his way out of his depression at missing out on a move to West Ham, insists Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce.

 

Although the prospects of resurrecting a deal with the Hammers are not totally dead, Dyer (pictured) is devastated at the 11th-hour collapse of his £6 million switch to Upton Park.

 

But Allardyce is hopeful Dyer’s performances could BENEFIT from his low mood, which has been compounded by abuse received from a minority of United fans.

 

“Kieron is disappointed, obviously, because he wanted to see the move through,” said Big Sam.

 

“Until that is sorted, he is still contracted to us and I want to use him — and use him at his best.”

 

“Is it possible for a player in his situation to be at his best? If they are a true professional, then yes.

 

“There are a lot worse things that happen in life to footballers and they still turn up and produce their best.

 

“Playing is what they look forward to most: football is their respite from whatever problems they have away from the game.”

 

Allardyce added: “He’s still for sale, but we’ve had no contact from any other clubs but West Ham.

 

“It’s in West Ham’s hands. If they rescue the situation, then that’s that. If they don’t, he stays here.”

[Guest eyeball_tickler]

"What have we got on offer in Britain now? [Peter] Crouch, [Kevin] Davies and [shola] Ameobi. Enough said.”

 

the globetrotters of football.

[madras]

Id say our next signing will def be a rb especially since carr wos awful for anelkas goal yesterday!well hopefully anyways!also he said we need another goalie so my guess will be a keeper and a right back!Now that I think of it though,maybe a right winger since solano and dyer seem to be leaving.so prob right back and right midfielder!

 

Thats overly harsh. Carr was outpaced by Anelka, which is hardly a crime. I'm not a huge Carr fan, but he had a solid game. He wont be the last player to lose a sprint race with someone as pacey as Anelka.

 

It wasn't that he got outpaced by Anelka that I have a problem with, it was that he played so deep that he had to try and keep up with him, the rest of our defenders were playing such a high line yet for some reason Carr stayed deep instead of pushing up with the rest.

he stood goal side of the player and got beat for pace.

 

you make it sound like he was stood on the edge of our box as we took the corner

[Baggio]

Id say our next signing will def be a rb especially since carr wos awful for anelkas goal yesterday!well hopefully anyways!also he said we need another goalie so my guess will be a keeper and a right back!Now that I think of it though,maybe a right winger since solano and dyer seem to be leaving.so prob right back and right midfielder!

 

Thats overly harsh. Carr was outpaced by Anelka, which is hardly a crime. I'm not a huge Carr fan, but he had a solid game. He wont be the last player to lose a sprint race with someone as pacey as Anelka.

 

It wasn't that he got outpaced by Anelka that I have a problem with, it was that he played so deep that he had to try and keep up with him, the rest of our defenders were playing such a high line yet for some reason Carr stayed deep instead of pushing up with the rest.

he stood goal side of the player and got beat for pace.

 

you make it sound like he was stood on the edge of our box as we took the corner

 

No I don't, he was around 5 yards behind the rest of our defenders with Davies running forward, if he had stepped up with the rest he would have played Anelka off, at worst he'd have been left one on one with Davies who's just as slow as he is.

 

Poor positioning by Carr put him in the position to have to get into a race with Anelka.

[Guest jamesmartinsmith]

A couple of months ago we were linked to Trabzonspor's Gökdeniz Karadeniz (Turkish). He plays as a right and attacking midfielder.

[chicago_shearer]

Id say our next signing will def be a rb especially since carr wos awful for anelkas goal yesterday!well hopefully anyways!also he said we need another goalie so my guess will be a keeper and a right back!Now that I think of it though,maybe a right winger since solano and dyer seem to be leaving.so prob right back and right midfielder!

 

Thats overly harsh. Carr was outpaced by Anelka, which is hardly a crime. I'm not a huge Carr fan, but he had a solid game. He wont be the last player to lose a sprint race with someone as pacey as Anelka.

 

It wasn't that he got outpaced by Anelka that I have a problem with, it was that he played so deep that he had to try and keep up with him, the rest of our defenders were playing such a high line yet for some reason Carr stayed deep instead of pushing up with the rest.

he stood goal side of the player and got beat for pace.

