PaddockLad

Nice gig Alex.....are you on secondment or are you free lancing?

If he loses the vote tomorrow it’s a GE...which means it’s a a GE. Before or after Brexit? 🤔

I can have a sensible conversation about Ashley and I don't mind anyone going to the games. Theres a significant minority want change though and are willing to do something about it. If we sit on our hands nothing will happen. This is a start. Not sure where it will lead. You're wandering into straw man territory. No one's said Rafa could do no wrong, but if you can't see that ushering him out the door is the final straw for a good few supporters then you're the one with the problem. My knickers aren't in a twist but again, if you can't see Bruce has the loyalty of a steading cat then you need to face some facts, especially if he is, as reported , the lowest paid manager in the league. The novelty will soon wear off if he performs as expected and he gets even worse shit from fans just fed up with the whole situation.

He didn't honour anything at Sheff Weds Or Hull Or Palace Mike Ashley has been an abomination for 12 years but wanting to appear fair minded about him and his latest appointment is the road we should be going down. That's what I call fuckin silly tbh

Some night for Bale

Is there any other way of introducing a new queens speech without poroguing parliament? If there is and one of the groups being heard in court next week can get a judge to look at it then Johnson is screwed. What happens after that probably includes a GE but Brexit is 7 weeks away and the default position is no leaving without a deal.

FORMATTING TASTIC! Carragher in the Telegraph... For the last two years I have made a confident prediction about Newcastle United; they will not be relegated. Rafa Benitez was the reason. This was based on simple logic. He was the best and most successful manager working in the bottom half of the Premier League. It was a natural assumption that over the course of 38 games he would navigate his team to the necessary number of points. Benitez’s departure in the summer - a sadly predictable exit from Tyneside - has removed that security blanket so Newcastle fans have understandably spent the last few months in a familiar state of high anxiety. While Benitez was at St James’ Park those fans had hope. Instead of channeling all their emotions in a negative direction against owner Mike Ashley in the ongoing off-field battles, they had the consolation of believing they were in safe hands on the pitch. Now that glimmer of light has been extinguished it feels like Newcastle are returning to the pre-Benitez era where it was not only the board the supporters could not tolerate, but also the coach. Steve McClaren and Alan Pardew were not wanted when they were appointed and the mood never changed. Pardew could not even shake off the ‘cockney mafia’ jibes when he finished 5th and was named Manager of the Year in 2012. There was a different vibe around the popular Benitez and the disliked Pardew because of what Rafa represented - a sexy, Champions League-winning name with a glowing CV and the promise of things getting better. Yet Benitez was an anomaly in the North East. Look at the list of Newcastle managers since Bobby Robson was sacked in 2004. I could not believe it when Newcastle lured Benitez. Neither could the supporters and they sometimes behaved that way, deferring to his every word as if they dare not question such an esteemed manager. He was empowered to speak in a manner those before him were not and certain performances - certainly the most timid - were tolerated in a way they will not be if another, less prestigious name made his side play in the same way. He left for a mega deal in China with supporters directing their fury at the board for not blinking in contract talks. That is the power of a reputation. For Steve Bruce the opposite is true. Bruce knew he was walking into a hurricane on Tyneside following Benitez. After three Premier League games he probably thinks it is even more tempestuous than imagined. I fear, rather like Pardew, there is nothing he can do to change minds. Bruce enjoyed a timely victory away at Tottenham Hotspur last weekend. In fact, it was probably Newcastle’s best away result since their last promotion - not even Benitez won at a top-six venue. At any other club such a result early in a reign would be universally acknowledged as reassuring - the first step in winning over fans. Instead, Bruce’s moment of triumph seemed to be received with as much cynicism as jubilitation. “He won using Rafa’s tactics,” was one of the more ridiculous accusations directed at Bruce after the Spurs win, as though setting up a team to be defensively organised and steal a goal on the counter-attack is some kind of radical blueprint. If managers like Rafa are to be heaped with praise for executing such a plan against the best teams in the country, it is hypocritical not to do likewise for Bruce. Judge the game, not the man. I have sympathy for Newcastle fans who want and demand more for their club. Whenever we discuss Newcastle we explore similar territory, Ashley unable - or more likely unwilling - to do what is necessary to maximise the potential of his purchase When you read about Sunderland on the verge of receiving investment from a consortium led by the world’s 25th wealthiest man, you have to ask why similar bids do not materialise at Newcastle? The accusation Ashley is setting an unrealistic price has merit. But some of the criticism aimed at Bruce since he joined is disgraceful. I read elements of the coverage of the Carabao Cup exit to Leicester City - an unlucky defeat on penalties against a superior Premier League side - and its tone was far more negative than when Newcastle lost to Nottingham Forest in the same round a year ago. When you look at social media it feels like some fans want their team to lose to prove them right. It would be a cliche for me to sit here and write, ‘give Bruce a chance’. Supporters will make their judgement on a managerial appointment and it is pointless to tell anyone to be excited when they evidently are not. If I was a Newcastle supporter I would feel similarly underwhelmed by Ashley’s choice of coach. The 20 Premier League jobs are among the most sought after in the world and - with respect to Bruce - Newcastle fans will have looked around Europe and considered there must be a candidate out there who would have caught their imagination more than an ex-Sunderland manager. Had an up-and-coming manager such as Steven Gerrard or Patrick Vieira been convinced to take on the challenge there would have been a buzz similar to Frank Lampard’s return to Chelsea That does not mean we should entirely dismiss the possibility Bruce can not perform well. The bar is not set amazingly high. Benitez did a good job, not an extraordinary one. What exactly is Bruce following? The target for the last two seasons has been to keep Newcastle in the Premier League. They did so finishing 10th and 13th but they were in the bottom three at the halfway stage in both those campaigns so let’s not pretend it was anything more than a relegation fight. The miserable domestic cup record - which has lasted decades - continued and the style of football was at best pragmatic. I believe the performance we saw from Newcastle against Liverpool at the end of last season should have been more frequent at St James’ Park. Set aside the recent history of Newcastle, the loathing of Ashley and the despair at Benitez’s departure, and it seems those supporters directing vitriol at Bruce before he has been given a fair crack at the job are shooting the wrong target. Bruce’s overall management record deserves respect. Let’s not forget he walked away from a Premier League job at Hull City after leading them to promotion because he could no longer work with the owner. It underlines his integrity. Sheffield Wednesday supporters may argue otherwise given his decision to leave them for his boyhood club, but 99 per cent of managers would have done the same Just as the broader problem at Newcastle was not Benitez, it is not Bruce. Nor for that matter was it Pardew, McClaren, Glenn Roeder, Alan Shearer or Kevin Keegan. Bruce’s appointment reflects where Newcastle are as a club and have been for too long - in that tier of clubs battling to stay in the Premier League that will never challenge for the European places without better and more expensive recruitment. As a shrewd and political football operator, Benitez was able to present himself as a potential cure to the ills of the Ashley reign and the fans went with it. I fear for Bruce because he is already being presented as a symptom of the toxicity of the regime. Most new managers can expect a brief honeymoon period. All Bruce has heard since he was appointed is a section of his own supporters looking ahead to the inevitable divorce.

