peasepud

I agree totally, there must be a plan, by that LM I dont mean knowing which players you'll buy and which you'll sell in those years but a concrete "in year 1 we will look to spend £xm which should get us to around top ten, 2nd year another £ym which will lift us into a Europa spot. At the same time we will fund this by increasing corporate sponsorship, moving into the Asian market and whatever the fuck else a football club can do to increase revenue". I believe Shepherd had these plans in the earlier years (2000 - 2004) before it all started to go to shit. We were one of the first clubs to link with clubs in Asia and Australasia to tap into their academys. We worked hard at getting these markets interested in both the Premiership and more importantly Newcastle. Get that right and you've got a captive audience lapping up your games and more importantly walking round in your shirts. At the same time, as in any business you need a contingency plan, if your main one starts to fail and instead of getting top ten you're sitting in a relegation threatened position come January then you need to invoke the contingency and be ready to spend. yes but as I said earlier, football is different. In reality, most clubs "fail" in terms of not winning trophies. "Planning" doesn't guarantee anything in football. It is results driven, and reactive. Any "plan" will fail if the team starts to lose games, forcing you to change the manager, with different ideas and different ways of doing things. No other "business" changes personell like football clubs. Agreed however that comes into the contingency planning, if things go wrong and we've given manager A money and hes not getting anywhere then we get rid and turn to manager B, if manager B doesnt want it then manager C etc, a list of potential candidates who you've scouted and already decided you would want to employ. Who are then approached as soon as you know you're sacking a manager. The merry go round we had with Souness and then Roeder was not conducive to a strong team or morale. It also doesnt help you find the right one when you're panicking. me and you basically agree that appointing Souness is when things started to go wrong. That doesn't change the fact that they backed their appointment, which is what a good board does. They also changed him when it was obvious he had to go, too late, but they did. Roeder, like Hughton now, did well and was given the opportunity. Some people agreed, some didn't, just like some people now say Hughton deserves to keep the job and some say he doesn't appear to have enough in him to do well against what is now going to be all the best managers. I think maybe you're mistaking my comments as slating the previous board, thats not what I was meaning. Shepherd was at fault purely because he reacted too soon and didnt have that magical plan in place for replacing managers. Backing them as he did was exactly what should be done although I do criticise him for not kicking Souness squarely in the nuts when he finally did get shot.

Aye, it was in the end. My first iPhone post. You'll now become a bore in all sorts of locations such as restaurants etc. Instead of him just being a bore on here

I was trying to work out how to ask him if he was really him, I did think about quoting a recent Cheryl_Kerl tweet to see if he reacted.....

I agree totally, there must be a plan, by that LM I dont mean knowing which players you'll buy and which you'll sell in those years but a concrete "in year 1 we will look to spend £xm which should get us to around top ten, 2nd year another £ym which will lift us into a Europa spot. At the same time we will fund this by increasing corporate sponsorship, moving into the Asian market and whatever the fuck else a football club can do to increase revenue". I believe Shepherd had these plans in the earlier years (2000 - 2004) before it all started to go to shit. We were one of the first clubs to link with clubs in Asia and Australasia to tap into their academys. We worked hard at getting these markets interested in both the Premiership and more importantly Newcastle. Get that right and you've got a captive audience lapping up your games and more importantly walking round in your shirts. At the same time, as in any business you need a contingency plan, if your main one starts to fail and instead of getting top ten you're sitting in a relegation threatened position come January then you need to invoke the contingency and be ready to spend. yes but as I said earlier, football is different. In reality, most clubs "fail" in terms of not winning trophies. "Planning" doesn't guarantee anything in football. It is results driven, and reactive. Any "plan" will fail if the team starts to lose games, forcing you to change the manager, with different ideas and different ways of doing things. No other "business" changes personell like football clubs. Agreed however that comes into the contingency planning, if things go wrong and we've given manager A money and hes not getting anywhere then we get rid and turn to manager B, if manager B doesnt want it then manager C etc, a list of potential candidates who you've scouted and already decided you would want to employ. Who are then approached as soon as you know you're sacking a manager. The merry go round we had with Souness and then Roeder was not conducive to a strong team or morale. It also doesnt help you find the right one when you're panicking.