 

you make it sound like he was stood on the edge of our box as we took the corner

 

It was still a very good finish from Anelka.  If I had to blame anyone, it would be Geremi for slipping up and allowing McCaan the space to pick out Nolan.  That was what put us in trouble to begin with.  But still very well taken by Anelka.

[madras]

Id say our next signing will def be a rb especially since carr wos awful for anelkas goal yesterday!well hopefully anyways!also he said we need another goalie so my guess will be a keeper and a right back!Now that I think of it though,maybe a right winger since solano and dyer seem to be leaving.so prob right back and right midfielder!

 

Thats overly harsh. Carr was outpaced by Anelka, which is hardly a crime. I'm not a huge Carr fan, but he had a solid game. He wont be the last player to lose a sprint race with someone as pacey as Anelka.

 

It wasn't that he got outpaced by Anelka that I have a problem with, it was that he played so deep that he had to try and keep up with him, the rest of our defenders were playing such a high line yet for some reason Carr stayed deep instead of pushing up with the rest.

he stood goal side of the player and got beat for pace.

 

you make it sound like he was stood on the edge of our box as we took the corner

 

No I don't, he was around 5 yards behind the rest of our defenders with Davies running forward, if he had stepped up with the rest he would have played Anelka off, at worst he'd have been left one on one with Davies who's just as slow as he is.

 

Poor positioning by Carr put him in the position to have to get into a race with Anelka.

what rot! he can't step up with the rest as he's the last man and anelka plays off him (unless you think anelka wasn't watching ?),then you'd blame him for stepping up ,not catching anelka offside and giving him a free run at goal.

 

 

thought it was harpers fault anyway ?

[Wullie]

Whoever's fault it was, Big Sam picked the team.

 

ALLARDYCE OUT!

[Baggio]

Id say our next signing will def be a rb especially since carr wos awful for anelkas goal yesterday!well hopefully anyways!also he said we need another goalie so my guess will be a keeper and a right back!Now that I think of it though,maybe a right winger since solano and dyer seem to be leaving.so prob right back and right midfielder!

 

Thats overly harsh. Carr was outpaced by Anelka, which is hardly a crime. I'm not a huge Carr fan, but he had a solid game. He wont be the last player to lose a sprint race with someone as pacey as Anelka.

 

It wasn't that he got outpaced by Anelka that I have a problem with, it was that he played so deep that he had to try and keep up with him, the rest of our defenders were playing such a high line yet for some reason Carr stayed deep instead of pushing up with the rest.

he stood goal side of the player and got beat for pace.

 

you make it sound like he was stood on the edge of our box as we took the corner

 

No I don't, he was around 5 yards behind the rest of our defenders with Davies running forward, if he had stepped up with the rest he would have played Anelka off, at worst he'd have been left one on one with Davies who's just as slow as he is.

 

Poor positioning by Carr put him in the position to have to get into a race with Anelka.

what rot! he can't step up with the rest as he's the last man and anelka plays off him (unless you think anelka wasn't watching ?),then you'd blame him for stepping up ,not catching anelka offside and giving him a free run at goal.

 

 

thought it was harpers fault anyway ?

 

Bollocks! If he had stepped out when Davies was running forward then he wouldn't have been able to play Anelka through, if he did then he would have been offside, if Anelka had dropped back the same time as Carr did and sprung the offside trap with good movement on his part then nobody could blame Carr as it would have been down to good play from Anelka.

[wor jackie]

it was the entire first team squad's fault for their goal which should result in them all being sold. FACT.

[madras]

Whoever's fault it was, Big Sam picked the team.

 

ALLARDYCE OUT!

who appointed allardyce.

 

fat fred in again so we can get shot again.

 

(just a joke in case  mackems.gif is about)

[Unlucky Luque]

:smitten: I think I'm going to mail Sam a valentine this year  :smitten:

 

Too late. Valentines day was in febuary...

[Stu]

Great interview by Joe Lovejoy in The Times (Monday) with Allardyce. Couldn't see this posted anywhere else and it's well worth a read, especially his comments about the fans - spot on IMO. Also an insight into our transfer 'policy' and what Allardyce expects from our forward players this season (note the players NOT mentioned..!).

