I know it's been said before...

[Bombadil 0]

...but this really is getting beyond a joke. Solano, Dyer and Bramble are STILL out and now Babayaro is out with a torn groin. Apparently Solano will be back for the Mackems, but I would happily put money on him not making that game either. What a joke.

 

Newcastle United must stagger on to confront Premier League shock team Wigan on Saturday with the heart still ripped out of their side.

 

A disillusioned Graeme Souness confirmed today that Nobby Solano, Kieron Dyer, Titus Bramble and Celestine Babayaro will all be forced to sit out yet another fixture of an injury-wrecked season.

 

And the best Souness is hoping for with Turkey midfielder Emre is a place on the subs' bench - if that isn't put in jeopardy in Albania tonight.

 

"The whole thing is killing us," admitted the United boss, "but we just have to get on with it.

 

"Titus is out with a hamstring injury - he has no chance - and neither has Babayaro because of a torn groin, so Robbie Elliott comes back into the frame.

 

"Dyer is still a couple of weeks away from a comeback. It's been a disaster for him and a disaster for us all season.

 

"The good news is that Solano is to step up his training. His target is the derby with Sunderland a week on Sunday.

 

"Thankfully Craig Moore is training normally after his problems and Emre should be available to us at Wigan providing Turkey don't force him into something unwise tonight. He's with them under strict instructions to be sensible but they'll put immense pressure on him.

 

"In any case he won't start for us. We're looking to use him off the bench.

 

"We've all these problems and other players at risk in tonight's internationals. It's frightening."

 

It's more than that - it's outrageous. Both Emre and Dyer have been out for six weeks since their comebacks against Manchester United on August 28 ended prematurely and Solano, signed on transfer deadline day at the end of August, has yet to make his debut.

 

Once again all hope of a mass comeback on Saturday following a two-week period of inactivity due to the internationals has spectacularly failed to materialise.

 

Elliott, given a new contract in the summer, will now make his first Premiership start of the season after going on at half-time for the injured Babayaro at Portsmouth and centre-half Moore, who has yet to make his league debut, will be on the subs' bench covering Jean Alain Boumsong and Steven Taylor.

 

Michael Owen, who missed the Fratton Park draw with a dead leg, is one of those at risk tonight when he skippers England against Poland at Old Trafford.

 

Souness said: "Like our supporters I know we've got a very good team but I've never seen it play. I've played Emre and Albert Luque for just a game and a half and Solano not even once.

 

"Emre is a cracking little player who will make us play and at least his impending return is a help. He'll go forward instead of across and back."

 

The Magpies go to Wigan on Saturday, then are at home to Sunderland, away to West Brom and home to Birmingham.

 

Souness said: "Those matches would represent a great opportunity with a full team. We'd be knocking on the door.

 

"However, we've got to still make the best of it and get as many points as possible while waiting for others to return."

 

Source: Evening Chronicle.

[LeazesMag 0]

...but this really is getting beyond a joke. Solano, Dyer and Bramble are STILL out and now Babayaro is out with a torn groin. Apparently Solano will be back for the Mackems, but I would happily put money on him not making that game either. What a joke.

 

Newcastle United must stagger on to confront Premier League shock team Wigan on Saturday with the heart still ripped out of their side.

 

A disillusioned Graeme Souness confirmed today that Nobby Solano, Kieron Dyer, Titus Bramble and Celestine Babayaro will all be forced to sit out yet another fixture of an injury-wrecked season.

 

And the best Souness is hoping for with Turkey midfielder Emre is a place on the subs' bench - if that isn't put in jeopardy in Albania tonight.

 

"The whole thing is killing us," admitted the United boss, "but we just have to get on with it.

 

"Titus is out with a hamstring injury - he has no chance - and neither has Babayaro because of a torn groin, so Robbie Elliott comes back into the frame.

 

"Dyer is still a couple of weeks away from a comeback. It's been a disaster for him and a disaster for us all season.