I agree totally, there must be a plan, by that LM I dont mean knowing which players you'll buy and which you'll sell in those years but a concrete "in year 1 we will look to spend £xm which should get us to around top ten, 2nd year another £ym which will lift us into a Europa spot. At the same time we will fund this by increasing corporate sponsorship, moving into the Asian market and whatever the fuck else a football club can do to increase revenue". I believe Shepherd had these plans in the earlier years (2000 - 2004) before it all started to go to shit. We were one of the first clubs to link with clubs in Asia and Australasia to tap into their academys. We worked hard at getting these markets interested in both the Premiership and more importantly Newcastle. Get that right and you've got a captive audience lapping up your games and more importantly walking round in your shirts. At the same time, as in any business you need a contingency plan, if your main one starts to fail and instead of getting top ten you're sitting in a relegation threatened position come January then you need to invoke the contingency and be ready to spend.

You were the first thought, then he ordered a coffee and I struck you off the list

sat the table next to me outside Intermezzo yesterday evening.

The important question though is, will any of these roadworks affect my journey from Heathrow to Oxford on Thursday?

Woooah can we just roll this back? You went to watch a horse race while your club needed your support. Get yourself a house in Jarrow lad and hang your head in shame. There must've been 300 people round the telly! Didnt fucking happen in the NE corner thats all I'll say. Although we did have a young couple who wandered in at the 40min point looking for their seats.

pah! what do statisticians know, Im with Tom, Watch out Man U Europe here we come!

Has Stevie been hacking Chezs account?

Woooah can we just roll this back? You went to watch a horse race while your club needed your support. Get yourself a house in Jarrow lad and hang your head in shame.

Congrats guv'nah was wondering how long that champers was going to last!

Havent seen the highlights yet but Nolans goal appeared to epitomise just how shite this league is, from the Leazes it appeared like he had all the time in the world and nobody bothered to try and tackle him. Good game though, I didnt think Blackpool were as crap as some have made out, they were nowhere near us but at times gave us a game and pushed for the goal. Still cant understand Hughtons substitution though. Oh and what was all the commotion about when Barton was warming up? Seemed like half the West Stand were going mental or up and nebbing.

I think you've missed the point though, just because he wants them is in no way a guarantee of getting them. How can you ever expect to pull in a player on a free from the likes of Arsenal when you're going to pay out low wages and no bonuses, the whole plus point of leaving on a free for a player is to be able to get more out of it in wages/ bonuses and O'Hara will be on way more than he can expect here, even the likes of Hull/ Stoke would be offering better terms and prospects.

You may well have done

The names on the list are Sammy boys although I've often wondered about Smith, wasnt he the first buy under Ashley? that and the fact he walked around with Smith 17 on his back made me wonder just whether he actually had some part in that purchase. I can imagine the first meeting..... MA: So welcome, Sam, Im Mike, now who do you want to buy? SA: Well theres a few names on my list, Geremi from Chelsea, Beye, Barton, Cacapa. MA: Ok, we go out for Smith, Geremi, Beye.... SA: Sorry? Smith? I never said any Smith. MA: Thing is, Ive already had the shirt made up in my size so well.....

Thing is though when you look at the stark facts of that its still not very good, first transfer window as a new owner and you'd expect a good strong statement of intent a la Chelsea, Man City. I dont mean going out and spending £80m on one player but I do mean "here Mr Manager, get out and spend what you want to push us forward". Spending a net sum of about £10m while reducing the squad by 4 bodies and the wage bill accordingly isnt really showing that kind of determination. When you look at that list of names though its like the RVI first team. Between them theyve seen more nurses and physios than the Royal College of Nursing.

You're up at 7am on a Saturday morning and its great?

All the best fella. Hope everyones doing good.

Aye, tell them you'd put a water hazard on the 12th and plant a couple of trees here and there, lazy fuckers at that course, its got to be the most boring fuck off piece of straight flat golf Ive ever seen. Although admittedly, its the only course Ive ever played which had the remnants of a burnt out Fiesta on the 9th fairway....oh the wonders of Cowgate

(laughs)

He's just Shola wearing me grannies wig

Thesports editor would be one Bill Bradshaw who is a mackem, then it explains a lot doesnt it! Bill Bradshaw's not to blame, he's a really good bloke* I know him. * For a mackem You've got a Makem mate? fuck off