 

Quite a long read, but I've highlighted the more interesting parts for those who cannot be bothered to read all of it:

 

Too many foreigners in English football? Yes, and there always will be, says Sam Allardyce, until more is done to make the domestic product competitive again. Of the seven players Allardyce has signed since he became manager of Newcastle United in May, five are not English, and he makes no apology for that. On the contrary, “Big Sam” insists that foreigners provide much better value for money, and there is such a dearth of top-quality English players that they command prohibitive fees.

 

The reason for this sad state of affairs is not hard to identify. It was articulated last week by Sir Trevor Brooking, the Football Association’s director of football development. He admitted the clubs’ academy system was not performing as it should. Amen to that, says Allardyce. The northeast, and Tyneside in particular, has traditionally been a hotbed of young talent, but no more.

 

“Our academy here just let the whole of their final year go without signing even one of them as a professional,” says Allardyce. “It means the young boys we’ve been getting aren’t good enough, and obviously that’s a concern. We have to do better in terms of development. I’m concentrating on the first team at the moment, because that has to be my priority, but in the near future we’ll have to look at the kids’ set-up.”

 

Bolton under Allardyce featured more imports than most (he rates France’s Youri Djorka-eff his best signing), but he cites the difference in size between his old club and his new one; the competition Bolton faced from so many other Premier League teams in the northwest; and the fact that he still managed to bring through Kevin Nolan, Nicky Hunt and Ricardo Vaz Te as youth scheme products. Warming to his theme, he says: “There’s such a shortage of experienced Premier League players available that we are getting Darren Bent, with just over two years at top level behind him, going for £16m. I wouldn’t say Bent is the proven article yet, but he cost Totten-ham £16.5m. Compare that with Arsène Wenger getting [Eduardo] Da Silva, a proven international striker, for €12m [£8m] and probably half Bent’s wages, and you’ll see why good judges buy abroad.

 

“It has become a worldwide search. In my playing days, clubs could look around at home and come up with a top centre-forward, like [Paul] Mariner, [Joe] Royle or [Malcolm] Macdon-ald. What have we got on offer in Britain now? [Peter] Crouch, [Kevin] Davies and [shola] Ameobi. Enough said.”

 

Men of goodwill feared for Allardyce’s well-being when the chairman who hired him, Freddy Shepherd, sold the club to Mike Ashley, a 42-year-old billionaire (Sports Direct), who then considered selling it on for a £20m profit. He decided not to, but the fact that he contemplated the sale was scarcely an indication of long-term commitment to the cause. There was further cause for concern when Chris Mort, the corporate lawyer whom Ashley installed as chairman, spoke of the need to refinance the club’s debts, which, at £80m, had taken the new regime by surprise. “The new people didn’t realise what buying the club was going to cost in the end,” says Allardyce. “The need to service the debt will impact on my spending, which is not what I wanted, and from that point of view you could say the job is not exactly as it appeared in the brochure, but Mike’s willingness to spend £11m this past week on Jose Enrique [from Villareal] and Alan Smith [Manchester United] is an encouraging sign.

 

“Whether the new owner will let me spend as much as Freddy would have is something we’ll find out come the end of August [when the transfer window closes] but there’s a few players I’ve targeted, either for August or when the window reopens in January, and so far, so good.”

 

Apart from Enrique and Smith, Allardyce has recruited Joey Barton (from Manchester City), Mark Viduka (Middles-brough), Geremi (Chelsea), David Rozehnal (Paris Saint-Germain) and Claudio Cacapa (Lyon) and let 10 go. He hopes to make two more signings “within the next few days” and is satisfied with his work in the transfer market to date. “Smith, Barton, Viduka and Geremi are hugely experienced in the Premier League, which is important,” he says. “Then there is Rozehnal, a defender good enough to play for the Czech Republic, and Jose Enrique, who is renowned in Spain [where Allardyce has a home] as one of their best young full-backs. I know everyone over there was surprised when he agreed to come to Newcastle.

 

“Then this last week I picked up an experienced centre-half from France. Claudio Cacapa was the Lyon captain and their defensive rock for five years. Because he is unknown in this country, people are saying, ‘Who’s he?’, but he’s a big player. His experience and what he has achieved in the game, including in the Champions League, means he’s what I call a proper man, and if you’re not a real man, you can’t be a winner. Gerard Houllier vouched for his character, and he worked with him for three years.”

