No worries for Roeder

[Scottish Mag 3]

A focused Glenn Roeder will pay little heed to the speculation surrounding his future at St James's Park after admitting he always expected his maiden campaign as Newcastle manager to be problematic.

 

Freddie Shepherd was last night forced to reject suggestions that he had laid the groundwork for Sven-Göran Eriksson to take charge on Tyneside this summer and, although United's chairman was strenuous in his denials, the impact will unsettle some in the dressing room.

 

Roeder will not be among them, with the 51-year-old concentrating all his efforts on preparing his players for tomorrow's Premiership fixture at Fratton Park. But a manager adamant that it is premature to pass judgement on his reign is hoping he will be given time to prove that he has the capabilities to bring success to the North-East.

 

"I'm so determined to bring success to Newcastle and I think that, like all businesses, the first couple of years are the hardest," said Roeder, who will find some comfort in Shepherd's ebullient comments. "You just have to get through them. I have to do that and hope that in two years' time I will have survived and I will have my own squad."

 

Roeder's approach to the transfer market has been a cautious one, and a manager taking a long-term view is determined to ensure his plans will see fruition. This summer will be vital to his efforts and the United boss hopes patience prevails.

 

"I'm working with other managers' players - (Obafemi) Martins is mine, (Damien) Duff is mine and (Antoine) Sibierski is mine," he explained. "We will get to the summer and the squad will have to be strengthened. Then next year I'm happy to accept responsibility, I want to accept the responsibility for where Newcastle need to be."

 

Shepherd is adamant Roeder will be given his chance to succeed, last night describing talk of Eriksson's appointment as `sheer and utter garbage'. He added: "We have already got a manager."

 

Although he appears to have his chairman's immediate backing, Roeder knows that it is important to complete a difficult campaign with a flourish. He will attempt to start the process at Portsmouth with a result that will confound his critics.

 

While his credentials have been called into question following United's Uefa Cup capitulation in Holland last month, Roeder remains untroubled and will continue to take little notice. Given all he endured during his fraught final days at West Ham, recent censure has been pale in comparison.

 

"I have lots of experience of things in life," he said. "I used to think the newspapers were having a personal go at me. What I learned is that it's not me, Glenn Roeder, it's the job I hold.

 

"It doesn't matter who is the manager of the football club, you are going to be criticised and you have to handle that. Four years on, I am doing that so I did get something from the West Ham experience that has been positive for me."

 

Although he has shrugged off such censure, Roeder understands the stakes with which he is playing and he knows constant questioning goes with the territory. For the chance he has been given, he is willing to put up with it.

 

"It's never just a job," he added. "It's too much of a responsibility to be given this chance. It's never just a job, that's simplifying it too much, that's not giving the position the justice it deserves."

 

Having seen his team collect four points from their Easter fixtures Roeder will be confident a positive result can be engineered at Fratton Park. Craig Moore will return in defence, but it is in attack that his greatest concerns lie - with Newcastle having failed to score in five of their last six Premiership games.

 

Meanwhile, Reading manager Steve Coppell last night conceded United target Steve Sidwell will leave the Madejski Stadium this summer. He said: "I anticipate he won't be here next year. I'm sure a lot of clubs would love to sign him. When the big boys come in, it's hard for players to resist. We understand, but we don't necessarily like this law of the jungle."

[Barney 0]

Does he just repeat the same soundbites over and over, or are the papers just pulling up old quotes? Serious question btw.

 

The 3 players are mine spiel is a little off too. I'd imagine he doesn't want 11 of his own players as starters, and is more than happy with Given, Gooch(his own signing),Taylor, Parker, Butt, N'Zogbia, Dyer and Owen. He's also brought in Bernard too, although, obviously every manager is entitled to transfer market fuck-ups(and Bernard had no transfer fee).

[Isegrim 10035]

I never get this "these are not my players excuse". It's a very easy opt out clause. Of course a manager will have different ideas than his predecessor concerning the signing of players and probably wouldn't have signed the same players. But it's still his job to get the most out of the current crop of players and use them up to their strength. Something where Roeder is failing big time.

[Tooj 17]

I never get this "these are not my players excuse". It's a very easy opt out clause. Of course a manager will have different ideas than his predecessor concerning the signing of players and probably wouldn't have signed the same players. But it's still his job to get the most out of the current crop of players and use them up to their strength. Something where Roeder is failing big time.

Having Emre doesn't help though right?

[Isegrim 10035]

I never get this "these are not my players excuse". It's a very easy opt out clause. Of course a manager will have different ideas than his predecessor concerning the signing of players and probably wouldn't have signed the same players. But it's still his job to get the most out of the current crop of players and use them up to their strength. Something where Roeder is failing big time.

Having Emre doesn't help though right?