Oh and errr...

We didn't even suspend parliament during ww2 after Westminster had been fuckin bombed. That'll be Johnson's alleged hero Churchill who made sure of that...

GEORDIE SPRINGSTEEN LATEST:

Did anyone know the existence of the word "prorogue' before this summer? 🤔

Bury gone. Bolton given a reprieve because they’re already in administration(?) FA silent. They started all this though. Them and fuckin Spurs...

My boss is a “cricket tragic”. No different to me with football but I’ve never really met one before. He phoned at 2pm on Friday, simultaneously demanding & predicting the end of Test cricket. I called him today to ask how he felt about it all after Sunday and he said “might as well abolish Tests anyway, fuckin Stokes turned it into a one day game anyaway”

Is The Athletic where Caulkin has gone? Seems to make sense to leave the print media which appears to be on its deathbed but that drivel appears to be written from the Waugh's imagination. He then phoned Chris Turner for a quote to back it up

Who did Fergie used to phone? 🤔

From The Athletic by Chris Waugh Fergie time: Steve Bruce knows better than anyone that one goal can dramatically alter the course of a managerial career. The former Manchester United centre-back was, after all, on the field back in January 1990 when Mark Robins scored that famous goal against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup third round — a strike that, legend has it, saved Alex Ferguson’s job. The Scot headed into that third-round tie at the City Ground on the back of a seven-game winless run and increasing fan unrest. A banner unveiled in the Stretford End during the run-up to that match had criticised Ferguson for what one supporter described as “three years of excuses”. Had Robins failed to score and Manchester United been knocked out the Cup, then Ferguson’s glorious reign — and knighthood — would not have followed. Unlike Sir Alex, Newcastle United head coach Steve Bruce is not on the brink of lifting his first piece of silverware with the club. Nor is he more than three years into his spell at Newcastle. Rather, Bruce found himself under immense pressure just two games in at St James’ Park. While the comparisons between the Newcastle head coach and Sir Alex cannot be taken too far, recalling Robins’ Cup winner certainly feels timely following Joelinton’s winning goal at Tottenham Hotspur’s magnificent new stadium on Sunday. After a summer dominated by stagnation, confusion and anger was followed by back-to-back defeats, including a pathetic performance at Carrow Road, raw shoots of positivity have now sprouted in Newcastle’s season. The fact this much-needed victory comes about just days after Bruce sought counsel from his mentor is fascinating. The Athletic can reveal that, following the Norwich City debacle, Bruce called Sir Alex and asked the legendary manager for advice — something a significant number of Ferguson’s former charges have done throughout their coaching careers. “You go to the people you trust and respect for advice when you feel it’s required,” explained Chris Turner, who played under Sir Alex in the 1980s before managing clubs including Sheffield Wednesday and Hartlepool United. “Steve will go to Sir Alex if he feels there is some advice he needs and can get from one of the most successful managers in history. Steve Bruce is his own man as well and he will have his own methods and ideas, but why wouldn’t you tap into that resource if you have it available?” Bruce has never been too proud to seek guidance from the 77-year-old. The former manager and his captain speak regularly and have done throughout Bruce’s coaching career, even back when the pair were Premier League rivals for a decade. While the Newcastle head coach might have ignored Alan Shearer’s advice about taking this job, he rarely opts against following Sir Alex’s guidance. As Bruce dissected last weekend’s disastrous display following a hastily-arranged additional training session, he pondered what he should do next given that the pressure was mounting and a daunting trip to Spurs was on the horizon. While deciding upon his next move, he dialled that frequently-used number in his phone. Rather than regurgitate his infamous comment of “Lads, it’s Tottenham”, Sir Alex told Bruce to “keep his head down and get on with it”. On the training ground, that is precisely what the 58-year-old did. He reverted to a 5-4-1 formation that saw Jonjo Shelvey drop out of his holding midfield role and ensured Newcastle arrived in north London driven and battle-hardened. He diligently worked on team shape and made sure his players understood their defensive roles. In the press conference room at Newcastle’s Benton Training Centre on Friday however, Bruce took the approach of doing as his former boss used to do so successfully, rather than keeping schtum as he had been advised. Bruce — quite within his rights following weeks of scrutiny, some of which he felt was unfair and irresponsible — gave an impassioned, and at times angry, media briefing in which he accused reporters of “over-sensationalised” coverage. He also dismissed Michael Chopra’s suggestion that senior players “don’t know their jobs” in his regime as “nonsense” and “blatant lies”. All of this seemed to be right out of the Sir Alex playbook. Bruce, by his own admission, was looking to create