 

"The good news is that Solano is to step up his training. His target is the derby with Sunderland a week on Sunday.

 

"Thankfully Craig Moore is training normally after his problems and Emre should be available to us at Wigan providing Turkey don't force him into something unwise tonight. He's with them under strict instructions to be sensible but they'll put immense pressure on him.

 

"In any case he won't start for us. We're looking to use him off the bench.

 

"We've all these problems and other players at risk in tonight's internationals. It's frightening."

 

It's more than that - it's outrageous. Both Emre and Dyer have been out for six weeks since their comebacks against Manchester United on August 28 ended prematurely and Solano, signed on transfer deadline day at the end of August, has yet to make his debut.

 

Once again all hope of a mass comeback on Saturday following a two-week period of inactivity due to the internationals has spectacularly failed to materialise.

 

Elliott, given a new contract in the summer, will now make his first Premiership start of the season after going on at half-time for the injured Babayaro at Portsmouth and centre-half Moore, who has yet to make his league debut, will be on the subs' bench covering Jean Alain Boumsong and Steven Taylor.

 

Michael Owen, who missed the Fratton Park draw with a dead leg, is one of those at risk tonight when he skippers England against Poland at Old Trafford.

 

Souness said: "Like our supporters I know we've got a very good team but I've never seen it play. I've played Emre and Albert Luque for just a game and a half and Solano not even once.

 

"Emre is a cracking little player who will make us play and at least his impending return is a help. He'll go forward instead of across and back."

 

The Magpies go to Wigan on Saturday, then are at home to Sunderland, away to West Brom and home to Birmingham.

 

Souness said: "Those matches would represent a great opportunity with a full team. We'd be knocking on the door.

 

"However, we've got to still make the best of it and get as many points as possible while waiting for others to return."

 

Source: Evening Chronicle.

45149[/snapback]

 

whats the betting the next manager, with a new backroom staff etc and they will suddenly clear up

 

Souness' legacy will an excuse laden one

[Dr Gloom 21915]

"Titus is out with a hamstring injury - he has no chance - and neither has Babayaro because of a torn groin, so Robbie Elliott comes back into the frame.

[/i]

 

 

great

[Shearergol 0]

whats the betting the next manager, with a new backroom staff etc and they will suddenly clear up

 

Souness' legacy will an excuse laden one

45189[/snapback]

 

Maybe I'm not understanding the English there fully, but erm, what?

 

We've always had injuries, it's not a Souness "thing".

[LeazesMag 0]

whats the betting the next manager, with a new backroom staff etc and they will suddenly clear up

 

Souness' legacy will an excuse laden one

45189[/snapback]

 

Maybe I'm not understanding the English there fully, but erm, what?

 

We've always had injuries, it's not a Souness "thing".

45398[/snapback]

 

do you mean Keegan and Bobby Robson had injuries, aye your right.

 

Of course they blamed injuries for not winning the title..

 

doh !

[Shearergol 0]

whats the betting the next manager, with a new backroom staff etc and they will suddenly clear up

 

Souness' legacy will an excuse laden one

45189[/snapback]

 

Maybe I'm not understanding the English there fully, but erm, what?

 

We've always had injuries, it's not a Souness "thing".

45398[/snapback]

 

do you mean Keegan and Bobby Robson had injuries, aye your right.

 

Of course they blamed injuries for not winning the title..

 

doh !

45566[/snapback]

 

I'm obviously missing the point somewhere here? Robson didn't complain about injuries then? New one to me.

[LeazesMag 0]

I'm obviously missing the point somewhere here? Robson didn't complain about injuries then? New one to me.

45579[/snapback]

 

really gol, not like you this at all....Keegan and Bobby Robson did alright in spite of having injuries ..... as does this bloke Alex Ferguson who our dear manager is compared with by some for some reason I can't fathom out

[Shearergol 0]

I'm obviously missing the point somewhere here? Robson didn't complain about injuries then? New one to me.