As much as I dislike the player and will dance on the street if we can get rid of him, I would appreciate it if Emre was used in a way that he was a benefit for the team. He is an arsehole, but (theoretically) a decent player. The lack of service for the front men ... err man ... is very much down to the incompetence of Roeder to give the existing midfield any shape.

[Renton 22595]

Fucking hell.

 

So who do you reckon we'll get as manager in September then?

[Fop 1]

I never get this "these are not my players excuse". It's a very easy opt out clause. Of course a manager will have different ideas than his predecessor concerning the signing of players and probably wouldn't have signed the same players. But it's still his job to get the most out of the current crop of players and use them up to their strength. Something where Roeder is failing big time.

 

 

I'm sure this will be ignored, but in fairness there's been nothing like a settled team to play to its strengths all season. Player have either been injured or coming back from multiple injury pretty much constantly (even now yet again we have players out).

 

I'm far from convinced that Roeder gets the best of the midfield.... but even if everyone is fit it is a somewhat strange midfield... which goes back to us needing a quality genuine midfield playmaker IMO, although I guess Duff will help with this, or at least attacking momentum, IF he stays injury free and recapture something like old form.

 

But looking at it we probably need to spend at least 16 million (maybe more like 24 million) in defence before we even consider that (and lets not forget the whole Shola is rubbish thing, so again we probably need another quality forward of a non-Owen/Martins type, which is another 8 million+).

[Isegrim 10035]

I never get this "these are not my players excuse". It's a very easy opt out clause. Of course a manager will have different ideas than his predecessor concerning the signing of players and probably wouldn't have signed the same players. But it's still his job to get the most out of the current crop of players and use them up to their strength. Something where Roeder is failing big time.

 

 

I'm sure this will be ignored, but in fairness there's been nothing like a settled team to play to its strengths all season. Player have either been injured or coming back from multiple injury pretty much constantly (even now yet again we have players out).

 

I'm far from convinced that Roeder gets the best of the midfield.... but even if everyone is fit it is a somewhat strange midfield... which goes back to us needing a quality genuine midfield playmaker IMO, although I guess Duff will help with this, or at least attacking momentum, IF he stays injury free and recapture something like old form.

 

But looking at it we probably need to spend at least 16 million (maybe more like 24 million) in defence before we even consider that (and lets not forget the whole Shola is rubbish thing, so again we probably need another quality forward of a non-Owen/Martins type, which is another 8 million+).

I don't agree with the injury excuse at all. Well, at least not when it comes to central midfield. The likes of Butt, Parker and Emre have played as many games as you can expect in a average season. Injuries weren't our problem in this regard. We also could field an established right winger in all of the matches. And we had enough players capable of playing on the left wing. All these players should have felt comfortable in the positions they played as they weren't asked for strange jobs. And with the exception of maybe Duff there was no player forced to play after coming back straight from injury. No, when you have a look at our midfield there was no injury crisis and the season was just normal. Injury problems at the back and up front, yes. In midfield definitely not. Still the players were mostly unable to dictate a game even against rubbish opposition. We hardly created anything from from midfield in nearly every match. The players should have been capable of this. I can't see any excuse for this than incompetence.

[Gemmill 47361]

The thought of starting another season with that clueless twat standing motionless, hands in pockets, thinking "I look just like Arsene Wenger here" on the touchline is thoroughly depressing. And that's not even taking into account the fact that we'll have already had to sit through his third consecutive abortive transfer window.

 

Happy fucking days.

[TheMoog 0]

Rodent needs Shearer as his assistant, we did alright before with them teamed up, it all went down hill after Big Al left.

[Gemmill 47361]

Rodent needs Shearer as his assistant, we did alright before with them teamed up, it all went down hill after Big Al left.

 

It all went downhill when the last of the managerial magic dust that Souness had scattered about the place blew away. The further we move away from Souness's time here, the worse we get.

[Renton 22595]

The thought of starting another season with that clueless twat standing motionless, hands in pockets, thinking "I look just like Arsene Wenger here" on the touchline is thoroughly depressing. And that's not even taking into account the fact that we'll have already had to sit through his third consecutive abortive transfer window.

 

Happy fucking days.

 

There was a caller on the three leg ends who got it spot on yesterday for a change. Explained exactly why Roeder was so useless giving examples which McDonald couldn't refute. He then predicted another unplanned departure early into next season followed by an unplanned panic replacement. He reckoned ST sales would be significantly down and gave good reasons why it would be noticeable next year - because the waiting list has gone and there is the option to pay on the day, combined with the fact everyone is so pissed off with Roeder and the team, as well as Shepherd. On a personal level, my best mate has definitely given his up.

 

Fuck you Shepherd, if you or a minion (Leazes for instance) is reading. You never have the sense to make a managerial appointment at the right time, and recently have been getting them dead wrong, despite it being utterly predictable. I hope you choke on your next pie you fat arsehole.