 

Not too many would have vouched for Barton, who was in court, accused of assaulting a former Manchester City teammate, Ousmane Dabo, as we spoke. Allardyce guffaws at the mention of the latest “bad boy” he is attempting to tame – El-Hadji Diouf is another to spring readily to mind. “Beware Joey Barton!” he exclaims, adding: “I relish the challenge of dealing with any idiosyncrasies good players bring with them. The difficulties they cause, on or off the field, are always, for me, manageable situations, and I wouldn’t turn down a good player for those reasons.

 

“Joey Barton is a highly talented player who became frustrated at City because he saw them going nowhere. He tells me he is looking for help to deal with his temperament, which is a clear indication to me that he wants to improve, not just as a player but as a person. It’s my challenge to help him there, but from what I’ve seen of him, he’s halfway there on his own.”

 

When he is restored to fitness (he is on crutches with a broken toe), Barton will share the attacking duties in midfield with Smith, whose transfer tested even Allardyce’s renowned powers of persuasion. “Alan was terribly upset about leaving Manchester United and hung on as long as he could, but in the end he realised he wasn’t going to get enough games there. He wants to play centre-forward, but he’s an allrounder who can operate in a number of positions. Ideally, when everybody is fit, I see him as a central midfield player who will score as many goals from there as he did up front. I told him, ‘It won’t always be centre-forward, you know’, and he said, ‘I just want to play’. He has a lot of attributes and is a terrific lad. The public perception of him is very different to the reality. For example, people are flabbergasted when I tell them he doesn’t touch alcohol and never has.”

 

Newcastle’s problems last season, when they were down from seventh to 13th in the Premier League, were transparently obvious: a porous back four with the error-prone Titus Bramble at its heart conceded too many goals, while an attack deprived by injury of Michael Owen scored too few. Only Obafemi Martins (11) managed double figures in the league, with Kieron Dyer next best on five. It is a return that everybody, especially Viduka and Owen, the first-choice strikers, expects to improve. Allardyce has calculated, almost to the last goal, what Newcastle need to do to finish in the top six and qualify for Europe. Bolton did it in 2004-5 with only 49 goals in total. Using that success as a model, he says: “If Viduka gets eight, Smithy six, Owen 12, Martins 10, Ameobi six and the centre-halves get three or four from set-plays, and we get the number of clean sheets I’m looking for [double figures is the minimum] I know where we’ll finish.” He is not prepared to spell it out, but sixth is the target. It comes with a warning: “We’ve a long way to go, but if we support each other, we’ll get there. There will be hard times when it doesn’t go as well as we all want. When that happens, we have to stick together. If we can do that and get through it, we’ll get better and better, but it’s important the public realise they have a part to play. One of the things I’ve picked up on is that a lot of the players are finding it increasingly difficult to play at home.

 

“The fans are so demanding, and while we all accept they are the most passionate and supportive of all when things are going well, there is a downside, which is how they single out individuals for criticism in a way that becomes destructive. It doesn’t only affect that one player, it gets to the others too. They all think, ‘When’s it going to be my turn?’

 

“It was Scott Parker towards the end of last season and Nicky Butt before him. To his credit, Nicky has overcome it. He’s gone through it, come out the other end and now the fans like him, but not everybody will do that. The supporters need to understand we all want to be successful and are all trying all the time. It doesn’t matter whether you like a player’s personality or not, he will try his best.

 

“Sometimes, because of the pressure, it may not look like it. It can get to the stage where they can’t see beyond the end of their noses. Abuse can make you fearful of accepting a pass, let alone making one, and unable to express yourself. We need more of a happy medium. If we’re crap, of course everybody is entitled to say so. That’s fine, but don’t say we’re ‘diabolical’ or ‘it’s an absolute disgrace’ when we’ve been borderline poor. What we don’t want is a knee-jerk ‘This player should never wear a Newcastle shirt again’, because nailing somebody like that won’t make him better, it will make him want to leave.”