45579[/snapback]

 

really gol, not like you this at all....Keegan and Bobby Robson did alright in spite of having injuries ..... as does this bloke Alex Ferguson who our dear manager is compared with by some for some reason I can't fathom out

45721[/snapback]

 

 

Sorry, just couldn't understand the English

 

Even you, the most ardent haters of Souness, must notice that we're getting a lot of bad luck through injuries at the moment?

[Isegrim 9772]

Even you, the most ardent haters of Souness, must notice that we're getting a lot of bad luck through injuries at the moment?

45761[/snapback]

 

It's a bit like one of Zeno's paradoxes. How many injuries does it need not to be considered bad luck anymore but incompetence?

[LeazesMag 0]

I'm obviously missing the point somewhere here? Robson didn't complain about injuries then? New one to me.

45579[/snapback]

 

really gol, not like you this at all....Keegan and Bobby Robson did alright in spite of having injuries ..... as does this bloke Alex Ferguson who our dear manager is compared with by some for some reason I can't fathom out

45721[/snapback]

 

 

Sorry, just couldn't understand the English

 

Even you, the most ardent haters of Souness, must notice that we're getting a lot of bad luck through injuries at the moment?

45761[/snapback]

 

We aren't getting any more than anyone else.

 

And even you, must surely appreciate there are teams above us in the premiership who have constructed their teams for less money than fuckwit has spent to improve on a top 4/5 team....

 

yet they aren't making excuses about injuries..

 

I really thought you had more about you than to not see this matey...no offence intended [in fact the opposite]

 

It is becoming more and more apparent in my opinion that unless everything is exactly how he wants it, Souness will make excuses....but some including me have said this since day 1

[Guest alex]

Howay man Leazes, we are having a lot of bad luck with injuries at the minute. I know you think Souness has gotten rid of players he shouldn't have/didn't need to and I agree to an extent. It's possible his hands may have been tied with regard to this though.

[LeazesMag 0]

Howay man Leazes, we are having a lot of bad luck with injuries at the minute. I know you think Souness has gotten rid of players he shouldn't have/didn't need to and I agree to an extent. It's possible his hands may have been tied with regard to this though.

45825[/snapback]

 

he's had enough money to build on a ready made top team to cover all of those scenarios Alex.

 

Selling O'Brien and one or two others are OK, but you NEVER sell your best ones for anything other than football reasons.

 

I read somewhere that he said when Emre is fit, he will make a difference because he goes forwards not sideways. What sort of bollix is this....whoever the first 11 are, it's his job to get them to play to a pattern .. is the clueless shite saying he has spent all this money to build on the "best squad I've ever had" then rely on one player to "go forward"

 

He'll have an excuse for everything that doesn't drop into place for him mate.

 

Isegrim has made the perfectly valid point that you can't be unlucky all the time.

[BlueStar 0]

No offence to Robbie Elliot, but would it be worth giving Ramage a bit of a run out, even though he's not left footed?

Edited October 14, 2005 by BlueStar

[David Kelly 1245]

The amount of injuries we have and have had in key positions is incredible and is something I think anyone other than Chelski would struggle to get away with.

If you consider our last game and the players we had injuered who would be virtually guaranteed a place in the starting 11.

Bramble, Emre, Luque, Solano and Owen and then Dyer as backup for either Own or Solano.

Then take the equivelant players from Manure, Ferdinand, Scholes, Ronaldo, Giggs and Rooney. Do you seriously think they would be able to play at their best or that Ferguson wouldn't be bemoaning their luck? Of course he would.

I don't want to sound like I'm defending Souness because I simply don't rate him as a manager but we have to face the reality of our situation. We are have been missing almost half the team and most of the players you would consider key.

In this case I think Souness has the right to consider himslelf unlucky and I would judge him more on the things that he can control (such as his man management, tactics and coatching) rather than on things he cannot.

