Right, the black and white specs have been taken off and for the past couple of days I have been thinking about the situation at my beloved NUFC. Here are my thoughts (more ramblings)
We, the famous Toon Army, who are famous for going to all corners of the globe to watch the team. The famous Toon Army, who goto grounds like Wigan, Derby, Leeds, Man Ure and make more noise than the home team, even when losing. The famous Toon Army who have now turned into a group who seem to want us to lose to get rid of our managers who don’t play all out attacking football to get beat 4-3, but hey what a match eh? I am guilty of it and I am sure a number on here are. I did it with Sourness and Roeder and I have done it with BSA. Well, it’s time for a change!
Wykiki has gone mad I hear you say!
I have been thinking a lot. Do I want a NUFC that are successful like Man Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Co, I.E have a long term plan and thus having long term success? OR Would you like the odd cup win here, a second / third place there, a little disappointing trip to Wembley every now and then and to be laughed at when we buckle again? Well I know what I would like, do you?
Now, I am not stupid and I know it will take something to break into the “Top Four”, but Man City and Everton are doing it? Aresnal broke Man Utd dominance didn’t they? It took some time but they did it. Did they do it by a fluke or was it down to a long term plan and patience?
Now, Everton will be my example. They have stuck with Moyes, who could have easily been sacked a few seasons ago. But with a wise chairman, who with patience has reaped his rewards and now they are playing some good football. If they just got the consistency they would really be a threat to the others?
We haven’t played good football since the departure of SBR IMO. What SBR and KK did at NUFC is over shadowing the new managers that have come in. They have been made the yard stick. Is this right? Well IMO yes and no. Yes because under KK we won promotion to the top flight of English football and immediately established ourselves as a very good team. Yes because we played “proper” attractive football under both mangers. Yes because we reached finals under both managers and played well in European nights. BUT No as we didn’t win (bar div 1) a sausage under the managers. We cannot forget what KK and SBR did for us, I loved the 5-0 thrashing of the Toon, I loved the build up to the FA Cup finals, I cried when we beat Feyanoord to go through into the Champions League. I can’t really say I loved the 4-3 defeat, yes it was a great match for the neutral, but can you honestly say you enjoyed getting beat?
Now to my point. We have to (dons on flak suit) stick with BSA for at least this season; I would say middle of next season at least. Ashley and Mort have to say this to BSA and mean it. Don’t listen to the media, but listen to their heads. Ashley is a wise business man and doesn’t seem the arse which we had with FFS. By Ashley and Mort telling him this will take a load of pressure off him and he can work with the team and try and change the results round. He can get EVERYONE pulling in the same direction, something that I don’t think is happening now.
Success doesn’t happen overnight, we all know that, but our patience seems to have changed recently. Is it because BSA, Sourness and GR aren’t a KK or SBR? IE Connected passionately to the club? I know GR was captain blah blah, but he wasn’t a KK or SBR was he? I know SBR wasn’t a KK (ie player and former captain and general footballing legend) but he is a passionate Geordie and a manager legend!
BSA Needs to be given time. His methods of diets, training and tactics are not going to sink in with players over night. A Lot of these players have had several different training methods over a very short period, so, like us they must be mixed up and not knowing what to do. They like us and NUFC need stability. They need to be able to get into a routine and be able to be comfortable with it and then they can start to apply their methods etc.
Yes BSA tactics and positioning of players like N’Zogbia have puzzled me, but he has only been in the job five minutes. Rome wasn’t built in a day. When he has the resources at hand and gets the mentality of the players etc right I am now sure it will all click into place. He didn’t do so well at Bolton by a fluke did he?
Let’s stand up and be tall and stop this negative thinking. Let’s stand up and be tall and get behind the players and BSA.
Now, who’s with me?