 

It’s not just the players who are under pressure. Allardyce is the seventh manager in the past decade to attempt to awaken this most soporific of giants. Good men, such as Kenny Dalglish and Sir Bobby Robson, have seen their careers perish in the process. The latest to try says: “There’s enormous expectation here that comes not just from the size of the club and its history, but from its expenditure over the past few years. They’ve spent a lot and it hasn’t brought success. Kevin Keegan had a couple of second places [in 1996 and 1997] but look at the team he had. How could players that good not even win a cup? Lack of success over a prolonged period can get to you. Look at [golf’s Colin] Montgomerie. He’s never going to win a major because it’s gone on so long. If he had a six-inch putt to win one, I bet he’d miss. You need to crack it to release the pressure and allow the talent to come to the fore. Even [sir] Alex [Fergu-son] nearly didn’t make it at Manchester United. It took hima long time [more than six years] to win his first title. He won’t admit it, but the pressure got to him and he was psyched out by [Leeds United’s] Howard Wilkin-son the year before he finally got there. He should have won it ear-lier, but once he broke the back of it, nobody could stop him.”

 

Allardyce has been given three years. It may just be enough.

 

The making of Sam Allardyce

 

- Sam Allardyce, 52, was an uncompromising defender who played for a host of clubs, including Bolton, Sunderland, Millwall, Coventry, Tampa Bay, Huddersfi eld, Preston, West Brom and Limerick in a playing career that lasted almost 20 years

 

- His first managerial post was as an assistant to Brian Talbot at West Brom before becoming player-manager at Limerick

 

- A brief spell as caretaker manager at Preston ended when the club appointed John Beck. He was then named Blackpool manager in 1994, but was sacked the following year

 

- Next came Notts County. He joined in January 1997, but was unable to prevent relegation. In 1997-98 they won promotion from the Third Division by 17 points

 

- In September 1999 he returned to Bolton and guided them to the First Division playoffs and FA Cup semifi nals

 

- They were promoted the following season and have remained in the Premier League ever since

 

- He was interviewed for the England post last year before Steve McClaren got the job and quit Bolton last April before joining Newcastle United on May 15

 

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premiership/newcastle/article2240973.ece

[Stu]

Quick Summary:

 

- Allardyce isn't fussed about buying foreigners so long as they represent value for money, he doesn't believe there's enough English-born quality available

 

- Wants at least two more players, if not before the end of August, then in January

 

- Allardyce sees Shola as a part of this season's success, but acknowledges he's nothing special

 

- Allardyce wants Smith to be an attacking midfielder, along with Joey Barton

 

- Will be focusing on grinding out results rather than opening up games

 

- Thinks the fans have a big part to play in keeping the players' morale up

 

- Wants the supporters to get behind the team and not onto the backs of individuals

 

 

 

[timnufc22]

"it’s important the public realise they have a part to play. One of the things I’ve picked up on is that a lot of the players are finding it increasingly difficult to play at home.

 

“The fans are so demanding, and while we all accept they are the most passionate and supportive of all when things are going well, there is a downside, which is how they single out individuals for criticism in a way that becomes destructive. It doesn’t only affect that one player, it gets to the others too. They all think, ‘When’s it going to be my turn?’

“It was Scott Parker towards the end of last season and Nicky Butt before him. To his credit, Nicky has overcome it. He’s gone through it, come out the other end and now the fans like him, but not everybody will do that. The supporters need to understand we all want to be successful and are all trying all the time. It doesn’t matter whether you like a player’s personality or not, he will try his best.

 

“Sometimes, because of the pressure, it may not look like it. It can get to the stage where they can’t see beyond the end of their noses. Abuse can make you fearful of accepting a pass, let alone making one, and unable to express yourself. We need more of a happy medium. If we’re crap, of course everybody is entitled to say so. That’s fine, but don’t say we’re ‘diabolical’ or ‘it’s an absolute disgrace’ when we’ve been borderline poor. What we don’t want is a knee-jerk ‘This player should never wear a Newcastle shirt again’, because nailing somebody like that won’t make him better, it will make him want to leave.”

 

 

Well f****** said.