[Papa Lazaru 0]

The injuries situation is a mix of things. Theres the training pitch they have identified, theres the obviously poor coaching/training and fitness work at this club, theres the manager rushing players back and crocking them far worse, and finally there is the traditional NUFC shitty bad luck.

 

We sign Nobby he hasn't played at all, Luque arrives and gets a bad injury almost at once, these things aren't the manager/coaches fault, nor was Owen's dead leg and things like that.

 

What is a problem that we all knew would be is that if you kick Bellamy and Kluivert out the club you'd better have a better plan than relying on Shola and Chopra to fill in when Owen gets a knock. If two strikers of that calibre go out i expect two to come in, three ideally with Shearer coming to an end.

 

If the injuries clear up we'll be better obviously, but come January a striker has to be bought or every time Owen misses a game we are going to worry!

[NJS 4378]

I think the thing that is pissing Souness (and the rest us) off the most is that its all the "creative" type player who are injured at the same time. LM mention the "going forward" thing but when your midfield is limited to Clark. Parker and Bowyer then "eye of the needle" passes aren'ty going to happen no matter how well they are coached or whatever.

 

I do however completely accept the point of PL that the squad as a whole isn't good enough which is down to him (and Freddie).

[Papa Lazaru 0]

I think the thing that is pissing Souness (and the rest us) off the most is that its all the "creative" type player who are injured at the same time. LM mention the "going forward" thing but when your midfield is limited to Clark. Parker and Bowyer then "eye of the needle" passes aren'ty going to happen no matter how well they are coached or whatever.

 

I do however completely accept the point of PL that the squad as a whole isn't good enough which is down to him (and Freddie).

45954[/snapback]

 

Thats the really bad luck part, that its all the same type of players out at the same time, all the ones who provide the pace, skill, vision and variation needed in a team that plays the way we do currently!

 

I look forward to seeing Parker and Emre together with Nobby and Luque around them and Dyer making an appearance at some point!

[Optimistic Nut 145]

I'd sooner switch Taylor to left-back, and partner Moore & Boumsong at centre-back than play Elliott.

[Guest alex]

I'd sooner switch Taylor to left-back, and partner Moore & Boumsong at centre-back than play Elliott.

45961[/snapback]

I thought Moore was injured.

[LeazesMag 0]

How much money exactly do you think should be needed to build a SQUAD of players to match an already assembled SQUAD of players and STAY in a european qualifying position ?

[NJS 4378]

How much money exactly do you think should be needed to build a SQUAD of players to match an already assembled SQUAD of players and STAY in a european qualifying position ?

45968[/snapback]

 

Do you honestlly think the squad as at august 04 would have qualified for europe under Bobby last season? Do you not think money needed to be spent anyway?

 

We may disagree about the manager to a degree but I thought we'd all pretty much accepted that the "good" squad was on the wane.

 

In answer to your question I don't know but I think key major purchases have been made. I'd like to see a few "middle notch" squad player brought in plus a couple of first teamers.

[David Kelly 1245]

I would say that we have a squad of players cabable of getting a European place (even a champions league place) given anywhere near the amount of luck (both with injuries and in general) that we got in previous seasons. I would say the only position that our squad is any weaker than it was is up front where we lost two quality players and only brought one in (added to the fact that Shearer is pretty much on his last legs). But our first choice strike force is better than we have had at least since the Shearer/Ferdinand partnership. The additions of Parker, Emre, Luque and Solano are a vast improvement on Butt, Ambrose, Jenas and Robert imo. And our defence has to benefit from getting rid of O'Brien and (imo) Hughes.

 

When we finished 3rd we didn't play as well as the season before but we carried more luck. When we finished 5th we were almost as bad as we were last season but we carried a hell of a lot of luck.

 

Since Souness arrived we have not carried any luck at all this has hampered his chances of doing anything positive with the team.