 

Sorry for the tirade, just utterly pissed off with our ineptness at a time Sunderland are resurgent.

[Gemmill 47361]

I agree, Renton. Didn't listen to the Legends last night (rarely do tbh), but a bloke at work was describing the same call earlier and was saying how he was almost tempted to ring in himself. Apparently McDonald was defending Roeder and Alan Oliver - why not eh, he's got even less credibility than the pair of them.

[Fop 1]

I never get this "these are not my players excuse". It's a very easy opt out clause. Of course a manager will have different ideas than his predecessor concerning the signing of players and probably wouldn't have signed the same players. But it's still his job to get the most out of the current crop of players and use them up to their strength. Something where Roeder is failing big time.

 

 

I'm sure this will be ignored, but in fairness there's been nothing like a settled team to play to its strengths all season. Player have either been injured or coming back from multiple injury pretty much constantly (even now yet again we have players out).

 

I'm far from convinced that Roeder gets the best of the midfield.... but even if everyone is fit it is a somewhat strange midfield... which goes back to us needing a quality genuine midfield playmaker IMO, although I guess Duff will help with this, or at least attacking momentum, IF he stays injury free and recapture something like old form.

 

But looking at it we probably need to spend at least 16 million (maybe more like 24 million) in defence before we even consider that (and lets not forget the whole Shola is rubbish thing, so again we probably need another quality forward of a non-Owen/Martins type, which is another 8 million+).

I don't agree with the injury excuse at all. Well, at least not when it comes to central midfield. The likes of Butt, Parker and Emre have played as many games as you can expect in a average season. Injuries weren't our problem in this regard. We also could field an established right winger in all of the matches. And we had enough players capable of playing on the left wing. All these players should have felt comfortable in the positions they played as they weren't asked for strange jobs. And with the exception of maybe Duff there was no player forced to play after coming back straight from injury. No, when you have a look at our midfield there was no injury crisis and the season was just normal. Injury problems at the back and up front, yes. In midfield definitely not. Still the players were mostly unable to dictate a game even against rubbish opposition. We hardly created anything from from midfield in nearly every match. The players should have been capable of this. I can't see any excuse for this than incompetence.

 

But neither Butt nor Parker is really a creative or even attacking influence in the center and Emre... well I dunno he can be and he can't be (and then he gets sent off anyway).

 

On the right we've got the choice of someone that can run but can't cross or someone that can't run but can cross.

 

On the left we've largely had injuries most of the season or out of form coming back from them.

 

 

 

Even with a fully fit team I think we'd be a bit lacking creatively, but with how its been I dunno that there has been a lot of options (although Parker & Butt together has undoubtedly been used too much never the less).

 

 

 

It's not even as if we can really play through the middle as Martins for all his pace is not as accomplished or as threatening as Bellamy was in that role and Dyer is another player that can go missing and indeed miss anything.

 

We kinda have a team that doesn't really fit together all that well I guess, even when fully fit, although the forward issues should be better soon.

[Guest alex]

So, injuries aren't really the issue then are they?

[Fop 1]

So, injuries aren't really the issue then are they?

 

 

Well they have been on the left (which would have been our main creative force I'd say) and even in the middle in the context of a settled pairing (although that whole racism thing added to that).

 

And of course they are and have been at both the forward and defence.

 

Not so much on the right though (although even there both injuries directly and indirectly have made that position vary variable), but that's not the whole of midfield as far as I'm aware.

 

 

So yes injuries are clearly a big factor, but even without them I think there'd be issues.

 

 

 

 

 

Or are you saying injures have NOT been an issue this season?

[Guest alex]

So, injuries aren't really the issue then are they?

 

 

Well they have been on the left (which would have been our main creative force I'd say) and even in the middle in the context of a settled pairing (although that whole racism thing added to that).

 

And of course they are and have been at both the forward and defence.

 

Not so much on the right though (although even there both injuries directly and indirectly have made that position vary variable), but that's not the whole of midfield as far as I'm aware.

 

 

So yes injuries are clearly a big factor, but even without them I think there'd be issues.

 

 

 

 

 

Or are you saying injures have NOT been an issue this season?

I'm agreeing with Isegrim that in midfield we should have been able to cope as we've had enough first-teamers fit for just about every game who should have been comfortable playing in those midfield roles. I reckon if everyone was fit we'd still struggle though so for me it's more a case of a clueless manager, lack of quality or both.

[Renton 22595]

The issue is Roeder and the fact he's a penis tbh.

[Isegrim 10035]

Fop is painting an ideal case scenario where you have every player fit for every game during the course of a season. I've never ever seen a team being so lucky. We had the normal amount of injuries.

