Renton

So it's official then is it, a record fee for Owen? God, I hope this works out, talk about putting all your eggs in one basket. Obviously I'm relieved we have signed a class striker, one eho I never thought would come here to be honest, but the money (in excess of 15M) scares me.

Not sure what good things you are suggesting but other than following Robson in overseeing the development of Taylor and overspending on the neverthless good signing Boumsong (3 defensive players out, three in, no adequate cover on the left or right), Im not sure how he has had much of a positive effect on our defence. I know stats can be misleading but the number of goals conceded in Robsons last full season 2003-4 was 40 our lowest sice we came 2nd 8 or so years ago. Last season we conceded 57, the worst since we nearly tumbled into oblivion 13 years ago. 16677[/snapback] Thanks for reminding me of this, I thought I might have been imagining things from last year. There now seems to be a general consensus that we are "sorted" at the back, but this doesn't seem to tally with last seasons results. Perhaps a before and after Boumsong statistic might be telling. Anyhow, what is certain is that at the back, like most other places, we are very thin in depth - two or three injuries/suspensions from disaster in fact.

I firmly believe most managers in the league could do a better job than Souness. I like the Burley suggestion, I have admired him for a while (I'm seeing Hearts on Saturday). Or we could go for someone like Mike Newell, and keep Shearer as his chief coach. You might scoff, but it has to be worth the risk. We need someone who knows how to use and motivate average players, because contrary to popular belief we haven't got £30M to hand out to every new manager we employ. Of course, I always wanted O'Neill, and believe we could have got him last year if we'd really pushed the boat out for him. But as we know, we made the mistake of not replacing Robson when we should, and now Shepherd has repeated the exact same mistake, for the 4th time in 7 years. It really beggars belief.

For his getting rid of players. 16505[/snapback] But it's not just that though. It's the fact he seems to be incapable of creating a team with less than £30M at his disposal. How many people on here have seen Luque play enough to know that his transfer fee of £10 M (or whatever it is now) and wages of £65K are justified? Not many I bet, but I'm not surprised Shepherd is reluctant to release a collossal amount of money on a relative unknown who might not even adapt here. FFS, Souness has had money, and he inherited a top 5 squad. Why can't people see this? The answer isn't always to throw money away (although that doesn't mean I am happy with Shepherd's role in all this).

Do you think mass prayer might be the answer? Worth a try anyway?

It's not God's fault, it's Gemmill's.

Don't feel sorry for Souness, for God's sake, this is at least partly his fault. Oh, and he won't resign, because that would mean know pay-off. He's going to be handsomely rewarded for his part in wrecking our club.

Take away Shepherd and Souness (or Paul and Barry Chuckle as they should be known) and it is very strange, with them at the helm it sounds about right to me. The whole thing has been a joke from months back. Souness categorically knew during last season he was getting rid of Bellamy and Robert and basically luivert as well. So those people with a brain would think right, first signings through this door, the ones i'll conentrate my efforts on will be two strikers and an attacking left sided player. What does this prick do, chases two central midfielders until he gets them! So he has left us with a squad with no attack and width but plenty of midfield, then Shepherd takes over the role of ruining the club. And he decides that no matter how clear it is we need goals and creativity he is going to piss about arguing over fees and buy nobody! But the fact remains, they knew back last season who was going and they went after players in other positions first, its piss poor management on every level. 16342[/snapback] It's just desperation, that's all. I'll be honest and say I hadn't even heard of Luque before we declared an interest. My attempt to fit him into a song: His name is Luque, He plays on the left wing... To the tune of Luca by Suzanne Vega if it isn't obvious....

Maybe not but it is all his fault anyway.

Would Dickov be any worse than Shearer in his current form? 16242[/snapback] It's not just Shearer's bad form, it's also the entire team around him and our tactics, or have you somehow missed that? Shearer + no supply or support = no goals. Like Dickov is going to fix it..... 16246[/snapback] No I haven't. Have you noticed that when we do have posession of the ball in midfield that the complete absence of any movement from Shearer up front leaves the midfield scratching their heads as to quite what to do with the ball? Or have you somehow missed that? 16255[/snapback] He was by himself, completely isolated, and his only supply was the long ball hoof. What the hell do you expect him to do playing under that system? Of course if we had Bellamy or Robert.... There's no need for any scape goat other than Souness for the mess we are currently in. 16261[/snapback] I'm not using him as a scapegoat, but can you really not see that the bloke is completely finished? I take no pleasure whatsoever from it, but it is an undeniable fact when you see him out there. The only time I see him animated is when he's berating a team mate for the inability to pull a ball back and thread it through the 3 defenders that have positioned themselves between the crosser and himself as a result of his inability to manouevre himself around the box. As for the Bellamy and Robert stuff.....I really can't be arsed. 16266[/snapback] Yes, he's probably completely finished as you put it (although I think he could still have a limited role to play), but my point is, ANY striker is going to struggle in this team. Replacing Shearer is not going to be the panacea to all our problems, and as for replacing him with Dickov..... I realise you probably meant that tongue in cheek by the way.