Like I said I don't want to sound like this is me defending him because I think it is just a disguise for his inadequacy as a manager. But I can't slag him off for cursing our luck because it's not an excuse he's spot on!

[Isegrim 9772]

I don't dispute that Souness did well on the transfer front. But I have said it a couple of times, even before the transfer window opened, that I don't solely judge a manager on his transfers. With the right amount of money it's not that of a big task. So yes, in certain parts of the team we have improved. But overall the squad is still very thin.

I was already critical about the physio department under Robson, but I never thought it was going to get worse. For me bad luck is when you have different injuries with one damaging his ligament, another one breaking his leg another one sticking 50quid notes into his nose.

 

But I don't accept bad luck when you always have half of your team out with muscle injuries. There are few injuries that are preventable, but hamstring injuries most times don't come with bad luck but can get explained by lack of preparation wrong training. Even if it is the pitch then it's no case of bad luck, but of poor facilities and everything has to be done to sort out this problem immidiately.

[LeazesMag 0]

How much money exactly do you think should be needed to build a SQUAD of players to match an already assembled SQUAD of players and STAY in a european qualifying position ?

45968[/snapback]

 

Do you honestlly think the squad as at august 04 would have qualified for europe under Bobby last season? Do you not think money needed to be spent anyway?

 

We may disagree about the manager to a degree but I thought we'd all pretty much accepted that the "good" squad was on the wane.

 

In answer to your question I don't know but I think key major purchases have been made. I'd like to see a few "middle notch" squad player brought in plus a couple of first teamers.

45974[/snapback]

 

totally wrong mate. Almost every single person, and not just on these message boards, thought we were underachieving and finishing 5th was a real pisser.

 

That is why Bobby Robson was sacked.

 

We also, almost to a man, thought that we needed to replace Shearer and find a new partner for Bellamy, almost everyone also didn't see Newcastle without him,

and thought we were only a couple of good buys from being a lot closer to the top 3 than we were at the time, along with Liverpool.

 

Correct ?

 

Nowt like changing history ......... Souness and his spin cronies have done a good job brainwashing quite a few people from the true situation before he came it would appear.

Edited October 14, 2005 by LeazesMag

[NJS 4378]

How much money exactly do you think should be needed to build a SQUAD of players to match an already assembled SQUAD of players and STAY in a european qualifying position ?

45968[/snapback]

 

Do you honestlly think the squad as at august 04 would have qualified for europe under Bobby last season? Do you not think money needed to be spent anyway?

 

We may disagree about the manager to a degree but I thought we'd all pretty much accepted that the "good" squad was on the wane.

 

In answer to your question I don't know but I think key major purchases have been made. I'd like to see a few "middle notch" squad player brought in plus a couple of first teamers.

45974[/snapback]

 

totally wrong mate. Almost every single person, and not just on these message boards, thought we were underachieving and finishing 5th was a real pisser.

 

That is why Bobby Robson was sacked.

 

We also, almost to a man, thought that we needed to replace Shearer and find a new partner for Bellamy, almost everyone also didn't see Newcastle without him,

and thought we were only a couple of good buys from being a lot closer to the top 3 than we were at the time, along with Liverpool.

 

Correct ?

 

Nowt like changing history ......... Souness and his spin cronies have done a good job brainwashing quite a few people from the true situation before he came it would appear.

46043[/snapback]

 

No not correct imo.

 

That squad had stuttered over the finish line to 3rd the previous season and needed to be freshened up in 2003. We got Bowyer and nothing else. The next season was generally piss poor - 2 away wins? - that squad as DK had said had punched slightly above its weight.

 

Looking from the outside as people did Souness thought it was an excellent squad when he arrived - it is to his credit that he realised that it wasn't.

 

As I've said before putting all of your faith in one player - be it Bellamy, Shearer or whoever has been a major problem for us and needs to end.