a “siege mentality”. He wanted Newcastle players to feel like it was them against the world and, just eight days after accusing his players of failing to “put their boots on” in East Anglia, he was able to herald a “brilliant” display in north London. From the very first minute it was obvious that this was a very different Newcastle. They harried Spurs and did not let the home side have an inch of space. With Shelvey dropped from the midfield, Isaac Hayden and Sean Longstaff dominated the engine room and Newcastle suffocated Mauricio Pochettino’s side. It was as if every player had a point to prove and they were determined to give it all for the shirt — even if that jersey was garish orange as opposed to black-and-white stripes. It had all the hallmarks of a Sir Alex team talk. As Gary Neville famously wrote in his book, the mentality in the home dressing room at Old Trafford was: “United’s everything, fuck the rest.” Perhaps a similar motto was used in the Newcastle dressing room. Despite enjoying just 20.2 per cent of possession in the capital — the second-lowest figure for a victorious side in the top flight since 2003-04 — Newcastle were ruthlessly efficient when they did have the ball. Joelinton, fresh from heading wide when the goal was gaping at Norwich, used that miss as motivation. The £40 million Brazilian was immense and was arguably the pick of a very impressive bunch. In the 27th minute, Christian Atsu curled a delightful pass into the centre, dissecting the Tottenham defence, and allowing Joelinton — who had been afforded far too much space in the penalty area — to calmly control before slotting past Hugo Lloris with an astute left-footed finish. The away end erupted. Finally there was a moment for Newcastle fans to cherish and something for the players to hold on to. There was less than a third of the game gone, but Newcastle had some welcome momentum. As Sir Alex wrote in Leading: Learning from Life and My Years at Manchester United: “Losing is a powerful management tool — so long as it does not become a habit.” It is something Bruce was repeatedly reminded of during his Old Trafford days and, while winning week-in, week-out has not come as regularly throughout his managerial career as the Geordie would have hoped, he recognises the value even a solitary victory can have. Crucially, this Newcastle squad know that as well. Last term they started the campaign with a 10-game winless run before a triumph over Watford in November transformed the complexion of their campaign. It is a message that was conveyed to player after player during last Sunday’s additional training session. It was repeated in the dressing room at half-time against Spurs as well. “I know Steve will utilise the skills and managerial tools he witnessed under Sir Alex and that he has learned himself throughout his own coaching career in order to lift Newcastle out of this tricky start,” Turner said this week. “He’s taken on a job that others wouldn’t have taken, but that’s because he believes in himself. Steve has the character and the drive to make a success of things at Newcastle – I saw it in him every day at Man United.” While it is far too early for Bruce to start believing that has happened, the performance of his side in north London will bolster his self-confidence. To a man, every Newcastle player was outstanding and, crucially, they responded to their manager’s message. The kindest compliment that can be paid to Bruce is that Newcastle defended like a Rafa Benitez side. Paul Dummett in particular was gargantuan at centre-back, delivering a performance Bruce would have been proud of in his prime. The Welshman threw his body in front of shot after shot, including nodding away a dangerous Heung-min Son cross before Lucas Moura could head it home. Throughout the second half, Newcastle were pinned on the edge of their own box for long periods but their disciplined banks of five and four frustrated the likes of Harry Winks, Son and Moura, and ensured Harry Kane had a very quiet afternoon. By full-time, Jamaal Lascelles had departed after tweaking his calf while showing ingenuity to deny Kane a goal-scoring chance by tackling the forward with his head. Joelinton had “run himself into the ground”, according to Bruce, and Christian Atsu was visibly shattered. Physically and emotionally this performance had been draining for everyone at Newcastle United. Assistant coaches Stephen Clemence and Steve Agnew clenched their fists in the technical area once the final whistle blew and Newcastle players ran off the bench in celebration. But Bruce calmly shook the hands of his backroom staff before walking over to Pochettino and then heading down the tunnel. Back in 2011, Ferguson was asked about the resilience it requires to manage a top-flight team. “It is a natural thing,” he said. “The personality of a manager is the most important thing at a football club. That personality can inspire the players to be better, to believe and to trust.” Just as it was too early to judge Bruce after two defeats, it is premature to draw conclusions after this solitary victory. But this win felt significant and it felt timely. Sir Alex has always been thankful for Robins’ Cup winner. Perhaps Bruce will look back on Joelinton’s first goal in English football as the moment he finally gained some positive momentum at Newcastle.

