Jimbo

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We appointed the right man this time, but then our club changed hands and the financial situation changed considerably. We were set for a very tight few years and I think we went for a manager who could get us back on the road slowly- perhaps this is no longer the intention of the new ownership who may choose to put in considerable funds and expect some results to go with it. If our current situation is evidence of getting it right, I'd hate to see what getting it wrong looks like !

Are you suggesting that we should have given Souness and Roeder more time ? We don't sack too soon, we just appoint the wrong man.

To be fair to Allardyce, if you recall he wanted to take the players away between boxing day and new year for some sort of 'boot camp' but the players alledgedly kicked off and got their way.... True but it was also Allardyce that buckled and let them have the time with their "family." Would you let Charles Manson hang out with his "family" if he was paroled for Christmas? I think not. Sam's judgement call found lacking again. Allardyce may be guilty of a lot, but you can't pin this on him because he didn't keep Barton under lock and key himself between boxxing day and new years. Get a grip ffs. Ironic really that under lock and key is exactly where Barton will be for the foreseeable future Steady on Alanis. Oi, stop being a black fly in my chardonay Luke More like Morrison's own brand sparkling white. Lidl tbh

That was 5 years ago and we've fallen far far from that standard. We have had a couple of awful managers, but surely that teaches us that sacking a manager after a season doesn't mean we're going to get an improvement. I saw fight at Bolton, I saw a team who were willing to play until their legs gave out. What is it about Newcastle players that brings the worst out of the commitment? Even under Robson and Keegan we had bad eggs, but these days we haven't the talent to make up for this petulance. I don't know what the answer is, but I know what it's not. Make that 3 awful managers. so why not give Allardyce at least the same amount of time that Roeder and Souness had? And allow him to do as much damage to the club as those inept loons did ? No thanks. Continuing with Allardyce will only make the job of his successor harder, and some might argue that is dificult enough already.

That was 5 years ago and we've fallen far far from that standard. We have had a couple of awful managers, but surely that teaches us that sacking a manager after a season doesn't mean we're going to get an improvement. I saw fight at Bolton, I saw a team who were willing to play until their legs gave out. What is it about Newcastle players that brings the worst out of the commitment? Even under Robson and Keegan we had bad eggs, but these days we haven't the talent to make up for this petulance. I don't know what the answer is, but I know what it's not. Make that 3 awful managers.

To be fair to Allardyce, if you recall he wanted to take the players away between boxing day and new year for some sort of 'boot camp' but the players alledgedly kicked off and got their way.... True but it was also Allardyce that buckled and let them have the time with their "family." Would you let Charles Manson hang out with his "family" if he was paroled for Christmas? I think not. Sam's judgement call found lacking again. Allardyce may be guilty of a lot, but you can't pin this on him because he didn't keep Barton under lock and key himself between boxxing day and new years. Get a grip ffs. Ironic really that under lock and key is exactly where Barton will be for the foreseeable future Steady on Alanis. Oi, stop being a black fly in my chardonay Luke

To be fair to Allardyce, if you recall he wanted to take the players away between boxing day and new year for some sort of 'boot camp' but the players alledgedly kicked off and got their way.... True but it was also Allardyce that buckled and let them have the time with their "family." Would you let Charles Manson hang out with his "family" if he was paroled for Christmas? I think not. Sam's judgement call found lacking again. Allardyce may be guilty of a lot, but you can't pin this on him because he didn't keep Barton under lock and key himself between boxxing day and new years. Get a grip ffs. Ironic really that under lock and key is exactly where Barton will be for the foreseeable future