Would Dickov be any worse than Shearer in his current form? 16242[/snapback] It's not just Shearer's bad form, it's also the entire team around him and our tactics, or have you somehow missed that? Shearer + no supply or support = no goals. Like Dickov is going to fix it..... 16246[/snapback] No I haven't. Have you noticed that when we do have posession of the ball in midfield that the complete absence of any movement from Shearer up front leaves the midfield scratching their heads as to quite what to do with the ball? Or have you somehow missed that? 16255[/snapback] He was by himself, completely isolated, and his only supply was the long ball hoof. What the hell do you expect him to do playing under that system? Of course if we had Bellamy or Robert.... There's no need for any scape goat other than Souness for the mess we are currently in.

Would Dickov be any worse than Shearer in his current form? 16242[/snapback] It's not just Shearer's bad form, it's also the entire team around him and our tactics, or have you somehow missed that? Shearer + no supply or support = no goals. Like Dickov is going to fix it.....

Don't you think you might feel less indifferent if we did win though? 16229[/snapback] Probably, hopefully or whatever. At the moment there are so many ifs that I don't know anything anymore. 16235[/snapback] I have a horrible feeling of ambivalence about our matches now, the same feeling as I had with Gullit in his last days. It's not a nice feeling, but he had to go. As soon as Robson came there was a great feeling of relief, and once more you could truly support the team again.

You see, I disagree with that. What you perhaps don't understand is that I am convinced we will get relegated with Souness, so want him out as quick as possible. It was Souness that got us to 14th - the right appointment wouldn't have, simple as that. The worst case scenario is that we scrape a few points here and there, enough for Souness to keep his job, but not enough to avoid the drop. On a similar note, if we are going to lose against Manu (surely a dead cert), then we may as well lose spectacularly. I want to start enjoying football again, I want to have hope again. That will never happen with Souness, we've got to get a new start, and the sooner, the better.

Do you agree with him then Skol?? I'm with Cath on this one - why would any fan of the club hope that we'd lose?? I can't get my head around it 16098[/snapback] No, I don't agree although I know a few people who would. I don't want to see us lose but I understand the reasons as to why certain supporters do. 16106[/snapback] Well I can't, and I'm gob-smacked people can understand it... Say we lose our next two games and Souness goes, in comes Peter Reid!! We lose 70% of the remaining games of the season and end up relegated - do you think these people still would be glad the hoped we'd lost those two games?? I can understand people wanting Souness replaced, I cannot for the life of me understand why a Newcastle United fan would want us to lose - for ANY reason! 16109[/snapback] Once again, Newcastle vs Sunderland, 1999. How many people were complaining on the next home match, which we won 8-0? Would that have happened under Gullit, emphatically no.

Do you agree with him then Skol?? I'm with Cath on this one - why would any fan of the club hope that we'd lose?? I can't get my head around it 16098[/snapback] For the greater good, it's really not a difficult concept. I know I always bang on about the 99 match against the mackems, but it is a perfect example. The club was at a crossroads, and winning that match could have been disastrous. I was happy we lost it, and this was to the mackems! I wouldn't go so far as to say I hope we lose against Bolton or ManU, but to be honest if we do I won't be surprised and I won't be upset, especially if it means getting rid of Souness. Or would you prefer a freak win and see us get relegated?

Aye 10-Nil. Easy. 15843[/snapback] No, 1-0, probably converting the Jenas free kick. Anyway Gemmill, I was meaning to ask you this, I hope you're happy with yourself after Saturday's dismal performance. You must feel really proud. 15879[/snapback] Yes I really enjoyed it thanks. I already feel like I've got my money's worth from my season ticket this year. As for converting the Jenas free kick, it's not like he was odds-on to score every time we got one. It's far more likely that it would have hit some poor bugger in Row P. 15910[/snapback] Problem is we've got no-one to take them now. I'd be surprised if we score from a single free kick this year, which is a problem when you are desperate for goals. 15978[/snapback] Emre looks very dangerous from a freekick! 16043[/snapback] What exactly are you basing that on, the match against Deportivo only? I doubt he will be as effective as Robert in any case, and he needs to get fit, and more importantly, stay fit.

