maggiespaws

Quoted for truth. I agree with Manc mags comments also. You can't blame him. If I was him and this was my career, I'd think twice about playing for us too. Especially if I got 'head hunted' by a bigger, better firm. Especially if that firm was one of the best of it's kind. As has been mentioned, we've had two managers since he's joined and we've deteriorated even further in that time. He now has a third manager and the company is going through a takeover. Does he stay and take a chance? or, if given the opportunity, does he move to one of the companies who are more successful, not in a state of flux and who's market forecasts predict further growth. I want him to stay and I believe he'd be instrumental in our season; but I wouldn't blame him if he went.

After reading this, so am I now. Live version off 'How the West was Won'. Class

At the moment things are going so well, it feels untrue. We got a decent manager who (despite being on holiday) immediately started working on the future, we are already really working on our targets and it looks like we could for the first time have assembled the core of the squad ahead of pre-season training. And we get a new owner. I hope I don't wake up too soon. Was just thinking the same. I'm half delirious at the fact that we look like bringing in 3 new signings in June - JUNE FFS!? At this rate Freddy can have August 31st off, or at the very least have an early finish. I know. I'm not 100% about the Barton deal, but if anyone has a track record of sorting problem players it's SA. That aside, we actually look like we have a plan this close season. The pessimist in me says 'this is NUFC, when things are going good, we f--k it up spectacularly'. So I am waiting to come down with a huge crash......

To be fair to him, we are a bag of sh--e. A player of his calibre needs to be playing at a top club. I don't blame him for looking elsewhere. You only have a short time as a top pro footballer. Big Al should have won loads more than he did, but he spurned it all to play for his home team. We can't expect Owen to do that for us. IMO, he's waiting to find out what Sam's plans are and whether or not it's worth sticking around for another year. I think he feels he needs too, given the time he's had here, but if we look like we're gonna be shambolic again next year he'll be off. It's obvious the club has gotten worse over recent seasons and unless Sam can convince key players it will be different next season there will be more than just Owen on their way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAOzLQEu5Do Nuff said

I think Parker has taken a lot of grief this season. I agree he's not performed as we would have hoped (particularly as Captain) but then neither has most of the rest of the team. We need to keep him as he's one of the players who actually wants to play for us. If we play with a tactical plan (something which as been missing all season) I think we'll see a better Parker. I don't buy into this 'all he does is pirouette' bollocks. When he has no-one else to pass to 'cos the midfield aren't creating space then he has to hold the ball. When he first joined us he played well and led by example. We all felt he deserved the Captaincy (I remember the polls on here). There are other areas we need to change and strengthen in the team. We should concentrate on those. I think Parker will come good under Sam.

Jill, you must be ecstatic at the arrival of SA. Surely Mr Speed will follow.....

Titus, watch that the door doesn't catch your ample posterior on the way out

I'll put in on record that I prefer Big Sam than the other two. Take a look at Houllier's transfer market record when he was at Liverpool. Bloody atrocious. Cisse, Sinama-Pongole and add another 6 or 7 French players to that list totalling about 20m. Waste of money. He's doing well in the French League, because he knows the French system back to front and he's managing the strongest French team at Lyon. If he came to Newcastle I'd have absolutely no confidence in him when it came to bringing players in. As for Sven, he was on a ridiculously high salary when he managed England. His aim was toi build for the World Cup last year, and he did absolutely nothing. Some of his selections were mind boggling. How the hell do you pick a 17 year old (Wallcott) with no Premiership experience over one (Defoe) with a proven record playing at the highest level? Why did he rely on a player who was unfit and played no games leading up to the WC (Owen) to score you goals? Why keep faith in a player who broke his foot (Rooney) and wasn't going to be fit enough to do any good anyway? All the decent teams in the WC started slowly and progressively got better as the tournament went on. England didn't. If anything we got worse. As for his days at Lazio, yes he won the Scudetto, but he had money to spend. Lazio had to top the spending list in Italy at the time to achieve what they did. I think Newcastle and Sam are a perfect match. The 4 year contract he's about to sign suggests that the club will not be able to fork out the money that has been made available to previous managers. Hasn't Fred released something like 300m to 5 managers??? Most of it bloody wasted. We are in debt to a tune of something like 80m. Haven't studied the facts and figures but it'll probably take 4 years to clear the debt we have. In saying that, 15-20m will probably be available to Sam every year. 15-20m is a huge amount considering how much Sam was able to spend at Bolton. That's a goldmine for him and he'll spend it wisely. Aty least with Sam he won't buy another Luque for 10m ffs. Sam and his backroom staff also have a proven record when it comes to injuries. Bolton have the best record when it comes to keeping players on the field. Newcastle have the worst by a country mile. Again, a perfect match between Sam and the club. No more getting crock players like Babayaro (who was always injured at Chelsea before we were stupid enough to bring him to the club ffs). If the current training regime and recuperation methods have flaws in it (which it must have) then Sam and his backroom staff will pick up on and fix. Considering where the club is right now, Sam is the perfect manager. I just want to see the club heading in the right direction, like everyone else and I'm sure he's the man to do it. In a perfect world we'd all like to see changes in the boardroom or at least a change in the chairman, but this won't ever happen. Not for a long while anyway. Freddy wants the Hall family to sell up there shares so he can buy them and take full control so we know Fred's at the club for the long haul. What can be fixed though is the coaching methods and the players who are too comfortable at the club. It's the next best thing possible. I have to say, I agree will a lot of what you've said (even though you were offering a counter argument to some of the points I mentioned). You've stated many of the points that had put me in two minds in the first place. I think what helped to keep me there (and prompted my initial post) was that the package he'd been offered was so high in comparison to other, more successful managers in the EPL. I agree with your points about fitness and injuries etc, these are some of the things I am really hopeful of when I look at our new manager. Anyway, he's here now and time will tell. Given his contract, it probably means he'll be here for the long haul as well which is good. We need some stability and someone who can repair the damage of recent seasons. On reflection, whilst I'm not running around the room, I'm not underwhelmed either. We need someone to rebuild from within, creating a strong platform for the team and this is something he is proven at. I'm actually looking forward to the close season to see what we do.