The New Year for Newcastle United is a tale of two Cities: if Stoke inflict an embarrassing defeat on Sam Allardyce's side in the FA Cup on Sunday, as the men from Manchester did in the Premier League here last night, Newcastle's manager will move into a bleak house from which he may not emerge without a P45. Far more intelligent in possession, City stunned Allardyce's side twice on the counter through the excellent Elano in the first half and Gelson Fernandes in the second, both times exposing uncertainty in Newcastle's defence. How Newcastle could do with centre-backs of the quality of Richard Dunne and Micah Richards. At the final whistle a Newcastle fan shouted "You're a disgrace to football" at Allardyce, but the overwhelming mood, apart from a flurry of boos, was simply subdued. Newcastle had actually played well before Elano struck just before half-time, the team playing with greater width and enterprise than of late. Damien Duff's return clearly helped, a move which allowed James Milner to attack down the right, but familiar defensive frailties cost them dear in the first half. Life is never quiet at Newcastle. Allardyce, who admitted fans "have every right to be angry" over recent displays, had just named Alan Smith as club captain, taking the armband off Geremi, only for the England international to suffer concussion. Another England player, the former City man Joey Barton, appears in court today. Ghosts from England's past were all around St James' with Steve McClaren in the stands and Sven-Goran Eriksson, who brought the elegant talent that is Elano to the Premier League, in the away dugout. Allardyce, who once harboured a dream of managing England, had set up Newcastle in a more attacking formation, with Milner and Duff giving real width, against Eriksson's counter-attackers. Darius Vassell played the lone front-runner with Stephen Ireland, Elano and the left-sided Martin Petrov seeking to support him at every opportunity. Elano's threat was quickly evident. Nicky Butt soon began tracking Elano, the clever Brazilian scheming in the hole. advertisement Elano was beginning to cause problems, and even Mark Viduka jogged back to make a tackle on City's tricky No 11. The man recruited from Shakhtar Donetsk made a superb run into the box after 20 minutes, completely unnoticed by Newcastle but not by Ireland, who had been gifted the ball by Cacapa. Fortunately for the anxious hordes on the Gallowgate, Taylor managed to block Ireland's pass. But Newcastle did not learn. Before Elano defined the first half, moments of hope sprang up for Newcastle. The game then swung quickly down the other end, with Obafemi Martins, starting ahead of a fully fit Michael Owen for 45 minutes, bringing a good save from the impressive Joe Hart. Now the match really sprang to life, warming up as the temperatures dropped like a stone in the Tyne. Elano volleyed wide. Then Newcastle pieced together a terrific attack, the ball dancing between the dexterous feet of Martins and Viduka before Dunne ended the fun with a fine tackle. Still Newcastle threatened, Abdoulaye Faye stinging Hart's hands. With snow imminent, Charles N'Zogbia fittingly set off on a slalom run, weaving past Elano, Ireland and Nedum Onuoha as if they were flags on a blue run. His shot, though, was too close to Hart. Then Milner zigzagged in from the right, before over-elaborating. The moment was lost. But Newcastle could never relax, not with talents like Elano and Petrov lurking, not with a defence that still lacks organisation. Petrov cut in from the left and drew a marvellous stretching save from Shay Given. The Bulgarian was typically busy, and Newcastle were fortunate that their right-back, Habib Beye, lacks nothing in pace. But then came Elano, bringing terror to Newcastle's defence and a dark cloud hurtling across Allardyce's face. The Brazilian created the goal, delivering a wonderful backheel to Ireland 30 yards out. Newcastle froze. Ireland drove on, gliding past Butt before teasing the ball through to Vassell. Facing away from goal, the former England man laid the ball back to the onrushing Elano, who brought down that left foot and placed the ball firmly past Given. As Allardyce slumped in his seat, and Newcastle fans cursed their luck and their defence, City celebrated wildly. Having shown the beauty in his game, Elano then revealed a surprising beastly streak by clattering into Faye. Martin Atkinson brandished a yellow card but it could easily have been red. Allarydce had to act. Martins was removed and on came Owen, who almost scored with his first touch. When N'Zogbia crossed from the left, Owen had timed his run perfectly through the middle and met the Irishman's cross first time. Hart embellished his burgeoning reputation with another good stop. Apart from in the joyous City bolthole, an uneasy silence spread around St James', punctuated only when Newcastle broke upfield. But a busy Owen and languid Viduka ran into a City defence with Dunne and Richards again outstanding. With Newcastle committed to attack, City struck again on the break. Vedran Corluka lifted the ball forward and Eriksson's two subs did the rest. Kelvin Etuhu laid the ball across for the unmarked Gelson, who swept his shot past Given. Hard times lie ahead for Allardyce.

