Howmanheyman

That's how I look at it as well. Al he needed to do was tweak the team but he more or less gutted it and replaced quality with absolute sub-standard dog shit. If you chuck 1000 darts at a black board you'll get a treble twenty at some point. You're being hugely generous about him. People say Ginola's best 6 month were his first and it was down hill after that, he was still good in 96/97, when Dalglish came in Ginola's form completely nose dived. His body language before that UEFA Cup QF against Monaco said it all, and that was down to Dalglish, his tactics, and the fact he's a prick. I remember we played Forest in the Cup with largely the same team that beat Man Utd 5-0, three or four month earlier, Forest were bottom of the league, and we had two attacks all game and lost 1-2. Tactically, impact wise, strategically, direction wise, from where we were he was THE WORST manager we've ever had. I don't know how anyone could've took us further back than he did in such a short space of time. Potato, tomato, potatto, tamato lets call the whole thing off! If he bought a 1000 players and those three were the only good'uns then I agree with you Stevie, onnnne hundreeed and Eightyyyyy percent. What went on with Dalglish and Ginola I would guess is he told him to cover and maybe wasn't as tactful as KK. Who knows? Anyway, I'll leave it at that as I'm not Dalglish's flag bearer or biggest fan. (Honest!)

At first glance he appears to be a disaster but I'm of the opinion that all is not black & white in this case. Was he a good manager for us? No, but he brought what turned out to be three class players in Speed, Given and Nobby, had his hand forced regarding Ferdinand and while he made a pigs ear out of the Andersson, Pistone etc signings, I still think that Tommasson was a good buy which circumstances fucked up for us, and when he signed players at the end of their careers who he trusted for nothing, (Rush, Barnes and Stuart Pearce), it makes you think that the coffers were empty. Not lauding the bloke but giving a bit of perspective. (For what it's worth, I credit our late surge to get 2nd spot and our first crack at the CL with his decision to leave out Ginola and put Robbie Elliott in his place who could genuinely cover Beresford as he bombed forward as by then Ginola wasn't the same player and was obviously not happy). Maybe I'm being generous with him.

A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs as part of a sci-fi series of books including HG Wells on the kindle for 70p! What a good read it was.

I thought he'd do a good job and tweak the side a bit but, well, we know the rest. There was no transfer window when Les was sold and Shearer injured, why didn't we sign someone other than Barnes and Rush? How much did Pierce cost? all fuck all iirc.

I'm not Dalglish's biggest fan either but wonder if his hand was forced in some of the sales as we'd went plc and money was needed? He did sign Speed, Given and Nobby despite the dodgy other signings. Wrong man at the wrong club at the wrong time. The Hall's had no real interest in us after we went plc. Anyway, shit or not he's far better than Souness, who was a fucking chancer extraordinaire.

Walkergate Junior school, Newcastle East Division Champions '83-84

No, I don't mean lucky at all. 1... We seem to have a policy of never holding on to any player who wants to leave. (I agree with that policy) 2... Never kow-towing to players who want to have their already ridiculously high wages raised. 3... Finding out which relatively unknown players are also very good, and buying them for cheaper sums. (Leon Best). In 1995-97 we finished 2nd twice, and we were in the top 3, when it comes to investing in players. Now, we are higher up in the league than plenty of clubs who have spent far more money than we have, eg. Sunderland and Villa. I've got some magic beans if you're interesed in selling your last cow.

Yeah...I dont think what came before is given enough credit when it comes to the squad he built. And the way some people are going on as if this football management lark is a piece of piss etc, just buy a load of players and it will be medals all round....its not really like that is it? He's been competing with the best manager in history and the richest club in history, whilst managing a stadium move. Name a club side with as many world class players who stayed together at the top of the pile for a decade. Theres probably some good arguments to be made for various Liverpool and Man Utd sides but I think the break up at Arsenal was more sudden for various reasons and has therefore taken more time to get it together again. And just why are Arsenal entitled to win anything anyway?....just because they're Arsenal? Before the nineties they maybe averaged a trophy a decade? Why the fuss over six years? Is it all the medias fault? The SKY generation being brainwashed into thinking this big 4 shit is timeless? Personally can't stand the club and a lot of their players and I ultimitely put it down to Wenger, still think he's a canny manager, just a moaning twat and it rubs off on his poor put upon babies.

http://www.sundaysun.co.uk/sport/newcastle...79310-28573549/ I think we are too. Good to hear Barton is about to sign an extension and on a lower wage. Shows his commitment and love for the club iyam. Now get Enriques contract sorted. Big fucking wow! We've been hovering around midtable, admittedly as close to relegation as Europe for a while, we have some good players in our side and have the nucleus of a side which if strengthened could easily compete for a European place. The fact that Pardew comes in, states that no way is Carroll going and then sees him sold with no replacement, sees no strengthening in the squad and watches as we make full use of the points already banked as we potter on with a thin squad and a shit strike force says much about him and his job description. SBR had the bones of a decent side who finished 11th, kept them and got two players who made the difference and had us pushing on, he didn't sell his blue chip players and brag about staying up. Compare and contrast.

FFS!! Err, met SBR and had a bit craic, a class act. Mother used to go to school with George Best's sister. Had a surreal conversation with Pav days after he signed, smashing lad, genuinely over the moon to be at NUFC. A few others but I don't really bother any 'celebrities' if I see them.