Aye 10-Nil. Easy. 15843[/snapback] No, 1-0, probably converting the Jenas free kick. Anyway Gemmill, I was meaning to ask you this, I hope you're happy with yourself after Saturday's dismal performance. You must feel really proud. 15879[/snapback] Yes I really enjoyed it thanks. I already feel like I've got my money's worth from my season ticket this year. As for converting the Jenas free kick, it's not like he was odds-on to score every time we got one. It's far more likely that it would have hit some poor bugger in Row P. 15910[/snapback] Problem is we've got no-one to take them now. I'd be surprised if we score from a single free kick this year, which is a problem when you are desperate for goals.

Aye 10-Nil. Easy. 15843[/snapback] No, 1-0, probably converting the Jenas free kick. Anyway Gemmill, I was meaning to ask you this, I hope you're happy with yourself after Saturday's dismal performance. You must feel really proud.

Can't be proven either way, but I'm pretty sure we would have won yesterday with a wide man and free kick taker par excellence like Robert. But hey, we're much better off without the lazy French tw@t, aren't we?

If I was a good player, I would sign, but only because I am a Newcastle United fan. Otherwise the answer is an emphatic no. I would hate to play for that clueless, bullying scottish prick. And the sight of Shepherd now makes me physically sick.

Thing is, I have been saying for a while that players won't come to Newcastle because of Souness. But I have just finished reading Bobby's autobiography, and I am really concerned managers won't come to Newcastle because of Shepherd. Shepherd comes across as being a complete arsehole in that book. I know Robson has an axe to grind, but I think we all know what Shepherd is like from the media, straight from the horse's mouth, if you like. So the real concern is when (not if) Souness goes, who will put up with the fat, incompetent, meddlesome cnut as their boss? Not the best managers, I'm sure. And everyone will know what he's like form Robson's autobiography and, of course, from the man himself. All I can say is we'd better hope, even pray, Shearer can make the transition, otherwise we are finished. We have been going downhill for 2 years now, when are we going to hit the bottom? Not for a while yet, I fear. 15149[/snapback] Fair point. Thing is, other clubs have shite chairman too. Would you prefer Bob Murray, Doug Ellis to name 2..and there are lots of others I don't want to make a long list ... how many managers would play for those ? They still do though. In spite of Shepherd, managers will take the job knowing they will have us the fans, and huge financial backing from Shepherd. Now thats a fact, because they all have had that. Off the top of my head, in spite of Shepherds faults, which mainly revolve around not keeping his gob shut, the only better chairman than Shepherd are at Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Smoggies, maybe Wigan, the new manu and spurs we will have to wait and see. Not a lot is it. Shepherds main fault is he has, apart from Bobby Robson, picked the wrong managers. 15242[/snapback] Hmmm, I agree up to a point, but its interesting that you've listed three out of the current top four there (i.e. the successful ones), and of course the takeover of ManU is a recent event and we await its impact, as you said. Most the others are anonymous, I really don't know what they are like as chairmen, but I get the feeling they don't interfere as much as Shepherd. I worry this is what will put people off.

Thing is, I have been saying for a while that players won't come to Newcastle because of Souness. But I have just finished reading Bobby's autobiography, and I am really concerned managers won't come to Newcastle because of Shepherd. Shepherd comes across as being a complete arsehole in that book. I know Robson has an axe to grind, but I think we all know what Shepherd is like from the media, straight from the horse's mouth, if you like. So the real concern is when (not if) Souness goes, who will put up with the fat, incompetent, meddlesome cnut as their boss? Not the best managers, I'm sure. And everyone will know what he's like form Robson's autobiography and, of course, from the man himself. All I can say is we'd better hope, even pray, Shearer can make the transition, otherwise we are finished. We have been going downhill for 2 years now, when are we going to hit the bottom? Not for a while yet, I fear.

Well, perhaps Souness can have as much bad luck as Robson did last year, and will suffer the same fate. Then we can get O'Neill in and start going forward again. Yeah, right, I know.

Problem is, listening with ear plugs directs all the sound straight into your ears. The human body quickly gets desensitized to sound, so to retain the effect of, say Franz Ferdinand, you have to turn the volume up. And up. Before you know it you hit the maximum. Another problem is that most use hardly any batteries or rechargeable batteries. In the olden days, my walkman use was restricted by the cost of batteries! Not any more. I just listen to my mp3 player when I'm walking, to take the edge off boredom. Probably about an hour a day, not too much I hope.