To be fair to Allardyce, if you recall he wanted to take the players away between boxing day and new year for some sort of 'boot camp' but the players alledgedly kicked off and got their way.... I bet Barton wishes they'd gone now. For the record, I was in Liverpool between Christmas and New Year and was in town the very next day and walked passed where it all happened. The McDonalds in question is in very close proximity to one of the main drinking areas in the city. Quite what a highly paid Premiership footballer was doing in a McDonalds at 5.30am - less than 60 hours before a vital game over 200 miles away is beyond me... The fact that he was in the city of one of the clubs he turned down this summer and also the city in which his brother committed a racist murder is asking for trouble. I don't care if its him home city, being a premiership footballer comes with a responsibility to yourself but more importantly... your club. He's let everyone associated with NUFC down with this stunt. Goaded or not, he allowed himself to be put in that position in the first place and for that he can blame no-one but himself. Buying Barton was a massive gamble, his behaviour is well documented, his recent arrest is a surprise to absolutely no one at all.

10 points from Europe, 10 points from relegation, this is the crossroads of the season, and I can't predict a team we can beat at the moment.

"Ole Ole" with every Man City pass We are a joke.

Chants of "sacked in the morning".

2-0 game over

0-1 Elano

Did I just hear the commentary correctly ? "He's doing it again, he's got Duff on the right and Milner on the left" What a fucking cocksucker Allardyce is.

Gives porn a bad name tbh.

Careful now, this playing players in their correct positions will never catch on

Not a bad result for us.

Out: Carr Ameobi Ramage Pattison Duff Owen In: Kitson Bentley Arshavin Brown

The only way we are getting rid of Barton is by paying up his contract.

Other than a number of cringe-worthy statements, I agree.

WHEN Newcastle United fans look at the Premier League table today they will feel disappointed. And they have every right to be more than that. For quite simply United once again have not lived up to their magnificent supporters’ expectations in the first half of the season. And, quite frankly, I cannot see things improving. I believe the best United can hope for is to finish top of the bottom half of the table. Top of the flops, if you like. When United picked up that fine opening-day victory at Sam Allardyce’s former club Bolton Wanderers, I bumped into an ecstatic chairman Chris Mort coming out of the Reebok Stadium. I joked with him that it was downhill all the way after that. And it has been. In fact, I cannot believe how bad things have been. Knocked out of the Carling Cup by Arsenal Reserves. Humiliated at home by Liverpool and Portsmouth. The only team to lose to Derby County . . . I could keep going, but let’s stop there. I don’t want to worry Sam. But remember when Graeme Souness was sacked? That was after two Newcastle players ran into each other at Manchester City a couple of seasons ago and Freddy Shepherd was not amused. Well on Saturday at Stamford Bridge Alan Smith and Abdoulaye Faye did exactly the same. And as a result Smith spent Saturday night in a Tyneside hospital, and yesterday Faye went to hospital after he left Stamford Bridge with his arm in a sling. Sam Allardyce was allowed to bring in nine players in the summer, all be it for a mere £9m when you take into consideration he sold both Kieron Dyer and Scott Parker to West Ham. And how many of those nine have been a success in the first half of the season? Certainly not Joey Barton. Or Geremi. Or left-back Jose Enrique, who cost £6m. Things have been bad on the pitch. But they haven’t been much better off it. United’s £5.8m midfielder is currently languishing in jail in the North West of England. Allardyce has been forced to relieve the player he appointed as skipper of the captain’s armband. And a players’ deputation went to see the manager after the defeat at Blackburn Rovers. Some of those players made it known that they were unhappy at the manager’s plans to take them straight to London for the game with Chelsea after the Boxing Day match with Wigan Athletic. There are lots of reasons why United have struggled after a promising start. And for me the main one is the fact that as we go into the New Year, Allardyce does not seem to know what is his best team. He hasn’t decided who his best central defenders are. Or who he wants to form his midfield – and it’s the same up front. The back four have been uncertain. The midfield has had no legs or creativity, and the strikers have stopped scoring goals. As a result, because of all the chopping and changing, United have been unable to create any momentum – at times their shape has been all wrong. And the tragedy is with games at Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Aston Villa looming, I cannot see things improving. For the fans’ sake, I hope I’m wrong.

Happy New year !!!