 

If Roeder hasn't been able to form a settled midfield partnership, it was down to shortcomings in tactical training, but not because of injury reasons.

[Matt 0]

If anything injuries have helped Roeder this season. Barring Owen and Shola, he had more or less a full squad to pick for the Man City game. He picked the wrong starting lineup, wrong tactics and pulled off the worst substitutions since Souness against Fulham at home. If he'd have had the chance to show that sort of bufoonery in every game, he'd have been long since out on his arse.

[Fop 1]

So, injuries aren't really the issue then are they?

 

 

Well they have been on the left (which would have been our main creative force I'd say) and even in the middle in the context of a settled pairing (although that whole racism thing added to that).

 

And of course they are and have been at both the forward and defence.

 

Not so much on the right though (although even there both injuries directly and indirectly have made that position vary variable), but that's not the whole of midfield as far as I'm aware.

 

 

So yes injuries are clearly a big factor, but even without them I think there'd be issues.

 

 

 

 

 

Or are you saying injures have NOT been an issue this season?

I'm agreeing with Isegrim that in midfield we should have been able to cope as we've had enough first-teamers fit for just about every game who should have been comfortable playing in those midfield roles. I reckon if everyone was fit we'd still struggle though so for me it's more a case of a clueless manager, lack of quality or both.

 

Aye but that's just pretty much what I said, barring the able to cope, because that's pretty subjective, ie "cope" by staying in the Premiership, "cope" getting into Europe etc.

[Fop 1]

Fop is painting an ideal case scenario where you have every player fit for every game during the course of a season. I've never ever seen a team being so lucky. We had the normal amount of injuries.

 

 

 

I'm sorry but that is just patent bollocks.

 

We've had a lot of injuries in any context (even our own over the last 10 years).

 

We've had a lot of serious injuries.

 

We've had a lot of long term injuries and repeating injuries.

 

We've had injuries to key players.

 

 

 

Do you not remember us basically almost not being able to field a full squad even with academy raided players?

 

If that's your idea of a "normal amount of injuries" I'd hate to see your idea of an injury crisis.

 

Which other Premiership teams have been hit that bad this season then?

 

 

 

 

If Roeder hasn't been able to form a settled midfield partnership, it was down to shortcomings in tactical training, but not because of injury reasons.

 

This isn't just about a settle midfield partnership (it's about a settled full midfield and the right midfield partnership), but even if it was, what IS the settled partnership he should have played with? Baring in mind injuries and stuff like Emre's racism thing?

[Renton 22595]

If anything injuries have helped Roeder this season. Barring Owen and Shola, he had more or less a full squad to pick for the Man City game. He picked the wrong starting lineup, wrong tactics and pulled off the worst substitutions since Souness against Fulham at home. If he'd have had the chance to show that sort of bufoonery in every game, he'd have been long since out on his arse.

 

Exactly. Injuries have actually saved him.

[Fop 1]

If anything injuries have helped Roeder this season. Barring Owen and Shola, he had more or less a full squad to pick for the Man City game. He picked the wrong starting lineup, wrong tactics and pulled off the worst substitutions since Souness against Fulham at home. If he'd have had the chance to show that sort of bufoonery in every game, he'd have been long since out on his arse.

 

Exactly. Injuries have actually saved him.

 

 

Aye that's true IF we were in the same position now as we are.

 

But of course the big factor there is IF, and tbh even if Roeder is the worlds worst manager ever TM (which he's not, he's crap at motivation and pretty bad at tactical changes, but he's not done anything as mad or bad as say Gullit or even Souness arguably), I'm pretty sure we'd be a bit higher if we'd had a full squad all season.

 

Of course whether he's good enough (and we are good enough) to get into Europe most seasons is another thing all together.

[Gemmill 47361]

If anything injuries have helped Roeder this season. Barring Owen and Shola, he had more or less a full squad to pick for the Man City game. He picked the wrong starting lineup, wrong tactics and pulled off the worst substitutions since Souness against Fulham at home. If he'd have had the chance to show that sort of bufoonery in every game, he'd have been long since out on his arse.

 

Exactly. Injuries have actually saved him.

 

 

Aye that's true IF we were in the same position now as we are.

 

But of course the big factor there is IF, and tbh even if Roeder is the worlds worst manager ever TM (which he's not, he's crap at motivation and pretty bad at tactical changes, but he's not done anything as mad or bad as say Gullit or even Souness arguably), I'm pretty sure we'd be a bit higher if we'd had a full squad all season.

 

Of course whether he's good enough (and we are good enough) to get into Europe most seasons is another thing all together.

 

We were better off under Souness than Roeder tbh. Better coaching setup, more capable in transfer windows, nothing like the pushover that we are at home. And incredibly, Roeder actually talks more shit than Souness. At the minute, the team performances reflect Roeder's personality - wet and insipid.