 

 

Out of all these posts i cant belive that only a handful of posters has pointed out the most important thing he said in that entire article...bollocks to the signings, its the quote above. It show how ignorant nufc fans are when they are unable to assess the effects of there booing on a players performnace. In the end, we're all supporters and thats exactly what she should f****** doing. In my humble opinion you support till the very last second. People are quick to point out how "we are the best supporters in the world" its the same people who seem to forget that at times, we can also be the most destructive.

Read the thread title mate, it tends to happen that people post about what the thread title is actually about.

 

Yeh mate thanks for proving my point, thats exactly what i mean, an entire thread has been made out of one tiny 'quote' and the most important part of that article has been missed by so many. How can you call yourself a supporter if ya dont f****** support??

As a nufc fan and as most intellignet fans realise this is far more important than us signing 2 more players.

 

Exactly, so true. For such a long time now Im at a match and cant believe the panic that sets into some supporters because we are playing poorly, and question their motives. Bottom line your either with the lads or your not. If you are, you wouldnt start shouting abuse when a player makes a bad pass or give knee-jerk reactions to results. But a lot of people seem to go enjoy going to the match to have a whinge, they must feel big. Well done, your big mate, you called lept out your seat and shouted how shit Martins is supposedly, thats very big of you, give yourself a pat on the back on the way home.

 

SBR deserved to see out his last year, but part of the reason he went was the panic that set in around the place. If everyone had sat back, realised that you know what, things arnt that bad and gave SBR  the send off he deserved in his last year Shpeherd wouldnt have went against the fans and sacked him, but it was made easy for him because of the fans leaving a near-empty season on the lap of honour for finishing fifth.

 

There will be hard times when it doesn’t go as well as we all want. When that happens, we have to stick together

- Its not rocket science is it?

[James]

I dont get this Crouch, Davies, Ameobi comment.

 

Surely if comparing with Macdonald, Royle etc as players playing in the same league at the same time, the quality would be exceeded by English centre forwards Owen, Rooney and Shearer.

[Nicky]

I dont get this Crouch, Davies, Ameobi comment.

 

Surely if comparing with Macdonald, Royle etc as players playing in the same league at the same time, the quality would be exceeded by English centre forwards Owen, Rooney and Shearer.

 

 

He's not.  He's saying how bad the quality of players has dropped   Not entirely sure why he added Sholas name there though,  can't see him being best impressed.

 

 

About the booing thing,  I think thats a massive thing for Sam to say,  and a lot of fans need to take note.  Maybe you should make an exception and give it a thread there.  I'd like to see if anyone disagrees with what he's said,  without having to sift through all the stuff in here. 

[Dave]

Fair enough: http://www.newcastle-online.com/nufcforum/index.php?topic=44116.0

[James]

I dont get this Crouch, Davies, Ameobi comment.

 

Surely if comparing with Macdonald, Royle etc as players playing in the same league at the same time, the quality would be exceeded by English centre forwards Owen, Rooney and Shearer.

 

 

He's not.  He's saying how bad the quality of players has dropped   Not entirely sure why he added Sholas name there though,  can't see him being best impressed.

 

 

About the booing thing,  I think thats a massive thing for Sam to say,  and a lot of fans need to take note.  Maybe you should make an exception and give it a thread there.  I'd like to see if anyone disagrees with what he's said,  without having to sift through all the stuff in here. 

 

So basically, he's comparing the best of an era with the mediocre of a different era?

 

Surely he should be comparing Shola to a player that was as equally forgotten about as Shola will be in 40 years.

 

Nothing there made sense, and he'd have been better off keeping his mouth shut regarding Shola in my opinion, true, or not.

 

Still a brilliant manager though.

[Guest SeattleToon]

Have to say that it quite refreshing to come across a manager who is not only honest but very smart as well. He seems to know ecactly where he wants to go and what he needs to do to get there, which is a big change from our past few managers.

 

And who was the last manager who had the honesty and guts to come out and say what everyone is secretly thinking in the back of their heads....namely that Rooney, Gerrard, Lampard, and Terry excepted, the current generation of young English players are for the most part overpriced crap. Probably why he didn't get the England job....he told the FA that England was going to struggle no matter who they hired, so they went out and hired a kiss-up like McLaren instead, who probably told them he could win Euro 2008 with one hand tied behind his back.