A partial acid test comes Saturday. Beat Watford with an attacking performance and that would go some way to silencing Rafa's biggest cheerleaders; a major criticism of him was not attacking the other also-rans at home last season. We"ll see...

From football 365: 7) One of the stranger attacks being levelled at Newcastle supporters is this ‘need for patience’ line which a small group of journalists continue to peddle; it only really makes sense if the last twelve years are completely ignored. Like any other coach, Steve Bruce will take time to have a proper effect on the first-team. But expecting supporters to clap along and sustain themselves on micro positives is, at best, ludicrously disingenuous. It pretends that Ashley – and by proxy all the decisions he makes – are deserving of goodwill and, ultimately, benefit of the doubt. Clearly that’s not the case. Especially so because this was an appointment made on the basis of geographical synergy, rather than any footballing merit. In that context, it deserves to be treated as a continuation of the past, rather than as the dawn of something different. Today was good, but let’s not make it more than it was or pretend that – suddenly – every Newcastle fan disappointed by what happened over the summer should be pausing for thought. He won at Spurs, that’s a brilliant result. But even Pardew did that. The real challenge is to be innovative and to infuse a neglected fanbase with the belief that their side is going somewhere. So defend like that next week. And the week after. Sometimes Newcastle will be outmatched, that’s their reality, but it’s right to expect more than competence. Applaud Bruce today, he’s earned it, but the conversation shouldn’t end here.

Fuck off

Lad stood behind us at WHL yesterday just knew Great day, pleased we weren’t fuckin humiliated on national tv. As much as I detest Ashley it’s difficult to not love the sheer joyful exuberance of a bunch of piss taking mags when the team wins away from home....

Never in doubt Brewcies mags