Good man Karl!

Whilst I have my reservations about him (allegations, lack of proven winning experience etc), just reading about his backroom setup and how he approaches football management gives me hope. The nieve side of me would like to belive that FFS has done his homework this time and he wouldn't have touched him if it looked like he was dodgey. He's forward thinking and aims to identify a players (and team) strengths and weaknesses and improve accordingly. This has got to be an improvement on what we've had. Being self-contradicting, I would say that he hasn't won anything because he's not been able to assemble a team capable of winning due to funds. It's no secret that because of his large staff, his transfer budget was smaller. He's show he is capable of getting more out of players generally regarded as being finished and calming a few temprements and we could do with some of that here. We've been going downhill now for a few seasons and I don't believe we can be as snobbey as we once might. I've said in other another thread that his package means that we really should expect top 6 next season, but if he can knock a few underperformers into line we have a squad capable of this. Time will tell, but he's here now so I believe we need to support him. Both Souness and Roeder were never given full support (from fans) and this will not have helped (nor did results, but I mean they never got it from the beginning). Granted, managers (and players) have to earn our continued support, but they need a period of grace next season to allow him time to get things sorted.

FFS. We've subbed both of our front two and can only bring on kids. We dont give a shit. I feel more sorry for the fans who've travelled. We cant even be arsed to field a decent team. Why are we resting Oba for the last game?

If the article is right and Sam becomes the 3rd highest paid manager behind Fergie and Jose; then it is more than Rafa and Wenger As for Houllier ruling himself out - depends what article you read. Just cos Sven was on 5m for England doesn't mean we'd give him that. After all, it's not like other clubs are falling over themselves to get him. The point I was trying to make was that this seemed like we've paid over the odds (a typical NUFC trait) for someone who hasn't won anything yet; when there are others in the league winning far more and being paid less.

7 goals in 37 starts in the league. And he is how old? He's fucked now Sam's left and taken the cocoons out of the pool though. Bringing them to Newcastle, Shearer to make a comeback. Lol, good reference

Shhh what?

I really can't believe we are offering to pay him this much. By all means, offer him a significant amount as a total package based on targets (cups, position etc) but 12m/4yrs as a basic? He refuses to field calls from Houllier who has proven himself in both foreign and domestic leagues and from Sven! Earlier in the week we we talking about Sven as being an expensive manager but I dont think any of us expected this. I'm not totally sold on Sam but imo he has it all to prove with a package like that. I really despair with NUFC. Why is it the Scousers can get Rafa for less or Arsenal get Whinger yet we feel we have to spunk a load of cash on someon who's won nowt? FS seems to feel that throwing money at this club will sort it out. We aren't that flush. I hope this pays off. We need top 6 next season.

It's like this is his way of coming back with a 'witty remark' when trying to keep quiet about what his real thoughts are. Would be better if he just said 'no comment'. nob

Quoted for truth.

I'd just like to add: calcitrate her in the crack (worked hard on a kick word beginning with 'C') or clout her in the quim Seriously though, I've read a few euphemisms I've not seen of in a while if at all. Still laughing at spunk skip now - childish I know

Then: Page was good, Clapton was God Now: Slash, Good to see Prince mentioned. Not an avid fan but a talented musician. I reckon John Squire deserves a mention - although he's a good example of unfulfilled potential. Thing is, I guess a lot of these are mentioned because of our musical tastes. A true legend is someone who transcends this and becomes more widely recognised. More importantly, recognised by their peers. Clapton really rates Prince for example and I seem to remember he said Purple Rain would be one of his 10 desert island discs.

Any chance of a bigger version of that? 800x600 is a bit shit on my monitor.

By no means the best track on the album, but no slouch either. Same Jeans - The View. Anyone else think this sounds like Brimful of Asher?

Incidentally, that is the best shirt we've ever had. Class.

Anyone else got tickets? Perhaps a toontastic gathering could be on the cards?