So little Michael Owen was a bit put out that he got a heap of scorn poured down at him from the stands when he came on as a sub and seems a bit surprised? Apart from never wanting to be here, apart from being injured a lot, apart from only being bothered about Ingurland, apart from missing a load of glaring sitters which might have kept us up in the run in, apart from stating it was a 'shame Newcastle got relegated' a few weeks after the event, apart from getting his agent to put out a lovely glossy brochure for clubs to read about how good he is as we were awaiting our new fixture list to see when we'd go to Doncaster, Scunthorpe etc, apart from being the worst Captain I've ever seen at my club, (take a look at Kevin Nolan to see how a Captain should really go on), apart from being pound for pound the worst ever signing in our history, (and given the competition, that's no mean feat!) Apart from being a cold fish who just didn't 'get' NUFC or gel with the support.............Then yes, I'm a bit surprised as well. I'd love it, really love it, (to coin a phrase), if SAF told him he wasn't fit to be at MUFC even on a play-as-you-play deal and watch him squirm as no big club would touch him. I'd love to see him end up at Stoke listening to Tony Pulis give team talks with his baseball cap on.

I don't get the reference. Then lend him your ears and he'll sing you a song. And I'll try not to sing out of key. does it worry you to be alone? I suppose it depends how you feel at the end of the day?

Cracking post and how most of us feel. I'll give you another bloke apart from Fergie who would get his point across about what this club, this city means..........Kevin Keegan. Any reference to 'bottling', 'tactically naive' etc will be treat with the contempt it deserves.

I don't get the reference. Then lend him your ears and he'll sing you a song. And I'll try not to sing out of key.

Someone was ganna dee it!

The bairn looks like Alex McLeish. If you squint your eyes a bit, the lad looks like Lovelyhands and the lass looks like Jade from Big Brother. I have to say, you can't whack a nice bit of horizontal stripes on a jumper.

I'd probably stand up, (whilst shaking my head) and walk out on you.

That's how I feel, LM. We not only sold Gazza but sold Goddard and an improving Neil Mcdonald, we spent the money on their replacements and went from 8th the season we had them to 20th the following year with their replacements. The faith shown by some on here towards MA is staggering. To be fair, on here there is only a small amount of people who still have faith in Ashley, although it is borne out of their hatred for Shepherd as much as anything. On Newcastle Online, and on skunkers, they are rife, they are totally cringeworthy. There are loads, dumb fuckwits all of them. This is by far the best message board with the best posters and the people who see the club correctly now. Some people think Ashley is disliked because he is seen as a Cockney, some because he pissed off our 'Messiah', (Usually talksport type pundits), but if they saw the unrest and abuse which the likes of McKeag used to get for nothing like the shit this buffoon has put on our club then I'd say he's had a very comfortable ride, although his mate Dekka really doesn't like it when the FCBGOOOC chants used to be sang, (forget the grin he was seething.) Never been on N-O or Skunkers.

That's how I feel, LM. We not only sold Gazza but sold Goddard and an improving Neil Mcdonald, we spent the money on their replacements and went from 8th the season we had them to 20th the following year with their replacements. The faith shown by some on here towards MA is staggering.

You have to smile at the Chronicle, like, you really do. Good old Ronnie Gill isn't known for his ability to dig to find a story, even if one is under Ronnies nose with a huge label wrapped around it saying 'I'm a story' on it. He'll be away as he's ambitious and knows we're a selling club. Thompson will have more clue he's going to Liverpool than Ronnie will even if its just Liverpools intentions to buy him, as a decent bid will see him sold because the club will 'reluctantly sell a player who doesn't want to be here'. He's away, but it won't be Mikes fault.

We have had zero ambition for years and all selling good players gets you is relegation fights. Even if you reinvest all the money on new players there's no guarantee the new ones will be as good, and lets be honest, who thinks all the money will be spent? We sold three of our better players in 1988 and spent the lot replacing them. We went from 8th to 20th in a season and were relegated. Everything that happens at NUFC is in Ashley's hands, players want to go to clubs to further their ambitions, MA has made NUFC an unattractive prospect for a player who wants to get on in his career. How many stories do the club have to peddle about not keeping unhappy players or smearing people like KK for people to realise that the regime in charge are absolutely and categorically, full of shit?

When I read that I can just imagine the kid from the Argos prank call phoning up Quinns secretary. "Hello, Is that Sunderland? Am ganna sue you, nar, not you personally, pet, am ganna sue your Gaffer".

Like what? Where you drink? Well some trampy bar down the coast way. I don't know them all. Well for starters, being the best poster on the internet ever. Where do I drink?, in the house, rarely go to a pub unless it's for a nosebag. Used to be a regular in The Ship, before I moved from Monkseaton to Byker Grove (alledgedly). I can imagine you being a Berkley Tavern man myself. Aye thats what I was on about Kabbaddi. All the crowd shout kabbaddi kabbaddi kabbaddi. Was on before Gazzetta on a Saturday morning. Seemed to be like sumo wrestling for skinny cunts. They used to like slapping their own thighs on that show. It was comical stuff.

Did anyone ever see that game from, (I think), India that channel 4 used to show? It was basically what I'd call 'tuggy' or 'tag'. Was quite funny and better than any of the mainstream US sports, especially American football which is dire. I've watched Gaelic football on Irish tv when I've spent time over there in the past and that was ok to watch if you're a bit bored.